Field Commander - Chapter 63

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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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Chapter 63.

Chapter 63.

Chapter 63.

“Hello.”

 

When I went to the medical team, I saw a familiar face.

 

Kang Su-yeon, who was doing an internship here on a professor’s recommendation, was alone in the medical room.

 

“Oh, hello.”

 

She immediately showed a worried expression.

 

“Where are you hurt?”

 

“Ah, I think my finger is injured. They told me to get it checked at the medical room.”

 

“Please sit here for a moment.”

 

“Yes.”

 

As I sat on the chair, she went outside briefly and came back.

 

“The person in charge isn’t here. For now, I’ll take a look. I’m getting some recognition here too.”

 

“Oh, that’s great.”

 

I extended my hand, and she carefully examined it.

 

I could feel her warm touch.

 

She pressed firmly around the area, not on the bruised part that was turning blue.

 

But there was no particular pain.

 

“Coach says he suspects a fracture.”

 

If it was a fracture, my head was filled with worry that my chances of starting in the next game would decrease.

 

“It’s impossible to completely distinguish between a sprain and fracture just by looking. I think it’s a simple sprain, but we need to take an X-ray first.”

 

She immediately called to request X-ray preparation.

 

“Even if it’s fractured, could I still play?”

 

“From a doctor’s perspective, I would absolutely say no.”

 

“If it’s a sprain, can I play?”

 

“If it’s just a finger, you could play with a compression bandage. But that would all be up to the manager’s judgment.”

 

Listening to her calm words, the anger that had been lurking in my chest subsided.

 

“How did this happen?”

 

“I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but I got stepped on by a teammate.”

 

“Soccer players seem to get injured quite often, not just during games but also during training. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional.”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

Usually she wore jeans and loose T-shirts so I didn’t notice, but seeing her in that white coat, she really looked like an angel.

 

Listening to her warm and calm voice continuously, my excitement subsided and even the pain seemed to fade.

 

“Let’s go down now.”

 

She led the way, and I followed behind.

 

“Are you going to keep working here?”

 

“Yes. This is why I came to study abroad. I’m learning a lot, experiencing a lot by working in the field, and I really think I made the right choice coming here.”

 

She glanced at me once.

 

“If you ask whether it’s a lifetime job, well, I’m not sure.”

 

What’s really interesting about her is that she smiles at me whenever our eyes meet.

 

Most women step back and run away when they see my face.

 

“But… aren’t you scared of me?”

 

“Come on. What’s scary about you? I’ve seen you every day for years.”

 

“Ah, that’s right.”

 

We did see each other every morning at the convenience store for 2 years.

 

“Oh, there’s Jade. He’s my supervisor. He’ll take care of you.”

 

“What about you, Su-yeon?”

 

“Ah, I’m just an assistant.”

 

She smiled brightly.

 

* * *

 

Streich sat at his desk, frowning and lost in thought for a moment.

 

It was because of an accident that suddenly occurred near the end of training.

 

– Knock knock knock.

 

“Come in.”

 

At Streich’s words, a player in uniform entered.

 

It was Joachim Pullum.

 

“Sit there.”

 

Streich stared intently at Joachim, who had a sullen expression.

 

“You kicked Kim’s hand with your foot?”

 

“That happened by accident.”

 

“Right. That kind of thing happens often. But the timing isn’t good.”

 

Joachim looked aggrieved.

 

“Are you upset that I removed you from the starting lineup without any explanation?”

 

At those words, Joachim shut his mouth tight.

 

After looking at Streich’s face with its deep wrinkles, he finally opened his mouth.

 

“I thought you’d at least give me a chance for a few games.”

 

Joachim Plum had also grown up in Freiburg’s youth system and continued playing for this team until now in his late twenties.

 

He had good physicality at 190cm, but lacked finesse with the ball and had no special weapons, so he remained as a rotation or backup resource within the team.

 

Then during this rebuilding period, he got an opportunity when the main midfielder left due to mutual contract termination.

 

Already 5 games as a starter.

 

Joachim Plum was the happiest he’d ever been in his soccer career.

 

At least until Kim Sang-hyuk appeared.

 

“You’ve played quite a lot of games at Freiburg. Since 2008. Everyone, including me, knows what level of player you are.”

 

Joachim bit his lips tightly.

 

“You had opportunities but didn’t transfer and stayed.”

 

“Because I like this team.”

 

“Right. I kept you because I understood that feeling. You damn disciple.”

 

That’s right.

 

Joachim Plum was Streich’s beloved disciple from when he was a youth coach.

 

“Because I’ve watched you for so long, I think today’s accident was quite intentional.”

 

“…”

 

Joachim bit his lips again.

 

“We’re professionals. And we need to stay in the Bundesliga right now. For that purpose, we have no choice but to go based on ability alone.”

 

“Damn it. Do you know? What it’s like to be on the bench? When there’s a game and you can’t play, having to do supplementary training on that empty playground to maintain your form! Lonely, miserable, pathetic. I kept dreaming. I wanted to start for the club I love and be with the fans on that playground. That’s why I kept staying.”

 

At those words, Streich shook his head.

 

“I know too. I also had an 11-year playing career at Freiburg, but during that long period, I only started 4 games. The rest I was on the bench. But I was satisfied with that. Because the team did better when I didn’t play.”

 

“…”

 

“And you have a different talent. As a coach, not as a player.”

 

Joachim sighed deeply.

 

“That’s why I kept you here despite not having the ability to play for the first team. But now, even that reason seems to have disappeared.”

 

Streich was a very decisive person.

 

He had sent away key players who were slacking off and ruining the team atmosphere without hesitation, having experienced it since he was young.

 

Joachim’s face soon became filled with worry.

 

He absolutely didn’t want to leave the team.

 

“But I’ll make you one proposal.”

 

Joachim swallowed.

 

“Go and apologize. And support that guy.”

 

“What?”

 

“Go apologize, and support him so he can exert influence on the team from now on. If you can’t do that, you’d better pack your bags right away.”

 

Joachim pondered silently for a while, then left the room without answering.

 

‘Make a wise choice, my disciple.’

 

Shortly after, Streich was able to receive an urgent message.

 

From the head team doctor.

 

– It’s just a simple sprain. With a compression bandage, he can play tomorrow.

 

Seeing that message, Streich let out a deep sigh as if drawing air from the depths of his lungs.

 

Borussia Mönchengladbach.

 

It was a team that created the golden age of the Bundesliga together with Bayern Munich in the 1970s.

 

Although their game management style varied slightly depending on the manager, their method of inducing opponent mistakes through powerful pressure based on physicality and scoring goals remained unchanged.

 

In the 4th round, they had beaten Bayern Munich.

 

For Munich, who played tiki-taka, they were truly a nemesis team.

 

Moreover, most of the league’s strong teams found this team very difficult to handle.

 

The moment you were overpowered physically, hell would unfold.

 

Freiburg, who were inferior in overall skill, would also find them equally difficult.

 

‘But if we can just overcome the pressure in the center and distribute the ball!’

 

The weakness of Mönchengladbach, who executed powerful pressure, was the back space behind their final defensive line.

 

Because they pushed their line so high, games often turned around with a single counter attack.

 

That’s why Kim Sang-hyuk was absolutely necessary for this match.

 

‘One less worry.’

 

* * *

 

In front of the main gate of a middle school in Incheon.

 

“No… Get out! Don’t loiter around!”

 

“Ah, yes. Please let go of me.”

 

Shin Ye-ra straightened her wrinkled collar from being dragged out.

 

“What kind of world is this, treating a journalist like this?”

 

Extremely annoyed, she huffed for a moment.

 

As soon as she said she came to interview about Kim Sang-hyuk, she was kicked out of the faculty office,

 

and although she tried to enter several more times, she was caught by the security guard and dragged all the way outside the school gate.

 

‘What on earth happened that they’re being this harsh?’

 

Not only was this an opportunity to connect with the most influential people in Korean football, but her journalistic curiosity was also piqued.

 

‘I will definitely get this interview.’

 

And her stubborn streak was activated.

 

Two security guards were watching with very wary eyes, so she was planning to make a strategic retreat for today.

 

But then she heard someone calling from around that corner.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

When Shin Ye-ra turned her head, there was a young man.

 

Wasn’t he someone she saw in the faculty office earlier?

 

As she approached, the man spoke.

 

“Oh, I’m Han Su-gyo. I work as a teacher at that middle school.”

 

“Ah, hello, Teacher Han Su-gyo.”

 

“Kim Sang-hyuk… you’re talking about interviewing that player who played for the Olympic team, right?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

He glanced at his watch briefly.

 

“I have about 35 minutes of time.”

 

Shin Ye-ra’s eyes sparkled.

 

“Come to the coffee shop over there.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Han Su-gyo disappeared first, and Shin Ye-ra headed to the coffee shop he had told her about.

 

When she got there, Han Su-gyo was sitting down.

 

She sat in the chair across from him and took out a business card from her bag.

 

“I’m journalist Shin Ye-ra from Daily Sports. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Yes, nice to meet you.”

 

He looked around nervously and opened his mouth.

 

“You absolutely must not say that I told you this.”

 

“Of course. It’s a basic principle for journalists.”

 

Of course, these days there were many corrupt journalists who would reveal their sources for money.

 

“When Kim Sang-hyuk was attending school, I was doing my student teaching here.”

 

“Ah, I see.”

 

Han Su-gyo sighed briefly.

 

“Ah, I don’t know where to start with this.”

 

“Could you just tell me briefly for now, and I’ll request details by email?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Shin Ye-ra quickly took out her notebook and ballpoint pen.

 

“I first saw him as a temporary homeroom teacher in his third year, and he was quite big. He was much taller than me. And because of his distinctive appearance, he was a guy who was impossible to forget.”

 

“Ah, I see.”

 

“Well, I thought he was like a school boss? A delinquent? That kind of guy.”

 

“Looking at just his appearance, you could certainly think that.”

 

“But he was a very quiet kid. During class, he wouldn’t study or sleep…”

 

Stories about a future star player’s childhood could become article material someday.

 

Shin Ye-ra’s eyes sparkled as she continued writing.

 

“He played with a soccer ball under his desk.”

 

“As expected, a promising sprout is different.”

 

At Shin Ye-ra’s agreement, Han Su-gyo’s expression looked much more comfortable.

 

“Yes. I think so. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to study. I was afraid I might get hit.”

 

Shin Ye-ra nodded.

 

“It wasn’t just me, but other teachers felt the same way. He was a guy we couldn’t scold even when he was doing other things. We just left him alone since he was playing by himself without disturbing other students’ studies.”

 

“How were his grades?”

 

“Even though he didn’t study like that, I think he was about average.”

 

“He must have been smart.”

 

“That’s right. There were often discussions among teachers that Kim Sang-hyuk would have done well in studies if he had worked hard.”

 

“How was he in his first and second years?”

 

“I heard that even then, contrary to his appearance, he didn’t cause trouble and was a very quiet child.”

 

“Didn’t he bully friends or anything?”

 

“I don’t know if he had friends. He was always alone. Occasionally we’d hear stories about fights happening somewhere, but it wasn’t Kim Sang-hyuk.”

 

Shin Ye-ra fidgeted with her earlobe for a moment.

 

‘But why did the school violence story come up?’

 

Han Su-gyo gulped down his coffee several times and carefully opened his mouth.

 

“It must have been right before summer vacation. Probably. That day was also passing without incident, but during lunch break, the class president came running with a pale face. Then he said, ‘Teacher! There’s been a big fight in the classroom!'”

 

Shin Ye-ra’s eyes sparkled again.

 

“I hurried to the classroom. Ah, but there was blood splattered here and there in the back of the classroom. Chairs and desks were all overturned, and our class kids had come out to the hallway, pale and trembling.”

 

While Han Su-gyo pressed his lips together briefly, Shin Ye-ra quickly took a sip of coffee to moisten her drying throat.

 

“And kids from other classes were lying collapsed all around.”

 

“How many were there?”

 

“5 people. And Sang-hyuk was standing there alone, perfectly fine, holding a broken chair.”

 

Shin Ye-ra quietly observed Han Su-gyo’s eyes.

 

This wasn’t imagination – it was clearly the look of someone retracing past memories.

 

“I said, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Then Sang-hyuk told me, ‘I just took care of some trash.’ So I said, ‘Put that down.’ Then he immediately put down the bloody chair he was holding.”

 

“You mean he fought 5 people alone?”

 

“Yes. All 5 of them probably had injuries requiring at least 8 weeks of treatment.”

 

That was the kind of serious injury you’d get from a traffic accident.

 

“The school was turned upside down. I was just a temporary homeroom teacher and a student teacher with no responsibility, so I only heard about what happened afterward.”

 

“Why did he fight like that?”

 

Han Su-gyo took a few sips of coffee.

 

“From here on, this is what I heard, so I can’t say it’s all accurate.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Those 5 people… they were 3rd-year student affairs department officers.”

 

“What?”

 

“Student Council President, Vice President, General Affairs President…”

 

Shin Ye-ra’s hand was moving like lightning.

 

“According to Sang-hyuk, these guys were bullying a girl who stayed in the classroom the night before. He was playing with a soccer ball on the playground, went to get his bag, and saw it.”

 

“Bullying – you mean like sexual harassment? Student officers did that?”

 

“It seems like that. So he stopped it, and apparently told them that if they didn’t turn themselves in the next day, he’d hand over some recording to the police station.”

 

“Ah… so then…”

 

“Yes. They didn’t turn themselves in and came looking for Kim Sang-hyuk. According to Sang-hyuk, they came with weapons like baseball bats and pipes first, and he just fought back.”

 

“If that’s true, those 5 guys were really bad.”

 

Han Su-gyo sighed.

 

“But… this incident ended with Kim Sang-hyuk’s indefinite suspension.”

 

“What? But what about the sexual harassment case?”

 

“Sang-hyuk was from an orphanage with no one to help him at the time, and those 5 had well-connected parents, so that’s how it ended up. Or maybe Sang-hyuk was lying.”

 

“What kind of bullshit situation is this?”

 

Shin Ye-ra carefully covered her mouth.

 

“Did you see those baseball bats and pipes in the classroom at the time?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Geez, really…”

 

So that’s why he kicked me out as soon as I mentioned Kim Sang-hyuk.

 

“If there was a recording…?”

 

“That was a lie. He thought that would make them turn themselves in.”

 

“That was clever.”

 

“Probably so.”

 

“Do you happen to know that girl’s name?”

 

“No. Even when I asked Sang-hyuk, he absolutely refused to tell me. So it seems no one knew who the victim was. The perpetrators would never talk about it either. He was probably trying to protect that girl. It seems like Sang-hyuk was the only one punished because of that.”

 

Shin Ye-ra’s pen stopped for a moment.

 

Han Su-gyo looked at his watch and answered.

 

“Of course, this is just my opinion. I think I should get going now.”

 

* * *

 

The sunset glow in Germany is very vast and beautiful.

 

And.

 

“Kim.”

 

I turned around at someone calling me.

 

I saw the very person who caused me to bandage my hand.

 

Joachim Pullum.

 

“What?”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m really truly sorry. That was my mistake.”

 

Then he quickly ran off somewhere.

 

‘Ah, people really…’

 

If you’re scared, just say you’re scared.

 

Why do you keep running away?

—————
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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