<008. Chaminator vs Lamborghini>

An hour had flown by since he had started kicking the ball around with the children.

“Wow, you really kick, huh?”

Du Rim Cha bumped Ho Yung’s shoulder, walking out of the pitch together.

“Makes me think of Ryong.”

“Ryong? Who’s that?”

“Oh, there’s a kid. Sung Ryong Gi, a kid I trained.”

“Wow.”

Could it be the Sung Ryong Gi?

‘I can’t believe he raised Sung Ryong Gi. Didn’t Bum Gon Cha raise him?’

Same difference.

There had been a passage about it in Bum Gon’s autobiography that he had read some time ago. That he had cared for Sung Ryong and raised him with his own son before he sent him off to Australia to study.

‘He must have learnt soccer from Du Rim in that process.’

Ho Yung felt again that he was in the presence of a great soccer family.

Once in the resting area, Sang Un spoke.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m good, it made me think of the old days.”

“Of course. A soccer player de-stresses with soccer. Anyway, you said you had to go on an errand for Director Cha?”

“Haha. Well, Dad isn’t even home right now. Has my father seen Ho Yung, by the way?”

“No, not yet. He said that he’ll see him when he visits next.”

“Haha, he might try to take him and raise him too.”

Du Rim looked at Ho Yung.

“Hey, are you going to be a soccer player?”

“Yes! Whatever it takes!”

“Hehe. Dad took Ryong in when he was about this age too.”

“Then take me and raise me too!”

“Huh?”

He just tried screaming it out without thinking. Logically there was no way for people who had just met to spend 500 minutes together doing leg exercises.

Of course, Du Rim was renowned for being good with children but even so, there was no hope. But there was always a way.

This was all or nothing.

“I want to learn from you like that Mr Ryong you talk about!”

“Hey, you have Coach Sang Un already.”

“Hehe. What if you teach me different things? I want to become really good like you so we can play together as soccer players.”

He was desperate. He didn’t know when he would come across a unique skill next, so he whinged and begged. But logically, why would that work?

‘Come on little man. With the skill you have now, my dad will definitely take you under his wing. Don’t be disappointed and just keep playing soccer.”

“Then can I go over to your house sometime?”

“I’m busy, little man. And your parents will worry.”

‘Ah… as expected.’

Ho Yung swallowed disappointment. Rejection was only logical. Even so, Du Rim saw his disappointment and opened his mouth.

“Where do you live?”

“Gyunggi, Anyang.”

“Anyang? Hmm.”

Du Rim pursed his lips.

“I apologise so much. I’m so sorry…”

Ho Yung cried and whinged against Hi Sun’s protests and finally gained her permission.

“We’re already getting so much from you…”

“Haha. No, well. I like kids who can play soccer. Dad would bring home little soccer players ever since I was little. Besides, it’s only one hour per day and we live nearby. I’ll just consider it exercising in the evening.”

“Oh..? Where do you live?”

“My home is in Jongro but I’m living with a close friend in Anyang right now.”

Close friend.

He had meant Hyung Pyo Lee who was running in the K-league’s Anyang Cheetahs but Ho Yung had no idea.

He was just glad that he had earned the opportunity to exercise together.

The next day.

Ho Yung was just following Du Rim around with no complaints.

‘Even I can see this is a huge favour he’s doing me.’

He vowed to repay this favour one day.

The newly determined Ho Yung followed Du Rim around and diligently did his leg exercises. As a result, he completed both criteria 1 and 2 in one week.

[Select the skill you desire]

Skills Possessed

The Chaminator’s kick and run (U)

Legs quicker than a pass (A-)

A strong body (B+)

‘Seems too easy for a U-level skill.’

After pondering a little because of this fact, he realised there was no reason to deliberate.

‘Is that even a question?’

Of course, it was the first skill!

The fast legs were desirable but the Chaminator’s kick and run would be incredibly valuable, not to mention rare.

The speed at which Du Rim kicks and runs was unfathomable. People who had not seen it in real life could never understand.

How great it was.

It was to the point that people said that the legs were too fast for the ball.

‘It’s not unique for no reason.’

Ho Yung picked the first talent with nearly no hesitation.

[It will take 30 days to gain this talent. In these 30 days, no other talents can be desired.]

‘Huh, this has never happened before.’

Maybe it was due to the high level of the skill, but he was unable to obtain it right away. Like digesting food.

‘So I can use the kick and run skill after 30 days.’

Really, it didn’t matter.

It wasn’t like there was a big competition before 30 days and time would flow. He was content with just gaining the skill. Plus, he had gained a connection that money couldn’t buy.

‘Yes. This is the way of a soccer star!’

Step by step.

It truly felt like he was getting closer to his dream.

Time flowed quickly by with training and shooting Run Shoot. Mid-November, a coach of FC Shoot was arrested for gambling charges. Despite this, Run Shoot garnered amazing ratings every week and was doing well.

At the same time, far away in the England Premier League, a young soccer player 16 years of age was gaining publicity for this one sentence.

“Remember the name. Wayne Rooney.”

2002. This was the moment another star was created in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ho Yung watched Wayne Rooney’s debut and grew his dreams.

December 11th.

That day’s field, Paju NFC, was overflowing with a tense and nervous atmosphere.

Not only were the MBS staff there, but the Youth Director of the Korean Soccer Union, as well as some sports reporters, were attending.

Ho Yung was nervous.

Hwang Sun had taken leave from work to watch.

“My son! You don’t need to be intimidated. Those kids may be big, but our Ho Yung knows how to play!”

“Yes. We’ll win.”

“Haha, my son is awesome. Good luck!”

This was the 9th episode – the opponent was a team from overseas. He had known this from 2 weeks ago when the schedule was set in place, but nerves started to kick in now that reality was staring him in the face.

[Ho Yung Wu, his movements have become a lot sharper and refined! Wouldn’t you agree, Byung Jin?]

[Yes I do. There are some who say that it’s all an act, but I know for a fact that it’s not.]

[And how is that?]

[We’re quite close.]

[Wow, already trying to get good connections, huh?]

[Haha. Sung Don, you are the same! I saw you giving him pocket money.]

[Hahaha, the viewers will misunderstand! Anyway, let’s have a look at today’s game. FC Shoot is hungry for a win – will they manage it today? In many ways, today is the hardest game of all. FC Shoot faces Brazil’s soccer club San Paolo FC, which has produced so many soccer legends in its time.]

Didi, Leonardo, Cafu, Rivaldo – so many legends had partaken in Brazil’s prestigious club. San Paolo FC’s under 13 team was visiting Korea in the Christmas holidays. Of course, the game with FC Shoot was not the main reason for their visit.

MBS and the Korean Soccer Union were co-hosting a 2002 world youth soccer competition from the 18th to the 24th for 6 days. San Paolo FC had been sent out to represent Brazil and accepted an offer to verse FC Shoot while they were in Korea.

For PD Cho, it was an opportunity to get 15% ratings.

‘Do it for me this time too.’

Cho PD’s gaze was directed at Ho Yung.

Ho Yung was in a nervous state of mind in deep thought.

‘Could we win?’

While FC Shoot had trained hard and built up skill, San Paolo FC was undefeatable.

Age also mattered but first and foremost, their heights differed by 10 to 20 cm.

There was another reason that Ho Yung was nervous.

The player who was lifting the ball over there, from the San Paolo team. Olive skin, black, curly hair and thick lips. There was a boy who looked like ‘him’ warming up.

He spotted the name on the back of his jersey and became sure of it. The man who would take over the left wing of Juventus in the future.

“Hey! Dougie! If we score 10 goals today, Coach is going to take us to Disneyland Korea!”

“Really? Yes!”

If you were a fan of overseas soccer, you would have heard his name.

[Douglas Costa]

Skills Possessed

Soccer Prodigy (B+)

Legs rivalling the speed of a Lamborghini (A)

Fluctuating between genius and criminal (C+)

(A skill can be taken if the criteria is fulfilled.)

(Criteria 1: Block a shot)

(Criteria 2: Win in a race.)

‘I want this…’

Ho Yung swallowed.