Chapter 49
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Shuttle Run Supremacy
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Park Si-hyun held back for a moment.
Beep beep beep—
Once they passed 140 laps, the players who had been holding on until the end began collapsing one by one, utterly spent.
“Huff… Ji-sung’s out too!”
“Du-ri couldn’t hold on either!”
Cha Du-ri was the first to slump down, followed by Park Ji-sung, who stepped off the line, hands on his knees, gasping for air.
Hong Myung-bo, who had been enduring out of sheer pride, finally knelt down, his face flushed beet red.
Even Lee Chun-soo, who always finished first, staggered before dropping onto the grass.
With everyone else out, only one remained on the green grass, unwavering.
Park Si-hyun.
His footsteps were steady, his breathing undisturbed.
Park Si-hyun glanced around before slowly walking over to where the national team players had gathered.
“Man, our maknae’s stamina is a real monster.”
Yoo Sang-chul let out a hollow laugh, and Song Jong-guk nodded in agreement.
“Right? First time I’ve seen Chun-soo not take first. You said he plays in Germany, huh? Impressive.”
“His soccer skills are even more impressive.”
The short, brazen reply sparked another round of laughter among the players.
“Hahaha, Chun-soo was bragging at breakfast about how his hoobae from his old school showed up, and it turns out it’s true.”
“That’s why Coach Hiddink put them in the same room. They get along like a house on fire.”
Jang Do-yoon’s worries about Park Si-hyun’s boldness didn’t seem to bother the national team players much.
Back in the meeting room when Hong Myung-bo had sharply called him out, most of the players had seen Park Si-hyun as arrogant.
But after sweating it out together in training, their opinions shifted.
The impression of arrogance faded quickly, replaced by a fresh appreciation for the boldness of their 18-year-old maknae, who backed it up with real skill.
Having already dealt with their “crazy maknae” Lee Chun-soo helped too.
So the young rookie’s bluntness didn’t rub them the wrong way—it just brought laughs.
Just as Park Si-hyun was blending seamlessly into the team—
“Hey.”
Hong Myung-bo suddenly shot up from where he’d been sprawled on the grass.
His face was drenched in sweat and flushed red, his heavy breaths scattering across the turf.
But his eyes were ice-cold.
One step, then another.
Each footfall seemed to sink heavily into the grass.
In an instant, the laughter among the players cut off.
The national team captain, Hong Myung-bo.
His presence wasn’t just from the captain’s armband.
The weight he carried in Korean soccer was beyond words.
Only a handful could rein him in.
Big brother Hwang Sun-hong, goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji, and Coach Hiddink.
But right now—
Hwang Sun-hong was off doing individual training, Kim Byung-ji was in separate keeper drills, and even Coach Hiddink had stepped away with the coaches after shuttle runs.
No one was there to stop him.
“What did you just say…?”
Hong Myung-bo’s voice dripped with anger.
But Park Si-hyun didn’t flinch.
“What are you talking about?”
“Ha, listen to this punk.”
Hong Myung-bo stepped right up to Park Si-hyun, grinding his teeth.
“You mouthed ‘Tired already?’ right at my face during the shuttle run. Don’t tell me you don’t remember.”
Silence.
Even the players’ breathing grew heavy.
The news that the rookie, who’d just been getting praise, had mocked the captain froze everyone’s faces.
Some were already bracing to intervene if things turned physical.
They were seriously worried for the captain.
‘No matter how you look at it, Myung-bo hyung’s gonna lose in a fight… but can he even handle that physique?’
That was when Park Si-hyun spoke calmly.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Hong Myung-bo’s face twisted as he roughly grabbed Park Si-hyun’s shirt.
Yoo Sang-chul jumped forward at the sight.
“Hyung-nim, it’s a misunderstanding. In my eyes, Si-hyun isn’t that arrogant.”
“Yoo Sang-chul, stay out of it. This isn’t your business. I’m talking to this punk right now.”
Hong Myung-bo tightened his grip, staring Park Si-hyun down.
“Say it again. You did nothing wrong?”
Park Si-hyun met his gaze without blinking.
“Yes. What did I do wrong? I just ran hard and took first place.”
“You little—!”
The moment Hong Myung-bo reared back to yell—
A thunderous roar shook the training ground.
“What the hell is going on here!!!!!”
All eyes snapped to one spot.
It was Hiddink.
His face flushed red, eyes like sharpened blades.
The pressure he exuded crackled through the air.
“Hong Myung-bo. Park Si-hyun.”
Short and firm command.
“Come with me. Now.”
* * *
Right after shuttle run training ended, a satisfied smile spread across Hiddink’s face.
When he first took over the Korean national team, their average was barely around 90 laps.
Back then, it had felt close to despair.
He’d wondered if they could even survive the World Cup group stage.
But now, things were different.
Fitness coach Raymond checked the logbook and reported.
“Coach, today’s average topped 110. The whole team’s stamina has improved massively from the start.”
Hiddink narrowed his eyes and nodded.
Raymond continued.
“Ji-sung, Du-ri, and Chun-soo still stand out head and shoulders above the rest. But—”
He flipped through the log with a smile.
“Park Si-hyun, the one you brought in, Coach. Honestly, he outshines even those three. He’d hold his own against top European pros.”
Hiddink’s smile deepened.
The national team players’ progress was far faster than he’d anticipated.
The Korea Football Association’s dream of a World Cup win—no, advancing past the round of 16—might not be just a pipe dream.
“Good.”
Hiddink stood up.
“At this rate, we can give the fans who believed in us a huge gift in the next friendly.”
Raymond and the other coaches nodded in agreement.
“I think so too. The players are changing for sure.”
Hiddink smiled warmly, exchanging quick handshakes with the coaches.
He was in a great mood. Training results were solid, and the players were evolving.
However—
As he headed back to the training ground, he sensed a strange tension in the air.
The players were clustered together, no trace of laughter.
“What’s going on?”
Hiddink strode forward, brow furrowed.
And the scene he witnessed.
Team captain Hong Myung-bo was glaring daggers at rookie Park Si-hyun, gripping his shirt roughly.
The other players watched with frozen expressions, none daring to step in.
“What the hell is going on here!!!!!”
His thunderous shout echoed across the field, all eyes locking onto Hiddink.
“Hong Myung-bo. Park Si-hyun. Come with me.”
Angry face, sharp voice.
He showed outward fury, but inside, Hiddink was calm.
He’d thoroughly researched Park Si-hyun’s life in Germany and his personality, so he’d anticipated some clash upon joining the national team.
Friction was inevitable when accepting a new order.
The only surprise in his calculations was that the opponent was captain Hong Myung-bo.
A short while later, in the coach’s office.
Hiddink left Park Si-hyun with the staff and called in Hong Myung-bo alone.
“Sit.”
Short but firm.
Hong Myung-bo sat, face stiff, staring at Hiddink.
His shoulders were rigid with tension.
“Explain.”
“…During the shuttle run, Park Si-hyun provoked me. He mouthed ‘Tired already?’ Even if we compete regardless of age, there should be basic manners. Just as players respect you, Coach, they should respect the captain too.”
Hiddink let out a long sigh.
“Sigh… That’s not the whole story.”
Hong Myung-bo’s eyes widened.
“Pardon? What do you mean…”
Hiddink’s gaze pierced him sharply.
“Hong Myung-bo. Do you know why I named you captain?”
Hong Myung-bo hesitated before shaking his head.
“…No idea.”
“Just because you’re good at soccer? Or the oldest? If that was it, I’d have given it to Sun-hong.”
Hiddink’s voice grew lower, heavier.
“I chose you for one reason. I believed you understood my philosophy better than anyone and would embody it on the pitch.”
Hiddink pulled the captain’s armband from his pocket and tossed it in front of Hong Myung-bo.
“But no. You’ve been subtly discriminating between domestic and European players. And you’re still wielding the ‘captain’ title to push senior-junior dynamics and stir up the team.”
His gaze turned even colder.
“Be honest. You’ve had a problem with Park Si-hyun from the start, haven’t you? Just because he’s a young guy from Europe.”
“Absolutely not.”
The words came out, but Hong Myung-bo’s face drained of color in an instant.
Like a man caught red-handed.
Hiddink shook his head and cut in firmly.
“Si-hyun was in the wrong too. But the captain’s role is to unite the team no matter what. You sullied that position yourself. A captain fighting a player? That’s no captain.”
His low, resolute voice filled the room.
“So… effective immediately, I’m giving the captaincy to Sun-hong.”
Hong Myung-bo’s eyes shook violently.
But Hiddink gave no room for argument.
“Take some time to reflect. On what you did wrong, and what a true captain really is.”