Chapter 3
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 3
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Desperately Wants Soccer
On the way to Gocheokdong for the Seoul UTD tryout, thanks to the director of the early morning soccer club.
Wouldnt Suwon be better if were doing a tryout in Seoul anyway?
Dad kept bringing up Suwon Daeseong, clearly not thrilled about me trying out for the Seoul UTD youth team.
Would you say something that makes sense! How would we even get back and forth?
We could just move.
You think moving money falls from the sky?!
If we sold the house now
What would we even say to Grandpa and Maternal Grandfather?
The house we lived in now had been bought together by Grandpa and Maternal Grandfather, who wanted to enjoy the happiness of having four grandchildren close by.
Ah but Seoul is ah
Dad kept grumbling regretfully, but he had no real power behind it.
A powerless head of household in this era
I wanted to comfort him, but I was against moving to Suwon too.
It didnt matter where I went, but the problem was elsewhere.
Oppa, if you pass today, does that mean you become a soccer player now?
Yeoreum, wait?
Next year, second child Gaeul would start elementary school, and fiveyearold Yeoreum, who was happily in kindergarten, would have to adjust to a new place after moving.
Forget Yeoreumeven Gaeul had been sent to an attached kindergarten to help her adjust to elementary school, so throwing that all away felt wrong.
Mom, rest!
On top of that, I hated the idea of Mom struggling to move with three kids, including the threeyearold youngest, Gyeoul.
Dad, Ill do so well that I debut overseas, not in Seoul.
Whoa! Our sons so cool! Yeah, that sounds good. Honey, overseas players are better than domestic ones, right?
No, then wed have to emigrate!
Ah, that was another issue.
No choice then! Wed emigrate for our eldest son!
Ah but why not Suwon
Enough.
Okay.
Mom scolded Dad, who was pouting, reminding him that we already had five kids to raise.
Hahaha.
Even after seven years back, seeing them like this still made me happy and content.
Mom, Dad.
Yeah? What is it, son?
What?
Wouldnt it be great if I did well at the tryout later?
Of course, obviously!
How well should I do? Would being the best be good enough?
Thatd be perfect!
Dad said it with a serious face at Moms words.
It wont be easy, though. I heard they make you play a match against the kids there right away.
Really? Arent the kids already on the team ones whove been playing soccer for a long time?
Well some start as early as kindergarten. Anyway, it wont be easy.
Hmm, really?
I flashed a meaningful smile that only I understood as we soon arrived at Gocheok Sky Dome.
The kids wearing redandblack Seoul uniforms were already gathered on the field, huddled together playing a passing game.
Ah, artificial turf after so long.
The last time Id played on it was probably before retirement, during a charity event in Korea with kids.
The slickness different from watered natural grass, and the rubber crumbs scattered thick between the bladesit all came back to me.
Ah, these rubber crumbs get in your shoes and bug you.
Is this the kid Director Jo Bongsu mentioned?
As I stepped onto the grass in the new soccer cleats Dad bought me, a man in Seoul training gear approached Dad.
Director Jo Bongsu was an acquaintance of the early morning soccer club president and coached the U15s.
Yes, thats right.
Yeah, Im Jeong Hanyul, coach for Dream of Seoul UTD. Is this the kid who wants to try out?
Hello, Im Yoon Taeyang.
Jeong Hanyul looked at me and grinned.
You seem so polite and spirited. Taeyang, huh? Do you like soccer?
Yes! I love it!
Have you played with friends before?
Not yet.
I see
Jeong Hanyuls expression clouded.
No surprisehe wouldnt be pleased hearing no experience.
Do you know the rules?
Yes, I know the rules! I watch soccer matches every day.
Good. Today, youll play soccer with those kids over there. Think you can do it?
Yes.
With that, Jeong Hanyul handed me a uniform.
It was a blank Seoul uniform, no markings.
Any position you want to play, Taeyang?
Position, huh.
In my past life, I started as a winger.
But with all sorts of injuries and bad bulking, I became a center forward, then a midfielder, then a defensive midfielder before retiring.
Everything except defender.
But I didnt want to play defense.
Financially speaking, attackers had the highest salaries anyway.
Attacker!
Alright, lets start with attacker then. Go change and come back?
Jeong Hanyul nodded readily.
I went with Dad to change.
As I stripped off my clothes and put on the uniform, Dad said to me.
Son, think you can do well?
Well see.
Tch youre my son, but why are you so calm? Someone might think youve been playing pro for ten years.
I felt a little guilty inside.
Dad grinned at my silence, tied my cleat laces tight, and tucked the shin guards into my socks as he spoke.
Dadll cheer you on from behind. You know I was joking about Suwon, right? Dont worry about mejust give it your all. Got it?
Yes, Dad.
I came back out onto the field with Dad.
Despite the chilly weather, the kids on the field were warming up hard, cheeks flushed, oblivious to the cold.
I went to warm up too, but Gaeul grabbed my hand.
Whats up, Gaeul?
Oppa, do your best!
Gaeul, with cheeks as red as the running kids inside and a serious face, was adorable as always.
Shed definitely grow up to be a stunning beauty.
No way Im letting her marry.
Yeoreum, byebye!
Oppa, go! Do it!
With Gaeul cheering, Yeoreum and Gyeoul told me to do well too.
Now I had no choice but to show them something awesome.
Son, its your first time playing soccer, so dont push too hard and dont get hurt. Okay?
After Moms final cheer, I stepped onto the field.
Hey, are you good at soccer?
As I started running alongside the kids, one looked at me and asked.
Dunno. Why?
If you dont know, whyd you come?
Whyd you come?
Me? Cause Im good.
Then same for me.
You look like youll suck. You look like a girl.
This punk.
I got pissed for a second, but let it go.
Whew, hes just a kid. Falling for a kids taunt isnt adult behavior.
Act like an adult, Taeyang.
I ignored the punk picking on me and finished warming up.
Come to think of it, there werent many kids.
It was a joint U12 sixthgrade class training today, but including me, only 16 in total.
U12s were actually a paid academy, so not many made sense.
It was pricier than expected.
Seouls official youth team started at U15, middle schoolers.
Do well here, and Id be a provisional accept for Seouls U15, Oseong Middle School soccer team.
Son, fighting!
Standing at the front in a vest, Mom cheered me on.
I grinned back at Mom and looked aheadthere was the punk from earlier.
Opponent side, huh.
Perfect.
Hey, dont show offwhen I pass you the ball, pass it right back to me. Got it?
But this time, it was a teammate picking a fight.
I didnt bother replying.
Id be the one receiving passes anyway.
Tweet!
The whistle blew.
At the sound, our teams punk passed to me and yelled Pass back!
Yeah, nah.
I took off dribbling.
Jeong Hanyul, whose life goal was to coach the first team, sighed inwardly as he watched the U12 players.
Handling the kids in the Dream of Seoul academy wasnt easy.
They were students he had to teach, but also paying customers.
Strict education was tough with hovering parents, and even assigning positions freely was hard.
He had to do exactly what the parents wanted.
No way proper youth players came out like this.
At least not in the five years hed coached U12.
Not a single promotion to U15.
Same now.
So he hadnt expected much from todays tryout kid either.
Director Jo Bongsu said to test him, but the kid had zero playing experience.
Sure enough.
Right after he blew the whistle, the kid boldly dribbled forward.
Wait, with eight ahead, what was he planning to do with dribbling?
Dribbling was decent, but soccer wasnt a solo sport.
Huh?
In the midst of it, he shook off the frontmost kid with a light body feint.
What, he said it was his first time?
But that was it.
Next, two blocked the path, and the shaken kid took the rear, forming a triangle.
The pressure training on these disobedient kids was paying off.
That was the moment.
The kid named Taeyang, whod looked flustered rolling the ball around, started toward one kid.
In this team, a defensively talented kid whose parents were okay with defender for U15 official entry.
Of all people, he goes for that one.
The instant.
Taeyang switched right, accelerating at startling speed.
The direct opponent panicked at the surprise burst.
As the kid turned a beat late, the one beside tried a sliding tackle on Taeyang.
Taeyang seemed to predict it, lofting the ball forward lightly and hopping over the sliding kid effortlessly.
Now, four left excluding the keeper.
With just four defending, the wide field let Taeyang run free.
Jeong Hanyuls eyes changed at Taeyangs unexpected display.
Fast feet, and barely slows with the ball.
Good dribbling, quick feet, speed holds with ball?
Worthy of high marks already.
Side or center, counter or notspeed was a huge weapon for soccer players.
But shaking four lack of experience, maybe?
Seemed like Taeyang didnt know soccer enough to pass, as four blocked his path.
Pass already!
Wasting time forcing a breakthrough was dumb.
But the clueless? Taeyang charged straight in.
What he unleashed on the headon defender
Free Flap?
A perfect one, fooling the eyes and breaking balance.
He didnt stop.
As two crossed like rabbit herders to block, he rainbow flicked the ball over and spun, bypassing both in one go.
One left.
Taeyang stopped.
The kid, staggering back from the monstrous dribbling and keeping distance, froze in confusionand blocked the keepers view.
Taeyang didnt miss, striking the ball.
The shot arced like a rainbow, sucking straight into the top corner.
From whistle to shaking six, curling past two for goal just over a minute.
Stunned by the absurd performance, Jeong Hanyul asked Taeyangs father, Yoon Jiseong.
FFirst time playing soccer, right?
YYes.
Jiseong, seeing his son play seriously for the first time, barely managed to reply, dazed.
Yeoreum, best!
Best!!
Meanwhile, only the third and youngest cheered thumbsup, blissfully ignorant.