It had already been an hour since Ho-young started playing with the other kids.
"You've really got some skills, huh?"
Cha Du-ri walked off the pitch and gave Ho-young a pat on the shoulder.
"You remind me of Ryong."
"Ryong? Who's that?"
"Oh, there's this kid. Ki Sung-yueng. I raised him."
No way. That Ki Sung-yueng?
The one who would later go on to play in the Premier League?
'This guy raised Ki Sung-yueng? Wasn't it Cha Bum-kun?'
Well, same difference.
Now that he thought about it, he remembered reading something similar in Cha Bum-kun's autobiography.
Before sending Ki Sung-yueng to study abroad in Australia, he had treated him like a real son, even having him live with his actual son.
'In that process, he must've learned football from Cha Du-ri.'
Ho-young was once again reminded of the football royalty he was standing in front of.
When they stepped into the lounge, Lee Sang-woon spoke up.
"How's your body feeling?"
"Feels good. Brings back memories."
"That's how it should be. A footballer has to work it out on the pitch. But weren't you supposed to run an errand for your dad?"
"Haha. He's not home right now anyway. By the way, has he seen Ho-young yet?"
"Not yet. He said he'd take a look when he visits next time."
"Haha. Watch him bring the kid home and raise him again."
Cha Du-ri turned to Ho-young.
"Hey. You planning to become a footballer?"
"Yes! Absolutely!!"
"Heh. My dad took Ryong in when he was just about your age."
"Then please take me in too!"
"Huh?"
Ho-young just blurted it out without thinking.
Realistically, there was no way he could complete 500 minutes of leg workouts with someone he'd just met.
Even if Cha Du-ri was known for liking kids, this was a near-impossible ask.
But it wasn't entirely out of the question.
It was all or nothing.
"I want to learn football from you too, just like Ki Sung-yueng did!"
"You've got Coach Lee Sang-woon already, don't you?"
"Hehe. Then maybe you can teach me something different from what Coach Lee teaches? I want to become a great footballer like you and play alongside you someday!"
He was desperate.
A Unique-grade talent might never come around again, so he kept pleading and begging.
With a face made of titanium.
But could something like this work under normal circumstances?
"If you're that good, my dad will pick you up himself. Don't take it the wrong way, just keep working hard."
"Then can I visit your place from time to time?"
"I'm busy, kid. And your parents would worry."
'Figures. I knew it.'
Ho-young swallowed his disappointment.
It was only natural to get turned down.
Still, as his dejection became more visible, Cha Du-ri asked,
"Where do you live?"
"I live in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do!"
"Anyang? Hmm."
For some reason, Cha Du-ri's lips curled slightly.
"I feel so sorry..."
After much pleading, practically on the verge of tears and ready to bow down, Ho-young finally got permission from Kim Hee-sun.
"This already feels like I'm imposing..."
"Haha. Don't worry about it. I like kids who are good at football. My dad used to bring little kids home all the time. And it's just an hour a day. Our houses are close anyway. We'll just jog together in the evenings."
"Uh... where do you live?"
"My family home's in Jongno, but I'm currently staying in Anyang with a close friend."
That close friend was Lee Young-pyo, the K League trickster who played for Anyang Cheetahs, though Ho-young didn't know that.
Anyway, the important thing was that he got a chance to train with him.
The next day.
Ho-young met up with Cha Du-ri and followed him around without complaint.
'I really am being a burden.'
He promised himself to repay this kindness someday.
Determined, Ho-young followed Cha Du-ri and diligently did leg workouts.
As a result, he managed to meet both Condition 1 and Condition 2 within a week.
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
- Chaminator's Run and Drive (U)
- Legs Faster than a Pass (A-)
- Iron Body (B+)
'Feels like I got this U-rank talent easier than expected.'
Now, which one to choose? Ho-young paused for a moment, then realized there was no reason to hesitate.
'Is that even a question?'
Of course it had to be the Run and Drive.
Legs Faster than a Pass was tempting, but the Run and Drive was rarer and more valuable.
Cha Du-ri's explosive bursts when pushing the ball forward were astonishing. People who hadn't seen it in person didn't really understand how fast he was.
It was so extreme that some said his legs were faster than the ball, messing up his balance.
'There's a reason it's classified as Unique.'
Ho-young selected it without hesitation.
[It will take 30 days to fully acquire this talent. You cannot pursue any other talent during this time.]
'Huh. That's a first.'
The level was clearly too high to acquire immediately.
Like digesting a heavy meal, it would take time.
'So that means I won't be able to use Chaminator's Run and Drive for another 30 days.'
Well, it didn't matter.
There weren't any big competitions in the meantime anyway. He'd get it eventually.
That was good enough for Ho-young.
He even gained a priceless connection that couldn't be bought with money.
'This is what it means to walk the path of a footballer!'
Step by step.
He truly felt like he was getting closer to becoming a real footballer.
Amid the routine of training and filming, time passed quickly.
In mid-November, one of the members of Country Kkokko, who was coaching FC Shoot Dori, was indicted by prosecutors on gambling charges.
Despite that, Kick It, Shoot Dori continued breaking viewership records each week, enjoying a wave of success.
Meanwhile, over in the English Premier League, a 16-year-old debutant at Everton made waves back home with one iconic line.
Just this one sentence:
"Remember the name, Wayne Rooney."
In 2002, following Cristiano Ronaldo, another star player had emerged.
Watching Wayne Rooney's debut, Ho-young continued to dream.
And then came December 11.
Today's filming location at Paju NFC was more solemn and tense than usual.
Not only were broadcasting staff present, but also the head of the Korea Football Association's Youth Strategy Division and accredited sports journalists.
Ho-young, too, was visibly tense.
Woo Hwang-sun, who had taken a day off work, clenched his right fist tightly.
"My son! No need to be nervous. Those kids may be taller, but you're better at football, right?"
"Of course. I'll definitely win."
"Haha! That's my boy! Let's go!"
Today's opponent for the 9th episode recording was none other than a foreign team.
They had known about the schedule two weeks in advance, but seeing it unfold in real time made the tension twice as heavy.
[Player Ho-young has been showing much sharper movement lately. Wouldn't you agree, Commentator Kim Byung-jin?]
[Absolutely. While there are concerns being voiced here and there, saying he's overhyped or not, I can confidently say otherwise.]
[Why is that?]
[Because I know him well.]
[Haha. Are you trying to build connections with a future football star early on?]
[Hey, come on. Didn't you do the same, Caster Choi Seong-don? I saw you giving him pocket money.]
[Hahaha! Viewers are going to get the wrong idea. Anyway, let's take a look at today's match. FC Shoot Dori is desperate for their first win. Will they be able to pull it off today? This might be their biggest challenge yet. Today's opponent is São Paulo FC, the Brazilian club that has produced countless football legends!]
A prestigious traditional club from Brazil, home to legends like Didi, Leonardo, Cafu, and Rivaldo.
Their U13 youth team had come to Korea during the Christmas break.
Of course, playing against Shoot Dori wasn't the main reason for their visit.
From December 18 to 24, the 2002 U13 World Youth Football Tournament, co-hosted by the Korea Football Association and MBS, would take place over six days.
São Paulo FC was participating as Brazil's representative, and while in Korea, they agreed to play a friendly match against FC Shoot Dori at the organizers' request.
For Producer Choi, this was a golden chance to finally break the 15% viewership barrier.
'Come on. Give me another miracle! I'm counting on you!'
Choi's eyes focused on Ho-young.
Ho-young stood still, deep in thought, nerves creeping in.
'Can we win?'
Shoot Dori had been steadily improving with regular training, but realistically, beating São Paulo FC was impossible.
Aside from age, there was already a height difference of 10 to 20 cm.
But the real reason for Ho-young's nerves was something else.
It was the boy juggling a ball just ahead, warming up.
Bronzed skin, black curly hair, thick lips. He looked incredibly similar to someone he knew.
And when he saw the name on the back of the jersey, he was 100% sure.
A boy who would one day become the starting left winger for Juventus.
"Hey! Duggie! Coach said if you score 10 goals today, he'll take us to Korea's Disneyland!"
"Really? Yahoo!"
Anyone who followed international football would recognize his name.
[Douglas Costa]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B+), Legs Faster than a Lamborghini (A), Inconsistent Genius (C+)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required condition.)
(Condition 1: Stop him from scoring)
(Condition 2: Win in a speed competition)
'Now that's tempting.'
Ho-young licked his lips.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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