00017 Receiving Attention ------------------------------------------------------------------------=
Minjun did not check Football Edit every day, but steadily reviewed it at two-week intervals.
To gauge his growth, it wasn't by looking at short-term records, but by leaving roughly a two-week grace period to review the overall picture, which is why he viewed it that way; however, on this day, he unusually felt like checking it for no particular reason.
"Why is that?"
Having joined the Frankfurt youth football academy in Germany, played six months in the E-League and one year in the D-League, and now entering his second year of football study abroad, Minjun had never experienced such a thing before, so he felt something strange, scratched his head, and launched Football Edit.
"A-Awakening?"
"Huk!?"
Along with these guidance messages from Football Edit, Minjun felt something burning inside him, and in that moment, he had the sensation that his entire body, including his joints and bones, was being wrapped by something.
"Ugh!"
It was such a bizarre sensation that Minjun trembled all over, and only after this strange feeling disappeared and some time had passed did he come to his senses and check his user information to see what had changed.
Name: Kang Minjun
Date of Birth: November 24, 1987
Nationality/Age: Republic of Korea/13 (12)
Height/Weight: 158.9 cm·47.2 kg
Preferred Foot/Weak Foot: Right/Left
Position: None
Stats + (Rank I Enhancement Effect Applied)
● Attacking - 25 + (1)
Shooting 27
Finishing 25
Long Shots 23
● Passing - 24 + (1)
Short Passing 27
Long Passing 23
Crossing 22
● Technique - 22 + (1)
Heading 22
Positioning 27
Dribbling 21
Penalty Kicks 20
Free Kicks 20
● Defending - 21 + (1)
Sliding Tackle 21
Standing Tackle 20
Marking 22
Defensive Organization 21
● Speed - 29 + (1)
Sprint Speed 29
Acceleration 30
Agility 27
Dribbling Speed 27
● Physical - 29 + (1)
Stamina 30
Strength 28
Body Balance 29
"Kuk!"
The fact that all stats increased by 1 each was truly enormous, so Minjun couldn't help but swallow hard.
Especially for stats, the felt difference was considerable at multiples of 5; at 10, 15, 20, and 25, the rise in stats was felt not only by himself but also by those watching.
But because the effect of this enhancement applied the multiples-of-5 effect even when at 4 or 9, he could have great expectations right away for his sprint speed and body balance.
"Wow... really Junmin... no, Donner, really!"
If he hadn't looked at the sky that day... would he have been able to obtain a friend who could grant him such fortune? Recalling that day's memory, Minjun expressed his gratitude to Donner, who cared for him like this.
Of course, it could be considered foul play. It was no different from obtaining rewards through something additional called energy, rather than through his own effort.
But football was a place where luck became skill, and Minjun believed that since he had obtained such luck, all he needed to do was put in effort without any shame.
"I just need to work hard. So I should work hard enough to be called the best even without such enhanced stats."
* * *
The fact that traces of effort were visible to the eye alone made people feel a sense of accomplishment and enabled them to work even harder. To Minjun, Football Editor was such a thing.
It was a system that gave the feeling of having awakened talent in someone who had none, and having grown this much by not letting that talent go to waste and working hard...
It had been long since he forgot the initial guidance phrases; he was simply thankful to the special friend who had bestowed this upon him, and seeing that the sweat he had shed had not been in vain made him concentrate even more on football.
However, when such a Football Editor granted rewards akin to compensation for effort upon raising stats to a certain level, Minjun found even more motivation to work hard, and as his growth naturally rose in proportion to his effort, he parted ways once again with friends including Schmidt, who had come up with him from the E-League to the D-League.
He had been promoted from the D-League to the C-League.
Schmidt was a child with striker talent, and since he had shown quite decent performances even in the E-League, the club judged that the D-League player pool was safe even without Minjun, suggested promoting him to the C-League, and this time too, both Minjun and Daniel agreed, so he went up to the C-League.
But unfortunately, he couldn't play many matches; after advancing to the C-League, he began growing taller, and league appearances did not come to pass.
The C-League was a place that ran smoothly on its own even without Minjun playing, so it weathered Minjun's absence comfortably enough, and he was satisfied playing as a second-half joker in intra-squad matches and the like.
Of course, despite his playing time decreasing significantly, Minjun, who had produced 5 goals and 8 assists in 9 matches, rose to become a core player even in the C-League, and it was gradually becoming a time when he was feeling the danger at Frankfurt.
The C-League was the stage before receiving specialized position training; if there was a youth player with outstanding potential, they would naturally build various connections, including observing that player's training, in order to provide tutoring.
However, the problem was... in Frankfurt, there was no one who could provide tutoring for the attacking position where Minjun was beginning to blossom. Rather, there were quite a few with bad habits who would act not as fertilizer but as herbicide to the well-grown Minjun.
"There's no player who can solve the tutoring part. Ha... this is absurd. Absurd."
Most of the staff, including Coach Bernhardt, were from midfield or defensive backgrounds, and there were very few who could offer advice on attacking.
Moreover, since practice and theory were as different as heaven and earth, receiving guidance from an active player was the very best, but Frankfurt's scoring reality was a miserable one where over 70% came from the midfielders.
With the strikers unable to score, the tendency to solve it from midfield was strong, and because of this there were internal team problems as well; it was a situation where no one could teach anyone else.
Having barely made it up to the Bundesliga, they were currently dead last in the league and on the verge of being relegated to the second division once again; from amidst this comprehensive crisis, a gigantic dinosaur reached out its hand to Minjun very quietly.
It was none other than Bayern Munich digging into this absolute weakness of Frankfurt, bringing up something Daniel couldn't help but be tempted by.
"Tutoring... Minjun will soon rise to the B-League from the C-League. There, he will now receive specialized position education."
"I know."
"I understand that you are a passionate fan of Frankfurt, Mr. Daniel, and I think Minjun must be as well... but unfortunately, at this crucial time, Frankfurt has no one who can provide proper tutoring for Minjun."
"..."
"We can do that. Frankfurt has certainly made the sprout that is Minjun grow wonderfully and it has already grown into a pretty sapling. That is something we fully acknowledge as well. However... for that pretty sapling to grow into a giant tree with deep roots without wavering... the soil of Frankfurt lacks nutrients."
At what the Bayern Munich side was saying, Daniel was angry but couldn't help acknowledging it.
Their glory had been on the decline since the 1990s, and proper players hadn't emerged since then, and whenever one was about to emerge, it was always another club that snatched them away.
"I only give advice to Minjun. Everything is decided by Minjun. Formally I'm his guardian, and his parents in Korea visit often as well... we don't interfere with the decision."
"Then could you perhaps convey this and see what he thinks? Of course, you don't have to say such things, but... Minjun's current time will have a very great influence on the future of football he will unfold."
"..."
"We haven't come here to say 'Please let us sign him right now!' It's simply because the current situation at Frankfurt is what it is, and it's a shame from our side, having recognized the potential in Minjun. And... Minjun's age affords us about a year, so please think about it comfortably and contact us."
The Bayern Munich official handed over a business card, gave a courteous greeting, then disappeared, leaving behind Daniel with a troubled expression, and a sigh escaped Daniel's lips.
Because he was Minjun's guardian, he was currently doing the things an agent should do, and in this situation, Bayern Munich's words were so correct that he was deeply troubled, not knowing how to respond or what to say.
But what was certain was that if Frankfurt's situation remained the same going forward, it would become barren soil unsuitable for a sapling's growth, just as the Bayern Munich official had said.
"When should I... bring this up? Whew...."
---------------------------= Afterword ---------------------------=
*Bows.*