Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 3

< 002 – Passion and Talent >

“I’m sorry. Did I worry you?”

“You startled me. Seriously, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“Sorry. But it’s a relief, right? They said I can recover before the tryout.”

“That’s a relief, but you should have been more careful. I really can’t understand you, sneaking around to train more and getting hurt.”

Arriving at the hospital room in one stride, Johan found his brother lying with a bandage on his ankle.

From what Johan heard, Rohan felt he hadn’t trained enough, so he skipped class and secretly trained without their dad knowing, and ended up twisting his ankle.

From Johan’s perspective, it was absurd.

Wanting to train more, when he doesn’t even want to train for a minute, and doing it secretly.

Seriously, he couldn’t understand his brother, no matter how hard he tried.

Still, it was a relief that he wasn’t seriously injured and could recover before the tryout.

“Hey, I need to get up now, can you help me? I’m not in a condition to be hospitalized, so I decided to go home.”

“Sigh. I’ll give you a piggyback. Hop on. What are you going to tell Dad?”

“That’s what I’m most worried about, actually.”

“Seriously…”

Johan effortlessly carries his brother out of the hospital.

Rohan is also a large, bulky guy, but Johan lifts him with ease. He must be strong.

It must run in the family.

Being sturdy, strong-boned, and powerful.

“But, Johan.”

“Yeah?”

“What if…”

“Yeah.”

“What if I fail again this time?”

On the way home with his brother on his back,

Rohan asks with a noticeably dejected voice.

Johan frowns.

“Why are you worrying about failing already?”

“What if, I’m just saying. What if I fail again this time? How can I face Dad?”

“What’s there to be sorry about? You did your best, that’s all that matters.”

“But… Dad has done so much for me. He trains me every day, takes care of my diet. He supports me so much, even though he’s my dad, I feel so sorry. If I can’t produce results this time…”

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You can do it. Who are you? You’re the proud eldest son of the Ban family. The eldest son that Grandpa and Dad cherish the most. Is the Ban family’s eldest son really worrying about something like that right now?”

He answered with a seemingly mature tone, but

Johan felt strange.

It was the first time his brother had shown such weakness in front of him.

Even after failing every tryout, he was always confident that he would pass next time, that he just needed to work harder.

Was it because he was getting older and feeling more impatient?

His brother was feeling insecure.

“I have to pass this time, no matter what, right? Everyone’s expecting it. I can’t bring shame to the Ban family. Haha.”

“Yeah. One Ban family disgrace is enough.”

“Why are you a disgrace to the Ban family?”

“I am a disgrace. Grandpa and Dad probably don’t like me anyway.”

“…”

Rohan bit his lip at Johan’s words.

Rohan knew it too.

That the treatment from the elders was very different for him and Johan.

He was always the one who monopolized the affection of his grandfather and father.

Because he was more passionate about soccer than anyone else.

Even though he hadn’t produced any results so far, the elders praised him for his dedication to soccer.

On the other hand, the elders only scolded Johan, comparing him to his brother.

He felt sorry for his younger brother.

Because the elders constantly compared him, the older brother, to his younger brother and scolded him.

That’s why Rohan felt even more sorry that Johan wouldn’t play soccer.

Rohan knew.

That his younger brother, Johan, actually had more talent than himself, the eldest son.

If his younger brother just decided to show off that talent, if he just did that, he could monopolize the affection of the elders.

He could become a soccer player who would bring glory to the Ban family in the future, incomparable to someone like him.

Even so, his younger brother didn’t want to play soccer.

As the older brother, he couldn’t help but feel sorry.

“Johan.”

“Yeah?”

“You really have no intention of trying soccer again?”

“…Not that again. Seriously, are you going to be like this too?”

Because of that, from a long time ago.

Rohan had wanted Johan to play soccer.

But every time, Johan’s answer was NO.

He hated it because it was annoying.

Rohan knew that his younger brother had been stressed because of soccer since he was young, so he couldn’t force him.

Instead,

‘Yeah. I’ll become a great soccer player so that my brother won’t be stressed.’ That’s what Rohan had decided.

However,

Now, with the tryout that might be his last approaching.

Seeing himself with an injured ankle before that important tryout.

Rohan no longer had the confidence to play the role of a reliable brother.

“Johan. What if…”

“Yeah.”

“What if I suddenly quit soccer one day? What would you think?”

“What are you talking about, suddenly? You quitting soccer? Don’t say ridiculous things.”

Johan frowns.

Johan knows how much his brother loves soccer.

There was no way his brother would quit soccer.

But,

His brother’s voice was serious.

“If I can’t pass this tryout either, honestly, I don’t know anymore. Whether I can keep playing soccer…”

He was serious.

Rohan, who came to England from Korea at the age of 10, was already 18 years old.

Rohan was now old enough to know everything.

Even that his dad was being called a traitor who abandoned his country by Korean soccer fans.

His dad had given up his Korean citizenship, after being a national team player for over 10 years, and decided to immigrate to England so that his sons could learn soccer in a better environment.

Korean soccer fans called his dad a traitor for that.

They also threatened to see how great his sons would become as soccer players after abandoning their nationality.

But, if he became a mediocre soccer player.

It would be his dad who would be cursed at again.

Curses like, ‘Serves him right for betraying his country.’

Wouldn’t it be obvious?

Rohan naturally didn’t want his dad, who had endured everything for him, to be cursed at because of him.

Therefore, if he couldn’t become the player they expected, wouldn’t it be right to give up?

Rohan had been thinking that lately.

So,

If he didn’t pass this tryout either.

Rohan was seriously considering quitting soccer.

“But unlike me, you, Johan, could become a player that everyone is proud of…”

However, quitting soccer itself was also something he felt sorry for.

If he quit here, his dad’s efforts, who had even decided to immigrate, would be in vain.

So,

Rohan, who had always been a brother that Johan could rely on, now wanted to rely on his younger brother.

He hoped that his younger brother’s mind would change and solve all of this.

“You know. Soccer and I don’t match. So, don’t think about anything else and just think about passing. You, brother.”

“…You’re right. My brother is right.”

Of course, the possibility of his younger brother changing his mind seemed slim.

Just as Johan knew his brother well, Rohan also knew Johan better than anyone else.

Johan had even said that he would have been happy if it weren’t for soccer.

The possibility of Johan starting soccer again was very slim.

Rohan knew that, so he had been working hard, knowing that he didn’t have much talent himself.

But,

At least for today.

At this moment, as he was being carried home on his younger brother’s back, Rohan couldn’t help but desperately hope.

For that slim possibility.

For a miraculous event to happen, where one day, out of the blue,

His younger brother would decide to become a soccer player.

“The tryout is only a week away, this is really bad news.”

Ban Seok-ho, who saw Johan returning from school with a bandage on his ankle, was shocked.

With only a week left until the tryout.

An injury at this time.

Even in his best condition, he couldn’t guarantee whether he would pass or not.

He had clearly said that resting was also training.

Ban Seok-ho scolded Rohan, who had returned injured, almost for the first time since he was very young.

However, after scolding Rohan like that.

Ban Seok-ho couldn’t help but feel a pang in his heart after returning to his room alone.

‘He must have been so anxious.’

He must have been so anxious that he trained without attending class.

It would be strange if he wasn’t anxious, having failed the tryout every time.

But Ban Seok-ho knew.

That having a bold mindset was also necessary to become the best soccer player.

Forgetting the past failures as if they never happened, and always having a bold mindset that you can do it.

Ban Seok-ho knew better than anyone that you couldn’t become a great player without that kind of mentality.

In a way, becoming a star required being so brazen.

‘In that aspect, Johan is really…’

Somehow, his thoughts flow this way again.

When it came to brazenness, it was Ban Johan.

According to the school teacher, he was so brazen that he was always late and skipped classes every day, yet he was confident.

While other kids would make excuses, Johan was always honest, saying he was late because he was sleeping or skipped class because he didn’t want to listen.

When he heard that, Ban Seok-ho laughed rather than got angry.

He was born into the Ban family and hates soccer, but he does have some parts that are just like him.

Because Ban Seok-ho was the epitome of brazenness during his playing days.

During his playing days, one day during the season.

After a game where he performed poorly, unlike his usual self, Ban Seok-ho was interviewed.

In that interview, the reporter asked Ban Seok-ho about the reason for his poor performance today, and Ban Seok-ho replied that the condition of the grass was terrible.

It was the height of brazenness.

Because the stadium where the game was held that day boasted the best grass condition.

However, that brazenness was Ban Seok-ho’s secret to managing his mentality.

To put it badly, it’s an excuse, but to put it differently, it’s not giving up on your belief in yourself.

In fact, thanks to that mentality, Ban Seok-ho never fell into a slump for a long time, even though he occasionally had one or two bad games.

Ban Seok-ho thought that you had to have that level of mentality to be active at the top level.

In that respect, Rohan was too weak.

He’s a good and kind son.

But when you look at him as a soccer player, well.

Johan, who resembled his brazenness, was more suitable.

“Hoo.”

Ban Seok-ho sighs.

It’s always like this.

Whenever he discovers Rohan’s shortcomings, he always thinks of Johan.

He’s a guy who has already declared that he will never play soccer.

Ban Seok-ho hated himself for constantly having lingering feelings.

He wished the guy would change his mind even now.

But it doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

Ban Seok-ho’s sigh could only be deep.

‘If he fails this tryout too…’

This tryout is Rohan’s sixth challenge.

He only hopes that the guy will pass, but as Ban Seok-ho, he couldn’t help but think about what to do if he failed.

The reason why Rohan continues to challenge the West Ham Academy, even though he has failed several times, is not simply because the West Ham Academy is a prestigious academy.

It was because he knew that West Ham was the team his dad played for for 7 years and the team his dad loved the most.

Also, it was because he knew that seeing his son play for that beloved team was this father’s only wish.

The guy has been doing his best to fulfill his dad’s wish.

How could he not be proud of his son who is working hard to fulfill his dad’s wish?

However, that doesn’t mean he can make his son keep doing something that he can’t do because of his dad’s wish.

Clearly, Ban Seok-ho’s wish was definitely a wish he fervently desired, but if Rohan failed the tryout this time too.

Ban Seok-ho thought it would be right to give up on such a wish.

Well, what can he do?

There are things in the world that you can’t do no matter what.

He could only resent the sky once again.

‘If it was Johan, he would have fulfilled that wish and more…’

If Johan would just change his mind, there would be nothing he couldn’t do.