Shooting Trajectory is Visible - Chapter 87



Only Krnovel

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The game ended as soon as Hannover scored.

Extra time had already passed, and rather than going through the hassle of blowing the whistle immediately after kickoff, the referee decided to end the game right away at his discretion.

Hannover’s home stadium, the Heinz von Heiden-Arena, was filled with excitement.

All the spectators rushed onto the field to celebrate with the players, and I couldn’t avoid being showered with kisses from the fans.

‘Everyone is so happy.’

It was expected since it was the first time in five years that the first part was returned.

Five years may not be a new era, but it is a long enough time for the social atmosphere to change.

– Dear spectators. Hanover is experiencing a special and happy moment. We have succeeded in being promoted to the first division after five years. However, for the safety of all of us, we must maintain stability and order. For the award ceremony, please return to your original seats. We hope that cultural citizens will cooperate······.

The announcer was shouting something into the microphone for everyone to hear, but no one paid any attention.

“Minwoo!”

And then I found my mom, who had burst into the field from the crowd. She came to me with reddened eyes, and I swam through the crowd to get to her.

And then he hugged me tightly and lifted me up high as if he was holding a trophy.

“Tsk tsk!”

“Whoa! Minwoo!”

“Look at the people! This is the one who gave birth to me!”

Of course, the Germans didn’t understand because I spoke in Korean. I spun around holding my mother.

Why am I doing this? I don’t know. People tend to go crazy when they are too happy.

“Wow! Kim Min-woo!”

And I could hear Korean again around me. They were Koreans smiling proudly while holding the Taegeukgi. There were quite a few of them, both men and women. Around four people.

“Here! Taegeukgi!”

And then one of them put the Taegeukgi in my mother’s hand. I flinched for a moment, but my mother seemed to understand his intentions and waved the Taegeukgi around so that it could be seen by the Germans around her.

I thought to myself, sighing.

‘Isn’t this something to be cursed at?’

I don’t know about Germany, but in Korea, there are quite a few people who are sensitive to this kind of thing. People like that are usually called “serious people”… but whatever.

– Audience members, please quickly return to your seats following the instructions of the security personnel. I will give you another instruction······.

“Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim!”

The Germans around me worshipped me as if I were some kind of German Chancellor. When I put my mother down, it was my turn. A few radical Germans picked me up.

I also followed the rhythm. I clenched my fist and waved my hand at people.

And as time passed, the excitement in the room gradually began to die down.

I’m happy, I’m happy, but now that I’ve won, shouldn’t I perform a ‘ritual’?

The crowd slowly returned to their seats, and in the blink of an eye, the awards ceremony was set up. And there, too, was the winner’s trophy.

‘what?’

A trophy that leaves one tilting one’s head slightly.

Usually, when it comes to the championship trophy, isn’t it literally a big ‘cup’?

But this is···.

“It’s the Meister Chalet.”

It was Sophie.

Sophie explained with reddened eyes.

The Bundesliga’s championship trophy is different from those of other European leagues in that it has a saucer-shaped design.

If we were to compare it to other leagues, it would be similar to England’s FA Community Shield.

After hearing the entire explanation, I nodded slightly.

“It’s unique. If only there was a handle, it would look exactly like a shield.”

“The 1st Division championship trophy looks similar to that. Can we look forward to next season as well?”

Sophie Riva looked at me with sparkling eyes. I tried to act proud, but I just nodded.

“sure.”

“You’re not leaving suddenly, are you?”

“That won’t happen.”

“I remember the promise Minwoo made to the children at the hospital.”

Sophie smiled bashfully. I awkwardly laughed along too.

“You can forget about that.”

“yes?”

“no.”

“Will Minwoo become an adult next year?”

In Korea, an adult is someone who is 19 years old or older. But what about Germany? I don’t know. I’m not interested. More importantly, why are you asking this?

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Just like that.”

“If we look at it the Korean way, people become adults starting next year. At what age do people become adults in Germany?”

“I’m 18 years old.”

“Then I’m already an adult. When I’m in Germany, I have to follow German law.”

He smiled and winked one eye. Then Sophie covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. She really is a woman with a lot of laughter.

“Player Minwoo. Um. Well. Me.”

“yes?”

Sophie hesitated. And then someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned around and it was Chiller. Ron Robert Chiller, the regular goalkeeper who was competing with me.

“Kim. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Huh? Uh···.”

I looked at Sophie and she nodded quickly. As if telling me to talk. I looked at Chiller, and Chiller grabbed my shoulder tightly and walked along the ground.

“Now that it’s all said and done, Kim, you’re a really good goalkeeper. And you’re one that’s going to go down in the history books.”

He blinked and looked at Chiller. Chiller had a serious expression on his face, as if he was lamenting or pouring out his heart.

“At first, I couldn’t accept you. You know? An Asian kid who threatened my position. When I lost my starting position to you, I was so depressed that I had insomnia. I even fell into self-loathing and went to a counseling center…”

I looked straight at the chiller. The chiller avoided eye contact with me and just walked along, looking at the grass.

“···And after you went to Qatar, I got another chance. That’s where I felt it. The gap between you and me. Hannover, which had been stable, lost its form after changing one goalkeeper, and anyone could see that it was all my fault. The reason why the team that had been in the middle of the second division won the championship today is all thanks to you, Kim.”

“Chiller.”

Chiller looked at me with a relieved expression. When I looked at Chiller, I felt a sense of pity.

This person looked at me as some kind of genius of the greatest magnitude, and it seemed like his confidence had plummeted because of the competition with me.

I had this thought at the time: If only Chiller had the ability to see trajectories.

Then he would have been a much better goalkeeper than me. He would have been in Munich, not Hannover.

But ironically, if I confessed to Chiller that I had this ability, Chiller would think I was making fun of him.

Honestly, even I have had times when ‘Football Manager’ felt absurd.

And those thoughts will disappear cleanly after you enter the stadium and use the trajectory a few times.

“You’re not planning on retiring, are you?”

“···Retirement? Hahaha! I may be lacking compared to you, but I’m not ready to retire yet. I should make the most of it while I can.”

Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief and smile.

“That’s fortunate. Chiller is an incredible player, so I hope he doesn’t feel too bad about himself.”

“Oh. Even polite. That’s why I like Koreans.”

And we are back where we started.

“Actually, I was going to go to Liverpool, but you inspired me a lot. I haven’t decided on a destination yet, but I’m going to go somewhere where I can play as a starter, not a sub. And Kim, next time, I want to meet you as an enemy, not a rival within the team. I really want to have a proper fight with you then.”

“Anytime.”

Chiller gave me a hug and left. I looked where he was walking and saw that Leo was there.

Because of me and Chiller, I went from being a 2nd option keeper to a 3rd option keeper······.

However, starting next season there will be no chiller and we will return to being a 2-option.

What about next season then?

Well, depending on what happens, Leo could end up being the starting goaltender. It’s too far in the future to predict right now, though.

“What did you talk about with Chiller?”

Sophie, who was still there, asked me with her signature smile. I tried to be evasive.

“It’s just a man-to-man conversation.”

And then changed the subject.

“More than that, what were you trying to say earlier?”

“Ah. It’s nothing. Hehe.”

This time, Sophie is the one who muddles things through.

I smiled and nodded too.

‘It’s bland.’

*

And then the moment came.

A moment of triumph that only one team, from 18 teams, can achieve.

We all shook hands with the Bundesliga association officials and received our medals, and with them around our necks, it was time for the final highlight.

“I don’t know if I can do this···.”

Captain Fisher fiddles with the round trophy. Perhaps Fisher also wanted Chiller to hold the trophy, but Chiller stubbornly refused.

Since you are the captain now, not me, you should listen.

So that’s what Fisher did.

He holds the trophy tightly in his hand and spreads it with all his might from bottom to top as if gathering energy.

“Wow!”

Then, 40,000 spectators cheer at once.

Captain Fisher’s first trophy.

The members all jumped up and down behind him and cheered along. I was one of them.

The last game where everything was at stake. And he stopped a penalty kick that almost ended the game, and even scored a goal at the last moment when extra time had run out… The main character of a truly dramatic story.

“Kim! You too! You’re the main character in this match!”

“yes!”

Fisher shook it a few more times and then handed it to me, and instead of rejecting it, I picked it up and shook it hard.

Then the audience responded with another huge cheer. This feeling. This thrill. The feeling of floating in the sky.

I also gave this moment to the chillers who have dedicated themselves to this team so far.

“I’ll listen to the chiller too!”

“Okay, chill! Let’s go!”

As the other members also pushed, Chiller also lifted the trophy, and the audience cheered just as much as me and Fischer.

Because he was a player who had been protecting Hannover reliably before I came along.

So the players took turns holding the trophy. I walked around the field, clapping my hands, and saw my mom standing next to the Koreans holding the Taegeukgi in the stands.

So I ran over and planted the granger in front of him. Politely.

The Germans were bewildered as to what was happening, but only the Koreans nearby were happy and said, “Wow.”

I stood up again and clapped my hands nonchalantly.

*

And the POTM for that match was mine.

As mentioned above, it was a natural progression as they had overcome countless crises and even scored a goal.

“Kim! Congratulations! You had an unforgettable game today. How do you feel?”

I was rambling on and on, but to sum it up in one word, it was ‘very good.’

“And then in the second half, there was a big crisis. I had to compete with the opposing player Machino for a penalty kick. How does it feel to take a penalty kick in such an important game?”

First, I lightly dissed the referee’s decision, and then I talked about the confrontation with Machino, who was the kicker.

In short, it was ‘If you try to play psychological warfare against me again, will you die?’

“Before Kim’s goal, Hannover was in third place. One dramatic goal completely changed the rankings. As you know, Hannover is in first place. Jean Pauli is in second place. Hamburg is in third place. What do you think about this change in rankings?”

I continued to ramble on and on.

In short, it was ‘This is fucking soccer!’

There were many other questions. Now that you are moving up to the first division, will you be able to perform like you are now in the first division? There must be many teams calling you. Do you have any plans to leave Hannover? You were talking to Chiller earlier. What did you talk about? Etc.

I smoothed over all those questions so there would be no room for controversy.

And now, it was really over.

‘Oh. Right. Now that I think about it, I forgot something.’

Hannover won a whopping 20 billion in prize money, and I won a similar amount. From whom? Football Manager.

Football Manager must have been impressed by this dramatic win, as he gave me a bunch of championship perks. Now it was time to check them out.

End

ⓒ Doctor Am