Controversial Roster Announcement (1)
Controversial Roster Announcement (1)
052
"I can't believe it...."
Gong Jeon-seong muttered under his breath.
Hojin University's number 13, Yoon-hyeok, and number 15, Hong Min-jun. They were unknown players who hadn't even been heard of until recently.
However, after seeing their skills firsthand in the friendly match, he realized. Just like the old saying about an awl in a bag—a talent that cannot be hidden—these two were not players destined to remain unknown.
At the same time, their limitations were clear.
Hojin University's number 13, Yoon-hyeok. This player, who effectively handled the team's build-up, had excellent soccer intelligence and off-the-ball movement, but his on-the-ball ability was lacking. Conversely, number 15, Hong Min-jun, had on-the-ball ability that surpassed the league level, but his off-the-ball movement was insufficient.
That was certainly the case.
That was only a month ago.
But what about now?
'Yoon-hyeok... he's grown. He still needs more development in terms of technique, but his press resistance has grown beyond recognition. However, Yoon-hyeok's growth is, at the very least, within the realm of common sense. Compared to that, Hong Min-jun, this guy is just....'
Watching Hong Min-jun sweep up every award possible—League Best Player, top scorer, most assists, MVP, Best 11... Gong Jeon-seong couldn't help but tremble.
'His weaknesses, passing and vision, have improved frighteningly. Even his off-the-ball movement.'
He still feels lacking compared to Yoon-hyeok, but considering he was at a youth level before, the phrase "a sea change" is truly fitting.
'Above all, his individual ability is... insane.'
And what about that overwhelming technique that makes the Myeonghak University defense, considered the best in the college league, look like amateurs?
Even before, in terms of pure technique, he was at the top level of the Olympic national team, but now he doesn't look any worse than the European league players being considered as wild cards... no, perhaps he even looks superior.
Watching Hong Min-jun lift the championship trophy with a bright smile, Gong Jeon-seong couldn't help but be genuinely impressed.
'A genius... that kid is a genius.'
Gong Jeon-seong's gaze turned toward the murmuring Korea Football Association executives.
"Seniors."
"Hmm? Coach Gong? You haven't left yet?"
"The national team roster. Shall we discuss it now?"
At the time when Gong Jeon-seong was discussing the national team roster with the Korea Football Association executives.
Hong Min-jun, who had swept all the awards and risen to become the king of the college league, was taking a moment to meet an old friend.
"Long time no see. 3 years? Has it been 4 years?"
A sharp bob cut reaching down to her earlobes. Sharp, cat-like eyes. And that signature tear mole.
She was a bit taller than before, her chest had developed, her waist had slimmed, and her pelvis and hips had become more curvaceous, but her face was exactly the same as in his memories.
"It has been 3 years, but if you count the time you pretended not to know me after getting dumped by me, it's about 4 years."
"......."
That bitchy personality was the same, too.
"Is that what you say to a friend you haven't seen in a long time?"
"Friend, my ass. I don't know a friend like you. Unless you're that loser who pretended not to know me after getting dumped."
Wow~ look at this bitch.
She's exactly the same as back in the day.
"Oh, is that so? My mistake. I thought you were my friend because your face looked similar, but it turns out you're the person who dumped their childhood friend like a piece of trash because they were embarrassed that I was poor."
At my sarcasm, she crossed her arms and snorted.
"Isn't that obvious? If you have no ability, you have to be dumped."
"Look at that mouth."
Crazy bitch. She really hasn't changed one bit.
Then again, that is the charm of this bitchy childhood friend.
"...Well. Still, I didn't mean to do that to you. You were the one who pretended not to know me first because I rejected your confession like a loser."
"......."
Her uselessly good memory is also the same.
In the past, I would have been intimidated and unable to say anything, but the current me is different.
"Hey."
"What."
"Don't go around talking about that."
Yoon Da-ye is a childhood friend.
I mean... from a very, very young age, a so-called childhood friend. Honestly, I think it's more accurate to call her a frenemy than a childhood friend.
The reason I became close with her was simple.
It was just because we were the same age and lived next door.
The place where Yoon Da-ye and I lived was an old, outdated villa.
We were neighbors living in an old villa in a poor hillside village because our family situations weren't good.
A hillside village in the middle of nowhere.
Since Da-ye and I were the only ones our age and we were neighbors, we became close quickly. Because of our difficult financial situations, we couldn't even go to kindergarten, let alone attend any decent academies, so we were always stuck together.
However, if there was one peculiar thing... looking back, even I, at that time, vaguely thought that Da-ye wasn't an ordinary kid.
"Da-ye-ya~ let's go out and play~ okay?"
That day must have been Da-ye's 9th birthday.
Both my family and Da-ye's family were struggling financially, and our parents were always away working, so the two of us, both only children, would go in and out of each other's houses like our own.
"You sit down and study, too."
That day, just like usual, I opened Da-ye's front door with a key and went in, and Da-ye was sitting at the table solving a workbook.
"Ah, I don't want to! Don't be like that~ okay? Okay? If we go to the supermarket owner, he gives us snacks!"
"I don't need it."
Da-ye was a very mature child.
I don't mean mature in appearance.
Da-ye was a very cute and pretty child. Even to my young eyes, she looked special.
Perhaps because of that, whenever I roamed the streets with Da-ye, I would receive kindness from adults that I had never received in my life.
For instance, a passing adult would buy us ice cream because she was cute, or the supermarket owner would give us snacks.
Then, just by being next to Da-ye, if I was lucky, I could get snacks, or even if I wasn't, I could share what Da-ye received.
At that time, I was completely hooked on the snacks I got that way.
"Why? Why don't you need it? I like it."
"I don't need cheap pity."
"Pity? What's that?"
The reason I considered Da-ye mature was,
"You. Do you want to live like this forever?"
"Huh? What do you mean by living like this?"
"I'm asking if you want to live this shabbily."
"What's shabby?"
"I'm asking if you're going to keep living in this shithole, you idiot."
"I just need Da-ye."
"I hate it. I'm sick of it."
It was exactly this part.
Even looking back now, Da-ye was so mature that I couldn't believe she was just a 9-year-old kid.
"I'm going to succeed. I'm going to succeed and get out of here."
"Uh-huh. I see."
"So you succeed, too."
"Me? Why me?"
"I hate incompetent men. If you're going to be my friend, you have to be on my level, no matter what."
A child who was deep in thought, had excellent reasoning skills, and was ambitious, craving success to a degree that didn't seem like a young child.
"So try solving this."
A worn-out workbook. It was the workbook I had gotten from a neighborhood uncle who was throwing it away, saying his daughter was all grown up and didn't use it anymore.
"I don't know."
"...You're hopeless at studying."
"Ah~ I don't know. Studying isn't fun. Da-ye-ya~ let's do something else. Okay?"
"Oh, seriously."
Even though she would always get annoyed when I begged, Da-ye was the type to eventually give in.
I still don't know what she thought of me, but at the time, I was her only friend, so she must have had no choice.
"Then just for a little while, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah! What should we play?"
"...Do you want to play doctor?"
"Okay!!"
And one more thing.
The point where she was mature was,
"Doctor, it hurts here."
"Hmm~ this side?"
"Uh... yeah, a little higher."
"Here where it's poking out?"
"Yeah... that's right."
That she had opened her eyes to sexuality early on.
I was innocent at the time and didn't know, but what Da-ye had me fondle while playing doctor was her clitoris.
Well, we didn't actually have intercourse or put fingers inside, but I think it was clearly foreplay.
Because Da-ye would frequently have me rub her clitoris through playing doctor.
That was why.
That was why I was mistaken.
"Hey. Yoon Da-ye."
"Yeah?"
"Let me see you for a sec."
"I'm busy."
"What are you busy with?"
"I'm watching an online lecture."
"You can just pause it."
When I was in my second year of middle school.
Around the time I, too, had opened my eyes to sexuality.
Up until then, Da-ye and my secret doctor games had continued, and we would still fondle each other's genitals without intercourse. I thought of it as a kind of green light.
"I told you not to talk to me when I'm studying. What is it? If it's another trivial thing, I'm really going to get mad."
"It's not trivial. Come out quickly."
"Sigh."
Da-ye, who was watching a free online lecture provided by EBS, got up, irritably messing up her signature bob cut.
I took her to a secluded place, and,
"Hey. How about we come out with it now?"
"Come out? With what?"
"Our relationship."
"Huh? What relationship?"
"Oh~ Yoon Da-ye~ pretending not to know? We even did the doctor game yesterday."
"You crazy bastard. You've really lost it, haven't you? You want to tell the kids about that?"
"What are you talking about? I mean us dating."
"...What?"
I ended up saying it with useless confidence.
"Let's tell the kids we like each other. They ask us all the time if we're not dating. I'm tired of making excuses that we're just childhood friends."
Yoon Da-ye, who was looking at me expressionlessly as I spoke with a 'huff' laugh at the 45-degree angle I had practiced in the mirror all day yesterday, threw out a remark.
"So, let's just make it official that we're dating—"
"Hey."
"Huh? Oh, why?"
Watching me stammer as I felt something strange in her emotionless expression, she said,
"I told you. I'm going to succeed."
"...Yeah. Right?"
"What can you give me?"
"G-give? What?"
"I'm going to meet a man who will be helpful to me. Dating? I'm not interested. If I'm sure you'll succeed, I can date you anytime. But you don't have that. What kind of certainty about the future do you have?"
"Hey. Why are you saying it like that? That's really hurtful."
"Sigh. Min-jun-ah. Hong Min-jun. I gave you chances, how many times, tens, hundreds of times. You're the one who missed those chances."
"What weird thing are you saying again? What chances?"
"...Forget it. I'll pretend I didn't hear that just now."
I ignored the intuition that I shouldn't hold her back and grabbed Yoon Da-ye, who was turning away coldly.
At the time, I was just a second-year middle school boy, trembling at my first confession.
"Hey! Yoon Da-ye! I, I like you, okay?"
"So?"
"You like me too!"
"And?"
"Oh, seriously. Let's date!"
"Hong Min-jun."
Yoon Da-ye said with a cold expression.
"I don't date men without ability. If you want to date me, succeed and then come back."
"Remember? What you said when I confessed?"
Yoon Da-ye, looking at my grinning face, nodded readily.
"I remember. Unlike some people, I have a good memory."
"......."
Bitchy girl.
Showing off just because she's smart.
"So. Did you see it well? That I succeeded?"
"Hmm."
"But what a shame. I'm not interested in you anymore."
Wow~ A thrill welled up at Yoon Da-ye's strange expression.