Chapter 4: "Seven Minutes to Destiny"

Returning home, Yu Jiwoo had dinner with his family.

"Has anyone at school asked you to rejoin the soccer team?"

Dinner conversations at the table always involved soccer.

"Of course not. If they let me back in, it'd only take a moment for the association to turn against them. Would they risk it?"

"Why are those people so stubborn even after all these years? They could at least let it go now that your suspension is over."

Yu Hanwoo, Jiwoo's father, was a chef running a Western restaurant called Joy of Taste in Cheongju.

"What did my son do that was so wrong!"

His mother, Seo Seolhee, was a pharmacist.

"Dad, when are you going to take down that sign at the restaurant entrance?"

"What sign?"

"The one that says people from the Soccer Association or Haewoon Middle School are banned."

"Ha! Never! Even if they offer me a fortune, they won't get a single grain of rice from me!"

"You're doing the right thing. If they do come, I'll personally give you laxatives to serve them. I'll bring them myself."

Jiwoo shook his head.

"You two really wouldn't survive without me, would you?"

"And what about you?"

"What?"

"When Jiwoo was crying alone in his room after being suspended, who stormed into the association's office and cursed them out?"

"T-That was!"

"I never knew my daughter had such a foul mouth until then."

"They were ignoring their own mistakes and blaming everything on Jiwoo! That's why I did it!"

The family loved Yu Jiwoo dearly, and being with them always made him feel at ease and allowed him to laugh freely.

As dinner was nearly finished, Jiwoo brought up an important topic.

"Mom, Dad, there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Can I go abroad?"

At the mention of going abroad, the family collectively paused mid-bite.

"All of a sudden?"

"Today, I met an overseas scout in front of the school. He said he came because of the Future Cup."

"Overseas? Where?"

"Boca Juniors."

"Boca Juniors…."

Yu Hanwoo thought for a moment before responding.

"Argentina?"

"Yes."

Being a soccer enthusiast, he immediately recognized the club's location.

"Argentina has bad security, doesn't it? Wouldn't Europe be better?"

The mention of Argentina made Seo Seolhee worry. Stories about poor security in South American countries, including Argentina, had long been a concern, making her reluctant to let her son go there.

"I heard the central areas are relatively safe."

"Hmm."

Despite his reassurance, her expression remained uneasy. Hanwoo took a sip of water and spoke.

"Can you trust the people who approached you? They could just be making empty promises like the ones last year."

Over the past year, several scouts had contacted Jiwoo, but none had led to anything concrete.

"Judging by their business card and what they said, I don't think they were lying."

"Do they know about the incident from a year ago?"

"Yes."

Hanwoo put down his spoon with a slight clatter.

"Since we're talking about it, I'll admit I've been worried. In this small country, surviving after angering the association is almost impossible."

"...."

"The best option is going abroad, but I can't just entrust you to people I don't know anything about."

Having seen his son suffer multiple setbacks over the past year, Hanwoo hesitated to send him overseas. The thought of Jiwoo facing even greater challenges in an unfamiliar environment was unsettling.

"Here's the business card."

"Yoon Mootae?"

"If you're worried, why don't you meet them yourself? If you still have doubts after that, I'll reconsider."

Hanwoo examined the business card for a moment before standing up and dialing the number on it.

– "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Yu Jiwoo's father, Yu Hanwoo."

The person on the other end was Yoon Mootae.

– "Ah! Hello! I'm Yoon Mootae, the translator for Mr. Rodrigo, the Asia team leader for Boca Juniors."

"Yes, I'm calling because I heard your team visited my son's school today and made him an offer."

– "That's correct! Have you made a decision yet?"

Looking at Jiwoo, Hanwoo continued.

"It's difficult to decide immediately. As you might know, my son has been through a lot."

– "Ah… I understand. What can we do to help ease your concerns?"

Hanwoo responded promptly.

"I'd like to meet with you and hear more in person."

---

The next day, in front of the Royal Hotel in Cheongju.

"Who's that?"

At 10 a.m., Yoon Mootae stepped out of the hotel, followed by Rodrigo. Suppressing a laugh, Yoon looked at him.

"What is it?"

Rodrigo, who usually preferred casual attire over formal suits, looked entirely different today. He was dressed in a pristine suit and had clearly taken extra care with his hair.

"Are you a scout or an actor? Heading to an award show, perhaps?"

"...You're mocking me, aren't you?"

"Pfft."

"See? You are mocking me!"

"When did I? Oh! We'll be late at this rate. Let's go."

As they got into the car and headed toward Jiwoo's neighborhood, Yoon turned to Rodrigo and asked.

"…Are you teasing me?"

"Pfft."

"See! You are teasing me!"

"When did I ever? Oh no, at this rate, we'll be late. Let's get going."

As they got into the car and drove toward Jiwoo Yoo's neighborhood, Yoon Moo-tae asked Rodrigo, "Are you really not going to Seoul today?"

"Why?"

"You have a lunch meeting with the Football Association today, remember? About setting up the Boca Juniors Academy in Korea."

Rodrigo had come to Korea primarily to work on establishing a Boca Juniors Academy there.

"I'll leave that to the staff. What matters more to me is finding a gem who will secure Boca Juniors' future."

Rodrigo disliked such meetings and was skipping the one today to focus on Jiwoo Yoo.

"By the way, what are you looking at so intently?"

"Preparation."

"Preparation for what?"

"To persuade Yoo's parents, of course."

At a traffic light, Yoon Moo-tae glanced sideways at Rodrigo.

"What do you see in Yoo that makes you go this far?"

He was genuinely curious.

In the two years he'd worked as Rodrigo's interpreter, he'd never seen him invest this much effort in any player.

Usually, Rodrigo would draw the line with players who hesitated or made demands, ending things with a simple, "Alright then, goodbye."

Although Jiwoo Yoo had shown promise in his brief appearance on the field, it had only been one substitute appearance. Unlike Rodrigo, Yoon Moo-tae wasn't entirely convinced.

"I'm confident in him."

"Yoo is good, but can you really be this sure after just seven minutes of play?"

"In my years of scouting, I've met players who couldn't win me over after months or even years. But Yoo won me over in just seven minutes. He's the only one who's ever done that."

After an hour-long drive, they arrived in Gongju, where Jiwoo lived.

"Whew."

Stepping out of the car, Rodrigo took a deep breath.

"This could take a while. Are you prepared to endure it?"

"If it means recruiting the player who stole my heart in just seven minutes, I'll endure anything."

After ringing the doorbell and entering the house, they were welcomed into the living room by Jiwoo's mother, Seolhee Seo.

"You're here. Nice to meet you."

Rodrigo and Yoon Moo-tae were surprised when Jiwoo's father, Hanwoo Yoo, greeted them in Spanish.

"You speak Spanish?"

"Yes, I spent a few months living in Spain while learning to cook when I was younger. I can manage basic conversations."

"That's fantastic!"

Excited by the unexpected familiarity, Rodrigo laid out a stack of documents on the table.

"I'll explain the details about our club now."

"Please go ahead."

"First, here."

Rodrigo handed over his business card.

"I'm Rodrigo, Boca Juniors' Asia team leader."

"In that case, here's mine."

Hanwoo handed over his business card in return.

"Oh, you're a chef?"

"Just enough to make a living, hahaha."

The conversation started on a friendly note, with small talk flowing naturally.

As Rodrigo passionately explained the club's plans, Yoon Moo-tae sipped his tea and discreetly rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

'…Is this real?'

Rodrigo, who was usually so casual, was acting meticulously polite.

Suppressing a laugh, Yoon Moo-tae noticed something hilarious under the table: Rodrigo's legs trembling, as if he had a cramp, visible only to him.

"By joining Boca Juniors, Yoo has the potential to debut as a pro within three years!"

Still clutching his trembling leg, Rodrigo spoke with fervor.

"Three years?"

"Yes."

"What makes you so confident in my son?"

Rodrigo pulled out a photograph of a player Hanwoo Yoo instantly recognized.

"Javier Casero…"

Javier Casero, a franchise star of Boca Juniors, was a player every football fan knew.

"But why are you showing me his picture?"

"I scouted him."

"…"

"Yoo has even more potential to succeed than Javier."

Many football fans lamented that Javier Casero could have had an illustrious career filled with trophies if he had moved to a European club.

["Javier Casero has the potential to win the Ballon d'Or if he joins a European giant."]

Hearing someone compare his son to such a player filled Hanwoo with joy—but also skepticism.

"Are you just saying this to impress us?"

"No, I'm telling you this because I genuinely believe it. It took me three days to be certain about Javier Casero, but I was convinced about Yoo in just seven minutes."

Rodrigo trusted his instincts—they had never failed him.

"The players I've scouted have never failed, and Yoo won't either."

Hanwoo maintained a composed demeanor and continued the discussion.

"If my son moves to Argentina, what will his living arrangements be like?"

"The club will handle everything. We have dormitories, but if that's not preferable, we can arrange for him to live with his family."

"I see."

"We'll also assign him a personal manager. Mr. Yoon here will help Yoo with translation, education, and adjusting to life in Argentina!"

Hearing this, Yoon Moo-tae's face froze.

The night before, Rodrigo had casually floated the idea:

"Mister Yoon, you should take care of Yoo."

"Me? But I'm your interpreter."

"Yoo doesn't have an agent yet. It's just until he fully adjusts—once he gets an agent, you can step back."

Yoon Moo-tae had been ready to refuse until he saw Rodrigo's gaze.

<"Say no, and I'll kill you.">

That's how it felt. Reluctantly, he had nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I'll ensure he adjusts smoothly."

Yoon Moo-tae just wanted to survive.

"That's reassuring. Adapting to a new country was one of my biggest concerns."

"It's definitely a major hurdle."

"If we proceed with the contract, when would he leave for Argentina?"

"We'll need to discuss it, but likely not before October. There are contracts to finalize and visa issues to resolve."

Moving abroad wasn't an immediate process. Many hurdles remained.

After discussing various details, Hanwoo broached the most critical subject.

"Have you heard about the incident from a year ago, involving the coach?"

Rodrigo had anticipated this question.

"Yes."

"…And it's not an issue?"

With a confident smile, Rodrigo replied, "There are players in football with far worse transgressions."

"But this involved assaulting a coach."

While many players were known for their indiscretions, assaulting a coach was on another level. Yet Rodrigo dismissed it lightly.

"So what? As long as the results speak for themselves, fans won't jeer—they'll cheer. That's the unchanging magic of football."

His words were true. Players who underperformed and had poor conduct were criticized, but those who delivered results were often forgiven.

After discussing more concerns, Rodrigo passionately declared, "If anyone in the club engages in racism, I'll personally kick them out. Mistakes are tolerable, but racists have no place in Boca Juniors!"

Finally, Hanwoo asked one last question.

"There's just one more thing I'd like to know."

"Of course, ask anything."

"How confident are you that my son will succeed as a professional at Boca Juniors?"

This was about his son's future.

"I am 100% certain."

Rodrigo's eyes burned with sincerity as Hanwoo fell into deep thought. Then Rodrigo used the final tactic Yoon Moo-tae had jokingly suggested the night before.

In awkward Korean, but with heartfelt sincerity, he said,

"Ahtoonimeul jeoehgeh jushiseyo! (Please entrust your son to me!)"

It sounded like a marriage proposal.