CS 01

Chapter 1

 Prologue

‘This is a sports news report. Kang Do-in, who had been playing as South Korea’s frontline striker, announced his retirement from professional football today.’

‘Kang Do-in, who had been playing for Al Hilal, held a press conference today and announced that he would be leaving the field at the end of this season.’

‘Now 40 years old, Kang Do-in spent 20 seasons playing in the Saudi league, scoring a total of 702 goals. As for his achievements, he won the Saudi League 12 times and the AFC Champions League 7 times, and….’

(+) Damn, he really is something. He ends up retiring in the Middle East after all.

└ This bastard just likes money more than his career.

└ At least he didn’t sell his nationality. Have a drink~

└ For real lol. He did deliver something at the World Cup, so I won’t hate on him.

└ I still can’t forget that hat trick against Spain. Seriously.

└ That deserves to be added to the national anthem video collection, yeah.

(+) If he’s 40 years old internationally, how old is he in Korean age? 42?

└ He’s 40 in Korean age too. It’s been ages since the law changed;;

└ Whatever the case, it’s definitely true that he’s been at it for a damn long time. Yeah.

└ I wonder how much money he made.

└ I heard his salary last year was 200 billion won.

└ Seriously?

└ It’s just a rumor, but considering what Ronaldo was getting in Saudi Arabia, wouldn’t it be around the same?

└ Fuck, I’m so jealous.

└ I can sense some philosophy behind Kang Do-in’s choice to suddenly choose Saudi Arabia.

└ I’m about ready to beg for an ice cream;;

└ Still, you could’ve gone to Europe at least once, you bastard Kang Do-in.

(+) Look at his total goals, though. 702. Damn.

└ If he’d scored those 700 goals in Europe instead of Asia, we’d have worshiped him for the rest of his life.

└ But with skills like that, wouldn’t he have some career ambitions himself? It’s actually strange that he stayed in the Middle East until the end.

└ He says he likes money.

└ Still, wouldn’t a normal person usually develop some desire for fame and glory too?

└ Holy shit.

└ What?

└ Why? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?

└ Hey, you Kang-gook-no. Are you indirectly insulting Kang Do-in by saying that, since he grew up in an orphanage as a poor and unfortunate orphan, he’s far removed from an ordinary person?

└ ?? For real?

└ Look at you pretending not to know. Take that lawsuit like a man when it comes.

└ No, I seriously didn’t know;;

(+) What the fuck? Breaking news just came out saying Kang Do-in died of a heart attack in his hotel room.

└ ?

└ What kind of new attention-seeking bullshit is this?

└ No matter how much you hate Kang Do-in, bringing someone’s life into this is going too far…

└ Do you really have to do this even on the day he retires, you Kang-haters?

└ No, fuck, it’s real. Look at this

└ What the hell is this?

└ Is it really true?

└ ??

“What the hell? All of a sudden?”

Álvaro, a member of Real Madrid’s scouting team, tilted his head at the sudden behavior of his colleague, who had come straight over and shoved a phone in front of him.

Since the two were usually close, there was no awkwardness between them when they spoke.

“Why are you giving me your phone?”

“It’s a match video. Watch this and evaluate the player for me.”

“All of a sudden? Usually, whenever I say anything, you just curse me out.”

“I won’t say anything this time.”

“Yeah, right.”

Though foul-mouthed, Álvaro was kind-hearted, and despite grumbling, he obediently watched the match video on the phone.

The players in the video were all East Asian, so it seemed to have been filmed somewhere in Asia. The sight of twenty-two boys scampering around after a single ball was rather cute.

“Well, not bad. They’ve all got some technique, their ball movement is decent, and their coordinated movement is good, too. What country are they from? Japan?”

“Korea.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, he had recently heard that the Korean Football Association had sent several youth players to their club as part of a football study-abroad program.

Remembering that, Álvaro asked calmly. He figured there had to be a reason his colleague had suddenly brought him footage of these youth players.

“So? Who’s the one you like? You didn’t come all the way over here just to show me him?”

“Hmm, you caught me. He’s coming up soon. Just wait a second.”

Tony smiled leisurely as he manipulated the phone, skipping ahead in the video.

Then, a Korean boy wearing a training bib appeared on the screen.

“Him?”

“Yeah. Watch him and tell me what you think.”

“He’s a center forward, huh? From the video, he looks a little small for now. Did you check how tall he is?”

“168 centimeters. But he’s going to grow more.”

“We’ll have to wait and see about that. You must really like him, judging by how you’re already taking his side.”

“You’ll understand how I feel after you watch him.”

“Well, let’s take a look first.”

After saying that, Álvaro focused on the video for quite some time.

The boy in the video wasn’t particularly flashy. His face was rather handsome, but he was short. He was somewhat quick on his feet, but his physical abilities weren’t exceptional.

He was simply…

Ordinarily good at making off-the-ball movements.

Ordinarily clean with his first touch.

Ordinarily outstanding when it came to dribbling.

Ordinarily never missed one-on-one chances.

Ordinarily capable of scoring with either foot.

That was about it.

Although the boy in the video had scored five goals, it was difficult to say that he was overwhelmingly superior to the forwards who started in La Liga.

Yes, compared to first-team players, that was.

And that was precisely why Álvaro couldn’t help asking:

“…How old is he?”

“Fifteen. Apparently, he’s starting high school this year.”

“Ah, this little—”

Álvaro’s expression immediately hardened.

Given FIFA’s regulations prohibiting the international transfer of players under the age of eighteen, even if he wanted to prepare a contract right away, the boy’s age of fifteen and his Korean nationality stood in the way.

“What a damn shame. We’ll have to persuade him properly when he comes here to study, huh? Let’s get him to sign a contract the moment he turns eighteen.”

“No need for that. We’ll be signing him soon anyway. I’ve already gotten the director’s approval. There’s no problem with FIFA regulations, either.”

“What? How?”

“There’s a way. Though it looks like it’ll take a little while before we can actually get him to sign the contract.”

“Why?”

“Well….”

Tony awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“…The kid’s already gotten a little too interested in money.”