[Ha Jeongwook]

"Duckyoung won 2-0 away." I inform the rest of my team about our rivals' latest performance as they eked out their second victory in a row. We, on the other hand, must redeem ourselves after last time's searing defeat.

I try to energize my teammates. "Are you ready?" However, most of them are deflated. I eye Jinseok and Kyeongjun for validation. Neither of them are in good spirits, which is a terrible sign.

I insist. "We must win. For the school, and to prove our worth on the pitch. Come on!" Finally, I see some enthusiastical reactions, which are immediately wiped away as soon as Coach Yeo enters the dressing room.

He yells. "Daju High were in the bottom tier last year. Therefore, either you win away or we'll all pass off as fools—I will in particular. Don't you dare embarrass me!" He leaves without even leaving us the chance to reply. We'd better listen to him or the consequences of a missed victory will be disastrous.

We leave the dressing room to and set foot on pitch for the final warm-up before the game. During the process, Seongjae and I occasionally throw glances at the other team. I see they shook up things a lot compared to last year.

First of all, their old coach has retired; as a result, a new one took over. Then, they recruited new players as a way to raise their technical baggage, which was severely lacking last year. Thirdly, they can count on desire to redeem themselves. We can't take victory for granted.

The game versus Daju has proven to be way more difficult than expected. Even knowing not to underestimate them, we were off to a bad start as Sihwan's own goal caused us to trail behind 1-0 in the first half and most of the second one.

The equalizer came twenty minutes to the end with a perfectly executed free kick by vice captain Jang Siwon, who has returned from his suspension. We had chances to complete the comeback with Seongjae and Jinseok, but both were a miss.

As a result, the match ended in a draw, 1-1. As the visiting team, we knew we'd have a hard time facing the second away match in a row. However, there are no excuses. We were supposed to win, but we failed. Now, we have to deal with the consequences of our poor run over the last two games.

Kyeongjun announces. "Coach has already left the premises. He's likely to be pissed. We have to go home on our own." This doesn't come off as a surprise. He's already done so in the past. At first, I believed it was only because he needed to let his anger cool down after a crushing defeat.

I say goodbye to my teammates and prepare to go home, knowing I'll be late because I realize I've missed the bus. Therefore, I text Jeongyun, warning her I won't be on time for dinner. 'Hi noona, I'll be back by 8:30 if I'm lucky. I didn't catch the bus. Sorry.'

I don't know what's worse: the prospect of eating cold dinner or this looming feeling that Coach Yeo is set to make drastic decisions about the squad in the coming future.

***

Monday has come; however, the sheer disappointment for the draw against Daju hasn't left my mind. Things look so bad that I'm completely out of focus and can barely answer questions teachers ask me. A few of them have no hesitations scolding me for my lack of attention.

Like every Monday, I go to the school board to check the convocations for the next home game against Taegang Arts School. I don't see my name in the list, but it's not the only one missing. Kyeongjun, Seongjae, Sihwan and Gyuwoong are also out of it.

So, Coach Yeo plans to teach all of us a lesson by leaving some of us, including me, behind. Fine. The day I graduate this school and can finally let out my anger, frustration and disgust at his way of treating us all can't come too soon.

I leave the main hall and head to the library to dig myself deep into books. To make up for the missed summon, I'll study even harder. Considering that Coach won't have trouble sidelining me, then I need a backup plan in case the squad no longer needs me.

After two hours of studying, however, I feel like giving up. I want a way out. I need a distraction. If I keep up like this, I'll end up like a lifeless zombie. Not even swimming in coffee will keep me awake and alert with my head buried under books. Therefore, I leave the library, only to be met with an even greater shock.

A furious Seongjae bumps into me, waving a paper at me. It's handwritten. A list of names. I snatch it from him and read it aloud. 'Kal Sihwan, Gu Jaegyeom, Kil Daehwan, Kim Gyuwoong, Lee Seongjae, Jeong Kyeongjun, Ha Jeongwook.' Great. That piece of shit has added more names to the list of the left out.

I hiss. "He'll have a hard time finding someone to fill his fucking bench since he excluded seven of us, including me and you. Fuck him! Does he expect us to waltz back next time and act as if nothing happened?"

Seongjae clenches his fists and shakes his head. "There's no fucking second time, Jeongwook. We're out of the squad for good." Punishment? Payback? Not necessarily. There's only one certainty: my desire to catch Coach Yeo and flip him the bird since I can't punch his smug ass face.

He can go to Hell. I pray not to see or hear from him ever again. I'm done with him. Because of him, I might be done with football, at least with actively playing it. He has destroyed my passion and is getting away with it. Once again, fuck him.

***

If I were an adult, I'd waste myself with soju. Since I'm not, I make do with Coke. This is already my fourth glass. I don't care if I run out of cash to pay for it—I'm no longer in the squad and there's a high chance I'm no longer even a footballer.

My growing craving for soft drinks earns me attention from someone unsuspecting: Kim Saehyeon. Duckyoung's star. Why is he here, hanging around a loser like me? Moreover, he has brought some friends with him, which makes me feel even more lonely.

"Have you kept count of how many cans of Coke you've drunk so far, Jeongwook?" he asks out of genuine concern.

"No, and to be honest, I don't care." The more I shut off, the more he warms up, followed by his friends. Among them, I recognize Jeong Byeonghee, who, like me, has fallen into disgrace, eventually losing his spot in his old group. I ask him, "How do you manage to look so lively?"

He shakes his head. "I've been taught to disguise my insecurities with smiles. I actually have no idea of what to do next."

"How about we stop worrying about what comes next and focus on the present? Let's make it brighter together." Saehyeon's words are like a godsend. In a world where everyone is required to be perfect and isn't allowed any room for mistakes, listening to him is a soothing caress.

When Saehyeon's world came crashing down after his injury, I was the first one to cheer for his recovery. Now, he's returning the favor, guiding me back to happiness after Yeo ruthlessly axed me from my school's team. We also join forces to help Byeonghee redefine his journey through life.

What matters is not how hard or how low one falls, it's how they get back up.