A Christmas Overflowing with Love (3)
The winter season break always included Christmas and New Year's.
That hadn't changed even seven years in the future, when I was still an active player.
In the past, I'd spend the break lounging at home with long naps or meeting up with single friends for drinks. But this break was different.
I packed my most upscale-looking dress shirt and jacket, neatly trimmed my beard, applied skincare and lotion, and spritzed on some cologne.
This was a meeting with a player's parents—and not just any parents, but the CEO of SA Electronics. Showing up looking sloppy would be a huge discourtesy.
"All set? Mom's almost here."
As I styled my hair in the bathroom, Seona poked her head through the door.
Unlike her usual self, Seona was dressed to the nines.
She wore a tight white turtleneck that accentuated her chest, layered with a brown herringbone coat, and instead of her usual ratty sneakers, she'd polished up some high-end brand heels.
With the effort she'd put into her outfit and full makeup, she looked like a goddess straight out of a guy's fantasies.
I knew she was pretty, like all the girls on our team, but seeing the same faces every day had made me numb to it over time.
But this? Even I couldn't help the dark thoughts creeping in. Guess I'm just a man after all.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Yeah, definitely a guy.
"Yeah, all good. Let's head down."
"Ugh, bundled up like this and I'm already hot. This is why I hate dressing up."
No, you have to dress up. Dragging around in trash sneakers with no makeup on a face and body like that? It's practically a crime against yourself. I'd just realized that now.
"By the way, she didn't say where we're going. You know the plan, Seona?"
"Nope. Mom probably picked a spot. She'll take us somewhere nice, no doubt."
Seona was totally chill about it, like this was routine.
We stood side by side on the road in front of the dorm, stomping our feet against the cold for about three minutes.
A massive white limousine approached. Seona waved excitedly to signal we were there, and it pulled up right next to the curb with hazards on.
Once it stopped, Seona opened the door and headed for the back seat.
"Seona!"
"Mom!"
Seona's mother was in the back seat.
The mother and daughter, reuniting after months, hugged tightly in delight. I followed them into the limo.
With everyone aboard, the driver pulled away.
"Hello, Coach. It's been a while since that café."
"Hello, ma'am. Thanks for inviting me out."
"Hoho, no need to be so formal all of a sudden. Just talk like last time."
"Ah..."
I must've frozen up without realizing.
I cleared my throat and said what I had to.
"We all watched that press conference you mentioned. Thank you so much for your help, ma'am."
"No, no. I'm the one who's grateful. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known what Seona was going through. I didn't even know your father had caused such a scene..."
"Come to think of it, he'd already visited you a month before I told you, right? Didn't he say anything?"
"Yeah, I wondered about that too. What did Dad say? He was yelling about tearing up my contract..."
Seona's mother shook her head.
"Your dad didn't say a word after that. So I was completely in the dark. Good thing you told me, Coach..."
"Mom, what about after the press conference? Dad didn't say anything?"
"With his temper? Of course he did. 'Who gave permission for this?' He blew up like you wouldn't believe."
"S-sorry..."
Kim Seon-woo hated it, sure, but dragging her mother into it made me uneasy.
"It's not your fault, Coach. If anything, it's my husband and the whole company. At least we're owning up to it now before it got worse. We should be thanking you."
"He didn't tell you to cancel my contract?"
"Not a peep about that. He was ranting about stocks tanking and wasting company money, but nothing about you, Seona."
"Huh, unexpected. I figured he'd demand you drag me home right away."
"Sigh, your father... I don't get him sometimes. We sleep in separate rooms now, don't even talk. Better this way—no fights if we don't see each other."
Why did it feel like I was the one on pins and needles?
The mother and daughter chatted away, with Seona's mom occasionally asking typical parent stuff: How's dorm life? Getting along with the teammates?
After a little over thirty minutes, the limo arrived at a famous luxury hotel near Namsan.
"Whoa! The Park View at ShinX Hotel? This is where we're eating?"
"Yep. Been a while, huh, Seona? You love the lobster and desserts here."
"Love it! You're the best, Mom! Love you!"
"Ah, no, ma'am, really, I'm fine—but isn't this a bit too fancy for dinner?"
For a split second, I wondered if I was saying the right thing.
To the CEO of an SA Group subsidiary and wife of the conglomerate head, was this even pricey?
Hell, after making bank as a pro, I'd been to places like this plenty.
"No issue at all—don't worry about it. Shall we?"
I followed Seona, who bolted ahead excitedly, with her mother into the hotel.
True to its reputation as one of Korea's top hotels, the lobby screamed luxury from the moment we stepped in.
Seona and her mom headed somewhere familiar; I trailed behind.
We stopped at a massive buffet inside the hotel.
Lobster, king crab, sashimi, meats, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Western dishes, fancy desserts, fruits—the works.
'One person here has to be at least 100,000 won...'
Pre-regression, that was pocket change, but now? Different story. And aside from tournament host parties, I'd never been to a place like this on someone else's dime.
"Our table's in that private room over there. This way."
Seona's mother pointed to a multi-person room in one corner. Word must've spread about the SA Electronics CEO, as staff bowed deeply and escorted her, with me and Seona following.
The room had a huge table and plenty of chairs, but with just three of us, it felt oddly empty.
We got up, grabbed plates, and loaded up on what we wanted. Seona especially piled her plate sky-high with king crab legs and lobster—it was overflowing.
As dinner started, Seona tore into the crab legs like a beast.
"Seona, even if I don't nag you about eating, you should have some manners. Especially with Coach here."
Her mother lightly scolded Seona, who had food smeared everywhere and was chomping away.
"It's fine, ma'am. Back at the dorm, I'm worse."
"Not anymore, you're not. Sigh, I spoiled her too much..."
"You always pick on me when we eat out!"
"Look at you—would I need to? Wipe your mouth!"
"At home, you call me cute for eating heartily."
Their playful bickering continued amid the meal, wrapping up with desserts and fruit.
"Ahh~! So full. Other fancy buffets suck, but this place? Perfection. Thanks, Mom!"
"Come here sometimes. Not just street tteokbokki every day. Enjoy the meal, Coach?"
"Delicious—couldn't eat better. Thanks for bringing me somewhere this nice, ma'am."
"Glad to hear it. Anytime—just say the word. Seona seemed excited today, so next time with her, it's on me again."
"Mom!"
Excited? Probably just for the pricey food, right?
"You were, weren't you? Texting me pics asking which outfit looks best to impress Coach, how to do mature makeup..."
"N-no, that's not—when did I?!"
"Want me to show your texts?"
"Aaaah! C-Coach! Let's go, quick!"
Seona grabbed my hand and fled the buffet.
Her mother smiled, stood, and called the driver.
Thank goodness her daughter found such a fine coach, she thought.