Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Who Is That Guy? -1
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"Wow, that's amazing, Ji-an. A hat trick in 45 minutes."
"It's incredible."
"I guess after training with the first-team players, he felt he could handle it there too. Wow, you can really feel the confidence in his plays."
"Seriously."
"···Coach?"
"···Huh?"
"Are you getting autumn blues? Why does your voice sound so lonely?"
After the match against Parma.
At Luca Coach's words, Coach Toni gave a faint smile.
"Look at this. And why are you smiling so sorrowfully now?"
"Sorrowful" was the perfect word for it.
Staring into space with a sorrowful smile, Coach Toni recited softly.
"He said he wants to try."
"Pardon? Try what?"
"Coach Vincenzo called me. He wants to include Ji-an in the lineup for next week's league match."
"And?"
"I asked him first. I asked what he thought about it. I asked if he wanted to go to the first-team match or stay and play here."
"And he said he wants to go?"
"Yeah."
At Coach Toni's words, Luca Coach tilted his head.
"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? He said he wants to give it a shot. Now he even knows how to challenge himself. Just a little while ago, he was a kid you could barely even talk to."
"That's right. It's truly moving."
"Then why do you seem so low on energy?"
Coach Toni shook his head.
"I'm proud, of course. I'm happy. But, well, it's always like this. When the kids I first saw as little ones all grow up and leave my arms. It's proudful, but at the same time, it brings back memories of the old days and feels a bit wistful. That's all it is."
"Oh, Coach. You already talked to Coach Vincenzo, right? He's only going to play in a first-team match once a month. Why are you acting like he's leaving for good? Anyone watching would think you're sending your daughter off to be married. You've been a coach for more than a day or two, so why are you acting like this?"
When Luca Coach clicked his tongue, Coach Toni laughed and nodded.
"You're right. I must have gotten especially attached to that kid. He has a bit of a pitiful side to him, doesn't he? I know I shouldn't, but I think I rooted for him the most. That's why my feelings are mixed."
"Well, I'm the same way."
"To be honest, I'm more worried than anything. I feel like it might be too soon for him."
"What are you worried about now?"
Coach Toni let out a sigh.
"I only ever wanted him to taste a sense of accomplishment. Rather than making him overcome great trials to become strong, I wanted him to consistently taste small successes and develop that desire for achievement on his own. I wanted him to have confidence, too."
"You put a lot of thought into it."
"But it's going to get harder from now on. How could a pro player's path be paved only with flowers? There will be countless crises. But I don't think I've taught him how to overcome and get through those crises yet. That's why I'm a bit worried. That I might have encouraged him to take on this challenge before I could teach him that···"
"And Coach Vincenzo is just going to stand by? He'll care for him just as much as you do, won't he? And besides, at the beginning. Didn't you say he's not leaving for good?"
At Luca Coach's words, Coach Toni let out a hearty laugh.
Luca Coach shrugged his shoulders and said.
"And besides, he'll do well there too, what's the big deal. I saw him training with the first team myself. He was the most outstanding one there."
"He must have been. That's why Coach Vincenzo's eyes were spinning."
The two laughed together.
Luca Coach playfully poked Coach Toni's side.
"If you're that worried, why don't you pack your bags and follow him? To the first team."
"···."
"···Coach?"
For a moment, a look of serious contemplation crossed Coach Toni's face, causing Luca Coach to furrow his brow.
But Coach Toni just smiled and patted Luca Coach's shoulder.
"I feel so proud seeing Ji-an become more active and gain confidence. Watching children grow, isn't that the greatest reward of this job? I have to go find another Lee Ji-an now."
"Tsk, what a waste. I was planning to take your spot in a heartbeat if you left."
"What?"
The two burst out laughing.
······
"Dad."
"Yeah?"
"Um, by any chance. Are you going to work this weekend too?"
"This weekend? Yeah, I am. Why?"
"Ah··· No, it's nothing."
Watching his son ask a sudden question and then turn away, Lee Ji-an's father, Lee Won-hoon, tilted his head.
He always worked on weekends, so there was no need to ask, so why did he?
Thinking it was a silly kid, he was about to let it go, but Lee Won-hoon felt like there must be a reason and called his son back.
"What about the weekend? Is something wrong?"
Then, Lee Ji-an scratched his head and answered.
"No, well. It's nothing special. I was told I'm going to be included in the first-team match list this week."
"······First team?"
"Yes. Well··· I'm just on the list, I think. But still, just in case I get to play··· I was going to ask if you had time to come see me. It's a home game."
Watching his son make excuses, Lee Won-hoon's mouth fell slightly open.
Wait, the first team? Has he already been called up to the first team? Not the U19 team right below, but the first team?
Wait, no. That's not the point.
What surprised Lee Won-hoon even more was something else.
His son had just said he was going to ask if he had time to come see him. Just now.
If he hadn't misheard.
"···."
Since coming to Italy, Lee Won-hoon had never once gone to see his son's match in person.
He worked at a travel agency, so weekends were often even busier.
But that didn't mean he was working every single weekend. There were definitely weeks he was off. Especially recently.
Yet, he had never gone to see his son's match.
He just volunteered to work.
Why?
Because he wasn't interested in his son? No way.
If he went to see a match, his son would obviously feel pressured, so that's why.
Why did he even come all the way to Italy in the first place? Wasn't it to help his son get away from pressure, even a little?
Although, he had been so wary of giving him pressure that something bad ended up happening, and he'd felt how difficult life can be.
Anyway, no matter what happened, Lee Won-hoon had been careful, checking himself to make sure his son wouldn't feel pressured again.
But now, his son had brought it up first.
He said to come see a match if he had time.
"···Right. Is that so. Got it. Go inside and rest."
"Yes."
Lee Won-hoon hurriedly sent his son to his room.
And then stared blankly into space.
Various things flashed through his mind.
The coach and trainers who have consistently cared for him from the start until now.
The good kids who get along well with him, unlike his previous team.
And his friend Ji-woo, who made him laugh the most.
Thankful faces flashed before Lee Won-hoon's eyes.
Thanks to them, a day like this has come.
A day where even this useless father can go see his son's match in person.
"···."
Lee Won-hoon hurriedly pulled out his phone and started typing a message in a rush.
He really had work this weekend.
But what's that compared to this now?
He could go see his son's match.
"If they don't accept it, I quit. Anyway, my son makes more money than I do now."
After sending a unilateral notice of taking time off, Lee Won-hoon wiped the corners of his eyes and smiled brightly.
······
To be honest, even now, I wonder if I did the right thing. I'm still not sure.
Is this right? Is this it?
I have no idea.
"Huu-"
I let out a breath to calm my pounding chest. But my racing heart shows no signs of settling down.
"······So, don't worry about the pressure. When defending···"
Up front, Coach Vincenzo is explaining today's tactics with his neck veins bulging, but···
Not a single word goes into my ears.
All I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat.
October 24th, 2021.
This is the date I, as a player, step onto a first-team pitch for the first time.
And that is today, right now.
"······Today, we must···"
First of all, I didn't make the starting lineup today.
I'm on the substitute list. The coach said to just feel the atmosphere of the pitch and the bench today, that there's nothing to worry about.
So, the chance of me coming on as a sub is pretty low.
But I can't help being nervous.
Just being here is making me tremble.
I'm in a daze, unable to think of anything.
Even now, how much more will I tremble when I step onto the pitch?
A while ago, I took the team bus to the stadium, and just like always, I saw fans lined up in a long queue.
And now, when I step onto the pitch, those fans will fill the stands, screaming and shouting, making my ears ring.
Could I really run on that pitch?
"···."
No. Let's not do this.
Anxiety kept creeping in, so I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing.
Get a grip. Don't keep rambling and making a mess of myself.
Let's just not think about anything.
"···."
Close my eyes, block my ears.
Just stay still. Don't think about anything.
Don't think about anything··· at all.
Thump-
Thump-
Thump-
I feel the sound of my heart, which was pounding wildly, gradually slowing down. The irregular rhythm starts to become more consistent.
"···."
Then, suddenly, familiar faces start to pass before my eyes.
Luca Coach, Coach Toni, the U17 kids, Ji-woo, and Dad.
Why are those faces floating up in front of me now?
Everyone··· is someone I'm grateful for.
That's right. They are the people who made it possible for me to get this far.
I deliberately gave tickets to Ji-woo and my dad to come to the stadium today.
If it were the old me··· I would never have done that.
Even if they said they could watch on TV or the internet, I would never have told them to come to the stadium.
Why?
Because I would think that since they're watching, I absolutely can't do badly, and that would have been a huge burden to me.
But I think I'm··· different now.
I called them because I've changed.
Of course, that doesn't mean I don't feel any pressure.
It's still there. If I get to play in the match, the thought of wanting to show a good performance is dominating me.
But··· that's what's different.
It's not that I don't want to show a bad performance, but that I want to show a good one.
Yeah.
It's not that I don't want to show it, but that I want to show it.
"···!"
I flinch and open my eyes.
Turning my head, I see our team's first-team captain, Viraki, with his hand on my shoulder.
"Let's go, kid?"
"Ah··· Yes."
While I wasn't looking, all the seniors had already left the locker room.
I nodded once and followed the seniors out of the locker room.
*
Ahi ahi ahi-!
Magica Viola-!!
È triste il mio cuore lontano Da te-!
Magica Viola alè-!!
My ears are ringing as expected.
The cheers echoing from all around aren't heard with my ears, but felt with my body.
A sound that isn't visible but actually exists, I'm feeling it now.
"Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly-!!!"
When I came to my senses, the first thing I saw was Coach Vincenzo standing near the touchline, shouting his head off towards the field.
The sound of the coach constantly yelling "Quickly, quickly!" that I heard almost like background music during training woke me up, and in that moment, my vision widened and I finally saw the entire stadium.
That's right. I don't remember.
How I entered, how I'm sitting on the bench now. It's like that moment was deleted; I can't remember anything.
When I came to my senses, the game was already in full swing.
"···."
It's strange, but I'm less nervous now than when I was in the locker room.
All I could do in the locker room was sit still, but now at least I can watch soccer.
Watching the Serie A teams' match unfold right before my eyes, my stray thoughts naturally disappear and I focus only on the game.
"Go up! Go up!"
Today's opponent is Genoa CFC.
Genoa is a team lingering at the bottom of the league, and the match seems to be in our control.
The opponent is dropping their line back, solidifying their defense first, while we are circulating the ball in a fairly high area, looking for an opportunity.
Watching that, I suddenly see an overlap with training. What did the coach say at times like this?
He said it's important to score as quickly as possible.
He emphasized several times that while it's good for us to dominate the attack for a long time, it only has meaning if a goal comes out in the end.
If we don't score, the momentum could even shift to the other side, so the sooner we score, the better.
But that's easier said than done.
The goal won't open up as easily as it does in training.
The opponent, with their objective inferiority in power and being away, is determined to block the goal.
A few crosses have gone into the crowded box filled with those defenders, but so far, they've all been deflected.
Hmm.
Looking at the electronic board, 15 minutes have already passed.
I wish a goal would come soon···
As I was watching the game with a slightly anxious heart.
"Hey! che cazzo!"
"Ahhh, che coglione!"
"Porca madonna!"
The rough words starting to come from behind make me instinctively shrink my shoulders.
Hmm··· Swear words that are hard to even put in my mouth.
Still, it's only been 15 minutes. The fans' patience seems to be running out already.
The atmosphere grows increasingly hostile, and by the 25th minute of the first half, jeers started to pour down.
This is our home game, and we're the ones getting jeered.
This is a bit much··· Still, the coach and the seniors trained so hard.
How must the players feel, getting jeered at by the fans?
I don't know for sure, but it can't be good.
I wish a goal would come that could turn these jeers into cheers···
Right around that time.
"Whoa··· Whoa!"
"Hit it!"
"Goooal! Nice-!"
Finally, the goal we'd been waiting for exploded.
As expected, it was Vlahovic.
A cross came in from the right, and Vlahovic headed it in, finally opening the opponent's goal.
"Yee-! That's it!"
"Good job, Dusan-!"
At that goal, everyone on the bench clenched their fists and shouted, and the coach, while angry, showed a strange mix of emotions, being happy at the same time.
"Wow···!"
I also stood up from the bench and clapped.
There was a pure feeling of joy, and also the thought that the angry atmosphere in the stands might settle down a bit now.
But that expectation of mine was immediately shattered.
"Ah, damn it. That shouldn't have gone in."
"They're just going to keep hoisting up crosses now. They got lucky with one, so now they'll do it forever."
"We need to lose today for the coach to be changed. If we win, we have to see that octopus head for another month!"
Uh··· This isn't right.
Even though a goal went in, the cheers were lukewarm, and instead, I could hear even louder cursing.
It seems the boring game content is the problem again.
"When can we ever watch and enjoy soccer? Huh?"
With shouts flying in from all over, I instinctively looked at the coach.
Luckily, the coach doesn't seem to have heard, as he's not reacting at all···
Hmm.
If even a goal can't satisfy the crowd, what on earth do we have to do?
I was lost in my own thoughts, pondering···
"···"
I see the coach, who was watching the field, subtly turn his head.
I guess the coach heard the crowd's voices too. The coach scans the stands.
Then···
"···"
"···"
His eyes meet mine.
The coach glances at me, gives a small smirk, and turns his head back toward the field.