Long Ball Surprise and Standing Up to Abuse
Bro. ***
The match between Geum-sun High and Hojin High had begun. I sat on the bench, gazing out at the pitch. It wasn't because of any injury or anything like that. I'd just returned from the U-19 national team, so this was purely for management purposes—I'd only play in the second half.
Was it Choi Gi-hyeon's consideration as coach? No way. I'd requested it myself.
The coach had wanted to start me against Hojin High, but when I brought up Park Ji-sung's chronic knee issues and argued that proper management from now on was the key to becoming a superstar who could surpass him, he went, "A coach who develops the next-gen superstar to eclipse Park Ji-sung and handles health management? It's me!" and approved it with that nonsense.
That endless, blissfully burning circuit of his. The guy was consistently himself, through and through.
"Press them!"
Anyway, as I watched the Hojin High players facing off against Geum-sun High today, I drifted into thought.
Hojin High was the number two team in the northern Seoul region, right behind Geum-sun High—a powerhouse.
It wasn't so much the coach's talent; the school's soccer program had long been renowned as a prestigious one, drawing in tons of talented youth players.
And yet, just ten minutes into the game, Hojin High had already conceded five shots and were getting utterly dominated.
What can you do? It's human nature—everyone has a solid plan until they get punched in the face. Then their mentality crumbles.
Hojin High had assumed Geum-sun would play build-up soccer as usual and brought out gegenpressing to counter with a punch of their own.
Unfortunately for them, Geum-sun had ditched build-up for this match and gone with long-ball tactics instead.
Hojin High, smugly prepared for their counter-punch, ended up eating Geum-sun's instead—and their mentality shattered.
"Block it—!" And it was the same story right now.
Geum-sun High's number seven, Kang Hyeon-seok, followed training to the letter: the moment Geum-sun's defense stole the ball, he bolted into the space behind the opponents.
Geum-sun's defenders lofted a long pass right away, and Kang Hyeon-seok shook off Hojin High's center backs to find himself one-on-one with the keeper. He calmly smashed a shot toward the near post.
Swish—!
"Ah!"
The net rippled, and groans rose from Geum-sun High's stands and bench. It was the side netting.
Not a goal, but close enough to feel like one—and Hojin High's players' faces hardened.
"Hey! You bastards! Get your heads in the game!"
At this point, the Hojin High coach should have calmly steadied his shaken players. Instead, he just berated them harshly.
'From the start, it looks like the coach is the one panicking and yelling...'
I shook my head at the sight. With Hojin High's defensive line repeatedly exposed behind and the coach screaming at them, they didn't push up. Naturally, the gap between their midfielders and defenders widened.
"What are you doing! The line's breaking apart, you idiots!"
The Hojin High coach pointed it out, but too late.
Kang Hyeon-seok slipped into that gap between midfield and defense once more.
Geum-sun High center back Kim Jae-hyeon intercepted the ball and threaded a through pass straight to the infiltrating Kang Hyeon-seok.
Kang Hyeon-seok raced into the open space ahead. On the other side, number 11, Hwang Ho-hyeon, was visible.
Hojin High defenders rushed to block, but Kang Hyeon-seok faked a pass to Hwang Ho-hyeon, fooling them and breaking into the penalty box.
He unleashed a shot immediately.
Thwack—!
And right on cue, the Guardian of Balance descended. This time, the shot soared into the air.
"Argh—! How do you miss that?!"
Han Gyeowol's groan from the Geum-sun High stands rang in my ears—Meng Doctor herself.
It sounded like a voice that would one day echo through Manchester United's Old Trafford.
'How the hell did these guys go unbeaten? Did they just farm weak teams?'
Anyway, thanks to the Guardian of Balance, the first half between Geum-sun High and Hojin High ended 0-0.
The second half kicked off, and I was subbed in right away. As I stepped onto the pitch, "Hoo—!" cheers erupted from the stands.
I turned toward the sound and spotted those fans who'd done fan service right before kickoff. The parents in the crowd stared at my fans with "What the hell are those guys?" expressions.
Yeah, honestly, they did look weird. No one would mistake them for parents.
'Not scouts either, though.'
The parents probably figured they were jobless bums with nothing better to do than watch soccer.
Beep—!
Anyway, with the ref's whistle, the second half began. Hojin High had apparently changed tactics at halftime—they ditched gegenpressing and dropped their line.
I adjusted my teammates' positions while taking center stage in the build-up myself, directing play with short passes.
Exchanging the ball with my teammates, I approached the penalty area. Kang Sa-din—he of the balanced power—called my name as he burst into the box.
"Jinho—!"
I slipped a through pass to Kang Sa-din infiltrating the box. Honestly, I didn't want to, but I had to admit the guy had a nose for space despite his terrible finishing.
After passing to Kang Hyeon-seok, I sprinted like hell the moment the ball left my foot. No special reason.
'That bastard's finishing is abysmal.'
Even as I passed, I had zero faith he'd score.
And sure enough, his shot ricocheted off the post. I smashed the rebound straight into the net.
"Argh—! Missing again?!"
As Kang Hyeon-seok's shot hit the post and bounced out, Han Gyeowol fumed. She'd laid out the perfect table and handed him the spoon—how could he not score?
'Huh? Son Jinho?'
In her frustration, as she reached for her water, Son Jinho suddenly appeared in her view, bundling the rebound into the goal.
"Woooah—!! Jinho!!"
The net shook, and with the ref's goal signal, Son Jinho spun his hand in circles and bolted to the corner flag.
Han Gyeowol's mouth started itching. Then, as Son Jinho raised both arms overhead and leaped into the air...
"Hoo—!!"
Han Gyeowol shouted "Hoo!" at the top of her lungs, just like her Ho-dongsaengs in the stadium and the few parents who joined in—without even realizing it.
'Wait, why did I yell that?'
Hoo had an irresistible, Lucifer-like allure.
When the match ended, the Hojin High coach smacked the head of his center back hard.
"You fucking moron! Can't even handle a freshman? Huh? You think you can go pro with that shit? Huh? If you're gonna play like that, don't drag your teammates down—get the hell out! We got a truckload of kids who could fill your spot!"
Hojin High center back Kang Chan stood with his hands behind his back, not resisting the violence. It was routine for someone too poor to slip the coach bribes. And he knew it was a warning to the other parents: stuff money in if you don't want your kid like this. It was pathetic, but bearable. No—he had to bear it. Ever since starting soccer, his life had been one long test of endurance; this was nothing.
'The first injustice I felt was probably when they switched me to defense in the formation, right?'
At least his decent physique had kept him off fullback duty. Small mercies.
'No, I should've quit soccer back then.'
Why hadn't he given it up? What was soccer to him?
'Too late to hit the books now anyway.'
As Hojin High center back Kang Chan endured the blows...
"Ugh, that brute. What era does he think it is, still pulling that crap."
Choi Gi-hyeon shook his head and clicked his tongue at the sight.
That was why Jinho rated Choi Gi-hyeon as at least a decent guy. Incompetent with a bit of a power trip, sure—but he never laid a hand on players.
He'd always grumble about how the chairman's policies made kids ignore him...
But Choi Gi-hyeon had never once, before or since, swung at a player he coached or dished out excessive punishment.
"Aigoo, if they mess up, call 'em aside and scold privately—why in public like that..." "He's saying don't skimp on bribes if you don't want your kid beaten like that." "Sigh, a thug like that as coach."
The parents in the stands grimaced and tsked. They tsked but didn't intervene—corporal punishment wasn't officially banned yet in 2010.
They knew the coach's intent; that was why they tsked, not because of the punishment itself.
And meddling would darken not just that center back's future, but their own kids'. Scandals in the soccer club could lead to the program's shutdown.
Unfortunately for Hojin High, the crowd wasn't just players and parents.
As the Ho-dongsaengs filmed with furious expressions...
Son Jinho marched up to the Hojin High coach mid-swing and grabbed his arm.