ASR 7

Chapter 7

The second half had begun.

“They don’t have any substitutes?”

“Don’t you know why, Coach? You need substitute players in order to make substitutions.”

“Right.”

The head coach of Shingil World Academy smirked at his coach’s obsequious response and looked toward Choi Cheol-gyu.

The coach of a small academy that preached passion for football and operated with only a handful of players.

The World Academy coach couldn’t help but laugh at someone like Choi Cheol-gyu.

He didn’t know exactly how capable Choi was, but in this area, he was practically one of the most well-known and influential figures around. Yet there he was, failing to make the most of his position.

It was ridiculous.

An academy was a business.

If he had been in Choi Cheol-gyu’s position, he would have opened at least three more academies and recruited hundreds of students.

But Choi Cheol-gyu hadn’t done that.

Meanwhile, he had continued expanding and expanding until he had built the World Academy into what it was today.

Its history might be short, but he was confident that it had now surpassed Choi Cheol-gyu’s Iron FC.

Just look at the scoreboard.

It wasn’t enough that they had completely dominated the first half and gone up 2–0.

The moment the second half began, they scored another goal.

3–0.

To be honest, Iron FC had actually played the better football.

But what did that matter?

Football was decided by goals.

The coach looked at Park Yu-chan, who had recently joined the academy.

Discovering the talent of a boy who claimed this was his first time playing football since entering middle school was practically a gift from heaven.

He usually left admission tests to the assistant coaches, but that day, he had happened to have nothing better to do and watched the test himself.

Everything about the kid was awkward.

And yet, strangely enough, he was incredibly good at scoring.

No.

He made it look easy.

Even the coach himself couldn’t understand it.

How does he score goals like that?

Even if he was a business-oriented coach, he knew exactly how to manage a kid like this.

“Yu-chan! That’s a hat trick! A hat trick! Excellent! You’re doing great!”

You couldn’t be stingy with praise.

You had to cherish him and take good care of him.

Keep him firmly attached so he couldn’t go anywhere else, then make the most of him.

The better this kid became and the more brilliantly he performed, the more famous his academy would become.

And becoming famous?

That meant making more money.

“Yes, Coach!”

Park Yu-chan, who had been standing there with a somewhat vacant expression after scoring, suddenly grinned foolishly at the coach’s voice and ran toward the halfway line.

Watching him, the coach’s expression stiffened.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s amazing. That dumb-looking idiot scores goals like a monster, doesn’t he?”

The kid was truly bizarre.

“Well, whatever… Hehehe…”

The coach checked the scoreboard again and chuckled.

Over the past five years, including practice matches and official games, they had faced Iron FC fourteen times.

Four wins, three draws, and seven losses.

Their record over the last two years had been roughly even, but overall, it was humiliating.

But that was over now.

From now on, they would never lose again.

“So what if he managed to steal Kim Jin-sol away?”

The coach looked at Kim Jin-sol.

The boy had originally belonged to his academy.

Iron FC had taken him away.

But he didn’t need him anymore.

“A useless striker who can’t even score.”

The coach snorted as he watched Kim Jin-sol wandering around the field, seemingly lost.

Meanwhile, about twelve minutes remained in the match.

Iron FC finally made a substitution.

“Huh?”

Someone he had never seen before was coming onto the field.

“He looks like some pretty-boy gigolo. Is the old man thinking of quitting football and starting an idol agency instead?”

“That’s what I’m wondering too.”

Choi Yo-han was stepping onto the field.

“Go do your best.”

“Yes, Coach.”

Choi Yo-han

30

As Choi Cheol-gyu quietly watched his grandson’s back as he headed toward the field—

“Do you think he’ll do well?”

Park Seong-hwan asked nervously while looking at Yo-han as well.

Choi Cheol-gyu shrugged at his disciple’s question.

“Who knows…”

“Come on, you wouldn’t send him in for no reason, would you? Don’t tell me Yo-han begged you to let him play when you came here today?”

At those words, Choi Cheol-gyu shot Park Seong-hwan a murderous glare.

Park Seong-hwan immediately shrank back.

“T-There’s no way. Not our coach.”

“Yeah, punk. Watch what you say.”

When Park Seong-hwan glared at Nam Ho-jin, who had jumped in like an annoying sister-in-law, Choi Cheol-gyu spoke.

“And I’m not just saying this because he’s my grandson…”

“Yes?”

“He’s a genius. My grandson.”

“G-Genius?”

“You’re not just being a doting grandfather, are you? Hahaha. Our coach isn’t the type to do that.”

Seeing the two of them still looking doubtful, Choi Cheol-gyu continued.

“I tested him. He beat both Jeong-hoon and me.”

“…Who did? Yo-han? He beat you and my brother?”

One of them was a former K League player, and the other had played football at the university level.

No matter how old they were now, it made no sense for a middle schooler with no proper training to beat them.

“You weren’t taking it easy on him, were you?”

“Of course not. The way he handles the ball is something he was born with. It’s like the ball sticks to his feet with magnets, and his first touch was soft as tofu.”

“Well… if you’re calling him a genius…”

“But will he actually play well?”

This time, Nam Ho-jin asked in confusion.

“You just said he was a genius.”

“He’s never played organized football before.”

“…”

“Well… he may not know tactics, but if he’s good enough to beat the two of you, he’ll probably do fine.”

“Right?”

Choi Cheol-gyu recalled what Yo-han had said to him just moments ago.

“Grandpa—no, Coach. Move Jin-sol back. And can I play as a striker?”

“You think you can decide that?”

“I’m not deciding. I’m making a suggestion. From what I’ve seen, I don’t think that guy should be playing as a striker. I should.”

He had only intended to send him out to gain some experience, but there had been something unmistakably football-like about his grandson’s words.

What does he know?

Or does he simply have a natural eye for the game?

There was no way to know.

But when Choi Cheol-gyu looked into Yo-han’s eyes, he couldn’t refuse.

Those exceptionally clear eyes stared straight at him.

They were filled with pure passion for football.

Then again, maybe it’s gone beyond passion and into obsession…

No, no.

What am I thinking about my own grandson?

“You play further back.”

“Coach’s orders?”

“No. I asked him.”

Kim Jin-sol clenched his fist at those words, even though Yo-han was looking at him with an innocent expression.

“A bet is a bet, but the match is the match. Do you want to spend the rest of the game watching from the sidelines like some loser?”

From what Yo-han had seen so far, Kim Jin-sol’s competitive spirit was the real deal.

Even in FM—the football management game—players with high determination developed faster.

Too much wasn’t necessarily good, but a healthy competitive spirit helped a player grow.

And Kim Jin-sol had a strong desire to actually play.

In that sense, this guy definitely had potential.

“…”

“See? I knew you’d want to play. Our Jin-sol, who can’t score goals.”

“Goals are…”

“Now, now. That’s not what’s important. You have a job to do. If you do it well, we won’t concede another goal, and we can come back and win.”

“In just ten minutes?”

“Have you been fooled your whole life or something? If we don’t win, I’ll add something to our bet and buy you a meal too. You don’t have to add anything.”

Kim Jin-sol stared at him silently.

“A sushi buffet.”

“Huh?”

“If we lose, buy me a sushi buffet. Losing to those guys is bad enough that you should at least buy me that much.”

“Deal.”

“So what am I supposed to do at the back?”

At that, I pointed behind us.

“First, hold the defensive line.”

“I know that much.”

“And then you take the ball away from them.”

“And after that?”

“Find me. Then pass it to me. Even if the pass is rough, just be bold and send it. I’ll get to it somehow.”

“And then?”

“Then just watch.”

I grinned.

“Watch me score. That’s it. Easy, right?”

“…Got it.”

I smiled broadly at Kim Jin-sol’s answer.

“Good. I think we could become pretty good friends.”

Kim Jin-sol gave me an incredulous look.

Why was he looking at me like that?

[Are you seriously asking because you don’t know?]

What do you know? We’re already pretty close.

[…]

That expression…

Right. It must be because he’s going through puberty.

Beep!

The substitution was completed, and the match resumed.

Sorry, kids.

But it was time to show you what grown-up football looked like.

Even with a commanding 3–0 lead, the World Academy players weren’t content with the score.

The record from their previous encounters that their coach had told them about was enough to keep their competitive fire burning.

The coach had demanded it.

An overwhelming victory.

He had told them that was the only way to become the best team in Yeongdeungpo District.

Honestly, even without that speech, this was the perfect situation to run wild against an opponent whose spirit had been crushed.

They moved forward, exchanging passes.

Iron FC, whose momentum had disappeared, was being tossed around by World Academy’s passing game.

“Give it to Park Yu-chan!”

The midfielder in possession of the ball was about to take a long-range shot, but he hesitated and glanced toward the coach.

The coach’s stern expression made him feel that if he disobeyed, he’d be substituted immediately.

Gritting his teeth, the midfielder looked for Park Yu-chan.

Park Yu-chan was, strangely enough, in a perfect position.

The midfielder immediately fired a powerful pass toward him.

The ball shot forward in a straight line.

That damned guy will probably control it awkwardly somehow and turn it into another goal, won’t he?

Then—

Someone slipped into the passing lane.

Kim Jin-sol.

Until now, he had been playing at the very front.

Kim Jin-sol cut off the ball and quickly scanned his surroundings.

His eyes settled somewhere.

No—

He stared at it intensely, almost murderously.

Then he swung his leg with all his strength.

A pass so powerful it could have been mistaken for a shot tore through the field.

Everyone’s eyes followed the ball.

It bypassed every player and headed toward the front.

And at the very front stood Choi Yo-han.

A player nobody had ever seen before.

The unfamiliar player received the ball with his back to a World Academy defender.

At first glance, he looked incredibly frail.

He looked like he didn’t have a single muscle on his body.

Could someone like that withstand the pressure of a defender while holding him off?

The answer was yes.

He staggered but didn’t fall.

And the ball settled at the unfamiliar player’s feet—Yo-han’s feet—without even bouncing.

Then Yo-han rolled the ball backward through the defender’s legs with his heel.

As the defender lost his balance while shifting his weight forward, Yo-han spun around him, retrieved the ball, and burst forward.

“!!”

And he was fast.

Far faster than anyone expected.

Yo-han glided across the field with the ball at his feet as the defenders desperately rushed toward him.

But they had no chance.

Before they could close him down, Yo-han was already getting closer and closer to the goal.

Seeing this, even the goalkeeper had no choice but to rush out.

It had become a one-on-one situation—the kind of situation players this age usually found most difficult.

Some kids might get lucky and score.

But most of the time, the ones who could reliably score in these situations were simply born with it.

Natural composure.

Natural finishing ability.

It was a talent Kim Jin-sol didn’t possess.

A talent Park Yu-chan did.

But what about Yo-han?

The distance between Yo-han and the goalkeeper shrank to almost nothing.

At that exact moment, Yo-han casually nudged the ball to the right and changed direction.

The startled goalkeeper threw himself that way.

But Yo-han’s feet were faster.

The ball, struck with what looked like the lightest of touches, slid smoothly across the grass and crossed the goal line.

Only two minutes after Yo-han entered the match.

Iron FC 1 : 3 World Academy

Iron FC had scored.

“What the hell is that crazy…?”

Watching it all, Kim Jin-sol stood there with his mouth hanging open in shock.

“Wow…!”

Meanwhile, Park Yu-chan’s eyes sparkled brightly.