Chapter 108
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Park Si-hyun Takes Good Care of His Subordinates
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Park Si-hyun took good care of his men.
The second half kicked off that way, and Christoph Bauer's pass came rolling right to Park Si-hyun's feet.
At the same moment, three Oberhausen defenders surged forward like they'd been unleashed.
They closed in around him in a tight triangle, marking him body-to-body.
Their eyes burned with killing intent, as if any gap would spell their doom.
Everyone knew it now.
Park Si-hyun wasn't just any striker.
A player who could flip the game on his own. A man who could tear matches apart single-handedly. To defenders, he was a walking 'disaster.'
Ssslruk—
But Park Si-hyun scoffed at the pressure, letting the ball slide past without even touching it.
The ball darted between the legs of all three and rolled swiftly forward, and Park Si-hyun exploded into his first step, claiming the empty space as if he'd known exactly where it would go.
The Essen fans couldn't hold back their awe at the scene that unfolded in an instant—they let it burst out raw.
And as they cheered, they threw some extra fire toward the Oberhausen stands.
"Keep your eyes peeled wide open and watch! This is Essen's attack—this is Essen's god!"
The Oberhausen fans bristled with irritation, wanting to look away, but their eyes stayed glued to Park Si-hyun.
Not because he was their derby rival, but because as devotees of 'soccer'—the religion loved by hundreds of millions worldwide—they couldn't instinctively miss his movements.
Park Si-hyun trapped the rolling ball, slowly lifted his head to scan ahead, and flashed a smile.
The moment that smile vanished, he took off.
Tadadadat!
Werner Klein rushed in first toward the midfielder charging at him, and they exchanged a quick 2-on-1 pass to shake him clean.
Park Si-hyun had thrown himself into pass drills more than anyone else lately.
He knew better than anyone that the 'passing weakness' exposed at the World Cup could become his wall someday, so upon joining Essen, he'd swallowed his pride and rebuilt from the basics with Charlie Adam and Christoph Bauer.
So now, Park Si-hyun wasn't a pass master yet, but no one could call him weak at it anymore.
And then two defenders lunged at once.
He shredded the first with a La Croqueta,
Chwak!!!
lifted the ball just enough to dodge the incoming tackle and erase the second, then spun away from the third with a Marseille Turn in a flash.
Three of them.
In just a few seconds.
Park Si-hyun broke into the penalty box and toppled the final defender with nothing but body feinting.
[Park Si-hyun!!! A fantastical dribble breakthrough! Oberhausen's defense is in total ruins! One-on-one with the keeper!]
Tuk.
As the keeper spread wide and rushed out, Park Si-hyun rolled it effortlessly into the far corner without a hint of force.
Challang.
The moment the net rippled, Oberhausen's home ground—ironically—filled with Essen's roars.
Oberhausen fans, meanwhile, fell silent.
Not just any silence, but one born of being utterly overwhelmed, words failing them.
And instead of sprinting to his cheering Essen away fans, Park Si-hyun bolted in the opposite direction—straight toward the Oberhausen stands.
"I can't play soccer just 'cause I'm dating? Say it again."
He cupped his hand to his ear in provocation.
But no one said a word.
His play had already sealed their mouths shut.
And soon after, the very fans he'd provoked—the Oberhausen ones—stood quietly from their seats and began to clap.
Clap clap.
Clap clap.
Small, tentative claps at first. They spread to neighbors, and one by one, the crowd rose.
Seconds later, the entire Oberhausen home stand erupted in a massive wave of standing ovation.
Derby rivalry, hatred, enmity.
Pure soccer fans paying their respects, setting all that aside for a moment.
[Wow! In the Line-Ruhr derby... this is a truly rare sight!]
[Standing ovations for the opponent! It means Park Si-hyun's play was so overwhelming it transcended the raw emotions of the derby!]
The real season was underway, and from Round 6 to Round 10, I started every match, racking up 11 goals in 7 games to claim top spot on the scoring charts.
Right below me, Kaká held second with a stellar 7 goals in 10 games,
and the new signings were nailing their roles perfectly, pushing team morale to its peak.
So naturally, I figured,
'Kaká's gonna be the next big fan favorite after me.'
Second in goals, handsome face—he had pretty much everything a star needed.
...But reality was something else entirely.
There was one guy sweeping up fans' hearts even faster than Kaká.
Charlie Adam.
He shadowed me like a ghost through every game, rushed over first to dance when I scored, and got more fired up than me if I took a foul—ready to charge the opponent.
That earned him the nickname 'Red God Cultist.'
'They say the Red God Cult loves Charlie Adam to death...'
He probably didn't plan it, but this guy had solidly certified himself as a devotee—not a cultist, mind you—in the eyes of my flock.
The problem came next.
Red God Cult fans weren't soccer staff; they only showed up at matches occasionally. But Charlie Adam, this devotee, stuck to my side through training, on the street, at meals—even changing on the bus.
Even Christoph Bauer didn't cling this hard...
Then came the incident that made it impossible to shake him off.
In Round 8, when Charlie got MOM, a reporter asked,
"You're the same age—why call Park Si-hyun 'hyungnim' and follow him around enough to earn 'Red God Cultist'?"
Charlie said it with total sincerity.
"Age doesn't matter. I'm hyungnim's man forever. And watching him win over the missus up close made me respect him even more. I'll learn everything about the Park Si-hyun Style and create my own 'Charlie Adam Style.'"
......Who could pry him away after that?
In the end, I gave up and just rolled with it.
Then one day.
After training, as I was chugging water, Charlie—uncharacteristically—paced nervously at the edge of the pitch before approaching cautiously.
"Hyungnim..."
"...What."
Charlie bit his lip hard.
Then, in a voice shockingly tiny for his muscled frame, he whispered,
"...Hyungnim. My mom's... coming to Germany this time. Could you... maybe meet her with me...?"
The second I heard it, I remembered.
The story of Charlie Adam's mother battling cancer for years before passing.
"But... if it's been a while, wouldn't it be better just the two of you?"
I asked carefully, but he shook his head.
"It's just... I haven't been here long, so I don't know the good spots in Essen well... And... Mom really wants to greet you. She said... you take good care of me... and thanks..."
No matter how he bulldozed with his physique or pressed like a demon in matches—earning 'General Charlie'—to Charlie Adam, his mom was his whole world.
That's why he'd turned down big European league offers from Scotland to briefly return to Dundee FC—her illness.
For a guy like that to ask me to join their reunion...
I could feel how desperate he was in an instant.
Truth is, pro soccer players respect each other's off-days to the max.
Rest during the season is rare and precious, usually spent with family or dates.
So requests like this? We avoid them unless it's dire.
I had a date with Lisa tomorrow, too.
But—
'...Yeah. It'll keep. No big deal.'
A son's wish to make his mother happy.
That trumped any schedule, any excuse.
And above all, Charlie was my man.
My guy—so I'd look after him.
"Sure, let's meet her. When your subordinate asks, you gotta say yes."
Before I even finished, Charlie's face bloomed like spring.
"Thank you, hyungnim!!!"
The next day, the day to meet Charlie's parents.
Stepping outside, there was Charlie waiting at my door already.
"Hyungnim!"
I was used to seeing him in training gear with messy hair—this suited-up version felt awkward at first.
His face mixed nerves and excitement.
Clearly, he'd put extra effort in for seeing his parents after so long.
"Parents here yet?"
"Time says they'll arrive soon. Straight to the airport."
"Alright. Let's go."
We took his agency's car to the airport, and near the arrivals gate, two figures caught my eye.
A middle-aged couple who screamed 'Charlie Adam's parents' at first glance stood there.
His dad: sturdy and tough-looking, built just like Charlie with the same sharp features.
His face alone told of a life spent laboring, playing soccer, and providing for family.
And beside him stood a woman so elegant and poised it was hard to believe she was Charlie's mom.
Her dark gray coat suited her perfectly, and around her eyes, warm smiles outshone the lines of time.
Beautiful and resilient—cancer battle seemed impossible.
The moment they spotted us approaching, they beamed and walked over.
"Oh my, oh my... It's really Park Si-hyun! Dear, can you believe..."
Dad cleared his throat and extended a hand.
"Ahem, nice to meet you. I'm Charlie Adam's father, Charles Adam."
Mom bowed her head with a gentle smile.
"I'm Charlie's mom... Sophia. So thrilled to meet you. I'm a big fan, Park Si-hyun."
They both greeted me first, and Charlie's face froze—then exploded.
"Can't you see your son!? I'm right here!"
"Oh, are you?"
"... ."