Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Contract Expiration
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Contract expired.
***
Our family's new home was a brand-new apartment in the heart of the city.
Not a bad place to kick off our life in Germany.
Sure, wealthy folks often stuck to detached houses on the outskirts. But assuming every German was like them was a recipe for trouble down the line.
My parents had actually checked out upscale neighborhoods like Dahlem in southwest Berlin.
But after a lifetime of small-town bustle and crowds, the quiet, overly serene vibe felt off to them.
"If not now, when will we ever live in an apartment? We can always get a detached house later, when we're older and ready for the countryside. Korea should be quieter by then."
Maybe it was the Korean in them, but they preferred apartments over standalone houses anyway.
'Guess they're still young at heart.'
Whatever. This place wasn't half bad.
Especially since there was a Korean mart nearby, along with other grocery stores—Mom was thrilled.
"Ugh, don't even get me started. People came crawling out of the woodwork. Even folks I hadn't heard from in ages started blowing up my phone."
"You've been through it."
"So, Chan-hyuk, how've you been holding up?"
Anyway, our family gathered in the new place and caught up on everything over some cozy chit-chat.
"Hmm... I've been prepping for my coaching license."
"Aren't you supposed to do that after you retire as a player?"
I gave Mom an awkward smile. Dad just nodded quietly before speaking up.
"You'll figure it out, Chan-hyuk. Your mom and I always have faith in you."
Dad's words hit me hard, flashing me back to my parents' unwavering support in my previous life. My chest tightened.
'Must be hearing about Jung-ah's past life that's got me like this.'
Even with 30 billion won in the bank, seeing our family as harmonious as ever filled me with nothing but gratitude.
"And let's be real—Chan-hyuk's never been the sharpest when it comes to studying."
"..."
Talk about hitting me with facts out of nowhere.
"Ahem. Anyway, if you've set soccer as your life's goal, stick with it. Money's not an issue anymore."
Ouch, fact after fact—but the warmth in my heart held strong.
"You're the best, Mom. Kimchi's the greatest."
I steered the conversation away to keep the tears at bay.
"Huh? I got that from the Korean mart."
Truth didn't matter much. Let's move on.
'No wonder it tasted so good.'
***
My little sister got enrolled in a local Grundschule—elementary school—and started right away. We went with a public school. If she couldn't adjust, we'd switch to an international one later.
I worried about bullying, but this was life round two. She'd handle it.
"Ah... I hate school. Kids my age are so immature. Total cringe."
"Tsk tsk. Little elementary brat."
"Must be nice being old."
"Old my ass—too young is the real problem. To manage a team, I'll need to grind another ten years at least."
"Huh? That long?"
"You think any club hands the reins to a twenty-something? Starting from youth coaching and climbing up takes forever."
"Then like I said, buy a club outright. Snag one in the English lower leagues and run it our way."
"...Maybe?"
Her words tempted me for a second.
As owner, I could skip straight past all the steps to manager.
Plus, no need to butt heads with players over authority.
What, you dare mouth off to player-manager-owner?
Straight to 200% tariffs—nope.
Just park 'em on the thinking chair. The bench. And no owner bitching about benching high-salary stars.
"Jung-ah."
"What."
"You know I always believe in you, right?"
She shot me a look like my praise was the grossest thing ever.
But today, I let it slide with grace.
Anyway.
I dove back into studying soccer tactics.
To take a manager gig—even in the lower leagues—I'd need at least an A-level coaching license.
Still a long road ahead.
***
After a few days of quality family time and rest, I headed back to Stuttgart.
The license exam came up soon after, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Youth coaching quals were super basic.
Korean and German soccer cultures differed—especially on stuff like corporal punishment—but the core framework was similar enough. No major hurdles.
'Whoa. Nearly flunked.'
In Europe, they put way more stock in a coach's personality for youth work. I almost tanked the personality section but scraped by.
Guess ten years of Korean-style education had rubbed off too deep.
When they asked how I'd discipline a kid who wouldn't listen, I said smack their cheek. The interviewer's "savage" stare? Burned into my brain forever.
'What the hell is Korea like these days...'
Weirdly enough, Tuchel crossed my mind.
'How'd Tuchel even pass the personality check?'
Still a mystery.
Anyway.
Right now in Europe, coaching kids meant fun, game-like drills to keep 'em happy.
Looking back, those tiny differences probably shaped the gap between European and Asian soccer.
Germany got bounced from the group stage two World Cups in a row against Asian teams, sure.
'Doesn't make them chum, though.'
They had star players galore—top-tier talent.
"Scheiße! You fucking idiots!"
"Fought with the board again?"
Separate from me nailing my coaching cert, the club's vibe had soured lately.
Specifically, Thomas Tuchel—the Stuttgart U19 manager—and the board weren't seeing eye to eye.
Tuchel snapped after the board kept meddling in his tactical philosophy.
Watching him, I realized: the guy's soccer-mad. Certifiably insane.
I'd mouthed off to clubs in my past life too.
But only after I'd climbed too high to replace.
Timing the angle, then shoving my head in.
Tuchel? He was next-level. Youth coach or not, he rammed first.
No bending from his self-set guidelines. Zero compromise.
'The human Maginot Line right there.'
Explains all the board clashes in his career.
'Why's his Maginot in Germany, though?'
As I pondered his French roots, he raged on.
"Chan-hyuk, let go! I'm gonna kill that bald bastard!"
The chasm between Stuttgart's board and Thomas Tuchel just kept widening.
***
Call me jaded, but I came to Germany to learn soccer, and all I'm picking up is German.
Even Thomas Tuchel now approved of my accent.
"Slightly old-school, but listenable now."
What'd you expect? Practiced off Hitler and Goebbels speeches.
For aspiring managers, those are must-watch motivational vids.
Motivation and incitement? Just a word-count difference.
'...Wait, is that why Germany's so good at soccer?'
Anyway, time flew. Tuchel's Stuttgart U19 locked up the league title.
And my soccer study abroad stint was wrapping up.
Contract talks should've been underway by now, but Stuttgart clearly had no interest in keeping me.
No hard feelings, though.
Both sides made the best call for our positions.
I'd released promising kids who'd hit their ceiling in my past life. I got it.
From the club's view, no point tying up cash with someone who'd topped out—especially with their shaky finances.
'Not like they were rolling in it.'
Silver lining: no contract offer didn't mean heading back to Korea.
Pre-family immigration, visa issues would've forced it. But they'd come over.
I could job-hunt at my leisure from Berlin.
So there I was, prepping my Stuttgart goodbye in July 2004.
"Scheiße! This shit's unbearable."
Thomas Tuchel up and quit.
"...Huh?"
Yeah, Tuchel always did things his own damn way.