Olympic Quarterfinals: The Chaos of Youth and First Love

Of the sixteen teams that had fought through the group stage, only eight would advance to the knockout rounds. South Korea had exceeded every expectation by topping Group B, which meant their next opponent would be whoever finished second in Group C.

Group C consisted of Japan, Spain, Côte d'Ivoire, and Australia.

The reason South Korea had been so determined to finish first was simple: they had taken it as a given that Spain would claim the top of Group C. Football, however, had a habit of ignoring the script. Japan overturned every prediction, beating Spain and sweeping the group with three straight wins.

The quarterfinal bracket that emerged looked like this:

"Well, that's a mess."

Coach Cheon Mu-seok's muttered assessment drew a nod from assistant coach Joo Eun-gyeom.

"It is. Who would have thought Japan would beat Spain and come out on top..."

"Even if they are calling this Japan's Golden Generation, beating Spain is more than I expected."

Japan had drawn considerable attention at these Olympics as a so-called Golden Generation. Built around forwards Tanaka Ryosuke and Nakamura Kenji, with defender Saito Hiroki as the anchor at the back, the side had looked genuinely formidable.

Tanaka unsettled opposing back lines with blistering pace and clinical finishing; Nakamura did the same with exquisite technique and inventive passing. Saito, a rock in defense who could also play out from the back, was the piece that held Japan's balance together.

All three were only nineteen — the same age as Korea's Jung Tae-woo, Yoo Hee-sung, and Lee Tae-yang — and European clubs were watching them just as closely.

Cheon Mu-seok fell silent for a moment, then spoke with a set jaw.

"If we're going to meet Japan at these Olympics, we'd have to beat Spain, and they'd have to beat Brazil to get there. The odds aren't great."

He drew a breath and went on.

"So we go after Spain first. This match is going to be our laboratory. It's the day we show Wave Pressing to the world."

At last. The tactic I've only ever imagined is about to be unveiled.

Back in his days as a coach in Germany, he had laid out his ideas to any number of managers and assistants, and every last one of them had dismissed it as impossible. The day his tactics took the world stage, the name Cheon Mu-seok would climb even higher.

I can't wait.

"Eun-gyeom. That means we spend every remaining hour learning everything there is to know about Spain. Down to their smallest habits."

Joo Eun-gyeom nodded, his answer crisp.

"Understood, Coach. I'll take personal charge of the video analysis team. We'll pull every recent Spain U-23 match and break them down thoroughly."

"Good. Do that. And keep an eye on our players' condition — especially Park Seo-joon, Jung Tae-woo, Lee Tae-yang, and Yoo Hee-sung. Those four are going to be the heart of the system."

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure their fitness and injury prevention are airtight. I'll also adjust the individual training programs to fit Wave Pressing."

Cheon Mu-seok nodded, satisfied.

Should I try calling her again? But then... what would I even say?

I was still fussing with my phone, yesterday's call with Da-min looping in my head, when two of the seniors drifted into view.

"Tae-woo, what are you doing?"

"One look and I can tell. He's thinking about a girl."

Wait. How did he know that?

"Hey, you think Tae-woo's like you? Ugly guys like you are the ones who sit around worrying about girls. Tae-woo could stand still and they'd come to him."

Yoon Jae-hoon sounded unconvinced.

"I'm telling you, that's the exact face I make when I'm thinking about a girl."

"Haha. You're a riot, hyung."

"Hmmm~"

Ah, whatever. I'll just go for it.

"I was about to text a girl who's a friend of mine. That's when you two showed up."

"Tae-woo, hate to break it to you, but in this sacred national team, messing around with girls is a privilege of seniority. But I—"

"Hey, Tae-woo, I don't think that at all, so introduce me to someone. You've got plenty of girls, right?"

"Hold on. Choi Woo-jin, I was about to say that first. I... I... introduce me too. Woo-jin's way too ugly. Honestly, you need to look at least as good as me. Right, Tae-woo?"

"What are you talking about? I'm way better looking."

"Yeah, no."

Tae-yang and I are watching the same thing, I think. Are these hyungs actually serious?

"Hold on a second, hyungs."

"Hm?"

"What?"

"You haven't forgotten how old I am, have you? I'm a first-year in high school."

"......"

"......"

"That's a cri—"

Woo-jin and Jae-hoon clapped their hands over my mouth before I could finish.

"Hahaha, Tae-woo, what are you even saying? You think we'd ask a first-year to set us up with someone? We were just wondering if any of the noonas you know might be around our age."

"Jung Tae-woo, looking at this, the kid's just a comedian. Hahahaha."

Awkward laughter spilled out around us. I bit back a laugh at the panic on their faces.

Come to think of it... if they'd ever actually had girlfriends, they'd probably handle this a lot better, wouldn't they?

"But, hyungs—"

"Aigoo, what's with the stiff 'hyung'? Just call us hyung."

"Okay, then, hyungs, I was wondering..."

I hesitated, then found the nerve to ask.

"Could you give me some dating advice? I can't tell if she likes me as a girl or just as a friend."

"Tae-woo."

"This little—"

The moment the words left my mouth, both of their faces curdled.

"Shouldn't you start by asking if we've even had girlfriends?"

"You did that on purpose."

Ah. If they'd ever dated anyone, they wouldn't have been asking a first-year high schooler to set them up in the first place.

A terrible truth dawned on me. These hyungs were lifelong singles, same as me.

Then Park Seo-joon's voice carried over from a distance.

"Hey, what are you three yapping about? Training's about to start."

If it's Park Seo-joon hyung...

Seo-joon hyung was tall and good-looking, easygoing, and easily the most famous player here. He had to have had a girlfriend.

Hope flared. If anyone could give me decent advice, it was him.

"Park Seo-joon hyung!"

"What's up, Tae-woo?"

"Um... could you give me some dating advice? You seem like you'd have a lot of experience..."

"Dating advice?"

Seo-joon glanced at Jae-hoon and Woo-jin standing beside me and grinned.

"Yeah, I bet these two were no help."

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

"What is that supposed to mean?!"

They both snapped at once, looking wounded. We ignored them.

"This is unexpected, though. Tae-woo, you coming to me for dating advice... I figured you'd have girls lining up. And drop the stiff 'hyung-nim.' Just hyung. All right, let's hear it. I haven't dated a ton, but I've got some experience."

I drew a deep breath and started from the beginning — everything that had happened with Da-min. Childhood friends. The news of her girl-group debut. The phone call just the other day.

"So... hyung. I don't really know how Da-min feels about me, or how I feel about her. Whether it's just affection between friends, or something else..."

"Tae-woo."

"Yeah?"

"Are you an idiot?"

Why is he suddenly like this?

"You've been throwing out flirts left and right, and she's been making it plenty obvious she likes you. Why aren't you two dating?"

When did I ever flirt...? And Da-min made it obvious?

"Aigoo. Look at that face. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠genuinely has no idea."

Seo-joon hyung thumped his chest in frustration and pressed on.

"Tae-woo. A girl doesn't go all the way to a guy's house to cheer him on if she's not interested, you moron."

"That's because we're childhood friends..."

"You dense brick. When she came to your place, you told her she looked pretty today, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but that was as a friend..."

"That's flirting!"

I just said she looked pretty because I couldn't talk to her the way I talk to the guys. How is that flirting? I've never even had a girl who was just a friend...

"Whoa, Tae-woo. Is this real? This is worse than me."

"Right? I think we might actually be doing better."

Jae-hoon and Woo-jin, who had been listening in, both looked stunned.

Is this really that shocking? We're all lifelong singles ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here.

Seo-joon hyung sighed.

"Tae-woo. Are you actually this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠innocent, or are you putting on an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠act?"

"No, I really don't get it."

He sighed again.

"Fine. Let's take an extreme example. How would you feel if that friend of yours got a boyfriend?"

Da-min, with a boyfriend...

My chest tightened at once, my thoughts a tangle. The image of her walking hand in hand with some other guy sent a strange, sour displeasure rising through me.

"That would... kind of suck."

I frowned as I said it.

"There. That's what liking someone feels like."

"So I like Da-min?"

Seo-joon's face brightened.

"That's it. And your friend looks plenty interested in you, too. Unless she's as clueless as you are, she already knows how she feels. So after the Olympics, go confess."

Watching Tae-woo wrestle with it, Park Seo-joon thought it through.

If he's reading it wrong and she turns him down, it could mess with the Olympics. Better to wait until it's over.

He gave Tae-woo's shoulder a light pat and went on.

"For now, focus on the Olympics. You can think it through and act after that. There's no rush."

But Seo-joon hyung's voice was already sliding past my ears.

A confession. How do you even do that?