Thinking about the growth of his talent, Ho-young momentarily put the ball down during training.
'Then next would be B+3?'
It was something he hadn't considered before, so he had many questions.
He wondered where the limit might be, and whether it could grow beyond a B rating into something at an A level.
'I'll find out when I try.'
Regardless, it was clearly good news.
Since his talent had grown, it would naturally help improve his skills.
'Practice is the only way forward!'
Practice and more practice.
Shaking off his thoughts, Ho-young focused on training.
But after a couple of hours of positional drills, a thought popped into his head.
'I'm not sure what's changed.'
There was no dramatic difference he could feel yet.
Although training did feel a bit easier, it was hard to tell if that was just in his head or an actual improvement. Only time would tell.
He hadn't noticed it right after the upgrade, but about a month later, he finally realized it.
'It's definitely easier now.'
How should he put it?
It was like this.
If a football prodigy normally needed a full month to master something, a Football Prodigy (B+2) could not only learn it in half the time but also apply it in matches.
The biggest effect showed during passing drills, something he used to struggle with.
Tap. Tap.
As he went through the passing drills, he could feel it with every touch.
What the coach had said kept echoing in his mind, that a pass should be made with perfect posture and balance.
And Ho-young had grasped that concept within just a month.
'Even I can tell I've improved a lot.'
He could feel the difference more than anyone.
And judging by the reactions around him, it was obvious too.
"Ohh~ Ho-young, you've improved, huh?"
His transformation in just one month drew admiration from his teammates.
The effect of his upgraded talent showed in other drills too.
"When you dribble, don't just tap with your feet. You've got to move as one with the ball. That's how you keep your balance and avoid being pushed off when under pressure."
"Yes, sir!"
Though Ho-young didn't immediately understand the technical coach's words, as training went on, the meaning began to make sense through his body.
Then, when free training time came, Ho-young approached Casemiro.
"Casemiro. Let's play a round of the Crown Game."
The Crown Game was a mini-game where the person holding the ball became the 'king.' If you lost, you became the 'slave' and had to run errands or fulfill a request. It was basically a bet.
"Crown? Why now?"
"You're the best defender on our team."
Of course, he had a different reason.
[Casemiro]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (B+), Sharp Interceptions (B), Reliable Ball Stopping (C)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(Condition 1: Train dribbling together for over 120 minutes.)
(Condition 2: Keep possession for 5 minutes without Casemiro stealing the ball.)
He wanted to improve his dribbling and acquire a talent at the same time.
"Then I'll start!"
Barely three minutes into the sudden Crown Game, Ho-young was already exhausted.
"Huff, huff…"
It was supposed to last five minutes, but despite holding out as long as he could, Casemiro took the ball after just three.
"Man, that's rough."
No wonder. Casemiro was one of the top prospects in the U13 league.
Not only did he have experience, but he also possessed the [Football Prodigy (B+)] talent. There was no way his fundamentals were lacking.
Since Ho-young had started later than others, he needed to push himself harder to close the gap.
If effort and time were the royal road, then he had to run that road at full speed.
"Aaaargh!"
It was tough, but he clenched his teeth and endured.
He believed he could do it.
Through endless repetition, Ho-young trained harder than anyone else to make up for his lack of experience.
Another month passed. By then, he had gained enough confidence in his dribbling to last five minutes against Casemiro.
He refined his fundamentals and maximized the effectiveness of his [Fairly Flashy Footwork (C+)].
[Select the talent you wish to obtain.]
Reliable Ball Stopping (C)
'Reliable Ball Stopping, I'll take it!'
Every time he acquired a new talent, the sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.
He felt like he was slowly laying the foundation to become a real professional player.
Ho-young was now beginning to stand out in every aspect of training.
Coach Carlos, who had been closely observing him, made a decision.
"I think it's about time we put him in a league match."
"Yes, his skills have improved all around. It's a remarkable growth."
In truth, Ho-young had been ready for league matches for a while.
But Carlos had held him back, giving him the time he needed.
To face players who had internalized their fundamentals for years, Ho-young had to be equally well-prepared.
Now, Carlos believed he was ready.
"What do you think?"
"To be honest, he's already among the top players in the U13 league. But whether he can do it in a real match… no one can say for sure."
"I think he can."
"Excuse me?"
"He'll do well. He thrives on the big stage."
Carlos was confident.
He had watched Ho-young's recent form, and it was hard not to expect great things.
"Let's play him in the next match against Paulistaano."
"That's an important game, isn't it?"
"Exactly."
Time flew by, and soon it was Friday, August 1.
The 23rd round of the U13 state league.
São Paulo FC was set to face CA Paulistaano, currently sitting 3rd in the league.
São Paulo FC was 4th among 16 teams, making this a crucial match.
The key figure was Paulistaano's ace, a centre-back born in 1990, named Fabinho, known as the U13 league's iron wall.
"Fabinho is great at tackling and distributing the ball. So you're going to press him from the front, and use switching plays with Douglas to create space. Got it?"
That was the instruction Carlos gave to Ho-young.
Most players would feel the pressure, but Ho-young replied confidently.
"Yes, sir!"
His official debut match.
He had waited so long for this moment.
His first official appearance was about to take place.
Walking onto the pitch, Ho-young exhaled deeply.
"Whew…"
It finally felt real as he stood on the pitch.
He had become a footballer.
His chest tightened, then quickly turned to excitement.
The stadium was small with just a few stands, but Ho-young's passion rivaled any professional.
And then.
"Good game."
After shaking hands with a sharp-looking opponent, something appeared before his eyes.
[Fabinho]
[Possessed Talents: Football Prodigy (C+), Motor-Powered Legs (B), Precise Ball Distribution (C), Decent Sliding Tackle (C-)]
(You can obtain one talent by meeting the required conditions.)
(Condition 1: Win the match.)
(Condition 2: Record 2 attacking points.)
'So this is the U13 league's best defender?'
"Hm."
Honestly, he was underwhelming.
Or maybe Ho-young's standards had simply gone up.
'Well, Douglas and Casemiro are considered the top prospects in the league.'
Training with them every day had dulled his perception.
If that was the case, maybe he really could make his mark in the U13 league.
He was lacking in physicality and experience.
But he had one thing in abundance.
Talent.
He was about to unleash it on the field.
The game played out with intensity.
Both teams battled constantly in midfield to gain control, and neither side looked particularly dominant.
But Carlos kept a close eye on one thing.
Every time Ho-young touched the ball.
At those moments, his gaze focused like a laser.
'Is that really the same kid?'
Carlos couldn't stop being impressed.
The reckless kid from last year who used to just sprint with the ball was gone.
In his place stood a top-class prospect who understood the game and knew how to execute it on the pitch.
Dribbling, passing — everything exceeded expectations.
Gone was the Ho-young who was only good at running and shooting.
Even defensively, he stood out.
His ability to intercept and cut off passes was nearly on par with Casemiro.
It felt like Ho-young was controlling the game.
CA Paulistaano's star defender, Fabinho, couldn't keep up with him in any aspect.
'His level has definitely risen.'
His football skills had matured tremendously in just a few months.
That was what happened when a Football Prodigy put in the work.
Then, in the 15th minute of the first half.
As if his warm-up was over, Ho-young began his real move.
With a stable passing rhythm, he laid the groundwork for a breakthrough, using switching plays with Douglas to disrupt the defensive line.
Fabinho's man-marking became meaningless and collapsed.
Other defenders tried to close in on Ho-young, but it only made things worse.
It turned into a golden opportunity.
Receiving a through ball from Douglas, Ho-young surged toward the goal and faced the keeper one-on-one.
He glanced up at the keeper, then struck the ball powerfully with the inside of his right foot.
At that moment, he knew.
'This is it…!'
It had been seven months since he came to Brazil.
Though he hadn't shown it, he had endured so much pain and effort for this one shot.
Ten weeks at the academy, 17 weeks with the U13s.
It was a shot containing 27 weeks of effort.
And effort never betrayed.
Thud!
The ball launched from Ho-young's foot blasted into the right corner of the net.
"Wooooah!"
It was a roar straight from instinct.
Instead of doing the usual 'Siu' celebration, Ho-young raced across the pitch, shouting with joy.
The little frog that had jumped to South America had now become a full-grown bullfrog.
(To be continued.)