Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 114



Only Krnovel

Episode 114 An Offer You Can’t Refuse

“… … He said that if I transferred to that team, he would increase my salary several times, give me a house and a car, and even look into finding a job for my father.”

“… … .”

A day you think is the worst just falls into an even deeper hole.

It didn’t matter whether the person who delivered Marco Nepe’s proposal was a fraud or not, or what the details of the proposal were.

That I was whispering in a place I didn’t know about.

That was the point.

But in reality, there was something even more unpleasant than that.

“And that hospital too… … . There’s a famous doctor in Munich. He’s said to be one of the world’s best immunologists… … .”

He uses his Adam’s apple as a breakwater to block the swear words that were about to spill out, and after suppressing his temper, he barely manages to speak.

There wasn’t a single word I liked.

“… … So what did you say?”

“What did you say? I just said… …I wanted to talk to you.”

“Ha, contacting other teams during the season can be a problem. From now on, if you get a call, just hang up immediately.”

Honestly, I’m not sure.

However, I heard from the agent that prior contact could be problematic in many ways, so I just blocked it for now.

“… … No, but it’s a bit much to not accept it at all. You never know what will happen in people’s lives.”

“I think I know, so don’t accept it.”

“… … .”

My mother looked at me with a somewhat aggressive tone, different from usual. Unfortunately, she had no intention of backing down without saying anything.

Housework like laundry and dishes, and taking care of the small yard and the entire house. Massaging Sung Ha-jun’s legs and washing them once a week are also part of the job.

Haven’t I already given you enough of my life?

Why do we have to give up soccer too?

It’s not that I wasn’t able to start playing soccer again because Uncle Gunther introduced me to a local soccer club, and it was also because of my efforts that I caught the scout’s eye.

Moving teams for Sung Ha-jun?

That’s bullshit.

It’s all bullshit.

Squeak!

Then, suddenly, the gloomy atmosphere is awakened by the sound of the front door opening.

Slightly droopy eye corners, tightly closed lips.

It was a father with a tired face.

“came?”

“… … Hmm.”

“You didn’t eat dinner, did you?”

“I ate.”

“… … .”

No, rather than saying it was ventilated, I would say it was strengthened.

Nana, Mom, please wait for a while while keeping an eye on things.

My dad came out of the bathroom, wiping his face with a towel, and only then did the topic we were talking about before come up again.

“Honey, come here for a moment. I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I got a phone call today… … .”

Fortunately, my mother didn’t take issue with my attitude, and unfortunately… …the head of the household didn’t say anything.

Literally just listening and not even asking questions.

Considering my father’s personality, it was obvious that he would not mention it again after the notice. The result came out after the water poured into the glass went down my throat.

“It’s not an easy decision to make.”

“……is it so?”

“It’s your idea to help me find a job. It’s easier said than done. We’ll have to wait and see if they actually help me.”

“So if I really said I would help you, would you agree?”

“… … .”

Do I need my family’s vote to determine the direction of my life?

At the moment when my mother’s words made me feel repulsed, my father’s eyes suddenly turned towards me.

“What do you think?”

“… …Me?”

“What matters is what the heavens think of you.”

“I am-”

“No matter how much of a promise you make, if Haneul doesn’t do his part after transferring to another team, it’s just like an empty promise. That’s how it is in the workplace. It means that what you really want is important.”

“… … .”

Well then, that’s right.

If it were Sung Ha-jun, would my father be worried about me?

But anyway, all kinds of sentences are rolling around in my mouth.

The earnestness in my heart is very poor and pitiful, and there are sarcastic remarks such as Munich’s trick to steal Cologne’s ace.

Of course, the voice flowing from beyond the lips was extremely gentle.

“Honestly, I don’t have any sense of urgency. I’m doing well here. I’m getting paid a lot. If this conversation were to leak out, it would be a problem.”

“… … That’s true too.”

My dad nods while standing near the kitchen table, and I feel like this is the perfect time to blurt out a few more words.

“Wouldn’t it be better to think about increasing your monthly living expenses? Like fixing up the house and using it, or increasing the time your tutor comes to visit Sung Ha-jun?”

“That won’t work. Overtime pay is too expensive in Germany.”

My mother immediately objected, but there was plenty of room for a fight back.

“I’m also expensive. I’ll get help with hospital bills, and I’ll add to my weekly salary. I have some money. Oh, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pay back the money you borrowed from your family. What I mean is, I’m working to spend money on my brother anyway-”

“The Holy Sky.”

“……sorry.”

shit.

He walks around school like a punk (although lately even that’s been faltering), and he hears the sound of an ace in the training ground, but what’s the point?

In the corner of the house, I am like a lion cub limping on one leg.

Dad’s words also drove the wedge into this.

“Anyway, Heaven has a point. He said he wasn’t mentally prepared. However, it’s true that Dad thought it was a pretty good suggestion. That’s probably why Mom brought it up so cautiously.”

“… … .”

Carefully?

“First of all, I told you not to contact me during the season, so don’t answer my phone. We have time, so let’s each think about it. Especially you, Haneul.”

“……yes.”

“As I said, your opinion is the most important.”

Why is it important?

I already said everything.

I said it wasn’t urgent.

“Think carefully, what’s important.”

“……yes.”

Maybe this is also my father’s way of talking. Just as I used indirect means to say ‘I don’t like it’, my father may have used indirect means to say ‘I have to make sacrifices’.

So my heart… became so suffocated that I felt like I was going to die.

Right after the conversation broke up, I had to go back into the room and rub Sung Ha-jun’s swollen leg.

As my brother’s calf and thigh muscles slowly relaxed, my heart, on the other hand, began to pound uncontrollably.

After all, the path is set.

This time, I will have to give in again. I will have no choice but to give in.

Then we start again.

School, team… … and Uncle Gunther, goodbye.

“… … Flow in.”

“… … ”

“You know Mom’s personality. If she feels like something is wrong, she won’t even look back.”

“… … .”

Then, all of a sudden, the crippled man who was lying on the bed receiving a massage opened his mouth.

No matter how pretty and beautiful the words you use, they can be heard differently depending on the listener. I wish I had just kept my mouth shut and stayed still.

“… … I didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

Flash – eyes open.

“… … Did you pick up the phone?”

“No, the teacher received it first.”

“Then how did it end up in your mom’s hands?”

“Because they asked for your guardian’s phone number.”

“So you told me that?”

“… … Since it’s important, I think I should know.”

“If you were going to fuck me, you did it right. You did a great job. If that’s the case, I’ll just decide everything and let you know.”

“Fuck, I didn’t even know it was like that!”

It was a perfect Friday night.

I had no desire to go see Uncle Gunther.

* * *

Sunday afternoon, around 6:40 p.m.

The 25th round of the Bundesliga, FC Koln vs. Hoffenheim match kicked off at 5:30 and has just entered the second half.

Because it was their home stadium and they had suffered a painful defeat in the first half, the enthusiasm of the Cologne fans was stronger than usual.

“Back up!”

Meanwhile, a fight for the ball is in full swing in the center of the stadium.

thud!

The opposing midfielder and the skier competed for the ball floating in the air. After a big collision, neither of them was able to secure possession… … but Sali Ozcan suddenly ran in and stretched out his leg.

Fight!

“Ut!”

As the ball bounced forward after being kicked with the tip of his foot, Mark Ut, who started as an attacking midfielder, ran towards him, leading to a counterattack opportunity.

In an instant, the two teams’ formations are shaken.

As previously mentioned, with Ozkan and Skiri in the central midfield, Cologne’s typical form was 4231. They humbly accepted the defeat in the first half and chose a more stable performance.

On the other hand, Hoffenheim’s typical formation was the same 343 at the time. It was a tactic in which wingbacks on both sides, whether attacking or defending, moved busily to secure a numerical advantage.

This also meant that if the opposing team had a perfect defensive formation, five defenders would be lined up in a single line at the back.

That won’t work.

“here!”

At that moment, Eliez Schiri crosses the halfway line to join the attack, and Utt gives the ball away instead of turning towards the goal.

This will open up the pass stem wide open.

Jan Tillman on the left, Anthony Modeste in the middle, and me on the right. It’s not that we didn’t react as soon as we realized what was going on.

Jan Tillman makes a deep cut into the left-hand side of the box, Anthony turns his back to the central defender, and I… … leave plenty of space up front.

“Come here to me! It’s empty!”

Eliye, you sinful defensive midfielder.

He scans the field from the left to make a fair decision, then belatedly sends a ground ball pass towards me.

and-

Swish.

Today’s dedicated defender is Kevin Akpoguma. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks of ‘Evil Sweet Potato’ when he hears the name.

But there is no time to waste time thinking about random things.

The ball is touched by the top of the right foot. The rhythm of the forward movement is from long beat to medium beat, and finally, it is reduced to a fine split. Don’t forget to look around while lifting your head.

Allies first.

>Schmitz is coming up the right sideline but is way off.

>Anthony Modeste made a diagonal run towards the other side of the box as soon as I received the ball, and Ut was unable to get in my way due to the movement of the central striker.

>The same goes for Jan Tillman on the other side. He is now back in the second line because Modeste invaded the space he wanted to enter.

The opposing team’s case is not that complicated.

The evil sweet potato is in the front, the left-back is busy worrying about Schmitz, so we leave that out, and only one central midfielder has been added to my side.

So there is only one thing to decide.

Pass or break through.

At this point, it shouldn’t be difficult to predict my decision.

Thump, thump, thump-

When I was feeling dirty, I had to make other people feel dirty too.