The 15-Year-Old's First Love - Part 1
Seven years ago, in the middle of summer.
That day, middle schooler Seo-eun’s heart was pounding as fiercely as the red devil T-shirt she wore over her school uniform.
It was the first time in South Korean history that the national team had reached the World Cup final.
Thanks to every school ending classes early after the morning session, she had settled into a neighborhood patbingsu shop with three of her friends, waiting for the match that would begin shortly.
Timid and introverted by nature, Seo-eun found the rowdy collective cheering unfolding on the streets a little overwhelming.
That was why she felt far more comfortable and at ease in this cozy space with her close friends.
She had never paid much attention to soccer before, but in an atmosphere where the entire nation could talk of nothing but Namgoong Min, she naturally began watching him.
And in a single instant, she fell for him completely.
The sight of Namgoong Min warming up in his national team uniform on the screen felt almost unreal.
At 192 centimeters tall with model-like features that surpassed even celebrities and idols, his career—breaking into England’s Premier League at a young age and dominating ever since—was nothing short of astonishing.
Seo-eun cheered for him with a mixture of admiration and the shy flutter of first love.
A touch of nationalistic pride came as a bonus.
In Seo-eun’s eyes, Namgoong Min was more than just a player; he was the perfect prince who seemed to possess everything.
Even amid the buzzing chatter inside the patbingsu shop, her gaze remained fixed solely on him on the screen.
The opponent in the final was one of the strongest soccer nations in the world—Spain.
Known as the “Invincible Armada,” they had advanced through both the qualifiers and the tournament undefeated, currently sitting at the top of the FIFA rankings.
Since Namgoong Min had joined the national team, South Korea had made a dramatic leap in the rankings, yet they still hovered at ninth place.
At this time, Namgoong Min was already being hailed as an unprecedented soccer genius in Korean history.
He had taken a seventh-tier English league team all the way to the Premier League, swept every cup competition including the Champions League, and even claimed the Ballon d’Or—showcasing his peak form.
But when comparing overall team strength, South Korea still fell far short of Spain.
Thanks to Min’s dazzling performances, they had miraculously reached the final, yet as the matches progressed, opposing teams had begun to focus their defense heavily on him. His teammates’ abilities were noticeably inferior to those of the other powerhouses.
With most soccer experts and bookmakers giving Spain an overwhelming 80-to-20 chance of victory, the Korean public pinned all their hopes on Namgoong Min alone, desperately praying for a miracle.
Finally, the final match began, and the South Korean national team players stepped onto the pitch.
The camera immediately zoomed in on Namgoong Min standing at the center.
At the sight of him in his red uniform, staring forward with intense eyes, Seo-eun and her friends inside the patbingsu shop let out high-pitched screams.
“Wow! He’s insane—Namgoong Min is seriously so freaking handsome!”
“Look at those proportions! He’s a model, a total model! The uniform fits him completely differently!”
Being teenage girls, they focused entirely on his celebrity-like appearance, repeatedly gushing about how cool he was.
Min Seo-eun cheered along with her friends, but her heart was racing even harder, trembling with shy excitement.
Oppa, do your best… You have to win!
The referee’s whistle blew to start the match.
From the early minutes of the first half, both teams threw themselves into the game with everything they had.
Rough tackles and physical battles followed one after another, heightening the tension.
Around the fifteenth minute.
During a Spanish attack, a high ball was sent into the air. Namgoong Min leaped powerfully to head it away.
In the middle of the aerial duel, a Spanish defender gave him a clever shove. As Min lost his balance and began to fall, another Spanish player who had also lost his footing landed right on top of him.
At the same time, Min’s left arm was pinned beneath him and bent at a grotesque angle.
He immediately clutched his left arm and rolled across the pitch in obvious pain.
The game was briefly halted as the medical team rushed onto the field.
“If we look at the replay… Oh… his left arm was completely trapped under Baemos! It’s extremely rare to see that kind of expression on Namgoong Min’s face. This looks serious!”
Inside the patbingsu shop, Seo-eun and her friends stared at the screen with worried expressions.
“Oh no! His arm got crushed!”
“Is Namgoong Min okay? His face looks terrible!”
While her friends each chimed in, Seo-eun had both hands clamped over her mouth.
On the screen, Min was gripping his left arm, unable to hide his agony.
Oppa, please don’t be in pain… Please let it be nothing…
Seo-eun prayed desperately in her heart that his injury would be minor.
After lying on the pitch in pain for a long while, Min finally staggered upright.
Despite the medical team’s attempts to stop him, he shook his head while cradling his left arm with his right hand, clearly signaling that he intended to continue playing.
His face was still twisted in pain, but his eyes burned with determination.
“The weight of the final seems to be keeping Namgoong Min on the pitch, but continuing could lead to a far worse outcome. We can only hope he makes a careful decision.”
The real-time comment section watching the broadcast was flooded with concern.
Seo-eun and her friends couldn’t tear their eyes away from the TV screen.
Every time Namgoong Min’s face appeared, they covered their mouths and let out worried gasps.
“What do we do… what do we do…”
“Look at him grimacing every time he runs… He must be in so much pain.”
Seo-eun clenched her fists tightly.
The sight of Namgoong Min enduring the pain and returning to the pitch for his team filled her with worry, yet it also made her heart race violently.
Oppa really never gives up. No matter what kind of pain comes…
Thirtieth minute of the first half.
The Korean defense, unable to withstand Spain’s overwhelming midfield control and relentless waves of attack, finally conceded the first goal.
The Spanish supporters’ section erupted in explosive cheers, while the atmosphere inside the patbingsu shop grew heavy with disappointed sighs.
The camera zoomed in on Namgoong Min after the goal.
He had let his injured left arm hang limply at his side. His right hand rested on his hip as he gritted his teeth.
His expression showed him swallowing both pain and rage, but his eyes continued to glare fiercely at the opponent’s goal.
Even in the heavy atmosphere, Seo-eun could not look away from Min on the screen.
His unyielding spirit—refusing to crumble even in a hopeless situation and staring down the enemy—looked incredibly cool to the young girl.
Oppa… please don’t give up. I believe in you!
Around the thirty-fifth minute, Spain launched another fierce attack.
A powerful shot from a Spanish striker struck the post and bounced out. A Korean defender cleared it with all his strength.
The ball flew quickly past the halfway line, and Namgoong Min charged forward from the front with explosive speed.
Two Spanish players chased after him, but the gap widened in an instant.
The moment the ball reached him, he controlled it perfectly as if he had been waiting for it and began an incredible dribble.
With his injured left arm tucked against his body and his right hand keeping balance, his speed showed no sign of slowing.
He effortlessly evaded a defender’s tackle and kept advancing, eventually creating a one-on-one situation against the last defender and the goalkeeper.
Seo-eun and her friends shot up from their seats and screamed.
“Go! Go! Oppa, run!”
“He’s crazy, he’s crazy! Please score!”
Without slowing down, Min executed a left-foot feint against the final defender and perfectly cut to the right.
Now only the goalkeeper remained.
With everyone’s eyes glued to the screen, Min’s right foot struck the ball.
The low, fast shot flew precisely into the corner where the goalkeeper’s hand could not reach.
The entire nation of South Korea erupted in celebration.
The patbingsu shop exploded with cheers. Seo-eun found herself shedding tears without realizing it as she screamed with all her might.
In her eyes, Namgoong Min was a true hero who had overcome both pain and despair.
But in the very moment he was embracing his teammates in joy, during the intense hug, contact was made with his injured left arm.
Min’s face twisted instantly, and the camera captured the expression in a close-up.
Even as she had been jumping for joy, Seo-eun did not miss the look of pain on his face.
“Oh no…”
She stopped cheering and covered her mouth. Her joy had flipped to worry in an instant.
Oppa… even though it hurts that much…
Yet Min endured the pain, comforted his teammates, then raised only his right arm toward the Korean supporters’ section in a roar before sprinting back to his position.
Along with a pang of pity, Seo-eun felt an intense sense of awe at his transcendent willpower.
The first half reached the forty-fifth minute, and the referee signaled five minutes of added time.
In the third minute of added time.
A long pass from the Korean defense grazed a Spanish defender’s head and rolled toward the left side of the box.
Despite worrying about his injured arm, Min—who had never stopped moving—claimed the ball.
He seemed to pause for a beat, then at an unexpected moment, from roughly thirty-five meters out, he attempted a curling right-footed shot.
The patbingsu shop had already turned into complete chaos.
Seo-eun hugged her friends and cheered so wildly she nearly pounded the table.
“Waaaaah! No way! We’re leading! Oppa scored—oppa scored!”
On the screen, Min—looking as if he had forgotten the pain—raised his right hand to the sky and roared.
Oppa… really… I believed in you!
The admiration and awe she felt for him carved themselves even deeper into her heart.
Halftime.
With the first half ending in a thrilling 2-1 comeback, the excitement inside the patbingsu shop had yet to die down.
Although she was usually extremely timid and introverted, in front of her close friends Seo-eun could be quite cheerful, lively, and even a little silly.
The adorable second-year middle school girl waved both hands around, unable to contain her excitement.
“Wow… Min oppa is seriously the best! Did you see that goal? How on earth did he score like that? He really is like the god of soccer!”
Her friend Ji-eun laughed and teased her.
“Seo-eun, you’re getting all worked up again lol. But yeah, it was really cool. Hey, do you think we might actually win this?”
Another friend brought the mood back down with a worried expression.
“But is his arm going to be okay? What if he can’t play in the second half?”
At those words, the smile vanished from Seo-eun’s face.
“Yeah… I hope oppa isn’t hurting too much…”
At that moment, another friend poked Seo-eun and teased her.
“Hey hey hey, you’re calling him ‘oppa’ so naturally now? Is Namgoong Min your brother? Pfft!”
Seo-eun’s face flushed bright red, and she shot back with shy defiance.
“What are you talking about~~~~ I’m gonna kill you!”
She pretended to slap her friend playfully and burst into giggles.
Her pure, almost worshipful first love quietly deepened amid the lively chatter of halftime.
