<002. RESTART>
"Huh…?"
The world had changed in a single blink of the eyes.
White wallpaper and yellow wood.
In front of it, a TV with the back protruding out the way old TVs had.
From the TV, I heard the news that Ji Suk Park is transferring soon to Eindhoven.
'I'm back!'
The place that I am standing now was surely the old, 60 square metre apartment that I lived in as a child.
There were other things proving my return.
"Ah. Ahhh. Ahhhhh."
A voice that had not hit puberty and a much lower line of sight.
Ho Yung then found the white calendar that hung on the wall.
2002, August 3rd, Saturday. Exactly 14 years ago.
'10 years old…'
Only third grade.
My chest swelled with the realisation that I could achieve anything I wanted to.
Then a familiar voice flowed out of the kitchen.
"Could you get the table out?"
"Ha! Finally time for dinner."
He lifted his head and saw his parents looking impossibly young.
"Wow."
He could only exclaim.
Ho Yung, now a 10-year-old child, sat in front of the dark red table.
His dad, Hwang Sun Wu suddenly threw out a question.
"Ho Yung, what do you want to be when you grow up? What's your dream?"
This was something Dad used to say from time to time during dinner.
Hwang Sun asked again and Ho Yung replied without hesitation.
"I would like to be a soccer player."
"Haha. You've started sounding so grown up! Do you still want to be like Ji Suk Park?"
"No. I want to be more! I'm going to be the greatest soccer player in the world!"
"Mmm?"
Both of the parents widened their eyes at this sudden enthusiasm.
Ho Yung smiled coyly like a young child.
"Haha. I'm gonna do it."
No parent could not be happy with hearing that.
The couple laughed joyfully and embraced Ho Yung.
After dinner, Ho Yung came into his room to have some alone time.
It was a tiny room but it was the only private space he could get.
'That's up til now anyway…'
Until he had to start sharing a room with his brother, who is 8 years younger.
'That's that but I'm still just 10.'
He pondered for a little on what to do first.
'I don't know but I know I can do anything!'
Grade 3 - the age that you're promised freedom from when the school bell rings to when you sleep!
Ho Yung burst open the door and asked Hwang Sun -
"Dad! Where's Fevernova?"
2002 Korean World Cup official ball, Fevernova.
Why was it that even seeing a soccer ball made him feel so excited?
Ho Yung could barely contain his excitement as he ran on to the primary school yard.
He sped around with the ball like a fish in water.
"I'm so happy."
When he was a child, he wished he would grow up quickly. You never realise it was spring until the flowers wither.
The truth was that this is the happiest time of life.
"Let's see…"
Little by little.
Ho Yung first checked this ability that Marmon had given him.
[Ho Yung Wu]
Skills Possessed
None
So ability was a system like what you only saw in fiction.
"Absolute rubbish."
He thought he was damn good when he was young, but he barely had enough ability to be best in the neighbourhood let alone the world.
He needed time to adjust to his young body.
"I wish there was someone to compare to…"
Just in time, he saw a familiar face across the playground.
"Hey, Hobbang! What are you doing? You know you can't even play soccer."
Running across the playground with a soccer ball was none other than 10-year-old Jung Ho Yoon.
"Do you need to be so mean on sight?"
"Haha, why would I say you can play soccer when you can't?"
Jung Ho always had the talent of irritating others from when he was young.
It wasn't anything big, but it felt insulting.
Ho Yung nearly flicked him, but stopped himself just in time.
Instead, he stared intensely at Jung Ho. He wondered if he could see the abilities of others as well as his own.
[Jung Ho Yun]
Skills Possessed
Soccer Prodigy (B)
Heavy Mid-Shoot ©
(If the criteria is met, one desired ability can be taken.)
(Criteria: play soccer together for more than 60 minutes.)
"Hell yeah!"
It can be done.
With Marmon's ability, he could see his and others' abilities.
'I guess he wasn't too big of a soccer genius?"
Of course, what he had was much more preferable to what Ho Yung had - nothing.
But that wasn't the most remarkable thing.
'If I complete the criteria I can just take the ability?'
This is what Marmon had said - the devil's ability.
Desire.
He didn't know what would happen - but let's do it anyway.
Ho Yung spoke with determination.
"Hey, wanna play?"
Boom!
After an hour or so of playing soccer together, Jung Ho began to complain.
"This isn't fun. I don't want to play with you!"
A soccer prodigy's harsh words - mostly fact - but he didn't care.
When an hour had passed, the reaction he had so desired appeared.
[Select the ability you desire.]
Soccer Prodigy (B)
Heavy Mid-Shoot ©
Ho Yung chose the former with no hesitation.
Number 1. Soccer Prodigy (B)
There was a change in Ho Yung's skills.
[Ho Yung Wu]
Skills Possessed
Soccer Prodigy (B)
'Nice!'
Thanks to this, he stood equal to Jung Ho Yun.
Of course, how much he improved and grew would be up to the effort he put in but he at least got a guarantee that he would improve.
'Can I not get any other talent?'
Just to check, he looked at Jung Ho's abilities again.
[Jung Ho Yoon]
Skills Possessed
Soccer Prodigy (B)
Heavy Mid-Shoot ©
(If the criteria is met, one desired ability can be taken.)
(Criteria: Play soccer together for 50 minutes.)
'Hm. So the soccer prodigy skill is still there?'
Just because he had desired an ability and had taken it, didn't mean the other lost their ability.
'The criteria's gone down to 50 minutes. Is that because the only one left is a C grade ability?'
Feeling like he roughly understood the system, he grabbed Jung Ho who was about to exit the playground.
"Hey, let's just play a little more."
"No. You're so bad. And I have to go to soccer training soon."
"Just play with me until you have to go. If you do, I'll buy you snacks! Lollies too!"
".... Hm."
"I'll buy you Pikachu."
"Really?"
It was a relief. We were all still innocent.
Puff… sigh… puff.
50 minutes flew by as he ran around not aware of the time passing.
[Select the ability you desire.]
Heavy Mid-Shoot ©
'I did it.'
Now that he had obtained the C-grade ability too, he let Jung Ho go.
"Ha… I'm tired… Let's stop."
"Ha! You're tired already? You did get better though..?"
"Thanks to you. Hehe."
"What?"
"No, it's okay. Let's go eat snacks!"
"Do you even have money?"
"Of course, silly."
He had earned abilities - a 30 cent cup of tteokbeokki wasn't anything.
It was worth emptying out his piggy bank at home.
"But your family's so poor. Won't your mum get mad?"
"....."
Jung Ho. He was always rotten.
If he hadn't just said that, I would have bought him anything from lollies to Pikachu.
Ho Yung couldn't bring himself to be the bigger person and took out a 10cent coin.
"Here."
"What's this!"
"We're done here. Get out."
"Hey! No! You bastard!"
Ho Yung just cooly went home regardless.
As he was returning home, he thought deeper.
To grow these abilities - for it to bloom - he needed to shed blood and sweat. Building up a foundation was a given - if he wanted to start soccer officially, he needed to learn professionally.
It was too hard to do alone.
It would be best to get into a renowned prestigious academy but the fees were a problem.
He knew the family situation and so Ho Yung felt that he could not ask for these ridiculous fees.
His brother had just started walking. It was overwhelming to pay for his baby food, let alone this extra expenditure.
So what could he do?
'Let's let the world know of my skill. Then maybe I could get sponsored?'
Maybe he could be scouted by a youth team of a professional team, or be called overseas; in any way, it was the fastest way out.
There was that 5-year-old who was scouted from YouTube after someone uploaded a video of him playing soccer.
'We don't even have YouTube yet, do we.'
There was no YouTube, or smartphones for that matter. This way was impossible.
That means there was only one way!
'Television?'
There was a TV show that played once in a while. It was focused on youth and always showed around the World Cup season.
There were ten children - a very high number - who were scouted from that show and grew up to be professional players. Notably, Kang Min Lee from Valencia CF.
It was the only way he could rise to stardom. If he could get on TV and show his skills, he would start receiving sponsorships.
'Okay... that's my plan.'
A program came to his head - a show that had aired right after the 2002 Korea World Cup.
It was the youth development project that had produced the youth soccer boom!
Ho Yung quickly washed his hands and feet and sat in front of the computer upon returning home. He stared intensely at the thick monitor and searched the internet. He stood up suddenly.
He ran to Hwang Sun, who had been laying there watching TV.
"Dad! I want to do Shoot!"