The Woman Who Stole My Flower
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
#29.
“Kang Joo-heon!”
Was this a dream or reality? While the players of FC Thor leaped with joy, FC Bella protested fiercely.
“Come on, isn’t it unfair for Kang Joo-heon himself to play in the Kang Joo-heon Cup?”
The FC Thor players retorted without backing down.
“Any employee of our company is eligible to play, so why shouldn’t Director Kang Joo-heon be allowed?”
Having come to broadcast a simple company sports day, they were suddenly about to live-broadcast a match featuring Kang Joo-heon. Excited, the caster and commentator practically set their microphones on fire.
- A fierce debate is unfolding over the unexpected appearance of Kang Joo-heon!
- If this happens, this will be Kang Joo-heon’s first match back since winning the Champions League!
- The question of which club Kang Joo-heon would join was a worldwide topic, and he has chosen FC Thor!
- Just how high was his transfer fee?
Unable to watch the heated dispute between the two teams any longer, the CEO took the microphone. Having been on an extended business trip overseas, the CEO had returned just the day before the sports day.
- We are thrilled to witness the play of a world-class athlete at our company sports day. On behalf of Bellator Korea, I would like to say it is an honor, Kang Joo-heon.
Instructions had already come down from the UK Headquarters upon hearing that Kang Joo-heon was reporting to Bellator Korea: ensure he is treated with the utmost care, without the slightest neglect.
If the ultimate VIP wanted to play, who could stop him? His participation was sealed by the CEO’s words, but FC Bella couldn’t back down so easily.
“Then at least take two players off your side!”
“Who on earth plays an eleven-on-nine soccer match?”
FC Thor fumed at FC Bella’s proposal.
“Then give us Kang Joo-heon! We’ll take out three players instead!”
Take players off or not—after a heated war of words, the matter was settled by a single sentence from Kang Joo-heon.
“Then let’s take out our goalkeeper instead.”
No one dared object to the words of the exalted Director Kang Joo-heon. Not even their own goalkeeper, who had suddenly been relegated to the bench.
- Legendary striker of Gloucester, the Premier League giant!
- League winner, Champions League winner, FA Cup winner, and top candidate for the 202X Ballon d’Or!
- Shining as this year’s Champions League top scorer!
- The Young Lion of Gloucester, Kang Joo-heon, today—!
- Makes his glorious return match right here at the Bellator Korea company sports day!
With the exhilarated caster and commentator clamoring over each other, the match finally began.
Honey Joo-heon, who had come merely to gaze upon their beloved player’s face only to be blessed with watching him play for the first time in ages, was whipped into an absolute frenzy. Sitting in neat, orderly rows, they chanted in unison:
“I’m going to report Kang Joo-heon!”
“To the marriage registry with me!”
“Did you hear Kang Joo-heon has a dual citizenship controversy?”
“South Korea and Heaven!”
“Kang Joo-heon! Do you know what the world’s top three mayos are?”
“Tuna mayo, chicken mayo, and please don’t steal my heart, mayo~!”
Listening to the endless barrage of over-the-top fan worship, Yeon-seo felt her mind spinning.
Still, Kang Joo-heon proved he was an extraordinary athlete. Despite the chaos unfolding right next to him, he didn’t spare them a single glance, utterly focused on the game. The fans, too, didn’t shrink back in the slightest, as if entirely used to their player’s lack of reaction. It was as though they were saying: You play, and we’ll fangirl.
Normally, both for his club and the National Team, Kang Joo-heon’s position was center-forward—the spearhead striker. Today, however, he was playing as a midfielder. “Midfielder” was just a polite label; he defended, attacked, secured the ball himself, ran all over the pitch, and scored goals entirely on his own. In short, he was doing everything himself.
The opposing team, defenders and forwards alike, took the approach of marking Kang Joo-heon at all costs. Naturally, it didn’t go as planned.
In this amateur circuit, anyone who had played in middle or high school was considered an ace, but Kang Joo-heon was the top scorer of both the Premier League and the Champions League. This wasn’t just dominating; it was a literal slaughter of amateurs.
Watching him casually dribble his way through no fewer than eight players swarming him all at once, Yeon-seo thought:
‘Is it really necessary to go that hard against an amateur club?’
His technique went without saying, but his speed was utterly absurd. It had been astonishing on screen, but seeing it right before her eyes made it even more unbelievable.
Without exaggeration, taking one’s eyes off him for just a single second was enough for the man who was right there to suddenly be far across the pitch. A man defending his own goal just moments ago would already be in front of the opponent’s net if she looked away for even a split second.
Was he human or Hong Gildong?! Wait, Hong Gildong was human too, wasn’t he?
Catching herself staring with her mouth agape, Yeon-seo suddenly snapped back to her senses. Rooting for the overwhelmingly dominant side went against her nature in any situation. Besides, not a single soul was cheering for the other team.
So Yeon-seo deliberately raised her voice and shouted:
“FC Bella, fighting!”
At that moment, the man who hadn’t flinched at countless adoring shouts whipped his head toward her. Deliberately kicking the ball out of bounds, he strode aggressively over toward Yeon-seo.
“Whose secretary are you?”
His already sharp gaze slanted up even further.
“Say that again.”
Yeon-seo hastily pumped her fist to survive. It was pure instinct.
“FC Thor, fighting!”
Only after wringing a cheer out of Yeon-seo’s mouth did Kang Joo-heon return to the pitch, leaving behind a glare that warned her to get it right.
Yeon-seo swallowed her tears. Surrounded by a whole flock of Honey Joo-heon fans, he couldn’t stand even one person cheering for the other team? The Bible spoke of the man with ninety-nine sheep coveting the single sheep of another—wasn’t this the exact same thing?
About five minutes into the match, the first goal was scored. The scorer, of course, was Kang Joo-heon.
“Kang Joo-heon! Kang Joo-heon! Kang Joo-heon!”
As Honey Joo-heon chanted frantically as if possessed, Kang Joo-heon suddenly glared sharply at Yeon-seo, causing her heart to drop into her stomach and her head to snap down.
‘What did I do wrong this time?’
Normally, Kang Joo-heon’s goal celebration was to stand motionless, shade his eyes with his right hand, and gaze quietly toward a section of the stands. When playing abroad, it would be toward where the Korean fans were gathered, and during matches in Korea, he would slowly scan across the entire crowd.
It wasn’t a particularly flashy celebration, but even this was an object of adoration for his fans. They praised him as a player who, despite his aloofness and rarely voicing affection, never forgot his fans even in his most triumphant moments.
Yet today, every time he scored a goal, he strangely glared straight at Yeon-seo. At first she wondered if she was imagining things, but once it happened three, then four times, there was no mistaking it.
Because of this, Yeon-seo was on pins and needles the entire game. What kind of retribution was this just for cheering the other team once? If she cheered twice, he’d probably grab her by the collar!
The final score of the championship match was 7 to 3, a victory for FC Thor with Kang Joo-heon as their ringer. Out of the seven goals, Kang Joo-heon had scored five. Meanwhile, the reason FC Bella was able to score as many as three goals was, of course, because Thor had no goalkeeper.
Once the match ended, players from both teams rushed in without distinction to ask for autographs. In truth, FC Bella had only protested because they hated losing; who wouldn’t want to play on the same pitch as Kang Joo-heon? It was a story to boast over drinks for the rest of their lives.
Looking like someone who would flatly refuse, Kang Joo-heon surprisingly obliged the fan service diligently. Given his temperament, one could hardly call his attitude sweet, but seeing him shake hands and sign autographs for every single person without showing a hint of displeasure, Yeon-seo thought:
‘I guess he isn’t completely rotten after all.’
There was one item everyone was drooling over: the Gloucester jersey Kang Joo-heon had worn during the match. And the person Kang Joo-heon stripped his jersey off and handed it to was none other than the FC Thor goalkeeper who had been relegated to the bench earlier because of his remark.
Clutching the jersey—hand-signed by Kang Joo-heon—like a treasure, the goalkeeper spoke into the microphone with a dazed expression.
“I didn’t even play in the match and I got a signed jersey from Kang Joo-heon. I definitely need to buy a lottery ticket this week.”
Laughter erupted from all around.
Following the trophy presentation, the players were overjoyed after taking group photos with Kang Joo-heon.
“Man, this is seriously a story to drink to for the rest of my life. To think I actually played with Kang Joo-heon!”
“Just a drinking story? This is an honor for the whole family!”
Would they be any happier even if they won the lottery, as they’d said? Watching grown men rejoice with the pure innocence of young children made her nose sting with emotion. Then, Yeon-seo suddenly thought of her dad. My dad would be just as thrilled if I brought him Kang Joo-heon’s autograph.