Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 94

94. This Doesn’t Seem Right (1)

Ko Ji-hoon entered the conference room and sat across from Lim Ye-ji, beginning their conversation.

Unlike Lim Ye-ji, who wore a bright smile, Ko Ji-hoon had a serious expression, perhaps due to his back pain.

“First, we’ve sent Ko Ji-hoon’s test results to a U.S. hospital affiliated with our company. We should receive their opinion soon.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ko Ji-hoon simply nodded slightly without much change in expression.

“I didn’t want you to just sit around doing nothing while waiting for the results, so I explained the situation to Professor Park Jung-joon. He told me to have you come in more often than before. Let’s wait while you receive treatment until the results come out.”

“Will going to the hospital a few more times change anything in this situation?”

Ko Ji-hoon’s reaction was skeptical, as if he wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

“The professor said that frequent treatment will definitely help.”

“If frequent visits could solve it, why haven’t we done that until now?”

Ko Ji-hoon asked with a hint of bitterness.

Lim Ye-ji’s eyebrows twitched, but she replied in a calm voice.

“After meeting and talking with him, I think he was a bit cautious until now. He probably wanted to avoid interfering with Ko Ji-hoon’s season as much as possible, so he proceeded cautiously.”

“So, I’ll receive treatment at a domestic hospital, and then go to the U.S. for treatment when the results come out?”

“It depends on what the U.S. hospital decides, but we should choose the method that can produce the best results.”

Ko Ji-hoon nodded after hearing Lim Ye-ji’s answer, organizing his thoughts.

“But the results from the domestic hospital haven’t come out yet, right?”

“It will take a little more time. It’s a very important matter, so I asked them to make a definite decision, even if it takes time.”

Lim Ye-ji’s answer was seamless.

“I see.”

“First, I’ve scheduled an appointment with Professor Park this afternoon, so go and get a checkup.”

“Okay.”

A faint smile appeared on Lim Ye-ji’s face after hearing Ko Ji-hoon’s reply.

* * *

“Hyun-woo, take a look at this too.”

“What is it?”

Kim Min-hwan took out a few sheets of paper from an envelope.

“It’s an opinion from the U.S. hospital. It arrived last night.”

“The opinion is already here?”

As a document sent from the U.S., it was densely written in English.

Moreover, it was full of medical terms, making it difficult to find even a few familiar words.

“I don’t understand any of this.”

“To summarize the conclusion, it’s not much different from the opinion sent by the domestic hospital.”

“So that means…”

“They also say that you need to receive treatment for at least three months. Of course, if the treatment doesn’t proceed as planned, we can’t rule out the possibility that the treatment period may be extended beyond that.”

“It’s exactly the same opinion as the domestic hospital.”

Kim Min-hwan simply nodded silently at my words.

“Then, let’s proceed with the goal of receiving thorough treatment and returning without any pain.”

Trying to shorten the treatment period by pushing yourself too hard could worsen the injury and take even longer to recover.

“That’s easier said than done… Can you really tell the CEO to push for that? You saw Lim’s expression when the CEO asked if there was really no way to turn 50 innings into 100 innings, right? Don’t you remember?”

“Of course, I remember.”

It felt like we had to find a solution by mobilizing every possible means and method.

Anyone who saw Lim Ye-ji’s eyes at that moment would have thought the same thing.

“But in that situation, can you say, ‘The U.S. hospital also says it’s difficult to make him pitch 100 innings. So, let’s just be satisfied with 50 innings since we can’t do anything about it’?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

I shook my head.

“Me neither. How can I bring that up?”

“Then what are you planning to do?”

“That’s why I’m suffering like this because I don’t know. Ugh!”

Kim Min-hwan lowered his head and ruffled his hair.

Then he suddenly stopped and raised his head.

“Hyun-woo, do you have any good ideas?”

“Well… I don’t know.”

“You’ve solved a lot of impossible problems until now. It feels like it’s time for another amazing idea to pop out.”

Until now, I was able to solve problems faster and more accurately than anyone else with the help of the information window [a system providing detailed data].

But this wasn’t a problem that could be solved just by having the information window.

I could find out which doctor to see or what treatment to receive with the information window, but it wasn’t capable of shortening the treatment period itself.

“I’m not a miracle doctor, so what can I do for a player who needs to receive treatment for an injury?”

“Really, nothing?”

I could feel something more than just desperation in Kim Min-hwan’s eyes as he stared at me.

But that didn’t mean a new method would suddenly pop out.

“Wouldn’t it be better to come up with a strategy on how to report to the CEO to persuade her?”

“Strategy? What kind of strategy? Tell me quickly.”

Kim Min-hwan suddenly raised his head and picked up a pen, ready to write.

“In the end, we just need to properly showcase Ko Ji-hoon’s value during the FA [Free Agency] negotiations, right?”

“That’s right.”

“It would be great if a player with Ko Ji-hoon’s skills could pitch over 150 innings in a season and play the role of an inning eater [a pitcher who can consistently pitch many innings]. But honestly, his career has been far from that of an inning eater.”

“That’s exactly right.”

Kim Min-hwan nodded vigorously.

“But now, will the Doubles or other teams think of Ko Ji-hoon as an inning-eater pitcher just because he pitched a lot of innings in one season?”

A player’s evaluation will be based on data accumulated over the past several years.

“Rather, they’re more likely to worry that he pushed himself too hard because it’s the season before FA, and he might be too tired to pitch much next year.”

“That makes sense too.”

Kim Min-hwan was busy writing down what I was saying.

“So, we need to change our perspective altogether. We shouldn’t even bring up the number of innings pitched and focus on emphasizing what he’s been good at.”

“But he’s out for three months due to injury and can only pitch about 50 innings, which doesn’t seem good to me. How are we going to talk about that?”

“We need to highlight the positive aspects of this too.”

Kim Min-hwan’s expression gradually brightened with interest as I answered without hesitation.

“How?”

“We can emphasize that if he receives proper treatment, he won’t have any more of the injuries he’s been suffering from. Ko Ji-hoon is the best player as long as he’s not injured.”

“Well, that’s definitely true.”

“It might be a better choice to take this opportunity to receive proper treatment, even if it takes time.”

“That’s right!”

Kim Min-hwan slammed the desk as if he had gained enlightenment.

* * *

“Woof! Woof woof!”

As soon as I opened the gate and entered, Rupi, who was in the yard, ran towards me excitedly.

He put his front paws on my legs and wagged his tail excitedly.

“You’re here?”

Lee Joo-hyuk ran after him.

His face and back were soaked with sweat.

“What kind of training did you do? You’re sweating a lot.”

“I was playing with Rupi. By the way, he’s really cute. And he’s so affectionate.”

“That’s right. Every time I see him, I can’t help but love him.”

I bent down and stroked Rupi’s head.

He was still wagging his tail.

“Seok-hoon and Sung-joo aren’t here, so it must have been boring.”

“Time flew by while I was organizing things. Playing with Rupi is also fun. I don’t know when was the last time I took a break like this.”

Lee Joo-hyuk was planning to return to his hometown immediately after the tryouts.

But he hadn’t said goodbye to Oh Seok-hoon and Park Sung-joo, who were away from home for a few days due to away games, and I was reluctant to let him go, so I persuaded him to rest for a few more days.

“Did your parents say anything?”

“They said I worked hard. They said there would be better opportunities and not to be impatient.”

“That’s right. Good opportunities will definitely come to someone who works as hard as Joo-hyuk.”

“Thanks to you, I’m taking a leisurely break like this.”

“Take a good rest while you’re here.”

While Lee Joo-hyuk and I were talking, a sound came from somewhere.

*Beep beep*. *Clang*.

The gate opened and Ko Ji-hoon came in, pushing a carrier.

“Oh, senior, you’re here?”

“How have you been?”

It felt like it had been a long time since I saw Ko Ji-hoon, even though it had only been a few days since he left the dorm.

Ko Ji-hoon was pushing the carrier with one hand and struggling to hold a box with the other.

I quickly approached and took the box from him.

“My wife made these cookies and told me to share them with everyone.”

“Wow, really? Thank you.”

“They’re not made with flour, so it shouldn’t be a problem for the players to eat them while managing their bodies.”

“Thank you for the food.”

As our bodies slightly touched while receiving the box, the information window was updated.

– Back pain is gradually decreasing.

– Feeling a slight dizziness.

Suddenly, the back pain is decreasing?

What happened in the meantime that made this change possible?

“I’m going in to organize my luggage.”

“Yes, I’ll go in soon too.”

Ko Ji-hoon nodded and went into the house, pushing the carrier.

I rubbed my eyes and read the information window again.

It clearly said that the pain was decreasing.

Am I seeing things?

I could only stare blankly at Ko Ji-hoon’s back as he entered the house.