Chapter 90
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 90
Chapter Title Facing the Rival
Just before entering the field, Feliciano glanced at Yoon Taeyang.
The boy wearing the same number 7 as him.
Though he was just a boy, he looked a tiny bit tallerever so slightly.
Their builds were nearly identical too.
At such a young age, his body already seemed fully formed.
Well, with that kind of physique, it was no surprise he was dominating the senior stage in unbelievable fashion.
That kid... 15 goals, right?
Just a twogoal gap.
Even though hed played three fewer games.
On top of that, in the Champions League, hed only managed 4 goals himself, while this guy already had 8.
The more he thought about it, the less human the kid seemed.
Age was irrelevant.
Yoon Taeyang had all the makings of the perfect rivalthe one who could truly push him to improve.
Hey.
Yeah?
Lets do well out there.
Taeyang gave a halfhearted nod, his face utterly impassive.
Puberty, huh?
What a surly kid.
While Feliciano mulled that over, it was time for the players to take the field.
The moment they stepped out, Taeyangs chant erupted from the stands.
Feliciano gazed at the passionate cheers from the fans known as the Toon Army and felt a pang for Old Trafford.
If only hed beaten Yoon Taeyang at homehe couldve soaked in the roar of the crowd.
Feliciano didnt much like seeing the away fans disappointed faces in hostile stadiums.
Strip away his competitive fire, and Feliciano was as upstanding a young man as they come.
The purehearted youth had no idea.
That the seemingly innocent kid across the pitch was actually a yokai whod lived decades, delighting in others despairunlike him, a total villain.
The match was unfolding calmly, belying the electric atmosphere.
Twenty minutes into the first half, and neither side had mounted any real attacks, content to probe for openings.
They had no choice but to play it cautious.
Chelsea had drawn with Preston yesterdaystill reeling from their loss to Newcastle, apparentlyleaving them stuck in place.
Todays result could swap the top spot.
With Boxing Day looming, seizing first place carried huge weight.
Breaking the tense standoff was Man Uniteds Egerton.
Catching Sanchez stepping up to join the midfield, Egerton surged down the flank, and Bienvenu spotted it, threading the ball his way.
Egerton took possession and bombed down the open wing before whipping in a cross toward goal.
Feliciano, reading the play, split Arnold and Jenas, charging forward.
Perfectly timed, he leaped while still running, arched his back, and hammered a header.
The powerful strike swerved into a corner Ricella couldnt reach, rippling the net.
Goal! Its a goal! Feliciano delivers!
Who jumps that high to head it in? Incredible athleticism!
Thats Feliciano for you!
Feliciano struck his Hulk pose and roared.
His signature celebration.
He directed it toward the Man United away fans, then spun around hunting for Taeyang.
Taeyang wore an utterly unfazed expression, as if the concession meant nothing.
Whats with that look? Like you could score on me anytime?
Truth be told, Taeyang wasnt thinking much of it.
Or rather, hed expected it.
Someone like Feliciano was bound to bag at least one today, right?
But the Toon Army thought differently.
As soon as their team conceded, they belted out chants at the top of their lungs, desperate to keep the players spirits up.
The Toons are something else. Toon Army lives up to the name. Its the home fans fighting to hold the momentum, not the players.
Anyway, Manchester United leads.
Newcastle shifted gears upon restart, turning aggressive.
Truth was, both teams shared a similar style.
Weak at the back, but packing a lethal attack.
It was a doubleedged swordable to dagger the opponent, but vulnerable to the same.
For Newcastle, this felt worlds apart from their Chelsea clash.
Taeyang, operating as the lone striker up top, felt it most acutely.
Even with Bienvenu and Marcelo dropping to cover their shaky centerbacks, gaps kept appearing in Uniteds defense whenever they moved.
Cant just let that slide, can I?
Taeyang glanced back.
The defense was solid, so the midfield couldnt push forward easily.
No.
Whats with this team of onetrick attackers playing so cautiously?
Worried about losing possession and conceding, they just kept passing sideways.
Here! Over here!
Taeyang raised his hand and bellowed.
Rossi hesitated at the sight, then passed to Menendez.
Hey! Meni!
Menendez instinctively chipped it forward at the sound of Taeyangs voice.
That signature piercing pass.
To the spot hed eyed all along.
Taeyang would read it and chase.
See that.
Sure enough.
Taeyang didnt disappoint.
He raced onto the space Menendez had opened.
Not forgetting to shake a marker first with a quick body feint.
And finally, he claimed the ball.
But ahead loomed Man United centerback Segel.
Taeyang didnt slow.
Right in front of him, he unleashed La Croqueta.
Segel backed off, refusing to bite.
Taeyang switched feet for another La Croqueta.
Thats the terror of an ambidextrous dribbler.
No stepover limitations when you can skill with both feet.
Any step, both feet viable for the dribble.
A centerback facing such freedom had no choice but to fall for the double La Croqueta.
Past Segel lay a wideopen path to goal.
Iniesta scrambled over, but no matter.
The lane was so vast he could just swerve around.
Dodging Iniesta, Taeyang swung his left foot at goal.
Keeper Stoilkovic dove early, blocking the angle.
Fxck!
A splitsecond later, the curse flew.
Shooting feint.
With the keeper duped by the unavoidable fake, Taeyang flashed a cheeky grin and whipped his right foot through.
Waaaaah!
In just seven minutes, Taeyang had flipped the script, strolling casually back to halfway with the ball.
Feliciano gritted his teeth at the sight.
Not impressed by my goal, and yours is no big deal either?
Scoring like it was nothing.
Taking it for granted.
Arrogant.
Infuriatingly so.
Goals are precious.
Goalcrazed Feliciano burned hotter against Taeyangs nonchalance.
The match resumed.
A few transitions later, United chance.
Egerton drew defenders then switched to the open side.
Brian took it and drove centrally.
As Newcastle scrambled to block, Brian sliced between Bandia and Arnold, eyeing goal.
Ricella wheeled toward him.
Thats when.
Brians front foot tapped, back leg rabonad sideways.
Feliciano, hustling up, onetouched it firsttime.
Thwack!
By a hair, a thigh deflected Felicianos rocket.
The block so close it left the thigh burning red.
The hero? None other than Jenas.
No way! Jenas with a miraculous block at the perfect moment!
Jenas saves it!
The rebound flew to Ricella, who charged in and claimed it.
Ricella blew past Feliciano and launched it forward.
Newcastle! Ricella starts the counter!
Chalret grabs it and goes!
Chalrets fast! So fast!
Chalret blazed past the defenders and unleashed at Stoilkovic.
Straight liner.
But Stoilkovics long arms punched it away.
Too predictable.
He shouldnt have punched, though.
Shouldve caught it upfront or let it sail over if read early.
Because Taeyang never stopped charging till the endbelieving it wasnt over till it was.
Taeyang volleyed the punched clearance.
Goal! Yoon Taeyangs brace!
A goal born from his ferocious focus on the ball!
Yoon Taeyang strikes again!
Taeyang scanned the stands after scoring.
Fans roaring, eyes locked on him.
Then he eyed Feliciano.
...Claiming this place as yours?
Taeyang showed no expression, no gestureyet Feliciano read into it, clenching his fist.
Fine, credit where due.
Newcastles lord was that cocky young prince.
Then Im the invader.
Newcastles history began as a fortress against Scottish incursions.
So he was the invading knight?
Kuhk, interesting.
Hey, quit mumbling to yourself and get back.
Even as teammates passed, Feliciano chuckled again.
Brian shook his head at the sight.
That guys watched too much anime.
Indeed.
The competitive incarnate, upstanding youth Feliciano preferred bingeing Japanese anime on OTT at home over clubbing or pool parties.
A total... well, homebody.
From afar, Taeyang eyed Feliciano striking a weird pose and weird laugh, recalling the fact.
Feliciano, at 34, had ended his career in Japan, hooked on anime from his later years.
Reminds me of an old teammate.
Choi Jiwoo popped to mindthe one always smirking sinisterly, ready to unleash his black flame dragon.
Wonder how hes doing at Suwon.
Gotta text him after the match.
Nostalgic for once, Taeyang checked the clock.
First half winding down.
Restart whistle, then 23 minutes till halftime.
But something felt off.
Taeyang wasnt one for hunches or gut feelings, but sometimes they hit.
Like something was about to burst.
And this feeling never missed.
Whistle blew, and United went full rugbycycling to attacking mid Montinu, everyone surging forward.
Montinu to Brian, Brian to Feliciano.
Feliciano shrugged off Rossi, drove straight, sidestepped Arnolds block, and curled toward goal.
Riberyesque.
Ricella, vision blocked by Arnold, had no shot.
An unthinkable equalizer right before the whistle, back to square one.
Taeyang sighed on his feet.
See? Told you it felt weird.
Looked like second half would demand even more.