The Pure-Blooded Youth (3)
The K League Round 22 clash between Daejeon and Jeonbuk was unfolding in a direction no one had predicted before kickoff.
An ambiguous situation, compounded by an authoritarian referee, had left Baek Yi-an—who had simply been racing for the ball—with a baffling yellow card and a sudden leash on his game. For a Daejeon side that lived and died by deep defending and counterattacks, leaning hard into long balls and through passes for runners, this was about as good as it got.
"Manager Sun Ki-baek doesn't seem willing to accept that Baek Yi-an got booked—he's gone over to the assistant referee and is giving him an earful. But it doesn't look like the call is changing."
"Right. You see managers lose it over refereeing decisions all the time, but honestly, this one really might be a hard-luck card."
"Agreed. Still, the match isn't over. He needs to cool down a bit."
Just a few seasons ago, Jeonbuk had been limping through the league so badly that people were asking out loud whether relegation was finally coming for real. So what, exactly, had turned them into a completely different side?
The experts pointed to one answer: Baek Yi-an.
Was it because he was a genuine holding midfielder—one of the rarest resources in the domestic game and abroad? That was part of it. But the real reason was simpler: for a rookie, he played with an almost veteran’s composure.
"This could turn into a very difficult match for Jeonbuk. Baek Yi-an has been doing an enormous amount of work for them. Credit to the veteran back line led by Han Yong-ho as well, of course—but the screening play built on that physical engine, the mature tackling… all of that is now being constrained."
"Jeonbuk will be shedding tears of blood. Daejeon will be smiling ear to ear."
Jeonbuk had built its game on the security Yi-an provided—counter-pressing, a high line, total trust in the midfield screen. Yes, they still had players who could do some of that work, starting with Kim Choon-jae and including the likes of Kang Sang-yong. Even so, for Jeonbuk it was a bone-deep loss.
With Yi-an shackled, it wasn't strange that the commentators and the rest of the football world had decided this match would be an uphill fight for the visitors.
Not long after, though, something strange started happening on the pitch.
"Still, Baek Yi-an isn't the type to go passive just because he's on a card, so—wait. Baek Yi-an! Linking with Kim Choon-jae and driving straight up the pitch? Completely different from before!"
"That's right! Using that trademark burst of pace, he's already punched into the opponent's second line. Daejeon's defenders try to shut down the passing lanes, but—ah!"
"He's through! A half-beat early pass completely bamboozles the closing defenders! Unintentionally, Jeonbuk just overloaded Daejeon!"
"Han Gang-rok! Back to Yi-an again! On the far side Park Yeon-woo is already sprinting into space, and Han Gyeong-rok steps up to cover the hole! The whole picture flipped in seconds—Jeonbuk has a mountain of options right now!"
"They're already through into the final third! Daejeon try to shift and tidy the defensive line, but Jeonbuk's attackers have already dug into the box! Yoon Seung-hwan! He's started moving off Baek Yi-an!"
"Is it a pass? Ah—! BAEK YI-AAAAAN! GOOOOOOAL! Baek Yi-an! All by himself! From the center circle, the prodigy of Jeonbuk has driven the dagger straight into Daejeon's chest!"
"Hahaha… how do you even describe that? I mean—"
"Speechless-level play… if this isn't a one-man show, I don't know what is."
"Baek Yi-an, after scoring, is charging straight toward the Daejeon fans! The man who has always delighted K League supporters with his unique celebrations—what is he about to do this time…"
"Huh. This time he just seems to be standing there? After so many inventive celebrations, maybe he's going for something ordinary…"
"…Ah. Yes! Whoa! That was a celebration overflowing with loyalty, wasn't it?"
"Ah… yes! Yes! Exactly! Whoa! That right there is pure-blooded youth for you! A celebration packed with love for his own club! I will not go to another K League team! Jeonbuk is my home! Wow. I carefully suspect Jeonbuk fans are going to love this one."
"Right, right! Who among the Jeonbuk faithful could hate a man after a celebration like that? Look—the fans are already so happy they look ready to run onto the pitch after him!"
"Uh… the fans currently on camera are Daejeon fans, actually…"
"Ah. Apologies. Daejeon's home kit is a deep green, so…"
"Ah! Daejeon fans are invading the pitch and charging at Baek Yi-an!"
"Baek Yi-an! Immediately sprints clear of them! The Daejeon supporters give chase with everything they have, but it doesn't look like they can match his speed!"
Right after unleashing that scorching celebration, I had to lap the pitch once to escape the enraged Daejeon fans. Waiting for me at the end of it was the referee, red card in one hand and yellow in the other.
"Hey, Baek Yi-an."
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, mate."
"What?"
"Ah, sorry. Picked up the national team manager's speech habit."
"Hah. Whatever. Second yellow—you're off. This will be reported to the federation and additional sanctions are going to be discussed, so keep that in mind."
"Yes, sir."
Ordinarily, when a player gets sent off mid-match, they storm over to the referee in a frenzy of explanations. I just walked off the pitch like it was nothing.
I already knew what I'd done was wrong.
I'd provoked the other side, so I probably had to eat the extra ban too. That part didn't worry me much, though.
At this point, as long as Jeonbuk didn't face-plant into a losing streak in the remaining matches, the upper split was already locked—and the title was more or less a formality.
And more importantly, hadn't I done more than enough before I got sent off?
"Getting sent off this early means they have to fight ten against eleven for a while, which is a bit rough…"
Eh, they'd manage. With Yoon Seung-hwan still out there—the original novel's protagonist and undisputed master of log-lifting—there was a very high chance he'd just finish the match properly on his own.
"I got sent off, but I scored and I gave the Jeonbuk fans something solid to believe in. I can watch the rest of this in peace."
Yeah. That was enough.
At this level, I could close my eyes and wait for the final result without stress.
Nodding to myself, I finished a clean, refreshing shower and settled in to wait for the outcome.
K League Round 22 — Daejeon vs Jeonbuk ends 3–3!
"Still, you'd have to say Jeonbuk fought well, right? Taking a point with a man down is basically a miracle."
"What? A draw?"
The moment I saw the result, my eyes snapped wide open.
I'd given them the opener. I'd even propped up the dignity of the anxious fans. Except for the red card, I thought I'd done everything a man could do—and it was still a draw?
I was so speechless I nearly poured the drink I was holding into Yoon Seung-hwan's bag.
No, wait. It's a draw, so if you think about it… better than a loss, right?
Once I put it that way, my mind settled a little.
Right. We'd taken a point, so the title race wasn't really in danger. With the gap we'd already built, catching us wouldn't be easy for anyone.
A little shakeout of the weak hands… if I think of it like that, it's fine.
I snorted, picked the drink back up instead of dumping it into Seung-hwan's bag, tossed only the cap and the plastic label, and started drinking again.
"Mm. This is good."
Missing the appearance bonus was a shame—but with the extra payout for the attacking contribution, it wasn't a real problem.