Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 118

“Gyaaaaaaah-!”

Sophie screamed and flapped her wings.

Someone shouted from beyond the door, hearing the sound.

“Be quiet!”

“Shut up, Lucas!”

It was my brother.

Sophie pulled the blanket over her head and gasped for breath.

***

While her son was away on an expedition to Bremen, Choi Seong-hee came to Berlin alone.

Although I had a desire to sign with a proper agency, I came to Berlin specifically because of the courtship of some agencies.

They could have called them Hanover, but as it was the capital of Germany, there were many agencies coexisting here, and even if she was not courting them, Choi Sung-hee, who had plans to visit several places, quickly went around to the companies.

And the first of them.

SportAllianz.

An agency that has some influence in Germany.

As soon as I entered the building and stated my name and business, German men in suits approached me and began to treat me very warmly.

“Welcome Choi! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Nice to meet you. You are very tall and handsome in person.”

“Oh. I think this is the first time since Mom that I’ve heard someone say I’m handsome.”

A friendly atmosphere.

Agents in suits invited Choi Sung-hee to an office with a window overlooking Berlin, where they had coffee and casual conversation.

“Did you have any difficulties getting from Hanover to Berlin?”

“I just stepped on the accelerator. German roads are amazing, aren’t they? They didn’t benchmark Korea for nothing.”

“Have you come to Korea to learn German roads?”

“Yes. It was before I was even born.”

I didn’t want to give a history lecture for no reason, so I tried to cover it up. Then the agents laughed and moved on to talking about soccer.

Korea’s great achievements at the Olympics. The gold medal and military exemption. Kim’s great performances at the Olympics, beyond Hanover.

And my son’s clean sheet record is still ongoing.

“It may be boring, but your son is a truly great goalkeeper. He will probably go down in history. He hasn’t conceded a single goal since his debut? In fact, his current record will never be broken. Kim will be talked about until the day football disappears.”

“I gave birth to it.”

The agent’s eyes widened for a moment at those words.

“Ahahaha! Of course! That’s how great sons are born to great parents.”

“Then shall we get to the main point?”

And then the real conversation begins.

That was the story.

Why Kim Min-woo should sign with Sports Allianz.

There was no talk about how much commission they charge.

Instead, they were full of sweet stories about what they could do for you if you chose them, what they would do for you, and how they would do it. When they just listened to them, they only talked about giving you stars in the sky.

‘This is exactly the same thing my husband said when he was trying to seduce me…’

It was as if I was seeing my husband, Kim Min-seok, who used to chase after me and woo me when I was in the prime of my youth.

Even if it’s something ridiculous, I’ll say something like, “I’ll give you everything I can.”

I knew it at the time, but I let it slide. There was no room for profit or business between me and my husband.

‘Not now.’

It’s different now.

At that time, it was just love, but now it was purely business. And it was related to my son.

It is a decision that must be made more carefully than any other decision you have made in life.

Choi Sung-hee was relentless in digging into what Sports Allianz could do for them, and once you get past their sweet talk, it’s clear how they see us.

‘The commission is 10%. Thorough management of property and tax payments. Thorough support for medical service benefits. Active support in case of legal issues. Responsible for negotiating advertisement appearance fees and managing schedules···.’

Seonghee Choi remembered everything the agent said without a single mistake in her head, and then shook hands.

Of course, I didn’t do anything stupid like, “Wow! I like it! Let’s sign a contract!”

Cross-checking with other agencies is a basic of the basics.

Seonghee Choi left for her next company, welcomed by the agents who came out to greet her.

‘I have a lot of work to do today.’

It’s urgent. It’s urgent.

Choi Sung-hee hurriedly moved towards the second company.

*

I went around to several agencies in Berlin. It was quite a difficult task to even get the footwork done.

Above all, I was discouraged from dealing with foreigners who had been through a lot, having only dealt with young students.

‘It’s hard···.’

After spending a few hours shopping around, I found that most of the contract terms were pretty similar.

But there was no place that really hit home.

All of them are similar conditions. It feels like no matter where you join hands, the results will be similar.

Choi Sung-hee drove the car with a deep sigh.

‘Should I visit other countries instead of just Germany? The Netherlands, France, Italy, England, Spain…’

It’s a headache.

But since it was something related to my son’s future, I couldn’t just look into it carelessly.

‘I have to apply for dismissal and so on… I have a lot to do.’

Still, the Bundesliga has just started and there is still a long way to go until the season ends, so there is plenty of time.

Before signing with a new agency, I can handle other miscellaneous tasks.

Seonghee Choi drove along the Autobahn with that thought in mind. Now that her business in Berlin was over, it was time to head back to Hanover.

***

Round 4. Hannover face Stuttgart at home.

There was a Korean athlete in Stuttgart who was from the same country, but he was unable to participate in the Paris Olympics, which were held right next door.

Jeon Woo-young.

He was over 23 years old and had to be drafted as a wild card, and I understand that his team refused to release him.

I think they probably thought it was unlikely for Korea to win a medal at the Paris Olympics, so they just had them play with their teams during that period. I wonder how upset they would be if we won the gold medal.

‘It is a tragedy for Jeon Woo-young as an individual, but also for Stuttgart…’

If you spent a lot of money to recruit him, you should have found a way to exempt him from military service. Jeon Woo-young is probably mentally unstable.

All of his national teammates were exempted from military service, but he himself, who plays in Germany right next to France, was denied a call-up by his team, making things very messy.

‘Perhaps, like Son Heung-min, if he can’t catch the last train to the Asian Games, Jeon Woo-young…’

If he fails to win gold at the upcoming Asian Games, Jeon Woo-young will have to return to Korea.

A player who is a regular in the German first division has shaved his head and enlisted in the military.

Even for Sangmu, only K-League players can do so, so they must first transfer to Korea.

When you consider all the hardships, complexities, and tragedies······ oh my.

‘This is going to be really hard.’

Thinking about it this way, I can understand why Son Heung-min was so happy back then.

If Son Heung-min had not won the gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games, he would have had no choice but to return to Korea.

If that had happened, I wouldn’t have been able to win the EPL scoring title, and I would have had to return to Korea and play in the K-League for a while after playing in the top league, and Sangmu······ Wow.

It’s really bleak just thinking about it.

‘And Jeon Woo-young is following in Son Heung-min’s footsteps right now.’

If you think about it, Son Heung-min could have gone to the London Olympics.

However, due to his conflict with Coach Hong at the time (more precisely, Coach Hong unilaterally did not want to use Son Heung-min), he was not selected for the London Olympics and had to watch other players being exempted from military service.

However, Jeon Woo-young was unable to join the team due to his team’s refusal to release him······.

‘I think you need to get some psychological counseling.’

I wonder if he cried a lot in secret.

If I were in that situation, I think I would have had a drink.

And Jeon Woo-young will be a starting member in the match held at Hannover’s home ground.

If he had come to the Paris Olympics, he would have scored more goals than Jo Young-woo, not to mention being a starter. His position is also a striker.

Well, that’s a meaningless assumption.

The Paris Olympics are already over.

Just before the game, when I was preparing in the locker room and just came out for the game, Jeon Woo-young was waiting for me in front of Hannover’s locker room.

“Oh, Minwoo. This is my first time seeing you in person. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah······ Yes! I’ve heard a lot about it from the national team members!”

Then, Jeon Woo-young’s expression darkened all of a sudden. Shit. Anyway, this mouth. You shouldn’t be talking like that.

“Yeah. You did really well. I cheered you on a lot while watching the Olympics.”

“Oh, thank you···.”

“Okay. Let’s do our best.”

“yes!”

I shook hands with Jeon Woo-young and stared intently at his face. A small smile appeared on Jeon Woo-young’s lips. But why did I feel sad as I watched him?

‘Go for it···.’

After a brief moment of silence about Jeon Woo-young, I approached my Hanover colleagues.

*

Korean derby match.

This was my first time playing against a Korean overseas, so I was a little nervous and felt strange. It’s really rare to see someone from the same country in such a big league.

“Tchcha.”

Jeon Woo-young’s chance early in the first half. I saw the trajectory and caught the shot.

It flew in on an easy course and I was able to catch it easily.

“Everyone, focus! Don’t give me a shooting angle!”

He also didn’t forget to give the defense a sharp rebuke. This time, it was a bit easier, but the fewer effective shots, the better.

I’m definitely not doing this for my own convenience.

If defenders run like their feet are on fire, the chances of conceding a goal will be reduced even a little.

“Tch!”

I sent the ball as far as I could with a shout. It was Derek on the side who caught my ball.

The existing members who survived in Hanover, where the winds of change were blowing hard.

He’s a midfielder who’s hard to beat and hard to keep, but Jan is probably going to give him another chance. Or maybe the budget is simply tight.

‘Hmm. Okay.’

Derek gently trapped the ball I gave him and ran with it. He looked satisfied. Run as far away from this goal as you can.

If you’re going to do it, it’d be better to score a goal.

And then the players run back to where the ball is.

I had some mixed feelings as I watched the athletes run.

‘I guess I should call this luck…’

Sometimes I envied the field players. They run all over the field, create opportunities, and when they score a goal, the cheers of 50,000 spectators come down just for that player.

Even I have scored a goal once, so I know that feeling well.

It was such an unusual situation that not all attackers would feel that way, but when I scored, I had a momentary blackout.

And with a joy that cannot be expressed in words.

A goal at the end of a struggle is sweeter than anything else.

‘Of course that’s true······ But when I see them running around like a dog like that, I can’t help but feel envious.’

Field players get wet from head to toe after the game. Anywhere where pores can be seen gets wet.

I felt this way even as an amateur, but being a professional who gets paid to play soccer is on a whole other level.

After the game, almost all the players, regardless of their position, are drenched in sweat, like players drenched in rain.

So when I see that sight······I think to myself several times that it was a good decision to become a goalkeeper.

It was the same even then.

“The kids… are running hard.”

I watched the game with a happy smile. Everyone, hit the ball! I’ll just watch for a bit until the crisis of losing a goal comes!

Because the original weapon of battle tends to shine in the most dangerous moments.

Before that?

“Ah, I’m thirsty.”

I’m thirsty, so let’s have a glass of water first.

I can’t resist a cold bottle of water during a game.

***

Vfb Stuttgart manager Sebastian watched the match with his arms folded.

I had expected in advance that this expedition to Hanover would be difficult.

Is it because his opponent, Jan Lytle, is a brilliant strategist? That’s certainly true, but…

‘As expected. He’s no ordinary guy.’

Sebastian’s eyes were on Hannover’s goalkeeper. In fact, Sebastian had been watching Hannover’s movements quite deeply since the second half.

’18 consecutive clean sheets? And that too in his first year?’

Although it was only part 2, it was an unbelievable feat considering Kim’s age.

18 consecutive clean sheets in the second division.

In all the games Kim played, Hannover did not concede a single goal.

Even at the Olympics, the trend continued, silencing some of the greatest strikers of all time, including Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah and Lionel Messi.

‘If you include the Olympics, the two evaluation matches before that, and the Asian Cup… Scheiße. How many consecutive clean sheets have you had? Are you even a human?’

A clean sheet in every match he played in.

Is that possible for a human being?

Even Kim, who had not had time to enjoy the joy of winning the gold medal, returned to the league and was now running wild in the first division.

‘It’s the first game, so the sub goalkeeper is out of the question. He played in the second game and kept a clean sheet again. It’s getting scary at this point.’

And even now, Kim was putting on a show.

He didn’t even find it difficult. It wasn’t that bad in the second part of the analysis video, but after playing against Mbappe and Messi, did he grow again?

‘Did you say the buyout was 33 million euros (47 billion won)?’

No one knows how far Kim will grow. The image he is showing now could be a bubble, and it is hard to tell since he has only been in the first part for a short time, but if he can maintain that image…

‘All the big clubs will be courting you, turning their stomachs over. Please come to their club.’

Just then, Stuttgart’s attacking opportunity came. Sebastian stopped thinking about Kim and gave active instructions.

“Get up! Faster!”

The lone striker, Seru Girashi, goes up, and the triangle formation supporting him also goes up in step with him.

And at the center of it all is Jeon Woo-young.

Egloff, who is in charge of the two-volante, comes up and passes the ball to right winger Silas, who passes it to Jeon Woo-young with a one-touch.

The defender in the middle stretched out his leg to block it, but the ball was faster. And here Sebastian had a hunch.

‘It’s a goal!’

And Jeon Woo-young’s shooting.

A perfect strike that hits the left corner of the goal.

And the opposing goalkeeper Kim stretched out his body to block the shot. Kim held the ball tightly in case it bounced.

“shit!”

Sebastian’s head fell back when he saw that sight. That was definitely a goal! How can he react to that! Is this really a glimpse into the future like the rumors say?

Perfect timing. Perfect save.

Jeon Woo-young, who missed a crucial opportunity, holds his head.

Sebastian sighed and looked at Jeon Woo-young with a pitiful expression.

‘You should have listened to me…’

The rejection of the Korean national team’s request for a wild card was entirely due to the front office.

Sebastian had known about Kim’s presence in the second division early on, and had a feeling that Kim would do something big ever since he saved his country at the Asian Cup and qualified for the Olympics.

And that feeling was further solidified when Kim was announced as a member of the Olympic team (as was to be expected) and with his performances in the two evaluation matches that followed.

‘No matter how much I think about it, it’s a shame. If Jeon had joined the Olympic team…’

I think he must have been exempted from military service and even renewed his contract.

It was ambiguous now that his military exemption had not been confirmed. Maybe he should be released as a free agent. I heard he has one more chance, but I’m not sure…

“Huh?”

It was when I was briefly recalling the sad story about Jeon Woo-young.

Kim sent the ball wide with a goal kick, and opposing striker Daniel Becker won a duel with Anton (centre back) and started running through the open defensive area.

Anton was lying on the ground with his pants down during the competition, and he was hesitantly getting up and limping after them.

Sebastian was speechless, as if he thought he couldn’t catch up even if he ran at full speed.

The surrounding players clenched their teeth and chased after the opposing attacker, but Becker was so fast that he eventually dribbled past the goalkeeper who was running towards him and kicked the ball into the empty goal.

“Whaaaaaaaah-!”

It was a goal.

Sebastian sighed in silence for a moment.

‘Why can’t our goalkeeper be like Kim?’

I guess I’ll have to ask the front desk.

Just pay the buyout amount and bring Kim.

End

ⓒ Doctor Am