[Football] If You Miss Again, I'll Make You Fly

At the 2002 World Cup, biased refereeing and South Korea's shamelessness shocked the world. Just as the Italians were nearly losing hope, Enzo unleashed a powerful shot from 20 meters out. The ball flew into the net, sealing the victory.

The Italians erupted with joy. In that moment, Enzo became a hero! Not just a hero to the Italians, but a champion of justice!

His teammates hugged him and rolled around on the grass. Back at the hotel, they drank to celebrate.

Enzo: "I'm going out to buy booze! I want to eat fire chicken noodles!"

Drunk, he got up and opened the door. He didn't hear Maldini telling him not to go, and he didn't wait for Gattuso to come with him. The exuberant young man rushed out of the hotel, full of excitement and pride. Then everything came to an abrupt halt. It was all over.

An extremist fan's vengeance ended his life, while his teammates carried on with their war, lost in endless confusion, sorrow, and rage.

They felt that none of it was right. The young man who had just made plans to go out to eat with them, the young man who had been smiling, who had scored and won, the young man who had planned tactics with them for their next campaign... It was all gone.

But our protagonist didn't die. Instead, he found himself on the streets of Italy in 2026.

Enzo: "What do you mean Italy still hasn't forgiven the World Cup? What does Rino making a last stand mean?"

With an ID card from the last century, Enzo stood helplessly on the street. Passersby pointed at him, their expressions none too friendly. Then a middle-aged man suddenly rushed over, grabbed him by the collar, and shouted, "Get lost, you fraud! You shameless media people can't make fun of him!"

Enzo: "Huh?"

Afterward, Enzo learned what had happened. He had no phone, no money, and no identity, but he had brains and skills.

A few days later, Gattuso opened his phone and found a trending video.

A black-haired young man juggled a black-and-white ball like a circus performer. First, it rested obediently on his toe. Then he flicked it up, let it nestle on his shoulder, and slipped past a ring of defenders. He tapped it lightly with his knee, popped it high with his head, then kicked the falling ball into a goal guarded by a goalkeeper from thirty meters away.

Gattuso fell into deep thought.

After that, the protagonist played in the World Cup again. But his teammates were so far outmatched that he had no choice, so he became an evil little milk cat who tormented the old-timers. After twenty years, Gattuso felt as though he were young again, and not in a good way. At the slightest disagreement, he put his teammates up for sale on eBay.

Core theme: Respect your elders.