"Huh…?"
With a single blink, the world around him had completely changed.
White wallpaper, yellow vinyl flooring.
And in front of him, an old brown CRT television with a bulging back.
On the screen, the news was reporting that Park Ji-sung was close to transferring to PSV Eindhoven.
'I really went back!!'
There was no doubt about it. This was the same small 18-pyeong apartment he had lived in as a child.
There were other signs confirming his return as well.
"Ahhh."
A clear, high-pitched voice that hadn't gone through puberty yet, and a lowered field of vision.
Ho-young quickly looked around until his eyes landed on the white calendar hanging on the wall.
Saturday, August 3, 2002. Exactly fourteen years ago.
"Ten years old…"
Now only a third grader in elementary school.
His heart began to race with excitement at the thought that he could do anything from here.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from the kitchen.
"Dear, set the table."
"Alright! Time for dinner!"
When he looked up, there they were—his parents, looking so much younger.
"Wow."
That was all he could say.
As a ten-year-old kid again, Ho-young sat in front of the red dining table.
Then his father, Woo Hwang-sun, asked the same question he always used to.
"Ho-young, what's your dream?"
It was a question his father often asked during dinner, and today was no exception. Ho-young answered without hesitation.
"I want to become a football player."
"Haha. My son's speaking so maturely all of a sudden. Still want to be like Park Ji-sung?"
"No, more than that! I want to become the best football player in the world!"
"Hmm?"
Both parents froze mid-bite, eyes wide open.
Ho-young grinned like a child.
"Hehe. I'll definitely make it happen."
No parent could resist smiling at those words.
They both burst into laughter and gently ruffled his hair.
After dinner, Ho-young went into his room to spend some time alone.
It was a small room, but it was the only personal space he had.
'At least for now…'
Until he had to share it with his younger brother, who was eight years younger.
'Anyway, I'm only ten now.'
He paused, thinking about where to start.
'Doesn't matter. I can do anything!'
At that age, you were free the moment the fourth period ended until bedtime. Third grade was pure freedom.
Opening the door, Ho-young called out to his father.
"Dad! Where's the Fevernova?"
The official ball of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Fevernova.
Just looking at it made his heart swell with excitement.
Rushing out to the schoolyard, Ho-young couldn't calm his pounding chest.
He dribbled the ball around, darting here and there like a fish in water.
'I'm so happy.'
As a child, he had wanted to grow up fast, but only later did he realize that this was the springtime of life.
That this was the happiest time.
"Alright then."
Step by step, Ho-young decided to check out the so-called "special power" Mammon had given him.
[Ho-young]
[Possessed Talents: None]
The ability worked like a system you'd only see in novels.
"Pathetic."
He used to think he was decent at football, but to find out he didn't have a single talent, he wasn't even fit to be the best in the neighborhood, let alone a prodigy.
He needed some time to adjust to his smaller body.
'It'd be nice if I had someone to compare with.'
Just then, someone familiar appeared on the field.
"Hey, Ho-bbang! What are you doing? You still suck at football!"
The boy walking onto the field with a ball was none other than ten-year-old Yoon Jung-ho.
"Do you always start a fight the moment you see me?"
"Heh. What else should I say to someone who sucks? Nyahhh~!"
Even back then, Jung-ho was an expert at getting on people's nerves.
It might have seemed childish, but it still made Ho-young angry.
He almost gave him a flick on the forehead but stopped himself.
Instead, he stared straight at Jung-ho.
He wanted to see if he could check not only his own abilities but also someone else's.
[Yoon Jung-ho]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B), Powerful Long Shot (C)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required condition.)
(Condition: Play football together for at least 60 minutes.)
"Yes!"
It worked.
Mammon's power allowed him to view not just his own, but others' talents as well.
'But he's not a genius, just a prodigy, huh?'
Still, that was far better than having nothing at all.
And the most surprising thing wasn't that.
'If I meet the condition, I can steal one of his talents?'
This was the power Mammon had mentioned—the power of Greed.
He didn't know what would happen, but he decided to give it a try.
"Hey, want to play football?"
Thud!
About an hour later, Jung-ho finally groaned in frustration.
"This is boring. I'm not playing with you anymore!"
It was a brutal truth from a "football prodigy," but Ho-young didn't care.
After all, the moment he had been waiting for finally arrived.
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
- Football Prodigy (B)
- Powerful Long Shot (C)
Without hesitation, Ho-young chose the first one.
Option 1: Football Prodigy (B).
Then, his own list of talents changed.
[Ho-young]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B)]
'Nice!'
He was now on the same level as Yoon Jung-ho.
How much he improved from here would depend on his effort, but at least now he had a real chance to grow.
'Can I take another one?'
He decided to check Jung-ho's talents again.
[Yoon Jung-ho]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B), Powerful Long Shot (C)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required condition.)
(Condition: Play football together for at least 50 minutes.)
'Hmm. His prodigy talent is still there.'
So, taking someone's talent didn't remove it from them.
'And the condition dropped to fifty minutes. Maybe because the remaining talent is lower-grade?'
Having figured out how the system worked, Ho-young stopped Jung-ho, who was about to leave the field.
"Hey, let's play a little longer!"
"No way. You suck. Besides, I have to go to football academy later."
"Then we can play until you go. I'll buy you tteokbokki. And chewy candy too."
"Hmm…"
"I'll throw in a Pikachu snack."
"Really?"
Good. He was still an innocent kid.
"Huff… huff…"
They ran around for so long that before they knew it, fifty minutes had passed.
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
- Powerful Long Shot (C)
'Got it.'
Now that he had even obtained a C-rank talent, Ho-young finally let Jung-ho go.
"Haah… I'm tired… Let's stop."
"Whew… Already worn out? But hey, you've gotten a bit better."
"Thanks to you. Hehe."
"What?"
"Nothing. Let's go get some tteokbokki."
"You even have money?"
"Of course, idiot."
He had just gained two talents. Spending 300 won on cup tteokbokki was nothing.
Even if he had to raid his piggy bank at home, it was worth it.
"But your family's broke. Won't your mom scold you?"
"…"
Yoon Jung-ho. Still as nasty as ever.
If only he hadn't said that, Ho-young would've bought him everything—tteokbokki, Pikachu snacks, and chewy candy.
Unfortunately, Ho-young wasn't that much of a saint. He pulled a 100-won coin from his pocket and tossed it at him.
"Here."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"We're done here. Move, kid."
"You jerk! You little punk!"
Ignoring him, Ho-young waved his hand coolly and walked home.
On the way back, his thoughts grew deeper.
'This isn't enough.'
To make talent bloom, he needed to put in blood, sweat, and effort.
Proper fundamentals were a must, and to really start playing football, he needed professional training.
Doing it alone would get him nowhere.
Joining a prestigious academy would be best, but that required expensive tuition fees.
Knowing his family's financial situation, he couldn't just ask his parents to pay for it.
With a newborn baby brother, even formula was expensive. He didn't want to burden them.
So what should he do?
'I need to show the world what I can do. Then maybe I'll get support.'
If he could be scouted by a youth team under a professional club, or even abroad, that would be the fastest path.
He remembered hearing about a five-year-old boy who had been scouted by Manchester United after his football video went viral on YouTube.
'But this is 2002. There's no YouTube yet.'
Back then, people still used flip phones, not smartphones. Uploading a video online wasn't an option.
Which left only one possible way.
'Television?'
Occasionally, there were TV programs that focused on youth football development. They usually aired during World Cup season.
More than ten kids who appeared on those shows had gone on to become professional players.
One of the most famous examples was Lee Kang-in of Valencia CF.
It was the perfect opportunity to rise to stardom overnight.
If he could appear on TV and show his skills, he'd have no trouble getting support.
'Yes, that's it.'
He recalled the very first youth football program that aired right after the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
It was the show that had sparked the youth football boom across the entire country.
As soon as he got home, Ho-young washed his hands and sat down in front of the computer.
He stared intently at the bulky monitor, typed something into the search bar, and then jumped up from his seat.
Rushing to the living room, where his father was lying on the couch watching TV, he shouted excitedly.
"Dad, I want to join Shoot Dori!"
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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