15 — Coach Park’s Suggestion

The second half began. I was not on the pitch. Instead, I was seated on the substitutes' bench, a rare place for me. I couldn’t remember when was the last time I'd been sidelined in any sport.

The match resumed, and the opposing team, understandably, seemed relieved. However, the damage had been done. The mental scars of a 10-0 drubbing were not easily erased, and their spirit was fractured. Even without me, our team was too much. Sung Hynwoo—who would've been the team's ace, had I not been there—was running rampant. Kim Jee was scoring freely, and the rest were finding their confidence and form.

By the time the final whistle blew, it was 14-0.

A complete, merciless victory.

I stood up, stretching my limbs.

"Wow." A voice came from my left. It belonged to an assistant, a man with an average height, a bit chubby and a bit too pale for his own good. "You were amazing out there, kid. Truly incredible."

"Thanks." I responded, a bit absentmindedly.

"Are you disappointed?" He inquired, tilting his head.

"No." I replied truthfully.

"Are you mad?"

"......" I shook my head. "Why should I?"

"Because Coach benched you." The assistant said, matter-of-factly. "Most kids would be upset."

"It was the right call."

"Right call?" The man chuckled. "Who the heck are you, kid?"

"......"

I didn't respond. Instead, I walked away. It wasn't the first time someone had asked me that. Acting like a kid? Not for me. I didn't care if people thought I was a freak or an anomaly. Considering my circumstances, I might as well have been. I wasn't a normal seven year old, and I wasn't trying to be.

I was a man inside a seven year old boy's body. It was a weird reality to grasp. Hell, even I had my doubts sometimes.

My gaze was drawn to the stands. Mia, now back to her usual self, was waving frantically, a beaming smile on her face. While the opposing team was mourning their defeat in the stands, my sister seemed to be celebrating my win.

"Jae-il!" She shouted, jumping up and down, making her blonde hair bounce wildly.

I nodded at her. She was such a peculiar character. So different from my mother, or Su Ah. She was the outlier, a little nutcase, a girl with more energy than she knew what to do with. She'd probably grow out of it in a few years, but I had to admit this side of her was endearing.

I've always wanted a family, someone to celebrate my victories. Now, it seemed I had a very enthusiastic one. I disengaged from my team's loud celebration and made my way towards her.

"Jae-il!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around me in a quick, fierce hug, her blonde hair smelling of some floral shampoo. "That was incredible!"

"Thanks." I patted her back. "You didn't have to come, y'know." I said.

She pulled back, looking at me with those big, sparkling eyes. "Of course I had to! I'm your sister, aren't I?"

"I mean, it's just a game." I shrugged.

She scoffed. "Just a game? No way. That was amazing! I've never seen anyone play like that."

"You're being too generous." I chuckled.

"I'm serious! You were, like, a hundred times better than everyone else." Her praise was genuine, not a trace of envy or sarcasm; she was way past all of that shit, fortunately.

It was refreshing.

"I've had more practice, that's all."

She crossed her arms, a haughty smile over a raised chin. Almost as if she were looking down on me. 'Just wait until I hit puberty.' With how tall my parents well, height wasn't something I'd ever have to worry about. She enthusiastically patted me on the back a few more times before wiggling her eyebrows. "So? So? What do you think?"

I feigned innocence, tilting my head. "What do I think about what?"

"You know..." She trailed off, shaking her head and making that butter-yellow hair bounce wildly. "Hmm? So?"

I frowned. "I don't—"

"My hair, you damn idiot!"

"Ah." I paused. "It's... it's good."

She leaned in closer, a playful grin on her lips. "Just good?" There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Okay, okay. It's very pretty. Really suits you." I admitted.

Her grin widened, giving me a very close-up view of her white teeth. Her canines were growing too sharp. "See? I knew you'd like it." She winked at me. Again. What was she doing?

Then she ruffled my hair.

I swatted her hand away, but not before she left a mess on top of my head.

"Yah!" She giggled. "Don't mess up my masterpiece."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright, alright. Listen, dumb Noona. Wait for me outside, I'll go change and shower right quick." I said, pointing at the exit of the stadium. "And don't talk to strangers."

"Hey!" She protested. "That's my line!"

I gave her a look that spoke volumes. "Exactly. Don't talk to them."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But hurry up, okay?"

I nodded.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

...

By the time I made it back to my team, all that was left of the earlier festivity were lingering smiles and tired eyes. The match, despite its one-sided nature, had taken its toll. Coach Park was there, as were the other coaches and assistants, but the atmosphere had shifted from celebration to quiet reflection.

Coach Park, his voice low and measured, was addressing the team. "...despite the result, this game has highlighted areas where we need to improve. We won't always face opponents so outmatched, and we need to remember that every game is a learning opportunity, regardless of the outcome." He glanced around, his gaze meeting each player's. "I'm proud of you all for your performance, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have a long journey ahead." He said, glancing at me before adjusting his cap.

My presence seemed to liven up the expressions on the assistants' faces.

I still couldn't remember their names.

Coach Park clapped his hands once, the sharp sound cutting through the air. "Alright, boys. Get changed. We'll meet again in a few days. Rest up and stay healthy. Dismissed."

The team broke apart, each heading their separate ways.

"Jae-il, a word please." Coach Park called out.

"Sure." I replied, walking over to him. My eyes inadvertently found the spot on the pitch where I'd made that first strike, the shot that had set the tone for the entire match. A single moment that had, in many ways, sealed the fate of the game..

It wasn't something I could confidently do in an actual professional match, but against these kids, and with the state of the opposition, it had been an obvious strategy.

We stopped in some corridor of the stadium. The echo of cleats and my teammate's voices slowly faded as they disappeared around corners.

Coach Park's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Today's game... it was quite something." He began, his tone carefully neutral.

"I suppose it was." I replied, my voice calm and even.

He adjusted his cap. "We've never had a result like that before. It's unprecedented." He said, pausing to gather his thoughts. "I'm not going to lie, Jae-il. If you keep developing like this, we're going to need to make some tough decisions soon."

I tilted my head, as if I didn't already know what was about to be said.

Coach Park continued, his voice steady. "The U-10 league, as far as I've observed, will likely fail to provide you with the level of competition you need to really grow. You're already far beyond what most of them can offer."

"Then what's the solution?" I asked, playing along.

He looked at me. "I'm thinking about accelerating you to the U-12s."

I nodded, as if considering this for the first time. I didn't think he'd bring it up so soon, though. My performance today must have been even more shocking than I anticipated. I didn't want to seem like I was pushing for this, so I tried to play it cool. "U-12s, huh?"

Coach Park nodded. "It's not a common move, but given your abilities and the current state of the U-10 league, it's something we should seriously consider. Of course, before I bring this up to the academy directors, your parents, and you, I'll need more data to back this decision. One game, no matter how dominant, isn't enough to justify such a leap. But, if you're serious about football and your development, I think this is the right path for you." His eyes met mine. "What do you think, Jae-il?"

"I think..." I paused for effect, then readily agreed. "I'm up for it if everyone thinks it's the right thing to do."

A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Coach Park's mouth. "Good. I'm glad you're open to it." He adjusted his cap. "We’ll talk more about this soon. For now, enjoy your day.”

He adjusted his cap one more time and walked away.