I rejected the school bully’s confession because of soccer.

I high-fived the substituted player and ran onto the field.

Murmurs could be heard from the stands.

Were they surprised to see a small child running out?

Such reactions weren’t important to me.

At that moment, the coach shouted.

“Kang! Show them everything you’ve got!”

I grinned and gave a thumbs up.

Then, one of the opposing defenders asked me with a snickering face.

“Has your team completely given up?”

I understood.

It was understandable to think that way when someone as visibly young as me was suddenly put in.

“You’ll see soon enough.”

The ball quickly came to me.

Even if the opponents didn’t, at least my teammates seemed to believe in the coach’s choice and me.

At that moment, I noticed the opposing defender who had taunted me earlier getting closer.

He was a player with a big build and a sense of weight.

‘If he rushes in so recklessly, it’s good for me.’

As I lightly turned my body…

Bang!
The defender who didn’t slow down crashed into me.

Was he planning to push me away from the start?

I put as much strength as possible into my lower body to withstand it.

And I was slightly surprised at myself.

‘This is doable?’

The impact of the collision was big, but strangely, my lower body held up well.

I even laughed because it didn’t feel like I was straining too much to withstand it.

But the problem was the upper body.

I felt my upper body being pushed back and my balance collapsing.

“I’ll take the ball, little one.”

As I lost the ball helplessly, I realized that just having a strong lower body wasn’t enough.

‘This isn’t right.’

Even if it’s not the lower body but the upper body, if I keep taking damage like this, my balance will be shaken.

Let’s not be proud.

There was no need to simply cling to physical confrontations.

Knowing that they were intentionally engaging in foul-level physical play, I shouldn’t even give them time to get close.

The ball came to me again.

‘They still trust me and pass even though I lost it easily…’

I wanted to repay the trust of my teammates and coach.

At that moment, the defender came rushing again.

I kicked the ball into empty space as if passing, and ran towards it with all my might.

The defender’s foot came in deep, but I lightly jumped over it as if doing hurdle racing.

I rather increased my speed.

And quickly assessed the situation.

Lucas was being man-marked, and a defender was following from behind.

‘It would be good if the keeper came out, but he’s not.’

The opposing goalkeeper chose to calmly trust his teammates and wait rather than narrowing the angle.

How long will he not come out?

I approached quickly, dribbling the ball.

He’s standing firm, perhaps trying to use the fact that the goal is quite small compared to a regular soccer field.

‘Yeah, keep standing there.’

At that moment, I saw the goalkeeper make a slight forward movement.

I smirked.

‘It’s already too late.’

There was no need to kick this hard.

Just a tap, as if passing to a player, thinking of the goal as a player.

The ground ball sent diagonally shook the goal net.

The stands fell silent for a moment.

“Woooooah!!”

Then a huge cheer erupted.

The faces of the opposing team’s players were colored with bewilderment.

“It’s just 1 point now. The match is almost over.”
“Don’t let your guard down! Focus until the end!”

The opposing team’s voices rose slightly.

The expression of the player who had taunted me, in other words, the one who had lost me, was worth seeing.

“Hit and run? If you use your stamina like that right after being substituted, you’ll burn out faster than me.”
“Are you worried about me? That’s very kind of you.”

The atmosphere on the field had completely changed.

As if one goal had brought momentum, hope replaced resignation in my teammates’ eyes.

Conversely, the opposing team couldn’t hide their anxiety.

I understood their urgency, having been caught up by one point immediately after a substitution.

‘Especially since they’re children.’

The game resumed.

Based on their revived confidence, my teammates cleanly blocked the opponent’s counterattack.

And immediately sent a pass to me.

It was a pass that felt like their trust in me had grown stronger.

But there was one problem.

This time, two defenders were sticking to me.

Both had huge builds and unyielding looks in their eyes.

They surrounded me, making it difficult to advance or pass.

Honestly, I felt like I could shake them off.

But I saw a more certain path than individual skills.

7 vs 7 game.

A smaller field compared to a regular soccer field.

Nevertheless, due to the fewer players, the structure allowed for clearer shooting paths than expected.

I saw such a path in front of me now.

A path worth trying if I could tap into my senses.

The path was clearly visible, but whether I could kick properly was another matter.

But it was too good an opportunity to hesitate and choose the safe path.

‘Even the spectators often want a clean mid-range shot in frustrating situations.’

Moreover, there wasn’t much time left.

It was time for a bold shot.

And this was that moment.

I stopped advancing.

And turned sideways.

The opposing defenders were momentarily confused, then tried hard to stick to me.

But it was too late.

In that time, I gently pushed the ball forward with my right foot, focusing all my nerves on my toes.

The hitting point and direction of a mid-range shot.

The line drawn in my mind.

Thwack!

The ball that exploded from my toes flew low and strong.

The ball quickly crossed between the defenders, approaching the goal.

The opposing goalkeeper dived.

But the ball stuck in the corner without even grazing his hand.

“Uwaaaaah!!”
“Waaaaaah!!”

The field was filled with cheers that seemed to explode.

The opposing team’s players looked at each other with dazed faces.

Our teammates ran to me with unbelievable expressions.

“Kang! What are you really?”
“I knew you could do it!”

Teammates not just piling on me but crushing me.

“Ugh… the game… isn’t over… get off…”

The teammates hurriedly moved away and helped me up.

“Right, we can’t let our crack get hurt.”

Hands strongly patting my back.

It was full of affection but it hurt.

The game continued.

Only 2 minutes left.

The opposing team changed their formation.

Everyone went into defense, looking as if they had parked a bus in front of the goal.

‘All-out defense?’

Just looking at it made me sigh.

They must think it’s better than losing, even if they’ll regret ending a game they were leading as a draw.

I had a feeling the situation wouldn’t be easy.

‘We might not even get one chance to attack.’

In another game, I would have been greedy to try to break through alone.

But not now.

I couldn’t pour cold water on my teammates and the spectators with such an action now.

‘But there’s a limit to trying tiki-taka with teammates too.’

Parking the bus isn’t something that can be simply broken through with tiki-taka between forwards.

We’d likely just waste time passing the ball around and end the game.

Of course, even if the game ended like this, I’d be treated as a hero within the team.

It was obvious that the coach would praise me too.

But I had no intention of ending with a draw.

I wanted to lead this game to victory somehow, not being satisfied with a draw.

With that feeling, I shouted loudly.

“Give it to Lucas!”

I wasn’t the captain, but my teammates nodded without hesitation.

While the ball was being passed to Lucas, I racked my brain.

Now that everyone has converted to defenders in front of the goal.

What if we competed for an aerial ball?

Even if I was confident I could match them in height, it was obvious I’d be pushed back in physical confrontations.

‘If I’m pushed back in the air, there’s nowhere to hold on and endure.’

Meanwhile, the ball reached Lucas’s feet.

Perhaps the last chance.

Lucas looked at me with an expression asking what I was thinking.

He probably made a judgment similar to mine.

Aerial competition would be difficult, and there didn’t seem to be a path to pass either.

If I moved my position, there would be a defender precisely cutting the space, and another marking me from the side.

Lucas looked deeply troubled.

I shouted towards Lucas.

“What we practiced! That!”

To be precise, it was more like a shot than a cross.

It was a way of sending the ball low and fast.

It would be difficult for the opposing defenders to predict the hitting point.

Moreover, since the ball is so fast, they might not even think it’s a cross.

‘If that happens, they can’t easily jump by instinct.’
This is certainly effective against children with different body sizes in aerial competitions.
I was planning to test if it could be used effectively in practice games, but…
‘I didn’t expect to use it like this…’

There was a high chance they wouldn’t even be able to move their feet, busy watching where the ball was going.

If I jump up alone while everyone is slow to react, trying to grasp the situation?

The burden of ball competition would definitely be reduced.

‘But the problem is, if I don’t hit it properly, that’s the end of it.’

But there was no other way.

Meanwhile, Lucas’s eyes sparkled momentarily.

There was no doubt in that gaze.

A face that seemed to trust me completely.

And he kicked the ball low and fast.

As expected, the defenders had faces saying ‘Is it a shot?’

In the midst of that, I alone jumped up watching the incoming ball.

The time in the air was momentary, but it felt long to me.

The trajectory of the ball, its speed, and the movement of my body.

The practice of receiving Lucas’s passes flashed through my mind.

The success rate was about 20 percent.

That was actually a high estimate, but now I had no choice but to believe in it.

Everyone held their breath and watched the situation.

I calmly stretched out my foot.