[Wow, Juve can't do anything. They're getting torn apart.]
└The so-called "impenetrable shield," huh? Looks more like a rotten wooden board.
└Even if they're holding some possession, Madrid's lethal edge is different. I bet Ho-young gets MOM today.
└Man, he's getting better every match. It's getting scary now.
Founded in 2004, Real Dangsa was the largest Korean fan community for Real Madrid.
Originally, it started as a small online gathering for a few fans to share news and discuss the club. But in 2005, when the leader of the WooHooHyung fan café took over its management, it became a fully operating community.
And last year, after Ho-young was promoted to the first team, the member count skyrocketed. It eventually became recognized as Real Madrid's official fan club in Korea.
Now, it ranked second only to Manchester United's fan page in total membership.
One of those members was Woo Hwang-sun.
"MOM, huh… heh."
Working at a semiconductor company, Woo Hwang-sun always woke up early on matchdays to watch his son's games live.
Since Champions League matches aired at dawn in Korea, it was the only way.
When it was time to leave for work, he would drive while listening to the radio commentary.
—Ho-young, passes to Zidane and makes a run!
—Ho-young, still going!
—Ah! He's brought down by Nedvěd's tackle!
"Damn it!"
Every time the commentators mentioned Ho-young, Woo Hwang-sun's emotions swung wildly between joy and fear.
'Son, it's okay if you don't play well. Just don't get hurt.'
That was a father's heart.
When Ho-young scored the opening goal earlier, he screamed so loud the whole apartment probably heard him, waking the entire family. When his son assisted the second goal, he danced in the elevator out of sheer joy.
But now, hearing that his son had been tackled, he felt a heavy weight drop in his chest.
These days, his worry had grown.
He was proud that his son was playing so many minutes, but at the same time, terrified each time he saw him caught in a physical battle.
Sometimes he even thought about quitting everything in Korea and moving to Spain to support him directly.
Three years ago, Real Madrid had suggested that his family relocate and settle in Spain, but he had turned it down. Lately, he regretted that decision.
'Maybe I should've done it back then. Opened a clothing boutique for his mother or something.'
His wife, who had once dreamed of becoming a designer, was now fully occupied with taking care of their younger child.
He himself was always tied up with late-night work shifts. No wonder thoughts like that crept in.
Everyone wanted, at least once, to escape the suffocating city life and live a little slower, a little freer.
And as he stared at the endless traffic jam ahead, his chest felt tight.
Then it happened.
—Ho-young, charging down the right flank!
"Ohhh! Let's go, my son! Go, go!!"
Beep-beep-beep!
"Hey! You crazy?!"
"Oh, ah! I'm sorry! Sorry!"
Snapped back to reality by the angry shout from the next lane, Woo Hwang-sun quickly focused again on the radio.
"Go on, son. Keep fighting. Dad's working hard too, so hang in there a little longer."
He gripped the steering wheel tighter.
It wasn't time to quit yet.
At that same moment, at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
[Ho-young cutting inside from the wing, Chiellini steps up to meet him!]
2-0.
After conceding twice through his own mistakes, Chiellini once again faced Ho-young head-on.
He knew there was no room left to retreat.
If he couldn't stop the runs behind him, he would have to step up and fight him in front instead.
This, he believed, was his best option.
He thought he could block a dribble duel in a static situation.
And when Ho-young tried a feint, Chiellini didn't bite.
'Got him.'
He managed to hold off the dribble.
But then—
Boom!
Instead, a shooting angle opened for just a moment. Ho-young noticed it instantly and whipped in a cross.
The ball curved sharply toward Van Nistelrooy's head.
[Van Nistelrooy! Header shot!]
[Ah! Manninger saves it!]
No goal this time, thanks to Manninger's quick reaction.
Moments later, the referee blew the halftime whistle.
Chiellini let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew…"
The nightmare of the first half was finally over.
He could breathe again.
Then came halftime.
Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri walked calmly into the dressing room and stood at the center.
Despite being down 2-0, his tone was calm and refined, like a preacher addressing his congregation.
"We're changing the plan."
It was still the group stage, so it wasn't do-or-die, but surrendering without a fight was never an option.
They needed a new approach.
"Chiellini."
"Yes, coach."
"You've done enough. Move back inside the box and focus on aerial duels."
"Understood…"
Ranieri didn't scold him.
Chiellini hadn't done much wrong. Ho-young had simply been better.
"And Nedvěd, you'll mark Ho-young together with Molinaro."
In other words, the defensive focus shifted from Van Nistelrooy to Ho-young.
"Got it."
"Good. We can do better in the second half. Believe in yourselves."
The second half began.
And Juventus came out pressing high, immediately launching an aggressive assault.
They used their superior stamina to their full advantage.
As the game wore on, Real Madrid's aging players began to show signs of fatigue.
[Real Madrid making their first substitution. Van Nistelrooy off, Gago on.]
[Looks like they're reinforcing the midfield and trying to hold the lead. Ho-young also drops deeper to help in defense.]
With Gago and Ho-young joining the midfield battle, things stabilized a bit.
Nedvěd pressed relentlessly across the pitch, but Ho-young, using his excellent ball control, managed to hold possession and escape pressure.
'What kind of player is this kid?'
Nedvěd shook his head in disbelief.
To him, Ho-young felt… different.
'He's not like the others.'
It was as if he possessed something even the greats didn't.
'This might be fun.'
Fired up by pure competitiveness, Nedvěd began shadowing Ho-young wherever he went, relying on his boundless stamina.
About fifteen minutes later, gaps began to appear.
And Juventus, as expected from a giant club, didn't waste the opportunity.
With Nedvěd orchestrating the buildup and Del Piero pulling the strings, they struck twice in quick succession.
2-2. All square.
[The Madrid players look exhausted. Especially Ho-young, who's been playing both offense and defense, looks completely drained.]
[Hardly surprising. Molinaro is man-marking him, and Nedvěd's helping double-team him. And remember, Ho-young already spent a lot of energy in the Atletico match.]
By now, Ho-young had covered well over 9 kilometers.
Originally, he was supposed to be subbed off at halftime, but he had begged the coach, saying, "Just this once, I want to finish the game."
"Phew…"
His whole body felt heavy.
His lungs burned, his chest felt like it might burst.
He had long surpassed 9 kilometers, but he still pushed forward, refusing to give in.
And then, in the final ten minutes, Robben—subbed in moments earlier—broke through Juve's defense and scored a last-minute winner.
Beep!
Final score: 3-2.
Real Madrid clinched a dramatic victory, securing first place in their group.
"Ha…"
As Ho-young collapsed onto the pitch, exhausted, an unexpected message appeared before his eyes.
[Unbreakable Boldness (A+2) ↑]
A talent that allowed him to stay fearless and perform against even the biggest clubs.
'Nice.'
Along with it, he had successfully absorbed the talents of both Cannavaro and Nedvěd.
It had been a brutal, hard-fought match.
He couldn't get Del Piero's talent, which was a shame, but he was still more than satisfied.
And one more thing.
'Nedvěd's hidden condition is triggered when we advance to the Round of 16 as group winners.'
That meant he'd soon unlock his S+3-grade "Phenomenal Stamina."
'How many talents are waiting to activate now?'
He checked the display.
[Current talent slots are full. Pending: Perfect Composure (12 days), Exceptional Ball Trapping (10 days), Cannon Shooter's Spinning Kick (8 days), Cannon Shooter's Mid-Range Shot (3 days), Defensive Positioning That Builds the Wall (14 days), Perfectly Balanced Ambidexterity through Effort (18 days).]
Since his "Versatility of Half-Pitch Domination" had reached SU-grade, the absorption time for new talents had shortened by 30 to 50 days.
Three months of relentless work had led to this point.
No one could predict what kind of player he would become after this season.
But one thing was certain: as his talents stacked up, they needed even more precise management.
He had focused on weight training lately, neglecting his talent conditioning, but now he would have to dedicate more time to it.
After the match, Chiellini reflected deeply.
He realized that Ho-young thrived in big matches, that monsters like him existed in the world, and that he still had a long way to go.
He swore that next time, he would not lose.
The next day, back in Madrid.
After finishing school, Ho-young felt lighthearted knowing he could finally relax at home.
There was no team training today.
All he had to do was a light workout on his home equipment, then focus on managing his talents.
But after meeting with Lucci, there was one more thing on his to-do list.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, it's official. We processed it right away since you hit the 'maximum' threshold."
Unexpected news.
As soon as he got home, Ho-young picked up his phone.
It was an international call—something he usually avoided due to the cost. But not anymore.
Ring—
—Ho-young?
"Yes, Dad."
—Ah, good. Must've been tough. And congrats on the MOM award.
Hearing his father's worried yet gentle voice, Ho-young smiled.
"Thank you, Dad. But you've been working hard too."
—Hmm?
"I mean, you don't have to work anymore. You can finally rest and do what you've always wanted."
—What's this all of a sudden?
"You don't have to worry about money anymore. My salary just went up."
—Heh. And how much are we talking about, son?
"About €1.1 million."
—O-one point one million…?!
"Yes. And with bonuses, it'll easily exceed €1.4 million. So please, just rest now. You've worked hard enough, Dad."
—Ha… ha ha…
There was a long silence on the other end of the line.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)