Before the award ceremony began, Ho-young stepped into a quiet room for a moment to take a phone call.
A composed voice came through.
The caller was FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon.
"Congratulations on the title. I mean that sincerely."
"Thank you."
They had exchanged greetings during the World Cup, but this was the first time they had spoken privately over the phone like this.
When he first heard that Chung had called, he had been full of questions.
But the more he thought about it, the more one possibility came to mind.
It did not seem like he had called simply to offer congratulations.
"You have done the nation proud, and for that I am very grateful. Frankly speaking, where else in our country is there a talent like you? I can only thank you for always doing so well."
The first thing that made him suspicious was what kind of favor he was about to ask for after laying on this much praise.
Starting from there, Chung Mong-joon slowly brought up the real point.
"Could you spare me some time after the season ends?"
"Some time?"
"There is the FIFA presidential election coming up soon, is there not? I would like you to help me a little. If you lend me your support at the end, it would be a great help."
Just as he had thought.
He had already gotten that kind of impression from the Korea Football Association during this year's Asian Cup.
Chung Mong-joon and the KFA were naturally tied together.
'He must be pretty desperate.'
That made sense, because the FIFA presidential election was set for July 1, and there was not much time left.
Moreover, at the moment, the FIFA presidential race was moving in a direction unfavorable to vice president Jung.
There were 8 candidates in total.
In truth, Chung Mong-joon had never really been in a position to run for president in the first place.
That was true both in terms of his standing within FIFA and his qualifications.
Many people believed he was not the kind of person fit to sit in the presidency.
A lot of people said he would be lucky just to keep his vice president seat in this election.
But as the status of Korean football rose, Chung Mong-joon also gained small and large benefits from it, which allowed him to expand his standing within FIFA.
On top of that, he was expanding his influence by joining hands with Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, the younger brother of the current King of Jordan.
His rival, AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam, was extremely powerful, but no one knew what might happen if Ho-young openly stood on Jung Hyun-sung's side.
As far as Ho-young knew, the current power structure looked like this.
1. FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon and FIFA committee member Ali bin Al Hussein, who were involved in a Barcelona and Middle East theme park development project
2. AFC president Mohammed bin Hammam of Qatar and Middle Eastern figures
3. FIFA president Blatter and UEFA president Platini
The Asian figures were struggling hard, but in reality President Blatter held the overwhelming advantage.
Only if the other factions merged could they even begin to challenge Blatter, but neither Chung Mong-joon nor Mohammed bin Hammam had any intention of backing down.
That was why vice president Chung had contacted Ho-young before the election.
But Ho-young's answer was negative.
"I understand what you mean. I will think about it first. But I should tell you in advance that it will probably be difficult."
Ho-young did not want to get deeply entangled with high-ranking officials.
If he ever wanted to get involved in politics, retirement would not be too late.
Of course, he could help for a few days, but Chung Mong-joon said that starting next month, he planned to visit countries across 5 continents with his supporters and campaign for votes.
Ho-young did not have time for that.
This coming preseason was going to be busier than ever.
Not only because of the limit breakthrough that would come after winning the Europa League, but also because once July passed and he turned 18, there was no telling what might happen.
"Do not shut the door on it just yet. Think about it once more. This is for both you and me. At the very least, think again in consideration of the effort I made to help you."
"What exactly are you referring to?"
"The fact that I worked to make sure you were not called up for the Asian Cup."
In a way, he was right.
In the end, it was because he had pressured the Korea Football Association that Ho-young had been able to avoid the call-up.
But originally, he had intended to call Ho-young up no matter what for the sake of South Korea winning.
Even so, the real reason he had accommodated Ho-young's convenience was something else.
Prince Mansour.
Depending on whose side Mansour, a man with enormous influence in football, chose to support, the entire balance could shift.
"In any case, I understand what you are saying. But I think I have to end the call here for now. The trophy ceremony is about to start."
And more than anything else, he did not want to think about that right now.
He could not let the happiest day since coming to England be spoiled.
Once the award ceremony ended, Ho-young, who had been named Man of the Match, met the reporters separately in the dedicated interview room.
In one hand, he held a silver trophy as large as his forearm.
"Congratulations on winning the FA Cup. This is your first achievement since coming to England. In truth, there were many concerns. There were a lot of opinions saying you would not adapt to England, or that you could not succeed at a club like Manchester City. But after today, it feels like all of those words will disappear. What do you think?"
"Well. I do not know exactly how today's match will come across to football fans. But one thing is certain, it is still too early to think about that. There are still 2 more trophies left to lift. Until then, I just have to run without looking back."
"You are not going to have enough hands left to hold all the trophies."
"I will just have to put the last one on top of my head."
"Ha ha."
The interview continued in a warm and cheerful mood.
Then one reporter spoke in a very excited voice.
"To tell the truth, I have been a Manchester City fan for a long time. So first, thank you. And there is one thing I want to ask. Winning with Manchester City rather than Real Madrid must feel especially meaningful. At the beginning of this year, Manchester City's organization was a mess, but since you arrived, the team has changed 180 degrees. Some English people even call you Harry Potter, saying you worked magic."
That was true.
Manchester City had made astonishing progress over the last 4 months.
Ho-young nodded, fully agreeing.
"That is right. Even I think it is incredible. We got this far because every single player did his part. It sounds like a cliché, but it really is the truth."
At Ho-young's words, sharing the credit with his teammates, admiration broke out here and there.
And then, at that very moment.
Splash!
"Ah!"
His teammates suddenly burst into the room and sprayed champagne.
And that was not the end of it.
Ronaldinho poured champagne over Ho-young's head, and then the rest of the players locked arms and started circling around him.
As they shouted.
"Our hero!"
"Hero!"
Hero.
What other word was needed?
Ho-young was Manchester City's hero.
That day's match stirred up many headlines.
More than praise for Manchester City winning the cup, there was even more praise for Ho-young's play.
[Ho-young defies expectations, shows a throw-in ability worthy of Rory Delap]
[Ronaldinho: "Even I was shocked by Ho-young's skill move, a variation of the Cuahtemina. I am certain it is a skill only he can pull off in this world."]
[Luis Suárez injured, front teeth broken and several others loosened... cannot even bite a sandwich properly]
[Only 2 tasks remain for Manchester City, the EPL and the Europa League... the final schedule of mid-May begins]
3 days later.
Manchester City played Everton in EPL Round 37.
That day City made a string of ridiculous mistakes and were held to a 3-3 draw, but fortunately Manchester United lost 2-1 after giving up the lead, leaving the two teams level on points.
However, United still remained in first place due to their superior goal difference.
And then came the long-awaited Round 38.
The derby between Manchester United and Manchester City was approaching.
May 19.
3 days before the match against Manchester City, Carrington, Manchester United's training ground, was crowded with players in green bibs.
They were United's players, moving in perfect order under Ferguson's instructions and concentrating on training.
For them, this was the most important moment of the season.
Everything was riding on EPL Round 38.
'So it really has come to this.'
Alex Ferguson, chewing his gum noisily, let out a bitter smile.
What kind of twist of fate was this?
It was not unusual for first and second place to be decided in the final round, but the fact that the rival was Manchester City still did not feel real.
He had never imagined City would come back at the end and grab them by the ankle, but after putting together absurd results, they had really made it this far.
Still, whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, they had already been knocked out in the Champions League semi-final, which meant they could focus entirely on the upcoming match against Manchester City.
Manchester City, on the other hand, could not.
The Europa League final that would close out their season was waiting for them, so the burden on them could only be greater.
"So our goal is a draw."
Their goal was a draw and nothing else.
Winning would be nice, but they needed to define their target precisely.
If they pushed too hard for victory and ended up losing sight of what truly mattered, they could lose everything.
And one more thing.
"You lot cannot beat them anyway, can you?"
Provocation.
Alex Ferguson poked at the players' nerves and provoked them.
It was to ignite their competitive spirit.
If mishandled, it could backfire, but for Ferguson, a master of mind games, something like that was nothing.
In fact, this method had worked for him more than once before.
Ferguson kept talking.
"Do not try to get clever, just work hard at what you are told. At the very least, then I will not have to curse you out. If anyone starts getting ideas, you will answer to me."
Ferguson threatened them with eyes as fierce as a tiger.
That was the core of this tactical plan.
"Do not damage the team trying to play the hero. No more and no less, just stick to the basics."
In Ferguson's view, the managers who had faced Ho-young up to this point all made one common mistake.
Trying to do something special.
He believed there was nothing wrong with giving tactics something special, but first, the basics had to come before anything else.
That made sense, because Ho-young was a player whose fundamentals were so outstanding that there was almost nothing he could not do.
So to face him without even having the basics in place?
That would be absurd.
For that reason, Ferguson had spent days drilling only the basic foundations of the tactic they would take into the match.
'No matter what tactic you prepare, he reads the essence of it anyway.'
Ho-young was absolutely the type of player who would do that.
If that was the case, then sticking to the basics, focusing only on the match, and securing a draw gave them the best chance.
As for set pieces like corners and free kicks, Ferguson took patterns they had used before and combined them in complex ways to create new routines.
There was not really any overall tactical concept.
"Ho-young moves all over the place for 90 minutes, left, right, center, first line, second line, third line. That means man-marking him is pointless. None of you should try to take him on directly. What you have to stop is not the player, but the space he can use. The moment he gets into a dangerous area, it is all over. That is what you must stop."
That was where Ferguson's speech ended.
It was hardly an exaggeration to say that was the entirety of the tactic he had prepared.
He was such an experienced manager with such a deep tactical understanding that he could create custom tactics instantly during the match itself.
That was why the players focused only on their basic training.
But even that would not be enough.
'Not even close.'
Manchester City were like an iron fortress.
No matter how much you thrashed about outside, you could not bring it down.
So there was only one way.
'It has to collapse from the inside.'
Only one step remained to the title.
Ferguson had no intention of stepping aside gracefully.
After all, he was the great manager who had beaten Ho-young's Real Madrid in a Champions League final.
To continue that achievement this time as well, he made a plan.
Ferguson said to his assistant coach,
"I need to meet chief executive Gill."
The very next day, an article related to Manchester United set every part of the media on fire.
[Breaking News: Manchester United's summer transfer target list has been leaked. Shockingly, the name Robinho is included on the list, and one source stated that Robinho suits Manchester United extremely well and would perform at the highest level as a starting forward. The source also said they are viewing the possibility of Robinho's transfer positively. The biggest problem is that United would have to pay a transfer fee to their rivals Manchester City, but if United's will is firm enough, it is not entirely impossible.]
[Manchester United chief executive David Gill: "Every possibility is open. There is always room for talented players."]
[Manchester United scout: "Some EPL clubs are wasting the talents of good players by failing to use them properly."]
└ Isn't this openly taking shots at Manchester City?
└ But why Robinho all of a sudden? It is not like he has been that great for City lately.
└ Even so, he still has ability. He may be past his peak, but he is not dead yet.
└ True. It is not that Robinho is bad, it is just that he is not playing because of the conflict with Mancini. And Mancini also prefers the hard-working James Milner.
The opinions of the fans gradually started coming together.
A public view began to form that Robinho had ability, but was being denied chances because of an unfair situation.
And Ferguson joined in, giving that narrative even more force.
[Alex Ferguson: "The most dangerous opponent in the next match after Ho-young is unquestionably Robinho..."]
└ Wow, if Ferguson acknowledges him like that... will he play in this match?
└ Or they could twist it the other way and leave him out. And besides, James Milner and Silva have been so good lately, why would they play Robinho?
└ More than that, does it not feel strange that Robinho suddenly came up right now?
└ Media play?
└ Something smells off. Ferguson is at it again. Is this not a little too obvious?
That same afternoon, in the manager's office at Etihad Campus.
Robinho, who had requested a meeting with manager Mancini, came straight to the point.
"Is it true that Manchester United officially made an offer for me?"
"Like I already told your agent, no such thing exists. The match is right around the corner, so go back and focus on training."
The gulf between them had deepened so much that, once again, their relationship was poor today as well.
In the end, Robinho exploded in frustration.
"What is the point of focusing on training? No matter how hard I work, you do not give me a chance anyway."
"If you come at me with that attitude, you may never get a chance again."
"Even after Ferguson openly recognized me in the media, are you really still going to refuse to use me?"
"Then why do you not just go to Ferguson? Or do you actually believe the words of that fox-like old man?"
Robinho might have an innocent-looking face, but he was not stupid enough to believe that completely.
But that was how people worked.
When it involved something related to themselves, they naturally became more generous with what they were willing to believe.
"Damn it."
Completely furious, Robinho finally could not hold it in any longer and left the training ground.
And that evening.
As if everything had been prepared in advance, articles began pouring out everywhere.
[Robinho finally leaves training ground due to feud with manager Mancini... believed to be linked with Manchester United transfer rumors...]
[Manchester City's atmosphere grows more and more hostile, only 2 days until the Manchester derby, can things really continue like this?]
[Some experts: "Robinho is highly likely to leave Manchester City for Manchester United after completing the treble." They speculate he is the most likely to leave the club alongside Ho-young the moment Ho-young departs...]
The next day, when Robinho returned to training, the atmosphere at the ground turned cold in an instant.
Whether the articles were true or not, his teammates began to distrust him, and in that process, even small arguments broke out.
Even old factions that had been quiet for a while started stirring again, and the team atmosphere turned disastrous.
And as all that happened, match day came rushing closer.
May 22, 1 p.m.
"Glory Glory Man United~."
Tens of thousands of people dressed in red were surrounding a huge, imposing football stadium and screaming at the top of their lungs.
The Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford.
It was Manchester United's home stadium, where the derby would be held 3 hours later, and it could hold around 75,000 people.
But today, Manchester City's away support had been given only about 1,000 seats.
The scale of support was bound to be overwhelmingly in favor of Manchester United's supporters, the Red Devils.
"City are nothing without money!"
"Filthy bastards!"
"You lot have no tradition at all, know your place!"
The atmosphere was ferocious.
It showed just how important the Manchester derby was to them.
This time, with the league trophy also on the line, the stadium had been overheated from well before kick-off.
Eventually, when the Manchester City team bus entered the ground, one United fan even threw a Molotov cocktail, and street fighting broke out.
"Holy shit..."
"Crazy..."
To make matters worse.
The younger players inside the bus began to waver one by one.
All they could do before the match was steel their mentality.
"Glory Glory Man United~!"
To the violent roar of the United fans, the players of both teams stepped out into the stadium.
The starting lineups were as follows.
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart
Defenders: Kolarov, Vincent Kompany, Jérôme Boateng, Micah Richards
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Yaya Touré, James Milner, Ho-young, David Silva
Forward: Carlos Tevez
Goalkeeper: Van der Sar
Defenders: Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Vidić, Gary Neville
Midfielders: Giggs, Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Nani
Forwards: Berbatov, Wayne Rooney
[Yes, the final Round 38 of the 2010-2011 EPL season will begin shortly.]
[Hundreds of millions of football fans around the world must have been waiting for this very day. Will Manchester have a new master today, or will Manchester United firmly hold on to the throne?]
Most bookmakers were backing Manchester City.
The team had been shaken slightly by the recent ugly incidents, but not much had really changed.
The opponent they still had to beat was Manchester United.
Win, and they were EPL champions on the spot.
For Ho-young, it was a chance to conquer another league after already winning La Liga.
"Hoo."
Ho-young took a deep breath.
The stage of dreams.
It felt unreal that he would finally play at Old Trafford, a place he had wanted so badly for so long.
The pitch, which seemed unusually huge, stretched out before his eyes.
His heart began to pound.
It was as good as a chance to fulfill his dream on the stage of dreams.
'Let's win.'
And it was right then, just before Ho-young touched the ball, as he steeled his resolve one last time.
[Unextinguishable Fighting Spirit (S+)]
A talent manifested.
He had a good feeling from the very start.
Not only that, but Ho-young had also made several newly acquired talents, including dynamic visual acuity, fully his own in the days leading up to this match.
And today was the day to show them without holding anything back.
That was when the match began.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)