Chapter 12
—
Ulsan, which had somewhat revived its momentum after scoring an equalizing goal, was completely crushed when Hwang Yohan, the team’s eldest and pillar, stabbed them in the back with a self-inflicted wound—a historic own goal.
Of course, there was no way to recover from that.
Because losing morale is just like that.
‘Sure, there are guys who try to keep their spirits up, saying that the ball is round and anything can happen until the end…’
The ball is round, so you never know how it’ll end? Unexpected results can happen?
That’s true.
But sometimes the ball rolls normally, and the expected result happens too.
The ‘own goal’ that was scored seven minutes before the end of the match.
If it had been a goal conceded in the normal course of play, you might think about trying to recover somehow. But when the eldest member of the team drills a wonder goal into his own net, morale inevitably sinks to rock bottom.
So the outcome was obvious.
[Match End] Jeonbuk Mirae Motors 2:1 Ulsan MR
– MOM: Baek Ian
Having been chosen as the MOM (Man of the Match) for this game, I prepared for an interview at a designated spot on the field rather than heading to the locker room.
‘I’m MOM? I didn’t see that coming.’
Yoon Seung-hwan had scored the (forced) opening goal, and Chunjae hyung practically handled all the attacks, so I thought it would be one of them who’d be selected.
It seems my stable handling of the defense, even with Jeonbuk raising their defensive line high, and my role in inducing Hwang Yohan’s own goal were rated highly.
Feeling a mix of bewilderment and relief, I waited, and before I knew it, the announcer approached, cleared her throat, and immediately began.
“Hello. We’re here with Baek Ian, who was chosen as MOM for the K-League Round 1 match between Ulsan MR and Jeonbuk Mirae Motors. Congratulations on the win against Ulsan! How do you feel?”
“My thoughts… Well, I feel good. Facing the defending champions of last season in the league’s opening match—our fans must’ve been worried. I’m glad we managed to secure the win.”
“Thank you. Now let’s dive straight into the match. You displayed strong defensive performance, but we can’t avoid talking about the own goal scored at the end. Was it something you induced?”
“Induced?”
Did I deliberately make that own goal happen?
Honestly, saying I induced it would clearly be a lie, wouldn’t it?
‘How could I do that? He just messed up on his own… It’s not like I didn’t admire it.’
Even if it’s me, while I might be capable of using a teammate striker like Yoon Seung-hwan as an orbit-changing object, there’s no way I could replicate Hwang Yohan’s spinning header shot.
If it were possible to produce such wonder goals through manual craftsmanship, I’d be sweeping the Puskás Awards every year.
Of course, that doesn’t mean there was no intentional play at all. But my original plan wasn’t to induce an own goal; it was to take advantage of Hwang Yohan’s defensive error to deliver the ball to Yoon Seung-hwan’s feet.
‘The standard way to handle crosses is to deal with low ones with your feet and high ones with your head. But those mid-height crosses—too high to deal with by foot and too low for a header—are a real headache.’
Through our exchanges, I realized Hwang Yohan’s body was stiff with tension. Whether it was nerves or a resolute determination to carry out the coach’s orders, I wasn’t sure.
Given his fervor, he was bound to recklessly throw his head into the ball, and I planned to exploit that space for a mistake.
‘But then he suddenly charged at me out of nowhere, the ball deflected off him, and his spinning header got sucked into Ulsan’s net.’
It was a coincidence. A happy accident, you could say.
“Well, wouldn’t it be hard for anyone to aim for something like that?”
I didn’t intend to claim credit for that.
And putting it this way would make it clear that Hwang Yohan’s reckless mistake created the own goal, not some deliberate play on my part.
To sum up what I implied in a single line, it’s this:
[I just sent in a normal cross, but Hwang Yohan made a dumb mistake. So, dear Ulsan fans who came all this way, feel free to give that guy all your curses. Thanks for the 3 points—we’ll enjoy them~]
That about sums it up, right?
As I finished my answer while shaking my head, the announcer, perhaps recalling the own-goal scene, burst into laughter. After calming herself, she asked her final question.
“Thank you for your answer. Now, for the final question—Jeonbuk’s performance is being seen as exceptional this season. Since the ACL Round of 16 match against Suwon, all of your games have been sharp and exhilarating. Your next opponent is Gwangju CF. How are you planning to prepare for that match? Are you confident?”
“Of course, I’m confident. I believe the next game will also be played here, at Jeonju Castle. We’ll tear Gwangju apart just like we did with Junsan.”
“Uh, Junsan?”
“Yes, Junsan. What else? Or should I call them Junjun-san? Based on their record, Junjun-junjun-junjun-san would be more accurate…”
As soon as the word “Junsan” left my lips, the announcer’s face turned pale.
And at the same time, the atmosphere froze…
Wait, did I mess up somehow?
‘Junsan is Junsan, though…’
Isn’t it a historic club with the record of 10 runner-up finishes in the K-League?
Sure, they’ve been on a roll in recent years, winning championships and building a dynasty, but in my memory, Ulsan was still Junsan (10 runner-ups).
So why’s the mood like this? I mean, we get called “Maebuk” or “Dolbuk,” so isn’t Junsan a relatively mild nickname for having 10 runner-up finishes?
“Ahaha. Thank you for the interview! We’ll be cheering for your next game as well! Congratulations again on being MOM, Baek Ian!”
“Yes, see you next time.”
Watching the announcer hurry away as if she’d seen a ghost, I scratched my head.
I think I just caused quite the stir.
***
After Jeonbuk’s victory over Ulsan, soccer communities quickly filled with articles about the match.
[‘Crushed in performance’ Ulsan MR coach Ando Jin: “Early mistakes cost us a game we could’ve dominated… It’s all my fault.”]
[Hwang Yohan’s historic own goal in the match against Jeonbuk. Could it win the Puskás Award? Flood of questions!]
[‘On fire!’ Jeonbuk secures first-round victory against Ulsan MR in the league opener!]
[5 goals in 2 games. Yoon Seung-hwan: ‘I’m not thinking about the top scorer title yet.’]
[‘Not Ulsan, but Junsan? Junjun-junjun-junjun?’ Jeonbuk’s Baek Ian stirs controversy with mocking remarks in an interview.]
Considering Jeonbuk’s unexpected victory in a match everyone thought was a sure win for Ulsan, it wasn’t surprising to see a flood of articles.
But the real reason the community exploded was something else.
[Shocking own goal in today’s K-League]
(Video: Hwang Yohan spins Baek Ian’s cross with a header into the top corner of his own net and then collapses, sighing deeply.)
– LOLOLOLOL People who usually only post stats suddenly sharing match clips? I had to watch, and it’s hilarious. What the hell did Hwang Yohan do?
– Wow… The way it curls into the top corner is a work of art. I didn’t know Jeonbuk had a player like that.
└ Ulsan coach: I didn’t know either.
└ LOLOLOLOLOL
└ Wait, why is the attacking player wearing blue?
└ Stop roasting him, you savages!
– Their coordination must’ve been perfect despite not having much time to sync up. True pros.
└ LOLOL You’re killing me
– Wow, I don’t watch the K-League, but that header… It’d be hard to see a goal like that even in the EPL. Impressive. I’ll remember Jeonbuk’s Hwang Yohan.
– The celebration is so cool… Sitting there like it’s no big deal.
└ Even his expression… Like it’s just another goal for him.
└ LOL stop, I can’t breathe.
Even with a regular own goal, soccer communities catch fire.
But if the quality of that own goal is remarkable? If it’s a wonder goal worthy of being called a Puskás Award contender? It’s only natural for the reaction to go from burning to outright exploding.
With the situation like this, tactical analyses and which players performed well in the Jeonbuk vs. Ulsan match didn’t matter to anyone.
The only thing being discussed was Hwang Yohan and Baek Ian, the two who created a legendary own goal.
[Hey, I just got into an argument with a friend about the Jeonbuk vs. Ulsan match. Can someone settle this?]
– So we were drinking, and we started fighting because of Baek Ian’s cross that led to Hwang Yohan’s own goal.
I’m saying Baek Ian absolutely aimed for the own goal, but my friend’s saying it’s impossible and that if he could do that at will, he’d already be in the EPL. Who’s right?
Sure, he said in the interview he didn’t aim for it, but if you watch the way Baek Ian plays, doesn’t it seem like he did?
The way he immediately ran off to celebrate the goal makes it look like he knew exactly what would happen.
– LOL Do you really think that’s something anyone can aim for? Use your head for thinking, not decoration.
– No, I’m telling you Baek Ian definitely aimed for it! That guy racked up two assists in his debut match by targeting Yoon Seung-hwan’s head…
– To be fair, it might look like he aimed for it. Baek Ian does a lot of weird things on the pitch.
└ You’re saying he aimed for it? Do you realize how accurate his kicks would need to be for that? I thought it was pure luck.
└ He’s always been absurdly precise with his passes, even back in his youth team days. Now, after turning pro, he’s on a whole other level.
He’s versatile enough to play anchor holding and box-to-box roles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he transferred to an overseas league after this season.
[The own goal got me curious, so I went back to watch the full match. What exactly did Baek Ian say in his interview?]
– The announcer asked if they could beat Gwangju, and he said they’d tear them apart just like they did to Junsan LOLOL He was totally mocking both Junsan and Chitsan, wasn’t he?
– Wow… I thought he was just insane on the pitch, but he’s a total maniac in interviews too.
└ Wait, what’s Junsan and Chitsan? I don’t know what that means.
└ Junsan: A nickname mocking Ulsan for their record of 10 K-League runner-up finishes. Chitsan: Refers to when Ulsan players and staff made racist comments on social media about former Jeonbuk player Sasalak Haiprakhon, a Southeast Asian player.
Despite the league’s rules mandating a 10-match ban for racism, Ulsan only got a 15,000,000 Won fine and a 1-match ban, so people say Ulsan “ripped up the rulebook.”
└ It’s not on the level of Maebuk (Jeonbuk’s match-fixing reputation), but from an Ulsan fan’s perspective, it’s still offensive. And Baek Ian dropped it in his interview LOLOL
– A rookie who just debuted is talking about Junsan in an interview? His star power is off the charts.
– But can he say stuff like that? Won’t he get disciplined?
└ Disciplined for what? If that were the case, Lee Choon-soo would’ve been disciplined for mocking Guineš and FC Seoul in interviews.
└ Then again, who knows LOL Ulsan is pretty good at ripping up rulebooks.
– (Anonymous): Freaking match-fixers acting like they’re on top of the world. Star power, my foot. He’s just a trash human being with no respect for opponents.
└ [Baek Ian’s girlfriend]: Excuse me? Our Ian has a great personality, okay? If you don’t know him, just stay quiet (╬•᷅д•᷄╬).
└ (Anonymous): Who’s this? Are you seriously calling him “our Ian”? Shut your mouth if you’ve never even met Baek Ian.
└ [Baek Ian’s girlfriend]: I have met him, actually. He’s sleeping right next to me right now~ (˵ᵕ̴᷄ ˶̫ ˶ᵕ̴᷅˵).
└ (Anonymous): Sleeping next to you, my foot. You’re delusional. Why would Baek Ian be sleeping next to you? Go to a hospital.
└ [Baek Ian’s girlfriend]: Delusional? Judging by your post history, you’re a Chitsan fan, huh? Did losing to Jeonbuk give you PTSD? Get ready—my boyfriend is going to remind you of your “Jun-jun” days.
└ (Anonymous 2): ??? What’s going on? I checked the profile of this “Baek Ian’s girlfriend,” and it turns out she’s a VTuber? Aris? Isn’t she the one who does play-by-play streams for Daejeon Phoenix? A mid-tier VTuber with over 2,000 average viewers…?
└ [Baek Ian’s girlfriend]: Oh no! I forgot to log out!
***
The day after the match against Ulsan had ended.
It would’ve been nice to have a day off since it was the weekend, but unfortunately, with the upcoming match against Gwangju CF, I had to head to the club house as usual.
Even though I couldn’t dream of taking a day off, I’d at least planned to have lunch with Ah-yoon in the morning before parting ways…
[Shin Ah-yoon: ㅠㅠㅠ Sorry, Ian. I don’t think I can go out today. What should I do?]
[Baek Ian: Why? Did something happen? When we were on the phone earlier, wasn’t Seung-ah yelling? Is it because of that?]
[Shin Ah-yoon: Yeah… She suddenly seems upset, so I feel like I need to comfort her. I’ll check on her, and if things settle down, I’ll call you tonightㅠㅠㅠ.]
[Baek Ian: Got it. Don’t worry about it. We can meet later.]
[Shin Ah-yoon: Thanks! Be careful during practice!]
With Shin Ah-yoon suddenly canceling our plans, I headed to the club house earlier than usual.
Getting a last-minute cancellation isn’t the best feeling, but what can you do? I had to be understanding.
After all, we weren’t just acquaintances building a new relationship. We were childhood friends, and our families were close. Being considerate wasn’t a bad thing.
Buzz
[Aris is live now.]
[Title: About yesterday’s unfortunate boyfriend incident… Everything is a misunderstanding…]
‘What? Seung-ah has a boyfriend now?’
Hearing my phone vibrate, I checked it. It was a notification saying Ah-yoon’s younger sister had started streaming.
She had begged me to join her fan club as her first member, claiming she had no future in academics and wanted to try being a VTuber instead. I’d signed up and encouraged her, wishing her well.
It looked like she’d gotten caught up in some kind of incident.
‘Well, Seung-ah could date someone, I guess.’
While her fans might be devastated, it wasn’t something I cared about.
To me, Seung-ah was just the younger sister of my girlfriend, Ah-yoon.
‘She’ll handle it. Since it’s a misunderstanding, I don’t need to worry about it. I’ll focus on what I need to do.’
Putting my phone back in my pocket, I entered the club house and climbed to the third floor, where the manager’s office was located.
I wasn’t showing up early to impress anyone just because I was a rookie.
Sure, being punctual helped, but this wasn’t about that.
Knock knock
“Coach, it’s Baek Ian. May I come in?”
“Yes, come in.”
The coach hastily stood from his desk and sat at the table in front of it.
As I greeted him and bowed, my eyes fell on a newspaper on the desk.
[‘Not Ulsan, but Junsan? Junjun-junjun-junjun?’ Jeonbuk Mirae Motors’ Baek Ian stirs controversy with mocking remarks in an interview.]
‘Damn it. I should’ve just called them Chitsan instead of Junsan.’
The impact of my interview comments was greater than I’d anticipated.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment