BVB Dortmund - 2
BVB Dortmund -2
"Get your heads in the game!"
I barked at the players after slamming in the opening goal.
Tsk... Did I screw up by mentioning the scouts?
A few of the guys were putting way too much tension into their bodies.
Tch. They acted like they didn't care, but now they're going all out. Why?
Strangely, the players who'd brushed off my words showed more fire than those who'd gotten fired up right away.
Fuck. If you're gonna show off your footwork, at least don't lose the damn ball.
Right then, a guy trying to dazzle with fancy footwork at the perfect passing moment got robbed by Australia's center back.
The Aussie center back who intercepted immediately launched a long pass, sparking a counterattack. Our starting left back, Lee Gi-se, clashed with Australia's right winger, but the Aussie was just a hair quicker to the ball.
Australia's right winger tapped it forward and bolted into the space on Lee Gi-se's flank.
"Back up!!"
Center back Lee Tae-beom called for backup from the defensive midfielder and moved to cover Lee Gi-se's zone. But instead of crossing as expected, the right winger cut inside toward the center.
The sudden change threw Lee Tae-beom off balance, letting him through.
As the winger entered the penalty box and wound up for a shot, I sprinted like a madman into our box and cleared it out of bounds before he could strike.
"Fuck!!" "Nice defending!"
I shot a death glare at the guy who'd sparked the counter, ignoring the winger clutching his head in frustration and my teammates' beaming smiles.
Around the same time.
"Oh... What fantastic fight they've got."
Swansea's scout nodded with a satisfied smile. Modern soccer evaluated many aspects, but to him, the most crucial was the hunger for victory.
That hunger bred fighting spirit, which infected the whole team. Before long, a winning mentality took root.
Some might call it an outdated mindset, but that competitive drive was the greatest force binding a team together.
The team's vibe has changed.
Selfless play for the team might not grab the crowd like flashy skills, but it was enough to win over the hearts of teammates on the pitch.
"...You know when a big club falls? When sloppy management tanks the finances? No! It's when the locker room loses the sting of defeat."
The Swansea scout, a fan of Japanese manga, murmured the memorable line as he watched the momentum shift to South Korea.
"Well, no team with a locker room full of idiots dancing after a loss could exist anyway."
Surrounding scouts shot wary glances at the chuckling white guy, but he was oblivious.
"Mom, that uncle's weird." "Study hard, kid, or you'll end up like that?"
Not understanding Vietnamese, the Swansea scout was unfazed.
The U-19 team beat Australia, then Thailand and Vietnam, clinching the AFF U-19 tournament title.
The U-19 championship made a few headlines back in Korea.
"Heh..."
Han Gyeowol smirked at the articles. She loved the content—and the photo of Son Jinho.
"Just smile already, you. How much do you like Jinho? Grinning at his news pic now."
Her mom, Hwang Miyeon, teased lightly as Gyeowol desperately fought a grin.
"N-No! I just saw a funny video!"
Gyeowol flushed like she'd been caught red-handed.
"Sure, with your mouth split ear to ear? ...I'm outta here!"
As Gyeowol fled her teasing mom toward Jinho's place,
"Hey, Gyeowol! Wait. Take this soy sauce crab and stick it in the fridge."
She froze. Yeah, she couldn't resist soy sauce crab.
Grabbing the precious haul from her mom, Gyeowol headed to the place she shared with Jinho.
"This soy sauce crab is so good!"
She punched in the passcode—the date they first met—entered, and stashed it in the fridge. Spinning around, she surveyed the house.
"Feels kinda empty in here..."
Even with her touches everywhere, it felt oddly hollow.
"When's he coming back?"
She plopped on the sofa, swinging her legs. Vacation was here—the one she'd waited for—but it felt boring and dull.
Bzzz!
"Ha. My Jinho's such a rascal."
Her phone buzzed. She smiled and checked it, but...
"...Why no message?"
Her face fell. It wasn't from Jinho.
"Hasn't landed yet...?"
Moments later, staring blankly at her phone, a smile bloomed on Gyeowol's lips.
"...Stop smiling."
Maybe because it had been so long since seeing Gyeowol, but my grin wouldn't fade. She glared, but even that was adorable, making me chuckle more.
"Sigh... So, where we headed?"
Finally giving up with a long sigh, she asked. I answered without hesitation.
"Dortmund."
Swansea had made an offer, but my heart was set on Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Sure, the gap between first and second divisions mattered, but the work permit issue loomed larger. A few years back, a player named Park Tae-hee had studied abroad at Reading via the elite program, only to hit a work permit wall blocking pro contracts, forcing a move to Valenciennes in Ligue 1.
No point studying somewhere I can't turn pro.
Signing pro with the study team was better for me—and for Gyeowol living with me. Adapting wasn't easy.
Well... if Gyeowol wanted England, Swansea was an option.
"Then yeah~ Your England debut's gotta be in red!"
Luckily, she nodded happily with my choice. Liverpool's red too... Better not say that. I quietly dug into the soy sauce crab from my mother-in-law.
With Dortmund set, days flew by in study prep. Not for me, though—for the federation staff.
I was busy dating Gyeowol all day.
Well, time flew then too, but slower than for the staff pushing my abroad stint.
KFA staff sent official letters to FIFA's ethics committee for approval, requested docs from Dortmund, forwarded them back to FIFA, rechecked Coach Choi Gi-hyeon's character while he was at a regional tourney, hired a local German interpreter, and distributed promo materials to media.
Once my abroad news hit, they fielded complaint calls from parents—"Why not my kid?"—plus rebuttals to pro clubs and academies accusing them of poaching prospects.
Hard to believe all this for just sending me to Germany.
Oh, and since I had no agent, Dortmund even scouted a school and house near the stadium for me and Gyeowol.
"Alright! To Germany!"
Finally, with everyone's efforts, departure day arrived. We headed to Incheon Airport.
And then...
"...Anyone going abroad without a passport? It's me."
Our self-proclaimed virtuous coach Choi Gi-hyeon had an expired passport, unaware, so he needed a reissue—delaying our flight.