Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Nice Pass!
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"Phew."
Finally, a peaceful day was beginning.
The atmosphere at school had calmed down and brightened up now that exams were over...
And most importantly, all the annoying people had vanished.
Of course, the aftermath of that OnlyFans comment was still lingering a bit...
But there was nothing to be done about that. It'd get better with time...
"Mm-hmm."
Anyway, with exams done, I suddenly had a ton of free time.
Classes themselves were still boring as ever...
But I was killing time at the PC bang or reading books. It was so peaceful...
The library.
Truth be told, I didn't really like reading books.
But ever since high school, when I'd flee to the library, it had become a habit...
For some reason, being in the university library brought me a sense of peace.
The library where I'd hide from the delinquents...
They'd never come up to the library, so it was my sanctuary.
Of course, once they found out, they started hounding me there relentlessly... Heh heh...
【Massage Studies - Understanding the Body】
Lately, I'd been reading a book on massage techniques.
I was looking for something to read when it caught my eye.
It was a book with a very deep history for me...
Back in high school, the delinquents would often demand massages.
"Hey, rub my shoulders."
"Hey, massage my legs."
"Hey, give me a head massage," and so on...
A mandatory ordeal for any loser... Delinquents' massages...
I'd gotten compliments for being good at it thanks to the skills I'd learned massaging my parents as a kid...
But the delinquents wanted even more intense, satisfying massages. Those damn bastards...
"Hey, they even have books like this in the library?"
They'd say that and bring me a massage book...
I'd never forget the look on our shuttle alliance's faces when we received it.
A look like, "What the fuck is this...?"
Girls who never set foot in the library had dragged themselves there just to find this. Vicious bitches...
Anyway, that's the history behind this massage book.
It wasn't like some slave instinct had kicked in and made me seek it out again...
It just caught my eye.
I was thinking, "Nothing to read..." and spotted that book from high school, so I picked it up absentmindedly.
It wasn't for practicing service or anything...
I'd always had stiff necks and shoulders since I was little, so I figured I'd learn some self-massage techniques.
Of course, it was a little fun too.
It didn't just teach massage; it explained body structure, force directions, muscle anatomy, and such.
Damn. Back in the day, I wouldn't have even touched it, but has my brain gone haywire...?
Reading it was enjoyable. Ever since Texas Hold'em, it felt like my brain structure had changed...
I was also checking out novels, comics, soccer books, and all sorts.
The only downside was how tough it was climbing up to the library...
But there were so many sweet spots for killing time. The PC bang always left this weird smell on my clothes...
"Yawn."
Should I head down?
There was still some time before class... Time to snack and watch YouTube.
As I headed down, a familiar noise rang out.
"Hey! Pass it here, pass!"
"You idiot! Kick it straight, straight!"
...What the hell.
S... Seniors. No sooner had exams ended than they were playing soccer...
"Not here, kick it this way! This way!"
"Urgh!"
Ugh... Shouting loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood... My cheeks are flushing.
A quick glance showed about ten guys. Seemed like a casual game.
If they spotted me, they'd drag me in for sure... I hugged the opposite side and tiptoed past.
Heading down like a ninja from that wuxia novel I just read. Stealth mode!
"Huh? That's Jun-hyung."
...Fuck. Stealth my ass...
Why do these guys have such sharp eyes...?
Weren't they focused on soccer? How do they spot me so fast...?
"Jun-hyung?"
"Junnie?"
No sooner had one say it than the seniors' heads whipped around like zombies.
Ugh... Uwaaah!
"Hey! Junnie! Let's play soccer!"
"We were short a guy! Perfect timing! Come here!"
Urghhh...
What, do they have motion sensors or something...? Why do they always spot me instantly...?
"Yo, Jun-hyung. How'd exams go?"
The seniors greeted me warmly. Hello, seniors...
"P... Pretty decent, I think."
"Yeah? Exams are over, time to kick some ball."
"Y... Yeah..."
No right to refuse...
Can't lie about having class. They'd already caught my schedule once...
"Yo, 6v6 ain't bad?"
"Seniors, four more guys are coming right after their last class."
"Cool? Four more and we're perfect. Call 'em up."
Are they possessed by soccer demons? Why this obsession!!!
I trudged over, loosening up, and waited a bit.
In the meantime, they'd even brought proper uniforms. These guys were dead serious...
"Seniors!!! We're here!!!"
"You cuties!! Hurry up!!"
"Yes, sir!!"
A short wait, and four more rushed in as reinforcements.
This is gonna be even tougher, damn it... Sure, more people means I can hang back...
"Shall we start while we wait for the rest?"
"Yes!"
These soccer fanatics...
I fell back to defense.
Short on numbers, so I ended up covering most of defense... But better than up front. Too intense there.
"Jun-hyung! Let's do this!"
"Y... Yeah..."
Damn, the goalie was a third-year senior, so no slacking...
He'd volunteered out of nowhere, and now my back was exposed...
If... If I let one through, I'm dead...
"Hey, ball's coming."
Ah. A mishandled pass from the opponents rolled weakly my way.
So badly kicked, no one was chasing it...
Far off, a senior waved frantically.
"Jun-hyung! Kick it here! Here!"
"No, here! Kick it here!"
At least agree among yourselves...
I stopped the ball with my foot and glanced ahead.
Suddenly, that soccer book I'd read came to mind.
What was it again...?
To kick far and hard, the plant foot is key...
"..."
"The reason beginners fail? They're kicking with their toes.
They call it the 'pig nose, triangle toe.' Always trying with the tip. Don't.
Instep. Instep. Instep every time.
Don't worry. Toes won't break. Drive deep, kick deep. Then it works."
Left direction... 45 degrees...
I took a deep breath, recalling the book's advice.
Plant foot down... Instep!
Thwack.
A clean sound rang out as the ball soared far toward the senior.
O... Oh... It... It worked?
"Ooh, nice pass!"
It veered a bit off from what I'd aimed... But close enough.
Went even farther, but the senior chased and controlled it fine...
I wiggled my foot, grinning sheepishly. Huh... Feels easier with fewer people?
Something was off today.
Thwack!
"Nice pass!"
Thwack.
"Good one, Jun-hyung!"
Thwack.
"Fucking nailed it, Jun-hyung!"
Somehow, every kick was flying true.
What was going on?
I was just following the soccer book's tips... And everything was working perfectly.
Sure, accuracy was still iffy, and under pressure it'd fly the wrong way sometimes...
But definitely flying better than before.
I'd watched soccer books and YouTube before... But never this good. What gives?
Maybe my brain grasped how to apply the book's advice faster now...
"..."
"..."
"..."
After successive perfect passes, the seniors froze.
First couple, no big deal. "Good, Jun-hyung! Nice pass!"
But four, five times in a row to the perfect spot? Their reactions changed.
Question mark faces.
Thwack.
Another precise cross...
The seniors hesitated mid-receive.
Thud... Thud... The ball rolled past the senior. Silence fell.
"What the fuck is this guy?"
"Hey, pause the game."
The seniors stopped dead serious, staring at me. Uh... Bad feeling...
"Hey, what the hell, seriously?"
One senior charged over with a tiger-like glare.
"What'd you do? What trick? Did you eat Messi? Who'd you kill and swallow?"
"I... Just... Suddenly feeling it today,"
His face turned demonic. Eek!
"You're not Yi Jun-hyung. Not my junior. Give me back Jun-hyung! Peel that face off!!"
Kwaaaah!!! My face!! My skin!!!
Other seniors piled on, mauling me.
"Jun-hyung! You in there? Come out! It's your senior! I'll save you!!"
"Kwaaak! Senior!!! It's me!"
"Don't bullshit! Spit out Yi Jun-hyung! Puke him up!"
"Nwaaaah! It's luck! Luck!"
"Six in a row ain't luck, you punk!!! "
My flesh!!
After tearing into me for a while, the seniors calmed and signaled halt. Game over... I collapsed rolling. My body... My skin...
"Hey, everyone gather. Emergency meeting."
"Agreed."
The seniors huddled up...
They glanced at me, whispering. Wh... What. This ominous vibe.
"Hey. Think about putting Yi Jun-hyung in the tournament. Seriously."
"Pass ain't bad... But weak under pressure."
"We train him. Or cover for him. Time left, right? No one in our department kicks like this."
"Myeong-jun's there, but..."
"He needs to run the wing. Can't pass every time."
Something bad brewing. Very bad for me... Gonna get dragged into hassle... Bad premonition...
Whip, whip, whip.
Seniors turned to me in unison.
"Jun-hyung. Come here."
"Y... Yeah..."
A senior slung an arm around me, gazing skyward.
"Jun-hyung. Our department has a tragic tale."
"..."
S... Sounds like a story I don't wanna hear.
Ignoring me, he continued.
"Five straight years of runner-up in the soccer tournament. That's the tragedy..."
"I... I see."
No relation to me whatsoever. The words rose to my throat, but I swallowed them.
"The fourth-years just graduated in tears.
"Win it for us," they said..."
"...Yeah..."
Did... Did they skip job hunting for soccer...?
"But now we can fulfill that wish. Five years' worth."
"...H... How?"
I gulped. Please say no...?
"If our Jun-hyung rolls like a dog."
"..."
Suddenly, seniors surrounded me.
Fearsome shadows loomed.
Eh... E... ? I flinched back, but a huge hand clamped my back.
"Our Jun-hyung... You'll obey your seniors, right?"
Cold sweat poured down.