The Scout's Blind Spot
Johnson County, Kansas — Overland Park, the Blue Valley school district.
This was the region everyone named first when talking about Kansas high school football royalty.
And the oldest of them all, Blue Valley High School, had been a powerhouse that made the playoffs eight years running.
Last season's record: ten wins, two losses.
Even that second loss had come by a razor-thin margin in the state championship final, which made the season all the more respectable.
“Hm...”
“Ah, over there...”
Blue Valley had just learned that their semifinal opponent this year would be Wichita North — the very team that had handed them that heartbreaking defeat in last year's final.
From that moment on, they threw everything into analyzing their rival.
They must have rewatched recordings of Wichita North's games dozens of times.
“As you can see here, the player we need to worry about most, Kim Jaehyuk, burns through a tremendous amount of energy.”
Blue Valley's head coach, Harrison, paused the video and pointed his clipboard at Jaehyuk's position. Having already struggled against him last year, Harrison had been studying this exact moment ever since.
He fully expected them to meet again this season.
“No matter how good his stamina is, everyone has limits. That's the crack we go after.”
“A double team?”
Quarterback Charlie Polke — who'd inherited the captaincy from 5-star defensive tackle Jordan Watts — asked with a grave expression.
“A double team as the baseline. But build it from the linebackers, and leave the cornerbacks on the receivers.”
“So we're not trying to stop him outright — we just hang on him relentlessly and drain his gas tank.”
“Exactly. Nobody in high school football can actually stop that kid. That's my judgment, and I've been watching him since last year.”
The senior players who had faced Jaehyuk firsthand last season nodded along.
Even Blue Valley at the absolute peak of its strength — with two 5-star recruits on the roster — hadn't been able to contain the Redline.
Stopping a version of him that had only gotten better over the past year was, realistically, impossible.
But what if they bled every last drop of stamina out of him first?
“We can afford to take some hits early on. Our goal is to drag this game as deep into the second half as possible. If we erase the Redline, we've erased one of their most dangerous options.”
Once Harrison finished laying out the plan, the team dove into film study with everything they had.
No matter how strong the opponent was, they refused to lose this time.
They no longer had a 5-star superstar like before, but their roster of 3-star players had actually grown.
On the whole, the quality of the team had improved.
In particular, their captain and quarterback, Charlie, was a 4-star recruit.
Their newfound depth bred overflowing confidence.
And unlike last season, when they'd been caught off guard, this time they would enter the game armed with exhaustive preparation.
*This time, without fail...*
It was their turn to avenge last year's defeat.
The crown jewel of any season — the playoffs.
Wichita North, headed to the playoffs yet again this year, was buzzing like a festival.
Only in their second year of playoff contention, the school now carried itself with the full bearing of an established powerhouse.
Unlike last year, respectable banners and posters hung everywhere, and locals and football insiders alike drifted in and out of the grounds at all hours. To celebrate their trip to the state championship, the campus was thrown wide open after school.
“Redline! Over here, look!”
“Kyaaah! Mateo!”
“Nice catch, Quinton!”
The players trained under a chorus of cheers.
It might have been unnerving, but after ten grueling games this season, their faces stayed remarkably composed.
“We're getting way more attention this year than last.”
“Well, your captain's getting famous, and Mateo and Quinton joined up.”
Just then, a handful of visitors crossed the bleachers and made their way down to the bench on the field itself.
No one had ever approached that closely before, so the crowd watched them with curious eyes.
“What brings you here today?”
asked Jason, the youngest of the coaching staff. One look was enough to tell these visitors were anything but ordinary.
“Ah, we're from IFAF USA Football — we reached out ahead of time.”
“IFAF? Oh! IFAF USA Football?!”
Jason's jaw dropped. At that, the visitors who had introduced themselves as IFAF were the ones thrown off balance.
“Er... did our notice not get through?”
“I'm so sorry! One moment — Coach! COACH!”
Jason bolted off toward Sanders. Meanwhile, a few people nearby who'd caught the word “IFAF” were staring at the visitors in astonishment.
IFAF USA Football.
The United States representative of the International Federation of American Football.
In other words, the organization that selected and managed the national American football teams.
Whispers rippled through the crowd at this sudden visit — and a short while later, Sanders arrived.
“My apologies, I forgot to pass the message along. I'm Barry Sanders, head coach of the Wichita North football team.”
“A pleasure, Coach Sanders. It's an honor to meet an NFL legend in person. I'm Ramon, with USA Football.”
Sanders and Ramon exchanged warm handshakes, then moved toward the bench.
“Mm, there's real fire in the air out here!”
“Everyone's riding high — we just punched our playoff ticket.”
“Ah, belated congratulations. Well done making the playoffs.”
“Thank you.”
Jason, trailing behind them like a puppy, perked up his ears and eavesdropped shamelessly.
There was only one reason IFAF USA Football would come all this way.
Wichita North High School had someone worthy of the youth national team.
*Who?!*
Three players came to mind.
Jaehyuk. Mateo. Quinton.
Thinking about it made the depth of the lineup hit him all over again.
Three national-team-caliber talents on a single roster.
By now the word had spread among the spectators in the stands too, and the buzz was swelling. They might be witnessing the actual scouting of a youth national team player with their own eyes!
“Who's it gonna be?”
“Whoa, I've never seen a national team selection before.”
“Is this how they do it? Wild.”
“Who's getting picked? Has to be Jaehyuk, right?”
“Wait, isn't Jaehyuk not an American citizen though? Or is he?”
“Then Mateo? Quinton?”
Leaving the murmuring crowd behind, Sanders and Ramon settled in to watch the players train.
And Ramon marveled openly at their level.
“I'll be honest — it may be rude to say, but when I first visited this school, I was a touch disappointed.”
“Perfectly understandable. The facilities aren't much to look at.”
“But watching these players has opened my eyes. I've traveled to programs all over, and this talent would hold up against any of them.”
The standout, as always, was Mateo.
His passes had become far sharper and more precise than before, and perhaps because he'd recently centered his training on weight work, his body was visibly filling out.
And Quinton, hauling in those passes flawlessly, looked equally dazzling in Ramon's eyes.
*Impressive.*
He'd known it on paper, but seeing it firsthand was another matter entirely.
The training program itself was well-structured too — even with a small coaching staff, every player knew their job and executed it.
“Outstanding, truly. Player Mateo.”
“Ah!”
Only then did Jason realize who the visitors had come for.
Ramon was here for Mateo.
But why, then, did something feel just a little hollow?
*What about Jaehyuk?*
Jaehyuk was at that moment grinding through footwork drills.
One hand cradling a football, as always.
His endless effort to make the ball an extension of his body hadn't stopped — but as far as standout drills went, there was nothing flashy here.
“What a shame.”
Honestly, in Jason's opinion, Mateo was tremendous — but he didn't think he surpassed Jaehyuk.
Jaehyuk's performances in actual games went beyond impressive; they were flat-out seismic.
Ramon watched for a long while afterward, and only after taking in nearly two full hours of training did he finally nod.
“As expected, he doesn't disappoint.”
“Was it helpful?”
“Very. I intend to attend the playoff semifinal in person as well. I'll share our conclusions afterward.”
“Sounds good.”
“Might it be possible to speak with the player directly?”
“Practice just ended, so by all means.”
As Ramon headed over to Mateo, the spectators in the stands caught on and marveled.
“Sounds like Mateo's getting picked for the national team.”
“Mateo's more than earned it.”
“But what about the Redline?”
Funny how everyone's minds ran along the same tracks.
Hearing the murmurs, Jason pushed his own disappointment aside and, before long, handed a towel and water jug to the approaching Jaehyuk.
“Good work out there today.”
“Thank you.”
“Haah...”
“Why are you sighing all of a sudden?”
When Jaehyuk tilted his head, Jason jerked his chin toward the field. Following the gesture, Jaehyuk spotted Mateo talking with someone.
“What's that about?”
“He's from USA Football.”
“What's that?”
“You don't know USA Football? It's the organization that picks the national team.”
“National team? Football has a national team?”
Jason smacked his forehead.
Look, he knew Jaehyuk was clueless about anything outside football — but he hadn't realized it went this deep.
“Of course it does!”
“Huh. No kidding.”
“You are unbelievable, honestly...”
Then Jason glanced around furtively.
“Got any interest? You know, in that?”
“In what — the national team?”
“Yeah. Honestly, your skills wouldn't be out of place anywhere.”
“Can I even play for a national team? I'm not a citizen yet.”
“...What?”
Not a citizen?
*How did I forget that?!*
“Yeah... that's probably a no, then.”
“Not that I'm itching to, anyway.”
Jaehyuk looked completely unbothered.
Come to think of it, it really didn't mean much.
*Well, the kid's about to head off to college.*
A national team nod was prestigious.
But did it meaningfully shape a career? Absolutely not.
What truly mattered was the college ranks.
For Jaehyuk — bound for his final high school playoff run, with a D1 offer staring him in the face — a youth national team meant next to nothing.
Mateo, on the other hand, was still a sophomore, too young for college, so the timing was perfect for him.
But still, come on!
“It's a shame, is all.”
“What are you keep sighing about?”
“Nothing! Haaah — forget it.”
He was disappointed that USA Football couldn't see what Jaehyuk really was.
The genuine article was standing right here.
*Wait a second.*
Didn't they say they were coming to watch the game in person?
Which meant...
“Jaehyuk, let's go blow them away in this one too!”
“Huh? Sure.”
What was with this guy today, of all days?
Jaehyuk just scratched his head and nodded.
And so the playoff semifinal arrived.
The collision between the rising powerhouse and the fallen dynasty had sold out to a sea of reserved seats long before kickoff.
*Dum-da-dum! Dum-da-dum!*
*Wheeeee—!!*
A full marching band's fight songs thundered through the stadium, packing every corner with sound.
Some nine thousand spectators had gathered.
It was a historic day — the largest crowd in KSHSAA history.
The venue literally ran out of seats, and a sizable crowd stood through the game rather than miss it.
“Heh heh.”
Ramon of USA Football and his junior colleague Caroline, lucky enough to snag seats early, flushed in the feverish heat of the crowd.
“I've only ever felt an atmosphere like this in Texas or Florida. This is incredible.”
“This is what a star player's gravity does.”
Ramon, of course, knew all the rumors surrounding Jaehyuk. His stated purpose in attending was to evaluate Mateo — but only because Mateo held American citizenship.
He was well aware Jaehyuk hadn't yet naturalized.
*Though he could probably pass the exam around the end of this year...*
It had been exactly five years since Jaehyuk received his green card. One citizenship test, and he'd be a full American.
“We've had our eye on Player Mateo since his Texas days, mind you. But never did I imagine Kansas would start feeling like Texas.”
“Hm?”
Ramon cocked his head at Caroline's remark.
“Do you really think this crowd is here for Mateo alone?”
“I'm sorry — isn't it?”
“Yes, we came to select Mateo for the national team, but have you done any homework?”
“Er...”
Caroline froze — and just then, a chant came roaring into her ears.
“RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!”
“PROVE IT! REDLINE! RUN! RUN! RUN—!”
A phrase she'd never heard before.
Mateo's nickname was Supernova, so this was decidedly not a cheer for him.
They were cheering for a different player entirely?
Who?
“Redline... oh!”
At last, it clicked for Caroline.
She remembered reading an article about it once.
“That's the player who asked Rachel Zegler 'Who are you?'!”
“What a remarkably specific thing to remember.”
“Do you only read gossip columns?”
When Ramon shot her a sidelong glare, Caroline did her best to look anywhere else. After one long sigh at his junior's antics, Ramon pointed toward the field.
“See number 21 over there?”
“Yes.”
“That's the Redline. Kim Jaehyuk.”
“Understood.”
The game was about to begin. The energy in both fan sections climbed higher and higher, each refusing to be outdone in a fierce battle of chants.
“So Wichita North gets the ball first.”
“Huh? The Redline's doing the coin toss? I thought Player Mateo was the captain?”
“I hear Jaehyuk's leadership is exceptional. Remarkable, for an Asian athlete.”
The opening play kicked off, and the conversation between Ramon and Caroline dwindled to nothing.
Now was the time to focus on the game.
Especially with Mateo about to lead the offense — this was the moment they needed to watch his brilliance unfold...
*BOOM!*
“A RUN?!”
A run — straight out of the gate.
Caroline couldn't help but cry out at the unthinkable play call. No, seriously — with a quarterback of Mateo's caliber, why on earth would they open the very first drive with a run—
The instant the thought formed—
*Fwoooosh!*
“GYAAAAAH!”
“What a spin move! That's our superstar!”
“There he goes, Redline!”
“RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!!!”
In a blink, Jaehyuk had left the defender grasping air. He hesitated for half a beat — then exploded off the turf.
*WHOOOOSH!*
The sound of Jaehyuk tearing through the air seemed to carry all the way to the bleachers. It was an illusion, surely — but the speed felt unhinged.
It was this vivid from the stands? What must it feel like to the defenders chasing him?
“Aaah...”
“......”
Ramon and Caroline had left their bodies behind.
Barely breathing, every muscle clenched as if they were the ones sprinting.
“RUUUUN!!”
“PROVE IT! RED! LINE!”
Riding the roar of the crowd, the Redline charged downfield as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And then it appeared — his signature afterimage.
A shimmering crimson blur where Jaehyuk should have been.
“KYAAAAAH!!”
“THERE IT IS! REEEDLIIIINE!!”
“GO! CRUSH THEM ALL!!”
Amid a frenzy of screams, number 21 carved through everything in his path — and then, all alone, crossed into the end zone.
Touchdown.
It had practically become his trademark at this point, the game-opening touchdown, but Ramon and Caroline, experiencing it for the first time, sat completely hollowed out.
“...What on earth did we just watch?”