Woman Power Magazine Editor Kang Suyeon (2)
Woman Power Magazine Editor Kang Suyeon (2)
019
While Kang Su-yeon, having finally come to her senses, was busy snapping candid photos of Hong Min-jun, inside the home team room—the Seongsil University soccer team staff room.
Per the regulation that each team must submit their lineup one hour before kick-off, the coach who had just finished submitting the Seongsil University lineup returned with a piece of paper, looking rather sour.
If our team had to submit a lineup, it meant the opposing team had to submit one as well.
The association formalizes the lineups as soon as they are received from both teams, provided there are no issues.
If it were a pro league or a popular team's match, the media would be watching closely and flooding the airwaves with articles about today's starters, tactics, the coach's mindset, or any injuries or internal conflicts, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the University League.
Today, too, the University League remained peaceful.
"Give it here."
In the University League, it's customary to receive the opposing team's lineup when submitting your own.
Naturally, the only thing the coach who went out to submit the lineup would be bringing back was the opposing team's lineup.
Manager Oh Sang-tae of the Seongsil University soccer team snatched the paper and examined it, his eyes narrowing.
"Hey, what is this? Is this right?"
"It is. It's the fresh, hot-off-the-press lineup I just received."
"Are you sure? There isn't a typo, is there?"
"I asked the match supervisor about that, and they said it's correct."
"Something's weird."
Oh Sang-tae frowned as he peered at the Hojin University lineup.
The Korean soccer world is small.
Just like the saying that you can know any coach or player within a degree or two of separation, working in such a small soccer world means relationships are bound to form one way or another.
That's especially true if they are coaches in the same regional group.
Oh Sang-tae knew Hojin University soccer team manager Na Geon-seong well.
"This bastard isn't the type to use a freshman as a starter."
Being the same age, they had advanced through elementary, middle, high school, and college side-by-side, constantly running into each other. They even entered the K-League around the same time, followed similar career paths, retired around the same time, received coaching education in the same cohort, finished their coaching internships at the same club, and earned their licenses at the same time.
With a connection like this, it's no ordinary fate, but after finishing their coaching careers and being appointed as managers for the first time, hadn't he been appointed as a manager in the same region?
Since they were in the same regional league, they were bound to clash annoyingly often in a single season.
They had been competing like that for three years already.
Oh Sang-tae could confidently say he understood Na Geon-seong's tendencies and tactics better than anyone.
"Don't you have any info on this guy? Where's he from?"
"They say he's from Myeongun High School. Apparently, he was a hotshot in middle school, but went downhill after entering high school."
"Myeongun High? That's a prestigious school. He must have had something going for him... But there's no way a guy who was struggling in the high school league would suddenly be flying around in the college league. And he's using a greenhorn who just joined the team as a starter? What is that bastard Na Geon-seong thinking?"
Given Na Geon-seong's conservative and defensive style, he wouldn't have put a freshman in the starting lineup unless they were exceptionally good. Plus, looking at the starting lineup sheet, the position is also... a position.
"Something's unsettling. What's his style like?"
"They say he's a technician. He even racked up an assist in the opening match."
"Tsk. Is that so? Was it a fluke?"
"Wouldn't he be someone with something special?"
"He's still just a freshman, isn't he? Besides, you said he didn't do much in the high school league."
"Doesn't a conservative person like Manager Na Geon-seong using a greenhorn who just joined the team as a starter mean he showed something definitive? Plus, seeing as he has an assist in the opening match, he must have some skill."
"Tsk... is that even possible?"
Seeing Oh Sang-tae's doubtful expression, the coach said with a firm look.
"He might have suddenly hit his potential, or he might just have great chemistry with the current manager."
Oh Sang-tae didn't just brush off the coaching staff's advice.
The reason he was able to have a long career as a university soccer team manager, despite not having a clear tactical philosophy or exceptional tactical insight or knowledge, was that he was a virtuous leader excellent at managing the squad and a flexible person who knew how to listen to the advice of his coaching staff.
"Then we'll have to give him a taste of the University League. Starting right after entering, an assist in the opening match. He must be completely full of himself right now."
The coach responded to the manager's sly smile with the same smile.
"Should I call the captain?"
"Yes. With Na Geon-seong's style, either this new guy or the guy on the right will be the one opening up the attack. But the right side, it's not this guy. If he had the talent for that, he would have used him last year. In that case, this greenhorn is the core of the attack. Let's put Hyo-gi on him."
"If it's Jeong Hyo-gi, it's a sure thing... but what about the space Hyo-gi leaves behind?"
"It's fine. Even if Hyo-gi follows the rookie around, there's no one there to exploit that space. Their tactics are what they are, after all."
Seongsil University's captain and core player.
A favorite student whom he had actively scouted for his talent as soon as he was appointed to Seongsil University three years ago, despite him being a freshman, and whom he had cherished and raised ever since.
Thinking of Jeong Hyo-gi, a natural hard worker with excellent defensive ability, spatial awareness, and decent passing ability, Oh Sang-tae felt reassured.
Before the match starts, when you're stretching to warm up, you see all sorts of things.
"Why the face? Do you need to take a dump?"
"Ah, Yoon-hyeok-sunbae. That's gross, what dump?"
"You look like someone who needs to take a dump, that's why."
I gave a slight nod at the words of Yoon-hyeok-sunbae, with whom I was exchanging simple passes.
"It's not that, it's the look in his eyes..."
"Hm? That's Jeong Hyo-gi. He's staring in a really unpleasant way, isn't he?"
"Exactly. Why is he like that, seriously."
I feel a chill at the sight of Jeong Hyo-gi, the buzz-cut brute staring at me with a sly smile. It's not like he's a hunter looking at his prey or anything.
"Whoa."
"Why now?"
I try to ignore it and practice trapping, but Yoon-hyeok-sunbae is shocked.
"No way... nah, it can't be."
"Ah, what is it."
"That is... ha... never mind."
"Ah, seriously, what is it!"
"Oh? Now you're shouting at your senior?"
"No, it's because you stopped talking halfway through!"
Yoon-hyeok-sunbae smiled playfully and lowered his voice,
"Is that guy a gay, by any chance? The way he's smiling at you, it's totally giving off gay vibes."
"Ah, seriously! Don't do that!"
He says that and giggles.
Seriously, what kind of nonsense is he spouting.
"No. But think about it carefully. In my opinion, it's possible. Your face is pretty and handsome, and your body is slender—it's exactly the type gays would like."
...Is that so?
Come to think of it, there's no rule saying Charm 95 only works on the opposite sex.
I still get surprised every time I look in the mirror.
Because I'm so handsome.
Certainly... with this face, there's a high possibility.
"...Why are you suddenly getting serious? I was joking."
"Yoon-hyeok-sunbae. If you think about my face, there's a real possibility."
Yoon-hyeok-sunbae stared at my face for a moment, then,
"I'm starting to get a little scared."
"Right?"
"Yeah. Now that I keep looking, I'm starting to feel a bit... weird..."
"Ah, seriously, Yoon-hyeok-sunbae!!"
"Hehehe. You little punk, stop being so full of yourself."
We were bickering with straight faces over his creepy joke, but before the match started, the Coach-nim called the players together for the last time.
"Alright, it's finally the second match. You've all trained hard, so I believe this match will go smoothly too. Especially Jin-ho!"
"Yes!"
"Control the defensive line like a captain. Yoon-hyeok!"
"Yes, Coach-nim."
"Show the chemistry you showed with that guy in the practice match in the real game too. Got it?"
Yoon-hyeok-sunbae, who had made a good impression with his chemistry with me in the practice match, nodded with a calm expression. The players, with the Coach-nim, formed a circle with their arms around each other's shoulders, shouted "Fighting!" at the Coach-nim's lead, and headed to their respective positions.
I was also standing on the left flank, rotating my ankles, when I made eye contact with the menacing brute in the distance.
'Jersey number 5, Jeong Hyo-gi. Seongsil University captain. Defensive-minded midfielder.'
As I mechanically recalled the opponent analysis data handed out by the coaching staff, I got a hunch.
'Is this, by any chance, that?'
Beep, beeeeeeep—!
The match began with the referee's whistle and Seongsil University's kick-off.
Watching the opposing team build up from the back step by step, I started creeping up, when a certain brute started subtly closing in on me.
'As I thought.'
Something I was once used to, but had forgotten as my slump dragged on.
It was man-marking.
"Sunbae! Yoon-hyeok-sunbae!"
"What is it."
I called out to Yoon-hyeok-sunbae, who was playing as a central midfielder, while the enemy was still passing the ball in their defensive zone. The moment the senior, who had been frantically looking back and forth between the enemy and our zones to adjust his position, glanced in my direction,
"You know, right? Number 2!"
I shouted, holding up two fingers.
"What? You're really going to do that?"
He looked bewildered, but the way he sighed as if he had no choice meant he was going to move according to plan.
I'd gotten the senior's confirmation... now all that was left was whether the opponent would move as I thought.
Heh.
Seeing Jeong Hyo-gi approaching with a sly smile as our eyes met, it seems there's nothing to worry about.
'Ah, this annoying feeling of someone constantly being conscious of me and following me around. It's been a while, so it's actually thrilling. I'll have to pay him back by tearing him apart.'
I smiled contentedly at him, and the buzz-cut brute flinched.
...But why is he blushing?