Chapter 72
Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Don't Fight -2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Milan being a beautiful city? I take that back.
Now that I'm back in Florence, I realize this place is far more beautiful.
Ji-woo agreed.
"Get home safe!"
"Yeah. See you."
Dragging my tired body out of the car, I greet Ji-woo. An official from the club had given us a ride, and Ji-woo offered to take me all the way home.
On the way, I heard that the neighborhood had been quite noisy yesterday because of the match.
It wasn't a derby against a rival team, but they did beat the first-place team, so I guess everyone was happy.
The official said it was because of me, but... I don't know.
It's not that I can't imagine it, but walking through the now-dark neighborhood gives me a strange sense of dissonance.
They say the neighborhood was in an uproar because of me yesterday, but right now, I'm just fumbling around in my bag for my keys in a dark alley.
Click-
I turn the key and open the door. The living room light is off. Seeing that only the kitchen light is on, it seems Dad hasn't come home yet.
Lately, Dad has been busier than I am.
If only he could come with me, like Ji-woo's mom... but I guess my weekly salary isn't enough for that yet.
It'd be great if I could earn twice as much.
Well, as I have these useless thoughts, I unpack my things and take a lukewarm shower to soothe my tired body.
"Ugh..."
Why can't I ever get used to cold showers?
It's winter, so I set it to be moderately warm, but it still feels like the cold is seeping into my bones.
If I weren't a soccer player, I probably never would have had to take cold showers in my life.
But there's no helping it.
There are things in this world that you just have to do.
"Haa..."
After my battle of a shower, I get out, get dressed, grab a vegetable juice, and sit on the couch.
I thought about turning on the light but decided to leave it as is.
The dimness is nice. The living room light had burned out a while ago, and I replaced the bulb, but it was way too bright, almost blinding.
I heard it's a German product.
It's ironic that a bulb made to light up the darkness can be too bright and become a problem.
Sip...
I suck down the disgusting vegetable juice out of a sense of duty and enjoy my alone time.
This time is still my favorite.
Back when I was in school in Korea, sometimes when the kids left the classroom lights off, the teachers would call us "children of darkness."
Seeing as how I like the dark this much, maybe I really am a child of darkness.
...Wait a minute.
If I'm a child of darkness, that would make my dad darkness, too.
That can't be right.
...So, was the teacher insulting my parents back then?
Thinking such nonsense, I let out a hollow laugh and turn on the TV.
The house is too quiet, so I need some background noise.
I used to like it completely dark and silent, but now I prefer it moderately dark and moderately quiet.
I'm not sure why.
It's just, if it's too dark or too quiet, it feels awkward now. It feels... empty, I guess.
My mind feels hollow, and unnecessary, distracting thoughts start to creep in, and that wasn't a good feeling.
Especially right after a match, when I come home or return to the dorms, it's even worse.
Maybe it's because the stadium and the roads to it are so bright and loud.
Playing soccer in front of tens of thousands of people, receiving their cheers... and then being left alone in a dark, empty space.
Sometimes, I wonder if this is a dream, or if my time at the stadium was the dream.
I'm not exaggerating, I'm being serious...
-And now for the next news. A summary of the hottest stories from the past week...
That's why I prefer a warm bath, neither a cold plunge nor a hot spring.
If I had to categorize it, it's a warm bath that's still closer to a cold plunge.
Thinking about it, I always thought I wasn't a greedy person, but it seems that's not the case.
If anything, maybe I'm very greedy.
I hate the cold plunge because it's too cold, and I hate the hot spring because it's too hot.
I want to be good at soccer, but I don't want to become too famous.
I want to be a genius, but I don't want to be called a genius.
What kind of nonsensical greed is this?
Even I think it's pure greed.
I can't have everything I want.
I need to know how to give up on something...
-The match that drew the most attention was between AC Milan and Fiorentina...
"...!"
I immediately grabbed the remote at the sound of the voice from the TV. As I went to change the channel, I stopped, my finger hovering.
-In the 21st round, a clash between league leaders AC Milan and Fiorentina, who are surging into 3rd place. This match received a great deal of attention...
They're talking about Fiorentina.
Which means they'll probably talk about me, too.
My face, my story, and how people think about me and react to me.
Confirming all that with my own eyes is a truly daunting task. It makes me cringe, feel embarrassed, and even a little scared.
My whole body tenses up.
But... ignoring it won't make it go away.
I wanted to be a soccer genius for just one person. However, that's impossible.
I know for sure now. It's impossible.
I've learned that if I want to get what I want, something I don't want will inevitably follow.
I have to give up on one thing.
So, what should I give up?
...It's hard to choose.
Let me rephrase the question.
What is the one thing I absolutely cannot give up?
"..."
Thinking about it that way, the answer seemed to already be decided.
-The star of the day was, of course, Lee. Fiorentina's ace. He's a player who is attracting attention from countless European clubs lately. On this day as well, Lee proved why he receives such attention...
I tensed my entire body and glared at the TV.
My heart lurched every time my name or face appeared, but I held my breath and endured it.
I cannot give up on my greed to become a soccer genius.
Therefore, I must give up on my greed to not receive attention.
I needed to learn how to withstand the attention poured on me, and for that, I needed training.
So I faced the me on the TV without averting my eyes.
It was the same principle as forcing myself to drink this disgusting vegetable juice.
-...Thus, Fiorentina achieved an unexpected 3-0 victory, closing in on second-place Inter. After the match, here's Lee's interview-
Beep-!
I endured for a while, but the moment my interview was about to come on, I couldn't take it anymore and changed the channel.
I can grit my teeth and bear the rest, but I absolutely cannot watch that.
Haa.
As I gasped for breath, I felt my back was damp. In that short moment, I had broken into a cold sweat.
Let's call it a day here...
-De Bruyne forward, Silva receives it. Silva, he shoots-!!
I sighed and changed the channel, and by coincidence, I stopped on a soccer channel again.
The commentary I heard was in English, and it was clearly not our league, so I just left it on.
Watching soccer is fun as long as it's not a match I'm playing in.
"...Puma, win."
The players' faces fill the screen, and I find myself muttering as I look at the logos on the two teams' uniforms.
The sky-blue uniforms are Puma, and the red ones are Adidas.
Neither team has anything to do with me, but the cleats I wear are Puma.
Plus, I don't like Adidas, so my heart goes out to the sky-blue team.
It's also because Juventus uniforms are Adidas.
-Goooal! A lovely goal!
Oh, did my cheer work?
The moment I cheered, the sky-blue team scored.
What an incredible goal.
-Manchester City leads 2-0! The home fans of Manchester United have dark expressions!
...Huh?
I heard familiar names and my eyes went wide.
Manchester City and Manchester United.
I've never seen them play, but I've heard their names countless times.
They're incredibly famous teams.
Now that I think about it, I always thought they were really good, and it turns out they're playing a match against each other.
If it's those teams, then all 22 players on the field must be geniuses among geniuses...
"...Wow."
Before I knew it, I was completely engrossed in the match, exclaiming in awe every ten seconds.
They're good. They're all so good...
How can they be so good at soccer?
The level is truly high.
Especially the play of the sky-blue team, Manchester City, was impressive to me.
They all kicked the ball so well. Their basic skills like simple touches and passes felt exceptional from the start, and the occasional creative pass made me unknowingly open my mouth wide.
...How can they play soccer like that?
Suddenly, I felt like I wanted to meet them and ask.
They're geniuses ranked among the best in the world.
I have so many questions for real geniuses.
Just as I was that immersed in watching the soccer...
Click-
I heard the sound of a key turning and turned my head to see Dad coming in.
"Oh, Ji-an. You're already here."
"Yes. Welcome back."
"Oh, I was hoping to be here before you. Have you eaten?"
"Yes, I ate."
I assumed he was coming back from work, but seeing him come in without a bag, it seems that's not the case.
Did he meet up with a friend?
Dad doesn't have many friends, just like me.
"Watching soccer?"
"Yeah."
"Let's see. Oh, it's the Manchester derby. From the other day, right? Want me to tell you who won?"
"...No."
Dad, who naturally sat next to me, chuckled. When it comes to watching soccer, Dad is a level above me.
Dad knows so much.
I used to think Dad was Superman, and in fact, he's not much different now.
"Wow, De Bruyne. He's so good."
"He's a famous player, right?"
"Of course. He's famous. Everyone knows him."
"Is he over there?"
"I think so?"
As I was talking with Dad while watching the screen, it suddenly occurred to me if we'd ever done this before.
Watching soccer together like this, chatting comfortably... I don't think we have.
I shrugged to myself and focused on the screen when Dad spoke.
"Hey, you know..."
"Yeah?"
"Hmm... you know, those brands that make soccer cleats, right?"
"Yeah."
"Which one do you like the most? Among Nike, Adidas, and Puma."
Huh?
I looked at Dad at this slightly random question.
I was just talking about a Puma vs. Adidas battle by myself earlier.
"Kappa."
"...Kappa?"
I nodded.
Our team's uniforms are made by the brand Kappa.
I think so much of our team.
"But the ones you're wearing now are Puma, right?"
"...Yeah."
"You like Kappa, so why are you wearing Puma?"
...Hmm.
When I didn't answer and just shrugged, Dad gave a small laugh and said,
"Anyway, that... just listen to this comfortably. I received a call saying those brands want to sponsor our Ji-an..."
"...Sponsor?"
"Yeah. You know, there's that thing. They sponsor equipment and stuff like that."
I stared at Dad with my eyes wide open.
Then Dad continued.
"They said they got calls from Puma, Adidas, and Nike... all three of them."
I was a bit dazed.
Wait, those three brands are names that even non-soccer fans would know, right?
For such famous companies to offer to sponsor me, I'm flattered but... it's definitely something to be thankful for, no matter what.
I was curious why Dad was being so cautious about it.
Dad said,
"It seems this is some kind of contract. It's not just getting a few free items, but signing a contract with only one brand. You'd receive sponsorships from them, and you might have to do something in return according to the contract."
"What would I have to do?"
"Well... during the contract period, you might have to use only their products. You might even have to shoot an advertisement..."
At the word "advertisement," I almost spat out the vegetable juice I was sipping.
The thought of me shooting an ad was just hilarious.
"Well, I'm just telling you that this conversation happened, so don't worry too much about it. Anyway, the offer came to you, not me, so I thought I should at least let you know."
Seeing my strong reaction, Dad quickly added.
Even in my dazed state, I could tell he didn't want to put any burden on me.
He's probably being so cautious because he knows I'm uncomfortable with attention, even though it's clearly a good thing.
I felt a bit sorry.
Not just now, but Dad has always been worrying about so many things.
He must have had to hold back from being happy about good things because he was busy worrying about how I felt.
I deliberately spoke in a cheerful voice.
"So, shouldn't I gratefully accept it?"
"Huh? No, it's not like you have to. It's not like you absolutely have to..."
"I should. Where else would I get an opportunity like this? I can get cleats for free, right? You said it was a contract, so does that mean they'll give me a signing bonus?"
"Well, yeah, but... money isn't the important thing..."
"It is important."
Dad looked at me, and I shrugged.
"If it weren't important, why would you be working so hard, Dad?"
"..."
"I wish you'd come home from work earlier."
Saying that, I felt like I had gone back to being five years old.
"...Then, shall we talk about it later when we have time?"
"Yeah."
When I nodded, Dad stroked my head.
His hand was warm.
Even at that moment, a part of me was already thinking about what I could brag about to Ji-woo, and I almost smiled.