Chapter 9
***
The place that became our family's new home was a newly built apartment in the city center.
It didn't seem like a bad starting point for adjusting to life in Germany.
Wealthy people often live in detached houses in the suburbs, but if you assume every German is like that, you'll eventually get burned.
In fact, my parents had also looked into affluent neighborhoods like Dahlem in southwest Berlin.
But since they'd lived such small, bustling lives, it seemed the quiet, overly still atmosphere of that neighborhood made them uncomfortable.
“If not now, then when will I ever get to live in an apartment? It's fine to live in a detached house later, when I'm older and move to the countryside. By then, Korea will probably be quiet too.”
Perhaps because they were Korean, they preferred apartments over detached houses.
'Still, maybe they're just young.'
Well... this place didn't seem bad either.
Especially since there were grocery stores, including a Korean market, around the house, which made my mother happy.
“Ugh, don't even get me started. Everyone came at me all at once. It got so bad that even people I'd lost touch with started reaching out to me.”
“That sounds rough.”
“So, Chan-hyuk, how have you been lately?”
Anyway, our family spent time in the new house chatting warmly about everything that had happened.
“Um... I'm preparing for my coaching license.”
“Isn't the coaching license something you prepare for after retiring as a player?”
At my mother's words, I smiled awkwardly, and my father quietly nodded before saying,
“Chan-hyuk, you'll do fine on your own. Your mom and I always believe in you.”
My father's words suddenly reminded me of my parents from my previous life, who had supported me until the very end, and my chest tightened.
'Maybe it's because I heard Park Jeong-a's story about her previous life.'
Even after suddenly getting 30 billion won, I could only be grateful that my family was still as warm and harmonious as ever.
“And frankly, Chan-hyuk, you're not exactly the book-smart type, are you?”
“….”
They really hit me with the facts there.
“Ahem. Anyway, if you've decided football is your life's goal, keep pushing forward. We aren't short on money anymore, after all.”
Even after that sudden fact assault, the emotion in my chest remained.
“Still, Mom, kimchi really is the best.”
I changed the subject to keep the tears from spilling over.
“Huh? I bought that at the Korean market?”
The truth didn't matter much, so let's just let it slide.
'No wonder the kimchi tastes so good.'
***
My younger sibling decided to attend a Grundschule in Berlin and immediately entered elementary school. We chose a public school. Well, if they didn't adjust, we'd move them to an international school then.
I also worried they might get bullied, but this was their second life, so I believed they'd do well.
“Ah... I don't want to go to school. Kids my age are so immature. Gross.”
“Tsk tsk. You little elementary-school brat.”
“Aren't you glad you're older?”
“Older? Bullshit. I'm actually too young, which is the problem. If I want to coach, I feel like I'll have to grind for at least another ten years.”
“Huh? That long?”
“If you were me, would you hand a coaching job to someone in their twenties? I'd have to start as a youth coach and work my way up for ages.”
“Then, like I said before, buy a club and start your coaching career there. It wouldn't matter if we bought a lower-league club in England and ran it however we wanted.”
“…Would that work?”
At my younger sibling's words, I was briefly tempted.
If I became the club owner, I could skip a lot of the steps before becoming a coach.
On top of that, there was the benefit of not having to clash with the players just to establish a coach's authority.
Huh? You dare talk back to the coach-owner?
Just shove them onto the thinking chair—the bench. Besides, there wouldn't be any club owner ranting about benching a high-wage player.
“Park Jeong-a.”
“What.”
“Big brother always believes in you, okay?”
At my compliment, my younger sibling made a face as if they found it extremely disgusting.
But for today, I let it slide with an open mind.
Anyway.
I started studying football tactics again.
To take on a coaching job—in other words, to coach in the lower leagues—I needed at least an A coaching license.
The road to my goal was still long.
***
After spending a few days resting comfortably in my family's embrace, I returned to Stuttgart.
And not long after, it was time for the license exam, but nothing special happened.
The requirements for youth coaching were very basic.
Since football culture in Korea and Germany differed, there were a few other differences too, like corporal punishment, but the main framework was the same, so passing the exam was surprisingly difficult.
'Wow. I almost failed.'
In Europe, a coach's character was considered more important than I'd expected when teaching kids, and I almost failed the character portion, but I managed to pass by the skin of my teeth.
It seemed I'd been too thoroughly steeped in Korean-style education over the past ten years.
I'll never forget the interviewer's gaze when I answered that I'd slap a child across the face to discipline them; he looked at me like I was a barbarian.
'What on earth is Korea like now...'
By the way, the strange part was Tuchel.
'How did Tuchel pass the character screening?'
That remained a mystery up to this point.
Anyway.
By this point, ideas for game-like training methods that would let kids have fun were already emerging in Europe.
Looking back now, I think European and Asian football differ because of little details like that.
Well, Germany had been knocked out in the group stage after losing to Asian teams at two consecutive World Cups, but still.
'That doesn't mean Germany is a pushover.'
The individual players' names alone made it clear that they were a strong team.
“Scheiße! You stupid bastards!”
“You fought with the board again?”
Aside from my getting my coaching license, the club's atmosphere had been bad lately.
More precisely, Stuttgart U19 manager Thomas Tuchel and the board were not on good terms.
That was because Tuchel, frustrated by the club board constantly meddling in his tactical philosophy, had gone head-to-head with them.
My impression of Tuchel was that he was a football-crazed maniac.
I had also spent my previous life saying whatever I wanted to the club.
But that was after I'd reached a point where I was irreplaceable.
In other words, I'd sized up the situation and then stuck my head in.
But Thomas Tuchel was the real deal.
A normal person might think, “He's a youth coach, but shouldn't he still bow to the club?”
Tuchel just went straight in headfirst.
It was because of his personality; he wouldn't bend even an inch from the guidelines he set for himself.
'There really was a human Maginot Line here.'
Sure enough, there was a reason he often clashed with the board throughout his career.
'But why is the Maginot Line in Germany?'
While I was wondering whether Thomas Tuchel had French blood,
“Chan-hyuk, let go! I'm going to kill that bald bastard!”
The emotional rift between the Stuttgart board and Thomas Tuchel only deepened.
***
Saying this might sound strange, but I came to Germany to learn football, and it feels like only my German is improving.
By now, even Thomas Tuchel recognized my German pronunciation.
“The intonation is a little old-fashioned, but now it's quite listenable.”
Well, I had practiced by listening to speeches by Hitler and Goebbels, so it couldn't be helped.
In fact, I think that's required viewing for anyone preparing to become a coach.
Motivation and indoctrination were only a few letters apart, after all.
'...Huh? So that's why Germany was good at football?'
Anyway, time passed quickly, and Thomas Tuchel's Stuttgart U19 team clinched the league title.
And the time for my football study-abroad stint was drawing to a close.
In fact, I should have been entering contract negotiations by now, but apparently Stuttgart had no intention of keeping me.
Well, even if Stuttgart didn't offer me a contract, I didn't feel any resentment toward the club.
Both the club and I had made the best decision we could from our respective positions.
I could also understand the club's position, since in my previous life I'd once let go of a favorite protégé whose ability had declined.
From the club's perspective, there was probably no need to sign someone like me, who had already reached the limit of my growth.
'Their finances are lousy to begin with.'
Still, the good news was that just because Stuttgart hadn't offered me a contract didn't mean I had to go back to Korea.
If my family had immigrated before then, I'd have had to return to Korea because of visa issues, but thankfully my family had moved to Germany, hadn't they?
I could slowly look for a new position in Berlin.
So, in July 2004, as I prepared to part ways with Stuttgart,
“Scheiße! I can't keep doing this shit.”
Thomas Tuchel abruptly handed in his resignation.
“…Huh?”
As expected, Thomas Tuchel was on a completely different level.
notes":"Fixed the previous-life parent reference on line 36, kept a neutral pronoun for the younger sibling in lines 63 and 65, and smoothed a few awkward literal phrases while preserving the joke/repetition structure (e.g. the Grundschule line and Tuchel's final 'different level' remark)."}】{