Chapter 41: Star Mission: Grand Operation (5)

“I will now explain the rules for the Elephant Spin Soccer Dart Game.”

“First, you must spin in place ten times while doing the ‘elephant trunk’.”

“Hey, if we do this, Seokjin-hyung is going to collapse!”

“Gwansu, I’m not that weak.”

“After you finish spinning, you must kick the prepared ball into all ten of the trash cans placed in front of you.”

“What? It’s hard enough to score normally, how are we supposed to do it after the elephant spin!”

At Jungkook’s words, Jaeseung also complained to the PD.

“This is too much! It’s hard to even walk after ten spins, give us a break.”

“Ahem, maybe the elephant spin is better after all, right guys?”

‘The elephant spin is definitely better than wearing a blindfold.’

If I really wore a blindfold, I wouldn’t be able to see a thing, so how could I possibly score in the trash cans?

Even for me, that would be impossible.

The PD continued his explanation.

“Each of you will be given one chance, but if you score a goal, you can continue to try.”

‘Oh, if that’s the case, this mission seems doable.’

If I score all of them…

Just then, the PD added.

“But of course, you have to do the elephant spin again each time.”

Haha.

I had forgotten for a moment.

There was no way those psycho PDs would just give us another chance to kick.

“First, we will set up the trash cans.”

As soon as the PD finished speaking, the staff rushed out and began setting up trash cans at various distances.

Two trash cans each were placed at 5m, 7m, 10m, 12m, and 15m.

“You will have one hour of practice time. If you fail this mission, since the score is currently tied at 1-1, you will have to receive a penalty.”

“Right, what’s the penalty this time? There’s nothing but mountains around here.”

At Hihi’s words, the PD smiled so brightly it made everyone anxious.

‘Ah, sh*t. Nothing good ever comes from the PD smiling that brightly.’

I had already adapted to variety shows.

It was a common formula in the entertainment world that the PD’s happiness meant hardship for the cast.

“If you go just a little further from here, there’s a place where you can go paragliding.”

Ah, please, just not that…

“If you fail the mission, you will all have to go paragliding.”

“Hey, Taewoo. I’m begging you. I have a serious fear of heights.”

“Gwansu-hyung, I’m going into Olympic mode.”

“Kuhuk… Hey, you have a fear of heights too, don’t you?”

We looked at each other and bonded tightly.

Cowards can understand each other’s true feelings just by looking into their eyes.

‘I’ll stake my entire soccer career on succeeding, no matter what.’

The practice that began as expected was not easy.

Jihui-nuna went first.

Though she was called an ace at her university and was an outstanding talent, in the sport of soccer, she was hopelessly inept.

As expected, it was impossible for her to spin around and then accurately kick a ball into a trash can.

“Ah, sh*t- I’m dizzy,” Jihui-nuna said as she staggered, unable to keep her balance.

“Puhahaha! Hey, Jihui, did you just say sh*t?”

“No matter what, you shouldn’t swear.”

“Honestly, that temper of Song Jihui.”

“Haha, I’m sorry.”

Jihui-nuna apologized with a laugh, and next up was Jaeseung-hyung.

“Hey, as for me, I’ve been hardened by variety shows, so things like this don’t make me dizzy at all.”

True to his word, Jaeseung-hyung spun ten times at high speed and quickly ran towards the ball.

No, he tried to run.

Huh?

Where is he going?

Thud!

“Aargh!”

Instead of heading for the ball, Jaeseung-hyung went in a completely different direction and fell over.

“Puhahaha, he looks just like a grasshopper.”

Jaeseung-hyung got up and walked over to Gwansu-hyung, who had been laughing.

“Why, what is it?”

“You little punk.”

Smack!

“Aargh, seriously, stop hitting me!”

***

And so, the one-hour practice time given by the PDs passed, and the result of the practice…

Could be summed up in one phrase.

Utter chaos.

Accurately scoring in the trash cans placed at 5m, 7m, 10m, 12m, and 15m was a drill with a difficulty level that even professional soccer players would use for accuracy practice.

But to have to do it after doing the elephant spin?

For the non-professional cast members, it was a mission that was nigh impossible.

Someone might say this.

“Then why don’t you just do it all? Weren’t you called the God of Soccer? You can’t even do that much?”

I certainly can.

But I’m a person, not an actual god, so I get dizzy too.

If I have to score all 10 goals, it means I would have to do an absurd 100 elephant spins in a short amount of time.

And looking at the practice situation now, it wasn’t impossible that it would come to that.

‘Please, just three… Just let three go in.’

Right now, I wasn’t worried about whether I could score, but about how many elephant spins I could endure.

“We will begin now.”

At the PD’s words, Jungkook-hyung, who was scheduled to go first, walked out confidently.

“Hoo… this time, I’ll finally shed my old image.”

“Then please do the elephant spin.”

Jungkook-hyung began to spin.

“One, two, three… ten!”

“Please, Jungkook!”

“Jungkook-hyung!”

As expected from the capable Jungkook-hyung, he ran straight to the ball.

‘Good, that’s it. I believe in you, Jungkook-hyung.’

Pow!

Ah…

Is there a trash can I don’t know about 200m away?

Why did it fly so far…

“Uh… sorry.”

I heard Jungkook-hyung’s sheepish voice.

‘Right, it’s okay. Just one person…’

I briefly had that thought.

‘Please, just one… You managed to get it in sometimes during practice…’

After Jungkook-hyung, every person who tried failed, leaving only me and Gwansu-hyung.

“Taewoo, you trust me, right?”

“I believe in you!”

I answered with gusto.

Right, I’ll play along with any skit, just please, not 100 spins…

“Do you believe!”

Gwansu-hyung shouted once more.

“We believe!!”

This time, all the cast members shouted together.

“This hyung will repay that faith.”

And that faith…

“Ugh!”

Ended with him falling over without even kicking the ball.

Ah…

Right, I should have trusted someone trustworthy…

A sigh escaped me as I recalled Gwansu-hyung’s shooting pose.

That peculiar form where he brought his hands together and, for some reason, lowered his face as he kicked.

There was no way a ball kicked with such a form would go in accurately.

I shook my head and let out a bitter smile.

‘So, in the end, it means I really have to spin 100 times…’

“If the final contestant, Jeong Taewoo, fails, we will immediately board the bus again and move to the paragliding site.”

The PD’s taunting tone unnecessarily fueled my anger.

‘I mean, I was called the God of Soccer, a man who had mastered the sport…’

“For me, impossible is not an option.”
“Oooooh!”

Receiving the expectations of the entire cast, I walked towards the mission area.

‘Ha, the elephant spin? In the realm of soccer, that’s no obstacle for me.’

“Peeeeep-“

With the sound of a whistle, the PD’s voice echoed.

“Begin!”

I spun ten times at high speed and accurately sent the ball flying straight into the trash can at 5m.

The ball flew in a perfect trajectory and went straight into the 5m trash can.

“Nice, Taewoo! Let’s go!”

“Fighting!”

“Taewoo, if you succeed this time, I’ll really support you!”

Cheered on by the cast, I continued to score goal after goal.

5m, 7m, 10m, 12m… When I had scored a whopping eight in a row, gasps of admiration erupted even from among the PDs.

“Wow, he’s doing it all by himself.”

“This is why everyone’s talking about Jeong Taewoo these days. He’s insane.”

But naturally, my own condition was anything but normal.

‘Urgh- Ha… This is insane.’

Even for an athlete, it’s not normal to be fine after 80 elephant spins.

But quitting was worse than death.

‘Paragliding? I can absolutely never do that.’

For someone with a fear of heights like me, just the thought of paragliding was terrifying.

Enduring the dizziness and nausea, I glared at the last two trash cans.

‘Hoo… I can do this.’

Just as I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve, the PD’s voice rang out.

“Contestant Jeong Taewoo, we will begin your ninth attempt!”

‘Alright, just like before.’

I pushed through the dizziness and spun with all my might.

After the last spin, I quickly ran towards the ball.

‘When it comes to the sport of soccer, nothing is impossible for me.’

***

“Yes, everyone. This is Haneulbong Peak. It’s the perfect place to enjoy paragliding.

We will take the car that the paragliding instructor drove up to the summit.”

That’s right.

I had ultimately failed on my ninth attempt.

Instead of running towards the ball, I had run in a completely different direction and fallen over, just like Gwansu-hyung.

I was given one more chance with a coin, and considering my condition, Jungkook-hyung challenged it for me, but…

‘Is there really a trash can 200m away? How can you send it to the exact same place as before?’

“Instructor, please introduce yourself.”

At Jaeseung-hyung’s lead, the instructor introduced himself.

“Hello~ I’m paragliding instructor Lee Deokhoon. I will ensure your safety today.”

“Instructor, you’re from Chungcheong province, right?”

“Ah, yes~ How did you know?”

“Your pronunciation just has that Chungcheong vibe.”

The conversation between Jaeseung-hyung and the instructor went back and forth.

I listened to their conversation, still tense.

“We’ll get in the car now~”

And so we arrived at the summit.

Just looking down was a dizzying sight.

“Ah… seeing it in person is so scary.”

“Gwansu, that’s why you can’t do it. With things like this, you just have to… grit your teeth, close your eyes, and go.”

“Jaeseung-hyung, I’m not the only one who’s scared. Look at Taewoo over there.”

“Huh? Taewoo, why are you so frozen?”

“Haha, so the seemingly perfect Taewoo has a fear of heights.”

I just stood there on the spot, frozen and unable to say a word.

“We will begin boarding immediately.”

“Kyaaaaaaah!!!”

“Uwaaaaargh!!!”

“Save meeee!!!”

With a clamor of noise, most of the cast members took off into the sky.

On the summit, only the instructor Lee Deokhoon who first brought us here, me, and a few PDs remained.

“Contestant Jeong Taewoo, I’ll get you into your harness~”

“Yes… Ouch!”

I bit my tongue out of nervousness.

“…Ah, I learned how to do this, but I’m a bit rusty…”

“Excuse me?”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

At instructor Lee Deokhoon’s words, I froze for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief upon seeing his playful smile.

‘Right, just trust the instructor and run. Just hold in the scream, just hold it in.’

I couldn’t go looking as uncool as Gwansu-hyung.

Although all my fear had already been caught on camera, I wasn’t in a state to think about that.

I tried to calm my trembling legs by repeatedly taking deep breaths in and out.

“Are you ready, Contestant Jeong Taewoo?”

I nodded my head. The words just wouldn’t come out.

“Good. Now, on my signal, jump.”

At the instructor’s words, I took step after step towards the edge of the cliff. My heart pounded in my ears.

“One, two…”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Three!”

“Aaaaaah…!!!”

In the end, I couldn’t hold it in, and my scream tore through the sky.