Champions League Round of 16: Barcelona vs Chelsea

After the match against Eibar ended, my daily routine had a small change.

“Ryu! Wouldn't it have been better to pass to Albaria in that situation earlier?”

'Hah... annoying. Tsk.'

...in a slightly annoying direction.

After the match against Eibar, Arnal, for some reason, started coming to me every time training ended to share her opinions and ask questions.

Well, it's not strange for an experienced veteran to ask a young player like me about various things. She might want to share her know-how and other things.

But that's the story when she's a veteran. Honestly, Arnal is too young to be called a veteran. She's only 24 years old, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a young hot-blooded player.

Of course, there's an age difference between me and her, but Arnal is a player in her prime, and I'm a competitor threatening her. But for a position competitor to approach like this to share something? That's honestly not making sense.

Approaching a position competitor with friendliness is impossible unless it's a veteran about to retire or a brand new rookie. Actually, Routina and I don't talk to each other at all during training unless it's necessary, so Arnal doing this is unusual.

'...Is it possible? No way.'

In this situation, Arnal approaching with friendliness made me feel a bit uneasy.

Although it's a bit awkward for me to say this, objectively, I am quite handsome. And my colleagues are all women.

Seeing someone who has no reason to be nice to me suddenly approach me after I returned from injury, having barely spoken to me and subtly avoiding me, it means a change in their heart.

The most likely factor among the change in heart is probably romantic feelings.

If someone hears my thoughts, they might ask if I'm being too full of myself, but there was already precedent with Yuri. Honestly, a colleague liking me was beyond denial. Even one was enough to be overwhelmed.

“Well, passing to Albaria might have scored a goal. But then we'd have to rely too much on Albaria's individual play. Rather, it would be better to slow down the tempo once and pass it down. And if we give passes to one player who's good at training, it's obvious that our vision will narrow in the actual match, right?”

So, I gave Arnal a slightly unhelpful response. As if my words were correct.

No, actually my words were correct, but until now, whenever Arnal asked questions and tried to teach me something while she was questioning me, I would smile with a look of being kind, practiced since childhood, saying 'Yes?', 'Ah, I didn't think of that.' in a humble way,

But no matter how European, a player who has just debuted telling a player who has secured a spot and is playing as the starter such words is rude.

And I deliberately committed this rudeness. Until now, because I answered in a way that women like, the guy kept sticking around, so now I'm answering rudely to drop the affection for me.

After all, since we are competitors fighting for the same position, it's not a big deal if our relationship is bad either.

“Um... I think Albaria could handle it?”

But in response to my answer, Arnal smiles more brightly than when she has been talking to me so far. Is it a Masochist tendency? No way?

I thought I had chosen the wrong option, but I tried to erase that thought from my mind and answered aggressively again.

“Well, I don't not trust Albaria either. But a team that relies on one player will probably have a hard time when that player's condition is not good? But we are not that kind of team, are we?”

“I see.”

But Arnal nods as if more satisfied....

'Shit, I guessed wrong?'

“Ah, that's aside, I haven't bought you lunch once, right? Since I'm going out, how about having lunch together? We can talk about soccer too.”

Shit, I guessed wrong again.

“...English food doesn't suit my mouth. I prefer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the food provided by the club.”

Fortunately, this place is England where we came for the Champions League round of 16 against Chelsea. I had a reason to refuse Arnal's lunch offer. Well, even in England, if you go to a good restaurant, the food is delicious, but apart from that, it's true that English food doesn't suit my mouth, so I refused Arnal's lunch offer without any guilt.

“Really? Then how about a Spanish-style restaurant...”

'This persistent guy...'

As far as I know, she has a boyfriend, but she clings so persistently. Well, in Europe, extramarital affairs of unmarried people are not a big problem as long as it's not eating the wife of a friend, meaning here the husband, but it was still unpleasant for the target of the affair to be me.

“Sorry. No matter how Spanish-style it is, I don't want to eat new things in a new place before the game. Arnal might not care since she plays a lot in the Champions League, but for me, it's the first time?”

“Ah, I see. I didn't think of that. Sorry.”

Arnal bends to my will. It was a day that felt fortunate because the first match of the round of 16 is an away game.