Soccer Genius Wants to Get Noticed - Chapter 146



Only Krnovel

Episode 146: Duck on Water

The human mind moves according to the situation.

Like the expressions ‘It was like this and that’ or ‘It’s hesitating’. Like the proverb, ‘A man who was saved from drowning is now asked to hand over his bundle.’

At this very moment, I did.

“You should have been watching your brother more closely. You know better than anyone that he’s going to be busy. Okay?”

“sorry.”

In the middle of a hospital.

I glance down the hallway while being scolded by my mom who just arrived at the hospital.

When Ut came, I felt a sense of relief and gratitude, but as things turned out, I wished he would go sooner.

Since my brother isn’t dead, I guess I can go enjoy the rest of the weekend.

But he just sat on the hallway chair, staring at his phone screen, showing no intention of moving his butt.

What the heck… What is this?

“What on earth was Dad doing? He was just watching TV in the living room again.”

“no.”

“There’s no need to lie. Mom knows everything.”

That’s not true.

‘My dad didn’t even come out of the corner of the room on the second floor.’

However, because it is difficult to say it as it is, the truth is only muttered in the mind.

“Just being good at outside work doesn’t make you a great person. Family always comes first. If your home is peaceful, things outside work will go well too. Heaven, you should keep that in mind… .”

“… … HaJun the guardian of the patient (Patient HaJun Seong’s guardian).”

“Ja!”

Fortunately or unfortunately, at that moment, a hospital staff member called us in. He told us to wait in the waiting room as my brother would be coming down soon.

Thanks to this, I have an excuse to send Ute.

“it’s okay.”

“… … Okay? Why?”

“Is this your first time in the emergency room?”

“No, I’ve been here a few times.”

“The treatment won’t be over soon, so wait. And you should at least say hello to your mother before you go. That’s polite.”

“… … Since when did you become polite?”

“I’m just not polite to you, I’m just naturally polite.”

Are you doing this on purpose to fool me? You stare intently at the other person’s face, but before you can read their thoughts, your mother’s urging comes first.

“Oh, heavens!”

“Yes, let’s go!”

And then there’s waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

As expected from an emergency room, patients are treated in order of urgency, but those whose turn is behind can only sit huddled together in front of the waiting room, waiting for their names to be called.

Ten minutes quickly became 30 minutes, 30 minutes to an hour passed by at a crazy slow pace, and then the interval from an hour to an hour and a half seemed like time had stopped.

Ding ding.

“Hajun!”

“……mom.”

Then suddenly, the suffocating silence is broken as nurses push the bed down.

Seong Ha-jun, you’re alive.

When he came in the ambulance, his pupils were dilated, like an egg yolk placed on an over-greased frying pan.

Now, although he looked sleepy, he seemed to have gained strength.

* * *

Immediately after consulting a doctor.

Seong Ha-jun is assigned a hospital room and goes in, and I, along with my father, endure my mother’s harsh reprimand and run away outside.

It starts with, “Why are the men in my family so indifferent?” and goes on to say, “Don’t you love Sung Ha-jun?” and “Please think of it as your own business, even just a little bit.”

My father just remained silent as I poured out my words with red eyes, while I-

I tried to say a few words, but I held back and escaped alone.

If my mom hadn’t gone to church.

If only you had quit your hard work that didn’t pay much and stayed home.

Instead of paying back the money to the families in Korea, wouldn’t it have been different if they had set aside some of it and hired a guardian?

I can’t help it if I get cursed at for being immature and saying stupid things. What can I do when these are the thoughts that come to my mind right now?

If I had to make an excuse, it would be that I was frustrated.

If there is a sick person in the family, and there is no guarantee that the illness will get better… …the person is ruined.

Mom, Dad, and me.

One by one, the screws came off.

“Hanul.”

“… … .”

“Are you okay, hyung? How is it?”

But the gloomy reflections are brought to an end by the approach of Ut. It must have been quite a while since he had waited, but it seemed he had been waiting all this time.

“I’m fine.”

“What did the doctor say?”

“The lacerated eye socket was stitched up, and the concussion doesn’t seem to be a serious problem. But the doctor said there’s nothing they can do about the underlying condition, so I should go to the doctor.”

“Um… … you?”

“What am I.”

Then, at some point, I was surprised by my own actions. It wasn’t my intention, but the answer that came out of my mouth felt so cold that it was scary.

“Are you okay? It was an accident that happened suddenly. Are you okay?”

“It’s okay, there’s nothing to say. It happens often.”

“still-”

“Just go now. I told my teammates not to come either.”

“… … It doesn’t seem very good.”

“I told you it’s okay?”

“hmm…….”

And strangely enough, the more I talked, the angrier I got.

It’s not that he doesn’t speak, but his speech is blunt, his expression is stiff, and his eyes are not looking at the other person but only looking at a stern place.

okay.

It’s obvious I’m angry.

Because I felt like my family’s insignificant appearance was exposed?

Because it felt like I revealed a secret I didn’t want others to know because of a momentary emotion?

That’s true, but the thing that really annoys me the most is myself.

Why are you mad at Uth?

Taking it out on a strict person – When I get angry at myself, my speech becomes even more rude, and when I realize it in real time, I get even angrier again.

Even a retard doesn’t have a retard like this one.

Sigh!!

Then, all of a sudden, my vision went blank and a hot sensation surged from the top of my head.

It took some time to realize what had happened.

A head that was sunken in, a pain that pierced through my skull. This crazy author had just punched me in the head with his fist.

“You, you… … .”

“it hurts?”

“it hurts!!”

“Well, it’s not okay anymore.”

“……what?”

“No, it’s clear that it’s not okay, but you keep saying it’s okay. That’s why I made it not okay.”

“#$@-”

Have you ever seen such a sham?

At the moment when I was about to blurt out harsh words, I stopped him from striking me with his fist again, and the conversation naturally turned into a physical conversation.

Do you care what other people think?

I got into a fistfight with a clearly rabid meerkat in the middle of the hallway until a large male nurse intervened.

He came between us and separated us in an instant… … so strong that even the soccer player couldn’t dare resist.

Cheer up.

After that, even after we sat down side by side on the hallway chairs, we could still hear some heavy breathing.

The only positive thing is that for a while, Sung Ha-jun and Na-bal didn’t think about anything?

Of course, there is not even a hint of gratitude.

“Whew~ How are you now?”

“shut up.”

“You seem a bit more like your usual self now. It looks to me like you’ve gotten a little better.”

Mark Ut is real.

What a crazy guy.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Soon, my heavy breathing subsided, but my bewildered feelings still remained, so I ended up saying one thing.

“What about me?”

“Why are you doing this to me? Just go your own way. We’re just playing on the same team, so why do you have to come all the way here and meddle?”

“I never interfered. If I had to be picky, I just acted according to my temper while helping them out a little. As if the world was falling apart, as if bad things were happening to me alone, as if I had to shoulder the burden of life alone. I can’t leave alone those who make that kind of expression.”

That’s nonsense.

“That’s meddling… … No. Should I just say it out loud? You’re only concerned because I’m good at it and I know how to kick the ball, right? If I had just done it so-so, would you have come?”

Glance, glance.

The battle of momentum is decided in a split second.

He made a glaring attack by looking over my head, and I reflexively raised my hand to block it.

shit.

I got scammed again this time.

“You damn brat, I know you’re mentally weak, but just take it easy. If you keep doing that… … Well, you did pick the right place. You can get treated right after you get beaten up.”

“… … Did I say something wrong? To be honest, I became close with him because I was able to do my part as a soccer player.”

Telling the truth even if it means dying.

Isn’t that the spirit of the Korean scholar?

But contrary to expectations, the answer I got was a simple nod.

“That’s true.”

“… … .”

“But even if the beginning is like that, the result doesn’t have to be the same. Meetings aren’t that big of a deal. Whether it’s at school, at a club, or in other social situations, everyone gets together without knowing each other. The first time is always like that. Do you agree with that?”

“Well… let’s say that’s true.”

“Then from then on, it’s entirely up to you. As you said, you might be recognized for your skills, or it might simply be because of a personal connection.”

“then-”

“But not me. I don’t care how well you kick the ball, unless it’s someone else.”

“… … .”

I tried to respond with a loud snort, afraid that I might fall for the nice words, but he continued talking quietly.

“I transferred to Schalke before I came to Cologne. Did I tell you?”

“I overheard it.”

“Oh, I see. I was doing pretty well back then. I mean, before I moved to Schalke. It was the 17-18 season at Hoffenheim. I was pretty old, I was at my peak as a striker, scoring 14 goals and 7 assists.”

“… … You did pretty well.”

“Yes. That’s why I went to Schalke. At the time, it was considered a prestigious school, and the financial scale was so large that they were pouring in a lot of money for the weekly salary. But when I went to Schalke, all sorts of things happened outside of the game. I got into a car accident once, my girlfriend got caught cheating on me, and my mother got sick.”

It’s no use subtly asking for sympathy.

… … But I feel a little sorry for your mother because she was sick.

“Life is really a bitch, and that’s when the decisive opportunity comes. I was given one opportunity after another during the early selection competition.”

“So what happened?”

“I screwed up. I screwed up really badly. My weaknesses were exposed as weaknesses, and I couldn’t show my strengths at all. I was a lone striker and couldn’t score, so I was on the bench before December, and that was the end of my time at Schalke. After that, I was loaned to Cologne. How was it?”

“… … This is the worst. Why did something like this happen during my prime?”

“Is that so? If you look at it negatively, then yes.”

“Is there anything positive about that situation?”

“Because people remain.”

As I stared blankly, not knowing what he was talking about, he quickly explained the word ‘person’ in an easily understandable way.

From the equipment managers and several colleagues who helped with additional training, to the coaches who believed in his potential until the end, to the fans who supported him unwaveringly.

I didn’t entirely understand it, but on the other hand, I thought it could be seen that way.

“Of course, at the time, it was so hard that I felt despair, but looking back after some time has passed… … I think I’m glad I’m a soccer player. A professional career is at most 15 years. If I had worked at a company or done business, I would have had to look at it much longer and broader, and it wouldn’t have been easy to feel these emotions or look back on the past and feel something.”

“What did you feel? That you should look at it positively?”

“No. That I am not an eagle. That I am not good enough to be revered by everyone and to rise to the top. That sometimes I have to keep my feet moving, not to fly in the sky, but to stay afloat. And when the process becomes too difficult, someone will help me without asking for anything in return. Sometimes, even strangers can show surprising generosity and kindness.”

“… … Did something like that happen?”

“Yes. When my mother collapsed, the person who willingly helped her was like that, and when I visited her in her hospital room later, the nurse who smiled and talked to her was like that, and after she passed away, the neighbors took turns looking after the empty house.”

“… … .”

And in the end, there is nothing to say.

It made no sense to refute, and I couldn’t even ask a question.

“You are no different. This won’t happen to me alone. The world is full of bad people, but there are also good people. Especially when something bad happens to me, both sides will stand out. So, take kindness as kindness. I didn’t come here to ask you for anything. And I don’t need any thanks either.”

“Yeah… … Sorry.”

“Oh, and one more thing. I forgot to tell you the most important thing.”

“… … ?”

“As I said, I trust myself. I trust my two feet, struggling under the surface, more than my excellent colleagues. That’s why I don’t pay attention to you. No, actually, I don’t see that little brat. Because you’re a fucking unlucky guy.”

“… …You’re talking about someone else.”

Mark Utt lets out a giggle-a weird laugh before he even hears my answer.

After a while, surprisingly, his story is partially confirmed to be true.

“Hanul.”

“huh.”

Thud thud.

First, head coach Andre Polak arrived and patted my head –

“… …Why did you come?”

“I stopped by on the way. I have to pay for the chocolate I received.”

Next came the unexpected visit of Uwe Gospodarek, goalkeeper coach, and Ulche, equipment manager, who greeted the entire family.

“You’re late.”

“… … .”

“Just take the kids out for an outing. Is everything okay?”

Until Jonas, Skiri, and Ehijibue came looking for him.

Even if Jonas is the team captain and Skiri is the one who gave me chocolate cookies as a gift, I still don’t understand why Ehijibue is involved.

“… …Why did you come?”

“When my family is sick, my heart hurts.”

“I sent you a message telling you not to come.”

“I’m not good at German. I can’t read it either.”

“Yeah… …Thank you.”

I was busy criticizing Schmitz, my rival for the position, for being inferior to him. But emotions were churning inside me, and I ended up blurting out a word.

“But why didn’t that bastard Rempel come?”

“……ha ha ha.”

Bad boy.

I’m not really upset, it was just the best I could do.