Chapter 63
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 63
Chapter Title The Eldest Son Craves Soccer
Newcastle United Edges Arsenal 54 in Thriller
HatTrick Hero, Yoon Taeyang
Wonderboy
Newcastles Rising Sun, Yoon Taeyang
Dylan Monroes Faded Glory
A pub in Newcastle city center.
A man scrolling through news articles on his smartphone frowned and asked the owner across the bar table.
What happened yesterday?
Peter, the pub owner, who was wiping a beer glass with a dry towel, glanced at the man and replied.
Didnt you watch the game yesterday?
Yesterday was my motherinlaws birthday. Theres no way I couldve.
Our wonderboy led the team to victory with a hattrick and two assists.
Damn it, I know that from the news I just read. Dylan Monroe rammed in four goals, but our little guy made him eat crow. Hell, I cant believe I missed it.
Peter chuckled at that.
Why didnt you watch it on TV at your inlaws?
You know what the biggest regret of my life is, Peter?
Yeah?
Not asking where my wifes from, fuck.
Peter stopped wiping the glass and stared at the man.
You dont mean...?
Yeah, Sunderland. Why the hell would a Sunderland fan move to Newcastle! I figured she was a Toon Army gal for sure.
So you dont love her?
Sigh... I do.
Peter shrugged at the sighing man, then turned as the pub door swung open, breaking into a wide grin.
Oh!
Peter, howve you been?
Stepping inside were two Asian elderly men.
It was none other than Taeyangs paternal and maternal grandfathers.
Been a few days since I last saw you. Busy?
Eh, we went to watch our grandsons game and did some sightseeing while we were at it.
Ah, I see. How was London?
No place for humans to live. Nothing as livable as here, I tell ya.
Peter nodded with a beaming smile.
You got that right. Theres no place like Newcastle. You planning to stick around here from now on?
Eh, thats the idea. Our grandson says he likes it here too.
Really? Oh, shoot, I forgot to get your beers. The usual big ones?
You bet.
Peter hurriedly filled oversized beer glassesmuch larger than those for regular customerswith his special brown ale.
Watching Peter, the man asked.
Who are those guys that youre giving them the VIP big glasses?
You dont know? How could you not... Oh, right, you only come in evenings. Those two are our wonderboys grandfathers.
What?
The mans gaze shifted to the grandfathers.
The two sat at the pub, chatting away in an unintelligible language.
Does the wonderboy come here often?
Weekends or lunchtimes, the whole family drops by sometimes to eat my cooking.
...Foreigners... eating your British food...?
Whats wrong with my cooking?
The man flinched at Peters fierce glare and quickly backpedaled.
Not your cookingI mean, British food in general. Our countrys food!
Yeah, my skills are fine. Its our countrys food that tastes like crap.
With that, Peter brought the brown ales over to the grandfathers.
The man just watched them quietly.
Hed never seen the usually taciturn Peter laughing that heartily before.
Was Peters laughter carrying outside?
One by one, people started filing into the pub.
Oh! Sunnys creators are here!
Gramps! Taeyang made a chantlisten to this!
Gramps table looks too empty! Bring out some grub, Peter!
They gathered around the gramps one by one, chatting up a storm.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, like it happened every day.
Wait, when did this pub turn into this?
Must be all those trips back and forth to damn Sunderland because of his wifes family.
Gotta catch the next game for sure. Oh, should I buy a jersey too?
The man turned his gaze.
In the middle of the pub hung a sunshaped shield, and below it...
YOON
47
Number 47.
Yeah, if he was gonna watch games again, hed buy the kids jersey and wear it.
Ahead of our teams final match, I watched Arsenal versus Tottenhams North London derby at home with Dad.
Oh! Dylan Monroe! He blows the chance! A golden opportunity squandered!
And thats the final whistle! Match ends!
Arsenal lost.
Yep.
So that locks in fourth place, right?
I nodded at Dads question.
Haha, youll be playing in the Champions League next year. My son in the UCLhaha, unbelievable!
Soccermad Dad burst out laughing at the mere thought and chugged his beer.
Lagers the way to go with beer.
Dad had failed to adapt to ale.
Truth be told, for someone raised on mostly lagers in Korea, getting used to ale wasnt easy.
But theyre sacking the manager?
Who knows...?
No inside scoop? Publics buzzing about it.
I think its likely too, but nothings come up yet. No ones gonna talk shop like that with a kid like me.
Not even Matteo Silva?
Hes got that players just play soccer mindset.
He was influential enough to be called Mr. Toon, but Silva never got involved in internal politics.
No matter how much he disliked the manager, he never slacked off or stirred troublejust played his heart out and hated any internal divisions.
I see. Figureshe seems like that type. Thats a real one right there. But hes not retiring? Isnt he around your age?
A few years younger than Dad, but still peers.
Seems tough on him, who knows. But I reckon hell hang it up after next season.
There goes another era.
The Messi and Ronaldo era was long gone, and even the Mbappé and Haaland era players had left the main stage.
Now it was the era of those four strikers Korea turned into a meme.
Not that any of them were overwhelmingly dominant.
Sure, those four and other worldclass stars werent bad, but there were no monsters banging in 4050 goals a Premier League season like Messi, Ronaldo, or Haaland, nor anyone with two World Cup hattricks like Mbappé.
And two seasons from now, a real monster would hit La Liga.
The Dios erasurpassing even Messi, whom everyone thought unbeatable, and hailed by all as the god of soccer.
Son, you see this news?
Huh?
Lost in thoughts of Dios, Dad showed me his smartphone.
I looked, and...
Yoon Taeyangs era is upon us. He reminds me of Messi.
It was an interview with a retired manager.
Retired coaches rating active players wasnt uncommon.
But when that coach was Pep Guardiola, who built Man Citys dynasty in the Premier League? That changed everything.
Huh.
Id heard about this.
Hed been completely silent on public activities postretirement, so it had made waves when he spoke up.
Only the subject had changed.
From Dios to me.
Our son really is something else. Even I who made him cant believe it... Whered these genes come from? Looks are a perfect momanddad mix, but the athletic talent...
What am I supposed to do if the guy who made me is this amazed.
Well... the genes mustve mixed really well? Food and drinks taste better when mixed right.
Yeah. This booze toosomas the best, soju and beer mixed.
Dad was missing soma bad.
Come to think of it, it wasnt impossible to get. Pricey import, sure, but unavoidable overseas.
So why was he pining like that?
Honey? Three beers gone? Didnt you say just one?
Moms voice rang out then.
Dad jolted in surprise, face panicking as he scrambled to hide the cans.
Huh? Who knows? Maybe Dad or my fatherinlaw drank em?
Ah, so thats why no sojunot availability or price.
I looked at Dad with pity.
With Arsenals loss to Tottenham confirmed, we faced Everton with a relaxed mind and won 20 easily on my goal and Omars.
Final standing fourth place.
Tougher than past seasons, but wed secured Champions League qualification.
Yoon Taeyang Caps 38th Round with a Goal.
Successful End to Yoon Taeyangs Premier League Debut Season.
Next Seasons Pro Stage Beckons Yoon Taeyangs Path?
PepLauded Genius Korea, Holder of Yoon Taeyang.
Every match, news poured out in Korea like a flood.
I had no idea why.
Hm, probably just excitement over a Korean thriving in the Premier League for once?
Maybe thats why the fan cafe had hit 20,000 members.
Checking the gender ratiomore women.
Huh, didnt know Korean ladies loved soccer this much.
Dont call me out?
Ahem.
Oh, and PSG claimed the 203334 Champions League title, beating Manchester City 20.
Fourth Big Ears for PSG in the last decade.
PSG used to dream desperately of just one, but those days were gone.
Now folks called Europes powerhouse Le.Pa.Mun, not Le.Ba.Mun.
City ended up as finals spectators again.
Mansour had craved the Big Ears like PSG once did since taking over, but City still couldnt lift one.
Well, at least their neighborswhod cleared Fergies piledup mess, signed stars, and still couldnt win the Premier Leaguehad it worse. Silver lining.
Soon theyd be dubbed MaengGu, MaengSi, MaengBrothers with no wins at allrunnersup would be a blessing.
Anyway, with the Premier League wrapped, moneysniffing folks started circling me.
Clubs pitching transfers to their teams.
Agents and agencies dying to rep me, etc.
I needed an agent.
Newcastle was prepping a full pro contract thanks to my shortbutimpactful season.
But none of the contacts impressed me.
Guess Id have to scout a good one.
A few names came to mind, but it wasnt super urgentbetter be careful.
For now, season over, vacation timerest up.
Adults might jet off overseas or to Korea, but as a minor, I couldnt travel solo.
Kids in school, couldnt drag Mom along either.
Ugh.
So all I could do was stroll Newcastle, weekendtrip to London, or hit British tourist spots.
Ah, Ibiza...
Miss those yacht parties, that glamorous postretirement lifemakes me teary.
But reality was...
Oppa, draw me a bunny!
Drawing bunnies with my youngest brother Gyeoulthat was my life now.
Not that I hated it, but sometimes I missed the old days.
Adult life, that is.
End of season, Id party hard for a full day to blow off steam.
Oppa? Whats this? A bunny?!
Huh? Oh, sorry. Oppa zoned out for a sec.
Id started doodling a whiskey bottle from my partying days instead of a bunny.
Any more and Id have sketched cigars and girls too.
Snap out of it.
Son? Where are you? Oh, playing with Gyeoul?
I pulled myself together and clumsily drew a bunny when Mom came looking, face all flushed.
Yeah, Mom. Whats up?
Son, Ive got something to tell you.
Huh?
Why so uneasy?
Her face didnt look like bad news, though...
Our Taeyangis getting a new baby sibling.
Huh?
Moms three weeks pregnant!
What?
Mom? Does that mean I get a sibling too?
Thats right, Gyeouls getting a little brother or sister now too? Happy, Gyeoul?
Yay! Baby! Im big brother!
Whoa.
In the world.
Again?