The Right Mindset
The next day, I headed to school like always.
Even the day before, anxiety had been gnawing at me — but now that I had at least some sense of what I could actually do, I didn't feel half bad. At the very least, I wasn't just sitting around waiting to die at twenty-seven. And starting today, I had to join Torino FC's first-team training. If I could put in a decent showing there, maybe the future would shift, even a little.
I was walking toward the classroom with those thoughts when the usual uninvited guests blocked the hallway again.
A bunch of punks.
First up was Mateo, the Juventus fan. The moment he spotted me, he put on a mocking grin and raised his voice.
"Hey! Look who it is — His Lordship, the great FC Torino player. When exactly are you heading off to first-team training?"
Instead of sighing, I lifted both hands lightly.
"Whoa, whoa. I actually do have to go, so maybe don't pick a fight? I'm a busy guy."
Mateo turned to the friends beside him and laughed with exaggerated drama.
"Guys, listen to this idiot. He says he 'actually has to go.' I'm talking about the first team — does he not understand plain Italian?"
I looked at him like he was an absolute waste of space.
"From where I'm standing, you're the one who doesn't understand plain Italian."
"What did you just say?"
"I got called up yesterday. Starting today, I'm heading to the first-team training ground."
In that instant, Conti's expression — the guy standing next to Mateo — completely changed. A hardcore Torino FC fan, he shoved past Mateo like he was clearing space and stared straight through me.
"Hold up. Everybody shut up for a second. You actually got promoted to the first team? Already?"
"Yeah. Sound like a lie? I was training yesterday when Manager Ivan Jurić took a liking to me and bumped me up."
The smirk Conti had been wearing a moment earlier vanished from his face.
I confirmed the reaction, then added calmly,
"Of course, I'm not exactly world-class yet, so I might just train a few times and get sent right back down. But the call-up is real. Which means today I have to put in a strong performance at the training ground if I want to stick with the first team. So can you guys move along? I need to focus."
I paused, then looked back and forth between the two of them. Their faces kept shifting. I had a strong feeling they were about to try something.
Hmm… not a great reaction. Guess I've got no choice but to play dirty.
"And I'm not kidding — if you two cause me any trouble, I'll report it through the club. Harassing a player right before first-team training? That'll make your lives pretty miserable."
Mateo looked at me like I'd lost my mind.
"You think I'm gonna believe a word of that? What a joke — who the hell do you think you are!"
But Conti cut him off first.
"Ah, forget it. Just in case, let's drop it for today."
At that, Mateo shoved my shoulder hard once, scowling.
"Teo, you better know how lucky you are."
I straightened my stance and just looked at him without a word. Outwardly I played it cool, but inside I almost laughed.
Simple idiot. He put some force into it, but deep down he's scared.
Still, it wasn't a bad outcome. Conti, in particular — being a Torino FC fan — had clearly shifted his attitude. Deciding they weren't worth any more of my time, I walked past both of them toward the classroom.
Behind me, Mateo's irritated voice carried down the hall.
"You're not actually buying that guy's story, are you?"
Conti answered in a low voice.
"If he's really a first-team player, it'll get messy. What are you gonna do if the club gets involved over nothing? Just leave him alone."
"That doesn't even make sense. That guy? Already first team?"
"That's why I'm saying we don't touch him until we know for sure."
The two of them kept bickering even as I walked away. Listening to the conversation, I let the corner of my mouth curl up slightly.
Idiots. It's true. Wonder what they'll do when they find out.
As soon as class ended, I headed straight for the Filadelfia Sports Center — Torino FC's first-team training ground.
Just a few days ago I'd been training with the U19 players at the Valentino facility in Orbassano, and now I was suddenly on my way to the first-team grounds. The whole thing felt surreal. I still couldn't fully process that I'd actually been called up.
But a practical problem soon made itself known. Getting from school to the Filadelfia Sports Center was more of a hassle than I'd expected.
Compared to going out to Valentino in Orbassano, the transfers were more annoying and the trip took a little longer. Back when I'd moved up to the U20s in my previous life, my parents had gotten me a car, so I'd driven myself most of the time. Once I became a first-team player, I'd gone everywhere by car — which meant I'd never really known this kind of inconvenience.
If first-team training was going to continue, the commute was something I couldn't ignore. Thinking I'd need a more efficient solution just to stay focused on training, I boarded the tram bound for the facility once more.
A short while later, I arrived at the Filadelfia Sports Center, Torino FC's training ground.
Ah… I'm going to have to bring this up when I get home.
The idea of hopping between trams and buses every single day just to reach training was miserable.
I was still grumbling to myself when I stopped at the entrance. A man who looked like a security guard came out almost immediately.
"The players still have a long way to go before training wraps up. You're not gonna get any autographs."
Hmm. Fair enough — that reaction makes sense.
The guard had assumed I was a fan who'd come to see the Torino FC players.
"I'm a player here, actually."
"What? A player?"
"Yes. I'm Teo Kang, a youth player with Torino FC. I got called up just yesterday, and starting today I'll be training at the Filadelfia Sports Center."
"Ah~ is that right? Hang on a second…"
The guard headed into the security office to check my identity. A moment later he came back smiling, having confirmed the information.
"So that's it. Teo. U19 player, called straight up to the first team. Wow… impressive. Though it says here you were supposed to arrive around two o'clock. It's only one-twenty."
"I came straight from school, so I got here early."
"Ah! That makes sense. Mm-hmm. Perfectly understandable."
Hearing I'd come right from school, the guard nodded as if that checked out.
"Ah, I get it now, I get it. First call-up — of course you'd show up like this. Couldn't sleep last night either, huh? Hahaha."
Huh? Ah — yeah, I guess he could see it that way.
Of course, my sleepless nights had a completely different cause. Those damn 27 Club conditions were ridiculously brutal.
That didn't mean I lacked a reason for arriving early, though.
I was a youth player attending a school that partnered with the club, so I still had to sit through morning classes. But my competitors weren't youth players, were they?
The senior players I was now competing against didn't have morning classes. They came straight to the training ground and got to work.
In other words, I was losing several hours to them every single day.
So what was I supposed to do? Show up as early as possible and get into training.
On top of that, afternoon sessions often meant watching video instead of full team training. If the afternoon was spent on tactical discussions or individual analysis through film, I might barely get any physical work in at all.
So arriving early and at least getting some individual training done was the right call.
"You got that right! Hahaha!"
"Yeah. The youth kids were all the same."
"So, uh — can I go in now? I'd really like to get inside, look around, and start training."
"Hmm! Go right ahead, as early as you want. I was holding you up for no reason."
With that, the guard let me through.
"What's the status on Pers Schuurs?"
"It's been confirmed as a full season-ending injury."
Torino FC manager Ivan Jurić scowled at the news.
"Haa… right. That's bad."
"Yes. There's nothing we can do about it now. We'll have to go with the plan we prepared and promote from within."
"Yeah. We've already brought up a candidate from the youth side, so we'll have to make it work with the other players somehow. That settles the meeting — everyone get ready for afternoon training."
At Ivan Jurić's words, the coaches rose from their seats and headed toward the training ground.
"Huh? Who's that kid?"
On his way out, Ivan Jurić spotted a conspicuous player in the indoor training facility. An unfamiliar face was using the indoor pitch like he owned the place.
"That's the player you called up, sir. Teo Kang — the Asian youth prospect."
The assistant coach immediately relayed what he'd heard to Ivan Jurić.
"What? Ah, right. But he just got here and he's already training on his own like that?"
"Yes. He arrived early and started doing voluntary work. Apparently he walked around the facility like he'd been here for years the moment he stepped in. I even heard he already got a massage."
Ivan Jurić let out a short, incredulous laugh.
"A massage? Isn't this his first time up?"
"That's correct. This is the first time you've called him."
"And he's moving around like a guy who's been here for years? Most kids freeze up a little on their first call-up, don't they? Interesting kid."
Ivan Jurić's reaction was, if anything, positive.
"That's a good sign, isn't it? Adapting right away can only help."
"Yeah. I already knew he was an unusual player, but he's got something solid about him. I like him even more. Showing up early for individual training, too. No idea if he'll actually perform — but his mindset is good. Assign a few coaches and run some tests on him."
"Understood."