Returning to the field after a year, my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
I closed my eyes for a moment before the game started, wanting to savor this feeling, even for just a few seconds.
"What are you doing with your eyes closed?"
It was Hwang Cheol-ho, a friend of the same age, who approached me.
"Just saying hello since it's been a while."
"Hello? To who?"
"To this."
I pressed my foot gently against the grass, and Cheol-ho let out a small laugh.
"Man… you were odd when I first met you, and you're still the same."
"Try staying off official matches for a year and then stepping onto the field. Then you'll understand this feeling."
Cheol-ho's face turned sullen, and seeing that, I couldn't resist teasing him.
"Hey."
"What?"
"Your face looks even uglier when you make that expression."
"Hey!"
I knew better than anyone that this guy, despite his looks, was a kind and straightforward person.
"Thanks for easing my nerves."
"…Tch, you're annoyingly perceptive."
This guy might look rough, but he's surprisingly considerate. He eased my nerves without saying it outright.
"But why doesn't someone as considerate as you have a girlfriend?"
"Let's see who dies today—me or you!"
Thanks to him, the slight tension weighing on me was completely gone.
"You can kill me after we win today's game."
"Do you really think we can win?"
"Probably."
Beep!
The game started with our team holding the ball.
I moved to the right flank and positioned myself.
"Jiwoo!"
As soon as I took my position, the ball came to me from Hyoseok.
Thump.
I received the ball smoothly, but a large midfielder quickly blocked my path.
It was Kang Man-oh, the captain of Busan Football Club. Known for his strong defensive skills, he often disrupted our team's attacks.
But he wasn't without his weaknesses.
Having observed him from the bench, I noticed his biggest flaw was his lack of agility.
Tap.
I flicked the ball outward with the outside of my foot, quickly shifting it back inside to dodge past him using a technique.
The flip flap.
Losing balance, Kang Man-oh fell backward, and I slipped past him effortlessly.
Swoosh.
With some space to breathe, I lifted my head to survey the surroundings.
Paths leading to the goal stretched out before me like countless options.
Every one of them seemed to promise a chance at the goal.
I picked up speed.
The sound of a chasing opponent's breathing faded behind me, while the goal loomed ever closer.
"Jiwoo!"
Swish!
At the same time Cheol-ho's voice called out, a tackle from behind caught me, and I fell.
Tch.
It had been so long since I played a real match that my vision had narrowed.
Beep!
Still, it wasn't bad.
We got a free kick in an excellent position.
I dusted off my uniform and stood up as our team captain, Eunsik, approached me.
"Want to take it?"
"Can I? You're the set-piece taker, after all."
"Well, that was the case when you were suspended and couldn't play in official matches. Things change when you're back."
"I'll take it gratefully, then."
"And look over there."
He gestured towards the VIP section.
"The man in the middle, that's the vice president of the Football Association. The one backing the coach who ruined you."
The vice president, Cha Sung-in, was sitting there, watching with interest.
The very man who tried to destroy my career.
Seeing him made my fist clench involuntarily.
"…Got it."
"Make sure to show those old geezers exactly what kind of player you are."
As the players took their positions, I stood alone at the kicker's spot, staring at the goalpost.
I pushed down the anger welling up inside me at the sight of the vice president. There was nothing to gain from letting it explode here.
Hoo.
Taking a deep breath, I measured the distance to the goal.
"About 25 meters?"
It was a range where a direct shot was possible.
The defensive wall adjusted itself according to the goalkeeper's gestures.
"More to the side! Two steps over!"
Watching them, I placed my hands on my hips, waiting for the referee's whistle.
Beep!
The signal rang.
Taking my eyes off the goal, I focused on the ball and took three precise steps.
Planting my left foot beside the ball, I struck it hard with the inside of my right foot.
Bang!
The ball barely went over the jumping defensive wall.
Srrr...
The ball, spinning rapidly, dropped sharply.
Instead of the left upper corner, it fell to the left lower corner.
Thud.
After bouncing once in front of the goal line.
Thud.
The diving goalkeeper's hand missed as it passed, and the ball went into the goal.
After scoring, my gaze was directed toward one specific place: the VIP box.
...And then.
"Hey, hey!"
I clenched my fist and did an uppercut celebration.
Even though Eun-sik and the other teammates tried to stop me, my gaze didn't waver from that spot.
"Eat that, you bastards."
Rodrigo was speechless.
"...Mr. Yoon."
"Yes?"
"Who is that?"
The translator, Yoon Mu-tae, checked the player roster on his clipboard.
"Ji-woo Yoo, a 16-year-old player."
"Sixteen? That's all? But he can perform such a precise kick?"
"In Korean age, he's sixteen. In Argentina, that would make him fifteen."
"Fifteen?!"
"Do you like him?"
"...I'll need to observe him more."
At this point, there was still no certainty.
What he had shown so far was only a brief dribble and that kick.
'With more observation, I might become certain.'
A new player had appeared in a group of ordinary players, and Rodrigo felt the need to confirm whether this player possessed something unique.
[Chungbuk Football Club 1 – 2 Busan Football Club]
As the score tightened to a one-goal difference, Busan Football Club's defensive wall became even more solid.
They threw themselves in every direction to ensure that no ball would pass, determined to stop Chungbuk Football Club's advances.
"Just like we trained! Don't give away any space!"
Busan Football Club's captain, Kang Man-o, led the line with precision: a perfect ten-man defensive block.
It was too much for inexperienced youth players to break through.
When passing lanes were blocked repeatedly, Captain Park Eun-sik approached Yoo Ji-woo during an opening.
"Ji-woo!"
"Yes?"
"Let's switch. They're starting to put pressure on you; we need to distribute their attention."
Upon hearing the word "switch," Yoo Ji-woo nodded without hesitation.
Just moments ago, he had also thought that a switch could lead to a crack in Busan's defense.
"Okay."
From that point forward, Chungbuk Football Club was desperate to open a path in Busan Football Club's defense with Yoo Ji-woo at the center of their attack.
Thud.
Yoo Ji-woo exchanged positions with Park Eun-sik in the midfield, moving a bit past the halfway line with the ball, but Busan players hesitated to engage aggressively.
Thud.
Thud.
Yoo Ji-woo used his feet to maneuver the ball, initiating a dribble toward Busan's goal. As he closed the distance, Kang Man-o came forward, and Yoo Ji-woo executed a quick move with his foot, narrowly slipping the ball between Kang's legs.
Srr...
As Kang Man-o extended his leg in an attempt to block, he only grasped air.
'...Fast.'
The solid defensive wall crumbled.
From the bench, Busan's coach, Jang Tae-bong, shouted urgently.
"Don't just stand there! Get on him!"
He instinctively recognized the risk: losing Yoo Ji-woo at this stage could cost them the game.
'Wait.'
Yoo Ji-woo's eyes fixed on an opening in the defense as defenders dropped back, creating a small shooting space.
'There.'
He didn't advance further but took the shot.
The defenders scrambled, but it was too late.
Thud—!
The ball shot off his foot like a laser, hitting the top right corner of the goal.
2 – 2.
The score had been evened in just three minutes.
Murmurs of disbelief spread among the spectators.
Rodrigo, observing from the sidelines, was captivated by the display. His judgment sharpened.
'His speed is top-tier even among his peers. His technique is impressive—already close to professional-level.'
Regular time was running out, with only two minutes left. Busan Football Club exploited gaps from Chungbuk Football Club's hastily advanced lines.
Swish—!
Kang Man-o's sliding tackle prevented a dangerous counterattack.
Despite being down, Park Eun-sik fed the ball to Yoo Ji-woo, now making a run toward the right flank.
"Don't let him out!"
Busan players converged on Yoo Ji-woo as he skillfully dribbled, evading one, two, three defenders, drawing closer to the goal.
The final defenders set up a strong wall as they prepared for the shot.
Crunch.
Yoo Ji-woo executed a Marseille turn. The defenders collided and lost their footing.
"Keeper!"
The goalkeeper slid to stop the shot, but Yoo Ji-woo timed his jump perfectly, using his foot to lift the ball just over the sliding keeper.
No one could stop him now.
The wide-open goal.
Thud—!
A clean shot.
The ball rippled through the net.
The crowd gasped.
Four minutes. Three goals.
A hat-trick by Yoo Ji-woo flipped the entire game on its head.
[Chungbuk Football Club 3 – 2 Busan Football Club]
Only ten minutes ago, everyone expected Busan Football Club to win the game. However, Ji-woo Yoo's introduction changed everything in just four minutes.
"Mr. Yoon, I need to see that kid immediately."
Rodrigo's certainty had crystallized after watching the final moments.
"That kid?"
"I found a gem."
"You think he's good?"
Yoon Mu-tae frowned.
"Yes, but he has some flaws."
"Flaws?"
"Yes."
"Shouldn't being a great footballer mean being great at football alone? Why should it matter?"
Rodrigo wasn't concerned with those "flaws" at all. His eyes glimmered with determination.
"Those flaws won't stop him."