Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 7

< Episode 006 – Taming the Lazybones >

Everyone’s eyes widened.

It was because the sound of the ball exploding echoed through the field.

Thwackkkkkkkkk-!

It was an incredible impact.

A shot that properly caught the instep.

Yohan’s mid-range shot roared as it flew like an arrow towards the goal.

Whoooooosh-

Almost 30 meters or more.

It was quite a distance, so the goalkeeper had plenty of time to react.

The defenders were spaced apart, so there was no obstruction of his view.

However,

‘Huh…?’

The A team’s goalkeeper seemed frozen, as if he hadn’t even considered diving in the first place.

But it was harsh to blame him.

Considering the speed of the shot and the trajectory like a clothesline accurately aimed at the corner of the goal.

That shot was hard to react to even for a professional goalkeeper.

Who could blame the goalkeeper for just watching blankly?

Whoooooosh-

Thud-!

“Wow…”

“What, what is that shot…”

“Crazy. Did it just go in…?”

After the sound of the goal net tearing.

The field went silent as if time had stopped for a moment.

Everyone, whether on team A or team B, had a dumbfounded expression.

And,

“…Heh.”

“I’m not seeing things, am I.”

The coaches on the sidelines were the same.

“Crazy…”

“Truly insane.”

The coaches shook their heads.

It was a shot of incredible quality.

The coaches had already been captivated by Yohan just from his performance in the first half.

Their only regret was not seeing his shot yet, but they thought even if his shot was just average, or even a little below average, Yohan was still good.

But, what’s this?

“Incredible ankle strength.”

“From that distance, did he take two steps for the run-up?”

“That’s amazing confidence.”

Even his shot was super quality.

They couldn’t understand why such a monster was only appearing now.

That kid shouldn’t be playing in practice matches like this.

He was a guy who could be put into a league game right away.

“I need to watch the other kids, but he keeps stealing my attention.”

“Right. What are we going to do if everyone keeps looking at him? Everyone, turn your eyes away.”

“Let’s work, work. Not just admire.”

The coaches snapped out of it, snapping their jaws shut.

Considering that this game was a practice match to select合格者 [gokakusha – successful candidates], all the coaches had to observe all the players, not just one player.

Since that number 61 was already a shoo-in, they had to observe the other players more closely.

However,

As the game resumed.

“Yeah, good.”

“Nice play.”

“Wow, no one can touch him.”

The coaches who were supposed to be working were now staring, as if possessed, only at number 61 again.

Really, it was an unavoidable performance.

*

The game ended with a score of 5 to 4.

B team won.

However,

The game result wasn’t important.

What was important was who the main character of the game was, and that main character was, without a doubt, Yohan.

“You did so well!”

“You showed them! You really showed them!”

Ban Seok-ho and Rohan were jumping up and down as if they were about to fly.

Now wasn’t the time to worry about appearances or the gazes of others.

They were really happy as if they could fly.

For the past few years, no, for Ban Seok-ho, the moment he had dreamed of for the past few decades was right now, so it was inevitable.

Seeing his proud bloodline shining brightly on the ground.

It wasn’t strange to be so happy now that that dream had come true.

“What are they talking about?”

“Well, it’s obvious. They’re probably telling him to come to work starting tomorrow, right? I guess I shouldn’t be doing this and should start preparing the contract.”

After the game ended.

Yohan was talking to the coaches who had flocked to him for a long time.

The reason was obvious.

They must be talking about joining the team right away.

The talent Yohan showed today wasn’t just about passing the entrance test, but even if it was a game held in a neighborhood park, scouts would be all over him.

“Yohan-ah!”

“Yeah, over here!”

After a while.

Yohan, who had finished talking with the coaches, walked towards the stands.

Ban Seok-ho and Rohan welcomed Yohan.

“Yohan, what did the coaches say?”

“What did they say? Did they tell you to come out tomorrow?”

To their urgent questions,

Yohan nodded.

As expected!

The two clapped.

But,

The good news wasn’t just that.

“They said my brother can come too.”

“Huh? What? Me? Why?”

“I insisted that they let my brother pass too. And they said they would.”

“…Really? Is that real?”

Rohan’s expression became dumbfounded.

He can come too?

He insisted that they let his brother pass, and the club allowed it?

“Is that real?”

“Yes.”

It was an unbelievable story for Ban Seok-ho too.

If he could have gotten his son into the team through a recommendation, why wouldn’t he have done it sooner?

Ban Seok-ho himself was already a legend at West Ham.

But the West Ham Academy wasn’t a place that accepted players like that.

But with one word from Yohan, the club allowed it?

But Yohan’s words were true.

“If I can’t go with my brother, I won’t join either. So, please allow it.”

It was a truly audacious request.

The entrance test participant and the club officials who organized the test.

Anyone could see that the club was the 甲 [gap – the dominant party in a relationship] and the participant was the 乙 [eul – the subordinate party in a relationship].

It was normal to prostrate oneself if they just let him pass.

This wasn’t even a scout offer.

For a mere participant who had just received a notice of acceptance to suggest requirements to the club was unheard of.

Moreover, to ask them to pass another participant who had already failed.

It was an insane thing to do.

“We, we will do that. If that’s what you want, it’s not a difficult thing.”

However,

That insane thing depended on who was doing it.

甲 and 乙?

Looking at Yohan, the participant, and the club’s attitude towards him.

Anyone could see that Yohan was the 甲.

The club was in a thorough 乙 position, trying to bring Yohan in at all costs.

They were ready to accept any request Yohan made.

It was a natural thing.

Yohan’s talent shown in today’s test was a talent they absolutely didn’t want to miss.

Finding this kind of talent was what the academy did, going around not only London but all over England.

But, a shining talent that was hard to find even if they did that had come on their own two feet.

How could they not accept any request Yohan made?

“So, brother, you should just think about recovering your ankle quickly. I saw earlier that you couldn’t do it properly because of your ankle.”

“Yohan-ah…”

Rohan had an expression as if he was about to burst into tears at the unexpected news.

Ban Seok-ho was the same.

“You guys… Today, Dad will make you a lot of delicious food!”

Today was an unforgettable day for the father and sons.

ㆍㆍㆍ

-What? Is that real?

“It’s real, Father. Well, Yohan crushed all the older brothers who were two years older than him…”

Ban Seok-ho is on the phone with someone with a beaming expression.

It’s his father, Ban Gil-yung, who is Yohan’s grandfather.

A father who sent his beloved son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren, who wouldn’t hurt even if he put them in his eyes, to distant England for the sake of the greater good.

For such a father, Ban Seok-ho often called to tell him the news of his grandchildren.

And most of those calls were filled with stories about Rohan.

What kind of training Rohan did today, what parts improved, how hard he worked, etc.

But, Ban Seok-ho couldn’t talk about Yohan.

Because his father would get angry just hearing about Yohan.

However, today was different.

Ban Seok-ho excitedly told the story of how Yohan had crushed the entrance test today.

Like a child bragging to his dad about getting 100 points on a test.

-Hearing that, he’s even more detestable. Why didn’t he do it until now when he could do that.

“You can start again now. It’s not too late, Father.”

Even though it was good news for the first time in a while, his father still seemed to think of Yohan with a frown.

It was understandable since his father was such a strict person.

Especially, his standards for soccer were much higher than his own.

Ban Seok-ho also remembered being scolded a lot when he learned soccer from his father.

But,

Ban Seok-ho was sure.

If his father had seen Yohan’s 모습 [moseup – appearance/form] today, he would have admired him.

So soon.

When Yohan is on the fast track to becoming a great player.

His father would also acknowledge Yohan.

‘So, Yohan. Let’s work hard from now on.’

Yohan’s soccer life was starting now.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you that excited?”

“Of course, I’m excited. It’s like a dream. Going to the academy with you. How can I not be excited?”

“Geez…”

On the first day of going to the West Ham Academy.

Rohan’s expression is brighter than ever.

The road to the training ground couldn’t be more refreshing.

Wasn’t this what he had been dreaming of for the past few years?

Walking this road to the West Ham Academy training ground.

“Why did you wear the uniform from home? You could have changed there.”

“Hey. I even slept in this. I wanted to wear it so much.”

“Oh geez. Are you that happy?”

Usually, he would wear training clothes to work and change into a uniform at the training ground.

Rohan came out wearing the uniform from home.

No, he had already been wearing it since he went to bed yesterday.

He had shed so much blood and sweat to wear this one uniform.

Rohan, who was heading to the training ground wearing the West Ham uniform, looked so happy.

“But, I probably wouldn’t have been this happy if I had gone alone. It’s because I’m going with you that I’m excited.”

But,

What he was most happy about was being with his younger brother Yohan.

Although he had a hard time waking him up in the morning, and he had a hard time dragging him out, who said he would go from tomorrow.

Still, going to the training ground with his younger brother.

This was something Rohan had dreamed of even more than joining the academy.

For Rohan, this was the best morning of his life, and it was all thanks to his younger brother.

Rohan wanted to give Yohan a kiss.

“Yaaawn…”

On the other hand.

Yohan’s eyes were almost half-closed.

It had been so long since he had woken up this early on the weekend.

He was dragged out by his brother,

But Yohan wanted to go back to bed and sleep right now.

Ah.

He set out to get his brother to pass, but what a hardship this is.

If he had known it would be like this, he shouldn’t have been so nosy.

But.

“Have a good day!”

Even in the midst of that, he smiled when he remembered his dad’s bright face when he left the house.

On the day he passed the entrance test, Yohan saw his dad so happy for the first time.

Not only that, but it was the first time he had received such treatment at home.

Wow, he would even give him the massage that he used to give his brother.

He groaned, begging him to stop because it hurt, but Yohan was still happy inside.

It wasn’t like Yohan liked being nagged by his dad.

Yohan also wanted to make his dad happy.

He wanted to be a son, grandson, and brother that his family could be proud of.

And, he felt good that it seemed like that had been achieved a little bit.

“We’re here! Ugh, training at the West Ham training ground. Is this really a dream or reality? Let’s go in, Yohan-ah!”

“Ah, uh…”

Seeing his brother so happy because of him.

And seeing his dad.

Even though it may still be faint.

Little by little, very little by little.

It seemed that even Yohan, who had only been lazy, was starting to have a desire.