Turning 16
***
After nearly four weeks together, the filming crew that I'd grown somewhat attached to finally left. Alone in my room, I listened to the hum of the mining rig echoing off the walls and sank into thought.
Woooong—!
There were several reasons I mined Bitcoin, but the biggest one was to keep my promise to Gyeowol.
No matter how I thought about it, it seemed impossible under the iron grip of the Glazer family.
Honestly, the best scenario would be a Qatari takeover. But those Glazer bastards wouldn't sell Manchester United for anything less than 10 billion pounds? If only I had hypnotic powers to force them to sell, but unfortunately, I didn't possess any such ability.
So, Bitcoin it was.
I had to buy Man United myself. If it weren't for that reason, the coins I'd mined before coming to Germany would have been more than enough. Anyway, to protect the prestigious club of Manchester United from dirty oil money, the Glazer family demanded 10 billion pounds.
At the time, that was nearly 17 trillion won—an astronomical sum that even Qatar spat at and turned away from without a second thought.
Normally, for that kind of acquisition price, anyone would buy and build up some other Premier League team instead of Man United.
But I was different. To keep the promise with the person I loved, it had to be Man United—no other club would do. Unlike Qatar, which could acquire any team whenever they wanted with their half-hearted attitude, I had no choice.
The problem was that staggering 17 trillion...
If I poured every penny I earned and my inheritance into Bitcoin and skyrocketing stocks, it seemed possible to scrape together enough for the takeover somehow.
After winning the Big Ear once, I'd have to recoup the losses by siphoning dividends from Man United, just like the Glazers did.
Well, that was a future problem—who knew what would happen? For now, I needed as many weapons in my arsenal as possible.
That's why, even today, I became a lone miner, diligently digging for Bitcoin.
Click.
All it really involved was clicking the mouse, though.
"...This is money duplication."
The money was duplicating rapidly. Sure, the mining output would dwindle over time...
But since it was still the early days of Bitcoin, and Satoshi hadn't implemented halvings yet, the rig spewed out coins just from the heat it generated.
"...But what if the Glazers won't sell even for 10 billion pounds?"
I stared at the Bitcoin piling up in my wallet, then suddenly imagined the worst-case scenario.
"Nah... no way."
I shook my head frantically to banish the dark thought.
Two weeks had passed since the SBK crew returned to Korea, and the premiere of the program featuring Son Jinho was approaching.
It was around the time Son Heung-min was making waves at Hamburg, slowly drawing more Korean interest to the Bundesliga.
SBK promoted the Son Jinho program by tagging keywords like 'Son Heung-min', 'Cha Boom-geun', and 'Park Ji-sung'.
To the TV execs, the fact that Son Jinho was a midfielder meant nothing. They were the type who'd sell their souls to the devil for higher ratings.
With those kinds of people running the show, it was no surprise that promo posts popped up in the Hoo Gallery, where Son Jinho's fans gathered.
The posts had a viral vibe, but for Hoo fans starved of new content, virality didn't matter. They were just thrilled for fresh fodder to stan.
A few days later, the broadcast the Hoo bros had been eagerly awaiting finally began.
On KkureHoo's monitor, a tense high school girl waved stiffly at the camera.
Heartwarming exchanges like these warmed the viewers' hearts. As the main episode wrapped up, the preview played on the monitor.
Son Jinho's broadcast wrapped up successfully. For a four-episode pilot, it got a decent run, averaging 6% ratings.
It didn't explode like PD Kim Hyun-deok had boasted, but it didn't flop either.
It even buzzed among soccer fans and parents eyeing soccer study abroad for their kids.
Still, since he'd so confidently pushed for Germany, he had to write a memo of apology and explain himself a bit.
"Everyone! What sets us apart from other networks? We receive precious license fees from the public, don't we?!"
"SBK must invest in the future, not the present, to honor those fees! Imagine how valuable this footage will be when Son Jinho becomes Korea's—no, the world's—top sports star!"
With his silver tongue, PD Kim Hyun-deok survived unscathed once more.
December 24, 2010. Park Kwang-rae, coach of the Korean national team, announced the final 23-man Asian Cup roster for January.
I wasn't on the Asian Cup roster, but it made perfect sense. Even Coach Han Gwang-jong, pushed by the federation, faced backlash calling me up for U-19. For the senior team—not even U-23—it was too soon; I hadn't proven enough yet.
Had I debuted in the Bundesliga, maybe, but sadly, I wasn't old enough.
Anyway, I set aside the disappointment and focused on the present. I trained diligently with Dortmund's coaches, following a schedule optimized for my body.
Christmas was spent dating Gyeowol, and before I knew it, the year turned—I'd hit 16.
Thanks to my future knowledge and the coaches' efforts, my growth spurt came faster than last time.
Balanced weights that didn't hinder development synergized with puberty, transforming my body daily.
"...Jinho got huge."
"So, who's the little bro now?"
"...Tch."
I stroked Gyeowol's pouty lips and called softly.
"Gyeowol."
"...What."
"Can't you grow a bit taller? Petting your head's getting awkward."
Being tall had its downsides. I teased her with a playful grin.
"Ugh—! So humiliating!" Han Gyeowol balled her fists, trembling.
I wanted to quip that it matched her chest size—like that legendary line about leaders needing weight—but she was indeed weighty.
Anyway, even at 16, my routine barely changed. I was still with the U-19s, not promoted—not due to lack of skill, but age restrictions.
Dortmund lamented my youth. After I demolished the youth league, they proposed to the German Football League (DFL) lowering the limit to 16.
It would take time for a decision, of course.
I wasn't worried about approval. In the 2010/11 U-19 West League, I'd played 8 games: 14 goals, 6 assists—insane stats.
Especially meaningful: consistent points every match, not just against weak teams. Proof I'd outgrown U-19.
So, I eagerly awaited the DFL's verdict. Fastest? At least three months.
April 5. Exactly three months since Dortmund requested the age change from the DFL.