Field Commander - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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「Please note that all settings in this work are fiction based on the author’s imagination.」

「Please note that all settings in this work are fiction based on the author’s imagination.」

「Please note that all settings in this work are fiction based on the author’s imagination.」

Chapter 0.

Chapter 0.

Chapter 0.

2008 National High School Soccer League Championship!

The final match between Yeongsang High School and Maedong High School came down to a showdown between two young stars.

Jang Jin-woo from Yeongsang High School and Kim Sang-hyuk from Maedong High School, who played the biggest roles in bringing Korea’s team to the runner-up position in the U-18 World Cup, were drawing the attention of everyone watching the match.

Jang Jin-woo was destined to become the next generation’s number 9 striker, standing 192cm tall and weighing 85kg at age 18.

Despite his large frame, he was very flexible with excellent jumping ability and speed, making him difficult for most defenders to handle.

During his three years of high school, he scored an incredible 2.85 goals per game, always becoming the top scorer, but his team didn’t always win championships.

This was because Kim Sang-hyuk from Maedong High School, with his 191cm height and 82kg frame, blocked this monster-like striker like an iron wall.

That’s why Maedong High School had won more championships than Yeongsang High School in various high school soccer tournaments.

The final score was 1:0

– Ah, the match is evenly matched.

– Yes. This could be called a battle between spear and shield, right?

– That’s right. Maedong High School, led by Kim Sang-hyuk, has been the team with the fewest goals conceded in all tournaments for two years, while Yeongsang High School, led by Jang Jin-woo, has been the highest-scoring team in all tournaments for three years.

– But Maedong High School has always been ahead in that battle, right?

– That’s correct. There’s a saying that you need good defense to become champion, isn’t there? There are 5 minutes left until the end of regular time, and Maedong High School is leading.

– Ah! Yeongsang High School’s counterattack!

– Oh, this is the biggest crisis for Maedong High School in the second half. Two attackers, one defender. Ah, a pass is going forward!

People at the top of any field are born with certain inexplicable senses.

They even know how to control, manage, and use those senses well.

Like me.

How should I explain this?

Should I say it’s like being able to see the future of which direction a pass will go?

It was as if a watercolor line drawn with a fine brush began to cross through space.

That line led not to Jang Jin-woo, but to the fast winger running on the opposite side, and I changed direction without hesitation.

“Hey! What are you doing! Chase Jang Jin-woo!”

The coach shouted in panic, but this sense never betrayed me.

– Cross!! Ah, player Kim Sang-hyuk is following number 7 Kim Si-hyuk instead of Jang Jin-woo.

– Could this be the wrong choice?

But the pass really did fly toward the winger.

– Ah, player Kim Sang-hyuk made an amazing judgment.

– But we need to see if player Kim Sang-hyuk can properly defend against the fast Kim Si-hyuk.

‘What will you do?’

Whether to charge straight through or make a pass.

I was concentrating at my peak more than ever, and my judgment was at its best.

Just from his joint movements, I was certain a pass would go to Jang Jin-woo.

As expected, he pretended to charge with the ball but stopped, but my tackle was faster.

– Thud.

The ball hit by my foot went in a direction completely unrelated to Jang Jin-woo’s position, and suddenly three players were rushing for the ball.

“Backup! You bastards! Backup!”

The coach’s shouting, the crowd’s cheers… the players’ yells echoed everywhere, but I could only see the ball.

If I clear that…

If I stop this attack, we’ll definitely win the championship.

And with a good contract, I’ll step onto the professional stage.

Someday I’ll become the highest-paid, best player in the world, marry a beautiful woman,

live in a house everyone would envy,

and make donations that everyone would respect.

To children who became alone and hurt like me!

And my foot reached the ball first.

In that moment, I caught sight of Jang Jin-woo’s expression as he gritted his teeth and charged forward.

‘You must be desperate. You’ve been held back by me for two whole years. You must want to win this time no matter what. I can see it all in that expression.’

And I know what you’re going to do too.

-Tap.

I tapped the ball up.

Jang Jin-woo gritting his teeth and attempting a tackle.

I jumped lightly with my opposite foot and bounced the ball once more with my knee.

The moment I thought I had sufficiently gotten past Jang Jin-woo.

Unimaginable pain was felt in my right knee that I was standing on.

– Crack.

And… I saw my knee twisted at an angle it should never be twisted, along with Jang Jin-woo’s soccer cleats.

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!”

Chapter 1.

Chapter 1.

Chapter 1.

June 27, 2011, around 11 PM.

A convenience store near Chungbuk National University in Cheongju.

I stood blankly at the cashier counter in my uniform, with no customers around.

Ring ring ring-.

The bell rang.

My phone was positioned a little distance away, so I tried to get up…

“Ah…”

My right leg throbbed with a sharp ache.

It had been two years since I was tackled and injured, but still…

‘Jang Jin-woo, that bastard.’

If it weren’t for that tackle…

Ring ring ring-.

Ah, the phone.

I shook off my thoughts at the more insistent ringing and pressed the call button.

– Hello.

– Oh, Sang-hyuk, it’s the store owner. Is everything alright?

– Yes. Everything’s fine.

– Business has been dropping lately. It’s a real problem. Especially during Sang-hyeok’s shift.

– Oh, really? I haven’t done anything wrong though…

– How about paying attention to your expression… and tone? When a big guy like you is scowling on top of everything, it’s scary.

At the store owner’s words, my gaze turned to the window next to the register.

‘I really have gained a lot of weight.’

190cm tall and 130kg.

A body that had completely ballooned up after quitting sports.

‘And why do I look like this too.’

With my completely hardened face added to the mix, I looked like nothing but a neighborhood thug.

I tried to smile slightly, but anyone could see my awkward lip corners.

‘When was the last time I smiled.’

I don’t think I’ve smiled even once since quitting soccer.

Anyway, the convenience store’s sales dropping because of me was a big problem.

I hurriedly raised my voice tone and answered the phone.

– Yes. My expression is a bit stiff. I’ll smile and speak more kindly.

– Good, thanks. Make sure to eat something delicious. Feel free to take any food from inside.

– Yes. Thank you.

The convenience store owner was like a benefactor to me.

If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to afford even a small goshiwon.

As I was practicing smiling like that.

Clang, clang!

The convenience store door opened roughly.

“Welcome…”

“What’s with that awkward expression that would make even a robot cry?”

My awkwardly smiling expression instantly disappeared.

“Jang Jin-woo…”

“Yeah, it’s me. How’s your leg?”

Crazy bastard…

His low voice tickled my ears annoyingly.

My fist clenched first as anger surged through me.

“Why did you come?”

“I felt like I never properly apologized.”

After making me like this…

Does saying sorry fix everything?

Damn bastard.

Even seeing his restless face didn’t calm my anger.

“I never intended to mess up your leg like that. I was just desperate too.”

That made me even angrier.

It’s been two whole years already.

“Did you want to win that badly? What’s so important about it? If you needed that damn championship cup, you bastard, you should have talked to me instead of making that crazy tackle! I would have lent it to you after the game!”

At my words, his expression suddenly hardened.

“What? That damn championship cup?”

Then suddenly, his eyes reddened.

Why is he acting like that?

Shouldn’t I be the one crying?

“Ah, seriously. You don’t know anything, you bastard.”

“What?”

I was also pissed and clenched my fist hard, so he slowly backed away.

Thinking there was no point discussing something that couldn’t be resolved, I relaxed.

That bastard Jang Jin-woo, who came to apologize, suddenly changed his attitude completely and started being sarcastic.

“Hey, I’m going to Germany. Actually, that’s what I came to tell you. And you saw, right? I made it onto the national team this time. Are you jealous?”

“So what are you here to buy. If you’re not buying anything, just leave. I don’t want your apology either.”

“It might be just some championship cup to you, but to me… ah, forget it. What would you know.”

The attitude of someone who came to apologize…

I don’t know why, but I can’t stand the sight of this guy who suddenly changed his attitude.

I wanted to run over right now and punch him.

“Want to die?”

“With that body? With those legs? Could you even chase me?”

A pitiful situation suddenly came to mind and my body trembled with rage.

Suppressing the urge to destroy everything right now, I said quietly.

“Wait. I’ll definitely succeed in rehabilitation and completely destroy you on the field.”

“You’ll destroy me?”

Jang Jin-woo smirked.

“Reality is this. I’m the top scorer and MVP in the K-League. You’re a night convenience store part-timer. What I’m wearing is Hermes, what you’re wearing is from Dongdaemun. Or is it from secondhand stores? The car I drove here is a Ferrari and what you ride is… don’t tell me you walk everywhere?”

Jang Jin-woo looked me up and down.

As I quietly clenched my fist, Jang Jin-woo slowly backed away.

“What, going to hit me? You know your life would be ruined if you hit me, right? Do you know how much my body is worth? You said you’d destroy me, on the field. Try it if you can. Come at me.”

As I took a step closer, Jang Jin-woo raised both hands and added.

“On the field, bastard.”

With those final words, Jang Jin-woo quickly disappeared, and the loud popping sound of a sports car echoed.

I wanted to chase after him and beat him up…

My heart wanted to…

But my legs wouldn’t let me.

* * *

Early dawn.

Around shift change time.

A woman opened the door and came in.

“Hello.”

Having been gloomy all night, I barely managed to smile.

She was a super regular among the regulars who had used the convenience store at this time for two years.

“Hello.”

And she was the only customer who greeted me every time she came in.

She appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties and bought triangle kimbap and Danish milk every morning.

Today, as usual, she brought the same items from the fresh food section.

“Today’s the last day.”

She said something she’d never said before.

“The last day?”

“Yes. I’m leaving the country tomorrow.”

“Oh, really? Where to? Are you going on a trip?”

Having seen each other’s faces for two years, even briefly, the conversation was natural.

“I’m going to Germany. I finally achieved my dream of studying abroad.”

Ah, again…

Germany.

Achieved her dream…

“Wow, congratulations.”

She made a really beautiful expression.

Actually, I don’t even know her name.

The relationship between a part-timer and a customer.

“Thank you.”

“What are you going to study?”

“Sports medicine.”

I knew what that was, but it was quite an unfamiliar field to ordinary people.

“Do you like sports?”

“Yes.”

“What kind do you like?”

“Soccer.”

Among Korean women, most who like sports are into baseball.

She likes soccer?

“Oh… I see. It’s quite rare to find women who like soccer.”

She looked at me for a long time with what I’d call a very subtle expression.

“Well, yes. I guess there was some kind of trigger… anyway, that’s how it is. But, um…”

Then the door chime rang, and our conversation had to stop there.

“That’ll be 2,500 won.”

After finishing the dawn shift change, I stepped outside for a moment and looked up at the clear sky.

‘Everyone’s living their dreams.’

I’m envious.

I too had dreamed a dream that everyone would envy.

* * *

– Ring ring ring.

1 PM.

A 1-pyeong Goshiwon room with 150,000 won monthly rent.

For two years, I hadn’t been able to stretch my legs out while sleeping.

The bed was so small I had to curl up my body to sleep.

Because of that, I never felt rested when I woke up.

I had lunch with expired fresh food I brought from the convenience store, then sat at my desk.

Books piled up high.

I opened a tactics book written in German.

Familiar phrases caught my eye.

‘Come to think of it, my next goal is Germany too.’

Since my body was ruined, I thought the only thing I could do was get a Coaching License and work as a soccer team coach.

With a UEFA D License, I could manage youth teams or amateur teams…

If I build experience, I might even reach C-level.

That much…

At least I’d be able to live without starving.

I had been studying German since my second year of high school.

The reason was… Germany was the country with the most open doors for Korean players going overseas.

Following my agent’s advice, I had been studying continuously with the goal of going overseas.

‘Is this the only legacy left to me?’

I sat there without moving and began digging into the Soccer Tactics book I was reading.

And at 8 PM, I had dinner with ramen and rice provided by the Goshiwon, then came outside to head to the convenience store.

Since the Goshiwon building was near the University…

I could hear the cheerful sounds of students singing drunkenly in groups here and there.

‘Ah, what good times…’

I’m envious. So envious.

If only I could have played around like that to my heart’s content…

They say your twenties are a new beginning, but I had already suffered the worst failure of my life in my twenties, one that couldn’t be recovered from.

So I can’t get drunk and play and shout like them.

I don’t think I could do that even if told to.

As I was trudging along, the traffic light at the Crosswalk right ahead changed.

If I missed that, I’d have to stand there for 5 minutes, so I started running.

A faint pain rose from my knee along with a sound like something scraping.

‘Damn leg.’

I ran across the Crosswalk after the signal was halfway through.

At that moment, like a scene from a movie, blinding light filled my vision.

Then my vision twisted.

Just like when I got tackled that day.

* * *

– Thud!

After an incredibly intense shock hit my entire body and passed through.

‘What?’

I was still standing on the Crosswalk.

Oh, wasn’t I running?

– Crash.

A car that seemed to have lost control crashed into a street tree, and that sight entered his vision.

But that scene was so surreal, like looking at the world with dark cellophane attached to my eyes.

“Did I luckily avoid it?”

“No way.”

A voice coming from somewhere.

I turned my body toward where the sound came from.

A hazy white form sitting on a street flower bed caught my eye.

“You just died. You died instantly. Without any pain.”

“…”

That form stood up and slowly approached.

“I can think and speak like this…”

“That’s possible even after death. The problem is…”

That being looked like a Dokkaebi from the folk tales I saw in childhood.

A horn on its head…

One eye…

“I broke causality and caused trouble.”

I instinctively stepped back little by little due to primitive fear.

‘What is this situation?’

But even though I clearly stepped back, my position didn’t change at all.

When that form fully appeared, I thought it seemed more cute than scary.

“What do you mean?”

“Just how much more do I have to be humiliated?”

I still had trouble understanding what he was saying.

“China’s Yacha, well, it’s such a mess there’s nothing to say, but do I have to be mocked by Japan’s Dokkaebi bastard in the Afterlife world? About being bad at soccer.”

“…”

The being in front of me was ranting in an angry tone.

But a story related to soccer…

“Do you play soccer in the Afterlife too?”

It wasn’t a question from deep thought.

Just a question that popped out automatically.

“Why would we play soccer in the Afterlife? There are so many weird ability users that it’s no fun. Of course, soccer played by humans with many restrictions is more thrilling and interesting.”

“…”

“Didn’t we suffer a crushing defeat to Japan in the AFC… Seriously, why do you guys play soccer like that?”

I felt a bit wronged.

It’s not like I played in the AFC.

Why are you taking it out on me?

“I don’t think that’s something you should say to me?”

“I’m saying it to you.”

“It’s a match I never even played in…”

“Then why did you get injured?”

“That’s not something I can control.”

This is really putting me in a difficult position.

I’m already so heartbroken because of that injury.

“I can’t be humiliated like this again. I hate being embarrassed more than anything in the world!”

Really acting like a child.

“I’m thinking of taking a bit of an adventure. Can you help me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to bring you back to life.”

“…”

Am I really dead?

Come to think of it, the world in my vision was completely frozen.

“But there’s a condition. You have to make Korea win the World Cup within the next 15 years.”

“Huh?”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even respond.

There are so many promising players forgotten by the world.

Winning the World Cup when I can’t even play soccer?

Is this crazy?

This Dokkaebi?

“I’ll heal your leg.”

“You’ll just heal it like that?”

I wondered if such a thing was realistically possible, but…

I thought it would be really nice if my leg could just get better.

Then even if it’s a bit late, I could play the soccer I love.

“But if you fail to make Korea win within 15 years, you will definitely die. Whatever you achieve will all turn to nothing. I’ll also receive great punishment for breaking the laws of causality.”

“…Why would you do something so dangerous?”

“Why. Don’t you want to?”

“No… it’s not that…”

The situation was still too unrealistic… I couldn’t make a proper judgment.

“Why me of all people?”

“I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

“…”

“Will you do it? Or not?”

If you told me to become a good soccer player, that would make sense, but to make Korea win the World Cup?

Is that even possible?

I looked at the Dokkaebi and thought for a moment.

‘But what is there to think about?’

They’re letting me play soccer for 15 years…

Isn’t that enough?

“I’ll do it.”

“Remember. 15 years from the moment you regain consciousness. If you can’t keep your promise during that time, you will definitely die.”

With those words, my clear consciousness instantly became blurred.

Commander of the Field

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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