Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Nothing Comes Easy - 1
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“Fantastico, estroso, incredibile, pazzesco, meraviglioso, splendido······”
My ears perked up at the sudden pop quiz of words.
For a moment, I thought I was back in class and frowned. The reporter, spitting everywhere, gave me a slick smile and apologized.
“Sorry. They all mean the same thing, so you don't need to memorize them. It was a fantastic, truly amazing comeback match. You led Fiorentina to the finals!”
“···Thank you.”
I nodded with a slight smile at the reporter who was even clenching his fist.
I really wanted to go back to the locker room right now and share the joy with my teammates, but today, once again, I was dragged in front of the cameras.
“First off, your physical condition was perfect. How was it? Was there absolutely no problem?”
“Yes. None. If there had been any issues, I wouldn't have played in the match.”
I answered his perfectly timed question as if I had been waiting for it.
“I recovered perfectly during the break, and I'd like to send my thanks to the doctors and trainers who helped me a lot with that.”
The thing I was most grateful for today was my calf, which kept quiet until the match ended, and the teachers who made that calf possible.
I never knew being able to run at my best condition could be such a joyful thing.
So, I expressed my gratitude to the teachers first.
For some reason, the reporter looked proud and continued his story.
“Well, actually, it was a fact we could have known without asking. Your performance was perfect. Today, it was like······ watching Messi!”
Hmm······ That’s a bit much.
I couldn't help but blurt out at the mention of a name that shouldn't be mentioned lightly.
They're going to start calling me the second someone, or the Korean someone, among themselves now.
Even though I didn't say anything.
“Especially the first goal. It was such an amazing goal that it reminded me of the famous goal Messi scored in El Clásico. Can we hear what you were thinking at that moment?”
The first goal.
It felt like ancient history, so I had to search my memories for a moment before answering.
We must have fought fiercely for 90 minutes.
It feels like it was ages ago.
“If you're asking what I was thinking, I don't really know. I just moved where my body wanted to go.”
“Ooh, just where your body wanted to go?”
I nodded, then quickly added an explanation, thinking this could be misunderstood again.
“I can't calculate and move for everything.”
“So you moved purely on instinct. Isn't that an answer only a genius could give?”
Hmm.
Why does it end up like that?
“Then what about the second goal? That looked like a perfect calculation. Did you know Saponara was rushing in from behind?”
That······ I nodded.
Then the reporter continued excitedly.
“It won't be counted as an assist, but anyone would say you had over 90 percent of the credit for that goal. You served it up on a silver platter for him to just tap in, didn't you?”
···I learned that prejudice is definitely a bad thing, but with every interview, I feel my prejudice against reporters deepening.
Of course, I'm standing right here, so I understand their intention to say things I want to hear, but······ I don't want to hear it, so their approach is wrong.
I'm not the type to correct someone even if they're wrong, but in a situation like this, I have to set the record straight.
“That's not it. Romero, who won the contest and crossed the ball, is the one who assisted that goal, and Saponara, who finished calmly in a difficult situation, is the scorer. I didn't set up everything······ I just played as part of the team.”
It's not a welcome thing to have the attention on me even when I didn't score the goal, or even assist it.
It's embarrassing in front of my teammates, and······ I'm scared that later on, even if I'm sitting on the bench, they'll say they won because of me.
Being overhyped is terrifying.
“A humble genius like this. I can see why everyone loves you.”
···See?
Terrifying.
“Finally, for the fans who have been waiting for your comeback for the past month, can you say a word? To those fans cheering like crazy right now.”
Hmm, hmm.
At the mention of the final question, I cleared my throat and answered.
“The fans might have been waiting for me, but I was waiting a lot too. For the day I could stand here again. Because it was there, now it's gone, I realized it. How good it feels to receive this kind of support······”
It might be a bit cheesy, but I kept pouring out my heart.
“I didn't feel like I was going to lose the entire match. It was because of the fans' voices. I kept thinking that if I were the away team playing here, it would have been really scary. We won because of the fans.”
The reason I scored a goal, the reason our team could beat Milan, is all thanks to someone's support.
I know that very well.
“Grazie mille.”
That's why I was infinitely grateful.
······
“That's the kids' room. Well, nothing special. We had to find a house in a hurry.”
“It's way better than my house.”
“Hey, you could get a way better house if you wanted to.”
Senior Saponara made a sly face and rubbed the back of my neck.
“Anyway, I should have looked for a bigger house. It's not easy making space for two kids. You should definitely get a big house when you get married later.”
“···I don't even know if I'm getting married.”
I frowned at the sudden comment, and Senior Saponara tilted his head.
“Why? Does your girlfriend not want to get married?”
“···What are you talking about?”
“What? Are you still insisting you're not in a relationship? You'll regret it later. You gotta lock it down when you can.”
“···I'm going into that room.”
“Alright, alright.”
My face got hot, so I answered bluntly, and the senior laughed heartily while massaging my trapezius.
What is this?
Why does he keep massaging me?
“Let's go downstairs. It smells delicious, so it should be ready soon.”
“···Don't say weird stuff while we're eating.”
“I won't. I won't.”
I felt uneasy, but I let the senior lead me down the stairs to the first floor.
This is Senior Saponara's house, and I was touring his house—which I wasn't particularly curious about—because I was invited to dinner.
It's random in many ways, but he said he really wanted to treat me to a meal once.
“My love! Is it going well?”
As I went down to the first floor, a delicious smell wafted through the air, and the backs of two women were visible in the kitchen.
One of them gave me a thumbs-up. That must be the senior's wife, so······ what was I supposed to call her?
I don't know.
I think her name was Andrea, so I'll just call her Andrea.
Anyway, Andrea was cooking, and next to her, Jiu was watching over her shoulder.
For some reason, she looked incredibly excited.
“Sit, sit. Today, my love and I will treat you properly.”
Plates were being moved onto the table, so I thought about helping, but the senior forced me into a chair, so I couldn't move.
Jiu was dragged over and sat next to me, and we started looking around awkwardly.
The senior who sat us down······ proceeded to engage in a hot-and-heavy display of affection right in front of minors.
“My love, I'm sorry for making you work hard.”
“Not at all.”
I'm too embarrassed to go into detail, but let's just say I heard a series of smooching sounds.
···I don't get why he's bothering her when she's trying to cook.
Ahem.
“Now, we've kept you waiting long enough.”
Anyway, magnificent plates began to fill the table one by one.
The glasses in front of me and Jiu were filled with fruit juice, considering we were minors.
Then, the senior filled his own glass with something else······ which was clearly wine.
I was momentarily debating whether to report this to the coach, but by then, the table was set, and everyone sat down.
“Alright, everyone, raise your glasses!”
I followed the senior's lead and raised my glass.
Jiu, for some reason, was grinning and raised her glass too, and the senior spoke.
“I've always wanted to have a meal together, and I'm finally making my dream come true. Cheers! To our team's treasure, my benefactor, and his love!”
The sound of clinking glasses echoed.
The toast wasn't to my taste, but I didn't have the courage to ruin the good mood, so I glared at the senior and gulped down my juice.
If he says one more weird thing, I'm telling the coach he's drinking wine.
“Eat up. I guarantee it'll blow your mind. It's made by my love.”
Whether I glared or not, the senior offered us food and started smooching again.
I buried my head and started eating.
Then, Jiu and I both let out exclamations at the same time.
“It's delicious.”
“It's really delicious!”
Seeing our pretty good reaction, Andrea smiled broadly.
“I'm sorry I didn't invite you sooner.”
“Ah, no.”
“He just talked about it so much. He said he could still stick with this team was all thanks to Jee-an.”
···What is that supposed to mean?
I looked at the senior, and he nodded with a smile.
“You don't know he cried yesterday after the match ended, do you?”
“···Who did?”
“This guy.”
“Isn't it unnecessary to bring that up?”
“It's not unnecessary. He said he was watching the interview and bawled. This guy.”
He cried watching the interview······ Why?
Not understanding, I looked at the senior again, and his big eyes started to get misty.
···What kind of person is he?
Andrea shrugged her shoulders and said.
“Honestly, I teared up a little too. Even I could see he was setting it up so the shot would go in if you just took it.”
Huh.
So that's what she was talking about.
“That alone was enough to be grateful for, but he even took care of it in the interview, so it was touching. He cried like a child. It was so funny and touching at the same time.”
The senior made a face like he was about to cry again and leaned his head on Andrea's shoulder.
Andrea stroked the senior's face, and once again, an uncomfortable scene unfolded.
···This is just uncomfortable in so many ways.
I was so uncomfortable that I shook my head and corrected the misunderstanding.
“What am I going to take care of? I just stated the facts.”
If anyone was taking care of anyone, the seniors took care of me. How could I take care of them?
I'm too busy taking care of myself.
“But it's true that you created an easy goal-scoring opportunity.”
However, at Andrea's persistence, I shook my head, convinced she had never played soccer.
“If it looked easy, it's not my doing, but the senior's for training so hard.”
From a distance, it might look easy, but up close, nothing is easy.
Even a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper is like that.
“It was difficult. The fact that it looked easy means they worked hard enough to make it look that way.”
Players score easily in those situations because they've trained to the point where it looks easy.
I just said the obvious, but······
“My love···!”
“Who are you talking about? Me, or Jee-an?”
“B··· Both···”
Senior Saponara was in Andrea's arms again, sniffling as if he was about to cry······
I felt uncomfortable again.
I was starting to find Jiu, who was quietly giggling next to me, annoying.