Save 23. Pre-season
[BBC] Leeds, Promoted!
[Sky Sports] Leeds United Finally Returns to the Premier League!
Just because the season had ended didn't mean the world had stopped.
Especially in a place like England.
They were making quite the fuss over Leeds returning to the Premier League after so long.
The photos posted in the articles were nothing short of utter chaos. The Leeds fans who had stormed the pitch showed no intention of leaving even afterward, and things only calmed down after security and police finally stepped in to disperse them.
News of Leeds's promotion quickly spread through social media and online communities.
They debated fiercely over this newly promoted team.
Because the gap in quality between the Championship and the Premier League was just that large.
-You fought your way up, now enjoy the trip back down.
-The comment above must be a Man Utd fan, huh?
-It's not though?
-Yeah, just look forward to Moyes Season 2~ Please come back, Manager Moyesㅠㅠ
-You bastard, I got your ID saved.
The fandom showing the most sensitive reaction was, as expected, Manchester United. Given the fierce rivalry between them and Leeds, it was only natural.
They weren't the only ones looking down on Leeds's chances.
[The Sun] Leeds Selected as Bookmakers' Favorites for Relegation.
It seemed the related betting odds had already been posted, as such articles had appeared.
One might dismiss it as merely the opinion of gamblers... but sometimes, it represented the general consensus.
Because they don't place bets on high-risk ventures.
In other words, it meant Leeds's prospects weren't looking bright.
No matter how prestigious a club's history, or that they'd earned promotion, it meant nothing if they couldn't put on a good performance in the Premier League.
[Yorkshire Evening] The Citizens of Leeds Enjoying the Festival!
Of course, unlike those negative views, the atmosphere in Leeds was excellent.
After all, they had achieved the promotion they had desperately longed for.
There was no reason not to be positive.
"Hey, we got more booze?!"
"We've still got four crates left!"
"Drinking after so long hits the spot!"
The Leeds players also enjoyed the wrap-up party, basking in that atmosphere.
Though there were a few players like El Hadji Diouf who enjoyed themselves every single day even during the season, most players tended to keep themselves in check.
As if intending to get through all the food and alcohol they'd been deprived of, they displayed an enormous appetite.
"Shin! You're not drinking anymore?!"
"Ugh, I've already had quite a lot, though?"
"You're still a baby!"
"Go on, cry like a baby, punk!"
Shin Uison shook his head at the burst of laughter.
Even after becoming an adult, he hadn't had many chances to drink, but it was also that their tolerance was too strong.
"To Shin and Ross!"
"Cheers!"
"...Cheers."
Shin Uison raised his glass with difficulty.
Of course, he only lifted it; he didn't actually drink.
"Congrats, I knew you guys would do it!"
Their teammates' celebration was not without reason.
Championship Team of the Year.
A selection of the 11 best players and manager during the season; from Leeds, only two players had been chosen: Ross McCormack and Shin Uison.
In Shin Uison's case, he had only played half a season, but there had been no goalkeeper with a better performance, so there was little disagreement.
"Hey, the results are out!"
"Yeah?!"
At that moment, one of the players switched the TV screen.
It was a venue they had rented for the team dinner, so they could connect a laptop to the TV without worrying about anyone else.
And.
Soon, the news they had been waiting for appeared.
[Official] Ross McCormack Selected as the Championship and Leeds Player of the Year!
"Whoa!"
"McCormack, you bastard, you're buying!"
When the Team of the Year had been announced, McCormack had already been named Championship Player of the Year, but now he had also been selected as the Leeds supporters' Player of the Year.
Shin Uison stayed in second place with slightly fewer votes.
Of course, he hadn't come away empty-handed. He had also received the honor of being named the Championship Young Player of the Year.
Then, the Voice asked.
[Aren't you disappointed?]
"Why?"
[Because he is taking most of the spotlight.]
At that question, Shin Uison smirked.
Sometimes she threw these kinds of meaningful questions at him.
"Spotlight, huh."
Shin Uison stared at McCormack.
Certainly, as she said, it wasn't easy for defenders, including goalkeepers, to receive attention.
Because football was ultimately a sport where you had to score goals.
If it hadn't been for McCormack, promotion would have been nothing but a dream.
It was something Shin Uison knew well, and also acknowledged.
"I'm already used to that sort of thing."
Being compared and disregarded was all too familiar to him.
He was too numb to be disappointed by such things now.
"So let's just enjoy ourselves."
Shin Uison raised his glass while looking at his boisterous teammates.
*Clink.*
Along with the sound of ice shaking, a fiery sensation slid down his throat.
"Is the food to your taste?"
"Ah, it's excellent."
"That's a relief."
Then, someone sat across from Shin Uison.
It was someone familiar to him.
Olivia Katie.
This was the shop she ran.
'I never expected them to hold the afterparty here.'
When he had looked at the written address, how could he have imagined it was this place? Only when he got nearby did he realize it was a familiar spot.
Of course, it seemed Olivia had known, since the reservation was under Leeds United.
"Is it alright for you to clear the bar, boss?"
"I can probably take a short break until they finish all that."
Olivia winked one eye and stretched. Her very ample chest boasted its presence.
"Congratulations. I didn't think you'd actually get promoted. I didn't know Shin was such a good player either."
"Thank you."
"Should I get your autograph in advance?"
Olivia gave a small smile.
It was a smile that conveyed warmth.
"My family are die-hard Leeds fans, and the mood has been great lately."
"It's not because of me."
"Really, there's no need to say that, is there?"
When Olivia, puffing her cheeks, was about to say something, another order came in. It seemed her words wouldn't continue after all, but...
"Oh yeah."
"...?!"
Then she brought her face close.
Startled by the sudden situation, even Shin Uison stiffened in surprise.
"I voted for Shin for Leeds Player of the Year."
Having finished whispering, Olivia smiled and brought her index finger to her lips.
It seemed she had whispered so that others wouldn't hear.
How long did Shin Uison blink his eyes while watching her retreating figure?
[Your ears look red?]
"Shut it."
It was because he was drunk.
***
Even after the wrap-up party ended.
Shin Uison's routine remained unchanged.
Having entered the dream training ground, Shin Uison was deep in thought for the first time in a while.
Ten points earned through promotion.
The problem was where to spend these ten points.
First, Shin Uison checked his stats.
【Name: Sin Uison】
【Nationality: Republic of Korea】
【Team: Leeds United】
【Reputation: A Goalkeeper Who Recently Became a Hot Topic】
There had been a meaningful change in his reputation.
The label regarding his older brother had finally fallen away.
Now, when people heard Sin Uison, it meant there was no one who would think of his older brother first anymore.
【Reaction Speed – 80】
【Prediction – 80】
【Handling – 72】
【Throwing – 70】
【Goalkeeper Diving – 73】
His stats had also developed by leaps and bounds. In particular, his Prediction had successfully hit 80. That tenacious analysis had been a great help to his Prediction.
'That's exactly why I'm more torn.'
Shin Uison was now conflicted about investing points in stats.
Points were hard enough to come by as it was.
In that situation, was it okay to invest in other stats, or in stats that already had restrictions?
Of course, it wouldn't be a loss, but he had to judge what would be efficient in the long run.
'If it weren't for traits.'
He could definitely feel the change from the first trait he had unlocked, Intuition. In that regard, investing points in traits was not a bad choice at all.
Moreover.
There were still many traits he hadn't unlocked.
Therefore, for now, Shin Uison was reluctant to invest points in stats.
'What other traits are there?'
Among the lowest-tier traits whose effects he could currently check, there weren't many that caught his interest.
If he rashly invested in another trait and it didn't have much effect, it would be more efficient to just invest in stats.
[Then how about investing in Intuition one more time?]
"Is that possible?"
[Yes. It varies by trait, but in the case of Intuition, you can raise it up to three times.]
"Really...?"
Shin Uison immediately checked.
【Intuition II】
-> The efficiency of the Prediction stat becomes greater than the base Intuition.
"Oh."
Shin Uison let out a small exclamation.
Should he call it a level up?
The trait Intuition was originally an ability based on the Prediction stat.
In other words, investing in the trait one more time meant the efficiency would improve.
"This is worth it."
The required points were 5.
Without hesitation, Shin Uison raised Intuition.
'So I can't feel it immediately after all.'
Since there was no shot to save right now, he couldn't feel any change.
Just in case, Shin Uison pressed Intuition one more time.
【Intuition III】
-> You must unlock the required conditions.
【Intuition III Requirements】
-> 200 saves from shots on target.
-> 10 clean sheets achieved.
-> Must be in a league within the top 4 of the UEFA league rankings.
-> All records are only recognized during starting appearances.
"So I can't do this one either."
Clicking his tongue, Shin Uison scrolled back.
There were several traits that required conditions.
If he couldn't satisfy those conditions, they were nothing more than a pie in the sky for now.
And there were a few more such traits.
Shin Uison looked at one of them.
【Penalty Box Dominance】
-> Opposing players will feel pressure when inside the penalty box.
-> The pressure increases depending on reputation or related traits.
"Whoa."
Another exclamation escaped him. It was a trait that had caught his interest from the very first time he saw it.
Pressure.
An area that was difficult to express through stats.
Ross McCormack and other strikers had said:
When facing goalkeepers with high reputations, or legendary keepers who were called washed-up, they had experienced naturally shrinking back.
At such times, the probability of making mistakes usually increased, and in severe cases, they said the opponent's goal felt like a wall.
'Of course, this is also a pie in the sky since I can't meet the requirements yet.'
【Penalty Box Dominance Requirements】
-> 30 one-on-one saves.
-> 5 penalty kick saves.
-> Reputation of 'Outstanding Player in the League' or higher.
-> Must be in a league within the top 4 of the UEFA league rankings.
-> All records are only recognized during starting appearances.
These were the conditions required to unlock Penalty Box Dominance. In the Championship, no matter how well he played, he couldn't meet these requirements.
'If promotion had failed...'
That much time would have been wasted.
[So, what will you do?]
"What do you mean, what will I do."
Shin Uison closed the trait window and replied.
"I'll keep it saved for now."
There was no need to spend points on stats or traits that didn't interest him right now. Because there was no telling when he would earn points again.
"Guess I'll train."
Shin Uison called forth a shadow through the training window.