My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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Before the game starts.

While the players are lightly moving to ease their tense bodies.

“Thank you for coming again today.”

I approached the audience, waving my hand to express my gratitude for their presence at the stadium again today.

For a professional, not only soccer skills but also fan service are important parts.

They say that without fans, soccer is nothing but a game without productivity.

These are the people who came to the stadium just to see me on a Saturday, which only happens twice a month. Providing this level of fan service is something one should naturally do.

Unlike some player who says signing frequently diminishes rarity,

I have played as a starting player in the K-League for over 15 years, showing fan service that consistently impresses my fans every year.

– Just now, I was caught by a certain player and barely got away. It’s already been an hour;;

– It must be the power of those annoying players they call too much talkers;;

I still vividly remember the praises of K-League fans who were moved by my fan service.

‘Hmm. Shouldn’t I take pride in having reached a certain level when it comes to fan service?’

As I reminisce about long-ago memories.

“Son Jinho, you’re starting today too, right?”

A spectator wearing a Barcelona uniform asked cautiously. Using honorifics with a player younger than him, he’s truly a well-mannered person.

“Of course. Get ready to shout ‘Ho-woo’ today.”

“Ho-woo─!!”

“No, not now.”

As I replied to the questions of the Barcelona fan who visits the stadium every time, I looked around the stands.

Despite it being just a high school soccer game, there were 100 spectators gathered to see me.

‘This is what they call star quality.’

“Ho-woo─!”

“Ho-woooo─!”

Or is it the power of Ho-woo?

Well, it doesn’t matter either way.

Whether the egg came first or the chicken doesn’t matter as both are tasty.

‘Ho-woo has come, and I am Ho-woo.’

Likewise, reaching the state of Ho-woo is merely a meaningless discussion for me. The important thing is that the K-League professional teams watching my ability to draw crowds are drooling.

– Son Jinho, do you have any thoughts on transferring to Methan High School?

– Son Jinho, despite being from Seoul, wouldn’t you agree you should join our Seoul team?

– Pre-contact issue? Well, we draft players, but it’s not based on ranking, just a random draw, so pre-contact doesn’t matter.

In reality, many clubs have already contacted me. Even though I’m underage and because the semi-professional system hasn’t been introduced yet, labor laws prevent me from signing a professional contract with a club.

– I’m not an adult yet, I can’t sign a professional contract, right?

– Ah! We have something in mind. If you transfer to our high school’s affiliated school, we can prioritize selecting you in the draft later…

Maybe that’s why most of the proposals were to join the affiliated youth team first and then get drafted later.

– Ah, then there’s no need to go there.

Had it been before my regression, I might not have known.

There was really no need to receive such proposals.

‘How can one trust verbal promises?’

Generally, until signing a contract, no one should be trusted.

The decisive reason for the K-League draft system’s revival was that Senior Park Juyong had agreed to contract with Pohang and then backstabbed, signing with Seoul instead.

This could easily happen to me in reverse.

‘If I had thoughts, a club wouldn’t betray the player…’

But one can’t be certain.

And actually, the biggest problem is.

– …So, does that mean we can only see each other on weekends now?

I couldn’t imagine going to and from school without Gyeouri.

‘Hmm. Is this too lovey-dovey?’

Well, aside from that, when going abroad, it’s easier to transfer as just a regular soccer club than being part of the youth affiliated club.

Yeah. At this point, I feel like I have an overflowing number of reasons for not transferring.

***

Two nervous Gwanghwa High players stand at the center circle for the kick-off.

“Go, big brother!”

With a somewhat one-sided atmosphere, the game begins.

“Ooo─!”

The 100 younger fans were cheering enthusiastically every time I touched the ball.

As I broke free from the Gwanghwa High players’ pressure, the cheers grew louder.

‘What’s this, is this a home game?’

I could see the Gwanghwa High players stiffening with tension at the cheers supporting Geumsun High.

Well, previously, when it came to spectators, it would have been friends drafted from school to cheer or their parents, right?

If there were 100 adults watching the game who are neither parents nor students, it could be nerve-wracking.

Anyway, this match I played as an attacking midfielder. Well, it’s called an attacking midfielder, but it’s basically a free roll.

– A coach who doesn’t limit a player’s creativity? It’s me.

According to our coach, Choi Gi-hyun, he said just play as one pleases.

After all, I draft the tactics myself, so does the coach really need to give tactical instructions?

Just to be polite, I nodded and said I understood.

Honestly, it’s hard to find a coach who listens to players like Coach Choi Gi-hyun does.

Anyway, the match continues.

15 minutes into the first half.

I expected Gwanghwa High would concede early, but they were holding on better than I thought.

“Don’t be shy, come up!”

I actively instructed the fullbacks to join the attack, passed the ball to a teammate nearby, and as I escaped the pressure, I received the ball back immediately.

We were in a 4-3-3 formation while the weaker Gwanghwa High adopted a 5-4-1 formation.

Gwanghwa High employed an extreme defensive strategy by using three holding midfielders. It was the same formation that Greece used to win Euro 2004.

With so many defenders, finding space was already tough. Gwanghwa High tightly compressed their defensive and midfield lines, truly eliminating any room to stand.

In this situation, the gap between the attack and midfield would widen, making a proper attack hard.

Gwanghwa High had the mindset that just securing one point against us was a victory, executing ten at the back.

Well… there’s no lack of tactics to deal with a ten-defense. One could headbutt them or break the bus with a long-range shot.

Additionally, it involves passing to a player running around while luring defenders away in the box… but honestly, this was still lacking training.

So ultimately, I chose.

Boom─!

A long-range shot.

After Kang Chan’s arrival, our main striker, who desperately trained, made a dummy run to attract the opposing defenders and created room for a shot.

I executed a long-range shot into the space made by that striker.

‘I am a midfielder.’

With a magical chant, the long-range shot passed the goalkeeper’s fingertips and shook the net of Gwanghwa High.

Having scored, I ran straight to the corner flag. There were my younger fans located there.

The moment my two feet landed back on the ground after jumping,

“Ho-woo─!”

A loud cheer of “Ho-woo” echoed from the stands.

As expected, sports need an audience, right?

“Ho-woo─!!”

Hmm… but isn’t that the scout from Suwon who visited me last time? What’s he doing shouting “Ho-woo” over there?

***

“Hmm-hmm.”

Noh Hyun-seok, the scout dispatched from Suwon, unconsciously shouted “Ho-woo.” Then, feeling the stares from the other scouts around him, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Has a wide vision, accurate passes, and shooting ability…”

Son Jinho, the player drawing attention from all clubs in the K-League.

He showcased his value fitting the evaluation of being a generational talent for South Korea.

‘Isn’t making fans crazy the quality of a superstar?’

And while his soccer skills were impressive, his true value lay in his charm that draws people in.

‘Has such a player existed in South Korea until now?’

As is fitting for the country known as the Eastern nation of courtesy, most people tend not to stand out and are ordinary…

– I’ll do well here and go to Real Madrid.

Ah. Thinking back, there was someone.

While recalling the face of the prominent prodigy representing the K-League, Noh Hyun-seok heard the sound of a tongue clicking in his ear.

“Tsk, if we recruit him to Seoul, we must stop that ceremony from happening first. What is that? That weird ceremony…”

Noh Hyun-seok turned his head toward the direction of the voice.

‘Wait, are they really trying to remove that ceremony? Does this guy not know the greatness of that ceremony?’

The moment Noh Hyun-seok saw the scout from Seoul, he sighed.

‘Sigh. How can such a guy be a scout for a club? Does Seoul really lack talent that much?’

It was truly lamentable.