The Sports World Turned Upside Down
The domestic sports world had been turned upside down.
Being the first Korean player ever selected in the first round was remarkable enough, but pulling off a lottery pick on top of it was something else entirely. The shock rippled out with the same force as the day a Korean joined Manchester United and became the first in the EPL. In some ways, it hit even harder.
The player who signed with United had already earned national-hero status during the 2002 World Cup and built an impressive career at PSV Eindhoven. Seo-jun, by contrast, had come out of nowhere. So suddenly, in fact, that the overwhelming majority of the public had never even heard his name until the draft results dropped. This despite the flood of articles that had run ever since his green-room invitation.
The scene at Incheon International Airport said it all.
Song Kyung-bae, a director at the Korean Basketball Association there to greet Seo-jun on behalf of the federation, found the atmosphere strangely off. Normally a player's personal fans would swarm the media zone, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. But Seo-jun had no personal fandom to speak of.
On the other hand, the number of reporters makes it look like a Hallyu idol just touched down.
The press area was packed shoulder to shoulder. Then a shout cut through the noise.
"He's coming out!"
The automatic doors of the arrival hall slid open. A blinding storm of camera flashes erupted.
"Whoa…"
Even Seo-jun was taken aback by the welcome. It was more intense than the reception he'd received after posting eleven goals and fifteen assists in a season at Everton—his first career double-digit goal tally and a 10-15 campaign in the same year.
"Lee Seo-jun! How are you feeling right now?"
"You landed a lottery pick! Did you have any prior talks with Atlanta?"
"What are your plans going forward? Please tell us!"
Questions rained down without pause. To ease the overheated atmosphere, Song Kyung-bae stepped forward himself and presented Seo-jun with a bouquet.
"Congratulations, Seo-jun. Truly."
"You came in person again, Director. Thank you."
"I've arranged a car. My secretary will pick you up once the press conference ends."
"I appreciate it. Before that, could you take Su-bin's family with you? I'd rather they avoid unnecessary media attention."
"Consider it done."
Seo-jun headed alone toward the press conference room the broadcasting station had prepared. Reporters tracked his every move, unable to look away from the young man returning home in glory. Song Kyung-bae could only shake his head.
Is this what a triumphant return looks like? Hardly.
This was still a minor event. Basketball, after all, was a sport built on powerful personal fandoms. If Seo-jun delivered a stellar performance in the upcoming NBA season, the reaction would reach an entirely different dimension. The crowds might even grow large enough to cause safety concerns.
Actually, we won't even need to wait until next season.
The Asian Games were about to begin. While baseball had the WBC and soccer the World Cup, the Asian Games represented the single biggest national-team event for domestic basketball. With Seo-jun on the roster, the excitement would reach levels the Korean game had never seen. Broadcasters were already maneuvering behind the scenes to capitalize on it.
It was three in the afternoon by the time he finally escaped the airport.
I got off the plane at ten this morning…
The whole day had simply vanished. He spent the remainder of it adjusting to the time difference. When he woke the next morning, a mouthwatering aroma teased his nose. Mother had gone all out: premium hanwoo short ribs, native Korean chicken baeksuk, and fresh Jeju hairtail. The three kings of land, sea, and air were lined up across the table in a breakfast fit for royalty. The Shin family meals had always been generous, but this was on another level. Even Mr. Shin and Su-ryeon looked stunned.
"Come, come! Seo-jun, eat up!"
"You really didn't have to go this far."
"Both you and Su-bin returned home in glory. Of course I had to!"
"Haha… I'll eat well."
Maybe it was because they'd lived together in Serbia, but he had grown used to this warm chaos. After expressing his gratitude, he picked up his chopsticks. Everyone's schedules were clear, so they could enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Mother had obviously planned it that way.
Mr. Shin gave his wife a helpless smile, then turned to Seo-jun.
"You'll be resting for a while, I assume?"
"Yes. Starting tomorrow, I'm taking about a month-long trip with my girlfriend."
"A whole month? Well, you have been apart a long time."
"It was supposed to be two weeks, but since I'm skipping summer league, we decided to extend it. We'll keep it domestic, though, in case anything urgent comes up. Call me anytime and I'll fly straight back."
"What urgent matter could there be? By the way, how are you getting around? …Come to think of it, you got your driver's license before heading to Serbia, didn't you?"
"I did. I was going to rent a car."
"No need. Use mine. You remember my SUV, right?"
"You really don't have to do that."
"Don't worry about it. I was originally going to buy Su-bin a new one, but he insisted on taking mine. So I ended up buying myself a new car instead. Su-bin doesn't have his license yet, so you might as well use it. It's only two years old—perfect condition. Though I suppose it might feel a little plain for an NBA player. Haha!"
"Not at all. In that case, thank you. I'll use it gratefully."
The conversation drifted into lighter topics. Eventually it turned to the rookie-scale contract and the need for a proper agency.
"I do need to set up with an agency. Someone has to manage my off-court schedule."
Variety-show appearances weren't on his mind yet. He had no fandom and no NBA track record. Jumping into the spotlight now would only invite criticism that he was getting ahead of himself. So he planned to use the off-season to put his house in order—pay off his parents' remaining debts, find a place in Atlanta, and settle the agency question.
He didn't urgently need an agent, but he would need a manager to keep his schedule from colliding, an accountant to handle taxes, and a training planner to line up facilities and partners in advance. An agency could bundle all of those roles.
Brings back memories.
In his previous life he had run everything himself—founded the agency, hired the agents, installed a trustworthy accountant, and personally interviewed every other employee. It had saved him a fortune by plugging every leak. But now he had no desire to shoulder that headache again.
I went through all that trouble to save money and barely got to spend any of it.
Even if a little cash bled out, he would rather join an established agency. Top celebrities didn't surround themselves with management teams for nothing. He had learned the hard way just how exhausting it was to run one personally.
"True. Those preparations are important. Especially the accountant. One slip and they'll accuse you of tax evasion. You can't rely on just one—you need at least three for cross-checking. Make sure any agency you choose has that covered."
"…"
Seo-jun studied Mr. Shin carefully.
Not a bad idea at all.
He was an ordinary, honest man. Precisely why he could be trusted.
"Mr. Shin."
"Yes?"
"How would you feel about running the agency yourself?"
"…………What?"
Silence blanketed the table.
"I'm not very good at recruiting people. If you could gather the right team and manage it, I'd feel much better."
It was a white lie. He was perfectly capable of recruiting. He simply knew how draining the process could be.
"You spent seventeen years on Daesung Group's management team."
Daesung was the country's premier conglomerate.
"I think you'd be more than qualified. What do you say?"
"Me… as agency president? Uh… well… um…"
Mr. Shin was so flustered he could barely speak. Mother jumped in immediately.
"Do it, honey!"
She had grasped the situation at once. An agency with Seo-jun attached could not fail even if it tried. Most agencies had to scramble for work, but his presence alone would bring opportunities to their doorstep. He could single-handedly keep the books in the black.
Mr. Shin seemed to understand that much, yet he still hesitated.
"It's an unbelievably good offer. Almost too good. I feel like I don't deserve it… haha…"
He thought he was receiving far more than he had given. For Seo-jun, that mindset alone was enough. Such a man would always put him first. He also wasn't the type to chase reckless expansion. As long as that remained true, the agency would never collapse.
Shin Won-hyung was the perfect choice.
"I sincerely hope you'll accept. I believe you'll do an excellent job. Don't you agree, Mother?"
"Absolutely! He may seem like a gentle soul at home, but at the office he's incredibly meticulous and talented! You saw right through him, Seo-jun!"
"Then can we consider it decided?"
"It's decided! Right, honey?"
Mr. Shin finally nodded, eyes shining with determination.
"I'll work as hard as your faith in me, Seo-jun. Trust me."
Mother practically bounced with joy.
"This is wonderful! Su-bin can join the agency too, and Su-ryeon, you can work for your father's company! You've always struggled because you studied liberal arts!"
"What's wrong with liberal arts… My GPA is solid."
Mother's excitement soared at this double blessing. "Su-ryeon, let's go to the department store after lunch! We'll order your father a new suit and pick up some groceries!"
It looked like tonight's dinner table would be groaning under the weight of even more food.
The next day, Seo-jun drove Mr. Shin's SUV toward Chuncheon with Seo-eun in the passenger seat. It was the first day of a healing trip meant to wash away the exhaustion of the season. A strange tension filled the car.
"…"
"Wow, oppa! That spot looks gorgeous. We should visit later."
"Uh, yeah."
He kept stealing glances at her.
Why?
That particular smile and heightened energy were classic signs that Lee Seo-eun's jealousy had entered stage two. Like the famously explosive grandfather from that old sitcom, her jealousy came in six distinct stages. Stage two usually corresponded to the time he had been caught watching adult videos.
He decided to confront it directly. Only one thing could have triggered her.
"Hey, Seo-eun. Is this about Su-ryeon? Because I hugged her during the draft?"
"…"
Judging by her silence, he'd hit the mark.
"It was just customary. Part of the ceremony."
"…Still. You held her pretty tightly."
She pouted, but the expression melted away soon enough. Stage two never lasted long once he soothed her. By the time they reached the hotel in Chuncheon she had completely recovered, even cheerfully asking about his mother and Su-ryeon.
"They're such wonderful people. I'd love to greet them properly and get closer. I could learn cooking from Mother, and if Su-ryeon likes volunteering, we could do it together—maybe at the dog shelter."
"That sounds perfect. Actually, I mentioned it to her the night before last. I told her you volunteer with abandoned dogs and that it might be nice to join you. She said she'd love to. Plus she has a big network of friends."
"…I see."
"What?"
Seo-eun shook her head.
"Nothing. Just confirming you stayed at their house last night."
"Well, it's not only last night."
Riding the pleasant mood, he ended up telling her everything—how they had lived together the previous year and the slightly embarrassing incidents that had occurred. Seo-eun responded with a meaningful smile.
"So that's how it was. You two lived together the whole time? And you never told me. Oppa, you're really hopeless sometimes."
"Uh-oh."
A cold sweat broke out. Before he knew it, she had advanced to stage three—the same level as the time he had spent five straight minutes praising a female idol's looks on television.
"Oh, oppa. That's the hotel I booked."
"That's the one? Great! Let's drop our bags and go catch a movie. You said there was one you wanted to see."
"Let's do that tomorrow."
"Then… how about the valley?"
"Later!"
"What about dakgalbi?"
"Not hungry."
She was openly steering him toward one specific option. The silver lining was that her jealousy never escalated into a real fight; it always ended in passionate reconciliation. The kind that left marks.
"Then… should we rest in the room for a bit?"
"Yes! You've been driving all day. Let's just stay in today."
She linked her arm through his and beamed, the picture of innocence. Looking at that pure face, it was hard to believe jealousy had ever existed.
Maybe…
she deliberately acted jealous because these moments together made her so happy.
.
.
.
After those sweet, peaceful days that left his cheeks pleasantly sore, August arrived and Seo-jun slowly resumed training. He needed to reach fifty percent of peak condition now if he wanted to hit ninety by mid-September. While he was only just beginning to dig in, Su-bin had maintained one hundred percent condition since the moment his season ended, sharpening himself like a blade.
He had to prepare for the tryout ahead of the domestic draft in September.
When Seo-jun returned from his morning workout, he found Su-bin already dressed in a sharp suit and preparing to leave.
"You're heading out already? It's in Seoul—you could take your time."
"The tryout schedule got moved up."
"I see. Why the suit?"
"I have an interview lined up afterward."
"Interviews are definitely important."
Su-bin's tryout with the Seoul Daesung Thunders. The timing was perfect.
"I'll come with you."
"You too, hyung?"
"I'm curious about the training environment here. Mother and I will cheer you on."
Seo-jun drove the whole Shin family—minus Su-ryeon—to the training facility in Seoul. Roughly twenty college players were warming up, preparing for the tryout. Most were fourth-year non-starters on the verge of graduation. If they weren't selected this year, their chances would shrink dramatically the next. They were desperate.
The truly standout college players usually skipped tryouts altogether; teams recruited them directly. In that sense, Su-bin was a special case—a freshman with European championship experience. His unusual résumé had earned him tryout invitations from all ten clubs.
"Hey, hey. That's Lee Seo-jun."
"He came with Shin Su-bin?"
"Wow… that physique is insane."
The college players whispered among themselves. The pro players did the same. Today's opposing team in the practice game would be the Seoul second squad. As Seo-jun waited quietly, the player who appeared to be the second-team captain approached.
"Nice to meet you, Seo-jun. Congratulations on the first-round selection."
"Ah, thank you."
He introduced himself as Choi Sung-hoon. From his face, he looked like a veteran who had been pushed out of the starting lineup by younger talent. He grinned.
"If it's all right with you, how about playing a game with us today? Everyone would love it."
The players watching and the front-office staff all perked up at the suggestion. Of course, Seo-jun had zero reason to accept.
"Ahaha… I'm not training at the moment."
"You can take it easy."
"Even then, it would be a distraction. Everyone else is giving their all. It wouldn't feel right."
"I said it's fine!"
Why can't he take a hint?
It was getting annoying, so Seo-jun decided to be direct.
"I'm sorry. I'm not in a position to play meaningless games—even practice ones."
"…!"
Choi Sung-hoon's face hardened. His temple twitched as he clenched his jaw.
"…Fine. I understand."
He turned and walked away, then muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"That son of a bitch is acting way too fucking high and mighty."
Giggles and laughter rippled across the gym. Comments about Seo-jun getting scared floated around. The "Lee Seo-jun bubble" theory—that Atlanta had wasted the ninth pick on him—was already a hot topic in basketball communities. This reaction was hardly surprising.
Go ahead and talk. None of it affects me.
Once the Asian Games began, he would prove everything on the court. He chose not to feed the trolls, but the guy beside him had other ideas.
"…Hyung, leave it to me. I'll show them what you're worth."
Su-bin was burning with quiet fury on his behalf.
"Since when are you this motivated? All right, go show them."
"Yeah. I'll completely destroy them."
Stepping onto the court for the tryout, Shin Su-bin began turning the floor into a wasteland.