Woman Power Magazine Editor Kang Suyeon (3)
Woman Power Magazine Editor Kang Suyeon (3)
20
I first started playing soccer back in elementary school.
I remember it being around second grade.
The elementary school I attended back then was quite famous for its talented Soccer Club, and perhaps because of that, the kids who were in the Soccer Club all had their noses stuck in the air.
Among them, there was this one annoying jerk in my class who was the absolute top when it came to acting out and showing off.
Back then, I'd see them training while coming and going, but well... they didn't look all that impressive.
I couldn't understand what was so great about the Soccer Club, so during a P.E. class where we were learning about soccer, I completely thrashed that kid who always annoyed me.
The guy who claimed to have learned soccer before even entering elementary school was so clumsy that he got toyed with by me, who just dabbled in it as a hobby, several times, and then he burst into tears like a little brat.
...Ah, well, I guess we were just little brats back then.
Anyway, word must have gotten out because the person called the Soccer Club coach came to find me and asked me to play a practice match, so I did.
Then, as soon as the match ended, the Coach and assistant coach started pestering me with questions like, "Have you learned soccer before?", "Do you practice regularly?", "Do you like soccer?", and then started buttering me up with nonsense about me being the genius of the century or the best talent in the country... Honestly, I was indifferent to that kind of talk, but I was hooked by the line that girls like guys who are good at soccer, so I joined the club.
My childhood friend, who could be called my first love, also used to say smooth things at first, like how cool I was or that she could marry me, but as we got older, she started talking about studies, the pros, looks, and so on... When I mustered up the courage to confess in middle school, that bitch kicked me to the curb with a look of pure contempt.
...Thinking about it makes me pissed off again.
Anyway, the one thing I became certain of while living the Soccer Club life is that 'talent' has a huge influence on everything in the world.
Soccer is the same.
Second grade of elementary school. Even though I joined the Soccer Club and learned soccer for the first time only after half the semester had passed, I became the ace before the year was out, surpassing the kids who were acting all high and mighty, and before long, I rose to become the best prospect in the province.
Center of gravity this, balance that, eye movement this... Others would blabber on and on but couldn't do it properly, while I just did it and it worked, so how could there be any competition?
What I was particularly good at was dribbling.
Even back then, I had decent Acceleration and physical Balance, and my ball-handling skills weren't bad... but there were plenty of guys at a similar level to me.
But the reason I could be overwhelming.
That was precisely my 'instinct'.
Ah, this guy is going to rush in now.
If I push out to the left, he won't be able to keep up, right?
He's frozen in panic.
I can just pull a little fake here, pretending to pass.
Things I could know instinctively even without learning them.
Things that couldn't be explained theoretically—truly a natural talent.
With just that, I became the top youth prospect, and from elementary school when I started to stand out, all the way through middle school, I was called 'Messi' and put on overwhelming performances.
Naturally, the response of teams facing a technician with such performances is to focus on defense.
The methods were diverse.
Making one player follow me around, sitting back completely to give no space, cutting off passing lanes to isolate me, or even sticking two Man-markers on me.
And the most common and frequently used method among them was Man-marking.
Having one player with good defensive skills Man-mark and interfere with me was the defensive method I suffered from throughout my elementary and middle school years.
...Well, that disappeared after I entered high school and fell into a slump.
'Has it already been 2 years since I last experienced this?'
As soon as I receive the pass from our defender who stole the ball from the enemy, the sight of number 5, Jeong Hyo-gi, rushing at me like a demon brings back the senses I had forgotten.
The defenders who faced me when I was at my peak showed two reactions.
One was being so nervous that their body froze up. The other was burning with excessive motivation and showing too much aggression.
Excluding a few exceptional players, the reactions of these guys were these two.
But Jeong Hyo-gi is neither.
This guy...
'If you're going to be that careless... it makes me want to toy with you.'
He clearly thinks of me as just a simple freshman.
That's why he's sticking his foot out without thinking like this.
With my slowing vision, every single one of Jeong Hyo-gi's movements comes into view.
His eyes, curving as if sneering, are fixed on the ball, and his lips are curling up.
Oh? You're smiling?
The guy's center of gravity shifts to his back foot, and his body leans forward. His thigh muscles are twitching.
All of those are signals telling me he's extending his foot toward the ball.
And to guys who let their guard down against me, I always—
"Ah, a Nutmeg!?"
I push the ball through the legs of Jeong Hyo-gi, who rashly extended his foot, and run past.
Time, which had slowed down, returns to normal, and as I pass by Jeong Hyo-gi, who is gasping in surprise, a thrill that sends shivers down my spine surges at his shocked shout.
'Let's keep going like this.'
These guys, just how much did they trust Jeong Hyo-gi?
Once I broke past Jeong Hyo-gi, the field was wide open. I dive into that space without hesitation.
I push the ball smoothly with the instep of my soccer cleats and advance steadily, and the panicked opposing defenders apply pressure in a disorderly fashion.
Defenders who rush in mindlessly in a panic are perfect prey to be broken through, but...
"Hup!"
I plant my standing foot firmly and push the ball accurately with the inside of my foot.
The ball, shot at high speed, curves widely and connects to the empty space where the defenders rushed out from, and to the player sprinting toward it...
Beep, beeeep—!!
Senior Yoon-hyeok's opening goal exploded as he connected with a powerful Shooting immediately after receiving the ball.
"Whoa, whoaaaa!! This, this actually works!!"
Senior Yoon-hyeok, who had been indifferent even about starting, ran over with a highly elated expression, hugged me, and said that, to which I replied as if it were obvious.
"Of course it does. It's a proven method."
"Proven? What do you mean, proven?"
"Yaaaah! Are these guys scoring right from the start!"
"Yoon-hyeok, you bastard, are you on drugs? What's with you all of a sudden!!"
Before I could answer Senior Yoon-hyeok's question, a barrage of congratulations from my teammates poured in.
Senior Yoon-hyeok, who scored the goal, and I, who provided the decisive chance, were swept up in the teammates' barrage of excitement, celebrated frantically, and were able to return to our side of the field.
'It really works well, as expected.'
The proven method I mentioned to Senior Yoon-hyeok is nothing special.
It's just the method I used to use straight away when I was in middle school.
The better the skill of the player marking me, the more likely they are to be a player trusted by the team. If I break past such a player, and especially if that happens right at the start, 100 out of 100 times, the defenders will fall into a panic and come rushing out in a flurry.
The opponents aren't idiots either, so after I used it three or four times, word got out and I couldn't use it after that... but that was years ago already. Besides, after entering high school, I fell into a slump and hit rock bottom, so I couldn't even try it in the high school league.
Of course, that was only during my middle school league days, so I wondered if it would be a bit different in the university league, but well, it's the same here too.
"Kyaaaa!! Number 15, fighting!!"
"You're fucking cool!!"
"Number 15! Look over here! Over here, over here!!"
Is it because it's the weekend?
A few women who looked like students of this school were screaming in the stands, so I smiled contentedly and waved at them.
"...Hm?"
And in the corner of my vision, in a spot obscured by a steel pillar, a woman wearing sunglasses and a ball cap pulled low was sitting.
Tsk... what is it? Somehow, she doesn't look unfamiliar. Where have I seen her before?
"Hey, hey! Someone's taking pictures over there!"
But that thought was only for a moment.
A senior who had been hovering near me made a fuss about the women's attention, so I looked and saw a woman holding a large telephoto camera, grinning widely.
"Hmph."
With a camera like that, it's worth getting photographed.
I gave her a chic smile.
"Cr, crazy."
Oh Sang-tae's jaw dropped.
It couldn't be helped.
Who is Jeong Hyo-gi?
He's the captain and ace of Sungsil University, which is evaluated as a mid-tier power in the university league.
Isn't he a player who has been active as a semi-regular since his freshman year, and now as a senior, is considered likely to advance to the K-League upon graduation!
To think that his pride and joy, whom he had recognized the potential of since his freshman year when he took office at Sungsil University and raised with such care, would be toyed with by a mere 1st-year brat.
When Oh Sang-tae, whose head was spinning, just moved his lips and turned his gaze toward the Hojin University bench without realizing it,
"Heh heh."
He could see Na Geon-seong, the manager of the Hojin University soccer team, grinning at him while looking this way.
"Th, that... that bastard...!"
A rival who had followed a similar career path since his playing days, having gone through similar coaching training, coaching life, and even managerial careers.
In this situation, for the sake of his pride, he couldn't lose even if he died.
"Jeong Hyo-gi!! Hey, you bastard! Get your head in the game!!"
"...I have no excuse."
Oh Sang-tae, having confirmed the burning gaze of his beloved pupil, said quietly.
"Don't let your guard down. Looking at how that bastard plays ball, he's someone who's got some skills."
"Of course. I won't let my guard down anymore."
"Good. Go and crush him."
Oh Sang-tae, who gave his beloved pupil a hard pat on the back, shouted furiously.
"Referee!! How long are you going to let them celebrate!!"
Seeing the referee nod as if he understood and signal for the game to resume, Oh Sang-tae turned around and walked toward the bench, but he furrowed his brow at a loud noise.
"Oh my god! Oh my god, oh my god! How can he be so handsome and good at soccer too!! Aww, he's so pretty. Where was such a treasure hiding? I have to take a picture of this!"
A young woman holding a large camera, making a huge fuss and clicking away repeatedly.
Oh Sang-tae clicked his tongue.
"A telephoto camera? Is she a reporter or what? She's really doing all sorts of things. Damn it."