Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: A Pleasant Tremor - 1
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Tony Lucco, the U17 team's coach who was watching the game, recalled a famous saying.
‘Blessings come to those who wait.’
They say old sayings are never wrong, and it seems they're right.
When Lee Ji-an was snatched away by Juventus, I waited, keeping an eye on his progress, and in the end, I got him.
Even after he joined the team and was still on the outskirts due to adjustment issues, instead of pushing him hard, I just waited quietly, and now, he's finally responding like this.
To be honest, I don't know if it was because of the team's consideration that he opened his heart, or if there's another reason.
But either way, it's good.
The important thing is that the kid is showing passion.
‘I was captivated by that talent.’
Tony's gaze fixes on Ji-an.
He's... a strange kid.
He doesn't have great physical conditions, nor does he have exceptionally fast innate speed.
His on-the-ball skills are good, but it's not like he's on another level.
Yet, the impact he has on the field is tremendous.
How should I put it?
It's like he's a lubricant.
The kid is always in the right place at the right time, always reacts and makes decisions faster than others, and almost always makes the optimal choice.
The kids who play every week can't even keep up with Ji-an's tempo.
When Gino was here, it felt like the game had come to a standstill.
But when Ji-an, the lubricant, was added, it felt like the stalled machine was running smoothly again.
‘The strangest thing is...’
Tony shakes his head.
The strangest thing is that this Ji-an is, incredibly, a Ji-an who hasn't had any proper growth for two whole years.
And it's not just any two years, but two years during his growth spurt.
From age 13 to 15.
Everyone knows how crucial this period is.
Throughout a long player's career, there's no other period where skills explode like they do during this time.
Unfortunately, Ji-an wasted those two years.
And yet, he's this good.
In the end, it means he was born with it.
The ability to read the flow of the game, and to know how to move and play to win.
In simple terms, you could say he has a high soccer IQ.
It was a very unique style.
Especially at this youth level.
“...”
Tony looked at Ji-an with a slightly bitter expression.
It might sound a little cruel, but Tony's thought was that such an ability probably came from the growth environment he experienced.
It's just a inference, but Ji-an grew up with a sense of burden.
He doesn't know why his mother drove him so hard.
It could have been simply because she wanted her son to do well, or it could have been for other reasons.
These are unknown things, but the certain thing is that it must have acted as a burden on Ji-an.
He must have naturally become more sensitive to cues.
A child whose habit became to read the room... is such a sad-sounding phrase.
But regardless, on the field, it's an undeniable talent.
The kid is the most sensitive to everything happening on the field, and because of that, he's the one who can lead the flow.
“At that level, he could play in this weekend's match without any problem.”
Tony nodded at the words of Luca Coach, who had approached unnoticed.
Was it just 'without problem'?
As long as his mentality doesn't break, he could clearly dominate the U17 level right now.
As far as Tony knew, there was no player who could dominate the game like that.
“Still, we shouldn't rush.”
But that 'mentality' issue isn't something to be taken lightly.
If you suddenly throw him into a real match or rush to promote him, things will go wrong.
Why did I wait for him with patience in the first place? I can't let that time of endurance go to waste.
“Still... I think it's okay to move on to the next step.”
“What's the next step?”
“Giving him a light compliment. To the point where he doesn't feel burdened. So he can find his confidence.”
“That's not easy. It's not like we're getting friendly with a stray cat.”
When Luca Coach said that with a laugh, Tony also smiled.
A stray cat. It was a fitting expression.
“Then, specifically, what should we do?”
“Don't praise the result. Let's focus on the process.”
“Hmm. So you're saying we should acknowledge his hard work?”
“Yes. That would be best.”
Praising the process rather than the result.
That would be much less burdensome for him.
“I understand. I hope we can just keep going like this.”
“Hmm.”
Tony nodded as he looked at Ji-an.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Beep- Beep-!
“Okay, good work, everyone!”
The moment the whistle blew to signal the end of the match.
I collapsed right where I was and lay flat on my back.
“Huff... huff...”
I can't breathe properly.
The sky is spinning.
I also feel something bubbling up in my stomach.
‘This is insane...’
It's so hard that I almost let out a curse word without realizing it.
It's really, really tough.
It wasn't just about physical stamina.
My stamina is part of it, but it feels like all my energy has been drained.
It's only natural, since I had to stay in a state of full concentration throughout the match.
Especially since I had to watch not only the inside of the field, but also the outside, and the reactions from the bench.
I exhausted a tremendous amount of mental strength.
It felt like I had been walking on thin ice and just barely set foot on solid ground.
“Whew...”
Fact is, it was only about 20 minutes.
And it was just a practice game, not a real match.
And yet, to be this drained... it makes me realize just how high the level of the starters is.
For the first 5 minutes or so, I was thinking, 'I can handle this.'
My passes created crucial chances, and those chances even led to goals.
But after that goal went in, the tempo of the game became incredibly fast.
Maybe their pride was hurt that they let a player like me make such a pass, or maybe they all just snapped to attention.
After that, it flowed almost like a real match.
From then on, I couldn't help but think that I couldn't afford to let my guard down for even a second.
If I did, I felt like I'd be left behind in an instant.
If it weren't for Ji-woo, I might have collapsed long ago.
...Hmm? That sounds a bit strange.
Let me rephrase that. It wasn't because of Ji-woo, it was because of the lie.
Anyway, thankfully, it seems I didn't make any major mistakes or show that I couldn't keep up with the flow.
That's good enough.
“Hoo-”
I sit up and stretch, grabbing my feet with my hands.
Doing this makes me think of the past.
When I used to play soccer in Korea.
Back then... I was always like this.
After one match, I'd be completely drained.
Even then, it wasn't just because my body was tired.
I had to do well, so I was always struggling to perform beyond my abilities.
Thankfully, the results were good back then, so I was told I had talent, and sometimes even that I was a genius.
But to be completely honest, I've never once thought of myself as a genius.
Right? What genius kills himself working day and night?
I just had to do it that way.
It's the same now too.
“Ji-an.”
“...Ah, yes.”
When I came to my senses, the Coach was standing next to me.
As I got up and dusted myself off, the Coach put his hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“Thank you for working so hard. You must have been in a tough spot being called in suddenly.”
“Ah... no, not at all.”
“Go home and get some good rest. See you tomorrow.”
“Yes. You worked hard as well.”
The Coach patted my back lightly and turned away.
I felt a strange feeling watching him go.
I don't know how to explain it...
Well.
The situation is clearly similar to back then, but...
Back then, my first thought was, 'I wonder if I can do this well tomorrow too.'
Now, it feels like I can probably do it tomorrow too.
I don't know why, but either way, this feeling is pretty good.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
-What, good news?
“...Why all of a sudden?”
-Just. Your voice sounds kind of excited.
“It's not. It's the same as always.”
-Hey, can't you be a little more honest?
“About what.”
-You're excited about meeting me next week, right?
“...What are you talking about.”
-Ugh, it's so obvious!
I clicked my tongue at the nonsense coming from the other end of the phone.
What is she saying?
That's the last thing I'm excited about.
After training ended.
I was walking home when Ji-woo called, so I'm on the phone.
...It seems like she's the one in a good mood today.
Her voice is more cheerful than usual, so I'm holding the phone a bit away from my ear.
I've always wondered, why does she like talking on the phone so much?
It's like she can't be satisfied unless she spills everything that happened today to someone.
It doesn't suit me.
I'm the type who needs to be alone and quiet to recharge.
...Then why am I always on the phone with her?
Ah, well. It's because she calls first.
-So, have you planned the date course?
“...What? What course?”
-The date course! You have to show me around the neighborhood! Don't tell me you haven't thought about it!
“Ah... I'm a busy person. When would I have time to think about that?”
-Wow, acting all busy. It's the first time I'm seeing you in 3 years, and you can't even put in that much effort!?
I swallowed the words, 'Are you my girlfriend or something?'
“So then... what do you want to do?”
-Hmm? Uh, well... I don't know.
“I need to know what you want to do so I can think about it.”
-Just anything... It's Saturday, the day before your match, so you need to rest. Let's meet on Friday and just get something to eat.
“Alright. Fine, whatever.”
-Then what should we eat? Pizza? Pasta? I want to eat that, gelato too. Ah! And...!
Ugh.
The list of food she's rattling off is making my head spin. She's like a machine gun.
What is she, a rapper?
Anyway, whenever food is mentioned, her tension just goes through the roof.
Just thinking about it must make her happy; I can almost see Ji-woo's face with a huge grin on the other end of the line.
If I leave her be, she might talk all night, so I cut her off.
“Hey, hey. Enough. Let's just go to any random restaurant in my neighborhood and eat.”
-No way! What do you mean, any random restaurant.
“I'll pay. Happy?”
-Now that's more like it.
Making money feels so good.
“Anyway, I'm gonna hang up. I'm almost home.”
-Already? We haven't even been on for an hour.
“I told you. I'm busy. Call me back later.”
-Gee, you're really acting busy. Fine, I get it. Text me.
“Okay.”
Talking on the phone, I somehow ended up near my house and barely managed to hang up.
Whew.
She drains my energy even more today.
Speaking of which...
“Hmm.”
I stopped for a moment and turned on the internet search on my phone.
“Good restaurants...”
This is so annoying, seriously.
What was it again.
Pizza, pasta, lasagna, risotto, gelato...