Chapter 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Iker Bravo
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the Essex Derby between Colchester United and Southend United wrapped up, Pedro Rodríguez met with the promising prospects from La Fábrica and asked me to help persuade them on transfers.
"Meet these kids and sweet-talk them good. If they play consistently, build up some experience, and we coach 'em right, we could sell them to Real Madrid for a fortune later as replacements for Luka, Luis, or Anthony."
The moment I stepped away from the stadium—my workplace—Pedro switched up his tone, and I nodded agreeably.
"Yeah, Luka, Luis, and Anthony are getting up there in age too..."
"Puta! You're the kid here, punk—they're just hitting their prime in their late twenties. Why you treating 'em like washed-up fossils already?"
By the time I hit my prime, those guys will be retiring. Washed-up old men, right? Guys like Messi or Modrić carrying their teams at World Cups in their late thirties are the weird ones.
Most just drag down the national team like Ronaldo, so better to retire beforehand.
Anyway, just as Pedro asked, I met up with the La Fábrica prospects for a meal.
"Dios mio! Jesus! You're my idol! If it's not too much trouble, could you sign this for me?"
"Si, of course. Where do you want it?"
Once the meal wrapped up with a little fan meet mixed in, I flashed a warm smile and brought up the transfer talk.
"Any chance you'd consider a full transfer to Colchester United instead of just loans—playing as their own players?"
The La Fábrica prospects, already overflowing with emotion from the unexpected fan meet, teared up the second I asked about transferring and agreed on the spot.
How was this not easy? Was the manager just that incompetent?
Maybe I should think about making him manager for life again.
Enzo Martínez, currently on loan at Colchester United from La Fábrica, couldn't believe what was unfolding right in front of him.
'Puta! It's really Jesus! The stuff I dreamed about when I got loaned here is actually happening! I can ask for a signature, right?'
Enzo Martínez steadied his trembling heart and barely managed to speak.
"Dios mio! Jesus! You're my idol! If it's not too much trouble, could you sign this for me?"
"Si, of course. Where do you want it?"
Jesus smiled as he signed the jersey Enzo had brought.
There wasn't much of an age gap, but Enzo had watched Jesus's first El Clásico live. The moment he saw that match, Jesus became his idol—and now that player was smiling as he signed his jersey.
Enzo felt like he was flying.
'Holymoly! Puta! Oh my gosh!'
Spouting every exclamation he knew in English and Spanish alike under his breath, Enzo clutched the signed jersey Jesus handed back like a treasure.
"G... Gracias."
The other La Fábrica players were hugging their signed jerseys just as tightly, eyes brimming with tears.
"An... an honor!"
"Thank you!"
After the quick fan meet, the meal with Jesus began. Once it ended, Enzo asked him about the mindset a pro footballer needs.
"First off, outside the stadium, fan service is the most important thing. Forget that without fans, it's just pointless playtime. Inside the stadium, it's never giving up. Fans care about wins and losses, sure, but even more, they want to see players fighting with grit till the final whistle."
Enzo nodded, etching Jesus's words into his heart. Then, when the recruitment offer came right after, he froze for a second.
"Any chance you'd consider a full transfer to Colchester United instead of just loans—playing as their own players?"
Enzo glanced at his fellow loanees from La Fábrica, quickly exchanging looks.
'Honestly, even if we go back to Real Madrid, we'll just get loaned out elsewhere. Better to stick here and play together, right?'
'I don't care about anything else. Jesus owns the club—I'm staying. We'll run into each other sometimes if I play here.'
Seeing the looks in his teammates' eyes, Enzo stepped up as rep and accepted Jesus's offer.
"We'll all transfer!"
Having successfully talked the La Fábrica prospects into it, I enjoyed a family vacation in Colchester.
Mornings, I'd entertain Johan with some keepie-uppies in front of him.
"Kyarr-! Kyarr-!"
"Aww, does our little Johan love watching Daddy do keepie-uppies that much?"
After lunch.
"Eww—tastes bad."
"It's the best of the bunch, so eat this."
We toured the castle boasting a history stretching back to Roman times, then headed back to Madrid.
When Johan's old enough to walk around, we can spend vacations playing soccer together? I was already looking forward to it.
"Jesus, watch Johan for a bit. Gotta send off the video first."
"Sure, wanna play with Daddy, Johan?"
"Baa-"
Yu-na, who'd been filming YouTube videos in Colchester here and there, fired off an email to her Korean MCN company the moment we hit Madrid, overlaying the footage with audio.
Hey everyone, U members! It's Yu-na!
With the international break, my husband asked the club for vacation time, and luckily, they approved!
So! Our vacation spot this time? Drumroll... We arrived in Colchester, Essex, UK—home of my husband's Colchester United~~~!
TL;DR: Everything was great except the food. Watched Colchester United lose live (⓪⓪)
We checked out all sorts of architecture too.
But the coolest part? My husband's keepie-uppies!
Johan's loving it too, giggling away!
(Clip of Jesus Joo doing flawless keepie-uppies)
Wow... Still blows my mind every time.
Crossing his feet like that with zero wobble—even lying down!
Impressive, right? That's my husband. Hehehe.
Anyway, after chilling in Colchester, we're back in Madrid!
Next video: Me singing a song I composed—show it some love!
P.S. My channel's all about songs, yo! ( >д< )
Yu-na sis... I wanted you happy, but not this happy...
Colchester losing even in the middle of this is legendary lololol
Damn... 5th tier league and the crowd's massive with insane chants...
Doesn't usually fill up that much—average like 6k? Still, nuts for a 5th tier club.
Lmao Yu-na flipping off with the hooligans next to her is hilarious
Fr, Yu-na's lost it lmao
Song vids are snoozefests... When we getting game streams?!
Family vacation over, I returned to Madrid and headed to the club. At Valdebebas, Real Madrid's official training ground, the players not called up to their national teams were diligently grinding away.
Amid all that, there was this one uniquely chill group.
"So, how was the vacation?"
"Eh, not bad—excluding the British food."
Unlike the others deep in training, these guys oozed relaxation. Most of the group were veterans who'd already retired from international duty.
I eased into things among them, slowly loosening up and building my match fitness.
"Uhahaha! What an idiot, vacationing in England."
Jorginho burst out laughing at my comment. I dropped a little truth bomb on him.
"Hey! Jorginho! The spot where you'll be working as sporting director? England!"
"O- Puta! Damn it!"
Jorginho dramatically slapped his forehead, and Iker Bravo, watching, cracked up.
"Jajaja—maybe Valverde's blocking Jorginho's retirement just to keep seeing stuff like that in the locker room?"
Iker, who'd been moping with reduced minutes this season, finally brightened up. Jorginho just shrugged.
"Could be."
Watching Iker chat so freely with Jorginho, a relieved look on his face, I thought:
Guy's probably decided to retire...
The training wrapped in high spirits. To manage stamina for the international returnees, Iker Bravo got a rare start in league round 17 against Almería.
"Vamos!!! I'm not dead yet!! Retirement? What retirement, puta!!"
He didn't miss a single one of my passes, burying them into the corners for goal after goal—a hat-trick.
Last flash of brilliance, huh.
Whatever. That's 7 assists locked in.
Just need 3 more next match for that 10-10 bonus.