Chapter 2

"Why did you come so late?"

"Geon-woo! I'm here!"

At that time, Myeongseong High School was coeducational, and the top idol among the female students was, embarrassingly, me.

From first-year to third-year female students, they were all flustered with joy at the sight of me.

"Hello! Senior!"

When I appeared, the male underclassmen made way for me as if I were a king, bowing at a 90-degree angle.

I was their greatest hero as well.

"That's right..."

At school, I was the most popular star among both boys and girls.

This popularity reached its peak in June of this year, with the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

Dong-gyun and I, as high school students, were surprisingly selected for the final A-team roster and boarded the flight to France.

From that point on, I received about 300 fan letters a day from female students across the country.

"It was from this moment that my downfall began."

Since last winter, I had been feeling something wrong with my left knee.

I wanted to go to a specialist hospital for an accurate diagnosis, but Myeongseong High School's coach, Ji-yeong-man, refused, citing the spring league tournament.

I played in the tournament throughout February, leading the team to the quarterfinals with that knee.

"A man should endure that level of pain. If you start going to the hospital for a little pain, universities and professional teams that have a good impression of you might revoke their offers. Everyone avoids weak players."

At the time, Ji-yeong-man's words sounded very convincing.

Actually, the most absurd part was after the national team's assembly.

I joined the national team while hiding my knee problem.

I was anxious that if my injury was discovered, I might be kicked off the team.

"Stupid guy."

I passed the internal medical test.

This was evidence of how poor the medical system in Korean sports was at the time.

I endured the long flight and bus rides, and to impress the seniors, I pushed myself even harder than usual.

As soon as I returned to Korea, my knee ligament tore during practice, and this injury became the starting point for a series of injuries, including knee cartilage damage, Achilles tendon rupture, ankle ligament tear, and lumbar disc problems.

"We need to get this right from here."

Sitting in the classroom, just planning my schedule for the future took a lot of time.

In the class, the soccer team was like invisible people, and the teachers never bothered me no matter what I did.

Some teachers even encouraged me to go practice early instead of wasting time in the classroom.

However, I stayed in the classroom until the fourth period.

"To avoid any trouble, I need to handle the sequence of subtle events carefully."

I know what will happen in the future.

Even so, I don't have the power to control everything and everyone around me perfectly.

I was just a promising soccer player, with no money or connections.

To get close to money and fame, I needed to use the powerful adults around me well.

"Hello! Coach!"

"Ah! Geon-woo. You look in good condition today?"

"Not bad. I'll just do my best."

Myeongseong High School's coach, Ji-yeong-man, smiled warmly.

In the 1998 Korean football scene, he was a rare coach who treated players like older brothers.

In a world where physical abuse and verbal insults were the norm, Ji-yeong-man was a rarity.

That's why my father and I trusted him.

However, his true nature was that of a villain, a joker who could kill with a smile.

He always smiled to make his prey let their guard down.

"It's not long after the spring tournament. Let's just warm up lightly."

Ji-yeong-man said it as if he were doing us a great favor.

Seeing him now, after regressing, all kinds of emotions boiled up inside me.

The first villain who ruined not only my football career but my entire life.

I wanted to drag him out and beat him up right away.

"But that's not true revenge."

If I beat up Ji-yeong-man now, I might feel good for a moment, but my football career would be over.

I didn't come back to be a bitter avenger.

I came back to make a lot of money through football and live a life without worrying about anyone's opinion.

"When revenge is boiling, think about money."

Thinking about money calmed me down.

I spent the first day quietly observing the overall atmosphere of the soccer team.

This peaceful day would be the last.

Because today is March 2, 1998.

That night.

A phone call to my house would shake my football life.

***

I waited for the call while eating dinner at home.

My father, as usual, was watching a baseball game while eating, and my mother scolded him. My younger sister, who was on a diet, was scolded by my mother. I was so preoccupied with the impending call that I didn't even know what I was eating.

"Son, eat this."

My mother picked the meat off the pork ribs and placed it on my rice.

I prefer the spicier pork ribs to the beef ribs.

My mother's cooking skills were not something to joke about, but her spicy pork ribs were better than any famous restaurant.

My mother, who was a terrible cook in the early days of her marriage, was forced by my father to attend a cooking school, which is a heartwarming (or not) anecdote.

The spicy pork ribs were a special dish she learned from a professional at that time.

'Time is up.'

Now, Ji-yeong-man would call with an excited voice.

Ring, ring, ring.

Then my father would answer the phone and ask,

"Coach Ji. What's up at this hour? You want to have a drink?"

My father joked, flicking his finger near his mouth.

Then Ji-yeong-man would say,

"Brother, congratulations. Our Geon-woo has been selected for the World Cup A-team. I just got a call from the Football Association."

"What!? Really!? Our Geon-woo!"

My father jumped up.

Of course.

His son was one of the top 23 in Korea.

In terms of college entrance exams, it was like being in the top 20 in the country.

"Son!! Well done! Let me give you a hug!"

"Shouldn't we distribute rice cakes in the neighborhood!?"

"Rice cakes? We should rent a hall and have a celebration party with banners."

"Ah... that's so corny."

Ji-hye showed a jealous or unknown reaction, and my parents were in a complete frenzy.

That's right.

I felt like I was on cloud nine at that time.

Since I first started playing soccer in elementary school,

I had always imagined my future self wearing a red uniform with the Taeguk mark.

But I never thought that day would come so soon.

Back then, I was just dazed, but this time it was different. I received my family's congratulations and expressed my gratitude.

"Father, Mother, thank you for raising me well."

Sincerely.

But I didn't say anything else. There were too many buttons to fix.

And that night,

I lay on my cheap bed, reviewing my plans for the future one by one.

A lot would happen from tomorrow.

I might temporarily make many people, even my parents, my enemies.

But I had to do it.

To protect everyone from the devil.

***

The next morning,

I didn't go to school but headed to a nearby subway station.

"In the old days, there were so few subway lines."

After checking the route map several times, I arrived at [Seoul Ohseong Hospital] in Yangjae-dong, Gangnam-gu.

Just seeing the hospital building made my eyes well up.

I remembered that day.

When the injury in my knee spread to my ankle and finally to my back,

I came here, limping with a cane.

Not because I wanted to play soccer again, but because I wanted to live a normal life like an ordinary person.

The doctor who diagnosed me said,

"Why did you come so late?"

According to the doctor, I had several chances to be fully cured.

But I only went to a local clinic introduced by Coach Ji-yeong-man and entrusted my fate to him.

Incorrect diagnosis, incorrect treatment, inadequate rehabilitation, and injury.

This cycle made me a cripple.

I confirmed the doctor's name in the orthopedic department and registered for a consultation.

Sure enough, he was much younger than when I came here in a terrible state.

When it was my turn, Dr. Kim Seung-jin greeted me.

"Welcome. You look like a student in your school uniform. It's impressive that you came here alone."

He listened to my condition and ordered MRI and CT scans after a few checks.

While waiting for the results, we talked.

Some doctors would get annoyed or act arrogantly if asked, but Kim Seung-jin explained things in detail and as simply as possible.

He had a deep respect for professional athletes.

Kim Seung-jin later joined the medical team for the 2002 World Cup Korean national team.

This led him to become an authority in Korean sports medicine and eventually the head of [Ohseong Training Center], a mecca for sports rehabilitation in Korea.

I came to see someone who would become the best in Korea.

"My body is my capital. I need to take good care of it from now on, at the best medical facility."

"You're a forward-thinking young man. It's rare for Korean football players to think this way. Even professional players who earn several billion won a year don't realize the value of their bodies. Well... Coaches and managers create an environment where players are overused, so players have no choice but to follow... Anyway, it's a problem. When will we play advanced football?"

Kim Seung-jin had a clear sense of the problem from the beginning.

We need more people like him for Korean football to change.

I need someone like him.

"Wait... Why do you look familiar? Are you a famous player?"

"I'm quite well-known in high school football."

"Really? I don't know much about that..."

Kim Seung-jin finally looked at the front page of the sports newspaper on his desk and was shocked.

"You! No, the student... Could you be... Kim Geon-woo!?"