Chapter 29
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Romance is Another Word for Park Si-hyun
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Romanticism is just another word for Park Si-hyun.
Johannes Brückner headed straight to the club office the very next day after convincing the shareholders, immediately calling an emergency meeting.
"Is everyone here?"
His low, resolute voice echoed through the conference room.
"Yes, all members are present."
Chief Scout Thomas Bayer gave a curt reply, and Johannes nodded as he took his seat.
"The reason I called you all here so urgently is simple—one thing only. Essen’s future, and Park Si-hyun’s position with us. First off, Thomas, tell us what would happen if Si-hyun left the team. Give us your thoughts."
Thomas closed his eyes briefly before opening them, speaking slowly.
In truth, he had been the most vehement opponent of signing Park Si-hyun back then.
But now, he had no choice but to admit it bone-deep.
Park Si-hyun was the greatest signing in Essen’s entire history.
And by sheer coincidence, the Münster coach named Thomas—the one with the same name as him—had been utterly crushed by Park Si-hyun.
He absolutely refused to end up like that 'Thomas.'
"If Si-hyun leaves... we have no replacement. We couldn’t find a player like him in the first place. We might hold onto promotion contention, but surviving in the 2. Bundesliga? Practically impossible."
The conference room fell heavy with silence in an instant.
An Essen without Park Si-hyun was no different from nothing at all.
Thomas let out a sigh and continued.
"But... even if we keep Si-hyun, there are problems. The club is lacking in every way. Stadium, training grounds, facilities... everything from top to bottom is insufficient."
He glanced cautiously at Johannes.
Truth be told, even as chief scout, badmouthing the club in front of the owner required care.
But Johannes smiled instead, emboldening Thomas to speak more frankly.
"To be honest, salary isn’t the issue in holding onto Si-hyun. What matters is what kind of future we can show him. He’s already promised the fans: 'Promotion to the top flight as repayment.' The contract even has a promotion bonus clause. So now, it’s up to the club to prove it. That we’re truly aiming for the Bundesliga."
The air in the room began to shift with Thomas’s words.
Everyone present had grown up with Essen and desperately wanted promotion to the top division.
But realistically, they’d all but given up.
Had they not tried their best?
They’d all poured everything into Essen’s future.
Yet no matter how hard they tried, barely clinging on in the third division was the best they could do.
They’d hit the wall of reality and stopped there.
Then Park Si-hyun appeared, smashing through that wall and lifting Essen higher—and now, courage was budding in them again to face it once more.
Johannes beamed at the changing mood and spoke up.
"Exactly. We have to change. Si-hyun’s already shown us the vision!"
"Club owner, what specific plans do you have?"
Financial director Ulrich Bauer, who had been listening, asked cautiously.
"Investment. Real investment. We’ve been scrimping by until now—now’s the time to spend boldly."
Johannes pulled a stack of documents from his bag and placed them on the table.
The papers scattered across the table, revealing concrete figures.
"Stadium expansion, modernized training facilities, reinforced medical staff... and above all, creating an environment where Si-hyun wants to stay."
Thomas Bayer skimmed the documents, his eyes widening in shock.
"This is... on a massive scale. With this budget..."
"Exactly. But it’d be meaningless without Si-hyun. So first, we secure his contract renewal."
The eyes of everyone in the room changed.
The emotion of hope, long forgotten, was quietly resurfacing.
While Rot-Weiss Essen was flapping its wings of growth, the players were simply focused on the league.
Round 12. Essen’s home ground, Potsipalais Stadium.
But the moment the players stepped onto the pitch, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Shwooooaaaa—
Like the sky had collapsed, a waterfall of rain swallowed the stadium.
Puddles were already forming on the grass, and the ball rolled to a stop repeatedly.
Fans in the stands clutched umbrellas, huddling tight yet still waving red scarves and belting out cheers.
Shwoooa— splish-splash— shwooooaaaa—
Back in 2001, games rarely stopped for rain.
As long as there were no lightning strikes and the ball could roll, they played on.
The third division schedule was packed tight—postponing meant a huge financial hit for the club.
I emerged from the tunnel, tilting my head up into the downpour.
Honestly, getting wet didn’t faze me.
I’d played in rain like this before, and Park Si-hyun doesn’t bow to a little rain.
But unlike me, the kids entering beside me...
Even the children jumping in hand-in-hand for the entrance performance were getting soaked.
A boy around eight, with big round eyes, was shivering.
His red Essen kit hung limp and drenched, his little shoulders looking impossibly small.
This isn’t right.
I didn’t hesitate.
I stripped off my jersey top and held it wide open.
Then lifted it over the boy’s head like a shield.
"You okay?"
The boy’s eyes went wide in surprise.
"Y-yeah, I’m fine... Si-hyun, put it back on! It’s raining—you’ll catch a cold!"
Seeing the kid worry about me in a tiny voice brought a smile to my face.
Worrying about me even now.
That’s why players go soft for kids.
"Nah. I’m not so weak that I’d let a fan in front of me get drenched. You know who I am, right?"
"Si-hyun! Essen’s god!"
"That’s right. I’m Park Si-hyun, Essen’s god."
I tilted my chin up with a confident grin.
"Rain like this can’t touch me. But you’re different. And gods have to protect their followers."
"Whoa... you’re so cool!"
The moment the boy exclaimed in awe, the Essen players who’d overheard me started moving one by one.
Vice-captain Andreas Hermann was first to follow suit.
"Haha, Si-hyun! Hogging the cool moments again!"
He chuckled playfully, shrugging off his own jersey and draping it over a girl in front.
"Sorry, too late? It’ll be over soon—just hang in there."
Shwoooaaaa— shwoooaaaa—
The rain poured relentlessly, but the girl beamed at Andreas’s warm voice.
The other players followed in a chain reaction.
Explosive cheers erupted from the stands.
"Woooaaahhh!!!"
"This is soccer! This is romance!!!"
"Essen! Essen! Essen!"
"Si-hyun! Si-hyun!"
Then a sharp voice cut through from the away fans.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!"
"I’m embarrassed I came all this way to cheer for you idiots!"
"You just gonna stand there after seeing that?!"
The opposing players hurriedly stripped off their jerseys at the calls, but it was too late.
The difference between getting swept up in the moment and doing it from the heart was obvious to anyone.
The match, naturally, ended in Essen’s victory.
Even in the downpour, Essen’s players ran like they had wings,
and I hammered in two goals amid the torrent, proving to the world that no rain could stop Park Si-hyun.
After the game, I fielded a question about the moment in the interview.
"Park Si-hyun, what made you think to take off your jersey and shield young fans from the rain?"
I shrugged at the reporter’s question.
"Think? No thought involved. My fan was shivering in the rain, and I had the means to help. So I did."
I slicked back my wet hair and went on.
"No grand thoughts in the process—it was just Park Si-hyun’s instinct."
The reporter’s eyes sparkled with a follow-up.
"Beautiful words. And your thoughts on bagging two goals in that downpour today?"
"No rain, no blizzard—nothing stops Park Si-hyun from scoring. I proved it today, and I’ll keep proving it. Until everyone accepts I’m already the world’s best."