Chapter 8
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Park Si-hyun Lets His Skills Do the Talking
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"Si-hyun! Over here!"
10 a.m.
A massive black van pulled up sharply right in front of our house.
The driver's side window rolled down, and Jang Do-yoon gave a quick nod.
I quietly opened the car door and slid into the back seat.
My head nearly brushed the ceiling, but I just plopped down without a word.
"New car?"
Jang Do-yoon glanced at me through the rearview mirror as he started the engine.
"Not new. Just added another one. If we'd taken the little compact you usually ride in, you'd have smashed the windshield before you even fit inside."
He wasn't wrong.
His usual ride was basically a kei car, and at 193 cm tall, I'd have been crammed in like a folded shrimp, barely able to move.
And imagine pulling up to training like that.
A guy heading to Germany in Germany crawling out of a car all hunched over? Not the Park Si-hyun style.
'As expected from a hunter. Every little detail shows how he succeeds as an agent.'
This was player-tailored service at its finest.
It might seem like nothing to outsiders, but to the player on the receiving end, it made all the difference in the world.
"The guys helping with the video today are from Hallelujah FC. Don't underestimate them just because they're a semi-pro team. They're all heavy hitters from their league."
"Semi-pro?"
Oh, right. This was still before the second and third divisions existed.
I adjusted my mental timeline.
By the time I graduated high school and went pro in 2003, Korea had established its league system with a second division. But 2001 was still that awkward era without it.
K League was the only true pro league, and everything else was a mix of semi-pro and amateur teams.
Semi-pro teams were full of players struggling on the blurry line between pro and amateur.
"Yeah, you might not like it since they're not pros, but think of them as basically pros. Our league system will probably change soon, just like Germany's second and third divisions."
See? He was already predicting the league system two years out.
The man really knew how to read the times.
Jang Do-yoon turned the wheel, adding weight to his voice.
"They probably won't look too kindly on you. Being semi-pro doesn't mean they lack pride as players. Sure, they get paid per game, but pride's a separate issue."
I nodded.
It made perfect sense.
That in-between status—neither full pro nor pure amateur—had to be a constant source of stress for them.
And now getting called out to film a training video with some high school kid?
'Must feel like shit.'
"Doesn't matter. I'll just show them what I've got."
Jang Do-yoon clicked his tongue.
"Ha... Where does that confidence even come from?"
Still, the corner of his mouth twitched upward just a bit.
He was probably the one person in the world right now who best understood my true level.
I could still vividly recall his shocked face from watching me train that evening.
'So that's why you carry yourself with such swagger. I take it back—no, I'm sorry. You're still here in Korea because you were born here. If you'd been born in Europe, you'd already be a star.'
Gazing at the riverside scenery flashing by outside the window, I thought to myself.
'Honestly, even a current pro would struggle to stop me right now.'
This wasn't arrogance—it was the cool assessment of a legend once called a defensive icon in the K League.
'Korea's soccer level is just too low overall right now.'
Even the high school programs under the K League banner mostly had kids climbing mountains daily, running laps, and drilling endless grit workouts without a ball.
An era where sweat volume trumped ball touches, and grit outranked tactics.
How could any standout players emerge from that?
Of course it mass-produced similar players across the board.
'Ahn Jung-hwan was just a freak mutation.'
Even the so-called pros now looked rough on basics like first touches during games.
Ball control went without saying, and their pass accuracy and shot power were all way below what I'd seen in my prime.
I smirked, staring out the window as I crooked the corner of my mouth upward.
"Can't wait. Wonder what faces they'll make after a high school kid wipes the floor with them."
Jang Do-yoon let out a hollow chuckle.
"You're a real piece of work."
I shrugged.
"For a soccer player, being young is mostly a downside. No matter how perfect your skills, they always want you to prove it over and over."
I turned to look at Jang Do-yoon, lifting my chin lightly at the end.
"But me? I kinda enjoy that. Proving it isn't homework for me. I just do what I want, and that naturally proves everything."
Jang Do-yoon grinned faintly.
"That's the Park Si-hyun style, right?"
I furrowed my brow.
"...Don't steal my line. That's the highlight."
I shoved the door open the moment the car stopped. Honestly, I was impressed—in a good way.
'What is this, a broadcast shoot?'
High-end camcorders and lighting rigs set up like a drama set. Mics, reflectors—the works.
Jang Do-yoon smirked at my expression.
"Impressed, huh? Threw some money at it. Your transfer to Germany matters to you, but for me, it's life or death too."
His voice carried real sincerity—the resolve of an agent staking his future on it.
Then, three guys approached slowly from across the field.
The Hallelujah FC players Jang Do-yoon had mentioned.
The tallest and oldest-looking one stepped forward as their rep.
"Hey. I'm Lee Sung-min from Hallelujah FC, center back. This is Yoon Jae-hyeok, right winger, and Kim Hyung-jun, central midfielder."
The other two just bowed silently after their intros.
'Yeah, all three of them clearly aren't thrilled about me.'
But mixed in with the irritation was a hint of surprise.
Probably my height catching them off guard.
Being tall comes with more downsides than you'd think.
You have to give up basic stuff everyone else takes for granted because of it.
Like ducking every time you get into a normal car, or never fitting in economy seats on planes. It's rough for you and awkward for whoever's in front.
And shopping? Sizes are always an issue.
Tops don't fit the shoulders or arm length, pants never match the inseam.
But outweighing all that, the biggest perk is that even standing still, no one messes with you lightly.
In truth, the Hallelujah FC players were already feeling intimidated by Park Si-hyun.
'He's taller than Sung-min hyung... This guy's no joke.'
'High schooler for real? His face doesn't look it at all.'
'Not just tall—his physique is insane. Defending him's gonna be tougher than expected...'
Reading their reactions, I chuckled softly and extended my hand.
"Park Si-hyun. Nice to meet you, seniors."
My tone was polite, but my voice dripped with ease.
I didn't bow my head, keeping my eyes level with theirs.
No—actually looking down at them.
That was the moment all three instinctively realized the high schooler they had to face today was anything but ordinary.
Yoon Jae-hyeok's expression in particular stiffened subtly.
He clearly didn't like having to look up at a high school kid.
Jang Do-yoon read the frozen atmosphere and clapped sharply to break it.
"Alright, everything's set—let's get started. Camera's good to go. Oh, Si-hyun, need time to warm up?"
I shook my head curtly.
"Nah, not really."
My instant reply threw them off, and Lee Sung-min hesitantly chimed in.
"Still... you should at least do a light warm-up. Pros do it for a reason."
I gave a light laugh at that.
With the corner of my mouth quirked up, I silently patted my legs a few times with both hands.
"My legs..."
I paused, then swept my gaze across the three players one by one before adding,
"...are ready to smash any ball that comes their way into the net—whether I'm taking a shit or sleeping."
Lee Sung-min headed onto the field to set up for defense, still eyeing the guy named Park Si-hyun standing in front of him.
'Ready to bury any ball in the net even while shitting or sleeping?'
Bluff or skill—it'd be clear soon enough.
'If you're just all talk, kid, you're gonna get hurt bad here.'
The first video was 1v1 breakthroughs against a defender.
In a straight 1v1, the defender usually has the edge.
The attacker has to control the ball while shaking the defender, but the defender just needs to read the movement, steal it, or push them out of bounds.
Central midfielder Kim Hyung-jun was in goal as keeper.
Jang Do-yoon called out from behind the camera.
"Alright, here we go!"
Beep—
With the whistle, Park Si-hyun lightly passed the ball to himself, and Lee Sung-min passed it back.
He immediately lowered his center of gravity, calculating the distance.
'Watch first. See what he does.'
Even after the start, Park Si-hyun's face stayed relaxed, a smile playing on his lips.
'Cocky bastard.'
It irked him even more, feeling like the disdain K League pros gave them.
Park Si-hyun tapped the ball along as he approached slowly.
'Good touches... but he'll probably just try to bulldoze through with that physique.'
He'd probably do the same if he had that build.
But raw physique didn't win every shoulder barge.
Shoulder battles needed technique too.
Center of gravity, timing, angle—all calculated.
The distance between Park Si-hyun and Lee Sung-min closed.
Lee Sung-min braced for impact, stepping forward with his left foot, back with his right for stability.
Shoulders low, elbows slightly out, ready for collision.
'Come on. I'll show you physique ain't everything.'
But suddenly—
Park Si-hyun's body vanished from his sight.
"What the—?"
By the time the flustered Lee Sung-min turned his head—
THWACK!!!
Swish.
The sound of the ball rattling the net echoed across the field.
Lee Sung-min stood frozen in place, dazed.
'How the hell...?'
He couldn't even grasp how Park Si-hyun had blown past him.
But Kim Hyung-jun in goal had seen it clear as day.
The giant with monstrous physique had spun around him in an instant at blinding speed.
'Marseille turn...'
A move you'd expect from a European pro, pulled off by a 193 cm behemoth.
Against Sung-min hyung, the best defender in their semi-pro league, no less...
As everyone stared in shock, only Park Si-hyun strolled casually to the goal and picked up the ball.
"What's next?"