Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: I Suddenly Became a Hero - 2
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Belief is ultimately a form of self-deception.
Perhaps it doesn't really matter whether something is actually true or not.
It's not that I believe because it's genuinely real or factual.
The important thing is that if I believe it, I deceive myself into thinking it's true, and so it becomes real to me.
So, the reason all these fans call me a hero isn't because I'm a real hero... but maybe it's because they just need one.
The sense of inexplicable betrayal I felt when Vlahovic left for Juventus—surely the fans felt that too. Perhaps even more than I did.
I can empathize with that feeling.
They needed comfort. They wanted to see a new hope. And for that, they needed a hero.
Because a hero symbolizes hope.
It just so happened that I became that symbol.
...Honestly, I don't even know what I'm thinking right now.
It feels like the words of a philosopher from a social studies textbook—something that sounds plausible but is ultimately baseless.
But there's one thing that's certain.
The fans want me to be a hero, and as long as I'm held to that expectation, I have to meet it.
To do that, I have to deceive myself, too.
By believing that I can truly become a hero.
Tatatat-!
As if emerging from the clouds, the mist clears and I return to reality.
As I drive the ball up the right half-space, I see the opposing defenders running to their positions.
Even at a glance, their movements show they've trained hard. My current play, trying a counter-attack by myself, is clearly unconventional, yet their response is already textbook-perfect, without a single wasted motion.
Tatatat-!
One midfielder closes in on me, while the two center-backs backpedal toward the box.
The remaining one, the opponent's left fullback, covers the space behind the first defender, anticipating that the line might be broken.
The other opponents are too far away to have any real effect on me, so they're out of the equation.
In any case, if I'm not going to break past all four of them by myself, it made sense to take a moment's pause.
Hold the ball for a bit to buy time for my teammates to move up front, or pass it back to secure possession more firmly.
So, the fact that I'm not stopping my run here means I've made up my mind to take on all four by myself.
Tatatat-!
A midfielder from the opponent's side closes in from my left.
Since his goal is to close the distance, he seems to be accelerating quite a bit.
I'm also at speed, so if I keep running, I might be able to avoid getting caught.
But I have a feeling that would mean running side-by-side with him.
If I use up my stamina here, I won't have enough left to handle the other three.
I need to shake him off cleanly before moving on.
Tat-!
The moment the opponent gets close, I brake with my left leg, the one without the ball, and slow down.
Then, as if about to turn, I plant the ball with my right foot.
Tat-!
Seeing my move, the opponent also slows down, but I dive into that very moment.
Tatatat-!
I instantly lower my posture and burst forward again. Speed in soccer is relative. It's not like a 100-meter dash where times are measured; I just need to be faster than the opponent in front of me.
If the opponent who was on me and I were to run a 100-meter dash, I might be slower, but I made him stop by slowing down, and in that gap, I took off first, a false start.
It's not exactly fair play, but it doesn't matter as long as I can leave him behind.
Tatatat-!
Having shaken off one player, I move on to the next step. The fullback who was waiting behind turns his body at an angle to meet me.
The space is quite wide, so he's poised to react if I chip the ball and run. Since he's half-turned, turning around to run will inevitably be slower for him.
In that case, I shouldn't play along with his thinking. It's a fool's game to do what he's clearly preparing for.
On top of that, I'm not very confident in a long ball and a race for speed.
So, chipping and running is out of the question.
But I can't let the opponent catch on. Rather, I should use it as bait.
Meaning, even though I have no intention of chipping and running, I'll act as if I do.
The opponent is waiting for it, so he'll react quickly, which also means I can easily draw out his response.
Tat-!
I deliberately make a big movement and cut in to the right. The opponent, facing left from my perspective, is waiting for me.
So, I moved as if I was going to break through behind him,
Tatatat-!
Of course, the opponent tries to turn his body, showing me his back. It's faster to twist away from me than to turn to face me.
But the problem is, his reaction was too fast.
Of course, that's not a problem for me; it's a blessing.
Tat-!
Looking at the opponent's back, I make a big direction change back to the left. Only then does the opponent check to his right, and from his perspective, he probably feels like I've vanished.
Before he can turn back toward me, I quickly chip the ball and run to create distance.
Tatatat-!
I cut in diagonally from the right half-space toward the center.
Right in front of the box, two huge defenders guard the goal like guardian deities.
A black-and-white combination, a sight so intimidating you wouldn't dare to run straight at them.
"Go-!"
"Break through-!"
But the roars from the stands force me forward.
There's no stopping now anyway, as the defenders I'd already beaten were following from behind.
I charge at the black-and-white combination.
Somehow, it's become a festival of racial harmony.
"Tear them apart-!"
Actually, while playing, I've never really heard the fans' shouts so clearly.
But today, I can hear them quite well.
Is it because they're cheering louder, or has my hearing gotten sharper?
I face the giant defenders.
Tat-!
Common sense says a 1v2 fight is overwhelmingly disadvantageous for the one, but in a situation like this where I have momentum and the space is wide, it's not necessarily the case.
Depending on the situation, you can turn a 1v2 into a 1v1, or even a 1v0.5 and 0.5.
What does that mean? It means this.
Tatatat-!
The moment I face the first defender, I fold to the left and cut in.
Waiting on that left side is the other defender, and the moment I pass between the two, I become a very ambiguous entity.
It becomes unclear whether the right defender should stop me or the left defender should.
Tatatat-!
So what happens if I go even deeper?
I don't stop and continue to chip and run, crossing along the box line.
At this, the defender I first encountered has no choice but to give up on me, as I've completely entered his teammate's zone.
One 0.5 is eliminated.
Now it's a fight with the remaining 0.5...
The reason it's 0.5 and not 1 is because I already have speed.
It's not difficult to beat an opponent who's standing still and waiting when you already have momentum.
As long as you can control the ball properly.
Tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk-!
I maintain my speed but increase the number of touches, changing direction in short bursts.
As if peeling something with a turner... I curve around the defender and into the box.
Tatatat-!
Luckily, the ball doesn't leave my foot and moves as I want it to.
After all, I do nothing but play soccer for a living, so this should be a given, right?
It's not like we do cone drills for nothing.
What I do in training is what creates me on the pitch.
Tatatat-!
I beat the last defender and cut in to the left side of the goal, then quickly check the goal.
I was checking the keeper's position, but instead of sticking to one side, the keeper rushed forward.
The keeper lowered his posture so much his hands were almost touching the ground as he charged out.
His reaction was quite fast, and by the time I checked, the angle had already narrowed significantly. It felt like if I shot to the left or right, the keeper would get it.
Then... there's only one path left.
Paaaaang-!
I dug my toes under the ball as if kicking the ground.
And the ball floated up.
Shwooooooong-
The ball flew over the head of the keeper who had been charging out with his posture lowered.
The keeper stretched his hands late from that position, but it wasn't high enough.
The ball passed over him with ease.
Shwooooooong-
However, I couldn't be certain of a goal.
It wasn't only the ball flying towards the open goal.
That black defender was also running towards the open goal.
Tatatat-!
I even scold the ball after I've chipped it.
Go faster... faster.
Huh? Faster...
Shwooooooong-
Swoosh-!
It's done.
It's in.
The defender threw his body and tried to head it, but the ball was a step faster.
"Waaaaaaaah-!"
In an instant, I felt a slight vibration as all the spectators rose from their seats.
Was this the sight they wanted to see?
Was that goal enough to satisfy their expectations?
"Yeeeeeeeeh-!"
They're so happy, so I guess it's good enough.
I nodded and looked at the crowd.
I don't know.
With so many people wanting it, it has to be. A hero.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Ending the first half at 1-1 was a great result. If we hadn't broken their momentum once, the score could have widened in the first half.
That's because the opponents are so fast, and once they get on a roll, they're terrifying.
"Focus more! Even if one of you watches the ball, the other must watch the man! If you need to, three of you can stick to him! It can't be helped!"
The locker room at halftime is filled with the coach's scolding.
Milenkovic and Nastasic, our team's center-backs, hang their heads and take the scolding.
The coach's attack is as fierce as any Napoli striker. The two players have a hard time both inside and out.
"Listen up, everyone. If we win today, we'll move up to 4th place. Do you know what that means—"
After finishing his barrage, the coach speaks to everyone. They all raise their heads and listen intently.
"It means if we win today, we can climb over Juventus. Let's give our fans a taste of pride, yeah? Let's do it!"
"Let's do it!"
"Let's go, let's go!"
Everyone nods and shouts in response to the coach, whose voice gives us strength just by hearing it.
I also nod and stand up.
And I'm the first to leave the locker room for the second half.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"This isn't easy."
"Of course not. It's Napoli."
"The defense is so shaky. My heart sinks every time Osimhen gets the ball."
Kim Ji-woo, sitting in the stands, was suddenly a little surprised. It felt like the conversations of the fans around her were becoming audible today.
She had studied so hard that her ears had opened up to some extent, but interpreting other people's conversations was still really difficult.
Especially the words of the middle-aged men who come to watch soccer were impossible to understand.
But strangely, she could hear them a little today.
They say your ears can suddenly open up one day, and it seems to be true. It's so strange it gives her goosebumps.
Feeling amused, Ji-woo pricked up her ears.
"If we can just stop them from scoring, I think we can do it."
"Right. If we don't concede, we can win."
"Did you see earlier? Lee taking on four by himself."
"Koulibaly couldn't do anything about it. I almost lost my mind."
Wow, I can really hear some of it.
Of course, some words don't register, but I can understand the context from the flow.
Now I see, everyone is talking about Ji-an.
'Seriously. He's just dripping with charm.'
Kim Ji-woo clicks her tongue.
How much charm does he have to be dripping for everyone to be so captivated?
It's a good thing, but... my little Ji-an is a thing of the past.
"We have to win. If we win today, we're 4th."
"I wish we could see ourselves above those guys, even if it's just for one round."
"Then I should take a screenshot of the league table. To look at whenever I'm feeling down."
"Please, I'm counting on it."
Soon, the break comes to an end.
It's time for the second half to begin, and the Napoli players in their white jerseys begin to appear on the field one by one.
The sight alone is somehow threatening, and the fans gulp.
A moment later, the stands begin to get noisy again.
"Lee!"
"Lead us to 4th place!"
"Hero of Fiorentina!"
"Hero!"
Following the Napoli players, Lee Ji-an appears, and the cheers of the fans pour out behind his back.
Watching that, Kim Ji-woo suddenly gets goosebumps. Ji-an's back looks broader than usual today.
Hmm.
There was nothing she could do about it.
Just walking, his charm flows so freely, it's only natural that everyone falls for him.