Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

51 – Final Choice

051

Ju Ji-tae received a call after the end of his second relationship.

“Hey, why do you keep calling—”

[Hey!! Why aren’t you answering the phone!!]

At the loud voice echoing through the smartphone, Ju Ji-tae reluctantly removed his face from it.

“If he’s busy, he might not be able to answer, why the commotion.”

“Why the fuss!? Then why didn’t you make sure there wouldn’t be a fuss!? The guy who said he was going to watch hasn’t been in contact for over three hours!! If he didn’t pick up this time, I was going to report it to the police, damn it!”

Reporting… that’s not necessary.

Joo Ji-tae quickly fixed his phone.

“Sorry. I set it to silent because I was going to watch. But… why did you call so much? Are you out of your mind?”

“Because I was worried! What if something happened!”

Huh? Jo Jae-shin isn’t like this…?

As instinctual doubt arose, Joo Ji-tae hastily put on his clothes.

“Don’t worry. Why are you worrying about me for no reason?”

Of course, he pretended not to care on the surface.

While pretending to be nonchalant, as Chaeyeon helped him put on his clothes, Jo Jae-shin’s voice echoed loudly.

“Are you worried about yourself? The goddess is worried. You, today, do you know your parents are coming, in case you didn’t.”

“I know. They’re arriving in the evening. Why?”

“The goddess came with them. If you’re not there when we go to greet them, it’ll be chaos again. Hurry up and come in.”

No matter how much they spoke on the phone with their ears covered, the voice was not small enough for the person helping with the clothes not to hear.

Joo Ji-tae subtly glanced at Chaeyeon without even realizing it. Chaeyeon, who was silently putting on his clothes, sent a look as if asking why he was doing that.

“…Ah, okay. I’ll go in. I’m hanging up.”

“Hey! Send a message to the goddess—”

The noisy sound was cut off, and there was a moment of silence.

“The goddess is here?”

“Yeah. Well… she came with my parents.”

“Hmm. So, you’re meeting the goddess.”

In Chaeyeon’s seemingly indifferent expression and tone, as she calmly put on the clothes, Joo Ji-tae somehow felt a chill running down his spine.

“Um… Nuna, how about having dinner with me tomorrow?”

“It’s okay. I have to entertain the goddess since she’s here.”

Even if he doesn’t show it, there’s probably no man here who would say, ‘Is it really okay?’ at this point.

“No, let’s have dinner tomorrow. Nuna.”

“The hell with this ‘nuna’ talk. You only say that when you need something.”

In the faint laughter, Joo Ji-tae discreetly caught Chaeyeon’s eye.

Somehow, it felt like his mood had quickly lightened again.

“That’s enough. It was a joke. I told you. I have no intention of getting involved between you and the goddess. I sincerely support it. I’m fine, so have fun with the goddess.”

Gently tapping on his chest, Cheyeojin said,

“Ah, I’m so tired. I’m going to rest now, so you can leave.”

He flopped onto the fluffy bed and waved his hand dismissively.

Joo Jitae glanced at his back for a moment.

The sight of Cheyeojin lying on the bed… His buttocks looked irresistibly tempting.

Smack!

“Ouch! What was that?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Hey! You!”

“Don’t forget to send me the pictures later!”

“Ugh…”

Ignoring the grumbling from behind, Joo Jitae swiftly made his way to Jo Jaeshin.

* * *

They knew the family was coming.

Well, that was obvious.

It was practically the only decision left to make.

From Noble mtl dot com

And to finalize the pro contract, they needed the parents’ approval.

Because Joo Jitae and Jo Jaeshin were minors.

Of course, in this day and age, parents didn’t necessarily have to come in person to give their consent.

They could delegate it to a representative or use electronic signatures.

But wouldn’t parents want to come and personally check and celebrate their child’s first pro contract? No matter how the world had improved, there was an emotion that could not be conveyed through delegated authority or electronic signatures.

The increased funds played a role as well.

Thanks to their outstanding performance in the World Cup following the Asian Cup, the two’s market value had soared higher than expected. Just the signing bonus alone was a staggering amount, more than enough to support four elders. And even if one more person was added, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Wow, it’s amazing.”

China, their first overseas trip, was somewhat familiar due to the similar race and culture, while Germany was a completely unfamiliar country with a different race and culture.

Jo Jaeshin excitedly roamed around.

“Yeah. Have you carefully compared the conditions?”

“Regardless of the contract, you should think carefully. Don’t make hasty decisions.”

On the other hand, the adults, whether in Germany or elsewhere, were more concerned about their children’s contracts.

Once they got into the car driven by Top Agency’s CEO, Lawyer Jung Sunwoo, the adults began bombarding them with various questions, starting from the moment they got in, and as soon as they entered the accommodation, they immediately launched into a meeting.

“Sure. I heard it from the lawyer. They said only the final choice is left.”

“We have no intention of interfering with your decision. However, as parents, we will only agree if there is a valid reason for why you made such a choice. Explain it to us, wherever you feel appropriate.”

As if both fathers had rehearsed their lines in advance, they took turns speaking.

As Attorney Jung Seon-woo began to open his mouth to share the materials he had prepared, Ju Ji-tae stepped forward.

“We will explain. After all, it’s our decision.”

Jung Seon-woo simply nodded his head.

In truth, from an agent’s perspective, there were no clients as comfortable yet challenging as these two.

The condition of moving as a set and insisting on a team commanded by a specific director were conditions in the agent’s career that were as difficult as counting on one hand. However, despite these demanding conditions, the remarkable performances displayed by the two players made clubs propose terms beyond what the agents had expected.

“Since the beginning, the two players have been leading, so it’s only right for them to finish together.”

Jung Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin, who had received materials from Jung Seon-woo, handed them to each other’s parents.

“What about me? Why am I not there?”

Meanwhile, Jo Yeoshin, who was sitting awkwardly, raised her hand, but no one paid attention.

Ignoring Jo Yeoshin’s reaction, who was taken aback by the unfamiliar indifference, she quietly lowered her hand with pursed lips.

“We have ultimately chosen the Bundesliga.”

“Why?”

“The EPL is not suitable due to the timing, and Serie A has strict regulations.”

There were quite a few EPL clubs that wanted the two.

It wouldn’t be a dream for them to enter the Premier League as the youngest ever.

However, the two were not swayed by the term ‘youngest ever.’

“As the wealthiest league, the EPL has many star players. Including a promising young player, let alone two, in a 25-player roster, is rare. Even if included, it’s difficult to push aside high-wage players unless there’s a significant difference in skill.”

“So, are you avoiding it because of the competition?”

“No. In fact, competition doesn’t matter. It’s not that competition is not fierce elsewhere. What’s important is that the EPL is a league with a fast and rough transition between offense and defense. It doesn’t suit us, who have not completed physical growth. In that sense, La Liga is also a lower priority. Despite the bias towards being a technical league, contrary to expectations, it’s a league with high pressure lines and frequent fouls.”

While it’s a well-known fact that the EPL is a dynamic and rough league, surprisingly, La Liga is also a very tough league, unlike the misconception that it is technical.

Of course, it’s not that any league is not rough, but overall, the Bundesliga, with its high pressure and many technical players, is better than La Liga, where fouls occur more often than the number of matches played.

“And Serie A?”

“It’s tough there because you can only recruit a maximum of two Non-EU players per season. And it’s originally a defensive league.”

If the EPL is famous for its roughness, Serie A is known for being a dangerous league.

Moreover, the inclination itself is that ‘a game without conceding is tactically more perfect than a high-scoring game,’ making it personally uninteresting.

“So, it’s the Bundesliga. Each team has a strong personality, the league’s tendency is not consistent, and the number of matches is low, so it’s not burdensome for us, who are not physically mature yet. Most clubs are not financially wealthy, so the fact that you can play for a while and then transfer is significant.”

Adults who were satisfied with the somewhat rational reasons nodded their heads, understanding.

“Above all, the directors we want are currently in the Bundesliga.”

“Hmm. Who are the directors you want?”

“Herta Berlin’s Rasmus Sorensen, Augsburg’s Shubelik, and Willem van Rodebeek of TSV 1860 Munich.”

They are promising young directors now, but in 10 years, they will all be household names.

Rasmus Sorensen from Denmark is a defensive strategist, known as the ‘relegation savior,’ employing a defensive and organized counter-attack tactic. Shubelik from the Czech Republic is a sophisticated and versatile tactician, earning the nickname ‘Professor’ for his intricate and flexible tactics. Willem van Rodebeek from the Netherlands is famous for his fiery attacking football, earning the moniker ‘Madman.’

Of course, it’s all speculation about the future, known only to fate.

“If you choose Herta, you can achieve the best team performance in your career. Although they are all weak, they are the strongest of the three teams, and aiming for a Europa League spot seems plausible with their practical tactics. Personally, in terms of defense, Jang Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin can shine, entrusted with crucial roles in counter-attacks under the Rasmus system.”

Rasmus Sorensen’s strength lies in optimizing team performance, living up to his nickname of the ‘Post-Mourinho.’ With Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin under his regime, they could shine as key players in their respective positions.

“Augsburg’s Shubelik is an excellent tactician. Moreover, he’s flexible. If you play under him, you can undoubtedly guarantee a personal step-up.”

In the future, the Czech director, Shubelik, who will be called ‘Professor,’ is an outstanding tactician, known for both his flexibility and sophistication.

While Pep Guardiola is an excellent tactician with a firm philosophy, Shubelik adds flexibility to his style. He’s like a mix of Pep and Ancelotti.

“The last option is the most unpredictable… Willem, the coach of Munich, is a very, extremely offensive coach. His style is to seek goals rather than avoid conceding. If you choose here, the results are… uncertain. It’s hard to guarantee anything with the most extreme highs and lows. Whether in performance or growth… still, it’s a team that guarantees fun, if nothing else.”

The last option, Willem van Rodebeek, is a coach obsessed with attack.

In a few years, he will become famous for saying, ‘Football without fun is a sin!!’ – truly a crazy, madman coach.

Sometimes, when the coach and the team clash, it creates sensational chaos, but on the flip side, the lows are bottomless, and if it fails, it falls into the abyss.

Joo Ji-tae and Jo Jae-shin waited quietly for an answer.

The response from the adults was straightforward.