Chapter 9
After a brilliant debut match, winter vacation ended, and the new semester began.
In the past, students who pursued arts or sports as a career wouldn’t care about the start of school, even if they were high school students.
But now, things have changed a bit.
“Okay, you all had a good break, right? I know it’s tough starting a new semester, but sophomore year of high school is the most important time. You understand that, right? What you do now will decide which university you’ll go to in two years.”
“…”
“Even those doing arts or sports, listen carefully. These days, even if you go to art or music academies, if you neglect your studies, you’ll have a hard time getting into college. So, study hard. Got it?”
“Yes…”
Good grades were essential if you aimed to go to college.
There were still some schools that only considered practical skills. However, prestigious universities that everyone knew by name would also look at academic performance to some extent.
It meant that the days of saying, I’m in arts, so I won’t study and will focus only on my practical skills! were long gone.
“So, you should work hard at math too, right? Today, we’ll just go over things lightly, so don’t fall asleep and listen to the lesson. Hmm? Hey, who are those kids sitting at the back, all lined up and asleep?”
“They’re from the soccer team.”
“The soccer team? You’ve got to be kidding me. Didn’t you hear what I just said? Are the soccer team members not planning to go to college? Hey, what are their names? Call them out one by one.”
“Teacher? They’re semi-pros. Should I still call them out?”
“Oh, really? Then let them sleep. They must be tired from playing matches.”
Of course, there were still exceptions.
Semi-professional contracts.
They were players registered with a professional first team but, being students, still had to attend school and take classes.
In their case, since they were part of an adult professional team rather than a youth team, college wasn’t part of their career plan.
What this meant was…
Study hard. Study hard… no matter how much they say it, it won’t mean anything.
Even teachers, who were desperate to send their students to good universities, had to let it go.
After all, when these players graduated, they would start their official professional careers, and studying wouldn’t be necessary.
So, what I did after coming to school was predictable.
Doze off during class to recharge, then head to the club house in the afternoon.
If Ah-yoon went to the same school, we could hang out and chat, but unfortunately, Young Warriors High, where Jeonbuk’s youth team was enrolled, was an all-boys school, so it couldn’t be helped.
But… since phone use is free, it’s not really a problem.
I pretended to be lying down while fiddling with my smartphone under the desk.
Ah-yoon was apparently doing the same, as my phone kept buzzing nonstop.
[Mother]: (Video of Baek Ian cutting past Choi Yeon-jun and surging toward the final third) I still think our son plays soccer so well. Blood really doesn’t lie, does it?
Shin Ah-yoon: Haha, it’s really well-shot! If you zoom in, you can even see Ian’s face!
Father: Honey, I’ve always told you. Our son is unbeatable when it comes to running and stamina because he takes after me. Who was it that saw his talent and got him into soccer? It was me, wasn’t it?
[Mother]: ??? Why is it thanks to you? The reason our son runs so well is all thanks to me. To be blunt, honey, you didn’t even win a medal at the Asian Games. How slow were you, really?
Father: What is this nonsense? If it was thanks to you, Ian would be gasping after running 100m during a match. And are you looking down on marathons now? Bring the records of my pace when I ran in competitions!
[Father-in-law]: Now, now, both of you calm down. How about discussing which team our son-in-law should join in the future? For the record, I think Liverpool would be good.
Mother-in-law: What kind of nonsense are you spouting about our son-in-law? Obviously, he should go to Man City. Our son-in-law doesn’t look good in red clothes; don’t you know he has a cool tone?
[Father-in-law]: Listen to this nonsense. If he goes to Man City and they get relegated to the second division after Mansour steps down, will you take responsibility?
Shin Ah-yoon: Mom? Dad? Why are you talking like Ian is already my husband? We’re not even dating yet.
Mother-in-law: Then start dating from today. By the way, aren’t you supposed to be in class? Why are you still on your phone?
[Baek Ian]: Mother-in-law, these days they don’t confiscate phones during class, so using them is allowed…
Shin Ah-yoon: Hey, Baek Ian! What’s with you? Why am I suddenly your wife?
[Baek Ian]: So, you don’t like it?
Shin Ah-yoon: (Blushing penguin emoji)
Shin Ah-yoon: …No, I like it.
Mother-in-law: Oh, you’re all being ridiculous. Ian is a semi-pro, so whatever, but Shin Ah-yoon, if you don’t study properly, I’m taking your phone.
[Shin Ah-yoon has left the chat.]
Father: Wow. I thought my daughter-in-law was only quick on her feet, but she’s fast at leaving chat rooms too.
This is entertaining. It’s a twist I never imagined when thinking about novels.
I could picture Shin Ah-yoon hurriedly leaving the chat room, and the corners of my mouth lifted.
Come to think of it, all of this happiness was thanks to my successful debut match in the ACL against Suwon.
If I had just made it onto the professional first team roster, the reactions would have been limited to comments like, Keep training hard and become a good player.
But because I showcased outstanding performance in an actual match, I could now envision a happy future.
Of course, some might say this:
Isn’t it a bit much to decide on big clubs like Liverpool or Man City just because you did well in a domestic league?
But that’s slightly off the mark.
Take, for example, Kim Jae-su, who transferred from Seongnam to Brentford.
And look at Yang Min-joon, who moved from K League’s FC Gangwon to Tottenham Hotspur after performing brilliantly in the 2024 season and is now a key player for the national team.
Even I went from Jeonbuk to Juventus after showing excellent form.
It might not have been possible in the past, but now, moving to a big club after demonstrating exceptional skill in the K League wasn’t just a dream.
“This should be enough to say I’ve made some decent progress.”
It seemed that all the things I’d done so far hadn’t been for nothing.
[Shin Seung-ah has re-invited Shin Ah-yoon.]
Shin Seung-ah: Everyone, stop fighting. Ian oppa is coming to Daejeon Phoenix.
Shin Ah-yoon: Phoenix is a baseball team. Why would Ian, a soccer player, join a baseball team?
Shin Seung-ah: Do you think I wouldn’t know that? Ian oppa runs super fast, so he can just come here, hit the ball casually, and run. Phoenix is so frustrating lately; they’re barely running properly, and it’s driving me crazy!
Shin Ah-yoon: Hey. Mom and Dad are here, so can you watch your language?
[Shin Seung-ah has left the chat.]
A storm hit the chat room once more while I was lost in thought.
The sisters kept leaving and rejoining the chat. What were they doing?
Even as I wondered, the Shin sisters continued their conversation without a care.
Shin Seung-ah: Sis. Recommend me an overseas soccer team to support. I want to follow one seriously now.
Shin Ah-yoon: You? I thought you didn’t watch soccer because it’s boring.
Shin Seung-ah: Never mind that! Just recommend one, and make sure it’s a good team.
Shin Ah-yoon: Then how about Man United?
Shin Seung-ah: Where’s that?
Shin Ah-yoon: You know, where Park Ji-sung played. Don’t you remember?
Shin Seung-ah: Park Ji-sung? Who’s that? Wait, I searched it up, and he played until 2012. He was active before I was even born!
Shin Ah-yoon: So, what do you think? Didn’t you ask for a good soccer team?
Shin Seung-ah: Do they play well?
Shin Ah-yoon: Of course, they’re first in the league right now.
Shin Seung-ah: They’re that good? Then I’ll be a Man United fan starting today! Ian oppa, will you come to Man United later?
[Baek Ian]: Are you crazy? Why would I go to the top team of the “Derbogi League”?
Shin Seung-ah: What’s the “Derbogi League”? I heard that the UK is split into different countries; is that one of their leagues?
Shin Seung-ah: Sis… I looked up “Derbogi League,” but nothing came up.
Is she out of her mind? Trying to send me to a team in a league that doesn’t exist.
Shuddering at the terrible future, I threw my phone under the desk and buried my face on the desk.
***
As time passed, our team was also normalizing.
“Hey. Yoon Seung-hwan, what’s that on your head?”
“Huh? Oh, this? It’s a headgear.”
“Oh! I saw that in FIFA. Wasn’t that what Cech used to wear? But you’re a forward, so what do you need that for?”
“…If I don’t wear this, I feel like I’ll end up with a concussion by the time I’m 20.”
“What is he talking about? Gang-rok, do you get what he means?”
“I don’t know either, hyung.”
To think I’d see those three talking like this, when they were practically enemies in the original plot.
Originally, Jeonbuk Mirae Motors suffered from intense factional conflicts between the senior faction of veteran players and the younger faction of new players.
Of course, in broad terms, it was just a senior-junior conflict.
As the saying goes, a tragedy from afar, a disaster up close, and due to the existence of troublemakers like Baek Ian, Han Kyung-rok, and Han Gang-rok, the younger faction was torn apart, resembling the Warring States Period, with small junior factions scattered around the large senior faction.
There’s a reason why Coach Seon Ki-baek always talks about discipline. If he didn’t, the team would truly be on the verge of splitting apart.
But even so, it was difficult to unite what was already divided. That’s why Jeonbuk had gained the nickname of “Orphanage led by Yoon Seung-hwan.”
And now, I was the one who fixed it. I really did.
But from the moment I entered this body, all the fights ended.
The infamous troublemaker Baek Ian disappeared, and in his place was a kind and considerate Baek Ian who was ending the Warring States Period by uniting the juniors.
The fractured junior faction was now brought together. The only thing left was to reform the incompetent senior faction or make them leave altogether.
This means we’re almost there.
The reason they could behave so arrogantly and dominate the team was partly due to Jeonbuk’s front office being one of the worst in the K League—hopelessly incompetent compared to the club owner—but more so because of their strong reputations.
The team’s performance swung so wildly depending on whether they played or not that it wasn’t even tightrope walking but more like bungee jumping, which made it impossible to improve.
If the club decided to take bold action and rebuild but ended up with poor performance leading to relegation, the supporters would protest by blocking the team bus and chanting “leave,” driving everyone insane.
So, what was the solution to this issue?
If I had to answer, there was only one way.
Young players, including the newly added ones, should start showcasing their potential.
If their positions were threatened, the seniors would no longer be able to act arrogantly.
Of course, the question was whether the coach could withstand the power struggle with the senior faction until then…
There’s no coach as stubborn as Seon Ki-baek. He’s someone who never uses players who don’t listen to him. To the point that he once benched a centre-back who defied him and fielded a volante as a centre-back instead.
At least, the Seon Ki-baek I knew was someone who could hold out.
If we showed good performance in the upcoming K League Round 1 match against Ulsan MR, he would gain confidence in his decision.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to lend some support.
More players needed to unlock their potential.
Not just the newly promoted ones like me.
There were players who seemed ordinary now but could step up with a little help…
And just then, there was one such player right in front of me.
“Chun-jae hyung.”
“Huh? Why did you call me all of a sudden? Do you have something to say to me?”
I smirked as I looked at Kim Chun-jae, who was gazing at me with wide eyes while chewing on an energy bar.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment