Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Park Chan-hyuk's Natural Death
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***
Union Berlin's match against Osnabrück flew by in a flash.
Once they'd been shut down, Osnabrück had no choice but to get dragged around by Union Berlin.
If it had been at their home ground, they might have hoped for a reversal in momentum.
Unfortunately, this was Union Berlin's home stadium—a living hell for lower-league teams.
With only a few seats excluded, every fan in Union Berlin's home stadium was on their feet cheering. It was all to pack in as many spectators as possible.
Naturally, the stands were filled to the brim with Union Berlin kits.
“Scheiße! Someone shut those bastards up!”
As the Osnabrück players began to wilt under the fervent Union Berlin supporters' cheers, red flares started blooming in one section of the stands.
It was made possible by the ongoing donation project under the banner of club normalization.
A Korean soccer fan with any common sense might ask what flares had to do with club normalization, but this was Germany, regrettably.
To Germans, setting off flares during club normalization efforts was just plain common sense.
If that still didn't make sense, just respect it.
“German chemical engineering is the beeeest in the world—!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs, high on the flares blanketing the stands.
“…He's lost it again.”
Thomas Tuchel shot me a pathetic look.
It happened now and then, so I didn't pay it much mind.
Anyway, the smoke was rising from the 'Wall of Fire' seats reserved for fans who'd donated and gained entry.
Originally called the 'Flare' seats, the name had been changed after a warning from the northern regional league association overseeing the Regionalliga, claiming the club was promoting flare use.
Officially, they were now the Wall of Fire seats, but the club and fans alike still just called them the Flare seats.
Everyone knew flares were soulmates to Germans, so it was baffling why the association kept trying to control and suppress their use.
The association opposed flares because they were dangerous and should be banned.
'If flares are dangerous, why not just make safe ones?'
I figured I could ask my sister later if this was a solid business idea. Personally, 'safe flares' felt like a massive hit waiting to happen in Europe.
***
While I mulled over that killer business idea,
time flew by, and the Union Berlin vs. Osnabrück match came to an end.
It ended, predictably, in a Union Berlin victory. Yanik Foite, who scored the opener, assisted Thomas Mayer's goal in the second half.
“Yanik, MOM interview!”
“Got it!”
With Yanik Foite, selected as Man of the Match, heading off for his interview,
“Leon!”
I approached Leon, who'd been invited to the match by Union Berlin today, and greeted him. His face flushed from the thrilling game, he ran over with a bright smile— a far cry from his old timid, withdrawn self.
'Damn, he looks handsome when he smiles. If he keeps developing without any mishaps, those kits will sell like hotcakes.'
Real Madrid had their Galácticos policy of signing handsome white star players for a reason.
It made marketing money.
Even Real Madrid eventually went downhill, prioritizing skill over looks.
'Ah, that was around when PCs took over, right?'
Looking back now, President Pérez must have had it all planned out.
'…So no-shows were part of the plan too?'
Anyway.
“Did you enjoy the match?”
“Yeah! I'll get to play there someday too, right?”
Impressed by the game, Leon declared he would one day debut for Union Berlin.
“Of course. Sign this, and you can play here forever.”
Nodding at his words, I cautiously slid over the contract.
Nothing special—just a lifetime deal.
Of course, FIFA rules meant it had no legal weight.
It was just for light pressure if he ever tried to transfer later.
***
[Union Berlin. 2-0 Clean Sheet Win at Home.]
[Yanik Foite Dominates Match: “I ran hard for that kid Leon.”]
[Who Is the Kid Leon That Yanik Foite Mentioned in His Interview?]
[Shock! Horrific Racism Erupts in Germany!]
[Union Berlin's Anti-Racism Campaign: “German Soccer Leaders Must Awake…”]
[Youth Club Clarifies: “The Kid Leon's Lack of Skill Was the Cause.”]
[Dirk Zingler Chairman's Official Statement… “There Will Be No Discrimination in Our Club.”]
[Leon Han's Excited Expression in Response to Reporter's Question… “It Feels Like a Dream. I Want to Run Out to the Passionate Fans' Cheers Someday Too.”]
***
The racism scandal that blew up this time did wonders for Union Berlin's image. A growing trend among East German clubs was their supporters turning into neo-Nazis.
It stemmed from Germany's economic woes, plus the wealth gap between West and East Germany. East Germany's time under indirect Soviet control probably played a role too.
Anyway.
[Why Is Union Berlin Free from Neo-Nazi Controversy?]
Thanks to my story with Leon, Union Berlin dodged that bullet.
Rallying the fans might be best for short-term gains.
But for the club's future, embracing diversity was the right call.
'You can't build a pro-league squad with just Germans from the lower leagues onward.'
For non-white players, racist fans were a huge deterrent to joining.
Athletes are human too—they get hurt by home crowd jeers, especially when it's racial.
Once labeled a racist club, you'd have to offer higher wages to win signing battles against other teams.
'That drives up the overall squad payroll and hurts the club.'
Anyway, a few days after the Osnabrück match ended.
Articles about Union Berlin, a hot topic in Korea where interest ran high, started popping up one by one. And among them was one that immediately caught my eye.
[KFA on Union Berlin Interview… “Thrilled We Can Send Exchange Students with Peace of Mind.”]
The association actually doing work? Shocking.
Judging by the timestamp, they'd gotten the news and issued a response simultaneously.
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief and checked the monitor again.
It was still there, crystal clear.
Only then did another possibility hit me.
'…Fake news?'
The thought of fake news flashed by, but that was a problem for the far future.
Which meant this was genuinely from the association.
As I reeled from the shock of the association actually working,
a cooperation request arrived at the club from the Korean FA.
They wanted Union Berlin to dispatch a scout to Korea if time allowed.
Union Berlin fully accepted the Korean FA's request.
They decided to send their top 'Korean expert'—someone who understood Korean culture better than anyone at the club—back home.
“Chan-hyuk, you're going.”
“Fuck. Why me again.”
Of course, hit with this sudden assignment, a reflexive curse slipped out.
“Ah, you've got time before heading to Korea, so wrap up the next opponent's analysis before you go.”
I nodded quietly at Thomas Tuchel's endless demands.
'Bald spots don't come without reason.'
Of course, I didn't say it outright. He'd blow up for sure.
[톩맑슭 툵헬, 댉멁릭 깎앍락.]
So instead, I left an encrypted note on the all-nighter scout report and bolted.
Blame the stress from pulling an all-nighter. Some inexplicable impulse took over.
Eh. Written in encrypted Korean, no one could decipher it...
'...Wait. Hold up. Doesn't the club have Sun-myung?'
***
Kim Sun-myung, the volunteer Union Berlin had selected, had gone from intern to full staffer.
Union Berlin's pay wasn't great, but he was content.
He was doing what he loved.
One peaceful workday,
he got a sudden summons from Thomas Tuchel and headed to the manager's office.
“Come on in.”
Tuchel greeted Kim Sun-myung in English.
His German accent was so bad it was unusable—code for speak English.
“Chan-hyuk wrote something I can't make out, so I called you.”
Thomas Tuchel briefly explained why he'd summoned him.
He handed the problematic report to Kim Sun-myung.
Seeing what Park Chan-hyuk had written, Kim Sun-myung was appalled.
‘…That crazy bastard Park Chan-hyuk.’
Cold sweat dripped under Thomas Tuchel's icy glare. Spotting the manager's forehead amid it all was unavoidable.
“Uh… This is about respecting the manager…”
“As if that guy would. Cut the bullshit and translate properly.”
Kim Sun-myung's desperate dodge crumbled under Thomas Tuchel's 'spiritual pressure.'
'Chan-hyuk, at this point, you're as good as dead.'
Quietly wishing Park Chan-hyuk peace in the afterlife.