Chapter 27
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Park Si-hyun Dependency
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"Boooo! You Essen bastards, do you even know where you are?!"
"No matter how much you brag about being number one, you're still just in the third division like us!"
"Park Si-hyun? What's so great about him? Thinks he's a star just 'cause he showed up on TV a few times!"
"What can a tall, lanky scarecrow like that do in Münster?!"
"Today, you're leaving our home ground in tears!"
Münster's home fans filled the small stadium with their jeers.
Though there were only about 2,000 spectators, their voices echoed amplified several times over in the cramped space.
Essen's away fans fired back, but they were drowned out by the overwhelming home crowd momentum.
Before kickoff, I gazed at the fans unleashing their frenzied roars toward Essen.
Scared?
What a joke.
'I wonder how those guys' faces will look in ten minutes?'
Just imagining it made the corners of my mouth curl up involuntarily.
The moment those savage cheers were swallowed by dead silence.
That was when it happened.
A Münster striker preparing for kickoff sauntered over with a sneer.
"Not quite like what they were hyping on TV, huh? You look scared now that you're actually here."
"Scared?"
He must've mistaken the look on my face as I watched the crowd for fear.
Tsk. Typical third-division limitation.
They couldn't even properly grasp who Park Si-hyun really was.
'Gotta get promoted soon.'
Ignorance isn't a sin. Pretending not to know when you do is.
I kindly explained it to the poor guy.
Since ignorance isn't a sin.
"There's nothing in this world that scares Park Si-hyun. And lions don't react to every bark from a dog. That's the leisure of the strong."
I smiled and thumped my chest.
"And the lion in this place right now is me, Park Si-hyun. The dogs... are you Münster."
The Münster striker's face flushed beet red.
"You little...!"
I snorted.
"So stop barking so pathetically. If you're that upset, prove it with skill. I've always backed my words with results. That's the Park Si-hyun style."
"...We'll see, you punk."
Moments later, the referee's whistle cut across the pitch, and the match began.
Münster definitely came prepared—they looked sharp.
From the ball distribution between players to their active movements on both flanks.
Thud.
Thud.
Honestly, I could praise their passing flow as better than any team we'd faced so far.
'They're really thrashing about trying to beat us.'
But that was the end of my admiration.
Their passing play was decent for third division at best. In my eyes, it was just dogs flailing desperately to take down a lion.
I wasn't great at passing myself, but as a defender, I could read the passers' psychology like a book.
'Ji-sung hyung said it: If I'd been perfect at passing too, you'd have been the one going to Man U.'
You'd have been the one going to Man U.
That was the highest praise Ji-sung hyung could give.
I was that talented as a defender—tackling, intercepting, judgment, all top-notch.
'Hmm, thinking about it, I'm really perfect.'
I realized it once more.
How flawless I was as a soccer player.
Especially against these guys, who passed simply without psychological feints, making it even easier.
In the first division, players would fake with body movements, foot angles, and glances, throwing off opponents until the pass.
But these guys lacked that sophistication.
Then, an opposing midfielder settled the ball and scanned around, turning his head left and right.
'Left.'
His balance was already tilting left, and there was no timing for a rightward pass.
I charged before he could pass and snatched the ball.
The Münster midfielder's eyes went wide.
"Wha... what?!"
No answer—instead, I bolted forward.
The first defender came at me, but a step-over fooled him completely.
Thought I'd go left?
Right, dummy.
The second defender rushed in.
But my calculations were already done.
Werner Klein darting in from the side entered my vision, and I tapped the ball lightly to him without hesitation.
No matter how bad I am at passing, I don't mess up short ones like that.
Werner returned it instantly.
The ball came back to my feet, and I surged into the penalty box.
The keeper dove out.
'Too late.'
I slotted it precisely into the opposite corner with my right foot.
Bam!
The net rippled, as expected.
GOAL! Park Si-hyun scores! Rot-Weiss Essen takes the lead just 7 minutes in! From steal to finish—perfection itself!
An astonishing play! He read the opponent's pass intent completely, charged in to intercept, and every step to goal was textbook. This is the Park Si-hyun style!
'Where'd that guy go?'
I scanned for the striker who'd spouted nonsense about the Park Si-hyun style and looking scared, but he was too far to spot.
'Guess I have no choice...'
As plan B, I ran toward Münster's coach, Thomas.
Then, placing a hand on my forehead like I was searching around, I shouted loudly.
"Where is he?"
'Coach Thomas, no hard feelings. Your player provoked me, but since he's hiding, the top guy—you—takes the hit.'
Cheers erupted from the away stands.
"Hahaha! Where's Thomas? I can't see him either!"
"Si-hyun! That's it!!!"
"What? Can't see our Si-hyun? So where's Thomas yapping from? Puhaha!"
It took just 7 minutes—not even 10—for the Münster home cheers to turn to silence.
The ref, seeing my celebration, hurried over with a yellow card, but I just shrugged.
"Don't provoke the opponent."
"Yeah, I think I've given it back enough. I'll stop now."
True to my word, the hostility had already drained from Thomas's face.
He just looked like he wanted to escape this place ASAP.
'Can't have you giving up already. The game's just starting.'
I said I'd stop provoking—not scoring bombs.
Halftime in Essen's locker room.
My second goal right before the break had the mood at an all-time high.
"Hahaha! See those Münster guys? Faces all red!"
"Couldn't even lift their heads."
"Duh. They mouthed off to our Si-hyun and got schooled."
I recalled the Münster bench as we came off—emergency room vibes.
Probably thought they could really win with the derby hype and their better record.
'Strip away the derby, and it's 10th vs. 1st.'
The teammates were still buzzing excitedly.
Then Coach Frank Kurt entered, his expression stern for some reason.
But like there's always one who can't read the room, Vice-Captain Andreas tried joking with him too.
"Coach! How were we? Si-hyun totally crushed Münster..."
"Is this the time to be celebrating?!"
Coach Frank's bellow filled the locker room.
The sudden shout silenced everyone.
The festive vibe turned dead quiet in an instant.
I set down my water cup and looked at the coach.
'What's up?'
Up 2-0—what's to yell about?
"Who do you think is responsible for this 2-0 lead?"
"Obviously Si-hyun—"
"Exactly. That's the problem."
"Huh?"
Coach Frank sighed, hands on hips, looking exasperated.
"The soccer you're playing right now is begging Si-hyun to handle it all, then sitting back irresponsibly."
"Coach, that's..."
Andreas tried to argue, but the coach's sharp glare shut him up.
Players have pride too—that comment stung—but no one could retort.
'Come to think of it, since Si-hyun arrived, we've just passed to him and figured it'll work out... When did I get this complacent?'
'Even in danger, I thought Si-hyun would fix it.'
Coach Frank held up the tactics board, eyeing the team.
"Late in the half, you were awful. At the 37th minute, when their midfielder broke our left flank—Andreas, what were you doing?"
"I..."
"You were so relaxed, you weren't even ready and got breached. If Matthias hadn't blocked, we'd have conceded, and the momentum would've swung to them."
Andreas had no comeback. It was fact.
"Soccer is an organic sport."
Coach Frank's deep voice weighed down the room.
Magnets on the board shifted fluidly, linking organically like living things.
"Strikers aren't just for scoring. Midfielders don't just pass. Defenders aren't locked to defending."
His rough hand slowly pushed a magnet from midfield to the front line.
Each motion carried meaning.
"Midfielders spread passes but must score when chances arise. Defenders should push up boldly when needed to aid distribution."
I nodded along to the coach's words.
Dependency syndrome is inevitable.
It happens in any team with a star.
Barça with Messi, Juve with Ronaldo—same deal.
'Barça without Messi crumbled pathetically against weak teams sometimes.'
But it does hinder team growth.
"We change in the second half."
Coach Frank's eyes flashed sharply.
"Don't rely only on Si-hyun. Do everything you can from your positions. That's how we become a real powerhouse."