Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 169

< Episode 168 – Let’s Enjoy >

“Oh, Johann. You’re here?”

“Yes.”

“You worked hard. Get some rest.”

Johann returned home after the game.

After greeting his mom, Johann looked around the house, noticing an odd silence.

“Where are Dad and Hyung [older brother]?”

“They’re both in their rooms. They don’t seem to have much energy.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure. They were fine when we watched the game together earlier. But as soon as the game ended, they seemed down and went inside. They were saying something about how they’re sad that there aren’t many games left to watch you play, Johann.”

“Hmm.”

Johann shrugged and headed to his room.

The housekeeper always keeps his room clean, so Johann always feels good when he comes back after a game.

It’s not so much that he likes cleanliness, but more that he’s happy he doesn’t have to clean.

“Hoo-cha.”

Johann flopped onto the bed.

When Johann returns to his room, he does nothing.

Really, nothing.

He doesn’t play games like other kids his age, nor does he watch YouTube.

All Johann does in his room is sleep.

Even if he wanted to try something different, well…

Once he plays a game, he feels like he’s used up his activity quota for the day, so he doesn’t want to lift a finger when he gets home.

So he’s always put it off.

Even if he wanted to do something, he’d think, ‘After I retire.’

Johann has always been the type to postpone things, thinking, ‘I’ll do it after I retire.’

Lying down and sleeping is the best, but a person can’t sleep 24 hours a day.

There are things Johann wants to do.

For example, drinking beer with his dad.

Or eating snacks and playing games with his brother.

Or having various conversations with his mom.

These everyday things.

If he were to make more grandiose plans, what would they be?

He hasn’t checked yet, but he probably has a lot of weekly wages saved up, so he could buy a new house for his family to live in.

He could gift his dad a few cars he likes, and rent out the entire department store for his mom to go shopping.

For his brother, well…

Should he just massively spend money on the soccer game his brother plays?

‘Everyone would like that, right?’

Johann looked at the ceiling and chuckled.

There would be many other things, but he doesn’t know yet.

Maybe it’s because he’s been putting off even thinking about what to do until after retirement.

‘Hmm.’

But, come to think of it, it all feels interconnected.

Everything is tied to one keyword.

‘Family.’

Johann recalled when he went to a hotel with his family a year ago.

Looking back, he was quite happy then.

He was happy seeing his dad, mom, and brother enjoying themselves.

He wanted to see that for a longer time.

Ideally, for a very long time.

Actually, that’s why he ended up playing soccer in the end.

He didn’t want to see his brother frustrated.

It was hard to see his dad looking disappointed, so he jumped into the test that day.

In the end, his family was the most important thing.

Dad, Mom, and Hyung.

Seeing them happy was the greatest happiness.

“…”

Johann was able to realize what that strange feeling he felt in the quiet house when he came home just now was.

Whenever a game ended, his dad and brother would greet him in an excited state.

They would talk about how the game was, what the goal scenes were like, stories that he wasn’t even interested in.

It happened every week, so it was annoying now.

But it feels empty without it.

It’s not just empty, but, what should he say.

“Hmm.”

He doesn’t really know.

He really doesn’t know.

‘There’s not much left.’

It’s still unknown, but if they were to win this season.

He knows that there are only about a dozen games left at most.

There are really only a few games left.

Until the retirement he’s been dreaming of.

Until now, he’s only been thinking about how great it would be to retire.

How great it would be to not have to go to the training grounds, not have to go to the stadium, and be able to eat whatever he wants.

But today, he has many other thoughts.

What will his family be like after he retires?

Will he be able to see them happy because of him?

As purely happy as they were when he scored a goal and won the game.

“…”

Johann stared at the ceiling with wide eyes.

Johann, who falls asleep in 30 seconds wherever his head touches, couldn’t fall asleep easily tonight.

“How was his expression?”

“Did he look a bit gloomy?”

“I don’t know. He didn’t seem to be thinking much.”

Lohan and Ban Seok-ho scratched their heads at Kim Ra-hee’s words.

He shouldn’t look like he’s not thinking much.

“Tch. Is it not working?”

“I held back so many things I wanted to say. I held back for nothing.”

“I know. I was going to tell him how amazing it was to receive a standing ovation at the Hotspur Stadium.”

Lohan and Ban Seok-ho looked disappointed.

As always, they wanted to welcome Johann back after the game, but they deliberately held back and hid in their rooms.

But, like him, he doesn’t seem to be thinking much.

I guess it’s not working.

Well, there’s nothing we can do.

“Let’s not act next time, Dad. There aren’t many days left to congratulate him on winning.”

“Yeah. Let’s just be natural instead of regretting it later for trying to be clever.”

“Do you want to watch today’s game again?”

“Let’s do that.”

Lohan and Ban Seok-ho sat in front of the TV as always and started rewatching Johann’s game.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“Johann, you seem to be in good condition today?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I’ve never seen you warm up so actively.”

“Is that so.”

Johann shrugged at Gordon’s words.

He warmed up actively, is that so.

He didn’t really intend to.

“Everyone, let’s do as well as we did in the first leg. Don’t be careless, but don’t be too cautious either. Let’s think it’s 0-0 and do what we always do. Let’s crush them today too!”

“Aye, aye!”

Today is the day of the second leg of the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.

The players were showing considerable enthusiasm.

Today, if they don’t lose by an absurd score, they can advance to the Champions League semi-finals.

It felt like a dream when they advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals last season, but the Champions League semi-finals.

Even defeating a mega-club like Bayern Munich. It feels unrealistic, but they are confident.

The confidence accumulated through the victories so far is now becoming certainty.

The players all wanted to show the home fans the team advancing to the semi-finals and share the joy together.

“Johann, I’m counting on you today.”

“Just score three goals again today. If we’re going to advance, we should win both the first and second legs, shouldn’t we?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Kuh, if you say so, there’s no reason to worry.”

Johann feels the same way.

This season, which doesn’t have much left.

These days, he has many thoughts.

Johann decided not to think about other things.

Worrying about after retirement, it’s not too late to think about it after retiring.

Instead of worrying about the future in advance, it’s better to focus on the present first.

Since there aren’t many games left, he plans to focus on those games.

He will try to win every game, and today is no different.

“Alright, let’s go!”

“Let’s welcome those sausage guys to London!”

“Hey, you idiot. Is your manager a sausage too?”

After chuckling at Gordon being kicked in the butt by Schmidt, Johann headed to the ground with his fellow brothers.

Munich’s situation is not good in many ways.

First of all, they have to overturn a 0-3 score, and they have to create a miracle away from home, which is a difficult situation.

In addition, two key players are missing due to card trouble in the first leg.

Compared to West Ham, who have the same members from the first leg, the situation is really bleak in many ways.

The best way to overcome this bleak situation was only one.

The fastest possible score.

No matter what, they had to score a goal as early as possible and start the game.

Because of that,

As soon as the game started, Munich started to come out quite aggressively.

Like a team that is behind 0-1 trying a mindless attack in the final minutes of the second half.

Munich is pouring out an offensive with a pattern that is the opposite of their original style.

Originally, Munich enjoys creating perfect chances with rear build-up and elaborate passes, but now they don’t have that luxury.

A do-or-die challenge is needed, trying continuously even if it’s not perfect.

Certainly, Munich in a desperate situation was not an opponent to be taken lightly.

In the 8th minute of the first half.

Fassbender connected a long pass into the box with a header by the tall Romayer, and Huerrichel cleared it well, but the ball happened to go back to Romayer, giving him a rebound shot.

It seemed that Huerrichel even reacted to that shot and blocked it, but the ball crossed the goal line by a narrow margin and was recognized as a goal.

“Go back! Go back!”

“It’s just the beginning!”

The Munich players ran quickly to the half-line with the ball.

First of all, they succeeded in scoring a goal early as planned, and Munich’s atmosphere began to come alive.

If a team like Munich starts to gain momentum, it’s not difficult to score three goals in 10 minutes.

Because of that, a slight sense of unease began to spread through the London Stadium.

As the game resumes.

As the commentator said, West Ham seemed to need to slow down the tempo of the game by possessing the ball more leisurely.

“Hey!”

“Here, Capello!”

As if they were thinking that way anyway, the ball goes to Capello.

Capello has the ability to control the tempo by possessing the ball.

Of course, Munich is not just watching, and is quickly advancing and putting pressure on.

But,

“Run!”

Ppeoooeeoeoeoeong-!

Capello did not possess the ball for long.

Instead, he hit a long pass towards the front.

Possessing the ball and increasing the possession rate, of course, is a good method.

But Capello didn’t think that was the best way.

Because Johann seemed to be in very good condition today.

Shooooooong-

Paahng-!

Capello’s pass went to Johann, and Johann received the ball in a fairly wide space.

It’s natural that Munich, who were in a hurry, quickly put on pressure, but Capello stabbed the pass faster.

Tatatat-!

Johann, who received the ball, began to run like lightning towards Munich’s goal.

The speed is so fast that it’s scary from Munich’s point of view.

The Munich defenders are helplessly watching Johann’s breakthrough.

They can’t catch the speed.

And if they can stop him with their bodies, that’s not possible either.

Perhaps, as Munich faced the second leg.

The most bleak indicator may not have been that they had to start with a score of 0-3, that two key players were missing, or that they had to play the game away from home.

The most bleak fact for Munich, who had to turn the game around, may have been that there was something Johann wanted to see today.

When the shot hit with his right foot shook the net.

Johann thought of the image of his family rejoicing.

I want to see it.

The sight of his brother, dad, and mom rejoicing because of him.

“Waaaaaaaah-!”

“Johaaan!”

“Bani!”

Of course, he can’t see that sight now.

So, Johann decided to think of each and every one of these fans cheering for him as his brother, dad, and mom.

Anyway, it’s clear that these fans and his family are rejoicing in the same way.

“Come on-!”