Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: There's No Separate Advertisement -1
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Nike... eleven.
Adidas... eight.
Puma... four.
Ah, no. Including me, that makes five.
Puma has the fewest...
"What? What are you looking at so intently?"
"Huh? Ah, it's nothing."
I shake my head at the captain's question.
At that, the captain gives a dismissive scoff, turns his head away with a laugh.
We're in the middle of training, taking a short break.
I was carefully observing my teammates' cleats, counting the brands.
I was just... suddenly curious.
As expected, Nike is the most common, and Adidas is roughly equal.
Puma is the least common.
...It's a little disheartening.
Puma's are really good, though. Why isn't anyone wearing them?
Well, I know that the brand isn't what's truly important. The best shoe is the one that fits your foot and is comfortable, no matter the brand.
...But still, Puma's are really good.
Why isn't anyone wearing them?
"*Hiss*, this one's pinching my little toe. Is it because they're new?"
"They don't fit well?"
"I'll have to wear them a bit more to tell. They feel a bit stiff to me, too."
I'm pouting my lips for no reason when I hear Senpai Saponara grumbling.
He's sitting down, feeling all over his cleats. He's wearing a new pair, trying to switch to them, but something seems off.
"Uh, Puma's are good."
"Huh?"
The words just slipped out of my mouth before I knew it.
"Ah, that... you said they were stiff. Mine have a snug feel."
"Oh? What was yours called again? Future? Maybe I should try what the maknae is wearing."
Senpai Saponara shows interest.
I thought I'd made a sale, but meddlers next to me ruined the moment.
"Puma's are a bit..."
"If you want something soft, you should go for Adidas."
"The maknae is good because he wears Puma? No, he's good, so he's good. That's all."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
Wow, this is ridiculous.
The Nike and Adidas factions are ganging up on Puma with their numbers.
But I can't lose.
"No, that's not it. Puma is good."
"Yeah?"
"Puma has distinct lines like the Future, Ultra, and King. If you want agility, you go with the Future. If you want explosive speed, the Ultra. And for precise control, the King."
"..."
"With so many options, you can choose to your heart's content. And on top of that, with Puma's Fusion Fit, dual-mesh materials, and Power Tape technology, they provide the perfect fit even without laces. Where else can you find a cleat like that?"
My passionate speech leaves the senpais staring at me with dumbfounded expressions.
I stick my foot out and say.
"And besides, they're pretty, aren't they? The model I'm wearing now comes in three colors, so I can even change them up depending on my mood. With all that, is Puma still 'not so good'?"
*Whew*.
When did I get so good at Italian?
After pouring out my impassioned speech, I look at the senpais as if daring them to refute me, and they suddenly burst out laughing.
"What's with him? Hahaha!"
"I've never seen the maknae talk this much."
"What, did Puma pay you or something?"
...Damn.
How did they know? Was it that obvious?
"Alright, alright. I get it. Puma isn't bad either. There, satisfied?"
"Hey, don't say Puma isn't good in front of the maknae from now on."
"Puma's the best. Puma's the best."
The senpais give me a thumbs-up.
It feels like they're teasing me, but anyway, I got their recognition, so that's what matters.
...That's right.
I've decided to sign a sponsorship contract with Puma.
More than anything else, their proposal of a cleat made just for me was what really drew me in.
Seriously, it's just unbelievable.
A cleat modeled after me... there's no better way to brag to Ji-woo.
Well, saying it like that might make it sound like I chose honor over money, but that's not it.
Because they said they'd pay an enormous amount of money either way.
The amount was so staggering it was hard to believe. To give you a rough, secret idea... it's enough to retire on right now.
Of course, I have no intention of retiring, but just in terms of the money.
And I decided to give that money to my dad.
Well, I was going to, but both Dad and my Agent said no.
Dad said no, asking why he should take such a huge sum of money, and my Agent said something about it all getting taken in taxes? Anyway, they both said no.
When I want to do what I want with my own money, why are there so many things I can't do?
Well, anyway, I had no choice but to make a separate card and give it to my dad.
Now, I really... don't have to worry about money anymore.
To be honest, I don't feel it at all.
Maybe it's because the unit is too big, but it just looks like a number to me.
I still don't even know if that's really money.
Well... maybe I'll feel it once I start spending it?
But I can't even begin to imagine how I'm supposed to spend all that money to use it all up.
Should I just buy 365 pairs of cleats and wear a different pair every day?
...But even then, there'd be some left over, right?
"Maybe I'll try switching to Puma, just like the maknae said."
Anyway, with things like this, how could I just sit by and watch Puma get badmouthed?
I'd do anything for Puma.
I'm the kind of guy now who would.
"What, what! What were you guys talking about?"
As I'm about to get up after our break, Luca Romello shows up late and asks excitedly.
I put my hand on his shoulder and said.
"You, you said you were curious about the secret to my skills."
"T-the secret to your skills?"
"Yeah. Should I tell you?"
At my words, Romello's eyes go wide and he nods his head vigorously.
I whisper into the guy's ear.
"...Wear Puma cleats."
"What...?!"
I give him a smirk and pat his shoulder, and the guy is overjoyed, saying, "Dammit, so that was it!"
······
"Alright. You can take your foot off now."
"Ah, yes."
"The measurements are accurate. We'll use this to make a mold and start crafting custom cleats that perfectly match the shape of your foot."
I nod at the words of the staff member who looks trustworthy at a glance and take my foot off.
I just went through the process of measuring my foot's size and shape, and they said they'll make cleats that fit my foot perfectly.
"We'll do our best to make sure you don't regret choosing us. If you don't like the prototype after trying it on, please let us know anytime. We'll keep modifying it until you're satisfied."
"Ah, yes..."
After training ended and I returned home, I found some unfamiliar faces waiting for me with my dad.
They said they were from Puma.
My agent handled all the contract details, so this was our first time meeting, but they all gave off a good vibe.
Anyway, after exchanging greetings, the first thing we did was measure my foot shape, just like I said.
Now for the next step...
"...Do I need to put this on and come out?"
"Yes! Take your time changing. We're all set for the shoot."
They said we'd be taking a few pictures.
A corner of our living room has been bustling since earlier.
They've laid down some white cloth on the floor and walls, and set up a huge lighting fixture that looks like a giant umbrella.
They said I'll be standing in front of that to take pictures... I'd rather train for an extra hour. This is so nerve-wracking.
But since I signed the contract, I have to do it.
I go into my room, change into the clothes the staff gave me, and come out to the living room.
The first outfit was a Puma training suit.
"Wow! You're so cute!"
"The clothes have found their owner!"
"It really suits you!"
As soon as I came out to the living room, the staff members clapped and made a big fuss.
I almost pulled out my wallet for a second. I thought they were asking me to go buy clothes.
...They all seem determined to make me die of embarrassment.
"Could you please sit here?"
"Ah, yes."
Next, I sat in front of a mirror and got all made up.
They put something on my face... something on my hair... I squeezed my eyes shut from the ticklish feeling, and when I opened them, there was someone else in the mirror.
"You have such great natural features, there's not much we need to do!"
"How is your skin so good?"
"P-please, stop..."
These people are all assassins.
Dizzy from the barrage of flattery that made me unable to lift my head, I got up, and one of the staff members explained the shoot to me.
"Just do it freely like this."
"*Huu*. Understood."
The shoot itself didn't seem too difficult.
It seemed like I just had to hold the cleats so they were visible and pose in various ways.
But the problem was, just standing in front of the camera was hard.
"..."
As I stood under the blinding lights, my body stiffened up.
If I moved like this, I felt like my body would start creaking.
...L-let's try to do something, at least.
*Click-*
"Great!"
I awkwardly struck a pose, and the flash went off.
...There's no way it was any good, but the photographer says it's great. The others give me a thumbs-up.
Even though I know they're just being nice, I can't help but feel a little bit of confidence.
This time... like this?
"Good!"
"Eccellente!"
"It's cool, so cool!"
I held the cleats up to my face, held one in each hand, pretended to tie the laces after putting them on.
Following the photographer's idea, I strung the laces together and wore them around my neck and made a cocky expression.
It felt like my experience doing post-game interviews was helping me out a bit.
Still, standing in front of a camera a few times...
My body just moves on its own now.
"Perfect! That's more than enough. Let's move on to the next outfit!"
But it's not over after just one.
I changed into another set of clothes, had my hair done again, and went back into the shoot.
After finishing several shoots like that...
"I'm sorry. It's a lot, isn't it? This is the last outfit."
"This... do I wear it?"
"Yes. We need one photo with a more official feel."
Finally, the last outfit.
Unlike the previous outfits which were athletic wear, this last one was something my dad would wear.
Is this called a suit?
"...It's uncomfortable."
I've never worn anything like this before.
If I had gone to middle school in Korea, I might have worn a uniform, but I've never even worn a uniform.
How did my dad wear such uncomfortable clothes every day?
...But how do you tie this?
"Uh, Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you come here for a sec..."
I call Dad into my room for a moment.
When he saw me, Dad burst out laughing.
"...What?"
"You have to tuck your shirt into your pants. Hold still."
"Ah, right."
Dad personally tucks my shirt into my pants.
And after tidying up all over, Dad takes the tie I was holding and puts it around my neck.
"Watch closely. The tie goes this much over, then you grab this part and turn it, and then..."
Dad is personally tying my tie and explaining it to me, but I still don't get it even when I watch.
It's not like I'll ever have to wear one again, so maybe I don't need to know.
"There. Go on out."
"Yes."
*Whew*.
It's complicated, so complicated.
There's a reason I like athletic wear.
Some clothes are just hard to put on and uncomfortable to wear.
I was grumbling as I headed for the living room.
"......*Eeek*!"
I turned my head at a strange sound coming from somewhere and saw Ji-woo opening the front door and coming in.
...What is it?
She's startled like she just saw a ghost or something.
*
The staff members are bustling around, and the flash of the large camera goes off.
"..."
And Kim Ji-woo, crammed into a corner of the sofa, is quietly watching it all.
Her mouth is covered.
'What is this, what is this, what is this?'
Her heart, still startled, is pounding.
She came by today to have dinner together, and finding the door open, she entered without a second thought.
And there stood Lee Ji-an, all suited up with his hair gelled back.
'No way!'
Of course, it was the first time she'd ever seen him like this, but seriously, no way!
She was so surprised she even made a strange sound.
That's why she's still covering her mouth.
She's afraid another strange sound will slip out.
Well, I knew Ji-an had good natural features. His face was pretty even back in elementary school, and he's grown tall since then, so he looked decent even just in athletic wear or uniforms.
But seeing him like this, he looked like a completely different person.
In a good way.
Her heart almost dropped to the floor with a thud.
"...Is he, is he shooting an advertisement or something?"
"Yeah. It looks like it."
Kim Ji-woo asks Lee Won-hoon quietly.
When Lee Won-hoon nods, Kim Ji-woo looks back at Lee Ji-an.
She stared at him for a long time, as if enchanted.
Her eyes were sparkling like jewels.
"Great work! That's a wrap!"
Eventually, the shoot comes to an end.
Lee Ji-an, escaping from in front of the camera, sighs as he walks over.
Lee Ji-an, pulling down his tie as if it's stuffy, glances at Kim Ji-woo.
"...What are you looking at?"
"Huh? Ah?"
At that, Kim Ji-woo flusters like an empty-headed person and answers.
"No, well. I was looking because it was strange. What's with the clothes and hair?"
"...It's strange?"
"..."
Lee Ji-an asks, ruffling his own hair, and for some reason, Kim Ji-woo couldn't answer.
And she casually changed the subject.
"Food. You haven't eaten yet, right?"
"Yeah."
"Let's eat. Food."
Kim Ji-woo, her head buried, scurries off to the kitchen.
Good grief... I don't know why, but my heart keeps pounding.