Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 56



Only Krnovel

The visit was completed successfully.

All the children in the hospital knew me, and some of them were so touched to see me that they even cried, which was embarrassing.

I made one promise to all the kids: I will definitely go to the game, help Hannover win, and cheer them on until the end.

In preparation for that moment, I wrote down some German words that show respect for children and prepared a white T-shirt to wear under the uniform.

I don’t know when I’ll use this, but I plan on wearing it every time I sit on the bench.

[Choi Sung-hee: Son!! Mom, I think I’ll be going to Germany in November. Now I’m finally going to see my son ㅠㅠ]

And there’s good news.

Finally, the mother I’ve been waiting for comes over.

We had been in contact regularly, but hearing your voice and seeing your face in person are completely different things, so I tapped my phone to express my joy.

[Kim Min-woo: Come quickly, mom ㅠㅠㅠ]

[Kim Shin-ah: Hahaha, as expected, a mama’s boy]

[Kim Min-woo: Receives Tombstone and goes for a choke slam]

[Kim Shin-ah: oh oh]

After a detailed conversation with my mother, the date of arrival was determined. Probably November 8th. So, the date of arrival at Hanover Airport was November 8th.

[Choi Sung-hee: It’s not confirmed yet because I haven’t even gotten the ticket!]

[Kim Min-woo: Just do it]

[Kim Shin-ah: That’s the way you talk to your mom too..]

[Kim Min-woo: I provided the solution, little brother]

[Kim Shin-ah: Can’t you do something like empathy instead of solutions??]

[Kim Min-woo: What is there to sympathize with?]

[Kim Shin-ah: The way of thinking is different..]

And time passed.

I trained consistently, studied consistently, and grew consistently.

However, the promise with the children was postponed more and more.

Director Jan Lytle didn’t hire me, as if he had forgotten I existed.

Tony, the third-option goalkeeper, was demoted to the second team, completely out of competition, and now I was seen as the third-option.

‘Is this to encourage competition?’

Some days, the list is excluded.

One day I started benching.

However, under no circumstances was he allowed to play in the game.

As he did not show his face and played a big role in the match against Dortmund, the fans’ interest naturally waned.

Until the end of October, people who were saying, “Where is Kim! Bring Kim!” were busy supporting the manager after the two matches in October and early November were undefeated.

1:1 draw against Schalke in round 11.

3:2 win against Braunschweig in the 12th round.

Both teams are tough opponents for Hannover, but they did well to take the points.

‘Fuck. It’s not easy to break into the starting lineup.’

I think Chiller must have been inspired by my performance. Even though I conceded three goals in two games, Chiller was a good goalkeeper in his opinion.

Of course, I always thought I could do better. After all, the most important skill of a goalkeeper is not to let a goal be scored.

It’s a bit of a mental victory to say that the number of goals conceded is lower than that of Chiller, who only played one game! But that was the truth.

Above all, when I went into the game, I was more confident than Chiller that I would not concede a goal.

And on November 8th.

The promised time has arrived.

I was waiting at Hanover airport with Sophie.

Actually, I was planning to come alone this time too, but Sophie insisted on helping me, so we waited together.

I felt sorry for Sophie for taking on more than her share of the work, so I promised to treat her to a meal while she waited for her mother.

“I’ll definitely buy you food. You always take from me, so I should have bought you some food beforehand too···.”

“It’s okay! Kim is my player, so I can give him this much!”

“No, but please let me buy you a meal.”

“Then I will gladly accept it! Hehe.”

And the doors for the passengers to escape opened. People were rushing out. I quickly turned my gaze to Sophie.

and······.

“mom!”

My mother heard my voice and came out of the door, smiling brightly. She waved. I was so happy that I ran to her and hugged her without realizing it.

“Oh my son. Mommy, I can’t breathe.”

“Oh, sorry. I was just so happy to see you···.”

My mother, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, looked just like I knew her. We had a brief chat and introduced Sophie to her.

“He is my German teacher. And he helps me a lot with various things as I adapt to the club.”

“Hello, Mom. My name is Sophie Riva.”

Sophie bowed her head. It was a Korean greeting. Her mother smiled brightly and took Sophie’s hand.

“How can you speak Korean so well?”

“Oh, because I’m very interested in Korea···.”

Mom and Sophie became fast friends. Why is it that at school, boys are on their first day of school? No, what is the first day?

Up until the first week, we were really awkward and couldn’t even talk to each other, but as soon as the girls were assigned to different grades, they started to become friends with each other, right? It felt a bit like that. A friendship that was unique to girls.

Sometimes I envied women who could become friends so easily.

‘Men can get beaten to death for pretending to be friendly for no reason···.’

Yeah. Let’s say it’s a gender difference. At least women don’t raise their fists when they don’t like something. So it’s easy to approach them.

*

The day my mom came to Germany, the three of us had a light meal. Then, after seeing the state of the house, my mom started to really get into the habit of doing mom’s touch, asking why it was so gloomy.

Cleaning. Ordering something. Buying some expensive furniture.

In fact, I expected it wouldn’t catch my eye much because I was maintaining the status quo, or at least barely surviving, until my mom came.

Also, since I don’t live alone in this house, I was thinking of waiting until my mom came and discussing it together before decorating it.

It was now three days since then.

There was a game today too.

It was an away game against a club with an unusual name, St. Pauli, and because it was an away game, my mother couldn’t come to watch.

The distance from Hanover to Hamburg was quite a burden. And I didn’t have a car to use in Germany yet.

‘hmm.’

I watched the game with my arms crossed.

This game was also a bench game.

The current score is 1:2.

Hannover was 1, St. Pauli was 2.

As expected from the name, St. Croix continued to attack Hanover.

It was surprising that he had only conceded two goals so far. If that was Chiller’s ability, then that would be his ability.

Then, in the 61st minute of the second half.

The referee blew his whistle loudly as if something was wrong.

I looked up, wondering what it was, and it was Hanover’s problem.

One of the defenders was making an X with his hand, and the goalkeeper was leaning against the goal.

‘Huh? What the hell?’

Did this opportunity come? I saw earlier that there was a competition going on. Did you get hurt there?

‘Wait a minute. The problem is that Leo and I are both on the bench right now.’

If you were to change the goalkeeper, who would Jan Lytl choose between me and Leo?

Anyway, the time of choice was approaching.

Jan Lytle approached Leo and me as we sat on the bench.

And then they looked at each other······.

“Kim.”

“yes!”

“Get ready to go.”

at las!

“yes!”

I answered loudly and moved quickly in case I changed my mind.

***

Jan Lytle remained expressionless throughout the game.

He appeared to be watching the game with his arms crossed, but he was actually thinking of something else.

‘Chiller is a good goalkeeper. In the second division, a goalkeeper like Chiller is a good one.’

but.

But the word ‘but’ caught in the tip of my tongue.

Where are we looking?

Does Hannover intend to remain stuck in the second division for the rest of their lives?

Absolutely not, absolutely not.

The club has already given him full support to achieve promotion.

He bought the players he wanted, and he mercilessly sold the players he didn’t need for his tactics.

Not only that, as a manager, he provided the necessary material and mental support to lead this team and achieve results.

Now is the time to make a mark, and Hannover are sailing like a sailboat with the wind in their sails.

Here the stakes of the claim by Ron Robert Ziller were clear.

Although he was in the twilight of his football career, he had a unique charisma, leadership, outside the game, inside the game. Nothing was lacking.

That doesn’t mean there are no drawbacks.

Chiller definitely had his moments of emotionality.

Anyway, he was a pretty good captain, and I still think that way.

‘But what about Part 1?’

If we continue to use Chiller as our starting pitcher, we may be able to get promoted to the first division, but will we be able to survive in the first division?

It was only recently that he began to think seriously about this matter.

Although they earned 4 points with 1 win and 1 draw, there were definitely some regrettable parts during the game. Mostly, the points they conceded.

For several days, scenes of the loss flashed before his eyes, slowly scratching at Jan’s mind.

What if Kim had been where Chiller was? What if it had been Kim who had shown such overwhelming performance in the Dortmund match?

Would it have been the same if the guy had guarded the goal?

‘It’s true that, except for his defensive ability, he is quite lacking compared to Chiller.’

But the goalkeeper coach’s analysis report caught on. According to the data, Kim was steadily moving upward.

His communication skills, which are considered to be innately lacking as a foreigner, have also improved considerably, and the report also stated that his build-up, vision, defensive coordination, ball control, and other abilities have been steadily growing.

Of course, he wasn’t at the level of a professional yet. But it was important that he continued to grow. Especially for a young player like Kim.

‘And it was clearly confirmed in the practice match as well.’

Comparing the first practice match to the most recent one, Kim’s skills have improved noticeably.

Chiller was a veteran who was at his peak and whose only path forward was downhill, but Kim was just getting started.

What if we give Kim enough playing experience?

What if we could steadily gain practical experience even if it was less stable than a chiller?

‘Just get promoted. Just get promoted.’

Originally, they were going to give Kim a chance when they played against the bottom team. But that opportunity never came.

Lately, we’ve only been meeting mid- to upper-tier teams.

And, unfortunately for the team, it was another chance for Kim to prove himself.

Trailing 1-2, in a match where it wouldn’t be strange if another goal was scored at any moment, Chiller limped to the goal post, possibly suffering an ankle injury.

It was a signal that he could no longer play.

He was a lucky guy.

‘If, really, Kim were to judge that he was better than Chiller in this situation···.’

My head is spinning.

If that happens, things get very complicated.

The world of professionals. A sports world where skill determines everything.

However, if that decision was made and Kim had to be put in as the starting pitcher instead of Chiller, then it would not be possible to trample on Kim by saying, “Kim is better than Chiller, so he will be the starting pitcher from now on!”

In that situation, there is no choice but to intervene in sports-style ‘politics’.

Otherwise, the team spirit will be destroyed.

In the worst case scenario, some players may go on strike to get the manager fired.

‘It’s a complicated matter, but…’

I thought as I watched Kim preparing to go out.

To be honest, I wish that had happened.

If it was judged that Kim already had the skills to beat Chiller, then the only thing he was lacking was ‘experience’.

In that case, all you have to do is gain enough practical experience in the league.

If that happens······.

Boohoo-!

Kim, who was put into the game, kicks the goal coolly.

‘Let’s just watch for now.’

They showed something in the Pokal Cup, so they won’t be bad in this match either.

Because he has consistently proven it through the club’s own training since then.

***

It was refreshing to play in a stadium again after a long time.

Although the ground was filled with fans of the opposing team on all sides, this unfavorable situation wasn’t so bad.

Here I prove again that I don’t concede a point unlike the chiller.

But if we give up even one point, there will be no soup left.

‘I’m in a position now where I can’t tolerate even the slightest mistake.’

Mistakes? Conceding goals? Mistakes will happen someday. Conceding goals will happen someday. But it shouldn’t be now.

That’s enough to do after you’ve firmly established yourself as a starter.

I opened my eyes wide and observed the situation around me where I had lost the initiative.

St. Pauli continued to attack like a thirsty man, even though they were already two goals ahead.

However, Hannover also had a thick defensive wall, so it was difficult to break through it and shoot effectively, and perhaps because of this, the opponent attempted a mid-range shot.

A shot from a distance that is neither close nor too far.

It was a quick shot, but it was a clear difference from when we played against Dortmund.

I held it tightly with both hands and never took my eyes off the road ahead.

‘Muramoto is on the rise.’

Right-back Muramoto was seen creeping up the pitch, occupying space together with the wide midfielder on the right flank.

I immediately used the trait ‘Quick and Accurate Kick’. The target was Muramoto.

And he kicked the ball hard towards where Muramoto was.

To be exact, it is the space that Muramoto can receive when he runs.

With a whoosh, the ball flew fast, far, and accurately.

Right back Muramoto and right midfielder Fischer make runs in both directions.

The opposing midfielder chased the ball, but the ball was delivered right in front of Muramoto’s feet.

As his opponent closed in to compete, Muramoto passed the ball to Fisher, who ran past him.

St. Pauli’s line was quickly pulled down by a sudden counterattack.

The opponent had a 3-4-3 formation with three backs, and when the side was quickly opened up, one of the three backs marked Fischer.

And that caused more spacing between defenders.

The two opposing central midfielders rushed to fill the gap, but Fischer was quicker.

Fisher then passed the ball to Becker, who was left empty-handed.

An unfortunate striker who had good dribbling skills in the last match against Dortmund, but unfortunately failed to score a goal.

As the ball flows to Becker, the opposing central defender becomes anxious and blocks his way.

Then Becker shook off the defender with his signature dribble.

The dribbling was so clean and smooth that it made you wonder if he had a special talent.

and······.

Boohoo-!

Becker took a shot at the far post and the ball rolled straight into the side netting.

This time I didn’t miss the opportunity.

*Far post (the goal post far from where the goalkeeper stands)

A cold sigh fills most of the stadium, with only a few Hannover fans who have come along on the trip cheering and shaking their bodies.

“nice.”

I clenched my fist and liked it.

The characteristics were well-received.

I was proud because it was a collaborative work that was created not long after the game began.

‘I know it won’t be considered helpful, but… I started it anyway.’

Are you watching, Director?

I glanced over to the coach and saw that he was also looking over here. I thought he was looking at Becker, who was doing the ceremony…

I made eye contact with the director for a long time and then clenched my fist again.

I think this should be enough for a ceremony.

End

ⓒ Doctor Am

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