Chapter 26 - 24: See You in a Few Days

Chapter 26: Chapter 24: See You in a Few Days

ROOOOOOAR!—

The stadium was buzzing.

Everyone was clutching their heads, staring at the pitch in disbelief.

Even the Mostar Wanderers fans were stunned.

They had actually scored the first goal against a Super League team?

And looking back at the whole match, their performance had been nothing short of incredible.

Even though their opponents were playing their reserve squad, there was still a huge gap in skill!

But regardless, this brilliant goal sent their morale soaring.

Many even started making bold declarations like, "Let’s win this thing!" Clearly, the goal had given them a massive confidence boost.

As for the Mostar Zrinjski fans, they couldn’t accept conceding a goal like this.

They were furious at their team’s atrocious defense.

Just then, Suk actually ran toward that section of fans.

"Hey! I’m Suk, like the legendary Croatian forward, Davor Suker!"

"If you think I played well, give me a round of applause!"

Suk shouted cheerfully, turning around to show them the back of his jersey.

The Mostar Zrinjski fans stared at the boy with strange expressions. If it had been anyone else, they would have started tearing into him by now.

But they had seen how hard the kid had worked throughout the entire match.

It was no exaggeration to say this kid was the biggest reason for that goal, so asking for applause wasn’t unreasonable.

However, they were in no mood to clap, so they just pretended not to see him.

Seeing the opposing fans remain indifferent, Suk could only walk away dejectedly.

"They wouldn’t even give me a single clap."

Suk grumbled.

Mulinar walked over and said irritably, "The fact they’re not cursing you out is a sign of their approval."

He had to admire Suk’s guts. If it had been a group of more extreme fans, they would have already rushed over and beaten him to a pulp.

To the fans, this was a provocative act.

But whatever. They had scored, after all.

Mulinar was in a great mood.

He couldn’t believe that they, a team struggling in the Second Division League, had actually been the first to score against a Super League team.

The goal was just perfect.

Meanwhile, on the Mostar Zrinjski bench, Head Coach Van Stiake tucked his notebook away.

He glanced at his dejected substitutes on the field with a hint of disappointment, then turned and said softly, "Modric, Kosopech, get ready to go in. It’s time to end this farce."

Hearing this, the two quietly stood up.

In the 75th minute, Mostar Zrinjski made their substitutions.

Two of their main players were coming on, which gave their morale a certain boost.

Especially after Modric entered the game, the chaotic rhythm was swept away, and the passing in the midfield became crisp and organized.

And from that moment on, Suk never received another pass.

He was even forced to drop back to the halfway line to get the ball, but it was still no use.

On the other side, the Super League’s main tall center-forward, Kosopech, launched a relentless assault on the Mostar Wanderers’ backline.

Combined with the constant crosses coming in from the wings and a long-range shot from Modric on the outside, they managed to equalize within just ten minutes.

In the 88th minute, another long shot from Modric caused goalkeeper Buckqi’s butterfingers to flare up again. After Buckqi fumbled the save, Kosopech used his powerful body to secure his position and tap in the rebound, completing the comeback.

This goal revitalized the Mostar Zrinjski fans in the stadium. Their earlier frustration was swept away as they came alive once more.

The fans were happy, but Suk was miserable.

It wasn’t about the card-draw reward—he’d get a chance as long as he played—but who likes to lose?

Suk had a stubborn, unyielding personality; he hated losing.

So, even in the final moments, he didn’t give up. However, with his teammates completely exhausted and unable to run, there was nothing Suk could do to turn the tide.

In the end, they suffered a regrettable defeat.

In the 2002/2003 season of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup, Mostar Zrinjski defeated the Mostar Wanderers 2-1.

In this match, the Mostar Wanderers had put on a brilliant performance.

But in the second half, their exhaustion became apparent. When Modric and Kosopech came on, it was a heavy blow that completely killed any suspense in the match.

"Agh... I’m dead tired!"

Suk flopped onto his back on the grass. He looked up at the white clouds drifting across the sky and murmured, "The sky is so blue!"

They had lost anyway, and he had to accept that outcome.

He had planned on using this match to deal Mostar Zrinjski a heavy blow, leave a lasting impression, and then turn around and join them.

But in the end, they still lost.

Lying on the turf, a gentle breeze brushing his face, Suk quietly savored the moment.

This was the home stadium of a Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League team. He was just one step away from becoming a part of it.

Sigh...!

’I screwed up!’

Suk shook his head. He opened his eyes and was about to get up when he saw a huge face looming right in front of him.

The man had short blond hair, was wearing a tracksuit, and his deep-set eyes and azure pupils looked familiar to Suk.

Van Stiake looked down at Suk. The little pipsqueak had run nonstop for ninety minutes. It was hard to imagine he had so much stamina.

Suk scrambled to his feet, recognizing the man.

He was a bit confused.

Van Stiake looked Suk up and down. "When you get home, ice your leg muscles. Don’t eat too much tonight, or you might throw it up."

He paused, then added, "And don’t forget to stretch. You won’t get any taller if you don’t stretch properly."

Suk stared at him, bewildered.

Van Stiake nodded. "That’s all. See you in a few days!"

"Huh?" Suk was confused, but then his eyes widened.

’See you in a few days?’

Suk couldn’t help but jump up.

"YES!!!"

Van Stiake turned to watch Suk jumping up and down. He froze for a second, then shook his head with a smile. "What great stamina!"

But when he turned away, his expression became so dark it looked like it could drip ink.

...

Two weeks had passed since the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup match.

For Suk, every day had felt like a year. The opposing Head Coach had promised to "see you in a few days," but two weeks had gone by with no news.

’So, just how many days is "a few days"?!’

Suk was incredibly anxious. This was his chance to get into the Super League.

Van Stiake had no reason to joke about something like this. There had to be a limit to teasing a kid, right?

During those two weeks, Suk had lost his appetite, spending all day waiting for Van Stiake to contact him.

He was even afraid the coach didn’t know where he lived, so whenever he had free time, he would go hang around the entrance of the Mostar Zrinjski club. If it weren’t for the security guard at the gate, Suk would have marched right in to demand an answer.

’What’s your Head Coach so busy with? It’s been so many days. Did he forget about me?’

Suk sat on the grass while Modric juggled a ball nearby.

Seeing Suk’s frustrated expression, Modric smiled. "It should be soon. He’s been dealing with some trouble recently."

"Trouble?" Suk frowned. "He’s not getting fired because of that match, is he?"

Although Mostar Zrinjski had ultimately won the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup match, it wasn’t a glorious victory. After all, they had nearly been toppled by them.

If Modric and Kosopech hadn’t turned the tide at the end, the outcome might have been completely different.

The thought made Suk even more conflicted.

’Did I almost get the coach who was about to promote me fired? How messed up is that?’

"Something like that, but not that bad," Modric said. "The fans’ reaction wasn’t great, but the club is still backing the Head Coach. So just wait. It won’t be long now."

After a pause, Modric added, "That Russian center-forward was transferred."

Suk’s eyes lit up. ’Are they making room for me?’

Hearing this news, Suk felt a little comforted.

"I’ll just wait, then. There’s nothing else I can do."

Suk shook his head and asked, "By the way, how have we been doing in the league recently?"

Modric shot Suk a sidelong glance.

’You haven’t even joined yet!’

But he answered anyway. "In the league, it’s one win, one draw, and one loss. We just lost 1-2 to Sarajevo last week."

"Sarajevo again? Why do we always lose to them?" Suk grimaced.

Mostar Zrinjski was a strong team in the league, but whenever they faced Sarajevo, it was as if they forgot how to play football.

Modric shrugged. "There’s nothing we can do. They’ve figured out our tactics. Our main scoring threat is our tall center-forward, Kosopech, but their two center-backs are both over 190 cm in height and even more powerfully built. Kosopech struggles to be effective against them. Our wingers are sacrificed for the sake of the tactic; we can’t let them cut loose while we’re also focused on playing through Kosopech."

He paused, then added, "So, don’t be anxious. The Head Coach will come for you soon. Our tactics are too one-dimensional, and we need to change things up. You’re that change. Our recent training sessions have been focused on strengthening the wing attacks and having the center-forward drop back. They’re already preparing for it."

Suk could only nod, then he asked, "What’s your weekly salary?"

"Mine?" Modric replied. "I make 1,500 Mark a week!"

Suk nodded, making a mental calculation.

He couldn’t expect to be at Modric’s level right off the bat; after all, Modric was a genius player.

Suk didn’t have high salary demands. Right now, what he wanted most was to play.

A weekly salary of 500 Mark would be enough.

That much money would be enough to cover his living expenses, not to mention Mostar Zrinjski also seemed to provide room and board.

A smile appeared on Suk’s face. He could finally stop starving one meal and being full the next.

Now, all he had to do was wait patiently for Mostar Zrinjski’s call.