The Goalkeeper's Rivalry and the Agent's Warmth
February 2038 had arrived, and South Korea was in full swing preparing for the Nigeria World Cup, pushing forward with unprecedented determination.
Head Coach Cheon Mu-seok, who would lead the national team starting this year, was pulling his hair out over the final roster.
"How am I supposed to do this..."
Bringing in the players who understood his tactics meant they were all still young. There would be a massive backlash, far worse than during the Olympics.
On the other hand, if he called up the key players from the previous World Cup, their style simply wouldn't mesh with his ultra-attacking approach.
They were steady, but they were too far removed from the fast-tempo, attacking football he wanted to play.
"Still, at least I know for sure what my lineup will be."
Midfielder Park Seo-joon and goalkeeper Jung Tae-woo.
Park Seo-joon had already captained the team through the World Cup and led them masterfully, while Jung Tae-woo was the core of his tactical system and the point man.
And right now, Jung Tae-woo was no longer the amateur he had been during the Olympics. He was the player the entire world recognized as world-class.
If he weren't included, he would hear every curse he could imagine and lose what little hair he had left.
'I should have just been satisfied staying as Olympic coach... I've aged so badly from the stress my hair is falling out.'
He had won Olympic gold and taken over the World Cup spot, only to be dragged down by the association and the public.
'Ugh, my grandpa was bald from the stress, and I've been using that special anti-hair-loss shampoo since I was little...'
The top of his head shone brightly under the fluorescent lights as he mourned.
***
"Save it!"
The moment the man caught the ball, the training field fell completely silent.
The first defender charged, but the man simply lifted the ball as if it were nothing and slipped it between the defender's legs.
Before the defender could even turn around, the man had already sprinted forward.
The second and third defenders tried to close him down from both sides.
But the man handled the ball as if it were glued to his feet, slipping effortlessly through the gap between them.
A small gasp escaped from the people watching from the sidelines.
The fourth defender lunged in from behind for a tackle, but the man simply jumped as if he were floating in the air and evaded the challenge with a mocking grin.
The last defender looked utterly terrified.
Looking at the panicked man, the player gave a small laugh and faked a run to the left before cutting sharply to the right.
The defender fell flat on his rear.
This was the training ground prepared by Apex Agency.
All the defenders he had just humiliated were former professional players.
They had once been the best in their leagues, but right now they looked like amateurs.
"Sir, you've shown incredible growth compared to before."
The coach continued, checking the tablet data.
"Compared to two years ago, your sprint speed has improved by more than 15%, and the deceleration during directional changes has dropped to just 30% of the previous level. Your ball control stability has also improved dramatically thanks to the strength training."
The coach flipped through the screen and kept explaining.
"Most impressive of all is your decision-making speed. In one-on-one situations, your reaction time to reading the opponent's move has averaged under 0.2 seconds. That's world-class Premier League level. Your ability to control movement and inertia is especially striking. In one-on-one dribbles, you accelerate at a minimum of 7 meters per second."
Hearing this, Eun Ga-young called over the player who had just delivered that unbelievable performance.
"Player Yoo Hee-sung, please come here for a moment."
Indeed, the player currently training at the Apex Agency training ground was Yoo Hee-sung.
With his transfer to Manchester United confirmed for the next season, he was undergoing special training with the agency's top coaches and the latest equipment.
The astronomical cost was worth it. The name "Apex Agency" explained everything.
Apex Agency, which had first risen to fame with Jung Tae-woo, had now become South Korea's top sports management company.
They had recruited promising talents and stars not only in football but also in baseball, basketball, and all other sports, growing into an industry giant.
"Yes?"
Responding to Eun Ga-young's call, Yoo Hee-sung came running over.
His features had matured even more than two years ago, evoking the feel of a photoshoot.
His forehead hair stuck to his forehead from sweat, but it only enhanced his soft eyes and gave him a sophisticated, mature charm.
"How's your condition today?"
Eun Ga-young asked, and Yoo Hee-sung smiled.
"I'm good. Thanks to the representative, I've grown way beyond where I was two years ago."
"You have about six months until your Manchester United debut. If you prepare like this every day, you'll be a sensation in the Premier League."
"Compared to Tae-woo?"
Eun Ga-young paused at the question.
The name brushed past her heart, stirring a subtle feeling.
In truth, she hadn't done anything special for Tae-woo besides financial support.
Most agents would consider that enough, but it was far below her standard.
'I found him a house and helped with his contract... was that really all?'
The agency Eun Ga-young dreamed of was a place where players breathed together and grew together.
But Tae-woo was different.
He was like raw ore already holding a completed gem.
Without her help, he was already shining with his own light on the world stage.
"To reach that point, you'll need to score at least one goal in about sixteen matches from your debut."
"Haha, not easy. I guess that's why it's Tae-woo..."
Yoo Hee-sung was a player who, at just nineteen, could already perform like a top-tier attacker in the Premier League right now.
For some reason, though, he always felt smaller in front of the name Jung Tae-woo.
'And honestly, I'm a little jealous.'
He glanced at the woman standing in front of him.
Eun Ga-young's face looked cold at first glance, but warmth lived within it, like the morning sunlight of a winter dawn.
She never used honorifics with other players, but when it came to Tae-woo, her tone softened completely.
No formality, no distance—just natural, relaxed speech.
As if greeting an old friend or calling out to a younger sibling.
She was still addressing him as "Player Yoo" after two years, while Tae-woo called her "Noona" without a second thought.
And she, in front of Tae-woo, would shed the cold mask of the representative without hesitation.
The special bond between them was strangely enviable.
"The representative only speaks casually with Tae-woo. I'm almost two years in with him, and he still calls me Player Yoo."
She felt a slight jolt but didn't catch the subtle hint of resentment in his words.
"Tae-woo is my first player."
"Haha, that makes sense. First time is always special, right? But when I go to Manchester United, I'll be rivaling the Tae-woo on City... Who will you root for, representative?"
He knew.
She would definitely support Tae-woo.
Still, he couldn't help hoping her lips would say his name.
"... Both Tae-woo and Player Yoo are my players. I'm neutral."
"Is that so?"
He gave a wry smile.
The nicknames alone were different. Neutral, huh?
"I need to train even harder. Coach, run it again."
And she couldn't figure out why his expression had suddenly changed like that.
Reading the subtle shifts in the man's emotions came naturally to her, but she had zero experience with romance.
Unlike her pretty face, she was simply a typical tomboy who lived only for work.
***
The training session ended at 8 PM.
"That's it for today. Good work."
"Representative."
"Huh?"
"... Never mind."
"See you tomorrow."
"Be careful on your way home."
Yoo Hee-sung wanted to say something more but only bit his lip.
Eun Ga-young waved him off with her usual blank face, completely unaware.
"Hey Yoo Hee-sung, what were you about to say?"
On the side, Lee Tae-yang, who trained with him, was waiting.
"Haa... I don't know either."
"Oh, I get it. You have a crush on the representative, don't you? She's smart and beautiful."
"Ah, no way!"
"Puhahaha! I was just joking, but you actually blushed! Your face is red."
Lee Tae-yang burst out laughing.
"Our Hee-sung likes girls. I was worried you were gay and thought you were too strict with those female fans."
Even though they came from different schools, their friendship forged through Olympic training made them comfortable enough to tease each other freely.
"But will we even look like men in front of the representative? We're still underage."
"Haa..."
Yes.
At nineteen, he wasn't even considered an adult by the country.
The representative was twenty-five, six years older.
Yoo Hee-sung felt the number weigh heavily on his heart.
"People say age doesn't matter in love... don't say that. Never."
"But Tae-yang, why does the representative use formal speech with us but casual with Tae-woo?"
"Hey, are you jealous of Tae-woo?"
Lee Tae-yang laughed teasingly.
"She's the representative's first player, that's why. Go be jealous if you want. And Tae-woo already has a girlfriend."
"What? For real?"
They were close, but if asked how close, it was a bit vague. He hadn't known about the girlfriend.
"But I never saw a photo of her."
"Yeah, of course not. Tae-woo's girlfriend is his childhood friend, and she's in a girl group."
Just knowing Tae-woo had a girlfriend made Yoo Hee-sung feel much better.
It wasn't that he was getting any closer to the representative.
"Tae-yang, do you want tteokbokki? My treat."
"Why are there so many guys around who look great but can't even use their looks? If that's the case, give me your face."
"Huh? What did you just say, Tae-yang?"
"Ugh~ Seriously, this is annoying."
Lee Tae-yang laughed again, the tension finally easing.