Y/N is a rising star in football, having just been recruited to one of the top teams in the K-League (Korean Football League). With the pressure of representing his country on a big stage, Y/N struggles to balance his personal life and the grueling...
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Y/N POV
I woke up feeling a little lighter today. No buzzing phone, no overwhelming social media posts, and best of all, no reporters waiting outside my house. I got dressed quickly, grabbed my gear, and headed out to the training facility. The streets were quiet, and for the first time in a while, it felt like I could breathe without worrying about flashing cameras or random interviews.
When I arrived at the facility, everything seemed calm. The usual pre-match energy buzzed around the place, but today was going to be more of a light training session since we had an upcoming game. I was still pumped, though, ready to make the most of it. With all the media attention recently, I felt like I needed to keep proving myself, even in training.
We started with some set-piece drills. I always enjoyed these sessions because they let us focus on key moments of the game—the ones that could really make a difference. Coach had us work on corner set pieces first. My role was to deliver the ball, and I was supposed to whip it into the box, aiming for the key players.
I lined up the first corner, taking a quick glance at where Dohyun was positioned at the edge of the box. He made eye contact with me, a small nod of understanding passing between us. I knew what he was thinking. I lobbed the ball with precision, sending it in a perfect arc toward the edge. Dohyun read the play perfectly, charging forward to meet the ball with a powerful strike. It whizzed past the defenders and the goalkeeper, slamming into the back of the net.
"Yes!" I heard Dohyun shout as he jogged back to his position, and we shared a quick fist bump. The rest of the team gave us a few nods of approval, and even the coach seemed pleased with how clean the play had been.
We spent the next hour drilling different types of set pieces. It was repetitive, but I didn't mind. If it meant making the difference in an important moment during the match, then it was worth it. After a while, I moved on to practicing free kicks. I've always prided myself on my accuracy with dead-ball situations, and today I was determined to perfect every angle, every strike.
I set up the ball, took a few steps back, and focused on the spot where I wanted to place it. The wall of defenders stood in front of me, but I tuned them out, focusing only on the goal and the ball at my feet. I struck it with just the right amount of curl, and it sailed over the wall, dipping into the top corner of the net. I smiled to myself, satisfied.
As the session began to wind down, Coach blew his whistle and gathered everyone around. This was it—the moment we'd all been waiting for. He was about to announce the starting eleven for the next match. We huddled around him, the air filled with a mix of anticipation and nerves.
Coach ran through the lineup, calling out names one by one. As expected, Dohyun and I were still on the bench. We shared a quick glance but smiled at each other. It was fine—we knew our time would come. Being on the bench didn't mean we wouldn't get our shot. When the moment came, we'd be ready to make an impact, just like in the last match.
