Chapter 106
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Prospects Striving to Surpass Park Si-hyun
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Round 2 without Park Si-hyun, against LR Ahlen.
The opponent wasn't some powerhouse team, but the Essen fans were already steeped in anxiety.
Even counting back to their days in the 3. Liga, the number of wins for "Essen without Park Si-hyun" could be tallied on one hand. And even those rare victories were all dismal affairs bordering on snoozefests.
So a single formula was now etched in the fans' minds.
No Park Si-hyun = Loss.
In front of the stadium, fans clutching beer mugs chattered as if joking around, but every single face was stiff with tension.
"What are we gonna do... if Si-hyun misses three games."
"This is the stretch where we need to rack up points against the weaker early teams... It's going sideways right from the start, isn't it?"
"The new transfers scored in Round 1 and did great. But that was partly because Si-hyun was pulling two or three defenders around, making it easier for them."
The match kicked off with everyone carrying that unease and worry.
But the moment the whistle blew, the game began flowing in a direction completely opposite to what the fans expected.
Essen was no longer a one-man show relying solely on Park Si-hyun. They were proving they had become a "complete team" where everyone meshed together seamlessly.
The Essen fans finally shook off their anxiety, leaping from their seats and pouring out cheers.
And amid that roar, the name heard most often was, predictably, Kaká.
His playing style was completely different from Park Si-hyun's, and on top of that, he had a handsome face that made young female fans swoon.
Great at soccer? Awesome. Hot too? Even better. It was a setup destined for popularity.
...Watching that scene was one person eyeing it with a subtle glint of envy.
Charlie Adam.
Unlike Kaká, he had a rough, rugged style and looks.
But that very roughness was the exact spark Essen needed right now.
If an opposing midfielder held the ball even a fraction too long, he'd barrel in from the side like a battering ram, steal it, rub shoulders, hook elbows—whatever it took to rip the ball away.
He'd already notched two goals in Round 1, putting his name at the top of the scoring charts. In Charlie Adam's head, one phrase burned clear.
'The top scorer title is mine.'
Round 1: Park Si-hyun with 1 goal, him with 2. And now Park Si-hyun was suspended for three matches.
If he didn't pull ahead in goals now, such a chance might never come again.
Of course, mentally, he'd long since surrendered completely to Park Si-hyun.
But on the stat sheet? He'd win there.
That was the last shred of pride left to Charlie.
'Fighting well? Fine, admitted. Soccer skills? Admitted too. ...But what a soccer player leaves behind forever is numbers.'
With that thought, Charlie flicked his eyes toward Kaká.
Handsome face, beaming smile, and fans screaming at the sight.
'Handsome face? That's just for now. What lasts is goals, stats, career. Look at Park Si-hyun. Even with that face, he's worshipped as a god... It's skill in the end, skill.'
He imagined shoving Park Si-hyun aside, taking his spot, and being hailed as a "god" himself.
And when he pictured Park Si-hyun kneeling in despair somewhere in the stands, watching it all—his lips curled up involuntarily.
'Ha, just imagining it feels good.'
Charlie laughed to himself, a self-justifying fantasy soothing his soul.
As he drove forward with the ball, he took a deep breath.
The individual skill Park Si-hyun had endlessly drilled on the training pitch, turning defenders into fools.
Charlie had watched it up close, mimicked it, and stayed behind after sessions to practice whenever he could.
Now it was time to deploy it in a real match.
"Arrrgh! Get outta the way! General Charlie is charging!"
The nickname "General Charlie" had started as a joke from Park Si-hyun.
The moment he heard it, Charlie inexplicably felt, 'Ah, this is mine.'
It stuck to his ears like something he'd always been called.
Before long, "General Charlie" felt more natural than his real name, Charlie Adam.
With that confidence, Charlie boldly swung a big scissors move.
...And right then.
The ball slipped awkwardly under his foot.
"Huh?"
His foot half-caught it and spun uselessly—
Thud!
Charlie Adam's body flew limply onto the turf.
"How's that? Feeling fired up?"
"...They're really good. I heard he's the same age as me—guess this is what it takes to win a World Cup."
At Zrinjski Mostar, the club based in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Luka Modrić, on loan there, looked at the man flicking through the footage ahead of him—Jang Do-yoon, Park Si-hyun's agent and now his own.
Originally, loan moves were the last thing on his mind.
As his coach advised, he planned to steadily build his skills shuttling between the first team and youth squad at Dinamo Zagreb.
Until Jang Do-yoon showed up out of nowhere one day.
"Modrić, I'm Jang Do-yoon, running an agency in Germany. My star player? Park Si-hyun. How about joining Kingmaker Agency, Modrić, and becoming a king yourself?"
He'd only ever heard "not ready yet" from coaches, so hearing that for the first time pulled at his heart fiercely.
They talked at length after, and Modrić, captivated by his vision and manner, signed the contract.
Next came Jang Do-yoon's persuasion.
"Better than rotting on Dinamo Zagreb's first-team bench is getting real minutes right away. Head to Zrinjski Mostar. We'll start from there."
He followed that advice, going on loan from Dinamo Zagreb to Zrinjski Mostar.
Now, Modrić was convinced. It was the absolute best choice he could have made at this point.
Four assists in three games. Local media and scouts were already eyeing him.
But even so, compared to Park Si-hyun's name value, he was still just a firefly's glow.
'Someday, I'll surpass Park Si-hyun.'
Modrić wasn't the only promising youngster gritting his teeth with that vow.
"Ronaldo's rival is this guy? Don't make me laugh. Ronaldo's rival is me. I'll be the world's best too!"
Zlatan Ibrahimović of Ajax in the Netherlands.
"Hmm... Genius, huh. But I feel like I could do even better?"
Lionel Messi of Barcelona's youth team in Spain.
"Hmph, nothing special. Soon I'll be better than him."
Cristiano Ronaldo of Sporting CP in Portugal.
"Wow, he's good. Of course, eventually I'll be better."
Karim Benzema of Olympique Lyonnais in France.
In their respective countries and clubs, boys who were still mere prospects quietly kindled a fire in their hearts while watching Park Si-hyun's plays on TV.
And the one who had lit that fire in talents around the world—Park Si-hyun himself—was now
burning for an entirely different reason.
"Why'd you call me here."
Lisa Schmidt's voice was a tone higher than usual. A mix of slight tension, wariness, and just a hint of anticipation.
Park Si-hyun pushed off the wall and approached.
"Lisa, I want an answer."
"A-An answer to what..."
Even as she said it, Lisa already knew. She knew exactly what question and answer he was after.
Park Si-hyun was direct.
"About that confession I made last time."
At that moment, Lisa's fingers twitched faintly.
Hands that never shook on stage or before thousands singing—yet they refused to obey in front of this man.
"I want to give you 'me' as a gift, Lisa."
That brazen confession from before, the most audacious in the world.
Hearing it again, Lisa's face flushed crimson as if it might burst.
"My... answer is..."