Tactical Movement (1)
Tactical Movement (1)
015
They say women won't let go of their phones even when they die, and maybe that's really true.
Ha-yeon Noona started looking for her phone the moment she woke up, and now she's tap-tap-tapping away, sending messages non-stop.
"Who are you texting so much?"
"Uh... uh? Someone."
"Who is it? Don't tell me, a boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend, my foot. It's a girl."
If it's a girl... it couldn't be Ji-gyeong Noona, could it?
What on earth could the two of them be talking about?
Judging by the looks of it, it seems like she's spilling everything about what happened with me.
I'm curious about what she's saying, but well... it probably isn't anything bad.
And that's because,
<Incomplete Combustion>
—Unsatisfactory sex! Acquisition amount reduced by 1/3!
<Easy Conquest!>
—Conquered an easy woman! Acquisition amount reduced by 1/3!
<Slut Domination!>
—Perfectly satisfied a woman with extensive sexual experience! 'Incomplete Combustion' debuff reduced by 50%!
Because as soon as I opened the Status Window, these event messages poured out.
All three are the same messages as with Ji-gyeong Noona. Though with Ji-gyeong Noona, debuffs like 'Unattractive woman' or 'Boring sex' get added on top.
Looking at it this way, the way Ji-gyeong Noona is treated seems a bit harsh.
But maybe because it's a relationship that started as a one-night stand, there's no real affection, and since we aren't dating, it's natural to get bored if you do it every day.
It's not like Ji-gyeong Noona is the beauty of the century or has a legendary pussy.
Maybe she's bored of me too?
Huh? Could it be that she keeps playing hard to get because she's bored?
I was about to fall into deep contemplation, but Ha-yeon Noona's grumbling snapped me back to reality.
"Ugh... I can't feel anything down there. You're a real beast."
"Ji-gyeong Noona said the same thing. You friends are all the same."
"Seriously. I finally understand what Ji-gyeong was saying. It feels so good, but... it's overwhelming."
As the 'Incomplete Combustion' event message shows, both Ji-gyeong Noona and Ha-yeon Noona end up conking out in the middle, so I've never had a satisfying sexual encounter.
Man... my stamina is so strong that it causes this problem again. Not that I want to reduce it, though.
I checked the time; it was 5 AM.
I woke up a bit earlier than usual, but I figured it was better to just get up than to laze around trying to sleep more, so I headed to take a shower, when—
"Eek!?"
Ha-yeon Noona, who had been looking at her phone after a notification sound, was completely freaked out.
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Ah, no. I, I'll shower first! I'm in a rush!"
She hurriedly went into the shower room, washed up in the blink of an eye, and came out to get dressed.
"Min-jun, I'm going first! See you next time!"
"Uh, uh, yeah. Bye."
Kwang! I stood there blankly staring at the closed door.
...What was that? Why is she acting like her house is on fire?
【Hidden】
Genius 046 ｜ Charm 095 ｜ Intelligence 028
【Height 175cm｜63kg】
【Points Held】 4P
I turned on the Status Window and saw that 4 points had increased.
'Oh~ sweet.'
A whopping 4 times the efficiency of Ji-gyeong Noona!
I feel like I'm becoming more and more of a piece of human trash, but I don't care. We're both doing it because we like it, so whatever.
The moment I worried that if I get caught in the wrong situation, I might actually get Me Too'd, a woman's face flashed through my mind.
'I need to be careful. I might run into a crazy bitch like that.'
I changed into my uniform in the locker room, did some light stretching, and then grabbed a few training items to set them up in a corner of the field.
Strength training is necessary for soccer players too.
Up until around the 80s, there were many soccer players who didn't do weight training at all, but in modern soccer, where physical fights have become intense, weight training is essential.
Well, he's retired now, but there was once a player called Adama Traore-ish who was famous for his rugged, muscular physique while saying, 'I don't do things like weight training hehe'... but that's because his genetics were naturally gifted.
Of course, the muscles a soccer player needs are different from muscles for aesthetic purposes, so it's different from the 'bodybuilder' look that ordinary people think of. For instance, chest muscles.
The biggest part of aesthetic muscles is the chest muscles, but chest muscles are essentially unrelated to athletic performance, so they don't fit with soccer, which is an aerobic sport. Unless it's a sport where upper body strength is important, like weightlifting or judo, it's actually an unnecessary part.
In the end, the most efficient body for a soccer player is, unexpectedly, not a body with huge, popping chest muscles.
But human psychology isn't like that.
If I'm going to lift weights anyway, it should look good too.
'Especially to women.'
That doesn't mean I'm going to kill myself lifting weights.
Increasing muscle mass blindly only increases the risk of injury and speeds up stamina consumption.
Especially for a player like me who makes a living off technique and speed, training focused on the core zone is necessary rather than just simple muscle.
The training I've been paying special attention to lately is core zone strengthening and agility improvement. I'm talking about abilities like physical balance, center of gravity shifting, and changing direction.
Since it's training I'm doing alone, it'll be a big problem if I overdo it for no reason.
Since there's no one watching, if I get tired while training, my posture naturally collapses, and if I train with the wrong posture, various problems are bound to occur.
In times like this, training that is easy to do and is the foundation of foundations—so ingrained in my body that it's second nature—is the best.
That is ladder training, commonly known as the speed ladder.
Just by placing the ladder-shaped equipment on the floor, preparation is complete.
Since it's such a basic and famous coordination exercise, they say there are over 100 training methods, but I decided to repeat a few that I'm familiar with.
Single-leg jumps, side steps, gathering both feet for quick steps, front dash followed by back course, running through each space as fast as possible with one foot, jump training moving through each space with jumps, and training moving left and right alternately along the ladder followed.
"Hoo, hoo, hoo."
These are all basic training exercises that even ordinary people can follow without difficulty, and that every soccer player does, but that doesn't mean they are easy.
Just as you have to constantly hone your fundamentals, these basic training exercises are also the foundation of foundations that must be constantly repeated to control the body.
After sweating profusely, it was time for the seniors to arrive.
I reflexively opened the Status Window, but as expected, there was no change.
A little disappointment is inevitable for any human being.
I don't know if this training affects stat improvement, but even if it doesn't, I don't want to stop. It's a routine I've done my whole life, and if I don't even do basic training, I feel like the perception of being a soccer player might disappear.
"Hey, Hong Min-jun. You came early again today."
"Good morning, Coach!"
"Yeah. You had a game yesterday, so don't overdo it."
"I'm fine!"
"Yeah, yeah."
As I was tidying up the training equipment, people started to gather.
"Hi, Min-jun."
"Hello, Senior!"
"Yeah. Ah, I'm tired."
8 AM.
After confirming that all the players had gathered, the coaching staff started with a light jog and then divided the players into those who played in yesterday's game and those who didn't, conducting separate training sessions for each.
I, who played the full time yesterday, joined the participating group to receive light recovery training and had to listen to the coach's mental attack... no, tactical lecture.
The coach, with the tactical board in front of him, described the formation while attaching magnets representing the players one by one.
"Let's see. This is our basic formation, 4-3-3."
Starting with the goalkeeper, there are 4 defenders in front. In front of them, there are 3 midfielders in an inverted triangle, and at the very front, 3 forwards are marked like arrows.
"What is our core? It's 'Pressao Alta (High Pressing)'. Powerful pressure starting from the forwards! Like full-court pressing in basketball, we must block the enemy's entry and trap the opponent in their own territory!"
The coach pointed to the 4 magnets placed in a line representing the defenders.
"The back four forms an offside line based on 30m from the goal, narrowing the gap with the midfield to control the space. At this time, even if you give up the flanks, you must defend the center at all costs! Got it? In the end, soccer is decided by goals, and goals come from the center! Center! The center is the key! Build up the center thickly to eliminate space!"
The coach's hand, which had been explaining the movements of the defenders and midfielders according to each situation, moved toward the magnets representing the wing forwards.
"Wing forwards! You guys need to move actively too! Especially the right side! When defending, the right forward must participate in defense so that there is no space. Ji Eon-hak. Got it?"
"Yes!"
The coach nodded at the sharp response from Ji Eon-hak, the senior who plays as the wing forward on the opposite side of me, and then his hand moved to the magnet representing the left forward, which is my position.
"Left side! You don't come down past the half-line even when defending. You are the vanguard of the counterattack. When the ball is stolen, send the ball to the left forward by the shortest distance, and when the left forward receives the ball, they must somehow carry it to the enemy's final third. Hong Min-jun!"
"Yes, Coach."
"You know the counterattack depends entirely on your feet, right? If you can't do it, tell me quickly. Because I have to change the tactics."
A tactic that reminds me of the first Chelsea era of the famous manager Jose Mourinho, who dominated an era in the past. However, the biggest difference is that the attack is skewed to one side to a deformed degree, and this was entirely the coach's decision based on my personal ability.
A typical ace-dependent tactic that relies on one ace.
It's a tactical trend that was popular in the 90s and early 2000s, when central attacking midfielders were in the spotlight, where the performance is swayed by the ace's condition that day.
If the ace had been someone else, I would have been displeased... but since he's openly telling me I'm the ace, backing out isn't my style.
"No! I'm confident!!"
"Are you really confident? You little shit, you better answer carefully. If you conk out in the middle or your performance turns to shit, it's all your responsibility if this season gets ruined. Think carefully and answer. Are you really confident?"
The players' gazes poured onto me all at once at the coach's words, which added even more pressure to the ace position that already carried a heavy burden.
The heavy gazes of the 3rd and 4th-year seniors who don't have much time left. But actually, it's good. This kind of pressure is actually what I wanted.
"I'm confident. Please trust me, Coach."
"Good!"
Kwang!
The coach, who slammed the tactical board, shouted heartily.
"Then now, we're going to partial tactics for attack. This is only in the case that Hong Min-jun successfully carries the ball properly."
That's it.
Now I don't have to worry about being a starter.
A declaration that the ace position is practically mine for the whole season.
But as one worry disappears, another one comes.
The responsibility of having to show performance worthy of the team's ace in every game.