Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

10 – Disregarding Insignificant Matches

010

The interview wasn’t live.

Of course not.

How prestigious of a tournament would broadcast an interview live?

While Koreans are enthusiastic about national football team matches, it’s limited to the adult national team, especially major events like the World Cup or the Olympics that capture global attention.

If it were an adult national team game, it would have been broadcast live.

Even for age-group national team matches, on important stages, like a final or against a rival like Japan, it would have been broadcast live.

But the Asian Cup group stage for the under-20 national team was no more than a blip in terrestrial news coverage.

Even for the under-20 age group, if it were the World Cup, it might have been different.

“That’s why I call the Asian Cup an ‘appetizer.’ Look, there’s no broadcasting station properly airing it. They should call them up quickly; AC, is this so dirty that we have to survive like this?”

“Nonsense. Be grateful it’s not live. It would have been a big problem if it were.”

“What kind of problem? Hey, they still broadcast it live online. Look at this; the comments are hilarious.”

Jo Jae-sin glanced at Ju Ji-tae’s smartphone, which he had offered.

[Who is this guy? Handsome.]

“Wow, do football players these days also take care of their skin?”

“He can live off his looks even if he tears his face apart.”

“But he’s young. He made a slip of the tongue at the end of the interview.”

“He really looks like a young man. Totally different from those old-fashioned guys.”

“How do you even beat AV? LOL.”

“Look at the comment gradient turning dark. Said he answered well, but in the end, he caused an accident.”

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Ju Ji-tae chuckled at Jo Jae-sin’s sarcasm.

“Accident? That’s nothing. It’s okay.”

“Okay? This?”

“Yeah. If it’s too exemplary and rigid, people feel distant. This level is good. Moderately cheerful and friendly. Don’t be too far from the public, but not too close either.”

Unexpectedly, Jo Jae-sin blinked at the answer.

“Why are you pretending not to know? Speaking as if you know everything?”

Ju Ji-tae just chuckled instead of answering.

Knowing or not.

Where is the boundary, what the public is enthusiastic about, and what they ignite over—why don’t you understand?

It’s a vivid, firsthand experience from the first round, learned through the body.

Maybe it’s not after deciding to focus on image-making.

After all, having decided, it’s a job that can’t be ruined so soon.

Wearing the mask of a model student, Ju Ji-tae wasn’t particularly worried about this interview.

And indeed, there was no major issue. There were minor problems, though.

“Talking about the model student mask. Hey, isn’t that made in China? It’s already leaking at the seams.”

Well… It got a little frustrating, so the mask cracked a bit, but the leaking was tolerable. This level might actually be pleasantly accepted by the public.

As long as the excellent performance as an athlete is maintained, the positive aspect of the leaking mask might be embraced by the public.

As long as it doesn’t break and leak too much.

“Oh! Don’t badmouth my mask. You walk around wearing iron armor, what’s that.”

“If you’re going to do it, do it perfectly like me.”

Looking at Jo Jae-sin in silence after that remark, Ju Ji-tae threw a casual comment.

“Don’t worry about it, just take care of yourself. If you hide too much like me and get caught, it’s a bigger problem.”

It was advice for a friend who might struggle in the future.

“Yeah, I’ll take care of it tomorrow. Anyway, the coach said solo interviews for you are prohibited from now on. Looks bad.”

He’s not swallowing it, as expected.

Faced with the anticipated reaction, Ju Ji-tae immediately gave up on persuasion.

Well, even if it’s tough for him, it’s his problem, not mine.

Anyway, the guy who would easily bounce back even if things were tough until the regression to the point in time when he was a national hero.

Moreover, having experienced it, I know that if you eat a lot of malicious comments, you become immune. If I just collect the curses I’ve received, I could live forever… Huh? Could it be that I regressed because I received a lot of curses? …Then getting cursed a lot might be awesome, after all?

Swearing…

Deep in thought, Ju Ji-tae immediately logged into the community.

There’s no better place to receive insults anonymously than a community.

As soon as he logged in, Ju Ji-tae reflexively clicked on a trending post.

[Joo Ji-tae, what the hell is this?ㅋㅋㅋ]

[Damn, he started talking about AV in the interview and got caught]

[Ah, it’s true that he can’t beat AV in Japanㅋㅋㅋ]

[Am I the only one who feels the stench of boredom from this guy?]

[Looking at the interview mess, it feels like he’s fundamentally emptyㅋㅋ Isn’t Cho Jae-shin better than him?]

[Long live King God Ultra Emperor Ju Ji-tae!!]

[Wow~ Recognizing the true talent, as expected!]

It was a mess.

“Jeez. In the short time I haven’t been lurking in the forums, it’s become a complete mess. … Huh? Wait a minute. This nickname is familiar.”

[Hae-eung-yeop-jip-nan-paen-ti: Looking at the interview mess, it feels like he’s fundamentally emptyㅋㅋ Isn’t Cho Jae-shin better than him?]

“Hey, damn.”

“Why again?”

“Isn’t this your nickname, Hae-eung-yeop-jip-nan-paen-ti?”

“….”

“This guy was talking shit behind your back. You’re screwed. Yeojin called you the panty thief to her sister. Good job.”

Next-door sister Chae Ye-jin was Cho Jae-shin’s first love.

Of course, she was also Ju Ji-tae’s first love.

“You stole them too, you idiot!”

True to their friendship, expressing affection to the first love next door was the same for both of them.

* * *

No matter how much it’s considered on the fringes of the football world, it’s still the Asian Cup.

Despite being treated as the Asian continent’s tournament, it holds its own against Europe’s UEFA European Championship, Africa’s Africa Cup of Nations, and South America’s CONMEBOL Copa America, being an equally prestigious continental football national team tournament.

What? There’s also the CONCACAF Gold Cup from North and Central America and the OFC Nations Cup from the Oceania Football Confederation?

…Well, yes, there are those as well.

Anyway, even though they advanced through the group stage of this prestigious tournament with three consecutive victories, the team atmosphere wasn’t all that great.

“Who’s this? Isn’t he the AV guy?”

“Oh~ the soccer world’s superstar, the center-back Joo Ji-tae, who dribbled from goalpost to goalpost and scored, isn’t he?

…Can’t complain.

It’s so good that it’s a problem.

Joo Ji-tae decided not to respond individually to the pranks of the seniors coming from all directions.

After all, he’s not really 17, but a returnee who has lived into his mid-30s, finding it absurd to seriously respond to the jokes of 19 and 20-year-olds.

“Hey~ Hisashiburi. Everyone, have a strong and energetic morning.”

“Hyungs, shall we handle it?”

“Yeah. Jaeshin trusts only you to handle it.”

Instead of the national team players maintaining discipline, the coach Lee Ki-seok sighed at the sight of the youngest line joking around.

“What’s the use of being old? The mental age is the same. How can 17-year-olds be the same as 20-year-olds?”

“Well, Director, we’re close, and the atmosphere is good.”

“Ugh. It’s good to be close, but look at that guy. Joo Ji-tae doesn’t have a senior to keep him in check. Seniors just think they’re good without realizing that the juniors are messing with them. Look at him, messing around with the seniors! Nowadays, these kids!! Lattes, huh!?”

As the late 30s Director Lee Ki-seok was about to start a speech, the coaches quickly intervened.

“Director. It’s the Round of 8 match.”

“How should we organize the starting lineup? Will you only rely on the director’s insight even if we discuss it among ourselves? Hehe.”

This is the profound wisdom of a mature individual that the young ones don’t understand.

Director Lee Ki-seok, like a senior in social life, pretended to overlook the juniors’ trivial jokes.

“Uh-huh. Starting lineup? Hmm. That’s right. I do have a good eye. Look at those rookies. I recognized them right away and selected them on the spot. Did you all read the articles? The genius manager Lee Ki-seok who unearthed young pearls! Hahaha, that’s what insight is.”

“Hahaha! Director, as expected!”

“That’s right! Truly a scout! The eyes of an eagle!”

“Uhahaha!!”

It was a moment of laughter for the South Korean national team.

“Staff, gather.”

Director Lee Ki-seok, who was chuckling, declared with a solemn expression.

“We decide the starting lineup.”

Lee Ki-seok and the coaches were in deep thought.

Other positions were easy.

For the attack? The form of the existing main members like Park Hye-chan and Yoo Ki-tae is good. Add to that the top scorer within the team, even though young, Cho Jae-shin.

Although Song Chan-seop scored two goals in the last game, it was against the already defeated Vietnam.

“But if we think about it, Joo Ji-tae is also questionable in this way. Surely, the performance he showed in the last game was impressive, but… it was against a mentally shattered Vietnam whose elimination was confirmed.”

Moreover, it happened only once, at a time when no one expected it, and the center-back’s primary skill of defensive ability had no chance to shine.

Certainly, his skills displayed in training and practice matches are unparalleled…

“Jitae… sigh, Jitae, that guy, it would be great if he could just get rid of that annoying habit.”

The problem is his excessively aggressive defensive style.

No matter how high the success rate is in training, if he fails in a real match, it’s a big problem. I’d rather send someone out who plays defensively in real matches and say, ‘Do it steadily,’ but watching the Vietnam match, that’s not the case either.

Now, each game is a knockout in the tournament.

If you make a mistake with aggressive defense in a real match, it’s a big deal.

“At 17, trusting experience… and his mental strength is too solid to trust. Ha… it’s really hard to polish him.”

“How about giving him a chance? He’s really talented. The coach knows that too. He’s not just good at defense; he can also handle the build-up from the back.”

“I know, I know. But… the uncontrollable aggressiveness is the problem.”

“Hey, do you really think he’ll play like that even in the Asian Cup quarterfinals?”

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“Watch the Vietnam match.”

Jang Giseok, who was silently observing the coach, slammed the table and shouted.

“Fine. Since Jihoon has accumulated warnings, let’s go with Myungjin and Gyunoh combination!”

Iran match.

And once again, Ju Jitae found himself watching the game from the bench.

“Hey, Jooji. I’m going in. Keep the bench warm for me.”

“Get lost.”

“Ah~ I should get the Man of the Match today. It was 4 goals in 2 games. How many more goals will I score today?”

Jo Jaeshin’s mockery was an extra challenge.

‘Actually, it’s good. Iran came out really rough in this game, and there were quite a few injuries.’

In the first round, Korea faced Japan in the semifinals, and Korea had to win in the semifinals.

The defensive line, which had to engage in physical battles with the rough Iran, suffered injuries.

‘Since it’s become like this, I’ll discard trivial matches. I… will focus on the Japan match.’