Arrival in Barcelona
Upon arriving in Barcelona, Ha Sunmoon ultimately decided to join Espanyol. The Brazilian league was already familiar territory, so returning there would not have been a bad choice. Still, he took Clive Harrison's advice that adapting to a European league as quickly as possible would be wiser.
Once Felipe confirmed that Ha Sunmoon wanted to move to Europe, he flew ahead to Barcelona and negotiated directly with the Espanyol club. The deal was finalized on excellent terms. At the end of August, Ha Sunmoon landed in Barcelona accompanied by Felipe, who served as both his guardian and agent. Arriving now would allow him to join the training camp that began in September.
“Wow! Is this really Spain?”
“Yes, this is Barcelona, Spain.”
The sprawling city visible from the airplane was enough to fill Ha Sunmoon with excitement. Felipe pointed toward what appeared to be a stadium as the plane followed the coastline toward the airport.
“See that over there?”
“Yes. I can see the football stadium.”
“That’s Stage Front Stadium, Espanyol’s home ground. If you make the senior team, that’s where you’ll be playing.”
“Whoa… It looks amazing!”
Ha Sunmoon gazed at the stadium, which appeared small from the air. Soon the announcement came that the plane would be landing, and he sat back to wait. The moment he stepped off at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, he already felt drawn to the city.
Wow. I actually made it all the way to Barcelona.
Harrison, standing beside him and taking in the surroundings, looked quite pleased as well.
How wonderful is this? Honestly, it’s been far too stifling until now.
Since the places Ha Sunmoon had lived before had indeed felt confining, he nodded in wholehearted agreement.
“Hehe.”
“Is it that good?”
At Felipe’s question, Ha Sunmoon broke into a bright smile.
“Yes. I like it. The weather’s nice, and it’s still so bright even though it’s evening.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Felipe then checked the time, their schedule, and the location of their new home.
“First, we’ve chosen a house near Espanyol’s training ground. That way, even if you go out alone, you shouldn’t have any major problems.”
Ha Sunmoon nodded.
“Sounds good.”
Thanks to the direct flight from Incheon to Barcelona, they had arrived in one go, but the journey had taken twenty-two hours. It had been an exhausting day.
“Let’s head home, rest for a bit, and then go out for dinner.”
“Okay.”
Ha Sunmoon and Felipe entered a restaurant for dinner.
“Hello, table for two?”
“Yes, please.”
The server guided them to their seats. The restaurant looked ordinary at first glance, but the symbols scattered throughout caught the eye.
“Oh, that emblem—isn’t that Espanyol’s?”
“It is. This place must be run by an Espanyol fan.”
They had simply chosen a restaurant near their new house, yet it turned out to be managed by a devoted supporter of the club.
“Are you ready to order?”
The man who appeared to be the owner came to take their order.
“Just water for drinks, and we’ll have paella and some tapas.”
“Water only, and paella with tapas—is that all?”
“Yes. We just got off a long flight, so we can’t eat too much.”
“Understood.”
“By the way, are you an Espanyol fan? The decorations make it look like one.”
The owner gave a warm smile.
“Of course! I’m a Perico.”
The term Perico, referring to the little parrots, was a nickname for Espanyol supporters. Because they had mentioned the club so often, the owner’s attitude became noticeably friendlier.
“I’m Raul, the owner here. Most people who come in are more interested in Barcelona than Espanyol, but it seems the two of you are different.”
Felipe answered with a smile.
“Naturally. I came here today with one of Espanyol’s players, so of course we’re interested in the club.”
“Sorry? One of Espanyol’s players?”
Raul looked puzzled. Felipe pointed at Ha Sunmoon.
“Oh! This boy is an Espanyol player?”
“Yes. The contract was already finalized some time ago. We’ll be visiting the club soon to take the official signing photos.”
Raul began staring at Ha Sunmoon with open curiosity. The attention made the boy feel a little shy.
“He’s still quite young. Will he be playing for the U-15 or U-17 side?”
“No. We haven’t decided exactly where he’ll play yet, but at the very least he’ll be with the U-19s or the B team. He’s that talented.”
At Felipe’s words, the restaurant owner looked at Ha Sunmoon with even greater interest.
“Haha… Hello.”
Ha Sunmoon gave a slightly bashful wave to Raul.
“You said you just got off the plane? So this is your very first meal in Barcelona, right here?”
“Yes, that’s right. What a lucky coincidence that we ended up eating at a place run by an Espanyol fan.”
“Hahaha. It feels like I’m sharing a meal with a future star… Oh! Where are my manners?”
The owner hurried to the kitchen to place their order, then returned with several staff members carrying drinks.
“On a day like this, a little gift is in order.”
Wine glasses were set in front of them. Wine was poured for Felipe, while Ha Sunmoon received sangria.
“This sangria is non-alcoholic, so you can think of it as a regular beverage.”
Ha Sunmoon had been startled for a moment, thinking they were serving him real alcohol, but the server’s explanation put him at ease.
“This is my treat. And could I possibly get your autograph? For Espanyol’s newest player.”
Ha Sunmoon was a little flustered by the owner’s request.
Whoa~ Asking for an autograph the moment I arrive.
When Harrison’s teasing joined in, Ha Sunmoon’s eyes darted around, unsure what to do.
“Go on, try it. You’ll be signing autographs for fans a lot from now on. Think of it as practice—you’ll be doing this constantly within a few years.”
With Felipe encouraging him as well, Ha Sunmoon thought for a moment before writing his name in English: sun moon. He handed the paper back to the owner.
“That’s an unusual name. Sun and moon. What’s your family name?”
“Ha. It’s Ha. Easy to remember, right? Make sure you never forget it.”
“I definitely won’t. As thanks for signing my future player’s jersey, you can eat here for free whenever you like. I mean it.”
Ha Sunmoon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? That’s okay?”
“Of course. I’ve received the autograph of Espanyol’s future star—it’s worth at least that much. Plus, it’s nice to see a player’s face now and then.”
When Felipe nodded, Ha Sunmoon bowed his head in gratitude.
A few days later, after spending time sightseeing around Barcelona with Felipe, Ha Sunmoon’s schedule suddenly became hectic. The day before, Felipe had sent him to a hair salon, saying the next day would be busy. The following morning, he even had to sit through makeup.
Then Ha Sunmoon headed to the Espanyol club facilities.
Ah… Today’s the day!
Several Espanyol staff members were present. He was led into a room with a composition that felt strangely familiar.
“You can sit here. Once the recruitment director arrives, you’ll shake hands and that will be it.”
“All right.”
The recruitment director soon appeared. While seated, Ha Sunmoon and the director posed for various photographs. Click, click, click. Ha Sunmoon forced an awkward smile beside the director as the camera flashed so brightly it nearly blinded him, but he endured it, thinking it would be over soon.
“Perfect. We’re done!”
Ha Sunmoon hopped up and hurried over to check the photos. He couldn’t help laughing at the images of himself smiling stiffly in front of what was supposed to look like a contract.
“Hmm… These won’t work, will they?”
The photographer nodded. After flipping through several shots, they finally found ones where neither of them looked too awkward and decided to use those. In the chosen photo, Ha Sunmoon still appeared slightly uncomfortable in front of the camera, yet he was clearly doing his best to smile.
After the photos were finished, Ha Sunmoon left the room with Felipe and was guided to what looked like a conference room. There he listened to an explanation of his upcoming schedule.
“You must be curious about how things will proceed. As you saw from the signing, the club has very high expectations for Sunmoon.”
Both Ha Sunmoon and Felipe nodded.
“Since we’re not yet sure where to place him, he will undergo testing with our club. Depending on his performance, he could join the U-19 squad or go straight to the B team.”
“What are the testing criteria?”
“There aren’t any strict standards… It depends on how the coaches see him. The upcoming test is one that most players go through. The first-team manager all the way down to the U-19 coaches will all be watching, so there’s no absolute benchmark. The decision will be based on the coaches’ individual judgments.”
“When will the test take place?”
“In one week. In the meantime, you’re welcome to use the club facilities whenever you like. You’ll have to use the youth setup for now, of course. Since nothing is finalized yet, you can start by using the U-19 facilities.”
Having heard enough, Ha Sunmoon nodded. His European football journey was only just beginning.