Prologue

— Yeongho! Yeongho!

— Choi Yeongho, open your eyes!

— Young-ho, please, Young-ho!

One of the players fell on the field during the match.

He had a heart attack.

He never woke up after that.

[Unfortunately, we have sad news to report. At 3 a.m. today, Choi Yeongho, a player of the K-League professional soccer team, Pohang Hammers, who fell during a match and was taken to the hospital, died after suffering a shock].

[The cause of death is believed to be a heart attack. Choi Yeongho was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest but never regained consciousness.]

[Choi Yeongho, known as the «little giant» despite being less than 150 centimeters tall, became the K-League's top scorer and won the MVP award by showing his personality on the field.]

[He was especially known for overcoming his physical limitations and proving his ability in professional soccer through phenomenal play. He scored numerous goals, performing flamboyant and unpredictable actions despite his small stature].

[He also became famous for making his professional soccer debut at the age of 23, which is considered late. Members of the soccer community have expressed regret, noting that if he had shown his talent earlier and had better conditions, he could have become an even more outstanding player].

This player, who showed his talent late and started playing soccer, grew up in an orphanage. He spent a difficult childhood unaware of his talent and finally found his way into soccer. Soccer fans couldn't help but know his story.

But perhaps because of his body's congenital weakness, he struggled to become a soccer player and made incredible efforts to make his professional debut...

However, his body eventually failed him.

[«Little Giant», Choi Yeongho died during a match...]]

[«Genius player from the orphanage» Choi Yeongho died of a heart attack during a match...]

[Choi Yeongho's former colleague: «Something unbelievable happened».]

[K-League administration mourns Choi Yeongho...]

[Pohang: «We will honor Choi Yeongho's success story».]

Less than 150 centimeters tall.

But he has a genius ability.

He started soccer at the age of 22 and made his professional debut at the age of 23, adjusting to professional soccer solely due to his talent. He received offers from clubs from England, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Middle East for large sums, but...

Before he could move to another club, he collapsed during a match due to a heart attack.

Public opinion was inclined to believe that if his health had been a little better and he was taller, he could have become a world player, a pillar of Korean soccer. He also had a few matches for the national team.

However, his death did not become a long-discussed topic. He didn't have time to make it to the international level, didn't leave a significant mark on the national team and therefore wasn't known to everyone.

The news was quickly forgotten.

[Next news. The married couple of Korean sports heroes, Kang Cheolho and Yeon Minji, announced the birth of a son. Earlier...]

Thus, the death of one player was soon forgotten.

***

The realization of everything came.

When I finally realized my previous life.

I recognized that I had been reborn.

I have a poor understanding of what happened.

I was running like crazy to score a goal to tie the game, but suddenly I fell and it became my last memory from my previous life.

But this is a chance.

I didn't think it was possible, but my dream has come true.

Now I am not just a 148 cm tall player who can't compete with physically gifted opponents.

I was the youngest son in a family of elite athletes.

The first time I heard my «parents» talk, it went something like this:

— Yujin, peek-a-boo!

— Take a good look. You shouldn't scare our boy like that.

— How can I scare our little boy? Peek-a-boo!

— If he looks like us, Yujin will probably grow to 195 centimeters, right?

— He's got to be over six feet tall. What are you talking about? You want him to be a basketball player?

— What if he plays basketball like his sister?

— Of course! How great would it be if both Eugene and Yuju played basketball!

It was a chance I couldn't pass up.

Never before had I experienced such love and care from my family.

These were exactly the kinds of things I lacked in my previous life.

When I was only two years old.

I touched a ball for the first time.

Of course, it was a basketball.

Because my father was a basketball player.

And a very famous one at that.

— That's right, that's right! You're good! This is a basketball. And it needs to be thrown into this hoop!

— Basketball?

— Yes! Basketball!

— Basketball.

— You want to try it? That's it! Just like daddy. You got the ball right? Did you look at Daddy and do the same thing? Ha-ha-ha-ha! Yeah, throw it like that!

My dad really loved me.

Now, barely two years old, he bought me a kid's basketball set and just put it in front of me.

— Ha-ha-ha. Son, you're going to be a great basketball player, just like daddy!

And genetically, I was aiming straight for the hoop.

Maybe it's instinctual.

I don't know if I like it or not.

In fact, I want to do something else.

— Dad. Where's the soccer ball?

— The what?

— The soccer ball!

— Why are you looking for the soccer ball?

— Because I like soccer!

From the moment I realized my previous life, my only goal is soccer.

— Why do you want to pursue soccer if ....

— Soccer!

It's the perfect chance.

A chance to live the life I've wanted for so long.

Why?

This family is exceptional because of their genes.

The father is a basketball player.

The mother is a track and field athlete.

Both are considered legends in their respective fields.

The father, although he only spent his first season in the NBA, won the Rookie of the Year award this year.

His height is 210 centimeters.

The mother is the first Korean track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal.

Her height is 189 centimeters.

Both of them almost surpass human proportions in height and build.

Thanks to them, my height far exceeds that of my peers.

The kids I met in kindergarten were shorter than me by at least a head, and I greedily devoured solid food due to lack of breast milk.

— Ha-ha. It's like looking at myself when I was younger. When I was little, I could eat five bowls of rice.

— How much ttokbokki did we eat when we were dating? Fifteen servings at one time?

— Well, I ate ten servings by myself. You probably ate about the same amount.

Truly remarkable genes.

Not only me, but my three-year-old sister is also incredibly tall.

Maybe memories and talents from my past life added to this physique?

When the kids at daycare played with toys, I was the only one playing with a soccer ball.

— By the way, should I really give it to soccer? Is it true what the kindergarten teacher said?

— They said he was playing alone with a soccer ball on the playground. But he kicked it over 300 times without dropping it once.

— That's... Doesn't he know how to handle a ball? I don't know much about soccer.

— Maybe I should get a coach I know. My brother knows a lot of people in the soccer business.

— Well, he's a baseball player. Does he know that many people in soccer? We should make him a basketball player after all....

— Come on, let him do what he likes. What's the point of forcing him? He's not interested in basketball at all.

As time went on, I finally got my chance.

A coach visited our house.

He's our mom's brother, so we know him.

Coincidence or fate.

I recognize his face.

He must be Coach Lee Sanjo, whom I met when the former Choi Yeongho went from amateur to professional club Pohang Hammers.

— Hello!

— Wow, you're so energetic. You're Yujin, right?

— Yes!

— Nice to meet you. I'm Coach Lee Sanjo from Seoul Phoenix.

«Seoul? So he moved from Pohang».

— Since you're very small, the test will be simple. Oh Joonghwan was so insistent. He said that I should at least have a cursory glance.

— Ho-ho. You're overestimating Yujin too much.

— You're too modest. If Joonghwan said so, he must have something in him. All right, Yujin. You want to hit the ball once? If you do it like you always do, Uncle will give you something nice to eat. What do you want to eat?

I was about to kick the ball, but when he asked me what I wanted to eat, I didn't hesitate:

— Chicken.

— That's good. Chicken is good.

— Alpha chicken, half boneless, half conventional.

— That's pretty specific. My uncle likes Dodo chicken. Bone-in, not boneless.

— They have a good soy sauce flavor.

— You understand what this is about, don't you?

«Of course».

In a previous life, I was very picky when ordering chicken. Eating it was always a big decision.

Therefore, even when ordering a single chicken, I strictly chose the best one.

Anyway, I put the ball on the ground and reflected.

I had longed so much for this kind of environment.

An environment where I could reveal my talent earlier and stronger than ever.

I'm taller than others, with a strong and steady heartbeat.

— All right, I'll take a beating.

— Yujin, don't be nervous!

— Son, if you can't kick the ball, just pick it up and throw it in the hoop! Play basketball!

«Sorry, Dad, but I prefer to use my legs rather than my arms».

My heart is pounding slightly.

It's definitely not because I can't wait to show off my skills and then eat chicken.

«Tap!»

When I sprinted next to the soccer ball, it was as if the world went silent.

It seemed like...

Something had changed.

My eyes were fixed on the ball and even when I touched it with the toe of my shoe and kicked my foot forward, my gaze never took my eyes off of it.

«Bang!»

And then, as the silence dispelled....

«Tud».

The ball flew quickly and accurately into the corner of the goal.

The three adults beside me stood in utter confusion.

— We just have to make a soccer player out of him, sir, ma'am.

That was it.

That feeling.

— What six-year-old has such perfect form? His run and kick is no joke. The strength in his ankle. wow!

Amidst such flattering comments, the coach gave his closing remarks:

— This kid is definitely going to be a soccer player. You don't have to force him to do anything else.

Is it just about running and ankle strength?

That's exactly what I've acquired in this life.

Despite my lack of physical attributes as a soccer player in a past life, I was able to play because I had a «different» weapon.

Known as soccer intelligence.

Well, that's what it is.

But the fact that I was rated so highly based on physical ability alone, without even looking at my skills....

This family has amazing genes.

— No, why don't we make him a basketball player? He'll grow even taller!

— Haven't you seen the way he shoots the ball? If he can play basketball as well as he shoots the ball, then maybe. But isn't soccer more popular than basketball in Korea?

— No... I wanted both women's and men's basketball to be dominated by a senior and a junior! - exclaimed the father in despair.

I caught the ball as it shook the net and rolled back to me.

Unlike my old life, my body moves exactly the way I think it should, and my strength is the way I want it to be. Even though I'm only six years old.

And I thought.

If I add to that the talent and experience from my past life...

I could be the best player in the world.

If possible, a player who will win the Ballon d'Or as easily as he breathes.

So in this life.

No matter what, I will play soccer.