Chapter 25: Teaching Mr. Nakamura a Lesson (1)

The Olympic match against Spain sparked an explosive global reaction.

The 3-0 victory against the host nation Spain, the innovative tactics, and the goalkeeper’s astonishing goal—various elements captured the attention of football fans worldwide.

Breaking news erupted even before the match ended, and even broadcasts unrelated to football reported the national team’s victory via subtitles.

Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, Japan caused an upset by defeating Brazil 2-1.

Consequently, a Korea-Japan match was set for the semifinals, further heightening the fervor of fans in both countries.

South Korea was instantly enveloped in a festive mood.

The football team, which had a rocky start amidst tremendous controversy, had somehow made it to the semifinals.

Moreover, with the semifinal opponent decided as their fated rival, Japan, the entire nation’s attention focused on it at once.

The historical context of a Korea-Japan match combined with the grand goal of reaching the Olympic final elevated this game beyond a mere sporting event into a matter of national interest.

And that interest directly fell upon the players.

[Instagram Post]
@taewoo_jung99

[Photo: Jeong Tae-woo smiling brightly at the Olympic stadium]
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#Olympics #FootballNationalTeam #KoreaJapanMatch #LetsGoToTheFinals #ThankYou

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soccer_lover_kr Wow, Tae-woo, you’re so handsome!!

taewoo_fan01 Oppa, fighting!! Please make sure to beat Japan!

golden_glove_kr Isn’t it a foul for a goalkeeper to be this handsome? 

k_soccer_pride Oppa, I love you, please marry me.

My Instagram follower count exploded in a single day, and not just mine, but also the followers of players who weren’t nationally well-known, like Lee Tae-yang and Yoo Hee-sung, surged.

Through this, I could feel how much the people of South Korea were currently focused on the Olympics.

Moreover, all I heard on TV was talk about the Olympics.

[“Breaking news. The 2036 Madrid Olympics men’s football team has defeated the host nation Spain 3-0 and advanced to the semifinals.”]

[“The opponent for this semifinal is Japan, who defeated Brazil to advance, meaning we will have a Korea-Japan match in the semifinals.”]

[“Our players, who persevered without wavering despite a difficult start, are truly admirable and wonderful.”]
Football-related content also poured out on YouTube.
[“Uh, it’s hyung. The way I see it, this is the focal point of this Korea-Japan match.”]

[“Yoo Il-woo, today we’re going to talk about the Olympics. Our recent record against Japan is actually a complete loss with 3 defeats.

Nevertheless, I really think this time is different. Do you acknowledge that part? I was genuinely shocked watching yesterday’s game.

Our players’ skills have completely changed. Especially Jeong Tae-woo’s performance was truly amazing, and the team’s overall organization has noticeably improved.

I see this as a golden opportunity for us to beat Japan.”]

In this way, all media outlets were predicting South Korea’s victory.

‘Actually, it’s not that easy.’

Although we initially prioritized finishing first in our group to meet Japan instead of Spain, Japan also confidently topped their group, defeated Brazil, and advanced to the semifinals.

They are an opponent that absolutely cannot be underestimated, and our recent record against them is 0 wins and 3 losses, putting us at a disadvantage.

Japan is realistically ahead of us in terms of organization and technical skill.

Our team has, of course, shown remarkable growth, but that doesn’t guarantee an immediate victory against Japan.

Rather, this excessive attention could become a source of confidence for the players, which could then turn into a poison.

Coach Cheon Mu-seok also emphasized this point in an interview.

“Japan is a strong team. We must not be complacent just because we beat Spain. Rather, we must prepare even more thoroughly.”

‘Of course, that won’t be easy.’

Think about it.

After only receiving criticism, suddenly everyone is praising you.

How could you not feel good?

In fact, you’d probably feel ecstatic.

The only experienced players here are me and Seo-joon hyung; everyone else is young.

Can they handle this attention and praise well?

I don’t think so.

‘Still, thankfully, maybe because he’s the protagonist, he doesn’t seem that excited.’

Yoo Hee-sung, who came to visit our room, was calmly looking at his phone, unlike Lee Tae-yang, whose face was full of smiles.

“Hee-sung, what are you looking at so intently?”

I peeked at his phone screen over his shoulder.

-Mom, Dad! We made it to the semifinals!!

-Mom – Our son, I’m so proud of you!!! Dad and I watched on TV, you did so well!!!

-Dad – The whole neighborhood almost exploded when your shot went in.

-I was really cool, wasn’t I?

-Mom – Of course~ Whose son are you? You were so cool. Who does our son take after to be so handsome -and good at football?

-Dad – Ahem, my genes played a big part.

-Mom – Honey, what good genes do you have? It’s all because he takes after me.

-Aww, it’s because I only inherited the good parts from Mom and Dad.

-Mom – His good personality is just like mine. Oh my, another call is coming. Hee-sung, because you’re doing so well in the Olympics, even people I’d forgotten about are calling like crazy. Our son, fighting!

-Dad – If you’re tired, call anytime and rest comfortably.

-Yes, I love you.

-Yoo Hee-sung was, after all, just a kid.

‘Come to think of it, my mom will probably get a lot of calls too.’

***

At that moment, as expected, Jeong Tae-woo’s mother, Yoon Seo-jung’s phone was ringing incessantly.

Jiiing- Jiiing-

“Hello?”

[“Oh my, Tae-woo’s mom! You raised Tae-woo so well. How is he so tall and skilled?”]

“Oh dear, thank you. I was surprised too. I didn’t know our Tae-woo was that good.”

Yoon Seo-jung replied modestly, but pride was blooming in her heart.

As soon as she hung up, the bell rang again.

Jiiing- Jiiing-

“Seo-jung, Tae-woo is truly amazing! How can a goalkeeper attack like that? He’s simply a national treasure.”

“Thank you, Eun-ju. I was surprised watching on TV too.”

Congratulatory messages from friends and relatives arrived endlessly.

[KakaoTalk notification sound]

Older Cousin: Seo-jung, Tae-woo was so cool. Our whole family is cheering for him!

[Text message notification sound]

Aunt: Our nephew is so praiseworthy. Tell him to take care of his health.

My son is excelling in the Olympics, and my daughter is debuting in a girl group…

‘Honey, I’ve raised the kids well enough, right?’

Clear dew formed in Yoon Seo-jung’s eyes.

A complex mix of joy, pride, and longing for her husband welled up in her heart.

And surely, if it were her husband,

‘You’ve worked hard, Seo-jung.’

He definitely would have praised me.

She couldn’t hear it, but for some reason, his warm voice seemed to linger in her ears.

Lightly wiping the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, she smiled.

Knowing her husband was watching from heaven, she resolved to be even stronger.

Yoon Seo-jung took a deep breath in and out.

She picked up her phone to send Tae-woo a message but paused for a moment.

A worry flashed through her mind: ‘Will Tae-woo feel burdened by the sudden flood of attention…’

After a moment of hesitation, she carefully typed a message.

-My son, Mom is so proud of you. Dad is watching you from heaven too. Take care of your health, don’t overdo it, and go at your own pace. Don’t feel burdened. Our whole family is on your side.
After sending the message, Yoon Seo-jung looked out the window.

The clouds floating in the clear sky looked like her husband’s image.

Gazing at it for a while, she recalled the past.

The days she raised Tae-woo and Mi-na with her husband, moments that were difficult but happy…

At that moment, Tae-woo’s reply arrived on her phone.

– Son : Mom, don’t worry. I’m doing well. And watch the next game carefully. Mom’s son will be the best again this time.

“Honey, our children have grown up so well, haven’t they? It would have been nice if you were here… But still, our Tae-woo is overcoming things well.”

A moment later, Yoon Seo-jung took a deep breath and stood up.

She went out to the living room and turned on the TV.

The news was still reporting on Tae-woo’s performance.

She smiled, watching her son on the screen.

“Our Tae-woo, you’ve grown up so well.”

She picked up her phone once more and sent a message to Mi-na as well.

-Our daughter, hang in there. Mom is always cheering for you.

-Daughter – Okay Mom, I love you.

Reading the messages from her two children alternately, Yoon Seo-jung smiled happily.

“Honey, are you watching? Our children have grown up so wonderfully. There were many hard times because you weren’t here, but it’s okay now. We are all overcoming it well.”

She walked over to the table where her husband’s photo was placed and caressed the picture.

“So, honey, you can rest comfortably now. Stop worrying about us.”

***

Nakamura Kenji is a promising young player currently considered one of the members of Japan’s golden generation.

At 19 this year, he debuted at the age of 18 for Júbilo Iwata, a lower-ranked J-League team, and in his debut season, he recorded an astonishing 18 goals and 8 assists, leading the team to a championship in an instant.

However, he didn’t think his skills were meant to stay in the J-League.

For him, the Olympics was an opportunity to showcase his abilities to Europe.

He thought he had sufficiently shown his skills by finishing first in the Olympic preliminaries, winning against Brazil, and recording 4 goals and 2 assists, but the attention was focused on the young Korean players.

Jeong Tae-woo, Yoo Hee-sung, Lee Tae-yang.

“Kuso! Why on earth are amateurs getting more attention than me!”

Jeong Tae-woo?

He himself was surprised.

For a goalkeeper, he has good individual skills and good saving ability.

But would that work in Europe?

Yoo Hee-sung, yes, he’s good.

Composure in attack, he’ll definitely become a good player later.

Though not as good as himself.

He was ahead of him in goals, but he thought that was because of Korea’s offensive tactics.

Lee Tae-yang, he’s just a target-type striker.

‘Yes, it must be because of their faces.’

Nakamura admitted that it was a stretch to say his own face was handsome.

But look at Jeong Tae-woo and Yoo Hee-sung.

Aren’t they captivating attention with their distinctly charming looks?

He couldn’t hide his growing discomfort at this thought.

“Discriminating based on looks rather than football skills. I’ll show them with my skills in the match.”

Perhaps because of that, he made remarks in a pre-match interview that would further inflame the Korea-Japan rivalry.

“I cannot understand why the Korean players are receiving attention. I have already proven my skills on the professional stage, and they are still mere amateurs.

In this match, I will show them the true difference in skill between them and me.”