Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Single-Hearted Devotion -1
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"Good job, good job!"
"You were insane! Maknae!"
"The maknae showed 'em what's what!"
"You're on a whole different level."
I high-fived the seniors and sat down on the bench.
Hooooh.
I had been substituted for the defender, Martinez, and was coming off the pitch.
It was the 20th minute of the second half, so I figured I'd played for about 65 minutes today.
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Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap-
The sound of the crowd's applause made my ears feel numb.
The applause had started the moment I stepped off the pitch and was still going strong.
The seniors sitting next to me were giving me a round of applause and raising their thumbs... Is that it?
Well, I guess I did play better than in the last match. I managed to run a bit longer and even scored two goals.
Even if one of them was pure luck.
"Hooooh."
I chugged an ion drink, and I could feel the electrolytes seeping into every corner of my body, through my veins.
Only after sitting on the bench did I finally notice it.
I was more exhausted than I thought.
In the last match, I had been the one to ask for a substitution, but not this time. I was so focused on the game I didn't even notice how tired I was, let alone worry about my stamina.
Probably because there were way more situations where I ended up with the ball today. As the opponent pushed their line up and applied pressure, I had to drop back a lot, and every time I did, the seniors passed the ball to me.
Well, the seniors usually give me the ball often anyway, but... today was on another level. The moment I got the ball, they were looking for me first.
It might be because my condition during training was pretty good.
Anyway, since I had the ball for such long stretches, I didn't have the luxury of worrying about my stamina.
I poured all my focus into how to protect the ball and how to continue the play from there.
Thinking about it, the seniors on the field sometimes joke around or play pranks on each other, they have that kind of leeway. I find it amazing.
I'm just busy doing my job right now, but will I be able to have that kind of composure once I've built up more experience?
"Hoo."
Anyway, being able to focus solely on the game is a good thing. In that sense, I'm thankful to the opponent today.
Especially that guy, the one who's three whole years older than me. I'm grateful to that senior.
I was so worried that Ji-woo might find out that there's a real genius out there, separate from me.
That's why I concentrated like crazy, and thankfully, the result was good.
At least for today, I must have looked more like the genius.
Imagining Ji-woo cheering for someone else instead of me... It's strange. Why does that make me angry?
It's not like Ji-woo is mine or anything.
Anyway, I put in more than 200% effort because I hated that thought.
Speaking of which... there are this many geniuses here in Italy, too. I can't even imagine how many geniuses are thriving outside of Italy.
Right next door in France, and next to that is Spain, above is Germany, and across the sea is England.
So many true geniuses must be kicking a ball around today as well.
Thankfully, I don't have to meet them right now, but next year, who knows?
If we get good results in the league, I'll have to play in European competitions.
In the league, we face both strong and weak teams, but in European competitions, we can only face strong teams.
After all, European competitions are tournaments that gather only the teams that performed well in their respective countries.
Thanks to that, honestly, I'm anxious.
If I keep winning like this, I'll have to face stronger and stronger opponents...
It's obvious that in this wide world, there are many geniuses far superior to me. And besides, I'm not a genius, just a normal person who's desperately trying to look like one.
I really don't want Ji-woo to find out about that.
But to do that, I have to keep winning my matches.
If I keep winning, I'll meet stronger opponents.
Life can be so complicated.
"We're getting overrun!"
"Get it together! Your focus is slipping!"
"Ugh, is the game falling apart just because the maknae is off?"
...Hmm.
Anyway, seeing my team facing a crisis, I can feel my palms getting sweaty.
Still, winning seems better than losing.
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There was one crisis, but in the end, we won the match.
After I was substituted, the flow of the game shifted to the opponent, and we were on the back foot for about 10 minutes, conceding a goal.
Fortunately, Vlahovic scored right after to calm the uneasy atmosphere.
3-1, our victory.
I felt relieved seeing the happy home fans, but I wasn't even given a moment to sigh in relief.
"Hello!"
I bowed my head slightly and answered the reporter who greeted me in a lively voice.
The damn interview time had come around again.
And today, there seem to be even more cameras, and the reporter interviewing me is a woman.
In many ways, this is a situation where I need to get my act together.
"First of all, congratulations on the win. You scored a whopping two goals today! How do you feel?"
"Uh... First of all, I'm glad that so many fans came to the stadium today, and I'm glad we could show them a winning game."
"We expected it to be a tough match, as Lazio is not an easy opponent. What was it like facing them directly?"
"Yes... They were a really strong opponent. That's why I had no choice but to concentrate more, and I think that's what led to the good result."
Fortunately, the questions were standard, so I gave standard answers.
But maybe because it was too standard, a more difficult question started to come up.
"Today's match also drew attention as a battle of 16-year-old geniuses. Did you see the interview Romero did before the match?"
When I shook my head, the reporter smirked.
"He said he would show who the real genius is. In your opinion, who was the 'real' one today?"
Hmm...
Do I really have to say this with my own mouth?
If it weren't for Ji-woo, I would have been modest, but... I've already come too far to turn back now.
"Luca Coach's student."
"Luca Coach...?"
"He's the coach of our U17 team."
"Ah! What a great answer!"
I think I managed to say it in a roundabout way.
I could almost picture the coach's face stretching into a grin, and I couldn't help but smile myself.
"Well, I think it's about time to wrap this up. According to the club, the team's uniform sales have skyrocketed recently. It seems the purchase rate among female fans has become particularly high, and they say most of them are buying your uniform?"
"..."
"What do you think is your own charm point that makes that kind of popularity possible?"
...What on earth is this question?
I thought I'd gotten past one hurdle, but a bigger gate is blocking my way.
What's my charm point?
I've never thought about it once in my life, so my mind goes blank.
Does something like that even exist?
I scratched my head for a long time before finally wringing out an answer.
"...Single-hearted devotion?"
"Huh, what does that mean?"
"Ah, I mean... an unchanging heart? Something like that..."
"Ah, so you're the type to only look at one person? That's so romantic!"
...No matter how much I think about it, that's the only thing I can think of.
"Thanks for the interview! You worked hard!"
"You worked hard."
Phew.
Still, I think that was good enough. I didn't make any major mistakes, and I was able to finish the interview with a smile.
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"Did you have fun?"
"With what?"
"I'm asking if you had fun interviewing a pretty lady."
"...What are you talking about, again?"
"You looked like you were struggling to hold back your laughter. In the end, you couldn't hold it in and your mouth reached your ears."
...I can't believe this.
"I smiled because we won the game, that's all."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. Then I'll let it slide just this once."
"..."
I haven't done anything wrong, but seeing Ji-woo saying he'll "let it slide" is ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is that I find that side of Ji-woo strangely... cute.
So I asked casually.
"By the way, am I not allowed to smile?"
"Huh?"
"I'm asking if I'm not allowed to smile in front of a pretty woman."
"...Wow, you're asking because you don't know?"
Ji-woo glares at me, looking like he can't believe it.
But for some reason, I don't want to lose today, so I answer without flinching.
"I'm asking because I don't know."
"Of course you're not allowed!"
"Why not?"
"That's just common sense! Of course... uh..."
Ji-woo, who was about to say it like it was obvious, suddenly trails off.
Of course what?
Ji-woo, like a child, heaved his chest, trying to spit something out, then stopping a few times. In the end, he opened his eyes wide and said:
"Of course... it's not the time for that yet!"
"...Not the time for what?"
"Right now, we don't even have enough time to focus on soccer. Right? We don't have time to look elsewhere. See?"
"...Right."
"See? Yes, that's right. You just focus on soccer, just soccer."
Hmm.
It's not wrong, but it's a bit of a buzzkill of an answer.
"So, promise me. Don't get distracted, and don't smile goofily in front of pretty women."
"...I have to promise?"
"You do. Why? Think you can't keep it?"
"...I never smiled goofily in the first place. Anyway, I got it."
When I said I'd promise, Ji-woo finally nodded.
"Speaking of which, you've caused quite a stir."
"What kind of stir?"
"Look at this. It's an article that just went up, and it already has hundreds of comments."
Ji-woo shoves a laptop screen in front of me.
Just as he said, it was an article about me, and there were an incredible number of comments.
My heart sank for a moment, but I couldn't show it, so I carefully read them.
Fortunately, they were all praising me.
There were a lot of comments about the interview I did after the game.
— User123
Single-hearted devotion!! That guy only has Fiorentina! That's not cool?
— User456
Completely different from someone who was completely swayed by a gang for money.
— User789
Different from someone who's refusing a contract renewal right now, too.
— User101
This guy knows his roots.
— User202
Tell everyone else to leave. If we have Lee, we're fine.
— User303
From today, my motto is "Single-hearted devotion."
💬 Comments
⭐ Top Comment
— User404
I love Lee and Lee loves Fiorentina♥ We'll be together forever, I won't send him anywhere on Earth♥
It seems everyone is hooked on the phrase "single-hearted devotion."
They seem to have interpreted it to mean that I'll continue to play for Fiorentina...
Hmm.
Truthfully, that wasn't the intended meaning, but...
Well, it's not a bad thing that they're taking it positively.
And my thoughts aren't all that different.
I still can't imagine playing for another team.
I like it here and now, and I like this place.
As I was nodding, Ji-woo asked.
"Why's your expression like that?"
"Huh?"
"The comments are all praising you, so why are you looking so serious? Smile a little."
I looked at Ji-woo as if I couldn't believe it when he told me to smile.
...Is this guy an idiot?
We just promised not to smile goofily in front of pretty women.
He must have forgotten already.
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The day after a match, Monday, is always for recovery training.
We do more thorough stretching than usual.
A few simple core exercises, a jog, and then we ride the stationary bike.
That's the entirety of recovery training.
It's so simple, it almost feels too simple to even call it training.
Thanks to that, when it's time to go home after finishing training, I sometimes feel a sense of dissatisfaction, like I could just go home like this.
But even if I feel that way, I can't be greedy. Resting well is also a form of training.
Recovery is that important.
But... that's why I had to tilt my head.
As I was leaving to go home after recovery training, I saw our team captain, Biraghi, training alone on the pitch.
It looked like the captain was doing one-on-one training with a coach.
"Why is the captain doing that?"
When I asked, Bonaventura, our team's midfielder who was leaving with me, answered.
"Sigh. Probably because of this week's match."
"The next match?"
"Yeah. The opponent is Inter."
When I still tilted my head, the senior continued.
"Our captain is an Inter youth product. Inter is like his first love. That was ages ago, but he still can't forget it. He even went on loan there last year. To a team that had already abandoned him once."
"Ah..."
"I heard there was even an option to make the transfer permanent if he did well there. But in the end, he came back, so he was cast aside again. That's why he's probably grinding his teeth. If I were him, I'd want to prove myself, too."
I finally nodded.
Hmm.
I understand how he feels, but it still feels like he's overdoing it.
Well, it's a bit funny for a maknae like me to be worried about the captain, though.
Anyway, after hearing that, I felt like I had to do even better in the next match.
It's not exactly the same, but isn't it similar to how I desperately want to beat Juventus?
Then I have to win. I must.
It was the same back when I first joined the first team and it's the same now.
Since the captain has taken better care of me than anyone else, it makes me want to win even more for no reason.
Inter.
We will definitely beat you.