The Meaning of Arrogance
"Hey, Min-woo."
"What is it?"
"Don't give me that 'what is it'! I'm your senior!"
"Huh? Are you raising your hand at me right now? Senior, I'm forty myself now, you know?"
"I'm forty-three, you punk!"
Yoo Seok-cheon made a swiping motion toward Kim Min-woo. It was the kind of thing you could only get away with when the two of you were that close.
"Aigoo! Still overflowing with testosterone, I see. Anyway, Senior, why'd you call me over?"
"Over there~ Those kids. Any idea what they're talking about?"
Kim Min-woo shifted his gaze to where Yoo Seok-cheon was pointing. The spot was quite a distance away. Two high school boys were deep in conversation. Kim Min-woo tried to catch what they were saying, but they were too far off for anything to carry.
"No idea····? I can't hear a single word."
"Ha! Those little punks. What kind of conspiracy takes that long?"
"They're probably talking about where to go, don't you think? And earlier they asked for three minutes. Let's just wait a bit. Three minutes aren't up yet."
"Yeah? Feels like twenty minutes have passed already."
"Senior, your body's not doing so well these days, is it?"
"You think I'd be fine? Running all over the country like this?"
"Pfft! Anyone listening would think you'd come from overseas."
"Kim Min-woo, you've been getting pretty bold lately. Hey, call your wife for me. I'm gonna tell her you've been stashing away emergency cash!"
"Ah~! My respected senior! Why are you doing this again! You know that would kill me. Do you really want to watch your beloved junior die before you do?"
"····That wording's a little weird. So you're saying you don't want to die before me? Meaning I'll kick the bucket first?"
"Ah····caught me."
"You crazy bastard! Hey! Call your wife right now!"
"Sorry, sorry! Heh! Huh? Senior!"
"What!"
"Over there! Look, they're coming!"
Yoo Seok-cheon, who'd been about to snatch Kim Min-woo's phone, stopped and turned his head. Walking toward them were a boy who looked just over 180 centimeters and a massive boy who easily cleared 190.
"Jung Hyuk, Oh Jung-hoon. Finally here!"
"Whew! Senior, how are you planning to pitch them? Just a bit ago I saw other clubs trying to lowball those kids hard."
"I saw it too. Straight-up bandits, just without the knives."
"It's embarrassing doing the same job as those thugs."
"Tell me about it."
What had just happened was enough to make even Yoo Seok-cheon and Kim Min-woo frown. Treating kids like easy marks just because they were young. Neither of them had wanted any part of that kind of behavior, so they still hadn't approached the two students. But now they had to talk. At the very least, they needed to make a case for their own team.
"Min-woo, let's handle this like gentlemen. Sure, we draw a paycheck from the club and we do what we're told—but at minimum, let's act like human beings."
"Yes. Of course."
As the two boys drew closer, the other scouts started moving fast. Unlike the relatively relaxed Yoo Seok-cheon and Kim Min-woo, those men looked desperate.
That just means those kids made that much of an impression.
Yoo Seok-cheon smiled. Two gems like that coming out of Jeongun High, of all places—somewhere he hadn't expected anything from at all. This business really was impossible to predict. At the same time, he was curious.
Which team are those kids going to choose?
The K-League was a powerhouse even by Asian standards—no exaggeration. Naturally, it was also the realistic dream of countless high school soccer players. But even that dream wasn't easy to reach. Every club in the K-League, every player on those rosters, had been better than their peers back in school. Getting in was extremely difficult. That was why a recruitment offer from the K-League would taste so sweet to any high schooler chasing a pro career. Yoo Seok-cheon was curious for that very reason. What choice would those young boys make? Which club would they join?
But Yoo Seok-cheon didn't know. The K-League wasn't even on those two boys' minds. Their hearts were filled with only one thing: a move to Europe. And a short while later, Yoo Seok-cheon was stunned—because of the conversation between the two boys and the scouts from the other clubs.
"Hyuk."
As they walked toward the scouts, Oh Jung-hoon called out to Jung Hyuk.
"What?"
"Do you think I could make it in Europe? That's where the real monsters gather, right?"
"How would I know? To adapt in Europe you'd have to study English, get used to the food, build chemistry with your teammates, fit the manager's tactics, and keep that fire for soccer burning hot the whole time. I'm not a fortune-teller. Whether you'd actually do all that—I have no idea."
"Aigoo! Why is there so much you have to do?"
"That's exactly why the guys who play in Europe are incredible. And you think that's the end of it? After matches you need massages to prevent injuries, ice baths, a proper diet, and you have to study the opponent analysis packets the club hands out. Most of the players who put up big numbers in Europe treat all of that as basic."
"Whoa····just hearing it makes me want to throw up. But how do you know all that so well? Anyone listening would think you'd already played over there."
Ahem. Jung Hyuk cleared his throat and covered.
"I told you last time. I'm going to Europe. So I studied up a bit."
"·····That so."
Oh Jung-hoon fell silent. He didn't speak again until they were nearly on top of the scouts.
"Hyuk·····if I study English hard, adapt well, and keep grinding soccer with the same passion I've got now? What do you think would happen then? Could I make it in Europe?"
Jung Hyuk answered without hesitation.
"You'd make it for sure. No—you'd become a successful soccer player in Europe."
"Hey! Why are you so certain? What are you, a prophet?"
"····What's with that reaction? Then why even ask me?"
"Who else am I supposed to ask if not you? Out of everyone I know, you're the best at soccer. So·····"
"Jung-hoon."
Jung Hyuk cut him off. Right now, he was genuinely curious. Did Oh Jung-hoon have the mental strength to succeed overseas? Had he overestimated this guy?
"What?"
So he asked.
"You not confident?"
The question carried a clear meaning: did he lack the confidence to challenge Europe, get knocked down, get broken, stand back up, and become a great soccer player?
"·····?"
"I'm asking if you're that unsure of your own ability."
Jung Hyuk asked again. He hoped the answer was no—but if it was yes, there was nothing he could do. In this life he wanted his friend to become a good player, but mental strength was something you had to fix yourself.
Then it happened. The quiet Oh Jung-hoon nodded with a hardened expression.
"I'm confident. I'm Oh Jung-hoon. The original ace of Jeongun High, Oh Jung-hoon."
Jung Hyuk let out a short laugh. What he'd said to Oh Jung-hoon hadn't been empty words. Through his eyes, Oh Jung-hoon had more than enough talent to become a strong player. No—honestly, the kid had monstrous talent. The kind that could take flight the moment the mental side was ready. So right now, Jung Hyuk felt genuinely relieved.
"Then keep acting confident. Look over there. K-League scouts are piled up wanting to sign you. You think overseas scouts are going to be that different?"
"····Thanks."
"If you're grateful, don't blast the good passes I give you."
"Hey! How many times have I blasted them, huh?"
"You think I've been counting?"
"Wow! Unbelievable!"
That was as far as the two boys' conversation went. The barrage of questions from the scouts crowding around them had begun.
"Jung Hyuk, you haven't signed with anyone yet, right? I'm Team Manager Gong Jun-tae from Suwon FC, and if you come to us·····."
"I watched the match earlier. You've got real quality. But if you can start using your teammates more in your play, you could become something truly special. And that's something we teach extremely well at Jeonnam······."
"You ever been to Jeju Island? You know Jeju FC, the pride of Jeju? Heard of them? Dark horse climbing the table fast. This old man is a scout for that Jeju FC. You've got real talent, so······."
Hoo— Jung Hyuk let out a small sigh. Listening to them all babble at once, he felt his shoulders lifting toward the sky without meaning to. If he had to put a name to it, it was the feeling of becoming a popular star overnight.
Yeah, young players would fold under this pretty easily.
It didn't look like something kids could handle while keeping their heads straight. Jung Hyuk glanced at Oh Jung-hoon beside him. Jung-hoon was surrounded by scouts as well. And yet—
Oh···? He's pretty composed.
Oh Jung-hoon's expression was striking. Jung Hyuk had expected him to get carried away, but contrary to that, the kid was listening to the scouts with a remarkably calm face. Still, it didn't look easy. Facing smooth-talking men in their forties at eighteen was bound to be hard for Oh Jung-hoon. So Jung Hyuk stepped in.
"Gentlemen, we should head back to the dorms now."
"Huh? What do you mean? You're not signing?"
"I need to talk it over with my parents and speak with my coach as well."
"You can just call them right now, can't you? You really think your parents would tell their son not to go when a pro team makes an offer? No, wait. Just give me your parents' numbers first."
The scouts grew more urgent. They wanted the parents' numbers at any cost so they could push the recruitment hard. But Jung Hyuk was a veteran. Even under the tightening pressure, he spoke calmly.
"I appreciate the offers, but I'll contact you later at the numbers on your business cards. Right now both Jung-hoon and I need to focus on the tournament. We'll be going."
A polite but unmistakable refusal. Jung Hyuk draped an arm over Oh Jung-hoon's shoulder and turned.
"Let's go."
"Uh····? Y-yeah. Let's go."
In that instant, the scouts' faces hardened. The atmosphere shifted with them.
"Ha! Playing hard to get, huh."
"Why's he so full of himself? When a pro team shows interest, you say 'thank you' and come. Who does he think he is, turning us down? One good game and he thinks he'll keep performing forever? Ha! Unbelievable."
"A kid's still a kid. Probably thinks he's already somebody. Reality is, once he hits the pros he won't even make the bench····tsk!"
"You think we're a joke? Huh? Played well in a tournament and now scouts look small to you? Who the hell do you think you are, walking off before the adults are even finished talking? This son of a bitch—do we really have to raise our voices like this?"
Oh Jung-hoon froze. His eyes and lips trembled with tension. Watching him, Jung Hyuk allowed a faint smile.
Kid's scared stiff.
Of course he was. Jung-hoon wanted to go pro too, and he knew souring relations with scouts wouldn't help him. On top of that, these were men from the K-League—the top of Korean soccer. For young Oh Jung-hoon, this must have felt like walking on thin ice.
"H-Hyuk····what do we do?"
Oh Jung-hoon asked in a shaking voice, looking at Jung Hyuk. Jung Hyuk stopped walking. Then, as if it were nothing, he patted Oh Jung-hoon's shoulder and answered.
"What do you mean, what do we do. When they talk that much shit, you've gotta give them a piece of your mind."
He said it loud enough for everyone around them to hear. Naturally, the scouts flared up. Faces flushed to bursting, they spat every curse they had. Watching them, Jung Hyuk wore a bitter smile.
I'm a real piece of work myself.
Thirty-eight years of life, and there was still one thing he couldn't fix. When someone crossed the line, he couldn't just let it go. He had to bite back until he was satisfied. That fighting-cock temperament never improved no matter how much time passed.
Maybe another thirty years will fix it?
Jung Hyuk looked over the scouts who had cursed him and spoke.
"I made myself clear. I said I would contact you later. So what exactly is the problem? Right now I belong to the soccer team under Coach of Jeongun High. And my parents have supported me since I was little. Is it right to sign a contract without a single word of discussion with people I'm that grateful to? I didn't think so, which is why I planned to talk it over first and then call. Does that make me arrogant? If it does, then I've learned a whole new meaning of the word 'arrogant' today."
At that, one of the scouts stepped forward. He was the man who'd been standing there with an especially self-assured look on his face.
"I'm Choi Chul-yong, scout for Pohang United, and I've got something to say."