The Hat-Trick Shocker: Tae-Woo's Speech Cracks the Prejudice
With the final whistle looming as the second half wound down, I etched history into the record books.
Starting with the opening goal—a sublime header that converted Mathias' precise cross into the net—my shooting skills continued to deliver. A right-footed strike split the woodwork, followed by a left-footed effort that rattled the netting, completing the hat-trick.
Goalkeeper.
I became the first player in the position to achieve this feat, something no one had ever imagined.
After the match concluded, the scoreboard flashed my name beside three glowing balls.
Jung Tae-woo (GK) ⚽⚽⚽
Naturally, the Man of the Match award was mine.
Before the cameras, the stunning blonde reporter stepped forward with a radiant smile, mic in hand.
“How do you feel about this victory? Becoming the first goalkeeper to score a hat-trick—congratulations!”
She leaned in a little closer, her voice warm and curious.
“First off, I want to thank the coach who believed in me and my teammates. I did score on a free-kick earlier this season, but netting on the field itself feels extra special—especially after so long.”
Why is she getting so close? Da-min is going to explode with jealousy again.
Back during that 0-0 draw game, a similar interview had happened. A woman reporter had leaned in too, and that same night I checked my phone to find forty-four messages from Da-min. The jealousy had been adorable, but it left me drained.
I stepped back slightly, keeping a respectful distance this time.
“Oh, and by the way, that free-kick goal you scored against Arsenal in the first half—now a hat-trick. You really are Arsenal’s ultimate killer.”
“Killer?” I replied with a light laugh. “When I face Arsenal, my game just clicks. Special motivation today, too.”
The reporter’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She has no idea I’m about to drop the racial incident story.
But it had to be said.
Lee Tae-yang, Yoo Hee-sung, or any other promising Korean forward heading to Europe—they would face the same nonsense soon enough. I didn’t want them to endure what I just had.
Now I was a player with solid standing in European football. My voice carried weight.
Someone had to speak up first.
At least my juniors and friends won’t go through this.
Even if I spoke up, some journalists might ignore it or brush it aside, but this one looked determined.
“Oh, Tae-woo, could you tell me what that special motivation was?”
“Hendrix made that slanting-eyes gesture right at me. And the crowd picked it up too. Europeans might say it’s not a big deal, but I have to be clear—this is outright racism.”
I swept my gaze across the reporter and the surrounding journalists.
“Especially ironic in a league proud of its ‘No to Racism’ campaign.”
“Racism is definitely something that needs to disappear,” the reporter agreed, her tone serious.
“By the way,” I asked with a playful wink, “was Hendrix just trying to copy my face?”
“That doesn’t make sense… I have bigger eyes than Hendrix. If he wanted to copy me, he should have widened his eyes too.”
I gave the cameras a cheeky wink.
In the heavy mood surrounding the serious topic, a soft chuckle rose from everyone.
“Hahaha, Tae-woo, you handled this heavy issue so humorously—truly talented,” someone called out.
I wiped my smile and continued seriously.
“Thank you. I only speak up because we all need to stay vigilant. Let’s enjoy football without racism, with gentlemanly respect.”
Fact was, almost no one in Europe didn’t know the slanting-eyes gesture was racist—I had faced the controversy before my debut. But the voices that raised the issue had been quiet, and the matter faded with time.
Things had changed.
As a high-profile Premier League player, my words would spark far-reaching consequences, especially after scoring a hat-trick and earning Man of the Match.
Countless people would watch the interview, and my message would travel farther and longer.
As expected, after the interview wrapped, the global media covered my statements with intense focus.
Global fans’ reactions exploded across social media—anger and reflection filling every feed.
“We’re all human beings. Judging by skin color or looks makes no sense.”
“Thinking about what an 18-year-old went through hurts my heart. I’m furious at Arsenal’s behavior—this must never happen again.”
“It should never happen on the sacred football field. Ironically, a young Asian player is teaching us true sportsmanship.”
But reactions in the opposite direction flooded in too.
“Oh my god, I lost my heart today… He’s not just a soccer player—he’s a thief who stole my heart. What a handsome thief.”
“I’m lost in my prince’s deep eyes…”
“Hendrix is so stupid. Mocking the world’s most beautiful eyes with a slanting gesture? What’s more ironic than that?”
Even Hollywood’s glamorous queen, Scarlett, shared my highlight reel on Instagram.
Her post racked up millions of likes in minutes, and global media coverage skyrocketed.
Of course, I couldn’t get too excited. The ripple effect had been even larger, and many people were finally facing the painful reality of racism.
It was clearly the start of meaningful change.
But… because of my looks, from Hollywood celebrities to top models, Korean actors, and even girl-group members, everyone was tagging me.
That was soon enough to set my sleeping cat in our house on edge.
“Huh? So many pretty girls are calling me handsome, cute, and cool.”
Da-min’s voice carried a dangerous chill.
“Haha… What do you mean ‘huh’? I only have you, Da-min. I don’t need anyone else.”
Countless KakaoTalks and endless phone calls. I was sweating bullets today just soothing my jealous girlfriend’s heart.
No matter how much the world praised me, my center was always her.
“…You sure?”
Her voice softened.
“Hah, good. You said ‘only you’ thirty times—now you’re finally at ease.”
“Of course. With this beautiful girlfriend right beside me, how could I ever look at anyone else? Don’t worry—I have you alone in my Instagram mutuals.”
“Hehe~ Okay.”
Phew… we’re saved.
“But you scored three goals? How can a goalkeeper score three? Especially three.”
“I’m pretty good at soccer, you know.”
“That’s why I was worried—global girls all seem to like you.”
“Hey, Jang Da-min.”
“Mm?”
“I really only have eyes for you, so stop worrying.”
Her smile felt through the phone.
Soothing my girlfriend’s heart felt harder than scoring three goals on the pitch.
“So… Princess, don’t you ever talk only about me? Talk about the princess too.”
“Princess?”
“Thinking about it, you always called me prince when you were little. But I’ve never once called you princess.”
“…What are you suddenly talking about?”
A shy tone laced her voice.
“Come on, tell me about our princess. No one bothers you, right? Or makes you upset?”
“Nothing like that at all. Everyone’s so kind.”
Well, it was only natural.
Among rookie girl groups, Queendom was the only one this successful, and even without the rookies their records were legendary.
Plus their agency was a huge label—nobody would dare treat them poorly.
But that was exactly why I worried.
“Then… no one’s trying to get your number, right?”
I kept my voice as calm as possible, but the tension leaked through.
No way would the wolf-like men around Da-min stay silent?
Just imagining her smiling at another guy made my stomach twist.
Ugh… stay calm.
“Hey, I’m a minor—how would that even work?”
Oh, right. We’re still minors.
A sigh of relief escaped me.
“Hmph… just in case, be careful with guys. All of them are wolves.”
The call dragged on until late into the night.
The next morning, headlines exploded one after another.
Across the world, fans and commentators celebrated, but deep down I knew this was only the beginning.
Racism had raised its ugly head, and the world had taken notice.
Yet the real work was just starting.