Superstar From Age 0

“Welcome. Please come in, ma’am and sir.”

The agent greeted Park Ji-ho and his family warmly.

Park Ji-ho's carry-on luggage was visible, as he had sent his other belongings ahead of time.

“Please take good care of our Ji-ho.”

The parents said with worry on their faces.

“Don't worry. It's our job to take care of Ji-ho until he gets used to living here. You can call us anytime at the number we gave you before. If we don't answer, you can call this place instead.”

The agent reassured them, and the staff member repeated the information about where Park Ji-ho would stay and the emergency contact number in Spain. The parents listened attentively, as if they didn't want to miss a single word.

The agent turned his head to where Park Ji-ho was chatting with his friends.

He checked if there were any injuries or problems with him.

“I’ll visit you in Europe sometime.”

“You? Do you have time for that?”

Park Ji-ho widened his eyes at his friend's words.

He looked surprised that his busy friend would say that.

The friend shrugged his shoulders.

“I can go on vacation during the break.”

“That's right. We can go too!”

“Don't you think it would be nice to see other countries as well?”

“Yeah. Let's leave him to train and have fun.”

Park Ji-woo, the twin sister, said, making Park Ji-ho frown. The friends laughed out loud.

‘They’re close.’

The agent smiled.

Unlike the worried parents, the kids seemed more curious than concerned about their friend leaving for a faraway country.

“…Don't you think we’re used to it because Junie goes to America all the time?”

“Yeah. Ji-ho will come back soon too.”

The girls said, and the friend with the black hat scratched his cheek.

“He can't come back soon.”

Ji-woo said, making everyone nod, including the agent.

Park Ji-ho raised his voice, saying he had no intention of coming back soon.

“It would have been nice if he was closer to Hyukie hyung… It's a shame that he's in Germany.”

The black hat said, making the agent perk up his ears.

“I'm actually going to meet Hyukie hyung when I arrive.”

“Germany and Spain?”

“Hyung said he would introduce me to some players he knows in Spain.”

“Wow. That's why having connections is good.”

The others seemed to know Choi Si-hyuk as well.

He had always been curious about Park Ji-ho's connection with Choi Si-hyuk, but it seemed like the black hat friend was the one who knew him well.

The agent looked at Park Ji-ho and his friends for a while, then turned his head when he heard his staff member calling him.

Park Ji-ho, who was about to start living abroad, seemed fine both physically and mentally.

****

Soon after, an announcement came on.

As the departure time for the flight to Spain approached, Park Ji-ho looked at his family and friends with his ticket and passport in hand.

They had mixed feelings of worry and trust on their faces.

Park Ji-ho smiled brightly and said confidently.

“I’ll be back! See you soon!”

“Be careful. Mom and dad, everyone will come visit you in the summer.”

“Eat well! If you need anything, I’ll send it to you right away.”

“Do well in Spain! Ji-ho!”

“Call me anytime. I’ll answer even in the middle of the night.”

Seo-jun said, making everyone laugh. Park Ji-ho laughed loudly too. He knew that Seo-jun would always answer his calls no matter what.

“If you can't do it, just come back.”

Ji-woo, who had said earlier that he shouldn't come back soon, made Park Ji-ho sniffle. He felt emotional when even Ji-woo said that. They always fought, but they were still siblings.

Park Ji-ho tried to sound cheerful.

“Hmph! I won't come back until I win the cup!”

“Mom and dad. He might never come back to Korea.”

“Hey! Park Ji-woo!”

Everyone laughed as usual.

The parents and the friends too.

Park Ji-ho chuckled as well.

“I’ll do well. Don't forget to watch my games!”

The agent went into the gate first, and Park Ji-ho kept looking back and waving his hand. Seo-jun, Mina, and Ji-yoon waved back too.

Park Ji-ho's mom and dad also waved with tears in their eyes.

At the spot where her brother left, Park Ji-woo held her parents’ hands tightly.

****

Inside the plane heading to Spain.

Park Ji-ho put his carry-on luggage above and sat down on his seat.

He fastened his seat belt and was called by the agent sitting next to him.

“Ji-ho, is the one with the black hat friends with Choi Si-hyuk?”

“Ah, yes. He's close with Hyukie hyung, so I got to know him too.”

“Really? Is he a soccer player too?”

Park Ji-ho laughed at the agent's eyes, which seemed ready to look him up.

“He's good enough for that, but no. He has something he's better at.”

“Really. Not a soccer player… Huh? He's as good as you?”

Park Ji-ho wasn't one to lie about soccer, so it must be true.

The agent blinked his eyes and asked.

“Yes. He was even called a national prospect back then. He got a lot of offers too.”

He felt like he had found the hidden practice partner of Park Ji-ho, who had grown up without any rivals.

The agent leaned his body towards Park Ji-ho and thought of the promising players in Korea.

He wished he had looked at his face more closely earlier.

“But he's not a player? What is he better at?”

“Ah. Can I tell you now? It’ll be in the news anyway, so I guess it’ll come out soon. You’ll be better off knowing it beforehand, right? I wonder if there will be any articles in Spain too.”

Park Ji-ho rolled his eyes and nodded, then grinned.

“Huh? News?”

The agent looked puzzled, and Park Ji-ho smiled mischievously.

“That's Seo-jun.”

“…Huh?”

“Actor Seo-jun. He's my childhood friend. We didn't talk much about it in middle school because we were afraid of being bothered by others, but our elementary school friends know, so it’ll come out when the news breaks. He's good at soccer, but he's better at acting. You know him, right? He's a world-class star!”

“…!?”

The agent opened his mouth wide at the unexpected connection of the player.

***

-Ji-ho: Arrived in Spain!

-Ji-ho: Organized the gifts well!

-Ji-ho: (Picture) (Picture)

-Ji-ho: I’ll use them well!

A message from Ji-ho arrived.

With easy communication methods, it didn't make much difference whether he was in the next neighborhood or on the other side of the world.

“Except for the time difference.”

Unlike Spain, where the sun was still up, Korea was dark at night.

In the picture, Park Ji-ho smiled brightly next to the gifts that Seo-jun and his friends had given him.

Among them, there was a sandglass as big as his index finger. It was one of the gifts from Seo-jun.

This sandglass, with glittering blue sand falling inside, had Seo-jun's ability engraved on it. It would help Park Ji-ho's mental and physical health a lot.

“It took me some time to prepare it because it's intermediate level.”

He was lucky that there was a DIY sandglass kit.

Otherwise, he might have had to look for another ability.

He wanted it to last longer, so he put his energy into each grain of sand, which was quite tricky.

-Ji-ho: I ate ramen because it was an awkward time for a meal!

-Ji-ho: I tried the sandglass lol

-Ji-ho: (A picture of the sandglass on top of the cup noodles)

Seo-jun looked at the picture indifferently and smiled softly.

‘He doesn't know that I made it myself…’

He wished he would use it more carefully, since he had worked hard to make it.

***

“Do I have to film this too?”

“They all want it. I'm a slave to the views, so I have no choice.”

-LOL

-Sorry lol

Moviegoer's younger sister sighed and sat in front of the computer.

Moviegoer pointed his phone camera at him, making sure his face wasn't visible.

“Please understand even if the quality is bad. It's all because you wanted it.”

-Yes!

-It's okay lol

“But are you sure you don't have to do the ticketing instead of watching the broadcast?”

-? Who doesn't do the ticketing?

-Don't worry, I'm watching on my phone.

-22 When it's time for ticketing, no one will chat. They’ll be busy with ticketing.

Moviegoer made a face as if he couldn't believe it.

“No. Then there's no point in doing this live.”

-Lol

-I’ll watch the recorded version.

-222 Please edit it nicely lol

-Honestly, the only ones who chat during ticketing are the ones who saw the play.

-Ah…

The chat room became solemn.

“…I envy you.”

-Me too?? But I'm glad that the competition rate has decreased.

-?? The ones who saw the play are also doing ticketing again. They said they were unsatisfied after seeing it once.

-?? But I would see it twice too.

“I would too. If it was a movie, I would have watched it multiple times without any worries…”

Moviegoer's words made his sister open her mouth.

“It's different from a movie though. It's much more powerful and has a different aura. It was my first time seeing Seo-jun act in person and I was really amazed. I couldn't even think of it as acting. It was so realistic and I felt like I could hear his breathing. I just kept staring at him without thinking. I just accepted everything he did.”

-That's what the chosen one who saw the play said.

-Lol Real review lol

-Jealous??

The phone camera that was filming Moviegoer shook violently.

-I can feel that Moviegoer is really jealous lol

-How did they divide into those who saw and those who didn't lol

“Ah, oppa. Do you have a preferred seat?”

“Isn't the front seat better?”

Moviegoer answered his sister's question after calming himself down. His sister nodded with a subtle expression.

“Ah… The front seat…”

“…Why do you look like that?”

“No, nothing…”

-The ones who saw the play reacted weirdly when they talked about seats.

-22 But there was (spoiler) written on it, so I couldn't read the post.

-Sister, do you have a recommended seat?

“There is a good seat, but it turns out that it depends on luck too.”

When Moviegoer relayed the viewer's question, his sister shrugged and answered.

The best seat was where you could see the stage well and also see Jangsanbeom's appearance well.

She thought he only appeared in one place, but when she read a spoiler-filled review, she realized that wasn't true.

‘Who would have thought it was random.’

His sister shook her head regretfully.

“It's a shame. That seat is really good.”

“Where is ‘that seat’ exactly?”

“I can't tell you because it's a spoiler. But I guess it's better to sit as close to the center as possible.”

“Just do whatever you want.”

Moviegoer had no choice but to say that, since he didn't know anything.

-What the hell is happening in the theater?

-To find out, you have to succeed in the second ticketing.

-Huh. It's almost time for ticketing.

As the second ticketing approached, Moviegoer turned his camera to the monitor.

The ticketing page that would also be on the viewers’ computer screens was reflected on the video.

-Please. Pleeease!!

-I'm going offline now.

-See you in three minutes!

-Honestly, it seems like it’ll take less than three minutes lol?????

-A subjective 10 seconds cut???

When there were 30 seconds left until 8 o’clock, the viewers’ chat decreased.

Moviegoer also forgot about the broadcast and watched the monitor carefully, making sure he didn't disturb his sister's movements.

A heavy silence fell.

8 o’clock sharp by the portal site clock.

The ticketing page of Milky Way Galaxy Center opened and his sister's hand holding the mouse moved quickly.

The mouse cursor on the screen was like water flowing smoothly along a pre-made path.

There was no obstacle.

There was no alert like ‘This seat has already been selected.’

that always blocked Moviegoer's way.

Moviegoer thought.

It was like light.

[Payment completed.]

“Haah. Done?…”

“Aaaah!!!Ahh!Ahh!Ahh!!!”

The phone that was in Moviegoer's hand flew away, and a scream like a cheer echoed.

***

“Wasn't Moviegoer's video so funny?”

“Right? How did he throw the camera so that it spun and fell like that… And he even added slow motion, making it look like a movie scene.”

“The background music was also very uplifting and touching, making it even funnier.”

The staff members of Cocoa Entertainment's second team laughed as they prepared to start their morning work.

They checked the articles, reviewed the works that came in, and looked at other schedules.

Their assigned actor was active right now, so they would have normally put more effort into promoting his work, but since it was a play by high school students and the ticketing was already over, they didn't do any promotion.

“Wow. It's out!”

At that voice, everyone typed in the name of one person in the search bar. Normally, it would have been three letters, ‘Seo-jun’, but today was different.

[Park Ji-ho]

The second team staff members who knew beforehand that Park Ji-ho, seo-jun's childhood friend, had gone to Spain exclaimed.

“It's amazing that he's a soccer player.”

“Right? I watch foreign soccer a lot…”

Ahn Da Ho smiled and said as he saw them.

“Then let's get ready for the confirmation call.”

“Yes!”

They answered crisply.

***

[Park Ji-ho, joins FC Barcelona!]

-Oh. He finally went!

=22 I wondered why he didn't go to the youth team when he was 13 or 14.

=33 I thought it would have been better to go earlier. He did well last year, but I wonder if he can do well there.

=He has a solid skill, so he's been getting offers all the time.

=22 He definitely stands out when he plays with his peers.

-Park Ji-ho and Choi Si-hyuk took a picture together!

=They seem really close? How do they know each other?

=Because they're soccer players?

=But there's an age gap between them. Choi Si-hyuk was in Europe when Park Ji-ho was in middle school. They were also on different teams when they were on the national team.

=Oh. Right?

=Seo-jun introduced them.

=……?? What does Seo-jun have to do with this??

-Choi Si-hyuk is famous for having a cameo with Seo-jun. What about Park Ji-ho?

=Park Ji-ho (Maesil Elementry graduate) Seo-jun (Maesil Elementry graduate) best friends.

=Just because they went to the same elementary school doesn't mean they're best friends.

=??Seo-jun lived in our apartment and he always hung out with Park Ji-ho and a few others. They bought cup tteokbokki and played at the playground.

=Cup tteokbokki lol Playground lol

=22 I also graduated from Maesil Elementry and Seo-jun and Park Ji-ho were really close. They even went to the same kindergarten.

=Wow. They were real friends?

=(Link) There's an article lol It says they're friends lol

-Barcelona: We don't know what kind of player Park Ji-ho is, but we hope he trains well and becomes a good player like Choi Si-hyuk!

Korea: Park Ji-ho, seo-jun's friend.

Barcelona: ……Huh?

Korea: Super close. Childhood friends.

Barcelona: ……Huh???

=SNS is going crazy lol

=I know. I would be amazed too if a player came from another country and he was friends with a Hollywood star.

-There are articles coming out in Spain now lol

=Other countries are also curious lol