All Football Talents Are Mine!

"Shootdori?"

Wu Hwangseon furrowed his brows as his wife, Kim Heeseon, asked, "What's that?"

It was perfectly normal for the couple to be unfamiliar with the name.

The youth development program Run, Shootdori was set to air for the first time this year. It wasn't widely known yet.

"Here!"

Hoyoung eagerly grabbed their hands and led them into the room, pointing at the computer monitor.

An online news article was displayed on the screen.

"The Nation's First Youth Football Development Program Run, Shootdori—Auditions Approaching…"

Seeing the bold headline, the couple scratched their heads simultaneously.

"What's Shootdori supposed to mean? Do you know anything about this?"

"No, this is the first I've heard of it. I didn't even know such a program existed."

Wu Hwangseon scrolled down, reading the article slowly.

"Let's see… The Run, Shootdori auditions will take place on September 3rd. This program is a new segment of Happy Sunday, broadcasted by MBS. It's a youth development program targeting children between the ages of eight and ten. The head coach of the soon-to-be-established FC Shootdori team will be none other than the singer Kim Jungguk…"

Wu Hwangseon lowered his head in thought, his expression turning serious.

Hoyoung's eyes sparkled.

"Dad, I want to do this."

Wearing his best puppy-eyed expression, Hoyoung clutched both of their hands tightly.

The couple burst into laughter.

"Why is our Hoyoung so full of energy today?"

"Hahaha! If our son wants to do it, of course, we'll let him!"

Wu Hwangseon laughed heartily, agreeing without hesitation.

What parent could refuse when their child looked at them like that?

Besides, attending an audition didn't cost anything; there was no reason to say no.

Time flew by, and soon, it was Saturday, September 3rd.

The venue was the Korea Football Association's training facility, Paju NFC. Usually reserved for national team training, today, it was set to host the Run, Shootdori auditions.

As preparations were underway, the production team gathered to finalize the application reviews.

"So, we need to narrow this down to at least eight but no more than ten kids?"

"Exactly."

Holding a megaphone, PD Choi Hyungjae waved a stack of 300 applications.

The competition rate was approximately 30:1.

In reality, the preliminary selection had already been completed the night before.

"No need to drag this out. Let's focus on the ones we shortlisted yesterday."

Even before the auditions began, about thirty children had already been pre-selected.

The main criterion? Appearance.

Although disguised as a youth development program, Choi Hyungjae's real plan was to emphasize the entertainment aspect.

After all, for Shootdori to succeed, the kids needed to be cute and charming.

"So we're not considering skill at all?"

A curious young man at the table spoke up.

"Ah, Jungguk."

Kim Jungguk.

He had been cast as the coach of Shootdori and was known for his signature eye smile whenever he laughed.

PD Choi Hyungjae responded, "Well, the show's concept is 'The Challenge of the Underdogs.' If a kid's skills don't generate buzz, we're not including them. Oh, and about the test you're conducting today, Jungguk?"

"Yes?"

"We're using it for a promotional video, so keep an eye on the kids as you do it. But don't go too easy on them—just enough to make it interesting. You get what I mean?"

"Of course. I'll do my best."

With Kim Jungguk's determined nod, PD Choi Hyungjae stood up.

"Alright, let's see if we can find any promising kids."

The auditions took place on a small football field enclosed by tents.

One by one, the participants entered in order.

"Introduce yourself, please."

"Hello! My name is Kim Taehyu, and I'm in Class 3, Grade 2 at Dongsung Elementary!"

Time passed, and three hours into the auditions, PD Choi Hyungjae had already visualized the final lineup, showcasing his veteran instincts.

'A timid kid, two troublemakers, one mature type, one girl, two cute ones, and one handsome kid… That should round it out nicely.'

He organized his thoughts before speaking.

"That last kid was good, right?"

"Yeah, he can actually play, and he has a mischievous image. He could make for interesting content. Also, he doesn't overlap with any of the others."

"Alright. Add him to the final list. Next!"

Rustle.

"Hello!"

A confident voice rang through the audition room as another child entered.

His energy immediately drew attention.

But the moment PD Choi Hyungjae laid eyes on the boy, his enthusiasm faded.

"Your name is Woo Hoyoung?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm."

The boy wasn't particularly good-looking, nor was he tall.

In third grade, he was already past the 'adorably cute' phase, and there was nothing remarkable about his background.

There was no entertainment value in sight.

'Yeah, this one's a pass.'

Still, for the sake of formality, he continued the audition.

"Do you like football?"

"Yes! As much as the sky and the earth!"

"Hahaha! Then did you prepare any special talent to show us?"

"Yep!"

Hoyoung trotted over to a football ball resting in the corner.

"Hey, kiddo? We don't need football. Show us a special talent."

"But this is my special talent."

"Huh?"

"Hehehe!"

And with that, Hoyoung's performance began.

Tok.

He lifted the ball onto his foot and started juggling.

Using both feet, he maintained control effortlessly—a skill not easily mastered at his age.

And that wasn't all.

Tok! Tok!

"Oh?"

"Wow! He's good!"

Using every part of his body, Hoyoung manipulated the ball in an almost acrobatic display.

Everyone was too mesmerized to evaluate—they simply watched in awe.

"Whoa. He must've practiced a lot."

"Haha… This is something else…"

Gasps of admiration filled the room.

Hoyoung had spent the past month honing his skills.

A perfect blend of a 24-year-old's football experience and a prodigious talent.

He showcased everything he had prepared, leaving the staff stunned.

"PD Choi, isn't this kid a football prodigy?"

"Hmm. It does seem that way… Let's observe a little longer."

PD Choi turned to Hoyoung.

"Alright, we're going to do a simple test. Are you ready?"

"A test?"

Ho-young tilted his head in curiosity as Kim Jungguk stepped forward, holding a football ball.

"We're going to play a little game. I'll be the defender, and your job is to score a goal. Got it?"

"Yes!"

The test was similar to a street-style freestyle football challenge. If Ho-young could get past Jungguk and score in the small goal set up in the corner, he would win.

Of course, failing to score didn't mean he'd be eliminated. This was more of a promotional event rather than a serious skills evaluation.

That's why Jungguk had planned to go easy on the kids.

But then—

Tap, tap—

"Huh?"

Jungguk's expression shifted into one of mild surprise.

With a quick and unexpected dribble, Ho-young slipped right past him in an instant.

"Whoa… he's not just good at juggling, huh?"

Jungguk passed the ball back to Ho-young and grinned.

"Let's try that again."

This time, he wasn't going to hold back.

Not because he was getting competitive with a little kid—he just genuinely wanted to see how skilled Ho-young really was.

And then, just as the game restarted—

Ho-young quickly dribbled, opened up a shooting angle in a flash, and—

Boom!

He fired a shot.

It was a powerful mid-range strike.

Thud!

The ball slammed into the net with pinpoint accuracy.

Jungguk stared for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Wow! You're really good!"

It was an intelligent play. Knowing he couldn't overpower an adult physically, Ho-young had simply taken the shot from a distance.

And the fact that even Kim Jungguk, known for his skills among celebrity footballers, was impressed meant only one thing—

This kid could really play.

'Nice!'

Ho-young walked out of the audition area, feeling satisfied.

Judging by the reactions from the staff, he was pretty sure he had passed.

'All that practice paid off!'

The first step had been a success.

And once he made it onto the broadcast, it wouldn't take long for him to become famous.

'Pro teams will be fighting over me in no time. Then, just like Kang-min… hehehe.'

The biggest success story to come out of Shootdori was Kang Min.

With his overwhelming talent, he had captured the hearts of football fans across the country and quickly risen to stardom as a football prodigy.

Thanks to that, he secured a spot at the prestigious Spanish club Valencia CF, setting him firmly on the elite path.

'Valencia? Nah. I'm aiming for Barça! Or maybe Real Madrid?! Just wait and see!'

Just as Ho-young was walking away, a voice called out to him.

"Ho-young!"

It was a familiar face from the audition.

"Kim Jungguk hyung!"

"Oh? You know who I am?"

"Yeah! I saw you on Music Bank!"

"Hahaha! Is that so? Man, you were amazing back there!"

Jungguk grinned and held out a fist.

Ho-young bumped it without hesitation, and Jungguk let out a hearty laugh.

"Haha! You little rascal."

"Wait, hyung, are you going to be on the show too?"

"Yup. I'm going to be the team's coach."

"Ohh! Wait, Mom!"

"Mm?"

As Jungguk crouched down to Ho-young's eye level, two figures approached from the distance—Ho-young's parents, Woo Hwangseon and Kim Heeseon.

"Hello, sir. I'm Ho-young's father."

"Oh! You must be Ho-young's parents. Nice to meet you!"

Jungguk bowed politely, and Woo Hwangseon squinted at him.

"You look really familiar…"

Kim Heeseon tilted her head as well.

They both felt like they should recognize him, but the memory was just out of reach.

That was when Ho-young spoke up.

"Dad, it's Kim Jungguk. You know, from 'Black Cat Nero.'"

"Oh! Ahahaha! My goodness, I didn't recognize such a famous person. Nice to meet you!"

"Haha, not at all, sir. But wow, your son is really something. He plays football incredibly well."

"Hahaha! Thank you. Even as his father, I have to admit, I'm quite impressed myself."

"I'm serious! I wouldn't be surprised if he went pro overseas right away."

"Hohoho!"

Despite just meeting, the two men immediately hit it off.

"Anyway, I wish you all the best for the results."

"Thank you. You've worked hard."

"Of course. Ho-young, good luck!"

"You too, hyung!"

Just as Jungguk turned to leave, Ho-young suddenly noticed something strange.

Floating letters appeared in front of his eyes.

[Kim Jungguk]

Possessed Talents:

The Solid Muscles of a Gym Rat (C)

The Delicate Voice of a Ballad Singer (C)

(A talent may be acquired if conditions are met.)

(Condition 1: Work out together for at least 60 minutes.)

'Wait a second…'

Without hesitation, Ho-young blurted out—

"Kim Jungguk hyung!"

"Hmm?"

"D-Do you have any recommendations for protein supplements?"