Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Being Honest Is Easier - 4
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We gathered at the assembly point, boarded a bus, arrived at the airport, and took a plane. After flying through the sky, we landed in Turin, boarded another bus, and headed for our hotel.
Throughout the entire journey, my head was a bit of a mess.
I still couldn't quite understand why Ji-woo had come to find me from the morning, even getting caught in the rain, just to tell me I had to win.
"I'm a Fiorentina fan too!"
Ji-woo's answer floated back to my mind, and I let out a dry laugh.
How much of a fan can she be?
It made no sense, no matter how much I thought about it, for Ji-woo, who I see almost every day and exchange calls and messages with daily, to suddenly say something like that.
So, what is it?
There's only one thing I can think of.
Lately, searching my name on the internet has become one of Ji-woo's hobbies. She says it's for studying Italian, but anyway, that's what she does.
She probably did it again this time too.
I've never searched for my own name, but I could guess that a few articles about me would have come out, especially now, just before the match against Juventus.
Maybe one of them included stories about my past. And maybe Ji-woo saw that.
So, was that why she suddenly came to find me, even getting caught in the rain, to cheer me on?
···
Of course, I don't know.
Maybe she really just wanted to be a genuine Fiorentina fan for a short while and cheer us on.
Maybe she had a bad dream at night.
If not that, maybe she just happened to see me while out for a morning walk.
But still, that only makes my heart feel uneasy. Because I don't know, I can't shake the thought that Ji-woo might have found out what happened to me.
···
Suddenly, I feel angry.
I haven't done anything wrong.
If I did anything wrong, it was lying.
Other than that, I don't think I did anything wrong.
Leaving the team because I couldn't adapt to Juventus. Is that my fault? Was getting bullied by the kids and fighting with them really only my fault?
I... don't think it's my fault.
So, why should I have to be anxious about it?
I haven't done anything wrong, so why me? Why me...
···
Suddenly, I felt a pain in my jaw and flinched, letting go of the tension.
I had been clenching my molters without realizing it.
I'm just... annoyed.
I hate this whole situation.
I don't know why I have to hide something I didn't even do wrong, and I don't know why Ji-woo had to come cheer for me while getting wet in the rain because of it.
It's not that I'm anxious because the lie might be found out.
I'm annoyed because she might find out what I didn't want her to know.
···
I quietly looked around.
The seniors were either sleeping or had earbuds in, probably tired from the flight.
Confirming that, I clenched my molters and muttered quietly.
"You sons of bitches..."
I don't know if it's the first time I've used a Korean curse in years, but Italian curses just couldn't capture my feelings right now.
I needed a target for my anger.
···
The reactions of the general fans could be understandable.
No matter how well Fiorentina's momentum has been lately, they're still just Fiorentina.
They'd think we're going to win today's match for sure, and there's nothing to worry about.
They'd think this match is nothing more than an evaluation of the new recruit, Dusan Vlahovic.
Fans who just support the team and enjoy watching one match a week could easily think that way.
However, the perspective of Juventus's management and players could be nothing but different.
"We have to win overwhelmingly..."
A man sitting in the VVIP seats of the Allianz Stadium, packed with spectators, muttered.
The man, named Maurizio, was the CEO of Juventus.
"He'll do well. I made sure he understood clearly," said the man sitting next to him, leaning in close as if whispering in his ear.
However, Maurizio frowned.
Juventus's situation recently wasn't exactly good.
Looking back, it had been like that since two years ago.
The team, which had always dominated to win the championship, barely clinched the title by a one-point margin, showing an omen of bad things to come.
That ominous feeling exploded last year when they surrendered the Scudetto to Inter.
Actually, the phrase "surrendered the Scudetto" might be inappropriate. Last year's Juventus finished 4th, not even 2nd.
It was a story of barely grabbing a Champions League ticket.
And that bad flow continued into this season.
With the league now in its 13th round, Juventus remains in 4th place.
They are suffering the humiliation of barely clinging to 4th place, having surrendered the 1st spot to AC Milan, the 2nd to Inter, and even the 3rd to Napoli.
Due to the worsening situation year by year, the club was pushing for a reform.
And one of the cards being prepared for that reform was the acquisition of Vlahovic from Fiorentina.
Not Roosevelt's New Deal, but a Big Deal.
This winter, Juventus planned to quell anxious public opinion by securing the biggest contract in Europe.
The plan was to show a message that the club was preparing for the future by making such a large investment.
In fact, as links to Vlahovic were scattered through the media, the fans' reactions were decent, and they even assessed the plan as somewhat successful.
But a problem arose.
A big problem emerged that completely reversed the public opinion that was slowly turning positive.
And that big problem, ironically, was just a boy who had left the team a year ago.
Lee, was it?
A little kid who left the team earlier this year and moved his nest to Fiorentina.
Well, the youth academy is a place where countless kids come and go every year, so it's nothing strange.
The problem was that this kid was putting up an unbelievable performance.
He had been at Juventus's youth team for two years.
But after moving to Fiorentina, he made his first-team debut in just a few months.
Well, that part is understandable...
The problem is that he has been shining ever since his first-team debut.
He's even putting up a more prominent performance than Vlahovic.
In the end, because of one kid, the team's image was at risk of changing from "a team that knows how to use its players" to "a world-class sucker."
If they had managed him well, he could have been the next ace, and they could have used him for free.
The fact that they failed to manage one player properly and ended up spending 80 million euros on another was, even from the perspective of a CEO like himself, a pathetic situation that would make anyone curse.
"···Tch."
Since things have come to this... there was only one way to quell the distrustful public opinion.
Make Lee Ji-an unable to do anything in today's match.
To make sure the watching fans don't feel any regret about letting that player go.
Of course, that doesn't mean the criticism will disappear. After all, just based on his performance so far, his talent is clearly insane.
But for now, this was the only thing they could do.无论如何, they had to make sure he didn't even show his face on the pitch today.
These instructions were passed down to the coaching staff and the players as well.
Therefore, as the match is about to begin now.
···
···
The Juventus players, who boast the highest price tags in Serie A, were looking at the 16-year-old boy, Lee Ji-an, with wary eyes.
*
Peeeeeeep—!
With the whistle, a massive roar erupted, and the match began with the opponent's kick-off.
Our formation today is 4-2-3-1.
Vlahovic is the lone striker, and I'm playing the attacking midfielder below him.
Definitely, I feel more comfortable in this position, but right now, that's not important.
The opponent came out in a 4-4-2 formation.
Looking at the lines of black and white striped uniforms arranged in that formation, I should be feeling a sense of intimidation, but I don't.
Clearly, Juventus is a stronger team than us, and their players are ridiculously expensive, players I shouldn't even be able to make eye contact with, yet...
I don't know.
Right now, in my eyes, those striped uniforms just look like prison uniforms.
Uniforms I want to catch and throw in jail...
Pah-ang—
Pah-ang—!
The opponent slowly circled the ball, probing our reactions.
I want to rush forward by myself right now and steal the ball, but I can't.
What we have to do today is defend first, then counter-attack. For now, we need to solidify our defensive line.
I keep turning my head to check my teammates' positions, aligning the line as I wait.
And, whenever the ball comes into my designated zone...
Tatatat—
Puh-uk—!
I quickly rush in and clash hard with the opponent.
Normally, I would have just blocked the path, but right now, the heat I feel in my chest is creating an unknown courage.
Pah-ang—!
Confirming that the ball has gone back to the opponent's side under my pressure, I return to my position.
Next, the opponent tries to advance in another direction, but this time, Saponara, who's playing on the left wing, fights hard and blocks the attempt.
At his momentum, the opponent flinches again.
They give a long pass back, starting to catch their breath for a moment.
"Good—! Don't let them be!"
"Align the line! The line!"
Voice full of fighting spirit pierce through the noise made by the spectators from here and there.
It seems our hearts are definitely hotter than theirs.
Is it because of this purple uniform?
Ever since last week, before the matches, when we formed a circle and put our arms around each other's shoulders.
All the seniors have only been thinking about winning today's match.
It feels very reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who wants to beat Juventus to death.
Pah-ang—!
Pah-ang—!
Several back-and-forths continued like that.
Whenever the opponent tried to advance, whether with a pass or a dribble, we would rush in without fear and obstruct their advance.
We were stopping the opponent quite effectively.
However, there was just one thing we had to be wary of, and I thought it might be fouls.
Piiik—!
Bonaventura bumped into an opponent receiving a pass and gave away a foul.
I didn't think it was that strong of a body check, but the referee's whistle today was decisive.
Suddenly, I remembered the coach telling us to be careful with cards before the match.
He especially emphasized this to our center-back duo, but the other seniors and I need to be careful too.
It's good that my chest is hot, but my head needs to be cold.
A hot chest is helpful, but a hot head is not helpful at all.
I was momentarily annoyed for giving away a foul over a seemingly trivial scuffle, but my cooled-down head tells me to use it to my advantage.
Booooooo—!
The opponent restarts the game with a long free kick.
The opponent also seemed frustrated by our solid defense, as it's a long kick aimed directly at our goal...
Pah-ang—!
Our goalkeeper leaps up high and catches the kick.
And as soon as he lands,
"Hah!"
He runs forward and rolls the ball hard ahead.
It was coming to my side.
Chwaaaaaaa—
It's a situation where we have to go up for a counter-attack.
As the ball comes, I turn my head to check the situation ahead and around me.
Vlahovic is standing alone up front, and behind my back, one player is running towards me, trying to stop me from turning around.
It would be great if I could turn around right here, but I get the feeling that turning around isn't necessarily the only right answer.
Chwaaaaaaa—
Tatatat—
When the ball rolling towards me and the opponent running from behind me both reach me at the same time.
Tak—!
I throw my body in the direction the opponent is charging from first. It's like I'm blocking the ball from the opponent, but the opponent doesn't slow down.
Puh-eok—!
"Kuk...!"
I feel a strong impact from my back and my body tumbles forward.
I was prepared for the collision, but it still hurts.
I deliberately made it look worse by raising both hands high and flopped down, and soon, the whistle of the respected referee came.
"Pushing!"
I just lifted my head slightly while on the ground and saw the referee running over with a yellow card in his hand and the opponent with an aggrieved expression.
"Warning! Be careful!"
As expected, the referee today was strict.
Tuk—
After confirming that the warning was given,
I slowly got up, tapped the ball on the ground, and nodded.
I felt like I had found the key to victory in today's match.
*
"Hoo, hoo..."
"Are you okay? Huh?"
"Phew. I'm okay."
I let out a sigh and pushed myself up from the ground.
A quick glance at the scoreboard showed that only 15 minutes of the first half had passed, but my jersey was already dirty.
I feel sorry for the washing machine that has to clean this jersey.
But I gave the opponent three warnings with this, so it was a profitable deal.
Actually, I didn't do anything that spectacular.
I just made the opponent rush at me with their eyes wide open whenever I got the ball.
The already strict referee was especially quick to pull out a card whenever I went down.
Is that the effect Torreira mentioned?
Normally, tumbling on the ground like this might have been embarrassing.
Because I would be showing Ji-woo such a pathetic sight.
But not today.
Maybe it's because I already think my pathetic past might have been fully exposed.
They say it's easier when you're honest, and it's similar now.
I don't feel embarrassed even when I fall like this now.
What's truly embarrassing isn't falling, but not being able to get up after falling.
Chiiik—!
The referee sprays white spray where I fell and turns back.
It's a mark to place the ball there for a free kick, which is usually used for sensitive positions.
"Hey! Referee! The wall! It's too close!"
That was the case now.
Slightly to the left, right in front of the goal.
The distance is about 20 meters.
We got a free kick in a great position where we could directly shoot at the goal.
It's so close that the opponent has to set up their defensive wall deep inside the penalty box.
With Vlahovic's kicking power as the dedicated free-kick taker, it's a position worth expecting something from.
"Go back!"
"Don't push!"
As the penalty box was in a frenzy, Vlahovic carefully placed the ball on the ground.
He prepared for the free kick very carefully, changing the ball's position several times.
Then, for some reason, he seemed unsatisfied with something.
He suddenly called for me.
"Yes?"
I approached, wondering what was going on, and Vlahovic threw the ball to me.
I caught it out of the blue, and he said.
"No matter how I look at it, the angle with my left foot isn't right. You take it."
"···Ah."
An opportunity I never expected had come to me.
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