Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 10

< 009. Unwanted Call-up >

“Huh? You’re saying I’m going to play in a match?”

“That’s right. So, prepare yourself well.”

At the coach’s words, Johan wore an incredulous expression.

The league match was happening the day after tomorrow.

And he was going to be in it.

He hadn’t even been participating in training for a week; today was only his third day.

To send him out as a starter in a match like that,

it was an unimaginable bolt from the blue.

“That’s my brother! I knew it! I knew the coach would recognize you!”

“No…”

While Rohan was overjoyed at the news of Johan’s participation, Johan himself wasn’t happy at all.

A match, huh?

Training was already boring, but a full 90-minute match?

There were plenty of other strikers on the team besides him.

Johan couldn’t understand why they had to send him, of all people, and as a starter at that.

The reason was simple.

Under-18 Premier League Southern Division.

Around this time, heading towards the end of the league season,

West Ham, ranked 3rd in the league table, was facing Chelsea, the league leader.

Chelsea was an overwhelming team.

Fourteen league matches had already been played, but they hadn’t recorded a single loss yet.

Chelsea was a team with high individual talent and a high level of teamwork.

West Ham’s U-18 coach, Maxwell, wanted Johan to face such a Chelsea team.

‘The level will be different from anything you’ve seen so far.’

Earlier, he was quite shocked to see that even Joshua, the team’s top talent, was no match for Johan, but still, that was just training.

Training and actual matches were worlds apart.

Even if the opponent was a weak team, there were no easy matches.

So, what would it be like to face the overwhelming strongest team in the league?

‘There’s no way he’ll fail this time.’

Maxwell nodded in satisfaction.

It was a bit strange to be smiling with satisfaction, hoping that his own team’s player would feel a wall [experience a significant challenge or setback], but anyway.

There was no way he would fail this time.

Johan would surely feel the wall and come back.

And then, his attitude would change from the very next training session.

‘Ah, there are many monsters in this world,

I have to work hard too,’ he would think.

His attitude would definitely change.

‘It’s scary just imagining it.’

Maxwell shuddered, indulging in pleasant fantasies.

He had rolled around in the PL [Premier League] for years as a player, quickly became a coach, and guided countless promising players.

He was a lazy talent who had surprised him, someone who had lived on the soccer field his entire life.

What would happen if that lazy talent started to put in effort?

A true monster would be born.

‘And I’m the one who created it.’

Maxwell’s shoulders lifted for no reason.

Maxwell’s pleasant fantasies skipped over the next week, jumped over several years, and flew to decades later.

The last of his fantasies was a scene of his older self writing a page in his autobiography.

‘…He is now the best player, but when I first met him, he was a completely different child. He was just one of those common lazy geniuses who would shine for a moment and then disappear. However, I recognized his talent and felt a sense of duty to transform him completely. It all started with his first league start against Chelsea…’

Maxwell smiled.

Through this match against Chelsea, Johan would gain a lot and return.

Maxwell had no doubt about it.

“Is that true?”

“Yes…”

“That’s great, that’s great!”

When Johan told him the news that he would be playing in the match, Johan’s father, Ban Seok-ho, was overjoyed.

He had expected it, but he had never imagined it would become a reality.

To be selected to start in a league match less than a week after joining the academy.

Although he hadn’t made his professional debut with the first team yet, he would be able to see Johan playing in a West Ham uniform.

Ban Seok-ho pinched his cheek and was grateful for the pain he felt.

“Okay, Johan. What do you want to eat? Just tell me! I’ll grant you anything you want!”

“…Really?”

“Of course! Absolutely!”

“Then, can I eat pizza?”

“Pizza? Pizza is… Ah, forget it. Okay! Let’s eat it! Johan wants to eat it! Anything else?”

“Also… Chicken?”

“Chicken! Good!”

Johan’s eyes widened as he watched his dad actually order pizza and chicken.

His dad never allowed him to eat things like pizza and chicken.

His dad was so serious about taking care of his body.

Sometimes, when he really wanted to eat chicken, his dad would give him a chicken breast salad and call it chicken.

But now,

He was allowing pizza and chicken.

Was he that happy that he was going to play in the match?

“Okay, let’s eat. Eat up!”

“Huh? What’s with the pizza and chicken?”

“Johan’s going to play in the match. Tonight is a party!”

“Wow, we’re having a day like this thanks to my brother. Johan, eat a lot… Ah. You’re already eating.”

*Gulp Gulp.*

Johan devoured the food as soon as it arrived.

All the men in the family were big eaters, but Johan was especially so.

They say you can chew iron at this age, but Johan could eat a whole pizza and a whole chicken in one sitting.

“Ah, that was good.”

“I enjoyed it too, thanks to you, Johan.”

The three big eaters finished their meal like a storm.

Johan stroked his full stomach and thought.

‘It might not be so bad.’

Since he had been on his dad’s diet since he was young, Johan’s wish was to eat as much as he wanted.

But today, his dad allowed him to have pizza and chicken just because he was going to play in the match.

The fact that he had to play in the match was very unpleasant, but in this respect, it might not be so bad.

‘Wait. Then, if I score a goal in the match…’

Johan imagined what it would be like if he scored a goal, considering that this was already happening just because he was playing in the match.

Of course, his dad would be even happier than he is now, and then he might even allow Nutella.

Nutella, the devil’s jam.

Nutella was Johan’s favorite jam, but he could only have a bite on his birthday.

His dad never allowed Nutella.

He said that if he fell for Nutella, he would quickly turn into a pig.

‘Nutella. I want to eat Nutella.’

Even though he had just finished a full meal, Johan smacked his lips at the thought of Nutella.

Okay.

Let’s score a goal.

I have to score a goal in this match and eat Nutella.

That thought began to fill Johan’s head.

…

May 8, 2027.

A stadium in Stratford, London.

The day of the 15th round league match between Chelsea U18 and West Ham U18.

The match between the two teams was fiercely unfolding.

“…”

Maxwell’s expression as he watched the game was subtle.

He seemed happy, but at the same time, he seemed to be thinking that things weren’t going as planned.

67:25

WHU 3 : 2 CHE

Around the 20th minute of the second half.

West Ham was leading 3-2.

It was encouraging.

It was definitely a good thing to be ahead against Chelsea, the overwhelming league leader.

But the problem was still Johan.

Maxwell had no doubt that Chelsea would teach Johan a lesson today.

However,

Maxwell’s belief was shattered once again.

Following Joshua, Chelsea had also failed.

To make Johan feel a wall.

“Should I be happy about this, or sad…?”

“Yes? Of course, you should be happy. What are you talking about, coach?”

All three of West Ham’s goals.

All three goals were Johan’s.

Johan played as a lone striker at the forefront.

Chelsea’s black center-back duo, who were Johan’s opponents, were monstrous guys.

Chelsea was currently the team with the fewest goals conceded in the league.

The core of that was the center-back duo.

They had complete physiques that were unbelievable for players playing in the U-18 league, and their teamwork was so good that they couldn’t be penetrated by a striker’s individual skills alone.

But,

Johan had broken through them three times.

It was absurd.

An immature kid who hadn’t even been in the academy for a week and was only 16 years old.

He had scored three goals against guys who were already showing off professional-level skills.

No.

Maybe one more goal could go in.

*Paang-!*

Near the box, Johan caught the ball with his back to the opposing defense.

The defense stuck close, as if not allowing Johan to turn around.

However,

Johan easily pushed him away, secured space, and turned around.

And 1-on-1.

Johan’s appearance as he attempted a daring dribble breakthrough showed no fear.

It was understandable.

Every time he dribbled, he succeeded in breaking through, so what was there to be afraid of?

‘He broke through again!’

As expected.

It was a success again.

He got past them so easily.

A few shakes of his upper body from side to side easily broke the defense’s balance, and Johan’s instantaneous speed as he rushed to the opposite side of the broken balance was outstanding.

In addition,

*Bbeoeoeoeoeoeong-!*

Johan didn’t even give the defense time to cover up their mistakes.

A shot that was half a beat, no, a beat faster.

At the timing when an ordinary striker would have dribbled in one or two more steps, Johan shot without hesitation.

Because his shooting timing was so fast,

There was little time for the goalkeeper to react.

*Shuuuuuuuuung-*

*Thud-!*

The net shook again.

With this, Johan’s fourth goal.

The previous goals were all like this.

There were no goals where he received amazing honey passes or just picked up the ball in front of the goal.

Only goals created purely by individual skill, like now.

Against Chelsea, the strongest team in the league.

“Ha, hahaha…”

Maxwell burst into a hollow laugh, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Maxwell rubbed his forehead.

Anyway, it’s another failure.

The plan to make Johan feel a wall.

But he wondered if it even mattered.

With such talent, was there even a need to train him?

No matter what his attitude was during training, no matter what he was doing outside. If he could just be put on the field, wouldn’t it be best to just let him do whatever he wanted?

He shines the brightest here even without training.

‘What a great guy.’

Maxwell, a coach who valued diligence more than anything else, shook his head and gave up in the face of overwhelming talent.

“I think I should contact him.”

“Yes? Who?”

“Coach Schmidt, I mean.”

Maxwell thought he should call Coach Schmidt after the game.

Michael Schmidt.

The current West Ham first team coach.

The reason for contacting him was obvious.

Because a good item has come in here, so come and see it yourself.

Come and see for yourself and decide whether to take him or not.