Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 89

The Bottom Line (4)

Go Ji-hoon’s wife placed a steaming dish on the table.

“Will this be enough?”

“Of course, it’s more than enough.”

Go Ji-hoon answered and immediately took a spoonful of rice.

“You should have told me you were coming. I would have made your favorites.”

His wife sat across from him with a worried expression, watching him eat.

“I decided on the spur of the moment.”

“So, you’re not going back to the dorms tonight?”

“Not really… I think I’ll rest for a few days and then go back.”

“How’s your body? What did the hospital say?”

Her face was full of concern.

“The results aren’t out yet, but I’ll be fine if I rest for a bit. It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry too much.”

Go Ji-hoon tried to sound nonchalant.

“You looked really bad during the game. Shouldn’t you rest and get treatment?”

“Which player is in perfect condition during the season? Everyone plays through aches and pains.”

Even though Go Ji-hoon tried to downplay it, his wife’s expression remained dark.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Sports aren’t everything.”

“Okay, don’t worry.”

“I’ll make your favorite foods tomorrow.”

“But where’s Soo-ah?”

Go Ji-hoon stopped eating and looked around.

“She went to art class. I have to pick her up now.”

“I should go too. Let’s go together.”

“Really?”

“She’ll be happy if we pick her up unexpectedly, right?”

“She’ll probably be so surprised she’ll jump into your arms.”

“There’s not much time left, right? I’ll eat quickly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Go Ji-hoon began to gobble down his food.

* * *

The last game of the three-game series between the Buffaloes and the Doubles.

Lee Joo-hyuk pulled out his densely filled notebook again.

“The pitcher starting today is the same player we saw during spring training, right?”

“Jung-hwan? Yes, he is.”

*It was impressive that he could remember a player he had only seen fleetingly during spring training a few months ago.*

“I was really impressed with his performance during spring training, so I looked him up to see what kind of player he is.”

“Really?”

“His baseball skills are great, but he also has a connection with Hyun-woo.”

“That’s true.”

A faint smile spread across my face.

“He’s changed a lot compared to last year. His velocity and fastball spin rate haven’t changed much, but his strike percentage has definitely increased.”

Lee Joo-hyuk flipped through a few pages of his notebook and continued.

“As a result, his walk rate has also decreased, and naturally, his inning-eating ability [ability to pitch for many innings] has improved. It’s only natural that his runs allowed have decreased as well.”

“That’s right.”

“But his breaking ball strike percentage is still low, especially his forkball. Batting average against his fastballs is in the low .100s, but it’s close to .300 with breaking balls. So, he’s almost perfect in the beginning when he focuses on fastballs, but his batting average against him increases when he starts mixing in breaking balls.”

“That’s an accurate analysis.”

I could only nod at each of Lee Joo-hyuk’s words.

“But Choi Jung-hwan improved this much after meeting Hyun-woo, right?”

“Hey, no. What ability do I have to make a player suddenly improve?”

All I did for Choi Jung-hwan was accurately show him the data of his performance.

“It’s too much of a coincidence to call it that, isn’t it?”

“It’s all because he worked hard.”

I just smiled.

Shortly after, the game began.

Whack!

“Strikeout!”

Choi Jung-hwan was showing the full power of his threatening fastball from the start.

The same was true for the second batter.

Tick.

Even when he barely managed to make contact with the bat, it didn’t go far and flew backward.

Whack!

“Strikeout!”

In the end, he induced the batter to swing at a high fastball and recorded the out.

“Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan!”

With two consecutive strikeouts with a fastball exceeding 150 km/h [approximately 93 mph], there was no reason for the Doubles fans not to cheer.

“Wow, if he’s that good, he doesn’t even need to control his breaking balls.”

“His pitches have more power than in his first game of the season.”

“Throwing 150 km/h seems like something you have to be born with. I’m always envious of those players.”

I could feel that Lee Joo-hyuk’s words were sincere.

Now, the third batter, Oh Seok-hoon, was walking to the plate.

It was an interesting matchup.

How would Oh Seok-hoon hit Choi Jung-hwan’s fastball, and how would Choi Jung-hwan compete against Oh Seok-hoon?

“Oh Seok-hoon hit! Oh Seok-hoon hit!”

“Strikeout! Strikeout! Strikeout!”

The atmosphere in the stadium was heating up from the first inning.

It didn’t take long for Choi Jung-hwan to exchange signs with the catcher.

His expression and pitching motion were no different from usual.

Whack!

“Strike!”

The ball thrown by Choi Jung-hwan clearly passed through the strike zone.

More than anything, the speed on the scoreboard was 155 km/h [approximately 96 mph].

Considering that the pitches he threw while competing against the first and second batters were in the early to mid 150 km/h range, it was clear that Choi Jung-hwan was conscious of Oh Seok-hoon.

Oh Seok-hoon didn’t show any movement, as if he was trying to gauge the first pitch.

He only nodded and organized his thoughts after checking where the ball had passed.

Soon after, the second ball came flying.

Judging from the trajectory, there was a high probability that it would be a fastball again.

Oh Seok-hoon’s bat swung with all its might at this ball.

Tick.

However, he didn’t make good contact with the bat, and it flew high towards the third baseman.

The Doubles third baseman ran with all his might to catch the ball.

“Foul.”

The foul ball was declared as it went out of the field.

Disappointment could be felt in Oh Seok-hoon’s expression as he fiddled with his bat.

Before long, it was 0 balls and 2 strikes.

Even if Choi Jung-hwan’s forkball control was lacking, it was a situation where he could throw it without pressure because the ball count was in his favor and there were no runners on base.

After receiving the sign from the catcher, Choi Jung-hwan threw the ball with all his might once again.

Whack!

Whoosh-

Oh Seok-hoon’s bat only swung after the ball had passed.

“Strikeout!”

He probably thought he might throw a breaking ball, but Choi Jung-hwan threw a fastball again this time.

It flew high out of the strike zone, but it was difficult not to swing at such a pitch.

Moreover, the speed was a whopping 157 km/h [approximately 98 mph].

He showed his highest fastball speed.

Oh Seok-hoon couldn’t hide his dismay as he opened his mouth.

“Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan!”

Choi Jung-hwan clenched his fist and returned to the dugout.

It was a remarkable feat to strike out all three batters in the first inning.

After the Doubles’ attack ended, the Buffaloes’ second inning attack continued.

While Choi Jung-hwan was on the mound, the fourth batter, Park Seong-joo, stepped up to the plate this time.

Could Choi Jung-hwan’s fastball, with its great velocity, overcome Park Seong-joo’s power?

“Joo-hyuk, if the two players go head-to-head, who do you think will win?”

“Choi Jung-hwan, the strong fastball pitcher with great velocity, or Park Seong-joo, the home run hitter… It’s too difficult. What do you think, Hyun-woo?”

Lee Joo-hyuk pondered for a long time and then shook his head as if he didn’t know.

“If Jung-hwan doesn’t overexert himself, I think the pitcher has a higher chance of winning.”

Even if he’s a .300 hitter, that also means he fails to get a hit nearly 70% of the time.

“Park Seong-joo home run! Park Seong-joo home run!”

The cheers of the Buffaloes fans, who were expecting Park Seong-joo’s power, grew louder.

Park Seong-joo swung his bat a few times with all his might just before standing at the plate, as if to show off his strength.

Choi Jung-hwan also prepared for the match by touching the ball in his glove.

“Play ball!”

With the umpire’s call, their match began.

Choi Jung-hwan also seemed to be conscious of Park Seong-joo’s potential for a home run, as he moved a beat later while holding the ball.

Then, he threw the ball with all his might.

Park Seong-joo also swung his bat boldly from the first pitch, as if not to be outdone.

Tick.

The ball hit the bottom of the bat and flew upwards.

Park Seong-joo couldn’t hide his surprise in his expression.

He seemed to have properly felt Choi Jung-hwan’s power for the first time.

0 balls and 1 strike.

The match continued. The second ball.

Park Seong-joo’s bat swung again without fail this time.

Crack!

“Huh?”

The batted ball hit by Park Seong-joo flew high into the sky.

Park Seong-joo put down his bat and slowly started running towards first base.

Choi Jung-hwan also turned his body and was only looking at the flying ball.

Everyone in the stadium held their breath for a moment.

Only the left fielder was following the ball to the end of the fence.

“Waaaaah-”

Then, the cheers of the Doubles fans were heard.

The third base umpire checked that the left fielder had caught the ball in front of the fence and raised his fist.

“Out!”

Park Seong-joo, who was about to go to second base after passing first base, was writhing in disappointment.

“It feels like it would have just gone over in another stadium, right?”

Lee Joo-hyuk shook his head.

“Since he caught it right in front of the fence, it’s definitely possible it would have stayed in.”

“Either way, since he’s out, should we say that Choi Jung-hwan won? If Seong-joo hit the fastball with great velocity and sent it to the front of the fence, it’s ambiguous to say that he didn’t do well either.”

“That’s right. It’s fair to say that both of them showed their skill.”

A proud smile spread across my face.

After that, Choi Jung-hwan showed a terrifying fastball.

He also succeeded in stealing timing with occasional unexpected breaking balls.

After the batting order had gone around once, he gradually increased the ratio of sliders and forkballs.

And then Choi Jung-hwan and Oh Seok-hoon faced off again.

Oh Seok-hoon stood at the plate, glaring sharply at Choi Jung-hwan as if to avenge his previous defeat.

Whack!

Choi Jung-hwan’s fastball still felt heavy.

Thud.

However, the forkball he was trying to throw as a finishing pitch landed on the ground before it even reached the strike zone.

In the end, with 1 ball and 2 strikes, Choi Jung-hwan’s choice was a fastball.

Whack!

Whoosh-

Oh Seok-hoon’s bat, unable to keep up with the speed of the ball, cut through the air.

“Strikeout!”

Oh Seok-hoon, frustrated by being struck out twice in a row, slammed his bat hard on the ground and entered the dugout.

Next, Park Seong-joo entered the plate.

A smile was on Choi Jung-hwan’s face on the mound.

He had a confident expression, having won a judge’s decision in his second match against Oh Seok-hoon.

Choi Jung-hwan confidently threw the ball to Park Seong-joo this time as well.

Perhaps because he had sent a ball flying that was almost a home run, Park Seong-joo also swung his bat boldly from the first pitch.

Crack!

The batted ball hit the bat and flew towards the shortstop at bullet speed.

“Uh, uh?”

The shortstop lowered his stance and put his glove in the position where the ball would fly, but the ball went into the glove and bounced out.

The shortstop quickly grabbed the ball again and threw it towards first base, but

“Safe!”

Park Seong-joo had already stepped on first base.

It was an ambiguous situation that seemed like a hit, but also seemed like an error.

The official judgment of the record keeper was recorded as an error.

Choi Jung-hwan, who had met the requirements for a winning pitcher, was replaced before his third at-bat, and unfortunately, the match ended like that.

It was a result that made the next match even more anticipated.