Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 125

< 125. The Indolent Genius Striker (125/202)>

< 124. The Golden Ball >

“Are you really not going?”

“Why would I go? It’s not like I’m playing a game.”

“No, Johan. It’s the Ballon d’Or! The Ballon d’Or!”

“I know. You’ve explained it so much, I’m sick of hearing it.”

“But? You’re just going to receive that glorious, important award by 택배 [delivery service] and be done with it?”

“My time is more important to me than that award.”

“Just empty words.”

Lohan felt like his chest was about to burst.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony was just around the corner.

Who would be the winner this year was still unknown, as it would be revealed on the day of the ceremony.

But it was obvious to everyone that Johan would win, so Lohan had high expectations.

Seeing Johan, dressed smartly, receiving the Ballon d’Or at the ceremony where all the legends of the soccer world gathered.

A scene that would be replayed until death, a scene that would remain as the glory of the family for generations.

But he couldn’t see it.

Simply because he was too lazy to go all the way to France.

Even Lohan, who knew his brother better than anyone else, couldn’t understand it.

“It’s not like you won’t receive it if you don’t go.”

“Well, that’s true…”

Of course, the winner wouldn’t change just because he didn’t attend the ceremony.

The voting was already over, and the winner was determined by the results.

Johan’s absence from the ceremony wouldn’t cause the Ballon d’Or to be passed on to another candidate.

But, wouldn’t it be natural to want to see that important moment with your own eyes if possible?

“Sigh, well… if that’s what you want, there’s nothing I can do.”

“…”

“If you don’t want to, you don’t want to. Yeah, what power does this 형님 [older brother] have to tell you what to do?”

“Why are you suddenly acting pitiful?”

“Sigh. It’s nothing.”

“…Do you want to see it that much?”

Lohan drooped his shoulders and nodded weakly.

Johan patted Lohan’s shoulder.

“But I’m still not going.”

“You really are…”

Lohan sighed.

It seemed like seeing his brother receive the Ballon d’Or was out of the question.

“How did it go?”

“We barely got their cooperation.”

“Whew! Thank goodness. I was going crazy.”

Marcos Jean-Paul, the editor-in-chief of France Football, was sweating profusely.

The awards ceremony was just around the corner.

The venue, schedule, host, and other necessary formalities were already in place.

However, after the winner’s declaration of non-attendance, all of this had to be completely revised.

If the ceremony proceeded without the main character, the prestige of the Ballon d’Or would be tarnished.

Fortunately, things were being handled quickly.

The first thing they sought cooperation from was the Premier League Secretariat.

France Football consulted the Secretariat with an idea that came out of an emergency meeting, and succeeded in getting their cooperation.

It was a relief.

“But, do we have to go this far?”

“Hmm.”

Jean-Paul sighed at his subordinate’s words.

It was such an urgent situation that he clung to it without considering the consequences and managed to get things done, but after taking a breath and thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of 현타 [realization of the absurdity of a situation].

The awarding side was more anxious and doing this.

And it’s not like they were some third-rate tabloid magazine.

It’s the Ballon d’Or, the Ballon d’Or.

It’s an award that all soccer players think is the highest honor, but this guy says he’s too lazy to come all the way here.

It’s even infuriating.

“We can’t help it. It’s not like we can change the winner.”

“I guess so. Even if we re-voted a hundred times, the result would be the same.”

There was nothing they could do, no matter how infuriating it was.

If he didn’t want to come, they had no choice but to bring it to him.

Fortunately, things went well with the Secretariat, so now all that was left was to prepare the necessary things.

“Damn it. We have to reshoot the intro video. What a headache.”

“We need to move quickly.”

No time, no time.

The ceremony officials, including Jean-Paul, were busy again.

ㆍㆍㆍ

Inside the Palace of Westminster in London, England.

In front of a clock tower located north of the Houses of Parliament, people are bustling around preparing something.

“Main camera here, and there. Okay. Adam! Stand in front! Let’s get an angle!”

There were several cameras, and officials controlling people.

It looked like they were rehearsing something, like they were filming a movie.

But that wasn’t the case.

It was the scene of preparations for a special Ballon d’Or award ceremony.

Elizabeth Tower, a landmark of England and London.

The stage for the award ceremony, decided by France Football with the cooperation of the Premier League Secretariat, was right here.

So-called, the clock tower known as ‘Big Ben.’

The award ceremony was scheduled to take place here, as symbolic as the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

“The picture is coming out.”

Jean-Paul, who had become haggard in a few days, sighed and nodded.

They had prepared in a hurry, but thanks to the cooperation of the British side, they were able to get a decent picture.

Well, there were still many things to worry about, but it wasn’t bad.

The player side also said they would come if the award ceremony was held here.

He didn’t know if he should be grateful for that, but things were much better than holding the ceremony without the winner.

“The British people will like it.”

“Actually, that’s the most annoying thing. Who are we doing this for?”

“Well, we can’t help it. Let’s let them enjoy it.”

“I guess so. It’s been almost 30 years. Since an English player won.”

Now that things had turned out this way, the reaction of the British fans would probably be 뜨겁다 [hot/enthusiastic].

Since the award ceremony was held at their symbol, Big Ben.

Especially the West Ham fans would be 난리가 나겠지 [going crazy].

Unlike the previous winners, this was a special treatment.

To be honest, even while preparing, he wondered if this was right.

All the other winners came to France to receive it, but he wondered if it was right to do this much.

He even wondered if it would be better to maintain the authority by proceeding with the ceremony as it was if he didn’t want to come.

However, this Ballon d’Or winner was too popular in many ways.

The UEFA president even picked him as the next-generation star to be responsible for the popularity of European soccer, so what.

They couldn’t just let the award ceremony pass by without excitement.

“Now that it’s come to this, let’s do it perfectly.”

“Yes. I’ll go through the rehearsal one more time.”

If possible, they had no choice but to create the most 멋진 [wonderful/stylish] picture possible.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“Dress nicely and come. Got it?”

“What’s dressing nicely?”

“Like a Ballon d’Or winner! Be serious! Anyway! Do well!”

“Okay.”

Lohan was excited.

He thought he would just pass by without seeing the glorious moment when Johan received the Ballon d’Or.

France Football flew directly to England.

Johan also saw their sincerity and said he would go to the front, and the family decided to watch from home.

“It’s a really historic day. Dad. Right?”

“Of course. It’s a historic day for our family.”

Ban Seok-ho also couldn’t hide his excitement.

The awards ceremony would begin shortly.

Johan left the house following the ceremony officials who came to pick him up, and the family decided to watch from home.

“I’m a little nervous.”

“I’m nervous too.”

“To think this moment would come…”

Thanks to Johan, they had already experienced everything.

There seemed to be nothing more to be surprised about, but today was different.

A dream that any soccer player would have dreamed of at least once.

In the words of Johan’s grandfather, an award given to the ‘놈 [guy] who plays soccer the best on Earth.’

Johan was going to receive the Ballon d’Or.

That meant a Ballon d’Or winner came from the Ban family.

Ban Seok-ho seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, as if he had new feelings.

“Hey, Seok-ho. What’s a Ballon d’Or?”

“Huh?”

“Here. What you wrote in your future dreams. What is this?”

“Ah. It’s a word that refers to the world’s number one soccer player.”

Ban Seok-ho goes back to his elementary school days.

Ban Seok-ho’s dream, from the time he first learned about soccer until he finished his retirement game.

It had never changed.

Before he knew there was an award called the Ballon d’Or, it was ‘the person who plays soccer the best in the world,’ and after he found out, it was the Ballon d’Or.

He wanted that award so badly.

Born as the son of the Ban family, destined to be a soccer player.

He wanted to win that Ballon d’Or at least once.

He wanted to be recognized by everyone in the world and enhance the honor of his family.

With soccer.

However, from some point on, the dream remained just a dream.

Even when he went through elementary school, middle school, high school, and became a professional.

Until he played soccer in Korea, he thought the Ballon d’Or was nothing special.

Until then, there was no one who could stop him.

Even if he searched all over the country.

However, after he got older.

After wearing the 태극 [Taegeuk] mark on his chest, and after 벗어나ing [escaping] the well called Korea and tasting the stage of the world.

Ban Seok-ho thought for the first time that it wouldn’t be easy.

And, after starting his soccer career in Europe, as the years passed.

The dream became just a dream.

Winning the Ballon d’Or as a soccer player really meant that he had to be someone from another world.

That’s really how he felt.

Ban Seok-ho had experience playing with the players who had won the Ballon d’Or.

They felt like people living in another dimension. He didn’t feel like they were the same people as him at all.

What should he say?

It felt like the player who received the Ballon d’Or was already determined from birth.

Unfortunately, after facing them, Ban Seok-ho had to admit to himself that the Ballon d’Or was not in his destiny.

However, even after admitting that, his desire for the Ballon d’Or did not change.

Even now, after retiring as a player and even dreaming was impossible.

But, Johan.

His son was dressed in a suit and just left the house.

To receive the Ballon d’Or.

“Haa…”

Ban Seok-ho wiped his face with his hands, as if he had special feelings.

His son fulfilled the dream he couldn’t achieve, and that moment is now.

Ban Seok-ho had no way to explain his current feelings.

However, he knew that the feeling was infinitely close to joy.

“Lohan.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s congratulate him with all our might.”

“Of course.”

Ban Seok-ho and Lohan held each other’s hands tightly with excited expressions like children.

September 25, 2028, dark evening.

Palace of Westminster, London.

While Elizabeth Tower is shining brightly with colorful lights.

-Well, it seems like it’s time. We only have the last award ceremony of today’s ceremony left.

Officials monitoring the live broadcast from France become busy.

“All standby!”

Marcos Jean-Paul, the general manager, focused on the in-ear and raised his right hand.

-2027/28 season. We will announce the Ballon d’Or winner. This announcement will be 공개해드리도록 [revealed] specially on the screen.

The moment the host’s comment ends.

딱-! [Sound effect: Click]

Jean-Paul flicked his fingers, and all the cameras turned on at once.

Goo-oh-oh-

The camera slowly scans up from the bottom of Elizabeth Tower.

Then, when the top of the Big Ben is caught in the angle.

Daeee-aeng-! [Sound effect: Bell ringing]

Big Ben began to 울음소리 [sound/cry].

The clock hands pointing to 9:00.

The bell rang 9 times as well.

딱-! [Sound effect: Click]

The moment the 타종 [bell strike] ends, Jean-Paul gives the signal again and the camera starts zooming in.

The angle that is sucked in.

When the zoom ends, what is 걸린 [displayed] on the screen being 송출 [broadcast] to the world is a uniform marked with the number 9.

The uniform hanging proudly on top of Elizabeth Tower.

VAN

It was Johan’s uniform.

-The Ballon d’Or winner is, Johan Ban. Congratulations.

The camera comes down again from the top.

Then, what appeared on the screen was Johan.

Johan, dressed in a neat suit and with his hair neatly pomaded with his mother’s help, was holding a shining golden ball in his hand, staring at the camera shining on him.

‘Dress nicely…’

With eyes that looked like they would 잡아먹을 [devour/eat up].

At times like this, he was a good brother who listened to his 형 [older brother] 말을 [words].