Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: As Expected, Joseon's Foremost Sword
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Indeed, Joseon's foremost sword...
One of Soccer Girl's six teams, FC Wyverns, had been in rough shape lately.
Currently, FC Wyverns sat in fourth place.
They had once solidly held second place, but after key players from the girl group Miracle dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, they couldn't fill the gaps and started on a losing streak.
Thanks to Yeo Hyo-min's efforts, they hadn't sunk to the bottom, but even that was reaching its limit.
No wonder comparisons to the current last-place Heroines were popping up among viewers—reinforcements were desperately needed for Yeo Hyo-min...
But to her dismay, the two guests who showed up seemed miles away from anything soccer-related, dashing her hopes.
'We're up against top-ranked FC Eagles today, too... Sigh, this game's looking like a disaster.'
Letting out a sigh, Yeo Hyo-min began moving for the shoot... or rather, the soccer match that had already started.
Videos usually opened with guest intros and interviews, but filming kicked off straight with the game.
They could edit based on performances later, but the real reason was the tight rental time on the indoor futsal court—purely practical.
With no intros, the match began immediately.
They'd assigned basic positions beforehand, but harboring zero expectations of victory,
Yeo Hyo-min focused intently on the opposing team launching an early offensive, hoping at least to keep the score gap minimal.
And then.
'Tch... They're targeting our weak side first, huh.'
FC Eagles' forwards charged toward the left flank where Ha Yu-ra was positioned.
Yeo Hyo-min and the front line immediately shifted to defend against the assault.
But then.
'Huh?'
With a precise long pass bypassing Yeo Hyo-min and the others, an Eagles forward broke through to the right side.
With most players clustered on the left, the only one there was the new guest,
Chae Soo-jeong, standing alone.
Whether flustered or unmotivated, she just stood blankly staring at the ball.
The forward was none other than Eagles' captain, Lee Ji-seon.
Even Yeo Hyo-min struggled in a 1-on-1 against her, so the odds of this turning into a goal were sky-high.
'Damn it. No way it ends this pathetically...'
Her impatience led her to fall for the feint too easily.
She was sprinting full tilt now, but the distance was already too wide.
Already short-staffed and low on momentum, things could snowball if they conceded early.
Lee Ji-seon streaked past Chae Soo-jeong.
In Yeo Hyo-min's eyes, the hazy word 'defeat' was sharpening into cruel focus.
But then.
-Whoosh!
"...Huh?"
"?? Wha... what?"
The next instant, the faces of both captains—locked in despair and anticipation—flashed with the same emotion.
Bewilderment.
A blue screen of death in their brains, courtesy of the gap between expectation and reality.
Meanwhile,
the culprit who had short-circuited two of Soccer Girl's top aces at once.
She'd effortlessly stolen the ball from Lee Ji-seon with natural grace.
Chae Soo-jeong bolted straight for the Eagles' goal.
"Wha... what the hell?"
"B-block her, quick!"
The Eagles' defense had loosened since their team was on offense.
But now reversed in a flash, they scrambled to intercept the terrifyingly fast-approaching Chae Soo-jeong.
However.
"Eek!"
"Gasp!"
Chae Soo-jeong charged with purple glint in her eyes.
Her ferocious momentum, like a beast lunging at prey, froze the defenders in place.
She brushed past them effortlessly.
By the time they blinked, she was already that far ahead; the two defenders could only gawk in stunned silence.
'Wha... what is she? Her eyes... they were glowing?'
'A cheetah? And those legs—how are they that fast?'
Unbelievable, even seeing it with their own eyes.
Meanwhile, having pierced the defense, Chae Soo-jeong
immediately unleashed a shot at the goal in front of her.
-Thwack!
The ball rocketed off with a sound unheard of in women's futsal.
The already rabbit-before-a-lion goalkeeper's mind went blank white.
And then.
The ball curved in like a magnet, rattling the net.
Yet, where cheers of joy or groans of regret should have erupted,
the futsal court fell into dead silence.
Not just the players—collective brain freeze hit everyone there.
The referee, overseeing the match, snapped out of it first.
"G-goal!"
*
The Soccer Girl players stared at me with dazed, monster-ogling eyes.
Their reactions were more dramatic than expected, but from my perspective, it wasn't anything special.
'Figured as much, but yeah, this level.'
As I thought that, my gaze shifted to the idol singer from the Eagles,
their captain Lee Ji-seon, frozen in place with a blank face.
Lee Ji-seon, hailed as an ace in Soccer Girl.
But no matter her skill, it was only impressive among people with mere months—or a year at most—of soccer experience.
Me? Over 20 years straight from school days, on real fields, not this futsal stuff.
Our basics were worlds apart, and
now I had stamina, strength, and reflexes that leaped past any ordinary person.
My raw physicals were even a notch above my past male life,
so counterattacking a complacent opponent for a goal? Easy.
Right after that refreshing first goal,
in the ensuing awkward silence, I wondered if I'd overdone it.
That's when.
"Amazing, Teacher! A goal just two minutes in!"
Ha Yu-ra came rushing over, more thrilled than me.
The other Eagles followed, showering me with praise laced with awe.
"Y-you're really good."
"Incredible. How'd you blow past Ji-seon so easily..."
"As expected, Joseon's foremost sword..."
A dramatic line slipped in midway, but overall, their reactions were positive.
That's when,
among the Wyverns players, one spoke up,
Yeo Hyo-min, still looking shell-shocked.
"Chae... Chae Soo-jeong!"
"Yes, what's up?"
"Th-that's... khm. Never mind. We'll talk after the match. You did great, seriously. Keep it up."
"Got it."
Yeo Hyo-min seemed lost in thought.
Watching her, I smirked inwardly in satisfaction.
'Nice. A few more goals like this, and with Soccer Girl's format, a regular spot's in the bag.'
On this rare Soccer Girl appearance, my primary goal was securing a fixed role, not just guesting.
Partly because I loved soccer, but more importantly, another key reason.
The show's nature meant rubbing shoulders with tons of idol singers.
Some flamed out quick, but plenty soared to stardom.
Take Lee Ji-seon over there, still petrified—she was soccer-famous now, but later she'd hit Billboard's top 3 in the US.
Connections like that could give my daughter big and small edges in her singing career.
That's why I'd brought Seon-hwa here under the filming excuse.
Though she was dozing off bored over there with nothing to do.
-Tweet!
"!"
"Ah!"
"Alright, back to it, everyone—focus!"
With the whistle and Yeo Hyo-min's call, players shook off their daze.
The Eagles, too, shook off the shock and reformed their lines.
True to their top rank, the Eagles still looked solid.
I figured I'd play fair but steadily, not crushing them too hard, and a smile crept onto my lips unbidden.
*
'Tch. Soccer really isn't my thing.'
Ha Yu-ra clicked her tongue softly, eyeing her bandaged leg.
Toward the end of the first half, she'd twisted her ankle clashing with someone.
She'd planned to just kill time, but watching Chae Soo-jeong fly around got her caught up in the vibe.
Not a major injury, but now with this pointless badge of honor, she couldn't play anymore.
Finishing interviews and such early, she ended up wandering with bored Seon-hwa.
She'd gotten emergency bandaging, and it didn't hurt much if she didn't run, so no big deal.
That's when she ran into Lee Sung-min filming next door.
Familiar with the crew, she exchanged light greetings, but
her real focus was on Chae Seon-hwa clinging to him.
'Heh. She really takes to her. Same at the restaurant last time—that lofty senior's totally helpless.'
Lee Sung-min was awkward for her to approach casually.
She'd envied his acting and family status once, but now it was more plain dislike.
Arguing candle brightness under moonlight was pointless, after all.
"Um... stop calling him an old guy..."
"But he's older than your mom."
"..."
Anyway, enjoying the(?) legal pummeling of Lee Sung-min,
Ha Yu-ra realized it was about time to head back.
'Too bad, but that's it for today. Stick around too long, and that guy might scheme with Teacher...'
As she moved to call Seon-hwa,
that's when.
'Huh? Who's that...'
A woman caught her eye,
hiding behind a pillar, glancing between Lee Sung-min and her watch—something off about her.
'...Not my business, anyway. Time to grab Seon-hwa and go...'
That's when.
-Drrrrrrrrriiiiing!!!!!!!!!!
"Huh?"
"Wh-what?"
The blaring fire alarm suddenly pierced the air.
Black smoke started seeping in from somewhere, bewilderment etching onto Yu-ra's face.