Chapter 46
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Park Si-hyun, Who Even Tries to Change the Laws of the Country
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"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just landed at Jeju International Airport. The local time is 3:40 p.m..."
As the announcement from the cabin speakers came to an end, I slowly caught my breath and gazed out the window.
The sea shimmering in shades of blue, land dotted with black basalt rocks, and a humid breeze seeping in.
A landscape utterly different from Germany's gray skies.
An island so quintessentially Korean, surrounded on all sides by the ocean. Jeju Island.
Yes, in the end, I accepted Coach Hiddink's offer and joined the Korean national team.
To be honest, my loyalty to Korean soccer had already hit rock bottom.
So even when Coach Hiddink personally tried to persuade me, I had my answer ready deep down.
'Coach, I'm sorry, but... I'm considering naturalization.'
That's exactly what I planned to say.
But at the last moment, one single sentence from the coach struck me like a whip.
"That remaining 1 percent... that's exactly why we need you."
Simple words, yet they pierced me deeper than I could have imagined.
And that's when I realized it.
If I let this chance slip away, I'd never stand on the World Cup stage with this man again.
Just like Zlatan dreamed of facing Ronaldo, there was a time when I, too, nurtured bigger dreams while eyeing the 2002 stage.
And I wanted to chase that dream under a man like Hiddink.
'Alright. Let's go all in.'
Of course, the national team players wouldn't take kindly to me at first, and the public's gaze would be ice-cold.
An outsider barging in out of nowhere.
But that would all quiet down once I crushed them with my skill.
They'd end up advancing past the quarterfinals to an even brighter glory: a World Cup championship.
What about the next World Cup, you ask?
Simple.
Win the World Cup, and if Korea still doesn't sit right with me afterward, just retire.
Sure, retiring young after a single World Cup might sound career suicide to some.
But think about it.
"Dude, you only played in one World Cup and called it quits."
"So what? I've got a World Cup trophy."
"Big deal. The real GOATs are Messi and Ronaldo."
"Oh yeah? Did those two win the World Cup?"
"..."
Messi and Ronaldo.
The two giants who traded Ballon d'Ors and earned legendary status still came up short for some—'unfinished'.
Whenever compared to Pelé or Maradona, one thing weighed on their shoulders.
No World Cup trophy.
So what if...?
What if I lift the World Cup and conquer leagues and Champions Leagues too?
From that moment on, no one could deny I was the greatest.
And honestly, doesn't retiring after one appearance and one championship sound even cooler?
And who knows.
Germany or some other country might bend their own naturalization rules to snag me.
When you've got a World Cup winner in your grasp, petty laws won't stand in the way.
No, they'd say something like:
"If it means bringing in that monster, we can rewrite the laws, right?"
Yeah, Park Si-hyun isn't just some player who plays by the rules.
He's the kind of player nations rewrite laws to acquire.
The kind of existence a country twists its systems to embrace.
Korea? If they want to keep me, they need to change themselves.
But honestly, I don't think they can.
If they could have, reforms would have happened even before my regression.
Lost in those thoughts, the plane door opened, and a warm breeze enveloped my body.
I stepped out right away.
Finally, Korean soil—Jeju Island.
"Si-hyun, you know this, right? Even if they've ditched the seniority system, there are still some lines you don't cross. You can't just act like you do in Germany."
Do-yoon hyung murmured his advice from beside me.
"If they wanted me to play like I do in Germany, that's why Coach Hiddink brought me here."
"Kid, if rumors of team discord blow up, you'll get every curse word in the book."
I shrugged and shot back.
"Just play like in Germany. Once I show my skills, even the haters will turn into fans. Anyone still cursing after seeing what I can do? They're just the type who'd hate no matter what."
Jang Do-yoon let out a sigh as he gripped the steering wheel.
"Ha... you're not wrong."
He knew it too.
If people kept hating after witnessing Park Si-hyun's prowess, they were just looking for any excuse to hate anyway.
But a brother's heart...
It's never pleasant watching his little brother take the heat.
The car left the airport and sped along the coastal road.
Out the window, sea breezes whipped up waves crashing white, while Hallasan Mountain's ridges loomed faintly in the distance.
The air inside the car was quiet, yet strangely charged.
A tension that seemed to foreshadow the atmosphere awaiting me at training camp.
And so, we raced toward the Seogwipo overseas training ground.
"So the new guy's a striker, huh?"
Hwang Sun-hong wiped his neck with a sweat-soaked towel and asked in a low voice.
"Yeah, hyung."
Lee Dong-gook, sitting nearby and tying his shoelaces, replied.
"Ha... we already have plenty of competition, and now they bring in another striker... Where's this guy even from?"
"He was playing in Germany's third division, got promoted to second this time."
"Germany's third division?"
Hwang Sun-hong's brow furrowed deeply.
"Even in Germany, bringing a third-division guy straight to the World Cup team..."
The two exchanged glances.
For Hwang Sun-hong, this tournament was essentially his last stage.
His body had reached its limit, and he was coming to terms with what came next.
All the more reason he wanted to pour everything into this final run.
An unexpected 'rival' showing up now? No way he'd welcome it.
Lee Dong-gook felt the same.
He needed to solidify his spot as the 'next-gen striker' in this World Cup.
But a unknown rookie Hiddink personally flew to Germany to fetch?
Impossible not to feel the pressure.
Especially with the final squad not even set yet.
They couldn't relax, nor brush it off lightly.
"I don't get what the coach sees in him..."
Hwang Sun-hong muttered lowly, dropping his head.
Lee Dong-gook crossed his arms and nodded.
"...It boils down to skill, right? But honestly, can't feel at ease about it."
Of course, they knew.
In the two years with Coach Hiddink, the national team's old 'senior-junior' hierarchy had largely crumbled.
Unnecessary hierarchies and emotions stripped away, respect and rivalry based purely on merit.
A massive shift unimaginable in past Korean teams.
But even so—
Could they extend that respect to some outsider who suddenly barged in?
Hwang Sun-hong pressed his brow and muttered lowly.
"What does Chun-soo say?"
Lee Dong-gook chuckled wryly.
"He's just excited about getting a new maknae. No real thoughts on it."
Hwang Sun-hong sighed deeply and shook his head.
"Sheesh... watching that kid sometimes, I envy him. No worries at all."
His voice carried fatigue mixed with a bitter smile.
"Coach Hiddink, there's an 18-year-old on the preliminary roster who's never once joined the national team. No experience, no prior training with us—why pick him?"
The reporter's voice was sharp.
Records of leading a German third-division win with 45 goals and claiming top scorer.
Big news in Germany, but still unknown in Korea.
Slotted hastily into the national team prelims? Pure shock.
Public backlash erupted.
Veterans who'd sweated for the team for years got cut, yet some unheard-of kid made the list?
But Hiddink didn't flinch. He adjusted the mic and spoke calmly.
"Thinking long tenure guarantees selection is wrong. Players prove themselves on the pitch, not by name value—age irrelevant. Only one thing gets you on the national team: match performance."
Murmurs rippled through the press room.
Another question flew immediately.
"Coach, skill matters, sure. But can't ignore veterans' contributions over the years, right? The public can't accept that."
Hiddink nodded briefly, eyeing the reporter.
"I respect their past. The sweat and dedication for Korean soccer—I don't take it lightly. But what counts is performance in the 'key moments.' Not the past, the present."
His tone was firm, devoid of emotion.
That straightforward conviction had persuaded Koreans through doubts and won them over to this point.
"The player I added to prelims is 17 internationally, 18 Korean age. Third division in Germany, but 45 goals and top scorer. Local clubs—even Bayern Munich—recognize his talent and want him."
Hands shot up instantly.
"But coach, it's still just third-division stats, isn't it?"
Hiddink chuckled and shook his head.
"Haha, 45 goals on any stage isn't luck. Impossible without skill. I just saw the potential."
He paused, then lowered his voice steadily.
"Remember, it's prelims only. Fetching him from Germany myself doesn't guarantee a shot. Final roster takes the best per position. Age, experience? Irrelevant. Only skill survives."