Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Regrets~ I'm Having Them~ -1
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The game was over, but the fans didn't seem to have any intention of going home.
I went around the stadium to greet them, but there were still no gaps.
Only the away section had a few empty spots, while the home fans remained in their seats, applauding us.
Thanks to that, our greetings went on for a long time, and I almost ended up singing in front of the crowd.
The seniors were pushing me from behind, telling me to go out and sing the cheer song.
Fortunately, that disaster was averted. Just in time, the coach pulled me away.
For an interview, that is.
Actually, I'm not sure if that's really a fortunate thing.
Standing in front of a bunch of black cameras isn't all that different from singing alone in front of the crowd.
When will I ever get used to these countless cameras? I swallow hard.
"Just do it like you did before the game."
...
I stood waiting in front of a billboard plastered with ads. The reporter, who was preparing for the interview, grinned and spoke.
Was he referring to the interview I did two days ago?
These people don't carry cameras and microphones for nothing.
Their role is to broadcast what someone says far and wide.
That's why they love a bit of spice.
"Uno, due, tre!"
On the signal from the staff, a red light came on the camera.
In sync with it, I swallowed once more and gripped the microphone.
"Yes! I'm here at the Serie A 25th round match between Fiorentina and Atalanta. I'll be sharing a word with the star of today's match. Hello!"
I nodded in response to the greeting.
"A 4-1 victory, a complete domination of Atalanta today. Lee, you were right at the center of it all. It was a phenomenal performance. Was sitting out last week definitely not due to an injury?"
"No. It wasn't."
I decided not to add the phrase "I told you so," which I've repeated countless times.
It's a nice day, after all.
"If I may be so bold, it was your best performance. Let me give you today's stats. Lee, a pass success rate of 87.4 percent. 8 successful dribbles. 1 goal and 2 assists. A total rating of 9.7. Hmm, where did the other 0.3 points go? The machine must have failed to capture the romanticism score."
The reporter burst out laughing and continued.
"Let's talk about the goal first. Do you remember what the situation was?"
I thought back to the moment for a second at the reporter's question.
A slight shiver ran down my spine.
I shrugged my shoulders and answered.
"It was just as we had practiced. I had an agreement with the players that when I received the ball in the center, they would make deep runs from both wings. So I sent the pass, and the rest was the same."
"Hmm, I see."
Deep down, I wanted to say, "The whole field was laid out before my eyes! It felt like I had become a god!" and make a big fuss about it.
But I answered calmly.
The reporter looked at me with a hint of disappointment, but I had no intention of giving them what they wanted.
Sorry, but I'm not in the sensitive state I was in back then.
"Actually, what was even more impressive today were the assists. Your passes were like something you'd see from Spanish midfielders. It felt like your eyes were opened, in a way. You dominated the second half with those sharp passes, but do you personally prefer playing in a slightly deeper position?"
I took my time and sank into thought again at the follow-up question.
It seemed like a simple question on the surface, but these people never ask ordinary questions.
I've been caught in their cunning intentions and said something foolish more than once or twice, so after thinking it over twice, I answered.
"My teammates' plays were excellent today. Everyone wanted to win, and we had the ability to do so. I don't care about my position. If it helps the team, I'll play anywhere."
... How's that?
After finishing my answer, I glanced at the reporter with a sense of pride.
I was imagining them smacking their lips in disappointment at my bland answer, but for some reason, the reporter was beaming.
"'I'll play anywhere.' That's incredible confidence. I love it."
... Why did they leave out the part about "If it helps the team"?
The meaning changes completely depending on the context.
"Now, let's talk about the next game. You'll be facing Juventus. You won against them in the first half of the season, but the situation is a bit different this time. Vlahovic, who you won with, is on their side now."
Hmm.
I'm getting sensitive again.
I tried to maintain my composure and listened to the reporter's question to the end.
"Could you give us a word of determination for the next match? Or you could say a word to your former teammate, Vlahovic."
Hmph.
They could have just asked for my determination, but why add that last part?
It's practically telling me to say something to Vlahovic.
These sneaky people.
If I say anything, they'll blow it up into a huge story.
What a tiresome bunch.
... I lowered the microphone for a moment and looked around, carefully considering my answer.
Whether they were being considerate of me during the interview or not, the cheer songs that were so loud they made my ears ring had died down.
The fans were still in their seats, watching me.
Suddenly, the thought I had before the game came back to me.
I am a flower.
I get attention easily because I'm young and play in a position where I score goals.
Flowers are the fruit of everyone's labor.
So if I don't shine brilliantly, the people who worked hard for that fruit will be upset.
The hearts of the fans watching me must feel that way.
They want our team's flower to be the most beautiful and dazzling; they don't want to see it looking pathetic compared to other flowers.
"I..."
I slowly opened my mouth.
My head was a little jumbled from spouting all those clumsy metaphors, but I did my best to compose myself.
In the end, my conclusion was this: as long as I'm wearing a Fiorentina uniform, I can't be humble in this answer.
"I liked Vlahovic. All the games I played with him are good memories. He always looked out for me, and I learned a lot from him. The reason I, who knew nothing, could play in the first team was because he was there in front of me."
Organize, organize.
I rearranged the words that kept trying to mix together and continued my answer.
"So, I don't dislike him even now. I'm just disappointed. I wanted to play with him for longer. But he left me. So... I'm sorry, but I hope he regrets it after this game is over."
I felt out of breath after spitting out the words as they came to mind.
I took a breath and added one more thing.
"Leaving this beautiful place."
This was a question concerning the pride of Florence and Fiorentina, and I was wearing a Fiorentina uniform.
So there was no way I could be humble.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...You're ugly."
As I was soaking my feet in ice water, my true feelings slipped out without me realizing it.
Sorry, left foot, right foot.
But you guys really are ugly.
It's true.
Your toes are a little crooked, and you're covered in calluses.
Today, you even have a bruise on your toenail, so you're really, really ugly.
But what can I do?
I was born with these feet.
"...Sorry."
So I'm sorry.
You probably weren't born this ugly at first.
If you had met a better owner, your toes wouldn't have gotten crooked, and you could have boasted smooth skin without a single callus.
You had a tough life because you met the wrong owner.
Still... let's endure a little longer.
Thanks to you, I can walk around with my head held high, and the fans love me.
Thank you.
So, I'll just torment you a little longer.
Go easy on me.
I'm even doing an ice pack, something I don't even do for my face, because I feel so sorry.
Let's try a little harder.
Okay?
"Dinner's ready!"
"...Okay."
Hearing Jiu's voice from the living room, I stopped my dramatic act and got up.
I poured out the ice water I had prepared in the basin, dried my feet, and as I came out of the bathroom, a delicious smell wafted over.
Dinners with Jiu are always anticipated and enjoyable.
...I was curious about what was on the menu today.
"Is it curry?"
"Yeah! Doesn't it smell good?"
"Is curry considered Western food?"
"Dunno. This is just Kim Jiu-style."
I chuckled and sat down.
What does a Western food major's curry taste like?
At a glance, it's a perfect curry.
You can't see the carrots, and it's piled high with potatoes and meat.
"Actually, curry is nothing special. Just pile on the meat! You can't make it taste bad that way."
At Jiu's words, I unconsciously glanced at my dad, who was sitting next to me.
My dad, who met my eyes, cleared his throat.
The curry my dad used to make...
I still can't forget that taste.
In many ways, it's a good thing Jiu came here.
"How is it? Tasty?"
"...Yeah."
I nodded at Jiu, who asked with wide eyes the moment she took a bite.
Jiu let out a sigh of relief.
Then she soon grinned and started eating her own rice.
Come to think of it, it's a strange thing.
Someone comes here and cooks such delicious food for free (of course, I pay for the ingredients) without anyone asking them to.
I should always be grateful, but Jiu always says she's the one who's grateful for a single compliment that the food is delicious.
I once talked to her about this.
I asked if it was tiring to come here and cook like this, and Jiu said this.
She said it's the most fulfilling thing for her to see someone enjoy the food she made.
She said it makes her happier to see someone else happy eating something delicious than to eat something delicious herself.
It might sound silly to say this, but after hearing that, I thought I was similar.
I'm happier seeing the people around me happy than just being happy on my own.
"You look like you're in good shape today?"
Jiu asked while I was scooping up the meat curry.
I shrugged.
"Not really."
"Huh? Really? I thought you were. You played so well."
"I should have scored one more goal."
"You scored a goal. You also had two assists."
I shook my head firmly at Jiu's words that a goal and two assists is a good performance.
"It's me. I should have scored more."
"Wow... I suddenly lost my appetite."
Jiu laughed as she made a motion to put down her spoon.
Hmm.
I thought I'd feel less guilty today.
It seems I'm still lacking.
I feel a little pricked.
I need to work harder.
"Then score two goals in the next game. Or three."
"Okay."
"Promise? Promise?"
"...I need to eat some more rice."
"Rice? Ooh, is it really that delicious? Give me your bowl. I'll scoop some more for you."
Whew.
Successfully changed the subject.
You shouldn't make promises lightly.
"Here!"
"Thanks."
It's a bit burdensome to have a bowl of curry filled to about the same amount as the first one, but for muscle recovery and growth, I pick up my spoon again without a word.
"Ah, but that reminds me. My uncle's daughter got engaged last year, and she's getting married next year."
"Really? Your cousin, how old is she?"
"Um... she's nine years older than me, so she's twenty-five."
"Twenty-five? That's pretty early."
The flow of our dinner table is always like this.
Jiu is the one holding the steering wheel, but she always turns it on a whim.
The topic jumps from my game to my cousin's marriage.
There's no build-up.
"But you know what's funny?"
"What?"
"In our family, that's not considered very fast. My other cousins got married even earlier. The fastest was my mom."
"How old was your mother when she got married?"
"Twenty-two. Totally crazy, right?"
"Wow, that's crazy."
Thanks to my dad helping out from the side, it doesn't stand out much even when Jiu changes the direction so wildly.
My dad is definitely more skilled at conversation than I am.
As expected, a married man is different.
...Though that's in the past tense.
"But why did they all get married so early? Was there a specific reason?"
"Hmm, not really. It's just that everyone did it fast, so it naturally became that way. And the cousin who's getting married this time said her dream since she was little was to get married early."
"Her dream was to get married early? Why?"
At my dad's follow-up question, Jiu tilted her head for a moment, then grinned and said.
"That cousin also likes cooking and stuff at home. She said her dream is to wait for her husband at home and make him something delicious when he comes home. So she wanted to get married early."
"Really? That's interesting. Haha."
A cheerful atmosphere.
I was quietly listening to their lively conversation, but I couldn't help but tilt my head.
...Hmm?