Beeeep!
With a 2-1 victory for Korea, the match ended, and the Korean players flooded the field in celebration.
Ignoring the jeers from the crowd, they laid flat on the ground, reenacting the famous celebration from Korea's Round of 16 qualification at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
Fortunately, Suk Hyun-jun had only suffered a minor injury and was now celebrating the victory with a bright smile.
At that moment, Ho-young's attention was focused elsewhere.
Moussa Sissoko.
Watching him explode in anger from the stands, a sudden thought crossed Ho-young's mind.
If he could just get his mentality under control, he could become an incredible player.
Ptooey!
Sissoko spat in Ho-young's direction and muttered something under his breath, but Ho-young didn't bother reacting.
He brought it on himself.
Completely ignoring him, Ho-young walked back to the bench.
That act only infuriated Sissoko further.
Being ignored was something he simply could not tolerate.
"You disgusting bastard!"
Swearing, throwing water bottles — Sissoko didn't hold back from displaying completely unsportsmanlike behavior.
The stark contrast with Ho-young made it a perfect opportunity for the reporters.
Click click click!
Flashes went off from one side of the field.
In the end, Sissoko was likely to get the attention he craved, though not in a good way.
Not all of the French players were like Sissoko, though.
Aside from him, most had decent manners. The biggest surprise among them was Mamadou Sakho.
Despite being outplayed by Ho-young in both the previous match and today's, Sakho considered it a blessing to have faced him.
Wanting to have a conversation, Sakho approached Ho-young, mixing English and French with effort.
"Ho-young, great game. I'll never forget it."
"Same here. I enjoyed it. Let's meet again on the professional stage."
"Haha, well… maybe not…"
Clearly not wanting to face him again, Sakho scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
In any case, one thing was certain, both players would grow significantly from this experience.
"Congratulations on the win, Ho-young."
"Thank you."
Having contributed to Korea's victory, Ho-young was requested for an official post-match interview.
Standing in front of the photo zone, the sound of camera shutters rained down.
The reporter began with a tactical question.
"I think this is what most fans are curious about. In the first half, you struggled against Moussa Sissoko's dominance in midfield. But in the second half, the tide turned. Was there something that happened in the locker room during halftime?"
"I had an 'awakening.'"
"An awakening?"
"It was the will not to yield."
"Could you elaborate on that?"
A serious expression settled over Ho-young's face.
"Today's match was very difficult. The flow of the game kept getting disrupted. But I didn't want to give in to that."
"Oh... Are you referring to the referee's questionable decisions during the match?"
"Were there bad calls during the match?"
"Excuse me?"
"I never mentioned anything about bad calls."
"Oh…"
The reporter, having inadvertently revealed their thoughts, quickly shut their mouth.
On the other hand, Ho-young continued calmly.
"Home advantage and sportsmanship are part of football. But today, we played a match where only the sportsmanship was missing. And 40,000 fans and countless viewers witnessed it."
"Right… I see. Anything else you'd like to say?"
"I also have something to say to Sissoko."
"And what's that?"
"He still lost, even after all that."
"...Oh, haha."
The reporter let out an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem. The MVP selection will be announced soon. Do you think you'll get it?"
That question brought a bright smile to Ho-young's face.
He spoke with a warm grin.
"Who else could it be besides me?"
"Oh! You seem quite confident!"
"Yes. Unless there's another bad call. Hahaha."
"Haha… right. We'll look forward to seeing you win the MVP, then. Thank you for the interview, Ho-young!"
"Thank you."
He had already won the championship and the Golden Boot.
To acquire Desailly's talent, the MVP award was absolutely necessary.
And he was confident he'd get it.
Sure enough, the MVP award was soon announced and it went to Korea's Ho-young.
As the individual awards ceremony began, Desailly himself presented the trophy.
"Congratulations. I knew you'd win it."
"Thank you."
5 matches, 6 goals, 3 assists, 4 Man of the Match awards.
If Ho-young didn't win it, that would've been the real injustice.
And the next day.
As tradition dictated, the Best XI of the tournament shared a luncheon with Desailly.
Ho-young had planned to look for an opportunity to ask for advice, but it turned out he didn't need to.
Desailly brought it up first.
He reminisced about the time, 11 years ago, when he had thoroughly schooled Johan Cruyff's Barcelona while the Dutch legend was still managing the team.
"Cruyff's Barcelona was incredibly strong. So much so that people called them the 'Dream Team.' But I crushed them 4-0."
"How?"
"A strong body. That alone solves everything."
In other words, strength training was key.
That was the core message.
Desailly quietly added a few words to the players.
"I'm rooting for you."
The look he gave Ho-young in particular was intense.
What an interesting kid.
Last night, more than Ho-young's football, Desailly had been impressed by his mentality.
Even under Sissoko's constant provocation, he didn't lose his composure.
As a fellow footballer, Desailly hoped the young boy would continue moving forward, steadfast as a rock.
That day, France was in complete uproar.
It wasn't just because they had lost to Korea, traditionally considered a football underdog.
What truly angered the public was Sissoko's behavior.
[Mixed Reactions to Sissoko's Alleged Verbal Abuse Towards the Referee]
└Mixed reactions? The guy's nuts for insulting the referee!
└He's a brute who only knows how to use his body and just ruined our national image. That near-criminal tackle got him sent off, and then he threw a water bottle after the match? My blood pressure went through the roof.
└What was Coach Laurent even doing? Can't even control his players.
└The fans were no better. I watched it on TV and felt secondhand embarrassment. Anyone could see that was a red card, yet they defended him. What a disgrace.
└The entire match was biased. There should've been at least two more red cards.
└I watched the Korean kid's MVP interview and just felt ashamed…
└Wasn't that a bit much though? That cocky kid wins our prize money and talks like that?
└Arrogant Korean. Let's see how far he gets. I'm watching you.
Public opinion was boiling over with anger at Sissoko, while opinions on Ho-young were mixed.
But that evening, Desailly's interview was published, and the tide began to shift.
It was a candid assessment of both Sissoko and Ho-young.
-Sissoko: A young lamb who's lost his sense of sportsmanship. Instead of coddling him, we must discipline him properly so he can develop the right values.
-Korea's Ho-young: He upheld both sportsmanship and conviction. Without players like him, football cannot evolve.
With the legendary Desailly stepping up, French public opinion turned in Ho-young's favor.
As public pressure mounted, the French Youth Football Federation (FUFA) announced that Moussa Sissoko would be disqualified from participating in the 2006 U-17 European Championship.
As a result, he was also barred from competing in the 2007 U-17 World Cup in Korea.
Calls to dismiss Coach Laurent, who failed to manage his players, grew louder, and investigations into the referee's excessive bias were set to begin.
FIFA praised FUFA's decision, stating it was a "model case for eradicating poor officiating."
The following morning, Korea erupted in celebration.
[U-16 National Team Defeats Hosts France to Win the Montaigu Tournament]
[Back-to-back Asian Winners After Japan's Victory Last Year — Another Upset]
Online forums were flooded with reactions, especially in Ho-young's fan café, "WooHooHyung," which had seen its membership surge to 100,000 in just a month.
[Hello, HooHooHyung family. This is your café manager, PowerType. As you know, Ho-young's birthday is on July 16. With the number of members growing, how about we collect a fund and prepare a small birthday gift? I'd love to hear what his parents think.]
└I'm in favor.
└Me too.
└Absolutely yes!!
└It's true. Membership's exploded lately.
└It probably skyrocketed after that interview photo went viral this month. A lot of people must've joined after seeing his face.
└I'm one of them ^^; Anyway, count me in!
└Same here ^^
└Take my wallet~!
Back in Korea, Ho-young immediately felt the wave of popularity.
Thanks to his football skills and increasingly handsome looks, he was the most popular player on the national team, and on the very day of his return, he received a CF offer.
Three-month contract. 5 million won.
Just days later, a CF shoot was held at Oseom Airfield near Jebudo in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ice cream product "World Bar."
Originally, Park Joo-young was set to be the model, but the concept was changed to "The World of Dreams Through a Child's Eyes," leading to Ho-young, fresh off an international tournament victory, being chosen instead.
To avoid making it too plain with just one boy, a 12-year-old child actress was cast alongside him.
Her name was Park Seol-ri — a pretty girl.
As the shoot was wrapping up, Park Seol-ri asked Ho-young,
"You're kinda handsome, you know? What's your number?"
"Our club number?"
"What are you saying? I mean your phone number."
"I don't have a phone."
"What kind of star doesn't even have a phone?! Then I'll give you mine."
She pulled out a pen from somewhere and started scribbling her number on Ho-young's palm.
But at that moment.
Swish!
Ho-young pulled his hand away and spoke.
"If you want my number, ask me again next time we meet."
Completely clueless about romance, Ho-young.
He'd once heard you had to establish dominance early when it came to women.
Besides... he had Monica, who was even prettier than Park Seol-ri!
As his popularity skyrocketed, several domestic agencies reached out.
In fact, they'd been contacting him for years, but this was the first time he seriously considered it.
At the top of the list was JS Company, known for representing Park Ji-sung.
But Ho-young didn't have a good impression of the company.
Was it 2006? I remember Park Ji-sung and them parting ways due to a breakdown of trust.
He didn't know the full details, but his image of JS Company wasn't great.
If he hadn't known that, he might've signed with them right away. But with his future on the line, he chose to proceed cautiously.
He spent several days worrying about agency matters.
But going without an agent wasn't realistic either. In football, agents were essential.
They were often called the "invisible hand" that moved the football world.
Agents were more than just contract negotiators. They were guides who helped players in all aspects.
For top players, agents even influenced club operations and held immense power in European football.
Just look at how many coaches and club owners maintained close ties with major agents.
While agency influence wasn't yet overwhelming, Ho-young knew that his move to Europe wasn't far off, and this wasn't a decision he could keep putting off.
Cha Bum-kun gave him some solid advice.
"You don't have to work with a domestic agency."
"Then what should I do?"
"Try working with one that already has clients at Europe's top clubs. You speak the languages too, right? Of course, it's your decision, but a competitive foreign agency would be a better choice than a domestic one. Picking the right agent is crucial to your career."
Only Cha Bum-kun could've said that.
And he was right.
When Ho-young returned to São Paulo a few days later, several agencies from Brazil and South America contacted him.
One of them, he was already quite familiar with.
Euro Export e PRD Ltda.
A mouthful of a name, but well-known for managing several Brazilian players.
Among their top prospects was none other than the defender David Luiz — proof of how promising the agency was.
The company's CEO was a man in his late 30s with a distinctively plump jawline, Giuliano Lucci.
"Hahaha! You're even more handsome in person, you flower boy!"
Starting in sales, Lucci had risen to become the head of one of South America's top agencies.
Now expanding into Europe, he had key clients in Portugal and Spain, and recently forged ties with Premier League powerhouse Chelsea.
Given all that, he seemed like a perfect fit for Ho-young.
When the real discussion began, Lucci turned serious.
"We want players who can grow. But more than growing with them, we want to support their growth unconditionally. And we already have the infrastructure in place for Ho-young's future."
"How far along?"
"Which club do you want to go to?"
"Real Madrid has already shown open interest."
"With that face, you'd fit right in with the Royal Whites."
"Hahaha!"
After talking for about two hours, Ho-young made up his mind.
What impressed him most about Lucci was this:
"The most important thing during transfers is understanding FIFA's regulations. And we'll take care of that. We'll make sure there are no problems."
"Is that a loophole?"
Other agencies had said similar things, that they could do it without getting caught.
But their methods ultimately relied on bending the rules.
Spain's Football Federation had a local regulation allowing the registration of foreign players under 13, regardless of FIFA's rules.
FIFA had turned a blind eye so far, but who knew how long that would last?
With FIFA constantly tightening regulations, their unpredictability was a risk.
Lucci laid it all out.
"We'll list your maternal grandparents as your legal guardians. That way, your parents won't have to leave Korea."
"Is that possible?"
"There are already successful precedents. And I've got friends inside FIFA."
It really was all about connections, even globally.
That was the part Ho-young liked most.
Getting caught by FIFA after finally debuting as a pro could ruin his career.
It was better to be safe from the start.
And so, after meeting with several agencies, Ho-young officially signed with Euro Export.
From that day forward, rumors of Ho-young's transfer began to spread in earnest, and the clubs that had been biding their time jumped into the race.
Now, all Ho-young had to do was pick his destination like he was shopping.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)