Chapter 37
Chapter 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: I've realized something recently - 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"No, with this much..."
"Be careful."
"Haa..."
The opposing team's number 12 receives a yellow card.
It's the player who collided with me.
He's getting an earful from our team's seniors and now he's been carded, so he looks incredibly wronged.
It suddenly reminds me of what Torreira-hyung said.
That referees are human too, so they tend to side more with underdogs like us.
Of course, it's true that I was the one who got fouled, but I didn't expect a card to come out right away.
Did I really fall so theatrically?
Ji-woo is definitely watching, so that's a bit embarrassing.
Well, maybe it's because of our team's seniors' actions. I really thought something terrible had happened.
Their reactions were almost like I'd been in a car accident.
There was even one hyung who was a bit creepy.
"Hehehe..."
It's Milenkovic-hyung, the center-back.
A giant frame at 195cm. He's from Serbia.
Just hearing his name is scary, and the way he licks his lips and laughs coldly made me instinctively think he was dangerous.
The opponent must have felt it too, as he started backing away.
"Hey, you! Get a grip! Your eyes are spinning again. You can't today! You already have too many cards!"
"Hehehe..."
According to Viragi-captain, he's usually silent and dignified, but once his eyes spin, he's a guy who can't be stopped.
I automatically think I must avoid offending that hyung at all costs.
It's reassuring that he's on my side, but if he were an opponent... I can't even imagine.
"Watch yourself!"
Well, anyway.
The hyungs return to their positions, huffing, and I check my physical condition by touching my back slightly.
I acted like I was in pain in front of the hyungs, but there's no problem at all.
"Piiik-!"
Paaaang-
The game restarts with a short free kick.
Torreira-hyung, who received the ball, sends it back again, and as the ball circulates far from me, I'm given a bit of leeway.
However, the game definitely feels like it's caught fire.
The opponent has started pressing, and our team's seniors are also fired up because of the recent foul.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere on the field is very different from the calm flow of the first half.
Especially our team's seniors have their eyes half-rolled back.
Watching the hyungs clash mercilessly with the opposing players, I realize they were really considerate of me during training.
Purruck-!
Ugh, look at that.
They're fighting for a second ball, but they're diving into the person before the ball. That looks like it actually hurts.
But the opponent doesn't easily lose their spirit either.
Seeing them get right back up and charge again after such a collision... I'm definitely being treated with care, it seems.
Anyway.
In this deadly field that has become a battlefield, what should I do?
"Huuu-"
I want to help the hyungs too.
The hyungs are fighting for me like that, so I can't just stand by.
I want to be of some help, even if it's small. I want to fight with the hyungs.
But... it would be no help even if I tried.
If I charged in, the opponent wouldn't budge an inch. I'd just fall over pathetically.
The opponent would only see me as a Chihuahua barking loudly.
So, fighting alongside them wouldn't be any help.
I'm not rationalizing out of fear.
Truly.
This isn't rationalization, it's just objective.
Then, how should I help the hyungs?
Shouldn't I, too, unfold the game in a way that only I can?
They said that enduring with strength and overpowering the opponent isn't the only way.
"Piiik-!"
Torreira-hyung falls and gets a foul.
The opponent protests, wronged, but the referee is firm.
It's a clever play that only Torreira-hyung, with his small build, can make.
Right.
I, too, must move cleverly, just like Torreira-hyung.
I don't have the superior physique to ignore everything, nor the talent to push everyone aside just by following my instincts.
That's why I must always think diligently and move smartly.
I'm not a genius, so I need to be even smarter.
Tatatat-!
I move slowly while observing the situation around me.
I can feel one of the opposing midfielders sticking close to me. Is it because of that, or because it's obvious I'll be in danger if I get the ball?
The hyungs are giving me passes from a distance rather than giving me the ball directly.
What's important in times like this?
Probably positioning.
I don't only exert influence on the field when I have the ball.
Sometimes, just being in a certain spot is enough to fulfill my role.
This is especially the case right now.
A situation where one opponent is tailing me. Not only that, but other players are also eyeing me opportunistically.
Of course, it's not that they're wary of me, but that I'm the easiest target... Anyway, I'm unintentionally drawing the opponent's attention.
If I use this well, I think I can create a chance.
"..."
Observing my surroundings, the front, and the opponent's defensive line...
Tatatat-!
I move forward along the left half-space.
The opposing midfielder who was lingering near me follows me as well.
Not only that, but as I settle near the box, I feel the surrounding space becoming quite narrow.
But this is what I wanted.
To make the left space narrow.
If the left is narrowed, the right, the opposite side, will naturally open up wide.
That space will be covered by Vlahovic.
Vlahovic, who prefers to drift to the right from the box.
He said he prefers the pattern of cutting in from the right to the middle and shooting with his left foot.
I came to the left to create that situation. I can see Vlahovic subtly moving to the right as well.
But it's still not enough.
To make the situation more certain, I need to draw even more of the opponent's attention.
To do that, the calculation is that I ultimately need to get the ball.
Gulp-
I unknowingly swallow hard.
The thought of having to get the ball in this narrow space swarming with monsters eyeing me... fear comes over me first.
Because it's obvious what will happen.
If I get the ball here, they'll swarm me from all sides. Can I hold out in the middle of that?
I don't know.
But it's clear what I have to do.
Then, I must do it.
"Huuu-"
I want to stay in the first team.
I don't want to go back to the U17 team.
Ji-woo and Dad... they were so happy when they heard I was playing in the first team.
They looked at me with pride and enjoyed watching my games. Seeing them happy made me even happier.
So, I want to stay in the first team.
I want to survive here. Seeing the hyungs fighting to protect me right now makes me feel even more strongly about it.
So, even if I'm scared, I have to be brave.
Tat-!
"Hey-!"
I move quickly to escape the encirclement for a moment and raise my hand.
Torreira-hyung, who had the ball, hesitates slightly when he sees me, so I gesture for the ball.
Then, the pass comes.
Paaaang-!
Just as I thought.
The pass hasn't even reached me yet, but I can hear the sound of a defender rushing at me from behind.
But... even if I'm not a genius, I'm not a fool to fall for the same thing twice.
"..."
As I watch the rolling pass, I glance sideways to gauge the distance to the defender rushing at me...
The moment both the ball and the defender reach my vicinity.
Srrrk-
I leave the ball as it is, twist my body, and turn around.
Then, I see the defender who was rushing at me thrusting his shoulder into empty air.
He was targeting me in the first place, not the ball.
Thanks to that, I was able to turn around without engaging in a physical struggle with the defender and without even touching the ball.
Tat-!
After properly collecting the ball, I slowly dribble forward, waiting for the defenders to close in.
There are three of them.
The defender who just missed me is behind me.
And one each from the front and the right.
Those three are closing in on me from three directions...
Tatatat-!
I try my best to survive within that encirclement. I roll the ball with the soles of my feet, dodging the feet reaching for the ball, and spin around playing a game of tag.
Anyway, I thought it would be fine if I got fouled.
In this position, it's close enough to take a direct shot, so I guarded the ball as if teasing the opponent.
The opponent must have been conscious of that, or perhaps the card he received earlier was holding him back.
He kept rushing to somehow take the ball... but thanks to that, guarding the ball wasn't too difficult.
This is just my personal opinion, but dribbling to evade a charging defender is easier than dribbling to break past a waiting opponent.
Taaaat-!
As I was holding onto the ball like that... when a big gap opened up on one side, I kicked the ball far and ran.
I thought it was time to escape from the narrow space.
The direction was toward the center, and after successfully escaping, I looked for Vlahovic first.
Paaaaaang-!
I immediately spread the pass.
It was Vlahovic-hyung, who was raising his hand in the wide space on the right.
Paaaang-
Luckily, the pass connected perfectly.
Immediately, one defender sticks to him, but I'm sure one defender can't stop Vlahovic-hyung.
Tat-
Bwoooooooooooong-!
A thrilling sound echoes across the field.
Vlahovic's left-footed shot flies toward the goal like a cannonball.
This... is it.
Thwack-!!
"Yeeeeeeeeet-!"
When I run towards Vlahovic-hyung, he grabs me in a tight hug and lifts me up.
Soon, other hyungs also pounce on us.
*
The opponent must have found me really annoying.
A little kid with nothing special keeps getting in the way, so what else could they do?
Even a light nudge makes me fall, and the referee keeps siding with me.
As this situation repeated, the opponent had no choice but to be cautious of me. Of course, the hyungs also guarded me, making my feet light.
Thanks to that, I could play more boldly.
I moved around more actively to show that I wouldn't be intimidated even against such an opponent.
Whether it's the coach, Dad, or Ji-woo.
I didn't want to make them watch with worry.
I told you.
It wouldn't be me getting hurt, but the opponent's big nose.
"Waaaaaah!"
In the end, late in the second half, we scored another goal.
It wasn't a goal I was directly involved in, but it was a goal I was part of the process of creating.
As I dug into the left, space opened up in the center, and thanks to that, Torreira-hyung could take a free shot.
That tore the net.
In the end, that goal became the clincher for today's game.
"Beep, beep, beeeep-!"
The moment the whistle blew, I plopped down on the ground.
It felt like my legs gave out completely.
First of all, winning is winning, but I felt relieved that I hadn't gotten hurt.
How... I survived well. On this battlefield.
Thanks to that, I won't get scolded by Ji-woo.
That's a relief, but...
"Good job, maknae!"
"Wow, wow, you're braver than I thought?"
"Maknae, you saw it, right? This is the kind of guys we are. We won't let anyone who touches you get away with it."
"So, you can mess around a bit more from now on, right?"
Oh, come on, what are they all doing?
As soon as the game ended, the hyungs swarmed around me, and I couldn't even think straight with their hands all over me.
They tap my head, stroke my face, and lift me up and down, leaving me dizzy.
They were so reassuring during the game. Now that the game is over, they've become annoying ghosts.
Ugh...
"Hey, you guys, stop tormenting the kid and come on. Maknae."
"Ah... yes!"
I was just about to be tormented when Viragi-captain called me, and I answered quickly.
As expected, only the captain thinks of me.
I barely escaped the hyungs and ran to him, and the captain put his arm around my shoulder and led me somewhere.
"Maknae, you need to prepare yourself mentally."
"Huh? Prepare for what...?"
"Are you good at presentations in class or something?"
"Presentations...?"
I tilted my head at the captain's sudden question.
Why suddenly a presentation?
As I tilted my head, the captain pointed to one side of the stadium.
There... I could see several cameras and people holding microphones, preparing for something.
"It's nothing big, it's an interview. Don't freeze up just because there are cameras. Just answer the questions simply."
"An... interview?"
"Yeah. It means you played well today. So take it happily."
"Ah..."
No... wait a minute.
This is something I didn't even think about.
You're telling me to stand in front of those cameras right now?
"Go on."
I was pushed by the captain and headed towards the interview spot.
Then, a man who looked like a broadcast staff explained something to me, but honestly, it didn't register well in my ears.
My hands started to sweat, and my mouth went dry.
Man, this is driving me crazy.
"Okay, you can stand here. All standby!"
I finally stood in front of the camera, and my mind went blank.
The mind that was working perfectly fine during the game has stopped.
He... help me...
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────