Chapter 43
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Park Si-hyun Catches a Legendary Coach's Eye
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"...It doesn't seem to be the case?"
"Yes. It's not confirmed yet, but... if doping had occurred, it would have shown up in the initial reaction right away. We set it for 72 hours just to be thorough, but since nothing has come up so far..."
The researcher's report concluded, and Marie broke out in a cold sweat.
'What the hell is going on...?'
The doping inspection department within the German Football Association had a clear hierarchy.
1st division, 2nd division, and below them, the 3rd division.
Anne Marie was currently the team leader in charge of the 3rd division.
But her gaze was always fixed upward.
On the 2nd division... no, someday even commanding the 1st division.
So, what needed to be done?
It was simple.
She needed to snag one big case.
Her superior, who now oversaw 1st division doping tests, had risen through the ranks by catching multiple players from a single club in the 3rd division for doping all at once in the past.
In other words, the path was already laid out.
And that's when a certain figure entered her sights.
Park Si-hyun.
An Asian, and just 16 years old at that.
At that young age, he was dominating the 3rd division like it was nothing.
The problem was, he couldn't be contained within the confines of the 3rd division.
Skill, presence, recognition—all of it already stood shoulder-to-shoulder with 1st division players.
'Yes, it's him.'
Marie’s calculations were straightforward.
If her superior had advanced by nabbing several at once, then for her, just one would suffice.
No, catching Park Si-hyun alone would be worth far more than a bunch of nobodies.
That level of fame, that level of shock. The controversy would spread nationwide in an instant, and all the credit would be hers.
From that day on, Marie dogged Park Si-hyun relentlessly.
But the results were always the same.
Negative.
Each time the test results came back, her disappointment swelled larger and larger.
Then came the 210 km/h shot, the moment that speed flashed on the scoreboard. A spark ignited in her mind like lightning.
'This... isn't a record a human can achieve.'
What everyone else cheered and marveled at, to her eyes, was nothing but an opportunity for achievement.
A legendary moment for the ages? A shot that would go down in soccer history? It meant nothing to Marie.
It was merely evidence for her promotion.
That was why she had stormed into the locker room herself, cornering Park Si-hyun with absolute certainty.
In her eyes, it wasn't Park Si-hyun she saw—it was just the ticket to secure her future.
'No, that can't be. It must be some new drug, and the results are just delayed...'
But no matter how much she brainwashed herself, the anxiety wouldn't fade.
What if that record was real? What if that boy had truly achieved it with pure skill?
Marie couldn't bring herself to accept it.
That from the start, she'd viewed him through the filter of prejudice simply because he was Asian.
'A 210 km/h shot... it can't happen without doping.'
She shook her head stubbornly, but her habit of biting her nails betrayed her unease completely.
Pathetic, getting this worked up over a mere 16-year-old player from the 3rd division—but she was already in too deep.
That was when it happened.
The door to the doping lab swung open.
Marie reflexively shouted.
"Who is it? You knock before entering the lab—!"
But she couldn't finish her sentence.
The moment she saw who had stepped over the threshold, her words caught in her throat like it was blocked.
It was none other than Lucas Kremer, the secretary to the president of the German Football Association.
"K... Kremer? What brings you here...?"
Marie’s voice trembled, and the air in the room suddenly grew heavy.
He was not just a secretary—he was Walter Zimmermann’s right-hand man.
No matter her position as team leader, she couldn't treat him lightly.
"The president wants to see you."
"I'm in the middle of a doping test right now—"
"It's related to that matter, so it's in your best interest to come."
"Eek."
Intimidated by Lucas Kremer’s presence, Marie nodded meekly and followed him out. Soon, the two entered the president’s office.
"Sir, I've brought Team Leader Anne Marie."
"Hoo..."
A short sigh.
Even that single breath made Marie’s shoulders quiver.
"Team Leader Anne Marie."
The president’s low, deliberate voice dominated the space.
"I'll ask you just one thing."
"Y... Yes."
"What’s the result? Positive or negative?"
"Th... That is—"
"Speak clearly!"
His shout sliced down like a guillotine.
"Positive or negative?!"
Marie ultimately couldn't open her mouth.
The results weren't final yet, but nothing having been detected so far was, practically speaking, the same as 'negative.'
In that instant, the president grasped the situation intuitively.
He knew without her saying it.
The result was negative.
The president’s mind raced.
If a negative result went public officially?
It wouldn't just be her problem—it could backfire on him too.
In that case—
"Make it positive."
"P... Pardon?"
"I said, make it positive."
It was simple.
To avoid that scenario, just turn it positive.
The president’s voice was ice-cold.
"Is that so difficult?"
"N... No, sir."
"Good. It's straightforward. Just make it positive."
That was when it happened.
Bzzz—
Walter Zimmermann’s cellphone rang.
The moment he checked it, his face hardened instantly.
His expression drained to ghostly white, as if he'd seen a ghost.
Hans, Vice Mayor - You must not tamper with it.
Three days later, German Football Association President Walter Zimmermann held a massive press conference.
"The reason I've called you all here is regarding the doping controversy surrounding Rot-Weiss Essen player Park Si-hyun in this 3rd division match."
As he finished speaking, he bowed deeply at the waist.
"First, the doping test results are negative. However, during the inspection process, our staff member and head of doping inspections, Anne Marie, prematurely declared Park Si-hyun as 'positive' and acted rudely. I take full responsibility for failing to properly train my staff, and I intend to step down from my position here and now."
The press room buzzed. Camera shutters crashed like waves.
"This was an individual's mistake—does the president really need to resign personally?"
"No. A staff member's error is the president's error. I believe my misguided thinking infected the staff as well. Accordingly, Team Leader Anne Marie is here to apologize to Park Si-hyun as well."
As his words ended, Marie stepped forward from the back.
Her face wasn't that of someone too busy to wash—it was the hollow look of a shut-in confined to their home.
"Hello. I am Anne Marie, doping inspector and head of the 3rd division team for the German Football Association."
Her voice shook.
The confident swagger from just days ago was nowhere to be seen.
"In handling Park Si-hyun’s test this time, I made an unforgivable 'confirmation' that I absolutely should not have, insulting the player. There are no excuses. Especially approaching it with prejudice based on the player’s Asian background was a grave error. I sincerely apologize to Park Si-hyun, his family, and the Rot-Weiss Essen club."
The press room flashed white again.
The association president’s resignation and a staff member’s public apology—an unprecedented scene. Reporters couldn’t hide their excitement and bewilderment.
Even so, it was just the 3rd division.
And if it was a personal mistake, was it really cause for the president to step down?
Common sense shook its head, but sensationalism always trumped common sense.
And right now, the sensationalism was perfectly on their side.
"Park Si-hyun’s 210 km/h shot came from pure skill."
Marie continued.
"My hasty judgment and prejudice caused this unfortunate incident. I apologize once more, deeply."
She bowed a full 90 degrees.
She would never set foot in the soccer world again.
Walter Zimmermann, who had given up his presidency because of her actions, wouldn’t let it slide.
The price for touching Park Si-hyun was far greater than she had imagined.
Meanwhile, all this news spread across Germany in real time.
It was the moment when the name of the 16-year-old Asian boy, Park Si-hyun, was etched even deeper into the German soccer world.
And at the same time, it served to make his name known to yet another legendary figure.
"Hahaha, to think Korea had a player like this."
"I'm surprised too."
In one office, a man in uniform chatted amiably with a foreigner.
"We absolutely must bring this player into the national team."
"I trust you, Coach. But honestly, I'm worried. In the five World Cups we've qualified for, we haven't won a single match. This time... it has to be different. It's the World Cup hosted in our country. It's not just about soccer anymore. It's a matter of national pride."
Jung Moon-joon’s voice carried desperation.
The 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup was more than just a soccer tournament.
For Korea, freshly emerging from the IMF crisis, the World Cup was a new turning point, not merely a festival.
"Mr. Jung, don't worry."
Hiddink said with a relaxed smile.
"Change always comes with pain. But teams that overcome that pain claim glory, while those that don't regress. Whether Korean soccer makes that choice... depends on the players, the association, and the people."
"The association and players support you, Coach."
"Thank you."
Hiddink glanced back at the monitor.
The screen summarized Park Si-hyun’s 210 km/h shot, the surrounding doping controversy, and the chain of events leading to the German Football Association president’s resignation.
'Incredible. A player like this still unknown in Korea.'