Live at the Champions League Final
Waking early out of habit, I realized I didn't have to go to training and pulled Jia noona into my arms as she lay beside me.
I held her tight.
I'd wrapped my arms around her half-asleep, eyes still closed — and the feel of bare skin against bare skin was genuinely wonderful.
"What, you awake?"
Apparently she'd already been up; she spoke as she felt me stirring.
"Mm…"
"Heh. Sleep a little more. It's been ages since you had a real break."
Feeling her hand stroke through my hair, I dozed off again for a bit before finally getting up.
"…Did I sleep long?"
"Hmm… about thirty minutes? Want to sleep more? You're ridiculously cute when you're asleep."
"Nah. I'm fully awake now."
Hearing that familiar line, I opened my eyes — and noticed something almost luminous about her skin.
"Noona, your skin looks like it's glowing."
"Maybe thanks to you, Yujin?"
"Me? Why?"
"Well…"
The way she smiled with her eyes and licked her lips made me look away.
Somehow it felt like the right thing to do.
"Heh. Last night was really good."
"…Yeah. Me too."
The initiative had already slipped completely into her hands.
Then again, with a noona overflowing with talent in every direction, two weeks was more than enough time to adapt.
"The next safe day is…"
"…Noona?"
Why did she have to say something that ominous?
"Hmm? What?"
"…Why that?"
"Why else? It's convenient to know ahead of time."
"I mean, yeah, but…"
Well. I wasn't sure what to make of that.
I'd figure it out when the day came.
We stayed tangled up like that, chatting softly for about an hour, before gradually getting out of bed.
"…I want to have a kid who looks like you, Yujin. They'd be so cute."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Nothing. Heh."
Well… I hadn't quite caught it, but as long as Jia noona was happy, that was enough.
The vaguely uneasy feeling was probably just my imagination.
My vacation plans were genuinely simple.
Jia noona had cleared her schedule to match mine, and together we'd head back to Korea, visit my mother and her father, report that we were still alive, and spend some happy time together.
I'd also planned to shoot a few commercials and variety shows while resting — but a message that arrived the day before yesterday had thrown all of that out the window.
With both of my friends' teams facing off, I had no choice but to tweak the plan a little.
I hadn't actually gotten her agreement yet — but all I had to do was convince her.
"Noona! Want to watch the Champions League final before we head to Korea?"
"Where's it being held?"
"London Stadium, so it's not far at all. What do you think? Want to go?"
"Hmm… I don't know."
Sensing she was deliberately playing hard to get, I wrapped my arms around her from behind and started persuading.
"Come on. Please? I'll buy you dinner."
"Heh. Alright."
Money didn't mean much to either of us, but she must have felt how much I wanted to go — she nodded with that adorable smile of hers.
We quickly revised the plans and headed out into the London streets for a meal.
There was just one problem.
"Oh… isn't that Yujin?"
"Yujin?"
"So the rumors about him showing up around this street were true."
"Is that his girlfriend next to him? Talk about a perfect couple."
Not long after winning the league, the number of people staring at me was overwhelming.
No one approached us, but the weight of those stares was hard to ignore.
We walked a little farther and arrived at a Korean restaurant — only to be greeted by a waiting line the likes of which I'd never seen there before.
"Ah…"
I'd been excited to come back after so long, but a lot had clearly changed.
My personal favorite spot had, at some point, become everyone's favorite spot.
Still, figuring a quick hello was better than nothing, I chatted with the owner I'd used to see almost every day.
"Boss."
"Oh! Yujin! Long time no see!"
"Ah, yeah. It's unusually packed today."
"All thanks to you, my boy. Tourists and London locals alike started pouring in because of you."
"…Really?"
That was news to me.
Come to think of it, I might have heard something similar from the Arsenal guys.
"If you're here to eat, I can make a table appear out of thin air."
"No, it's fine. I'll come back another time."
There was already a line, and I had no desire to cut it.
Knowing I'd had some influence on that line was satisfaction enough.
"Our Yujin, look at you — a real star~"
"You don't like having a star boyfriend?"
"I love it, actually?"
We tried a few more restaurants, but luck wasn't on our side — the waits were long almost everywhere — so we ended up cooking a cozy meal at home instead.
Day after day of that fluttering, happy routine with Jia noona passed, and a few days later we made our way to London Stadium for the Champions League final.
"Oh. You made it?"
"Yeah. Been a while."
I hadn't seen Seong Yumin in person since the Champions League round of sixteen.
Still, we'd kept chatting steadily in the group chat, so there wasn't a hint of awkwardness.
"You get taller?"
"Hmm. A little? You grew too, though."
"Well, growth spurt and all."
We caught up on recent news as we settled into the VIP seats.
"These are nice."
"Right? What do you think, noona?"
"I'm used to them by now, honestly."
"Ah, true."
Whenever Jia noona came to watch Arsenal's home matches, I'd arranged things in advance so she always sat in VIP.
At this point, her face alone was probably enough for a free pass.
With most people predicting an Atlético Madrid defeat, the players filed out onto the pitch.
There were plenty of familiar faces.
From Valiet and Jamal, to my own friends — and on Atlético Madrid's side, even Proud, the so-called dead-ball specialist.
Once everyone was in position, the majestic Champions League anthem rang out, and the match began.
Bayern Munich pressed from the opening whistle, smothering Atlético Madrid's back line.
Valiet and Jamal hammered at the goal as if a breakthrough was only moments away.
While Atlético Madrid's manager barked urgent tactical instructions near the touchline, Bayern Munich's manager Thomas looked completely unfazed.
That confidence was vindicated the moment Valiet scored.
The opener came in a flash, and the first half ended with Bayern in the lead.
"Yo, check this out."
"What."
Seong Yumin snickered as he showed me a post on his phone.
"Is Seonwoo actually about to become the icon of the titleless?"
"Hmm. This season couldn't be helped."
Atlético Madrid had already lost the League Cup and the Copa del Rey — there was no way they were punching through the wall that a giant like Bayern Munich was holding up.
Then came the second half.
Han Seonwoo won the ball under pressure from Bayern and finished a single counterattack with a goal.
The way he dribbled free of the press and carved open the defense sparked a flicker of hope — but it was a false dawn.
"Heja!!!!!!!"
Valiet, who'd been sniffing out a goal the whole time, rattled the net with an overhead kick.
There was still a little time left, but Valiet wasn't done — he scored one more.
A hat-trick in the Champions League final.
I was watching the sheer presence of a player called the strongest in the mortal realm — one who hadn't quite reached the realm of gods — all over again.
Atlético Madrid kept running for a win in the remaining minutes, but in the end, just like in the original history, Bayern Munich claimed the title.
Which meant Han Seonwoo was going trophy-less this season.