Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Unusually Bright Day - 3
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I've realized something recently.
I Must Be a Genius.
Kim Ji-woo.
Soccer Study Abroad.
ACF Fiorentina.
Florence.
U17 Team.
Coach.
Lee Ji-an.
Starting Lineup Group.
Bench Group.
Toni Lucco.
Luca Coach.
Serie.
Juventus.
The Fear of Desperation.
Second Forward.
Center Forward.
US Sassuolo Calcio.
SSC Napoli.
Enzo.
Domenico.
Gino.
Andrea Mondi.
Fabian.
Enzo Baretti.
Bruno.
Makeda.
Vino Botteli.
Paolo Rossi.
Federico Chiesa.
Marco Villaggio.
Antoine Griezmann.
Derby dell'Appennino.
The Introvert I Was, Now a Popular Guy?
The Deposit Has Been Made.
'When is he coming out...'
Kim Ji-woo, watching the game from a corner of the sparsely populated stands, clasped her hands together anxiously.
She checked the time almost every five minutes.
Halftime had ended, and even though dozens of minutes had passed since then, Lee Ji-an hadn't come out.
Before the game, they had exchanged messages.
He had said that since today's opponent was a weak team, he, the ace, might not play.
Is he really not playing today? Anxiety and disappointment washed over her.
But then, just as she was pacing around anxiously.
"Uh... Ji-an...!"
Ji-an finally appeared.
Three players came out from the bench and started warming up, and Ji-an was among them.
"Ji-an...!"
Overjoyed, Kim Ji-woo unconsciously jumped up from her seat, then sat back down and looked around with a timid expression for no reason.
Luckily, there weren't many people, so she didn't attract any attention.
"Phew..."
Kim Ji-woo, her hands clasped, watched Ji-an running along the white lines of the field, warming up.
He rotated his shoulders, lifted his knees to his chest, and did short sprints.
Seeing Ji-an warming up as if he could enter the game at any moment, her heart started pounding like crazy for no reason.
Why was she so nervous when Ji-an's face, even from afar, looked so calm?
Her hands became slick with sweat.
"When will he come out...?"
Even after a long time had passed since he started warming up and there was still no change, Kim Ji-woo muttered almost tearfully.
No, why is no one paying attention after getting him all ready? The kid is warming up so hard!
He's going to use up all his energy at this rate!
That coach or whoever needs to send Ji-an in right now!
Just as harsh words were about to slip out of her mouth unconsciously.
"Uh...!"
Ji-an took off the vest he was wearing.
And he stood in front of the white line, as if about to enter the field. Soon, the game stopped for a moment, and one player in a purple uniform started walking slowly out of the field.
'Get out quickly, you bastard!'
My Ji-an needs to get in quickly. It was infuriating, but since he was on the same team, she only thought it.
Anyway, Ji-an ran out toward the field like that.
'Crazy! He's really going in!'
Now her heart was beating so hard it felt like it would burst.
It was strange. She wasn't originally this kind of person.
She was the type who had never even felt nervous, and when her friends were into actors or idols, she couldn't understand it.
But the moment Ji-an stepped onto the field, her heart sank as if she had abandoned a child by a river.
Why is she so nervous when it's not even her playing?
At the same time, she wished Ji-an would dodge all those blond-haired guys and score a goal.
'Give it to Ji-an, Ji-an! Pass the ball to Ji-an...!'
Give him the ball, you big-nosed bastards!
You guys have already kicked the ball plenty, right?
If there's a kid who just came in, you should give him the ball and let him play, these kids have no heart...
"Uh, uh, uh! That's it! The ball! Get it, Ji-an!"
Maybe her desperate wish reached them, as the ball flowed to Ji-an, and Kim Ji-woo stood up halfway from her seat.
Ji-an runs toward the ball.
At the same time, a big guy is chasing him right from behind, which is really scary.
If that big guy bumps into him from behind, Ji-an would just get knocked away.
If he does that kind of thing, I won't just sit still, I swear!
"...Wow!"
But Ji-an was faster than Kim Ji-woo thought.
The moment he got the ball, he turned around quickly to shake off the big guy, looking like a swift cat.
And Ji-an keeps driving the ball forward.
Continuously, pushing forward.
He's running so fast, it's amazing how the ball sticks to his feet.
Nobody could catch Ji-an.
Booooom-!
And at the moment a clear sound echoed.
Kim Ji-woo, with her eyes, nose, and mouth all wide open, felt as if time was flowing slowly.
Whooshhhhh-
No, it's not a feeling.
I'm telling you, time really did slow down just now?
'If he blocks this, I'll die!!'
When a super tall goalkeeper jumped and reached out toward Ji-an's shot, Kim Ji-woo clenched her fists.
He conceded three goals just a while ago.
If he suddenly starts blocking them now, I'll really die!
What did he eat to have such long arms? She felt like the ball would get blocked by those long arms.
But contrary to her worry, the ball was already being sucked into a place where it couldn't be stopped.
Slap-!!
At that moment, Kim Ji-woo shouted some unknown gibberish and jumped up and down in her seat.
"Ho dett-! Puoi farl-! Nessun proble-!"
"Y-you! Calm down!"
As Luca Coach tried to jump up from the bench, Coach Toni pulled his sleeve to calm him down.
"Look! That!"
"I get it, so just... The kids are watching."
"Ah, hoo... Yes. Whoo-!"
Despite Coach Toni's restraint, Luca Coach, his face flushed red, couldn't control himself and let out exclamations.
About 5 minutes ago.
During the discussion about who to put in instead of Gino, it was Luca Coach who argued for putting Ji-an in.
Coach Toni had been worried, saying it was still too early, but Luca Coach's strong insistence paid off.
Of course, Coach Toni also wanted to see Ji-an in action as soon as possible.
However, Ji-an's attitude had changed only two weeks ago.
He had hesitated, worried that if he sent him out too hastily, he might not be able to handle the tension and pressure, and revert to his passive self.
But Luca Coach, who had observed Ji-an in the bench group, pushed for it.
He was definitely different, and he seemed to have his mind set properly.
He even urged Coach Toni, saying that since they were winning 3-0, there was no more pressure-free opportunity than this.
He didn't back down from his argument, saying that if he didn't send him out after working so hard, his motivation might drop.
The result? Look.
He did it.
Actually, right before he entered the field, he was so stiff that I thought I might have been wrong.
But once he went in, he just showed the same form he had in training.
That's talent, I'm telling you, that's what it is.
"Hoo..."
Coach Toni let out a long sigh.
Coach Toni also felt good, even though Luca Coach's words were right.
After all, Coach Toni was the first to recognize Ji-an's talent, so it was only natural.
Actually, to be honest, just a few weeks ago, Coach Toni had been pessimistic.
Because he thought a person's personality... couldn't be changed as easily as one thinks.
He thought it was easier to change skills.
Like a kid who didn't seem to have much talent, but burst out with potential as he built up his career.
Coach Toni had seen such cases often.
But cases where one overcomes their innate personality and grows are so rare you can count them on one hand and still have fingers left.
Right.
It's not about changing, it's about overcoming.
That's why it's difficult, and that's why he had supported him.
How could he not support a young child challenging something difficult?
"Hoo, it's so refreshing. Really."
Coach Toni chuckled as he looked at Luca Coach, who was gripping his fist, unable to calm his excitement as if it were his own business.
Coach Toni, who had been with Luca Coach since his playing days, knew why he was so excited.
It was because he himself had suffered from trauma during his playing days.
The story is long, but to put it simply.
There was a time they missed the championship cup because of Luca's mistake.
And it just so happened that season was the retirement season of his mentor, the coach at the time.
Luca was shocked by the thought that he had thrown away the last gift he could give his mentor with his own hands, and fell into a deep slump for a while.
This might seem unrelated to Ji-an, but it's similar in that he was troubled by pressure and suffered a mental wound.
The circumstances may be different, but the pain can be the same.
Coach Toni put his hand on Luca Coach's shoulder and said.
"He will overcome it."
"Of course. If I had been tormented at that young age, I probably couldn't have overcome it. But that kid is stronger than me. He's a strong guy, even if he looks like that."
"I know, I know. Calm down. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you."
It was Coach Toni, then the coach, who had pulled up Luca Caparoni, the player who had fallen into a slump.
"How about starting him in the next game?"
"A starter."
"There's not much time left, is there? The re-contract. The director will be here soon with a grumpy face."
"The timing is good."
"I wish we could just sign a pro contract already."
"I'll have to wrap it up nicely."
"No. It would be enough to show it as it is."
Luca Coach and Coach Toni.
The two nodded as they looked at Ji-an.
"As expected, it's different!"
"That was a great shot!"
"It really is different!"
After my shot shook the net.
The kids ran to me and congratulated me.
It was hard to understand what they were saying, but anyway, it felt like congratulations.
It wasn't that I couldn't understand Italian, it's that I didn't know what they meant by 'as expected, different'.
But that's not the important part...
It went in.
And it was my very first shot.
Actually, it was the picture I had been painting in my head the entire time I was watching the game.
I carefully observed Gino's movements and the opponent's movements, and thought about how I would move if I went in.
The movement I had been thinking about was the one I just made.
Drawing the defense out, going down, switching with Domenico as we did in training, and then slicing into the center with a quick turn and shooting right away.
It was the picture I had painted, but I didn't expect it to be realized perfectly with just my first touch.
I was so flustered that I just stood there stupidly even after scoring, then suddenly came to my senses and looked around the stands.
I had promised to look for Ji-woo first if I scored.
I wonder where she is...
Ah.
It wasn't hard to find Ji-woo.
There weren't many spectators to begin with...
And she's over there jumping up and down and calling my name, so it's hard to miss her.
This is... should I say hello or something?
Thinking about a suitable way, I stretched out two fingers and gave a salute, then turned around.
...Did I try too hard to look cool?
"Hey. Do it again."
"...Do what?"
"What you did earlier. The thing you did to me after scoring."
"...Why."
"I said do it again? Why? Are you embarrassed? Huh? Huh?"
...Why did I do that?
It seems a dark history has been created.