I Have Arrived, Alabama
The frenzy over Jaehyuk's early signing came to a boisterous close.
Afterward, he fielded the reporters' barrage of questions as best he could, and then separate interviews were held with his family and with Jaehyuk himself.
"If you go to Alabama, you'll be quite far from your family. Are you comfortable with that?"
"Yes. No problem at all."
"There have been several cases of Asian players making it into D1 programs, but Jaehyuk's case feels special in its own way. You're ranked second in the entire nation as a running back. How do you feel about that?"
"I don't put much weight on the fact that I'm Asian, and I don't assign it any particular meaning. If anything, I'm just disappointed I'm not first."
"We checked, and the number one spot belongs to Raysheen Guillory. I heard you once beat him one-on-one, so wouldn't you say Jaehyuk not being ranked first nationwide is, in effect, racial discrimination?"
"I've never thought about it that deeply. Being ranked second doesn't erase my ability. All I'll say is this: once I'm in the college leagues, I'll show everyone exactly who the real number one is."
Jaehyuk's supremely confident interview spread across the internet in an instant.
The reactions were split down the middle.
There were those grumbling, "Why is he showing off like that?" and those who loved the swagger of a freshman. Given how low his name recognition still was compared to his ranking, it was an unavoidable situation.
A short career. The state of Kansas. No outside activities. Because of factors like these, not many people knew who Jaehyuk was yet.
Even his main championship broadcast had only drawn around a hundred thousand viewers, whereas in Texas, an ordinary high school game drew at least that many by default.
Rivalry games and playoff matchups within Texas pulled in close to a million viewers, so Jaehyuk's low profile at this point was only natural.
The mood around Alabama was similar — opinion split between those thinking, Well, he's the number two running back in the nation, so he's worth believing in, and those asking, Who the heck is this kid?
"So Jaehyuk ended up going to Alabama after all. Haha!"
And over here.
A big man with a gentle, good-natured face was celebrating the news about Jaehyuk. James, who had now quietly completed his first regular season at Virginia Tech, was grinning as he read the article.
Before long, he posted it to the Wichita North alumni group chat.
He was chuckling away at his phone when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. James turned his head — and there, standing at his back like a silverback gorilla, was a single massive man.
"Gah! Burgos, sir!"
"What are you grinning at like that?"
Keshawn Burgos. An offensive lineman, just like James.
But unlike James, who still hadn't shed his freshman aura, Burgos carried the presence of a seasoned veteran.
"A junior from my alma mater just got into Alabama! Hahaha!"
"Oh? The Crimson Tide?"
Burgos looked slightly surprised. Fair enough — he knew James had come from an unremarkable high school out in Kansas.
"You know the guy I've been talking about since forever."
"Which one was that?"
"The one they call Redline. The Asian running back who swept every MVP."
"Ah, the kid you sing about every single day? So he ended up at Alabama after all. Tell him I said congratulations."
"Haha! Yep!"
Fully riding the high, James fired off a congratulatory text. Watching him, Burgos smirked faintly and opened his locker.
"Guess you've got yourselves a rival now. Though actually meeting him won't be easy."
Virginia Tech belonged to the ACC. Alabama, in the SEC, was far more likely to cross paths with them only in playoff or bowl games.
Realistically, making the playoffs was extremely difficult. For Virginia Tech to reach the postseason, they would have to win the ACC with a near-perfect record. Alabama, by contrast, was a powerhouse that made the playoffs almost every year.
"Ah......"
It had never once occurred to James that he might face Jaehyuk again. But the moment he heard Burgos's words, he understood.
"We're enemies now, aren't we!"
"That's right."
Why was that?
His heart had suddenly started pounding.
Facing Jaehyuk as an opponent. And in the NCAA Division I, no less!
"Sir, do you think I could start next season?"
"Who's to say. That's up to you, isn't it?"
Next regular season. To meet Jaehyuk, he would have to chase a playoff berth. No — before that, he first had to become a starter.
"HAAAHH!"
"Whoa, you scared me."
With a spirited yell, James marched off toward the weight room.
The early signing date was mid-December. Early enrollment was in early January.
With barely a month left before departure, Jaehyuk and his family scrambled to prepare.
"Seriously, going off this suddenly......"
"Nobody told me early enrollment was a thing, Cap!"
Jaehyuk waved at the teammates who grumbled about losing him. Then he called Mateo aside.
"You're the captain now."
Nod. Mateo bobbed his head and held out his hand.
What's this? An handshake? The moment Jaehyuk took it, Mateo's deadpan expression shifted in a peculiar way.
"Here. Wasn't that it?"
"The captain's armband."
"Ah, you could've just said so."
Now that he thought about it, the captain's armband had been his. Jaehyuk passed it over to Mateo, who strapped it on with all the pride in the world.
"How's it feel?"
"Go on ahead and wait for me. I'll catch up soon."
He can't possibly mean he's following me to Alabama... right?
A faint doubt crept in, but Jaehyuk didn't bother to ask.
Before long, once everything was wrapped up, the players came over to offer their final farewells. Among them were a few whom Jaehyuk had personally trained and coached.
"Captain!!"
And the most devoted of all his supporters, Joseph, offered his goodbye with tears brimming in his eyes.
"I'll be cheering for you to the very end! Please take good care of yourself!!"
"Thanks, Joseph."
"And I'll keep your final piece of advice carved into my heart, Captain."
"Yeah, well, give it some real thought at least once."
Jaehyuk had suggested a position change to Joseph alone. But perhaps because the kid admired him too much, Joseph simply couldn't bring himself to give up the running back position just yet. And with Jaehyuk gone, the starting running back spot would be open next season — so it would probably take a little more time.
"Don't forget us out there."
"I'm going to get calluses on my ears from people telling me not to forget them."
"That's exactly why I'm saying it, you punk."
With Tyrone's final farewell, Jaehyuk walked out of the school gates.
It was the moment the Kansas high school legend departed.
With all my preparations complete, I packed only the bare essentials.
I'd be living there for years anyway, so I'd decided to source most things locally. Besides, I'd be staying in a college dorm, so I didn't need much.
"Are you really okay with just this?"
"If I need anything, I'll call. Just ship it to me."
At my words, Eunbi, who had been picking through my luggage, muttered under her breath.
"It's nothing but workout clothes......"
"If you look hard enough, everything I actually need is in here."
Just as I was tossing back a retort to Eunbi, Minhyuk was shouting from outside.
"Hyung! Mr. Dave is here!"
Today, David was taking me there himself. If I had to put it into words — I was grateful that he'd looked after me from beginning to end, in every way possible.
"Hahaha, hello there."
David greeted us with a smile stretching from ear to ear. This was the first time we were meeting in person since the early signing.
"Hello, David! We just finished getting ready ourselves. Please take good care of our Jaehyuk."
"Come on, Jaehyuk's an adult now. You don't need to worry so much."
Then he held out his hand to me. As I clasped it, he pumped it vigorously — and then, before I knew it, pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank you, Jaehyuk. Truly, thank you."
"Don't mention it."
My choice had simply been a win-win for both sides — it was never especially for Alabama's sake. Still, from David's perspective, he must have been overjoyed that I hadn't chosen another school. I understood that well enough.
"Hello there!"
"Oh my, hello."
Just then, another figure stepped out of what appeared to be David's vehicle — someone I'd never seen before, who came straight over, pressed a business card into my hand, and introduced himself.
"Dwayne Williams, Director of Player Personnel for the University of Alabama."
A white man with a gleaming bald head. His hulking, powerful build was striking.
He handed a card to my mother, then dealt one to each of my younger siblings in turn, before offering me a handshake.
These people really do love their handshakes.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Jaehyuk! I've been waiting for this day, and here it is at last!"
"Yes, a pleasure to meet you too."
"Hmm, looking at your frame, there's still plenty of room left for you to grow. I'm genuinely excited!"
Dwayne's eyes swept over my body from head to toe.
I suppose I must look like a sardine to this bear of a man.
"Well then, we should be off, ma'am."
"Yes. Please take good care of our Jaehyuk."
After exchanging goodbyes with my mother and seeing off my younger siblings, I climbed into David's car.
We'd drive to the airport and fly from there.
Even the plane ticket is free.
The entire process, from enrollment onward, cost nothing. This was the full scholarship — tuition, dorm fees, everything covered by the school.
"Ah, Jaehyuk. It seems your agent has already arrived at Alabama."
So Cheryl had gotten there ahead of me. I'd assumed she was a busy woman — this was a kindness I could only be thankful for.
"Jaehyuk, I've organized everything of importance on this tablet. Take your time reading through it, and feel free to ask questions whenever you like."
"Yes, thank you."
"Oh, and by the way — that tablet is yours. It's a gift."
"Oh."
Well, aren't they working hard to put me in a good mood from day one.
On the tablet, the first screen showed the University of Alabama's location and campus layout, along with an overview of the dorm and the room I'd be living in.
Equipment pickup and sizing instructions, academic orientation guide......
That was quite a lot of material. There was a wealth of information about the team as well. Reading it all carefully would probably take a full day or so.
As I browsed the tablet and chatted here and there, we arrived at the airport before I knew it.
"Your luggage is rather light, isn't it?"
"I'll be living out of it for the most part."
"Very good."
One suitcase, one backpack. Both checked as baggage, and I surrendered myself to the flight.
A grueling four and a half hours in the air. Even after that there was still driving to do, and at last we arrived at the University of Alabama.
We'd left early in the morning and arrived only around dinnertime. But rather than the exhaustion of the long journey, what struck me deeper was the sight of the stage I was about to perform on.
So this is Alabama.
It was a world apart from the vast, empty plains of Kansas. Beneath a sky stained by sunset, the University of Alabama campus radiated an air at once storied and magnificent. In the distance, the colossal silhouette of the stadium came into view.
That thing is huge.
It looked even bigger than the college football stadium I'd visited before. I knew that its capacity was roughly double that one's.
A hundred thousand people.
My main championship broadcast had drawn close to a hundred thousand viewers — but that stadium filled with a hundred thousand spectators in person.
And soon.
I would be running on that very field myself.
The thought alone sent tingles down my spine. A tension like the one before my very first game rippled pleasantly through my whole body.
The car David was driving rolled slowly through the sprawling grounds of the university. I suspect it was meant as a show for my benefit — and it certainly worked. A storied blue-blood program really was on another level entirely.
The scale was simply different from high school. The 'A' logo everywhere I looked, the Crimson Tide insignias at every turn — it all made it clear just how seriously this university took its football.
"This is where you'll be living from now on. The University of Alabama."
After completing a full loop of the campus, David turned to me with a look that asked, Well, what do you think?
"It's nice."
"Hah! That's all you've got?"
I smirked and kept my answer short.
Instead, I gazed once more at Alabama's logo, and thought.
I have arrived, Alabama.
I have arrived, NCAA D1.