Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 86

The Last Line (1)

Lim Ye-ji and Go Ji-hoon sat facing each other with serious expressions.

“Well…”

Lim Ye-ji clasped her hands together and paused, lost in thought, before cautiously speaking.

“Are you saying there’s no improvement, even after treatment?”

“It’s not that there’s no effect at all, but the effect doesn’t last as long,” Go Ji-hoon replied, massaging his lower back. “It definitely feels like the duration has decreased.”

“How is it when you’re throwing?”

“It’s only okay on the days I go to the hospital. Otherwise, it’s hard to even finish training properly.”

“I see…”

Lim Ye-ji’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Have you considered going to a different hospital? Getting a second opinion?”

“A different hospital?”

“I thought a change might be good.”

“The professor who’s treating me now is considered the best doctor in the country.”

“I know, but if this continues, it’s going to be hard to keep playing,” Lim Ye-ji said, her voice laced with concern.

Go Ji-hoon tilted his head.

“Then, I’ll talk to the professor directly first. He’s been treating me for years, so he knows my case better than anyone. If things still don’t improve after that, we can think about going somewhere else.”

“Hmm… Do you think that’s best?”

Go Ji-hoon trailed off, sounding unconvinced.

Seeing his expression, Lim Ye-ji quickly changed the subject.

“How are you finding the dorms?”

“Good, I like it.”

“Any inconveniences?”

“Not really. The training facilities are great, the food is good, the sleeping arrangements are comfortable, and the other players are nice.”

Go Ji-hoon thought back to his time in the dorms.

“Are you going home often these days?”

“At first, I went once a week, but now it’s more like once every two weeks.”

“Your daughter must miss you a lot.”

“That’s what my wife tells me. But I think I miss her more these days.”

A smile appeared on Go Ji-hoon’s face, but he quickly turned serious.

“It’s true that I’m having a hard time, but I need to work harder this year than ever. It’s an important time for me.”

“Okay. I’ll do everything I can to help you have a good year,” Lim Ye-ji replied, nodding.

“Thank you.”

“Tomorrow’s your start, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m looking forward to the game. It’s been a while since you’ve faced Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo in the first team, hasn’t it?”

Lim Ye-ji asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

“Yeah, I can’t even remember the last time.”

“I’m not sure who to root for,” she joked.

“They’re both such good hitters, so I’ll have to give it my all,” Go Ji-hoon said with a faint smile.

He took a sip of his tea and checked his watch.

“It’s time for training, so I should get going.”

“Okay. Let’s talk about the hospital situation again after your start tomorrow.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Go Ji-hoon stood up.

Lim Ye-ji also stood to see him off, smiling.

“Get some rest today and show us a great game tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

Go Ji-hoon left and closed the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Lim Ye-ji’s expression turned serious.

She picked up her smartphone from the table and made a call.

The phone rang a few times before someone answered.

“Director Lim, it’s been a while.”

“Professor, is this a good time to talk?”

“Of course. I’m always available for you, Director Lim.”

“I wanted to ask about Go Ji-hoon. What’s his current physical condition?”

“Ah, Ji-hoon…?”

There was a brief silence.

“As I’ve said before, Ji-hoon’s physical condition isn’t good. The pain in his lower back seems to be getting worse, but he keeps pitching without resting, so he’s not getting any better. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?”

“Go Ji-hoon says the treatment seems to be less effective.”

“Hmm, I was just discussing that with him yesterday.”

“…”

“The treatment can only do so much. We’ve reached the limit.”

“Then, what’s the best course of action now?”

“Right now, the best thing would be to rest and receive treatment for a few months. That’s the most certain and fastest way to recover.”

“Taking a few months off isn’t an option right now. Is there any other way?”

“Hmm… Well, all the other methods are just temporary fixes. We can manage for a while, but the pain won’t decrease.”

“Then, is there any way to get him through this season at least?”

Lim Ye-ji’s eyes gleamed sharply.

* * *

I started training with Lee Joo-hyuk early in the morning in the underground training facility.

We began with warm-ups and stretches to improve flexibility.

Before we even started pitching, Lee Joo-hyuk’s workout clothes were soaked with sweat.

“Okay, let’s move on to pitching.”

“Yes,” Lee Joo-hyuk replied, breathing heavily.

“Should we take a break if you’re tired?”

“No, I’m okay. And we have to leave soon.”

His body might have been tired, but Lee Joo-hyuk’s eyes sparkled as he picked up his glove.

I smiled and grabbed a ball.

“From what I saw last time, your slider is your best breaking ball. Let’s focus on practicing that.”

“But shouldn’t we practice other pitches too, just in case?”

“There’s not much time left before the tryout, so it’ll be hard to get them up to a decent level quickly. And it seems like the fastball and slider will be enough for now.”

“I understand. I’ll do as you advise.”

Lee Joo-hyuk nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.

“Then, start by throwing the fastball lightly.”

I handed him the ball.

Lee Joo-hyuk nodded and prepared to pitch.

“Hoo-”

He took a deep breath and threw with all his might towards the strike zone.

*Thud.*

He put too much power into it, and it went far outside the zone.

“Let’s try again. Try to use less power.”

“Yes.”

I handed him another ball.

“Breathe comfortably.”

“Hoo- hoo-”

Perhaps the instruction to be comfortable put more pressure on him, because Lee Joo-hyuk’s breathing became even rougher.

“Take your time. It’s okay.”

I slowly lowered and raised my hands, gesturing to calm him down.

Lee Joo-hyuk threw the ball after taking a few more breaths.

*Thud.*

It still didn’t pass through the strike zone, but it was closer than before.

“It’s not usually this bad, but I think I’m a little nervous today,” Lee Joo-hyuk said, scratching his head, looking embarrassed.

“You’ll probably be very nervous when you’re on the mound that day too. Try to stay calm and imagine yourself throwing well every time you throw.”

“Yes, I will.”

“And let’s correct your shoulder rotation before throwing.”

“Shoulder rotation?”

Lee Joo-hyuk looked curious, as if he hadn’t expected this.

“When scouts watch pitchers at tryouts, they usually look at velocity first.”

“Ah… I guess so.”

“Even if you can’t throw 150 km/h [93 mph] right away, it would be good to increase it by 2 or 3 km/h [1-2 mph].”

“Is it possible to increase velocity that much so quickly?”

“The principle is simple. You’re not using 100% of your power right now. We’re going to train you to use a little more of it.”

Lee Joo-hyuk’s eyes lit up.

“The more you separate your body rotation from your shoulder rotation, the less strain on your body, which reduces the chance of injury and increases your velocity.”

“Aha…!”

“If your shoulder rotation happens at the same time as your body rotation, your center of gravity goes forward, and you can’t use your body’s power properly. Even if your body rotates and goes forward, if you delay your shoulder rotation, your center will stay back, right? If you rotate your shoulder with that power, you can use your body’s power much more effectively.”

I explained, even demonstrating a pitching stance.

“That’s why a pitcher’s body needs to be flexible.”

Then, I stood next to the wall with Lee Joo-hyuk and continued.

“Put your foot at the angle you stride in front of the wall. And put your left knee to the fence. Next, put your left elbow there too.”

I corrected Lee Joo-hyuk’s posture.

“Turn your right foot as much as possible to make a straight line towards where the catcher would be. The key is to keep your balance and not turn your pelvis and shoulders too much.”

“Ugh… Ugh.”

“And lift your right arm like you’re throwing a ball and stick it to the wall. Keep your spine, chest, and head upright.”

“Ugh…”

“Let’s do this for five more seconds.”

Lee Joo-hyuk groaned louder each time I corrected his balance.

“Ha… This is really hard.”

“From now on, do this training before pitching, and try to pitch with that feeling.”

“Yes, I understand,” Lee Joo-hyuk answered, panting.

*Step. Step.*

I was about to do another set when I heard someone coming in.

“Ah, Senior, you’re here?”

I greeted Go Ji-hoon cheerfully.

“Yeah.”

But Go Ji-hoon looked more serious than ever.

He looked around and frowned, then spoke.

“Could you leave the training ground for a while? I need to prepare for my start later.”

Even if he was preparing for a start, to ask us to leave?

“Ah, then we’ll go,” Lee Joo-hyuk answered without hesitation, unlike me, who was trying to hide my surprise.

“Sorry, I’m just asking for today.”

“No, it’s okay. This is a place for players to train. You should be comfortable,” Lee Joo-hyuk said, quickly packing his things.

“Then, Joo-hyuk, shall we go to the first floor?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

I tried to keep my expression neutral and left the training ground with Lee Joo-hyuk, making slight contact with Go Ji-hoon as I passed. He is very sensitive because he is not preparing for the mound as he wants.