Prologue: Fired and Dumped
#1 Prologue
“You’ve worked hard. Good luck.”
The club manager patted my shoulder lightly.
Getting my release notice the moment the final match of the season ends...
I feel once again just how cold-blooded the professional world is.
I packed my things from the locker.
No tears came.
To be honest, I had expected them to release me.
Ever since joining the team this year, 2036, I hadn't even made a debut throughout the entire season—I barely managed three appearances as a substitute...
And that was on a team that finished dead last in K League 2.
“You’re only twenty-two, there are still plenty of chances.”
“You’ve got a great physique and athletic ability. Just find a good team, work hard, and you'll make it.”
“Good luck.”
Everyone offered a word of comfort as I left, but none of it actually felt comforting.
I trudged powerlessly back to my studio apartment.
This 280-square-foot room would have to be cleared out in a few days, too.
“Haa... what now...”
I collapsed onto the bed and let out a low sigh.
The future looked bleak.
Since I was released by the bottom-tier team in K League 2, the chances of landing another spot in the second division were slim.
That meant I'd have to drop down to the semi-pro K3 League or lower, where the pay is meager.
Only a limited number of players receive a monthly salary; usually, you only get paid if the team wins.
Some teams pay for training sessions, but those are few and far between.
If I can't secure a salaried contract, it means I’ll have to work a second job or beg my parents for help.
I closed my eyes and drifted into thought.
How much time passed?
Ding!
I snapped my eyes open at the notification sound.
Checking my phone, I felt a mix of relief and bewilderment.
Misfortunes never come alone. God must be screwing me over for sure.
...Fuck.
“You ignore my texts and calls for ten hours, and now you say 'let's break up'? Just like that over a message? Not even in person?”
“......”
“Hey, Jeong Ha-yoon. At least give me a reason. Why? What did I do wrong?”
I didn't want to beg pathetically, but I had to hold onto this woman, Jeong Ha-yoon, no matter what.
Standing 5'6"—not short—with striking double eyelids, big eyes, full lips, and fair skin.
With a bob haircut that suited her cute, round face, D-cup breasts with pink nipples like ripe fruit, a slim waist, plump thighs, and wide hips.
Possessing both cuteness and sexiness, Jeong Ha-yoon fit my ideal type more than any girlfriend I’d ever had.
“You really want to know?”
Looking up at me, Jeong Ha-yoon’s eyes and voice held not a shred of warmth.
“Yeah. I need to hear it.”
To be honest, I didn't want to hear it. I just wanted to hold onto her blindly.
Because if... the reason she wanted to break up was what I suspected...
I would never be able to hold onto her.
“Haa.”
Jeong Ha-yoon let out a low sigh. I prayed desperately that the reason for the breakup wasn't that.
“Fine, I’ll just be the bitch then.”
My gaze was fixed solely on her full lips. Those lips parted again, as if she had reached a firm decision.
“I always wondered. Why most of your exes didn't even last six months.”
“......”
“But dating you? Now I get it. Why they all couldn't take it and left.”
Jeong Ha-yoon’s cold gaze slowly slid down from my face. Eventually, her gaze stopped at my crotch.
“It's the first time in my life I've seen one that small.”
Aaah...
“I felt nothing, but faking it every night started to give me a reality check at some point. It’s amazing how that handsome face becomes so average once night falls.”
“......”
“You have such a high sex drive that you pounce every time, but it felt like watching a puppy in heat. If I said I didn't want to, you’d sulk. Why do I have to soothe that every time? That’s what I started thinking.”
Daggers flew into my heart. Daggers that would never come out.
“I learned thanks to you what people mean when they say sexual chemistry is important. Honestly, I hoped you’d notice first... but you had no clue...”
“......”
“I still tried my best to make things work with you in my own way, okay? But my feelings kept fading. Especially whenever I saw that tiny thing, my attraction just died.”
“......”
“Is that enough of a reason?”
In this moment, I couldn't say a word. I didn't even have the strength to hold her back.
I just... stood there like a withered tree.
“Don’t contact me again.”
Jeong Ha-yoon slipped away through the narrow alley between the buildings. I stared blankly at the sky and bit my lip hard. I hated myself so much.
Standing 6'1". Excellent athletic ability. Even a handsome face to top it off.
I was born with conditions everyone would envy, but there was no substance inside. Soccer skills that were nowhere near enough to succeed professionally. 1 inch flaccid, 3 inches erect, and don't even get me started on the girth—a real loser dick.
...Why on earth did the Creator make me like this? If you're going to give, give it all.
“Ha... fuck...”
I thought our chemistry was good. Every time we had sex, Jeong Ha-yoon would make lewd moans and show me her eyes rolling back in ecstasy. To think that was all acting.
“...Let's just go home.”
After standing in that narrow alley for a long time, I turned away lonely. Traces of Jeong Ha-yoon were still scattered throughout the small studio apartment. The bed still held the faint scent of the perfume she loved to wear.
I collapsed onto the bed without even washing up. Riiiing! My phone suddenly started screaming. It was my mom. She was probably calling to tell me I did a good job and to ask if I’d been released.
Right now... I didn't want to say anything. After switching the phone to silent mode, I tossed it far away. Then I pulled the covers up to my chin and squeezed my eyes shut.
I suddenly thought it would be better if I just fell asleep like this and never woke up again.
“This is absolute bullshit...”
Lucid dream. A term for a dream where you are aware that you are dreaming.
I had never had a lucid dream in my entire life. But tonight, the moment I stood on this vast, blue grass for no apparent reason, I knew immediately that this was a dream.
It made sense. It was so huge that I couldn't even see where the soccer field ended. The surroundings were stained black as if ink had been poured over them. The sky was the same. Even though there wasn't a single light, the grass was emitting a glow as if it were bioluminescent.
Thud! Thud!
Someone entered my view. They were juggling a ball—ball lifting—but they didn't look human. A massive build, fur covering their entire body, and orange skin. As soon as I saw it, a word flashed in my mind for no reason: Goblin.
Whoosh!
After finishing the juggling, the goblin kicked the ball far away. The ball was sucked into a goal that had appeared out of nowhere. Swish! The net shook violently, and the goblin showed a satisfied smile. And at that moment—
Rooooar!
Suddenly, the background changed. I had been moved to the spectator stands. This new setting, which had turned into a massive stadium, was packed with a dense crowd of spectators. The heat from their cheering was almost overwhelming.
Thud! Thud!
The infinite field had changed into a standard pitch. Twenty-two players were battling fiercely, but my gaze was fixed on only one player. It wasn't by my own will. As if someone had forcibly fixed it, my gaze followed only that player's movements. Then, at some point, I began to watch only that player of my own accord. I had no choice.
Whoosh! Swish!
Beyond flashy skills, his play broke through the opponent's pressure with a single first touch. A level of perfection without a single mistake, as if he completely saw through how and where the opposing defenders would move. His dribbling, technique, precise shooting, and outstanding clinical finish were like watching Ronaldo, while his ball trapping, escaping pressure, passing, and creativity were reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane. When defending, he reminded me of Virgil van Dijk in his prime, a literal brick wall. Seeing the plays of legendary players I had only seen in YouTube highlights unfold right before my eyes, I couldn't look away for even a second.
Attack or defense—ruling the pitch without being bound by position, he truly played like a "soccer god."
Whoosh! Swish!
How much time passed? While watching the goblin’s miraculous play, these words slipped out of my mouth before I knew it.
“I want to play like that too...”
If I could show that kind of performance, I’d be a starter on the team instead of sitting on the bench, and pro clubs would be screaming to take me. Just as this desire filled my head—
‘...Huh?’
Suddenly, everything around me vanished. And what appeared before my eyes again was that infinite grass field I had first seen. The goblin was standing there too... staring straight at me.
Gulp!
Dry spit naturally went down my throat. Even though I knew it was a dream, I felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Soon, the goblin's lips parted.
“Do you want my soccer skills?”
As soon as I heard this question, my head nodded automatically. I wanted it. With that skill, I wanted to become a truly great soccer player and live an epic life for once.
“In exchange, there's a condition.”
The goblin lifted his chin. Finally, a massive wart dangling from the bottom of his chin came into view.
“You take this wart. That’s the condition.”
I tilted my head slightly. Wait a minute. Isn't this the folklore where a goblin takes away a wart because he's impressed by an old man's singing?
“What do you say?”
I didn't think long. Honestly, it was just a funny situation to even think about. It was only a dream, after all.
“Yes. I'll do it.”
Polite speech came out. I couldn't help it. The goblin’s stature and majesty were too overwhelming to speak casually.
“Good.”
The goblin smirked. That smile felt somewhat suspicious, but I didn't care much. I just hoped this dream wouldn't break here. I wanted to inherit those soccer skills and play like a soccer god at least once.
“It might hurt a bit. But you'll be fine.”
A massive club materialized in the goblin's hand. Swinging it around, the goblin approached me and then swung it with all his might. I couldn't move or dodge. My body was completely frozen as if it were stuck in place.
Whoosh!
The club sliced through the air toward me. And in that moment, I let out a scream.
“N-Nooooo!”
Wait, why the hell are you swinging that club at my dick?!
Splat!
“Gaaah...”
“...Aaaaah!”
I bolted upright. I could feel my back was soaking wet, likely from cold sweat. I gasped for air repeatedly.
“Huff... huff...”
I could hear the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.
“What kind of fucked-up dream was that...”
Strangely, my crotch was throbbing. It wasn't quite pain, but there was a somewhat unpleasant feeling. How should I put it? It felt like being stung by a bee.
“Hooo...”
After a few minutes, my mind finally found some peace. That unpleasantness in my crotch disappeared quickly as well. My brain must have mistaken the shock I felt in the dream for reality. I got out of bed. I felt something like the covers brushing against my thigh. Thinking it was nothing, I started walking toward the bathroom before I suddenly froze.
‘...Huh?’
Something felt strange. Why did it feel so... heavy down there?
I took off my pants in front of the bathroom. Since my body was wet anyway, I had to shower. I slowly lowered my gaze. Something thick was asserting its presence between my thighs. It looked like a sweet potato in the shape of a mushroom.
‘No way...’
I inspected it closely. My loser dick that boasted such pathetic specs was gone without a trace. And in its place sat a single, monster-like pillar. As soon as I saw it, I almost fell backward and ended my life at twenty-two. Plopping down on my butt, I wrapped my hand around my junk, my jaw dropping open.
“T-This is insane...”
Slap!
I immediately slapped my cheek. I could feel the stinging pain. That meant it wasn't a dream.
“Sh-Shit... then that wasn't a dream, it was real?”
At that moment, the words the goblin said in the dream flashed through my mind. The thing he said he’d give me in exchange for taking his wart.
“...Wait a minute.”
I sprang up from my seat. There was something I had to check.