Jae-Hyun had always loved soccer. Since he was six years old, the sound of the ball rolling on the field, the roar of the fans on TV, and the breathtaking dribbles of the stars had made his heart race. But no matter how much he loved it, one thing was always clear: he had no talent.
He tried out for small local teams, spent countless afternoons training alone, and never missed a soccer match on TV. But in school games, he was always on the bench. No one called him to play. His name was never even mentioned among the possibilities during tryouts.
Still, Jae-Hyun never gave up. That Saturday morning was no different. He got up, grabbed his old soccer ball, and headed to the empty public field in the neighborhood. He knew no one would be there at that hour. It was just him, the ball, and the silence.
After 20 minutes trying to juggle the ball, his record was a mere 18 touches. Sweat streamed down his face as frustration consumed him.
"Damn… why can't I do this?!" he muttered, kicking the ball away.
Suddenly, a soft glow enveloped his vision.
[System Booting…]
A blue screen appeared before his eyes, floating in the air like a hologram.
[Welcome to the Career Mode System]
[Player: Jae-Hyun]
[Level: 1]
[Status Points: 0]
Attributes:
Ball Control: 10
Dribbling: 10
Physical: 10
Speed: 10
Passing: 10
Tactical IQ: 10
Jae-Hyun stepped back in shock, rubbing his eyes.
"What the hell is this?! A system…? Am I dreaming?"
[New Mission Available!]
Mission: Do 200 juggles in 10 minutes]
Reward: +1 Ball Control / +5 Status Points
Jae-Hyun's heart pounded. For a good player, this would already be tough — but for him, it felt impossible. Still, with no penalties for mistakes and a timer running, he could fail and try again.
"Let's go…" he said, taking a deep breath.
The countdown appeared.
3… 2… 1… Start!
He began juggling. The ball slipped and dropped several times. But each time, he grabbed it and tried again. The system's timer continued counting, indifferent to his mistakes.
After 6 minutes, he was at 112 juggles. His legs burned, sweat drenched his shirt, but his determination was stronger.
"Just a little more…"
When the timer hit 9:59, he completed the 200th touch.
[Mission Completed!]
Reward: +1 Ball Control / +5 Status Points]
A warm sensation spread through his body. He felt his touch slightly more precise, as if something had awakened inside him.
Breathless, Jae-Hyun smiled.
"This is insane… but it's my chance."
And so began the story of a boy without talent, armed with nothing but his will and a system capable of turning him into the star he always dreamed of
becoming.