It's only natural for a miner to covet a gemstone once discovered.
Especially in football, where there are no borders.
Whether you're Black, White, or Asian, if you're good, you should be scouted with money. If you seem promising, you should be brought in before the price goes up.
That was Carlos's golden rule.
"Your son is like a raw gem that needs polishing. I'd like to ask if you'd consider letting him join our academy to receive professional training while signing a youth contract. What do you think?"
While Carlos was talking with Ho-young's parents, Ho-young's attention was elsewhere.
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
- Sharp Interceptions (B)
- Reliable Ball Stopping (C)
'If both are defensive skills, then obviously the B-rank one.'
He chose Sharp Interceptions (B), and now it was Douglas Costa's turn.
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
- Football Prodigy (B+)
- Legs Faster than a Lamborghini (A)
- Inconsistent Genius (C+)
"Hmmm."
It was a good kind of dilemma.
'I already have Football Prodigy (B+). What happens if I obtain it again?'
He thought carefully.
It would be disappointing if nothing happened after choosing it.
'Then, Legs Faster than a Lamborghini?'
Men tend to be drawn to sports cars, but Ho-young decided to be rational about it.
'It only activates occasionally, but I already have Run and Drive.'
He was slow when receiving through balls, but when he had the ball, he could burst with explosive speed.
The problem was, using it frequently put stress on his knees.
'Hmm. Then it's better to complement that with faster legs. Football prodigies are everywhere, but speed like that is rare.'
Especially since off-the-ball movement is critical in football.
Breaking the offside trap, collapsing defensive lines—speed is essential to executing those.
'Alright.'
Having made his decision, Ho-young chose the stable option over a gamble.
[Ho-young]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B+), Powerful Long Shot (C), Fitness Enthusiast's Muscular Build (C), Stylish Curved Free Kick (C-), Chaminator's Run and Drive (U), Legs Faster than a Lamborghini (A), Sharp Interceptions (B)]
'Jackpot.'
The moment he obtained the fast legs, Ho-young felt a surge of energy in his legs.
It felt like he could win a gold medal at an elementary school track meet right then.
'This is OP.'
A limitless feast of talents.
Just thinking about it sent a thrill down his spine.
If things continued like this, could he become a footballer unlike any the world had ever seen?
Just as a wide grin was about to spread across Ho-young's face.
[It will take 7 days to fully absorb the new talent. You cannot obtain other talents during this period.]
'Guess I overate today.'
Compared to Cha Du-ri's talent, which took 30 days to digest, this was manageable.
He could spend the week honing his existing talents.
Just then, someone suddenly appeared and shoved a microphone in his face.
"Ho-young, who scored a hat trick today! You look like you're in a great mood!"
It was announcer Choi Seong-don, who had come onto the field during the break.
Ho-young answered.
"Yes. It's a shame we lost the match, but I'm still okay."
"Haha. So despite the loss, you acknowledge the opponent?"
"Winning and losing is important, but more than anything, I really wanted to score today."
"Is that so? You did seem more tenacious than last time. Any special reason?"
"I wanted to prove that I can score even against foreign teams. Some people said I couldn't."
"Haha. So they motivated you? I suppose you should thank them then?"
"Yes. Even anti-fans are still fans."
"Ah! Yes! That was a great interview, Ho-young!"
Though it wasn't even a live broadcast, Choi Seong-don hurriedly wrapped up the segment, flustered.
"Bwahaha!"
The production crew burst into laughter.
Producer Choi at the center laughed in amazement.
"He's seriously hilarious."
He had a feeling this episode was going to be a ratings hit.
On the way home after the shoot, Woo Hwang-sun's purple Elantra took a turn and stopped in front of a charcoal-grilled ribs restaurant.
"Son. We're eating out today!"
"Woohoo!"
Was it to celebrate the hat trick?
Ho-young was surprised by the unusually grand gesture.
But after settling down in the restaurant, he realized the real reason.
"A— a scouting offer? From São Paulo?"
"Yes. Listen carefully, Ho-young. You'll join the academy first, and your future will be decided through regular evaluations. But FIFA doesn't allow it right now."
Kim Hee-sun, who knew a lot about football, explained it in a way her young son could understand.
"Do you get what I'm saying? It's because you're still too young…"
"I get it! Because I'm too young to go abroad alone, right? Normally speaking."
"Exactly! My smart boy!"
Ho-young already knew about the regulation. It was a well-known one.
FIFA's Article 19 on player transfers states that international transfers are only allowed from age 18.
It's meant to protect the rights of young players. While there are exceptions, none applied to Ho-young.
If they wanted to bypass the rule, his family would have to move to Brazil and work there.
'Basically impossible...'
The only other option would be risking sanctions.
'Well, it's not like I'd go to jail. It happens all the time. If needed, I can ask the club for help.'
Even if it became an issue, there was nothing that would pose a major obstacle to his future.
And the fact that São Paulo FC was considering a youth contract meant they already had countermeasures in place.
Ho-young organized his thoughts and spoke.
"Then why didn't that coach, Carlos, say anything to me before leaving?"
"He didn't want to pressure you. There are already a lot of people interested in you, including the press. So he only spoke briefly with your dad and me."
"Oh~ So what did he say?"
At that moment, Woo Hwang-sun cut in loudly, as if waiting for this question.
"Of course I told him no!"
"What?!"
"I said, how could we send a ten-year-old overseas? I flat-out refused!"
"Whaaaaat?!"
Just as Ho-young was about to collapse from shock, Woo Hwang-sun burst into laughter and changed his tone.
"Just kidding, son!"
"Seriously?!"
Come to think of it, there's no way his football-obsessed dad would say no.
"I'm not good at foreign languages, so I just kept saying thank you. Your mom did all the negotiating."
Swoosh.
Ho-young's gaze turned to Kim Hee-sun.
"Mom?"
"Mom said it was fine as long as you were happy."
"Yes!"
"You like it that much?"
"Of course!!"
Brazil.
A country that's inseparable from football. How could he not be excited about studying there?
The S-class in Korea's top academy?
Sorry, but this was a different level.
Not because Cha Bum-kun Football Academy was bad, but because São Paulo FC was just that good.
'So many superstars came from there.'
A chance to learn things different from European football.
Even better, a golden opportunity to acquire the talents of South American prospects.
If he could gain all that and then move on to Europe, it would be perfect.
And this wasn't just studying abroad.
Signing a youth contract meant he could earn money while playing football.
However.
"Ho-young. I heard there might be one or two Korean kids there... but the language might be an issue. They speak Portuguese in Brazil."
"It's okay. I'll start learning today!"
Ho-young figured things would work out if he just jumped in.
Whether it was Brazil or Europe, he wanted to go to a footballing country and learn properly.
'But I'll have to wait until the youth tournament ends anyway.'
If he wanted to go with Carlos, he had to wait until São Paulo FC finished the World Youth Tournament.
So what should he do until then?
'Hmm. I heard FC Cha Boom is also competing in that tournament.'
He turned on his computer and looked up the information.
"Wow. Sixteen teams are participating."
Group A
Brazil (São Paulo FC Youth)
Japan (U-13 National Team)
Mexico (U-13 National Team)
England (Wolverhampton Youth)
Group B
South Africa (Kaizer Chiefs Youth)
Paraguay (U-13 National Team)
Germany (VfB Stuttgart Youth)
South Korea (U-13 National Team)
Group C
Poland (U-13 National Team)
South Korea (FC Cha Boom Youth)
Sweden (Djurgårdens IF Youth)
Portugal (FC Porto Youth)
Group D
Denmark (FC Copenhagen)
France (FC Metz)
Ireland (U-13 National Team)
Turkey (Galatasaray Youth)
A true festival of youth football.
'This is like a high-end buffet!'
Ho-young clicked through another article.
[MBS World Youth Football Tournament kicks off on the 18th. Final roster deadline: 16th…]
'The 16th is five days from now.'
He still had a chance.
Although, there was one problem.
"Ow."
Mild knee pain.
It didn't hurt this much during the match, but the pain started hitting after getting home.
'I guess I overdid it today.'
He realized he needed to be more careful going forward.
He also thought it was time to build up the physical strength to use his football skills consistently.
Skill alone wasn't enough. Behind all that flashiness was a cost to be paid.
Take Ronaldo of Brazil, for example. His explosive playstyle led to recurring injuries due to overworked thighs and knees.
'So I should start doing injury prevention training too.'
Overdoing it was dangerous.
"Yah!"
"Ho-young. What's wrong? Does your leg hurt?"
As Ho-young began stretching, something he learned at the academy, Kim Hee-sun looked on with concern.
Ho-young quickly shook his head.
"I think I'm growing! Haha!"
He didn't want to worry her.
But perhaps sensing his intention, Kim Hee-sun came over and started massaging his legs.
"Ho-young. If it's too hard, you can stop. Your health is what matters most to me."
Please stay healthy too, Mom.
With that thought in his heart, Ho-young gave a simple reply.
"Yes."
Srrrt.
Lying down with his mom's massage, it didn't take long for his eyes to close.
A mother's hands really are magical.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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