The Contract and the First Meeting
Han Ye-jin stared blankly at the ruined office. Shards of glass scattered across the floor glittered under the fluorescent lights. The wall bore a clear mark where a glass had struck it, and the documents on the desk lay scattered in disarray.
"Haa..."
A long sigh escaped her lips. Throwing Daniel out had felt good. That incompetent bastard deserved to be fired. But the real problem came after.
What to do about Cha Kang-min.
Han Ye-jin sank into the leather chair and looked up at the ceiling, her mind a tangled mess. Grandfather...
Her grandfather, Chairman Jeong of the Dae-seong Group, loved soccer. Especially Cha Kang-min's soccer. He often praised the player's grit and passion, saying they reminded him of his own younger self. She had realized far too late that the player he truly admired was not her team, but Cha Kang-min himself.
If it hadn't been for that, she could have secured him much earlier.
I'm finished.
It was a painful misstep. Losing Cha Kang-min would bring consequences far worse than she had imagined. This was not merely about winning her grandfather's favor. The moment she lost him, Ashbery Town FC's future would vanish into fog.
From the club's perspective, Ashbery was on the verge of signing a major new sponsorship deal. Cha Kang-min's image and brand value far exceeded his current playing ability. His presence served as both the club's symbol and the focal point of its fandom. Without him, the sponsorship fee would plummet.
That's bad enough, but...
The more critical issue lay in the club's very operation. Most of its funding came, directly or indirectly, from her grandfather's group. On the surface it appeared to be an independent club, yet in reality the group's influence was absolute. If her grandfather withdrew his support, Ashbery—which had stretched itself thin to sign Leo Silva—would collapse outright. They might even run afoul of FFP regulations.
Han Ye-jin covered her face with both hands as regret surged through her.
Why did I do that?
If only she had hidden her true feelings a little better. If only she had shown him at least a modicum of respect.
I got too carried away.
She had spent months engineering that transfer. If only she hadn't been with Leo that night... Cha Kang-min would never have left. Everything stemmed from her own arrogance and greed.
No. He might not have signed the contract yet.
Yes. There was still hope. They had only reached a verbal agreement with London City; the formal contract might not be finalized.
"...Should I rush over there right now?"
◆
London City FC office.
Director William handed over a blue jersey.
"Here you are. Number nineteen."
Cha Kang-min accepted the uniform and smiled. The camera shutters clicked in rapid succession, and he struck several poses as requested. It had been a while, and the camera still felt foreign.
"Excellent! Just one more, please!"
The photographer fired the shutter with enthusiasm. Once the shoot ended, William made a suggestion.
"Cha Kang-min, would you mind doing a quick video as well? The fans would love it."
"What kind of video?"
"Something like you taking off the Ashbery kit and revealing the London City one underneath. It's a popular format on social media these days."
Cha Kang-min shook his head firmly.
"I want to show respect to the Ashbery fans as well. They supported me for a long time."
Director William gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head.
"Then how about a simple greeting video? You can say hello to the London City fans and express your thanks to the Ashbery supporters too..."
Just then, the door to the director's office opened.
"William, who did you sign this time?"
The man who entered was in his mid-fifties, with gray hair, sharp eyes, and a rough, imposing presence. It was Manager Lechat.
"Ah, Manager. This is Cha Kang-min. Cha Kang-min, this is Manager Lechat."
"Hello. I'm Cha Kang-min."
Lechat looked Cha Kang-min up and down as though inspecting merchandise.
"Hmm. You're thinner than I expected."
His very first words were anything but ordinary. William forced a laugh and quickly stepped between them.
"Haha... Cha Kang-min hasn't officially signed yet. He's only here for a brief meeting today. We can arrange a proper introduction later..."
"Hold on."
Lechat remained standing and fixed his gaze on Cha Kang-min.
"I hear you missed quite a bit of time because of an injury?"
"Yes, I was injured. But now I'm fully..."
"Fully recovered?"
Lechat snorted.
"Injuries like that don't heal so easily. In my thirty years in football, most players never returned to their previous level."
William began to sweat nervously beside them. Even he had not expected Lechat to be this blunt.
"Manager..."
"William, this is none of your concern."
Lechat turned back to Cha Kang-min.
"Be honest. Can you play at your old level?"
Cha Kang-min hesitated. When he had last touched the ball, the sensation had felt the same as before, yet his body was no longer what it once was.
"I'll give it my best."
"Give it your best?"
Lechat sneered.
"That's a thoroughly uninspiring answer. I want certainty. Are you the Cha Kang-min of old, or not?"
"Manager, that's..."
"So you don't know either?"
Lechat stepped closer.
"Cha Kang-min. This team isn't aiming for promotion. I intend to take this club into the Champions League the season after we go up."
Cha Kang-min recalled Lechat's average tenure before being sacked: one year and three months. Physically, that goal seemed impossible.
"This isn't a team for playing around. So what exactly do you think you can do here without any certainty?"
William hurriedly inserted himself between them again.
"Manager, Cha Kang-min's contract hasn't been officially activated yet."
"All the better. That means we can still tear it up right now, doesn't it?"
Lechat glared at William.
"What kind of director signs a player without proper verification?"
"Manager."
"What?"
Lechat advanced on William.
"Am I wrong? You brought in an injured player without checking him properly. The medical might pass, sure. But what about his mentality? It looks more shattered than his legs. Do you even have an eye for filtering out players like this?"
At this point, even Cha Kang-min could only shake his head in disbelief. No wonder the rumors about him are so bad. Standing here, he felt it viscerally. How on earth had a manager like this led clubs to titles?
...By devouring opponents.
A style of football that advanced by consuming one opponent after another. The thought struck him that their philosophies might actually align.
Cha Kang-min met Lechat's eyes directly.
"Give me a chance. I'll show you."
"A chance?"
Lechat laughed.
"Chances aren't handed out to just anyone. Especially not on this team."
Lechat moved even closer.
"We don't need players who lack the professionalism to even attend a proper rehabilitation program because they think the money's a waste."
Cha Kang-min paused.
"...Rehabilitation program?"
"You don't know?"
Lechat shook his head.
"Amateur. A real professional should at least be aware of such programs."
"What program are you referring to?"
"The one at the Rehabilitation Center in Germany. It's a specialized recovery course for injuries. We don't need players who run away because they can't afford the five hundred million won fee."
...There was something like that?
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
"I didn't know such a program existed."
"That's exactly why you're an amateur."
Lechat sneered.
"A proper professional would have looked into it the moment he got injured. Enough. I've wasted far too much time here."
...I did search thoroughly.
But at a fledgling club like Ashbery, information had been scarce. There, injured players were simply replaced without hesitation.
"...Understood."
"What?"
"I'll attend that rehabilitation program."
Still holding the door, Cha Kang-min looked back.
"Once I return, please give me that chance."
Seeing Lechat's furrowed brow, he closed the door behind him.
◆
In the parking lot of London City Stadium, inside his old Honda Civic, Cha Kang-min frantically continued his search. The Rehabilitation Center program. Just as Lechat had said, it existed.
...The price is five hundred million won.
The reason he had never found it was simple: even in his prime, that sum would have been unthinkable. But now he could afford it. After proper rehabilitation, how much of his former physical ability could he regain?
"Even if I can only reach seventy percent..."
While he was lost in thought, someone tapped on the window.
Knock knock knock—
A pale hand rested against the glass, attached to an expensive suit.
"Han Ye-jin?"
What is she doing here?