Chapter 23

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Translator: Silver Dragon

Chapter: 23

Chapter Title: Hymn in Enemy Territory

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In the away stadium, Park Si-hyun's hymn resounded.

"Ugh... I should have just brought him along. Who would've thought he'd do this well."

The coach of Borussia Dortmund II, Klaus, watched Park Si-hyun's game footage in his office, letting out a mix of admiration and shock.

Initially, after sending over the video, he'd flatly refused even a tryout, declaring, "We absolutely cannot bring in a player like that."

His firm belief was that cocky prospects always ended up as failures.

But the records right in front of him were shattering that conviction.

6 matches, 14 goals.

Klaus hit the replay button again.

The overwhelming presence from his tall frame, precise footwork, and now the signature "Hit and Die" shot that everyone called Park Si-hyun's trademark...

Honestly, the thought even crossed his mind that Park Si-hyun might be better than Dortmund's first-team ace, Jan Koller.

Jan Koller dominated the air with his 2-meter height, but he couldn't create chances on his own like Park Si-hyun did.

As he watched the footage intently, his assistant coach Bergmann cautiously spoke up.

"Coach, there's something the experts are overlooking."

"Overlooking?"

"Yes. Take a look at this."

Bergmann rewound the old VCR and switched to another clip.

"As you can see, Park Si-hyun never misses a chance when it comes—he's a true goal poacher. And the one creating those chances is mostly Werner with his high-quality passes."

"And?"

"The problem is on the other side: Michael."

As the footage changed, scenes played of Michael ignoring passes to Park Si-hyun, forcing dribbles, and losing the ball repeatedly.

Klaus's eyes sharpened.

"What you're saying is there's a rift between Michael and Park ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Si-hyun?"

"Exactly. There's clear internal division in the team. As a result, Michael gets isolated in Essen's attack routes, making their patterns predictable."

"Hm... Coach, that sounds like you're suggesting we ignore Michael?"

Bergmann nodded.

"Yes. From a midfielder's perspective, they'll pass to the side with less pressure—Michael's flank. But if he doesn't link up with Park Si-hyun..."

"Then Essen's spear won't even create attacking chances."

"Right. Even if they don't pass to Michael's side, ignoring him creates a numerical advantage that makes it easier to mark Park Si-hyun."

"Good. If that's the case, Essen will self-destruct around Michael. Let's draw up the tactics right now."

And on match day.

As the Essen players entered Stadion Rote Erde, Dortmund II's home ground, Klaus rubbed his eyes and turned to his assistant coach.

"...Bergmann, am I seeing this wrong? Where's Michael?"

Bergmann couldn't hide his own surprise.

"Ahem... Probably for fitness management..."

No, it wasn't.

Michael wasn't even on the bench.

The tactics they'd pulled all-nighters to perfect crumbled in an instant before the game even started.

[Last season's Regionalliga champions. By rule, second teams can only rise to Regionalliga, but everyone agrees: 'Dortmund II's squad is already 2. Bundesliga level.']

[In contrast, their opponents, Rot-Weiss Essen, are drawing nationwide attention with just one player. It's unprecedented for a 3. Liga side to get this much spotlight.]

[Yes, the prodigy from Korea, Park Si-hyun. He notched a hat-trick and a straight red on debut, followed by another hat-trick in round 3. An astounding 14 goals in 6 games. If Dortmund II is a '2. Bundesliga team' as a unit, Park Si-hyun is a 'Bundesliga player' on his own.]

[Today's key watchpoint: Can Park Si-hyun topple last season's champs Dortmund II, and how many goals will he score? Plus, Essen has switched formations today.]

[Indeed. They've stuck with 4-3-3 since signing Park Si-hyun, but now it's 4-4-2. Dortmund II counters with 5-4-1, clearly targeting him.]

[Oh, and right as we speak, Park Si-hyun's chant fills the air. Newly made this time... Is it just me, or does it sound more like a hymn to a god than a soccer chant?]

Even in this away game, over 2,000 fans filled the visitor stands, chanting my name in unison.

But it left me feeling oddly cold.

'Is this... really a cheer for a soccer player? At this rate, I might never get transferred out.'

Soccer is a business.

Players ultimately go where the better offers are. Loyalty? Devotion? That's fairy-tale stuff.

Zlatan Ibrahimović even had the nickname "Cup Fixer" for hopping teams so much.

I, too, planned to move to bigger stages someday.

Especially counting down to 2009,

'When Ronaldo joins Real Madrid for 94 million euros, player values will skyrocket.'

Yet Essen's fans were calling me a god just for playing 7 games in the 3. Liga.

What if I promoted them to the top flight and won it all?

Would they really let me go nicely to another team?

For now, these fans traveled all the way here to cheer passionately, so I shook off the ominous thoughts, approached, waved, and greeted them.

The fans erupted in ecstasy, like the aunties at a heavenly palace rally on TV.

"Ah, ah! I held hands with Si-hyun-nim! I'm good as dead now!"

"The Lord has reached out to us! Thank you!"

"Si-hyun-nim! Show us a miracle today too! We believe!"

...This is really bad.

The referee's whistle blew, and the match kicked off.

I watched the opposing striker receive the kickoff and advance slowly, then pounced with relentless pressure like I'd been waiting.

Sticking close, I shoved him off and cleanly stole the ball.

I immediately passed to our vice-captain, Andreas Hermann, then sprinted forward.

Andreas Hermann, a 28-year-old veteran midfielder. Off the pitch, he was the fun big-bro type in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠locker room, but once on the field, no one read the game's flow or controlled the tempo better.

A homegrown player who'd spent 10 years at Essen, fans called him "Essen's Heart."

"Si-hyun! Left side!"

His call came with a pinpoint long pass.

It happened before Dortmund's defense could fully form up.

I dashed down the left touchline at full speed, smoothly trapping Andreas's pass with my toe. I shook off the charging defender with a Marseille turn, then accelerated toward goal.

Seeing the keeper rush out to narrow the angle, I unleashed the now-infamous "Hit and Die" shot—my Park Si-hyun signature.

BAM!!

The nickname stuck after the round 5 match against Arminia Bielefeld II, when the keeper blocking my shot broke his finger.

"Waaah!"

In just 2 minutes, with only two passes, I'd slotted in a wonder goal. Essen's fans in the away end went even wilder.

I ran straight to the fans and did my occasional crown celebration—haven't made a Ronaldo-style signature one yet.

"Kyaak! Our god has descended upon Dortmund!"

"Demons! Our Lord's divine power will punish you all!"

'Yeah, I'll handle the transfer myself later. For now, enjoy it. That's the Park Si-hyun style.'

I shouted to the fans.

"Park Si-hyun has descended!!!"

"Woooaaah!"

A single photo appeared on Naver Cafe 'Soccer Otakus' Gathering'.

The photo showed an Asian man imperiously looking down at a fallen European player.

Comments started pouring in rapidly.

And just like that, Park Si-hyun's name began to spread little by little in Korea.