The Two-Footed Gift
Reward.
Just seeing the word was enough to set a person's heart racing. And a reward, more than anything, made a person happy. When you finished something hard, receiving a reward could even wipe away the memory of how hard it had been.
On the other hand, doing something and not receiving a reward that matched it could leave you in a foul mood. There was even a term for it: reward psychology.
And then—
When you suddenly received a reward you had never expected at all, and that unexpected reward turned out to be enormous—
You felt incredible. So happy you could go mad.
That was exactly how Jung Hyuk felt right now.
You have displayed a high level of performance in an unfamiliar position!
An additional reward will be issued.
A Special Card will be granted as a reward.
The moment he saw the messages, the smile already on Jung Hyuk's lips deepened.
"Haha!"
The laugh came out on its own. Getting a reward he had never expected was already a joy—and this was a special reward. Receiving a special reward out of nowhere made him feel like he could take flight.
On top of that, he had already received a reward of five points. If this special card produced a trait of all things, he could not even imagine how good he would feel.
Of course, that was greed on a ridiculous scale.
"The higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment. Don't get too excited."
So Jung Hyuk tried to rein in his anticipation. He kept telling himself that nothing good would come out of this special card, running the same mental control over and over.
"There's no way something good comes out of this again, right? No chance."
Ssshk—
Jung Hyuk's hand flipped the card. Just obtaining a special card was already remarkable enough, and with his expectations thoroughly dialed down, he felt no tremor. In particular, he refused to hope that a trait would appear.
And yet—
◈ Effect: A trait will be granted. The type of trait issued is random.
A trait had come out.
Soccer players usually used their right foot as their dominant foot. Of course there were left-footed players as well, but their numbers were far smaller than those of right-footed players.
As a result, the number of players in professional leagues who could handle left fullback or left wing was also far smaller than those who could play right wing or right fullback. This shortage of left-footed talent was the same no matter which league you went to in the world.
Because of that scarcity, left-footed players received better treatment than right-footed ones. They also held an advantage in the competition for starting spots. Even if their skill was a little lower than other players, they could still start, and their transfer fees tended to run higher as well.
And—
It went without saying that two-footed players who could use both their right and left feet well received far better treatment still. A two-footed soccer player who could play on both the left and the right was a treasure every manager in the world wanted.
Jung Hyuk had spent his entire life as a right-footed player. Through countless hours of practice he had become able to use his left foot, but the accuracy of his left-footed shots and passes was clearly lower than his right. The power was weaker too. No matter how much he practiced, it never improved past a certain level.
Even with S-class talent, he had never mastered his left foot. So in critical moments, Jung Hyuk always used his right. He had no choice. He had practiced left-footed shooting and passing countless times, and still it had never reached a level he could properly use in real matches.
Was that why?
Jung Hyuk often imagined it.
What if I had been two-footed?
What if he had not been a player who only used his right foot well, but a two-footed player who used his left just as freely? Would he not have become an even better player? Would he not have recorded more goals and assists?
At the same time, he had wished for it desperately. Someday, he wanted to become a two-footed player who could use his left foot as freely as his right.
And now—
Jung Hyuk's wish had become reality.
"What?"
Jung Hyuk stood there blankly after reading the message. A moment later he rubbed his eyes and checked it again. The message was still floating in the same place.
You have obtained the very special trait Two-Footed.
"What is this…?"
A Two-Footed trait…?
Jung Hyuk muttered under his breath. This was a trait even he had never seen before. He had thought something like it might exist, but this was the first time he had seen it with his own eyes. So he checked the trait's information first.
Effect: You can freely use both legs at will.
"…!"
Huh…
Jung Hyuk let out a hollow laugh. He had actually become two-footed.
Right after the match between Southampton and Manchester United ended, a Jung Hyuk craze swept through Korea.
"You know Jung Hyuk? He keeps showing up on Naver's search rankings."
"Of course I know him. Is there anyone who doesn't these days? He's a soccer genius."
"So everyone knows. Looking at the articles and comments, people say he's ridiculously good at soccer. Is that true?"
"He's insane! You know Man United, right?"
"The team Park Ji-sung played for?"
"Yeah, that Man United."
"I know them. Super strong team. They win titles and everything."
"Jung Hyuk beat that Man United."
"What? For real?"
"Yeah. Jung Hyuk's at a team called Southampton, and he completely tore it up against Man United."
"Whoa…! That's crazy."
Even people who had never cared about soccer started looking up Jung Hyuk's match footage. Kids who dreamed of becoming soccer players began writing "a soccer player like Jung Hyuk" as their future career goal.
Interest in Jung Hyuk in Korea had already been climbing fast, but after the Manchester United match, that interest exploded even faster.
Even people who had never cared about soccer were paying attention to Jung Hyuk. Naturally, the interest of fans who already loved the game had climbed so high there was no ceiling in sight. On days Southampton played, they gave up sleep to watch the matches.
And then—
Jung Hyuk, already receiving so much attention, put on an unbelievable performance in the match against Fulham that followed the Manchester United game. He left soccer fans in shock.
What shocked soccer fans was not that Jung Hyuk had put up an outstanding performance of two goals and one assist. The real reason they were stunned was this: Jung Hyuk, who everyone thought only used his right foot well—who had always used his right foot whenever he scored or assisted—had recorded two goals and one assist against Fulham using only his left foot.
After obtaining the Two-Footed trait and becoming able to use both feet freely, Jung Hyuk grew another level. Not in raw attributes—in technical terms. Being able to use his left foot comfortably opened up far more patterns, and Jung Hyuk was enough of a veteran to combine those patterns in complex ways.
And then—
The further-grown Jung Hyuk began to shine again in the EPL Matchday 10 fixture against Stoke City.
Whoosh! Swish! Inside Stoke City's penalty box, Jung Hyuk sold a dummy. Ryan Shawcross, the Stoke City center-back standing in front of him, broke out in a cold sweat.
Which way is he even trying to come from…?
From a defender's perspective, stopping a player who used both feet well was an extremely difficult job. That was only natural. Against a right-footed player, you narrowed the space so he couldn't shoot or pass with his right. Against a left-footed player, you narrowed the space so he couldn't use his left.
But that kind of defending did not work against a two-footed player. You never knew which foot he would shoot with, or which way he would try to break through.
So right now, Ryan Shawcross was planted in front of Jung Hyuk, wound tight with tension.
Where? Which way is he coming?
Then it happened. Jung Hyuk went for the breakthrough—a monster speed of 100 combined with two-footed dribbling. Cutting left and right at will as he drove forward, Jung Hyuk's movement was something Shawcross could not track at all. He kept stumbling, never finding his defensive footing.
And then—
Jung Hyuk brushed past Shawcross with ease and slotted the ball toward goal.
Clink—
After Jung Hyuk's goal, the match between Southampton and Stoke City dragged on in dull fashion. Unlike Southampton, who kept looking for more goals, Stoke City clung to a defensive approach even while trailing 1–0. Focusing on not conceding any more, they left their fans disappointed. In the end, neither side scored again, and the match finished.
Of course, the mood at Southampton after the win was good. Southampton fans still supported the team in high spirits. Even if the result had been a dull match, the dazzling dribbling Jung Hyuk had shown throughout had kept the fans' eyes entertained.
But—
When the following Matchday 11 fixture against Hull City ended, Southampton's atmosphere was no longer good. It had sunk ice-cold. It could not have been otherwise. In a match where Jung Hyuk had been given rest and sat out, Southampton had lost 3–1 to Hull City, and the winning streak had been snapped. The performance had been so different from when Jung Hyuk was there—so painfully lacking.
Naturally, after the defeat to Hull City, the fans' love for Jung Hyuk only grew. His standing rose even higher.
And today, with the next fixture—EPL Matchday 12—about to kick off, Southampton fans began to roar again with heat. Korean fans reacted even more fiercely. There was a reason Southampton fans and Korean soccer fans were this fired up. A very clear reason.
Southampton would face Arsenal FC, one of the so-called Big Four of the EPL—
—and Jung Hyuk's starting appearance had been confirmed.
On top of that—
—Oh Jung-hoon, who had been injured, would make his return as a starter against Arsenal.
Those facts were the real reason the fans were going wild.
And right now—
The match between Southampton and Arsenal FC had begun.