THESE DAYS | jeongchan

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Jeongin never once thought he would leave his hometown.

All he ever needed was in that small little fishing district tucked away in a little market street. He had friends, a soccer team, a Costco about 30 minutes away, plenty of delicious family owned restaurants that he was sure he'd never get tired of, and there was even a movie theater close enough to drive to. Though some might say this was a pitiful sales pitch that seemed to make even the most fun activities seem boring, it was what Jeongin grew up with, he was quite alright with that.

It was a common discussion among the inhabitants of his beloved hometown, kids who were dying to move to the city and adults who's dreams never really panned out. Almost all the people who talked such big games as youths—about leaving for the big city—about becoming more wealthy than everyone in town combined—they always ended up being the ones working in their parents restaurants never making it an hour out of town.

Jeongin never quite got it, there was no point in dreaming when all he ever needed was his mom and the soccer field that sits right outside his high school.

If it was up to him, he would never leave.

It was nearing the end of the semester when she had her fit, fed up with Jeongin's soccer coach once again. It hadn't been a problem until his freshman year, and she had made it apparent that she had a clear distaste for the man's coaching tactics. Jeongin would admit it was annoying when other players consistently didn't show up for practice without punishment, when they lost another game to the city boys who always seemed to taunt them, when coach shook it off fully willing to give them their participation prize, but he did see his point of view as well.

They were just a small town soccer team, it was hardly competitive, more of a hobby. If you wanted to really make it on the big field you certainly didn't come here, so his Mom's complaints didn't sway Coach Nam in the slightest.

Jeongin loved his mom, he really did, but she embarrassed him with all the talk she did about how good he was. This was her main concern, she wanted Jeongin to succeed as a soccer player, and albeit he was incredibly skilled, he couldn't play by himself. Other players didn't show up for practice if they didn't want to, didn't practice as hard as they truly could, and in his lovely mother's words—they were dead weight.

Every game she was down on the field arguing with Coach Nam, demanding he discipline the kids more, work them harder, only for him to respond with the same, "we hardly have seven players, Sunjung, if i work them any harder Jeongin will be the only one left".

It was a fair point, because for the rest of the team, this was a relaxing hobby, not a competition.

Jeongin wasn't exactly sure where he stood on that topic, but he sure as hell knew that he wanted to excel in soccer as in any other activity.

That was just kind of his personality: be diligent, follow the rules, succeed.

It was one particular day when his dear mother finally snapped, marching her son home to announce that next year he would be going to boarding school in the city not only for a better education but a better soccer team.

He had realized that maybe he didn't have the best friends in the universe, the ones he thought he had, when they spent their remaining time together jealously relaying to him all the things they would do in his shoes, not really concerned with his departure.

There were not many moments he wished he had a dad, in fact he was quite happy just him, his mom, and their little hole in the wall restaurant. However moments like these made him wish that someone else was there to talk her down from the ledge that was her hyperactive mind. It didn't bother him too much, in fact he had the rest of the semester and the months of summer to convince her that her schemes were absolutely insane.