Shock and Horror in the Lineup Announcement? (Part 3)
"This isn't a hidden-camera prank, right?"
"Even so, they're seriously passing over a goalkeeper with a mountain of national-team experience and picking a first-year high schooler as number one?"
"He must've gone to war with the directors over this. Still, from here on out it'll probably look about the same as usual, right?"
Contrary to every reporter's expectation, Coach Cheon Mu-seok started naming new faces on the defensive side as well.
"At defender: Jang Hyun-sung of Jeju United, Yoo Ji-yong of Ulsan FC, and Kim Eun-woo of Gimcheon Sangmu."
"Wait—not Yoo In-hoo, Kim Hyun-soo, and Hwang Sun-il?"
"Huh. None of those guys have any national-team experience."
"Jang Hyun-sung, Yoo Ji-yong, and Kim Eun-woo all possess outstanding speed and stamina, and their passion is tremendous. We judged they would be an asset to this national team, which is why we selected them."
Yoo In-hoo, Kim Hyun-soo, and Hwang Sun-il were the kind of players who never, ever missed a national-team call-up. And Jang Hyun-sung, Yoo Ji-yong, and Kim Eun-woo? Not one of them had ever worn the national jersey. In a word, this was as good as their debut.
"This isn't just bold—it's revolutionary."
"And the Korea Football Association actually signed off on that?"
"At this rate, they might not even pick Park Seo-joon."
"Dude, if they leave Park Seo-joon off, the coach could get replaced before kickoff."
Park Seo-joon was South Korea's current ace, the axis the whole side turned on—a Chelsea midfielder who set Korean days and nights on fire, the undisputed star of the national team.
Fortunately, Coach Cheon Mu-seok announced a midfield list that included Park Seo-joon, a name everyone in the room could live with.
Convinced the forwards, at least, would look like they always had, the reporters were already turning over how to write up a roster announcement that had gone past bold and into the realm of revolution.
"Next, the forwards."
This should be the end of it.
Eh, the attack's going to look the same anyway. I just want to get the article up.
"Park Kyung-sik of Ulsan—"
Just as they'd expected, the ever-present Park Kyung-sik was named, and the press corps went lukewarm.
"Next are Lee Tae-yang of Poongwol High and Yoo Hee-sung of Inha High."
The press room went dead.
"He just said Lee Tae-yang and Yoo Hee-sung, right?"
"Yeah. I don't think I misheard."
"That concludes the announcement of the 2036 Madrid Olympic football team roster."
The instant the announcement ended, reporters began firing questions as if they had been waiting for the starting gun.
Can this coach even survive this? Not even a college player—he's picking high schoolers. This is going to be chaos.
The 2036 Madrid Olympic football team roster unveiled today is sending shockwaves through the soccer world. Newly appointed coach Cheon Mu-seok has completely overturned existing convention with a radical selection of players, heralding a new era for Korean football.
The most striking feature is the mass call-up of young talent. Starting with the selection of first-year high schooler Jung Tae-woo in goal, the defense and attack alike are packed with players who have never represented the national team.
The forward line in particular drew even greater astonishment, with high schoolers Lee Tae-yang of Poongwol High and Yoo Hee-sung of Inha High making the cut.
"Ha. Just as I thought—public opinion's gone straight into the gutter."
The backlash was worse than I'd expected. One first-year high schooler versus three was a completely different scale of outrage.
The news is already like this. The soccer galleries must be even more unhinged.
They were just putting a curse on us to lose.
"Son..."
Mom came over to me, calling my name in a worried voice.
Of course she's worried. Her son's practically become a public enemy.
"Mom, it's fine. Public opinion will flip the second I show them what I can do."
The hate didn't land on me at all. I knew better than anyone that if I played well—if the Olympics went well—the narrative would change overnight.
Mom, who didn't know that, kept worrying anyway.
"Even so, son, do not go on the internet. Understood?"
"Got it."
"And even if you make a little mistake in a match, don't you dare get depressed—"
"Mom, it's not like I'm leaving right this second. I'll just play well, so it's fine. Soccer's one of the two things I'm insanely good at."
"Then what's the other one, son?"
"This handsome face you gave me?"
The shadow of worry on Mom's face seemed to lift, just a little.
"Aigoo, honestly... All right. My boy's going to do just fine."
She let out a small sigh, but her expression had eased. She gave my shoulder a light pat, then headed slowly for the door.
Before she closed it, she looked back at me one more time.
"Son, I'm proud of you. I'll always be cheering for you."
The door shut softly. Listening to her footsteps recede, I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, sinking into thought. There was a warmth in this family I had never felt in my previous life, when the whole world had called me the God of Football. Mom's worried eyes, and the love inside them, heated a corner of my chest.
That was when the phone's ringtone flooded the quiet room. I reached out and picked it up.
Lee Tae-yang? Calling about the Olympics?
I hesitated a beat, then answered.
"YOOOOOO!"
Tae-yang's hyped-up voice exploded through the receiver.
Does this kid not even care about hate comments?
What high schooler could keep a straight head while the internet tore him apart? And yet that high schooler was right on the other end of this call.
"I'm going insane. It's finally time to show the world who Lee Tae-yang is!"
"You don't go on the internet?"
"Oh, you mean the hate comments? Those people are gonna become my fans the second they see my fantasy-level goals. No reason for me to get upset."
"Yeah. That's so you."
"What's that supposed to mean, 'so me'?"
"Hmm... an idiot who planted a flower garden in his skull?"
"Shut up. You're in big trouble now too. Once they see my incredible play, your fan clubs are gonna unstan and come over to me."
"Tae-yang, sorry, but even if they unstan me, those fans aren't going to you."
"Hey. You don't know that."
"Look in a mirror, pal. Is that a face that grows a fan club? I don't think so."
I said that and hung up immediately.
The phone started ringing like it had caught fire, but I ignored it.
Bzzzz— bzzzz—
Ha. I don't pick up, so now he's hitting me on Kakao. Keep at it. Like I'm gonna look.
Ding!
A different notification sound from before. I'd had Lee Tae-yang on mute, so I picked up the phone, puzzled.
Come outside didn't mean come to her place. Did she come all the way here?
Da-min always acted like she was scolding me, and yet whenever something was hard, she was the first one to come running and stand at my side.
She'd probably seen the state of public opinion and come to cheer me up.
I opened the front door, caught the elevator, and dropped to the first floor. The moment I stepped into the lobby, I saw her through the glass.
She was wearing a pale pastel dress with a denim jacket thrown over it, and a pair of adorable sneakers that wrapped around her ankles. It was a slightly different look from usual, but under the late-night lights she felt strangely new.
"You came?"
Da-min's voice was a little lower than usual.
"What's up?"
"So... are you okay?"
Moments like this always reminded me how blessed a life as Jung Tae-woo really was. Parents and friends who worried when things got hard.
"Hey. I'm Jung Tae-woo. You think I'd get shaken by something like this?"
"Don't joke around."
Irritation and worry were tangled up in her voice.
"Da-min."
"What?"
I looked her slowly up and down, then said it.
"You dressed up pretty today."
"Whaaaat?"
Da-min's eyes went round. A faint flush rose in her cheeks, clear as day under the streetlamp.
I let out a quiet snicker.
"Don't worry about me. I'm confident I'll do more than well enough."
Da-min turned her head and answered curtly.
"When did I ever say I was worried. I just came just in case."
A night breeze stirred, lifting the hem of her dress.
Under the streetlights, we looked at each other and fell silent for a moment.
"Jung Tae-woo. You're confident, right?"
For some reason, looking down at Da-min, an unidentifiable feeling surged up in a rush. A warmth I had never experienced before. At the time, I took it for friendship.
"Of course."