Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Staying Up (1)
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9 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses.
That was the record since Jeong-woo had taken the reins.
It was nothing short of astonishing.
Results were everything, no matter where you went in the world.
The criticism aimed at Bolton's owner had visibly died down.
[I'm done criticizing Ma. And you lot who mindlessly bash him every time—what's your deal? And this doll...]
In the office guest sofa.
Jeong-woo squinted at the tablet PC screen.
A Bolton YouTuber was speaking with a determined expression.
In one hand, he clutched a rumpled Jeong-woo Ma doll dressed in a suit.
[Now I just want to treasure this doll. I don't want to do those disgusting, violent things in the fan challenge anymore. Think about the person on the receiving end. Honestly, what did Ma ever do to us to deserve us burning or ripping this thing apart?]
The YouTuber's message was straightforward.
He was calling for an end to the violent fan challenges and urging everyone to support and trust the current Bolton owner and manager.
[Ma's the one saving Bolton! Look—Bolton was dead last, and now they're up to 16th! If you're gonna hate, hate on Derek Scott!]
The real-time comments flooding in showed plenty of agreement.
The Wigan Athletic win had sparked the biggest shift, of course. And to top it off, the YouTuber spun an utterly ridiculous tale.
[Speaking of the doll—why do you think he released it? Simple. To take all the hate himself. So the players can focus on matches without getting rattled! He's sacrificing himself as a shield. You ever seen a manager like that?]
- Yeah! Totally agree! Ma's got real sacrificial spirit! And those mindless bashers? Probably racists in my book!
- Honestly, I wasn't thrilled at first. Owner as manager? But looking at the results now... he knew what he was doing from the start. He can pull Bolton out of the relegation zone!
- Guys, I already bought 10 Ma dolls. My kid insists on sleeping with one by his bed.
- Beating those smug Latics is enough for me.
- Support Ma, you lot! Or I'll burn you all myself!
Of course, haters still lurked everywhere.
But on this YouTuber's channel, they were like four-leaf clovers in a field of three-leaf ones.
"Damn it."
Amusingly, Jeong-woo wasn't thrilled by the shift.
"Why the hell are they freaking out when the man himself is fine with it?"
The fan challenges needed to keep raging if he wanted to boost merch revenue.
"Is this guy some smartass Latics fan?"
The winning streak was the problem.
One victory after another, and now some fans were starting to back him.
Especially lines like this YouTuber's—they were perfect for riling up the Wanderers.
"Whoa, this guy's got 300,000 subscribers?"
Hee-won leaned over from the head of the sofa and muttered as he glanced down.
Jeong-woo frowned.
"300,000—that's basically the population of seven Bolton parishes combined."
Fact was, the YouTuber had about 100,000 more than that.
"Son of a bitch."
Time passed.
Jeong-woo and Hee-won huddled as always, plotting tactics.
Prepping for the next match.
After a while.
Suddenly, Jeong-woo craved something sweet.
He smacked his lips and stood.
"I'll be right back."
* * *
Charlotte Emma stopped by the convenience store.
"You're back again?"
The clerk lit up the moment he saw Emma.
She stood demurely and gave a small bow in greeting.
The clerk, blushing, kept chatting.
"Not here for... that again, are you?"
Emma averted her eyes and nodded.
"Yes, I am."
She kept her voice as refined as possible.
The clerk thought to himself watching her.
'How much grudge must she hold...'
He picked up a Jeong-woo Ma doll from the display.
"I get it—this thing's face is infuriating. On stressful days, I chuck it like a baseball. Bouncy as hell, too."
Naturally, he assumed Emma was buying it for stress relief.
Most people did.
It was made for that.
And she'd bought several in recent weeks.
But that wasn't Emma's reason.
'Fourth one today.'
She took the smirking doll in both hands, a tiny smile creeping onto her face unbidden.
Staring at it, it was kinda cute.
A sort of memento, too.
She bought one every team win, arranging them like trophies on her bed headboard.
Lined up in a row, they even looked pretty.
That's when it happened.
"Gonna do the challenge?"
Emma flinched, her slender shoulders trembling.
She turned—Jeong-woo had appeared behind her.
Her cheeks flushed faintly.
*No! I'm absolutely not buying it for some fan challenge!*
Jeong-woo brushed past her casually toward the ice cream freezer.
"You've got good taste."
He grabbed a cone ice cream, looking quietly pleased.
"I just..."
She couldn't say it was for display.
Everyone around her bought them for challenges.
Even the clerk whispered conspiratorially.
"Don't worry. The owner's super chill about this stuff. He'd probably encourage you to buy more and really go at it."
Emma shot him a resentful glare as he grinned.
'I can hear you...!'
Jeong-woo exited the store with Emma.
A glance showed her clutching the doll in one hand, walking like a robot.
Jeong-woo pulled an ice cream from his bag.
"Here."
"I'm fine."
"Just take it."
"Thank you."
She'd been mildly flustered moments ago—now she was all robot.
A few passersby eyed her.
*Too pretty for her own good.*
Her low ponytail gleamed golden in the sunlight.
"Ahem."
Jeong-woo averted his gaze.
But soon, he halted abruptly.
Ahead, near Bolton Stadium, a car pulled over indecisively on the shoulder.
Out tumbled what looked like a dad and an eight-year-old kid.
"D-Dad! I gotta go, gotta go now!"
The kid from the passenger seat looked desperate.
Stamping his feet—it screamed urgent potty need.
Sure enough.
"Yeah, hold it just a sec. Hey, excuse me! Know where the bathrooms are?"
The presumed dad grabbed a passerby, asking frantically.
The passerby pointed toward the stadium, and dad yanked the kid's hand, vanishing.
"What's up?"
Emma asked, puzzled by Jeong-woo's stare.
"That."
Jeong-woo pointed not at the father-son duo, but the car.
No ordinary car.
Red paint job, Manchester United crests all over.
Edinson Cavani's initials by number 7, David de Gea's too.
Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Red Devils, plain as day."
"There's a Manchester United vs. Everton match scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight."
Jeong-woo nodded, chin in hand.
"Hmm."
Come to think of it, parts of Bolton parishes and areas like Preston had to pass through Horwich to reach Man U games.
Other routes existed, but Horwich roads saw heavy traffic.
Above all, northwest England—Bolton included—teemed with Man U fans.
Manchester United, Manchester City...
Liverpool fans—the Kopites—abounded too, being so close.
*Now that I think about it, some of our staff support Man U or City.*
He'd spotted massive crests on computer screens during visits.
All big clubs, so-called.
"..."
Jeong-woo's eyes sharpened like when dissecting a pitch.
A tingle crept up from his feet.
Minutes passed.
They'd settled under the store awning.
No match today—area was dead quiet.
Locals near the stadium popped in, startled.
Most guys stole glances at Emma, unable to look away.
Then.
"Check that out."
Jeong-woo pointed.
Another car veered from the road toward Bolton Stadium.
Parked haphazardly nearby—a man hopped out the driver's seat.
Clutching his pants.
"Gotta pee, too."
Sure enough, the man bolted toward the bathrooms.
"Repeat offender."
Jeong-woo's lips twitched upward, belying his words.
Above demure Emma, polishing off her ice cream, a question mark hovered.
Twenty minutes now.
Standing here, watching cars turn into the stadium.
They weren't wrong to do so, of course.
Jeong-woo wasn't judging that.
But Emma's curiosity grew.
*What's this about?*
Why was the owner hunkered in this corner, observing every car entering the stadium?
Soon, another vehicle pulled in.
Not bathrooms this time.
A man stopped near the store, stepped out.
"Ugh, starving."
Bearded gut of a guy, face half-hidden.
He patted his bulging belly, grumbling.
"Damn, it's deflated. Wish there was a food truck around."
Universal Stadium had deals with a few trucks.
But they only came on match days.
The woman from the passenger seat scowled.
"Told you. Let's move already."
The man looked fed up, like he'd heard it a million times.
"Move where? House prices near Manchester are insane."
"So you'll drive from Preston every week for Man U games?"
"What's so hard about that?"
Bickering, they headed into the store.
Only then did Jeong-woo step forward.
"Kuhuhu."
A sly chuckle escaped his grin.
"I smell it. I smell money."
Another question mark popped over Emma's head at his mutter.
"What... do you mean?"
She creased her fine brows delicately. Jeong-woo flashed white teeth.
"The smell of cash."