The Proposal (3)
Half-time! South Korea takes a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Yang Hyun-hee and Ryu Ha-neul.
Ryu Ha-neul player, what a great performance in the first half, right? One assist and one goal. Yang Hyun-hee player also has a high chance of making the World Cup this time, showing good connection with Ryu Ha-neul.
Fact is, Yang Hyun-hee is 37 years old, the oldest, and she's quite old, right? So many fans have doubts about Yang Hyun-hee's chance of making the World Cup, but today she dispels all those doubts with her performance.
Haha, fact is, Yang Hyun-hee hasn't scored a single goal in three World Cups from 2006 to 2010 and 2014, you know? There were criticisms like 'Yang Hyun-hee is an Asian player' and many fans were disappointed, but with such a reliable option, coaches can't help but like it.
That's right. We'll see you after the break in the second half.
After the first half, halftime. The players enter the locker room full of excitement as they lead 2-0. Kang Sae-young, with a look of a predator, quickly searches for Ryu Ha-neul among the players. She intends to take him out immediately before the coach gives tactical instructions.
Since Yang Hyun-hee has already scored one goal, her chance of making the World Cup is basically over. To Kang Sae-young, who has the personality to easily bully juniors, the important thing now is to vent her anger on someone.
But no matter how long she waits, Ryu Ha-neul doesn't enter the locker room.
... Ah, right.
And she realizes. The guy is male.
After the first half, since she couldn't shower with the girls, it had been forgotten that it takes about 5 minutes for the guy to return to the locker room in this rare match together.
'Well, good thing. Since he's alone...'
If she dragged the guy entering the locker room, it would have been a bit noticeable, but it was good that he was showering alone. No need to worry about whose eyes if she goes to find the guy now.
Following the sound of the shower, she walks,
"Sorry, but this is a restricted area for personnel only."
"... Huh?"
"Of course, I know you're a national team player, but Ryu Ha-neul player is currently showering. If you were looking for the coach, please tell me."
... The place where Ryu Ha-neul is showering is guarded by male security. And seeing the security guard staring at her with suspicion after she came alone, Kang Sae-young finally snaps out of it.
She was good at football, but the guy is male. And a minor. In Korean society, it wouldn't be a big problem to ask a junior for a favor, but touching a male child could be a big problem.
'Ah... I almost got screwed. ... Well, I don't need to show him a lesson right now anyway.'
If she forced her way in, her life would end there.
Moreover, seeing the security guard looking at her with suspicion, it didn't seem like Ryu Ha-neul would be alone when returning to the locker room.
"No, it's nothing. I came to talk about something I asked for, but I'll talk after the match ends."
So, Kang Sae-young chose the most normal judgment among the ones she had made in the last two days, and luckily, she didn't end up being accused of attempted rape of a minor and ruining her life.
But Kang Sae-young didn't know.
'... Where did she go? Did she go to see Ha-neul? ... No matter how bad Sae-young's mind is, it can't be that bad.'
The fact that the coach, who had already heard everything from Ryu Ha-neul, was watching Kang Sae-young. The coach, Lee Young-hee, who thought of going to find Kang Sae-young out of curiosity, let out a sigh of relief after 5 minutes when she returned to the locker room, thinking that she hadn't gone after all.
'I shouldn't have suspected her. Well, since she bullied a junior, she won't be able to stay in the national team anymore.'
Since this incident happened, it would be the end for the national team, but as a coach, she didn't want a young player to quit football due to something outside and go to prison.
Still, she had to confirm, so before Ryu Ha-neul entered the locker room, the coach talked to him first.
"Ha-neul-ah, good work in the first half."
"Ah..., yes, Coach."
"Nothing happened, right?"
"...... No? Nothing in particular."
If she saw the clueless look, probably nothing special happened. Only then did the coach Lee Young-hee feel relieved and return to the locker room to finish the second half substitutions and tactical instructions.
Now the second half begins. In South Korea, there have been changes in the players. Instead of Yoon Seo-hee player, Choi Da-yoon player, and instead of Kim Min-seo player, Kim Yu-jin player have entered the field.
It seems they only replaced the left fullback and one center back where the starting position wasn't fixed. Since it's an evaluation match against Mexico, it seems like it will be played like a real match except for this substitution.
Of course, in such tactical instructions, the position of Kang Sae-young, who was already decided to be eliminated, was not there. There was no position for a player who wouldn't be used in the World Cup at a precious time like this match.
5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes. Time passes.
'... Why isn't the coach using me? If it's this much, it would be worth checking with a substitution, right? Or next match...'
And Kang Sae-young, who doesn't know that the coach has already made the decision, watches the match anxiously.
"Seul-gi-ya, warm up."
"Yes? Ah, understood. Coach."
Ah, Kim Seul-gi player is warming up?
Hmm. Actually, I was going to check Kim Seul-gi's condition, but here they are checking Kim Seul-gi instead.
...... Kim Seul-gi is substituted with Yang Hyun-hee.
Oh, they didn't take out Ryu Ha-neul player? Well, Ryu Ha-neul player is already a verified player, but it's important to check if he can play full time because the national team's pressure is different from the club.
...... Match ends! Thanks to Ryu Ha-neul's 1 goal 2 assists, South Korea suppresses Honduras 3-0!
Wow, today's match was really a World Cup-expected performance.
So the match ended with Kang Sae-young not stepping on the field at all,
"Sae-young-ah, you'll be able to play in the next match."
"Yeah, yeah. We'll show in the Bosnia match."
The domestic players return to the accommodation, soothing the angry-looking Kang Sae-young and strengthening their bonds.
'Damn, there's no time for this.'
Of course, Kang Sae-young didn't like the goodwill of the teammates because she had to find Ryu Ha-neul and Kim Chae-ri who didn't fulfill her request.
And then.
"Kang Sae-young."
An unexpected person called Kang Sae-young.
"Eh, Senior Seo-hee...?"
Among the domestic players, many disliked Yoon Seo-hee, who is a veteran but takes the starting position, but Yoon Seo-hee is Yoon Seo-hee.
When Yoon Seo-hee, who doesn't interact much with the players, calls out Kang Sae-young like this, the expressions of the domestic players show panic.
In fact, even with Yoon Seo-hee's overwhelming status, there can be factions for many reasons, but the biggest reason is that Yoon Seo-hee didn't care much about the players, so the domestic players finally thought that Yoon Seo-hee was starting to show her true colors.
'What is Senior Seo-hee doing? Didn't she not care about other players?''That Yoon Seo-hee...? She hasn't called out to other players like this in over 10 years.... Is she in a hurry because it's the last World Cup?''Tsk, if Senior Seo-hee comes out, the coach won't be able to ignore it...'
But, unlike the tense eyes of those players, Yoon Seo-hee still maintains a poker face.
'... Why did the coach call for Sae-young? Hah.... That's why I didn't want to be the captain.'
Of course, the inside was completely different from the expression...,
"What is it?"
"The coach called."
"...... Understood."
... The tone is still cold, so Kang Sae-young, who is infamous for being cold to juniors, had no choice but to follow silently to the coach's office.
'Why did the coach call me? Did she call to apologize for today's incident?'
While turning the happiness circuit to the maximum.
"Coach, I'm here."
"Yeah, Seo-hee. I called you because I thought you, as the representative of the players, should know this too. Kang Sae-young, you know why I called you, right?"
But unlike Kang Sae-young's happy imagination, the words from the always smiling Lee Young-hee coach were too cold.
"...... Huh?"
"No matter how much you want to go to the World Cup, bullying juniors... This is unacceptable, unacceptable."
"W-what is that."
"I already heard everything. Kang Sae-young. Since the World Cup is coming up, I won't announce it to the media, but the association has decided to expel you from the national team."
"Expel...?"
"Yeah. Bullying a minor like Ha-neul. Good thing. Since there was no violence, it ended like this."
'... What is this saying?'
Yoon Seo-hee couldn't follow the conversation content, so she stayed silent, but it was hard to understand, so she couldn't help but furrow her brows.
"Seo-hee-ya, hold it in."
"......"
"Seo-hee seems very angry too."
"Senior Seo-hee, no. This is.... Coach! Misunderstanding! I can explain everything!"
"Do I really have to play the recording here to admit it? Sae-young. Thanks to the teachings I gave, it ends like this. For other players, it will be treated as an injury and withdrawal, so keep quiet until the World Cup ends. If you blab your mouth or do something like this to other kids again, it won't end with just expulsion from the national team. If you understand, pack your bags and leave quietly."
So, the ambition of Kang Sae-young, who dreamed of making the World Cup, was cut off.
And this incident brought a new wind to the national team.
A new wind that Yoon Seo-hee finally drew the knife for her last World Cup.