I Must Be a Genius -2
The U17 team I belong to is a team that fits the phrase "as different as heaven and earth" in many ways.
Because kids from age 14 to 17 are on this team.
As you know, boys at this age grow by the day.
So while the youngest kids are basically elementary schoolers, the oldest look like adults you'd believe it.
A place where peach fuzz and beards coexist—that was this U17 team.
Consequently, the gap in skill was also as wide as heaven and earth.
It was one team, but it was hard to see it as a single team.
Therefore, training was divided into two large groups.
The starting group, and the reserve group.
"Faster, faster! Pay attention to your breathing!"
I belong to the reserve group.
Actually, when I first came to this team, I trained with the starting group.
But I couldn't keep up well with the starting group's training, and before I knew it, I became a fixed member of the reserve group.
Of course, most kids training in the reserve group don't get to play in the weekend matches.
The match roster is twenty players total including starters and substitutes, because the starting group headcount is tailored to that.
So, to play in a match, I first had to escape this reserve group.
To do that, I needed to stand out in training starting today, but...
Even if I somehow got lucky and got called up to the starting group, that wouldn't be the end.
Because even within the same starting group, there are levels.
Eleven out of the twenty are the real starters.
The other nine are on the bench, and even among them, usually only about four or five get a chance to be subbed in.
The rest are practically just making up the numbers.
In short, I still had a long way to go.
In this hierarchy stacked like layer upon layer of mountains, my current position was rock bottom.
My head spun at the fact that I had to climb these steps within two weeks.
If Jiu found out about this, what would she think?
She'd come expecting a soccer genius, only to find out I'm a nobody who can't even sit on the bench?
Ugh, I don't even want to imagine it.
Whew.
Well, they say a journey of a thousand li begins with a single step.
Let's focus on the present for now.
There's nothing else to do but steadily do well in the training right in front of me.
"Next!"
While steeling my resolve, my turn arrived.
Taking a deep breath, I step forward.
In front of a horizontally drawn line, three of us stand side by side, including me.
A few steps ahead, cones are lined up in a row.
It's a fundamentals drill where you run with the ball, then dribble through the cones in a zigzag.
The goal is to pass through as fast as possible without touching the cones.
"Ready..."
Crouching into my stance, I prepare to burst out...
"Beep-!"
Tatatat-!
I explode off the line at the whistle.
Then, when I reach a cone,
I push the ball with the outside of my foot, then with that same foot pull the ball to the inside to pass the cone.
Then I just switch feet and repeat the exact same process.
Passing quickly is important, but precision is even more important.
The more you rush, the more the ball bounces away, and then you end up touching the cones or deviating greatly from the path.
Dribbling with the mindset of doing it accurately is ultimately faster.
So, as calmly as possible...
Tap, tap-!
Holding my breath, I pass the last cone, then turn around using it as the turning point.
I could see the faces of the kids beside me in my peripheral vision.
This meant I was the fastest up to here.
Tap, tap-!
I continue dribbling back toward the starting line.
Accurately, as precisely as possible...
After cleanly passing the last cone,
I sprint at full speed and reach the starting line.
Whew!
I came in first.
It was only out of three people, but... I'd passed cleanly without touching a single cone, so it wasn't bad.
"Okay. Next!"
Honestly, well...
It didn't mean much.
What mattered was that I had confirmed a glimmer of possibility.
That even someone like me, if I just worked hard, wouldn't fall behind, at least.
When I was in Korea.
The reason I could occasionally hear that I was good was because I worked harder than others.
Back then, I had to work hard.
So I really did.
But after coming here, I hadn't found any particular reason to work hard.
But now, even if it's for a reason I don't want, at least I have a reason.
You never know.
If I work hard, I might be able to demonstrate abilities beyond what I have.
"Beep-!"
Whatever, let's just try.
Because whatever happens, it's better than humiliating myself in front of Jiu.
*
After dribbling training came passing training, shooting training, physical training, and so on.
Like this, the reserve group's training program was thoroughly fundamentals-focused.
They didn't do tactical training separately.
Because these were kids who didn't play in matches yet anyway.
Consequently, reserve group training had the characteristic of being boring, hard, and not fun.
So I always approached training with a mindset of just doing enough, staying in the middle.
My goal was just to blend in enough to not fall out of the coaches' good graces.
Of course, today? That was different.
I worked as hard as possible.
I pretended to have motivation even when I didn't, and during shuttle runs—the round-trip runs I hate the most—I showed them I survived until the very end.
How long had it been since I'd trained with my teeth gritted like this?
I hadn't tried this hard since coming to Italy, so it had been almost three years.
"Okay. Good work, everyone."
Maybe thanks to that.
As training ended.
I felt the coach looking at me intently.
It might have been my imagination, but... there was a surprised look in his eyes?
A look that said, "Why is that kid doing that?"
Well, it might have been my imagination.
But hey, it was something that he even glanced at me.
This was a coach who didn't know whether I existed or not.
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
Whew.
As we're dismissed, I trudge toward the clubhouse.
Using all my strength for the first time in a while, I feel like I'm dying.
And I have to do this tomorrow, and the day after too.
Can I do it?
I don't know.
I'll have to, even if I can't.
If I don't want to get caught not being a soccer genius.
...
"Head Coach."
"Yeah?"
"Good news!"
"What is it?"
After training.
Coach Luca, in charge of the U17 team's reserve group, speaks with a fuss.
"That, you know Jian."
"Yeah. What about him?"
"He was a bit strange today?"
"How so?"
"I mean, he worked hard. Not just your average hard—he was gritting his teeth."
"...Lee Jian?"
"Yes. Could something have happened? Or is he finally starting to show progress?"
At Coach Luca's words that Lee Jian, a person of interest from Korea, had attacked training with fire in his eyes, almost excessively sincerely, U17 head coach Tony Rucco stroked his chin and nodded.
"Hmm."
He had made a fuss thinking something was up, and it was indeed worth fussing over.
Lee Jian had approached his training sincerely? This was indeed big news.
Because this sixteen-year-old Asian kid was the person of interest that all the coaches paid the most attention to.
Actually, it was Lee Jian who had put the coaches on edge even before he joined the team.
The background is this.
They learned of the player named Lee Jian three years ago, on a program run by a Korean YouTuber.
Officials from several Serie A clubs had gathered to run a program intended to test young Korean prospects.
And the standout among them was Lee Jian.
To the point that every Serie A team that participated wanted him as their first pick.
In the latter half of the program, the Serie A clubs were almost frantic to get him.
In the end, it was Juventus who took Lee Jian.
Fiorentina had also put in a bid, but, well.
Their opponent was Juventus, so they had no choice but to concede.
Earlier this year, word came that Lee Jian had mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Juventus.
According to a reliable source, the reason was this.
Lee Jian was struggling to adapt to life in Italy.
Linguistically, culturally.
Unable to adapt to the overseas life he had suddenly begun, he was left isolated.
There was even talk that he had fought with fellow players.
Honestly, it was something that could have been predicted to some extent.
Based on the evaluation from three years ago.
Lee Jian was someone whose soccer talent was beyond doubt, but who showed slight unstable elements in terms of personality.
How should I put it.
Humans are such complex creatures that you can't define Lee Jian's personality in one word, but...
What was certain was that he wasn't the type to enjoy fierce competition.
Outside the pitch, Lee Jian was an extremely shy child.
He hated being the center of attention and was very introverted. It was said he pathologically hated feeling burdened and pressured.
This was heard from the soccer team coach who had directed him at the time.
He said that once, before a tournament final, he called Lee Jian over and gave him motivation, saying, "You have to do it. If you don't play well, we can't win. Can you do it?"
But upon hearing those words, Lee Jian threw up on the spot.
It was almost like he was having a fit.
The exact reason is unknown.
But that coach had a guess.
It was a story about Lee Jian's mother.
Lee Jian's mother was a passionate parent who came to every match.
The problem was that after every match, she would call him over and scold him.
Even in games where he played extremely well, she would scold him, saying that wasn't enough, that he had to do better to become the best player.
And she did it in front of all the other kids.
When asked if he had just watched, what did he say.
In Korea, you can't mess with parents, so his hands were tied, or something like that.
Well, that's beside the point.
Anyway... since Lee Jian was that kind of child, it was questionable whether he could adapt well to overseas life.
A style severely lacking in self-esteem and confidence compared to his talent.
He was a case that required considerable delicate care, and since Juventus was full of promising prospects, perhaps they had been somewhat negligent in that regard.
The story took a long detour.
Anyway, Fiorentina approached and brought Lee Jian as soon as they got that news.
And they even held a meeting to establish how to care for Lee Jian.
In truth, there was nothing special to it.
Just waiting.
Rather than giving excessive attention, they would withdraw attention and watch from behind.
So that he could open the door to his own heart first.
"Is he finally opening his heart?"
"If that's the case, it couldn't be better."
"I hope so. Luca."
"Yes."
"Don't act differently just in case. Just do as you have been."
"I know. I'll just watch. As usual, nonchalantly."
Head Coach Tony nodded.
Unfortunately, Lee Jian had wasted almost two years.
Since he hadn't even been able to play matches at Juventus.
But sixteen years old was still very young.
Because there was no doubt about the talent he possessed... if he opened his heart again and focused on soccer.
Fiorentina's future could change because of him.
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