Chapter 23: "The Moment to Prove Your Worth"

That evening, I went to Ministro Pistarini International Airport with my father.

"My soooooooon!"

"My little broooooooo!"

Today was the day my mom and sister arrived in Argentina.

As soon as the two of them emerged from the gate and spotted me, they ran over and hugged me tightly from both sides.

"Son! Why do you look so skinny? Is someone bullying you?"

"Is Dad not feeding you?"

"Do you know how well I take care of him? And what about me? Do you only see our son and not me? What about me?"

After more than six months of only talking on the phone, seeing them in person made it all the more emotional.

Mom and my sister stuck close to me, asking all sorts of questions, and soon our family left the airport and got into Dad's car.

"Oh~ You even have a car?"

"Of course! Your brother bought it to pick you up!"

"Brother, my foot."

"…Let's just go."

"Let's go, go, go! I'm so excited; this is my first time in Argentina."

The conversation flowed nonstop, likely because it had been so long since we were all together.

"How's the restaurant going? Are there a lot of customers?"

My sister, true to her identity as a chef, asked my dad about the restaurant.

"Son! How about visiting this place after your match?"

Mom, meanwhile, was looking up tourist spots in Argentina and mapping out routes for us to explore.

Once tomorrow's game was over, I'd get about a month off, so I planned to spend it entirely with my family.

"Oh, right. I heard you've scored 26 goals and made 5 assists in 14 matches?"

"Yep."

"So, are you moving up to the first team now?"

"Not yet, I think."

While talking with my sister, Mom, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around to look at me.

"With your skills, they should promote you to the first team immediately! Are they blind?"

The conversation naturally drifted back to football.

It would be nice to get promoted quickly, but I didn't want to rush things.

"Son! Boca Juniors is great, but you'll go to Europe someday, right?"

"I'm not sure yet. If the opportunity arises, I suppose."

"If that day comes!"

Mom and Dad exchanged a glance and said in unison,

"You have to go to Manchester United!"

Oh, right. My parents are die-hard Manchester United fans.

Our house is practically a shrine to Manchester United, with merchandise everywhere.

"Forget about washed-up United! If you go anywhere, it has to be the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City!"

My sister, of course, was a die-hard Manchester City fan.

"Wannabe City doesn't even deserve to be in the conversation!"

"At least we're not stuck in the past like your washed-up United!"

"No Champions League trophy, though."

"We'll win one soon!"

"You've been saying that for years! A club that reached the finals in 2021 and 2025 but still couldn't win—and barely makes it to the semis now."

"Waaaah! Jiwoo, you should join City and bring us the trophy!"

"My son is busy rebuilding United!"

"Why rebuild a completely broken team? That club got its death sentence ages ago!"

"They're not dead yet! With my son, they'll come back to life!"

"Jiwoo! Forget about dead clubs. Wouldn't you rather join a financially strong club that wins the league every other year?"

"Son, wouldn't a club with Champions League experience be better than a club with none?"

...Honestly, my family is chaos.

---

The Argentina Junior Cup.

As a youth cup, it didn't draw as much attention as professional matches.

But for football-loving Argentinians, it was another celebration.

"This match is at El Monumental, right?"

"Yeah, tough luck for Boca Juniors' kids. Of all the stadiums, it had to be River Plate's home ground."

The venue was chosen through a draw conducted by the Argentine Football Association, with representatives from both clubs present. River Plate's home ground, El Monumental, was selected. As a result, nine out of ten experts predicted a victory for River Plate's U-20 team.

"Shouldn't they exclude the home grounds of participating teams from the draw?"

"This is the first time this has happened, so even the Association must be flustered."

With seating for 70,000, El Monumental was the largest stadium in Argentina and frequently hosted the national team's matches.

Broadcast cameras lined the field to transmit the match across Argentina.

"It's been a while since these two clubs faced off in the Argentina Junior Cup, hasn't it?"

"Six years."

"Who do you think will win? Boca Juniors' kids seem pretty impressive too."

The match was so significant that fans from other clubs also came to watch.

This was because it was a mini Superclásico following the Christmas Derby.

"River Plate's kids will probably win, right?"

"Yeah, home advantage is no joke. No wonder experts give Boca Juniors U-20 only a 3% chance of winning."

The difference between home and away was stark, especially for inexperienced youth players.

---

In the locker room of Boca Juniors U-20, the players sat with tense expressions after finishing their warm-ups.

"Phew."

Lautaro Orban, introverted by nature, nervously bounced his leg.

"…You don't feel anything?"

Sitting nearby and calmly tying his boots, Jiwoo Yu nodded.

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because there's nothing to feel."

As soon as coach Rodolfo Pinty entered, the players fell silent.

However, they were shocked when they saw the people who walked in behind him.

"Because it really doesn't bother me."

As Rodolfo Pintí entered the locker room, the players fell silent, but they were startled by the people who came in right after him.

'Enrique Botto?'

It was the first-team director.

"Don't mind me. Just do your thing," Enrique Botto said, stepping back as Rodolfo Pintí began to speak.

"Judging by your expressions, you all seem scared."

– "No, sir!"

"Don't lie. Your faces say it all, you rascals! Hahaha!"

It was impossible to hide. Rodolfo Pintí could see through them instantly.

"I'll keep it brief."

Looking around at the players, he started his speech.

"Opportunities are given equally, but only a few are capable of seizing them."

The players paid close attention.

"Now, who do you think seizes those opportunities?"

He raised a finger, looking at the young players.

"Those who are prepared."

Opportunities may come to anyone. But not everyone can grasp them when they appear. Only those who are ready can make those opportunities their own.

"Are you ready to seize this incredible opportunity?"

– "Yes, sir!"

"Then stop acting like cowards! Fight like warriors wearing Boca's jersey! Crush your opponents and grab the opportunity in front of you!"

– "Yes, sir!"

"The door to the first team is open to everyone! If you want to step through, prove your worth to those who came here today!"

Hearing those words, the players' tension melted away, and their eyes burned with determination.

Seeing the change in atmosphere, Rodolfo Pintí smiled.

"Director?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to say a few words?"

Rodolfo Pintí stepped aside, making way for Enrique Botto.

"Seems like the coach has already said everything that needs to be said."

There wasn't much left for him to add. Rodolfo Pintí's words had already transformed the players into warriors.

"Show a game you can be proud of, one that honors all the sweat you've poured into this."

It was a short and straightforward remark. But Enrique Botto wasn't one to stop there.

"And after the match, let's celebrate with a chicken party! Fried chicken in the name of River Plate!"

– "Yes, sir!"

Time passed, and the players left the locker room, waiting in the tunnel for their entrance.

"Yu."

"Yeah?"

"The atmosphere feels different from usual."

"Does it?"

"Yeah. Normally, you just stand still in the tunnel, but now you're fidgeting."

"Well, I've got a reason why I can't afford to lose today."

"What's that?"

"My mom and sister are here."

While Hanwoo had watched many of Yu Jiwoo's games alone, this was the first time the whole family had come to watch in person.

'I definitely don't want to lose.'

It was the first match his entire family would watch together. That made him even more determined to win.

---

– "Forever River!"

– "Victory for River!"

– "The strongest in Argentina, River Plate!"

– "Burn Boca to ashes with the flames of victory!"

The passionate chants of River Plate supporters clashed with those of Boca Juniors:

– "Boca, dreaming by the sea!"

– "Crash over River like mighty waves and swallow them whole!"

The atmosphere was electric even before the match began.

"Wow, have you been enjoying this kind of vibe all by yourself?"

In the Boca Juniors supporters' section, Yu Jiwoo's mother, Seo Seolhee, and sister, Yu Minha, were sitting together.

"Stop it and sit down."

"Why? This is so exciting! It's been ages since I've been to an international game!"

Seo Seolhee was enchanted by the fiery South American atmosphere, which was hyped up by the supporters' chants.

Yu Minha felt the same.

"Wow… Jiwoo is really playing here?"

Though she had dreamed of becoming a footballer as a child, watching her younger brother cook had inspired her to pursue a career as a chef. Even so, she remained deeply interested in football, enough to be an official Manchester City supporter.

While the two women soaked in the atmosphere, the players began to enter the field. Yu Minha spotted her brother and pointed excitedly.

"Mom! There's Jiwoo!"

Immediately, she grabbed her phone to start recording.

"Where? Ohhhh! My son! Mom is here!"

"Son! Dad's here, too!"

"Your sister's here! Look over here!"

As the three family members called out to him, the nearby Alicia family couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alicia."

The neighboring families, noticing the Asian family's enthusiasm, turned to Alicia's family.

"Who are they? Why are they shouting for our Yu?"

"They're Yu's parents and sister."

"What? Our fairy's family?"

Yu Jiwoo, often called "our fairy" by Boca Juniors fans for his goal-scoring prowess, was quite the celebrity.

"Hey, everyone! These are Yu's family members!"

"Really?"

"The parents of our fairy? Bless them!"

"Wooow!"

The news spread quickly among nearby fans. An older man approached, saying something that made Hanwoo smile.

"What's he saying?"

Seo Seolhee and Yu Minha, not knowing Spanish, looked at Hanwoo, who translated with a wide grin.

"He's saying that thanks to Yu's games, his family has started gathering more often. He's grateful."

"And the boy with him?"

"His grandson. He's a big fan of Yu. He even keeps a scrapbook of Yu's match articles."

"Should I give him something?"

"Like what?"

"That."

Seo Seolhee pointed to a spare Boca Juniors jersey the Korean association had prepared as gifts for families.

"Of course."

Seo Seolhee handed the jersey to the grandson with a smile.

"Please continue to love my son."

Speaking in Korean, she had Hanwoo translate. Upon hearing this, the old man and his grandson smiled brightly and nodded.

"Hey, everyone! Let's sing a chant for Yu's family!"

"Which one?"

"Mi Buen Amigo!"

"Oh, that's perfect! Let's welcome our new friends!"

– "Boca, mi buen amigo! (Boca, my good friend!)"

With their arms around each other, the fans sang together. Gradually, Jiwoo's family blended into the crowd.

Beep—

As the chant ended, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the Argentina Junior Cup, a tournament to determine the brightest young talents in Argentina.