Chapter 1

1

1. New Interpreter at EW Agency, Taehyun Seok (1)

- Are you really in the UK?

“Yeah. I just arrived. You know Heathrow Airport? It’s in London...”

- Oh, for...

I tried to sound natural, but it was no use.

I pulled the phone away from my ear to avoid my sister’s first wave of nagging. Even from a distance, the volume of her voice confirmed that my judgment was correct.

Fortunately, her voice gradually subsided, and I was able to put the phone back to my ear.

- ...Damn, are you crazy, are you crazy? No, how can you even think of becoming a freelancer after all that hard work to get in? Why didn’t you even tell me...?

“Sis, if I told you, you would have definitely opposed it, right?”

- Of course!

“That’s why I did it.”

- You...

I pulled the phone away again. Oh, even with my arm fully extended, her voice was twice as loud as before, echoing through the airport.

Her anger showed no signs of subsiding. If this continued, I wouldn’t be able to talk to Dad and would have to enter the subway, where there’s no Wi-Fi.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, Sis. I’ll apologize and explain later. Can you please put Dad on the line? I’m short on time...”

- You... You... Huh...

“I’m really sorry, Sis. And please, don’t say too much to Dad...”

- I already did.

Her cold voice made me swallow hard.

I’m sorry, Dad.

Judging by the tone of her voice, Dad must have been grilled as if he were back in the military.

After our mother passed away giving birth to the youngest, my sister took on the role of mother in our family. Her specialty was nagging with concern. It was so intense that my father, my younger sister, and I often referred to her nagging as “verbal abuse.”

- I’ve put him on. Did you arrive safely?

“Dad. I’m fine.”

- ...Not tired?

His delayed response indicated that he was being cautious of my sister.

“No, I’m fine. I slept well on the plane, so I’m completely refreshed.”

- That’s a relief.

“Yeah, don’t worry too much.”

Dad paused for a moment before speaking in a serious tone.

- Since you’ve already made your decision, do your best. If it’s something you really wanted to do, I believe you’ll do well.

“...Thanks. Sis is really mad. I’m sorry.”

- Hmm... It’s okay. I’ll handle it.

I didn’t expect to feel such camaraderie from Dad. I’m sorry, Dad.

- And Daen said to tell you to send her a gift.

“Really?”

I smiled. Thinking of my younger sister, who is ten years younger, made me smile naturally.

“Tell her I’ll do it. And since I’m about to enter the subway, can you tell Sis I’ll call her later?”

- Sure. Got it.

“Thanks, Dad.”

- Do your best.

“Yeah, I’ll try my best.”

After ending the call, I pulled my large suitcase and got on the elevator, heading to the station to board the Tube, the world’s oldest subway system.

At the turnstile, I got an Oyster card (a British transport card) from a dozing employee and checked the route map I had downloaded to find the platform number for my train.

The train arrived soon.

Unlike the subway in Seoul, this one was quite narrow. Fortunately, it was early morning and there were few people, but for tall people, the space would be so tight that their knees might touch the person in front of them when seated.

Sitting in a corner of the empty seat, I let out a sigh of relief. Everything was going according to plan. Now, I just needed to get off at Leicester Square station.

With some free time, I looked around.

Since it was an airport station, the carriage I was in was full of travelers. There were two groups, one Chinese and the other Korean. I could tell by their appearances and the languages they were speaking.

Although I had only been in the UK for less than a day, seeing Koreans made me feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity, and I initially wanted to strike up a conversation. But I couldn’t. The two groups had started a strange staring contest.

The reason was obvious.

The Chinese were wearing Arsenal uniforms, and the Koreans were wearing Tottenham uniforms. They were glaring at each other.

Arsenal and Tottenham.

These two teams, representing North London in the Premier League, had a rivalry as fierce as Liverpool and Manchester United. Whenever they played, fights would break out, and police would always be called in.

The rivalry was so strong that it was said you couldn’t wear white in Arsenal’s area or red in Tottenham’s area. This fact, known through an interview with commentator Lee Young-pyo, was interesting to read about, but not at all interesting right now.

A fight could break out at any moment.

“Ahem, ahem.”

I deliberately cleared my throat to ease the tense atmosphere. Realizing they weren’t the only ones, each group started to chat among themselves, watching me.

Thankfully.

If they had started a verbal fight, I would have pretended to be Japanese and run away. But it seems that won’t be necessary.

I leaned back against the stiff seat.

Thanks to the two groups, I felt a bit more like I was in London. Even people from different countries could glare at each other as fans of rival teams. This place truly is the capital of football.

I thought I would struggle with jet lag, but I was wide awake after sleeping well on the plane. I rummaged through my crossbody bag and pulled out a well-worn conversation book. There were five conversation books, but I chose the Spanish one.

Although it was hard to focus, I tried to read a few lines, forcing my tongue to form the words.

The company I’m interviewing at today is EW Agency. It’s one of the top 20 agencies in the world, as listed in a recent article by a football media outlet. It holds a significant position in the football agent industry.

I came to the UK to work at an agency and gain experience to become an agent. Currently, I’m applying as an interpreter, but my goal is to become a super agent like Jorge Mendes or Mino Raiola by gaining experience.

Finding players who can’t bloom due to various issues, supporting them both financially and emotionally to turn them into world-class players, and building a large agency by gathering such players. Imagining the moment when one of my players wins the Ballon d’Or or the FIFA Player of the Year award and says, “I was able to reach this point thanks to my agent, Taehyun Seok,” always makes me feel good.

I’ve also thought about becoming a non-selected coach like Arrigo Sacchi, José Mourinho, André Villas-Boas, or Maurizio Sarri, but being a coach ultimately means working for the team and being at the mercy of the club owner.

However, an agent can focus solely on their players. In the modern football world, where there are many conflicting interests, it’s the only profession that can truly support players. It’s incredibly appealing.

Of course, there are agents who use players just to make money, but I won’t be like that. I find more joy in seeing players perform well than in making money.

Well, no matter how cool I act, I’m nothing right now.

The more I mumbled in Spanish, the drier my mouth became. I seemed to be getting nervous.

Yes, I’m nervous. I have no experience in the football industry, and I haven’t formally studied law or anything like that. I’m not even a graduate of a sports management program.

The only strengths I can highlight are my language skills and my deep love for football, which makes me a football enthusiast with a wealth of knowledge.

I graduated from a foreign language university and worked as an interpreter for a year, so I can read five languages and speak English, Spanish, and Italian, in addition to Korean.

I owe these skills to football.

Like many of my peers, I became obsessed with football after watching the 2002 World Cup in my early teens. I was more obsessed than most. Watching matches was a given, and I read every article I could find. I started with domestic articles but soon moved on to international ones.

I started studying English to read articles (my father and sister were very proud, not knowing the real reason), and then I learned Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese to find more.

Reading wasn’t enough, so I started translating articles from foreign football websites to discuss football with others. Eventually, I became a “true football enthusiast” and even befriended journalists.

While my friends were interested in idols, actors, games, and comics, my interest was solely in football. My KakaoTalk profile picture has always been a football player, and even my military ID photo was of a football player, leading to many misunderstandings.

Naturally, I wanted to work in the football industry, but due to practical reasons and family circumstances, I used my language skills to get into a foreign language university and graduated smoothly while pursuing my hobby.

I then got a job as an interpreter at a well-known company, dealing with buyers from various countries for a year. It wasn’t bad, but I felt a void in my heart, and my enthusiasm gradually waned.

In the end, I quit.

Starting with my colleagues, my friends, and even my father, everyone tried to talk me out of it. They said it was a foolish and crazy move to quit a regular job at a major company after just a year.

But the moment I decided to challenge the world of sports agencies, the spark of enthusiasm, which I thought had disappeared, reignited. No one could stop me. I kept it a secret from my worried sister.

Looking at agency websites, I found that even abroad, it was rare to find someone with my language skills. I applied to all of them with confidence.

I also considered starting as an independent agent, but how could a complete outsider in the football industry find any players to represent?

The most important thing to become an agent is connections. I didn’t know any players or people in the football industry. I only knew a few journalists in Korea.

Therefore, I needed a stepping stone to build connections and gain experience, which is why I chose EW Agency after receiving positive responses from several places. Although it wasn’t as prestigious as Gestifute, where Jorge Mendes works, it managed players and had many star players, making it a good company by my standards.

- The next station is Leicester Square.

So, I need to do well in the interview.

I stood up and prepared to get off, enjoying the sound of my suitcase rolling on the ground as I climbed the escalator.

Exiting the station, I took in the classic London buildings and turned on my phone.

I was about to check the map when I saw a message.

Sis: [If you become a burden like the youngest, I’ll kill you. If you hadn’t left money, I would have come to the UK to bring you back. Dad may not say it, but he’s very worried about you.]

A moment later, another message arrived.

Sis: [But since you’re here, do your best. If you fail, come back immediately. Let me know if you need anything.]

I couldn’t stop my smile from spreading. Indeed, my sister. Despite being incredibly angry about my sudden decision to come to the UK, she still supports me. I sent a message filled with gratitude.

Me: [Thanks, Sis. I love you♡]

Sis: [Are you crazy, Taehyun Seok?]

Me: [I’m serious.]

There was no reply. I chuckled, imagining my sister’s flustered face, and checked the time.

7:00 AM,

It was a bit early to head to the agency, which starts work at 9:00 AM. I had a place to visit first, which is why I rushed. I opened the map app and walked a bit.

*

I lowered my gaze from the sign to the street.

It was an ordinary street lined with shops, feeling empty in the early morning with few open shops and sparse pedestrians. But to me, it was a very special place.

This was where the first football association was founded, the birthplace of modern football. To be precise, it was a shop on this street, but the shop has long since disappeared.

My heart raced even though I wasn’t at a stadium.

“Here, the rules of football were created... and they evolved and evolved to become what they are today...”

I imagined what the first meeting of the football association might have been like and walked down the street.

“Ah.”

I had momentarily forgotten. There was something I needed to do here.

I clasped my hands and spoke clearly.

“Please make me a good agent.”

It was a wish.

I thought there was no better place to reaffirm my resolve before entering the football industry. I repeated my goal to myself.

“Please make me a good agent.”

When my colleagues looked at me as if I had lost my mind, when my friends called me crazy, and when my father tried to dissuade me with a grim face, I was outwardly determined to pursue my dream, but inwardly, I was extremely anxious.

Of course, I’m still anxious.

“Players who have talent but are poor and can’t play football, players who have been misled by bad agents... What else? Anyway, I’ll work really hard to ensure that talent isn’t wasted due to the environment.”

What if I fail? Sis might kill me.

“So, please give me a little help.”

After a long time of reaffirming my resolve, I realized something important.

“...Should I make the wish in English?”

I repeated the wish I had just made in English. There might not be a miracle that grants wishes, but saying it out loud made me feel a bit better.

Since it was time for breakfast, I said one last thing before leaving the street.

“Give me a little help.”

*

As Taehyun Seok left Long Acre Street, his phone vibrated. Heading to McDonald’s, Taehyun Seok didn’t notice the vibration and didn’t check his phone while eating a McMuffin and preparing for the interview.

When the alarm went off, signaling it was time to head to the agency, he only checked the time and put the phone back in his pocket.

Taehyun Seok, focused on his conversation book, headed to EW Agency.