Leaving Espanyol
"You're frowning like that but still cleaning your plate," Fernandinho remarked as Ha Sunmoon polished off the dish without much trouble.
"I grew up in tough circumstances, so I can eat just about anything," Ha Sunmoon replied.
"Really? You said you came from Korea. It didn't look like life was that hard there."
Ha Sunmoon shook his head. "My mother raised me alone, so we never had much to spare. That's why I actually started eating well once I got to Brazil. My agent—who's basically my adoptive father—Felipe, made sure I enjoyed all the Brazilian dishes at his house."
"I see. You really did have it rough."
"I'm fine now. There are so many people around me who help out."
Ha Sunmoon glanced at Harrison as he spoke. The older man looked away, clearly embarrassed by the sentimental turn the conversation had taken.
As a veteran, Fernandinho possessed a rather unique style of leadership. Unlike the fierce, hyper-masculine leadership most football fans idealized, his was gentle and attentive—like a mother's care.
"Once your official contract is done, let's grab a proper meal together. I heard a bit about you from Marcelo. Even though you're Korean, he said you're basically Brazilian. You'll probably get along great with Jesus. Most of our Brazilian players had difficult childhoods, and Jesus went through a lot when he was young too. I'll call Ederson as well, so at least you'll have some friendly faces among the Brazilians."
"Yes, thank you."
The Brazilian lads are more caring than their wild-and-free image suggests. It was the same back at Espanyol…
Harrison had mentioned Fernandinho, and Ha Sunmoon found himself briefly remembering Naldo, who had looked after him during his time with Espanyol's first team.
"Is there anything else I should know?"
"Well… hmm. For starters, the team's atmosphere isn't great right now. After losing the Champions League final to Chelsea, everything's been a bit chaotic."
"Ah…"
Right. That did happen.
Ha Sunmoon had been so focused on winning promotion from the Segunda and lifting the Copa del Rey that the Champions League had felt like a distant world.
"And then we lost the Community Shield on top of that, so it's only gotten worse. We couldn't even shake off the pain of the Champions League final before suffering another defeat. The mood in the dressing room is all over the place. If you join the first team, the most important thing won't be anything tactical— it'll be making sure you don't get dragged into that negativity and just focus on what you need to do."
"What I need to do?"
"Exactly. Adapting to Manchester's football. Adapting to Pep Guardiola's football. That will be your biggest challenge. You came from Espanyol, right? The training there and the training here are like heaven and earth. It's not just about individual technique. The tactical demands at the team level are enormous. Every player has to know so much."
It was exactly what Ha Sunmoon had heard in rumors. Pep Guardiola assigned his players many detailed, specific roles. That was what Fernandinho was getting at.
"Of course, I don't know what kind of contract you'll sign to get here. But if the rumors about the fee are true, it means they intend to use you in the first team."
Fernandinho chose his words carefully when the subject turned to the contract.
"Anyway… I hope you settle in well and get to play."
"I will!"
Exceptional players. The best manager. Outstanding facilities. Manchester City was the perfect choice for Ha Sunmoon.
The deal was structured as €40 million plus €20 million in add-ons. On paper it looked like a pricey €60 million transfer, but the additional €20 million was deliberately filled with near-impossible bonuses, making it effectively a €40 million agreement between Espanyol and Manchester City.
"Then we'll finalize the contract like this."
In the subsequent personal negotiations, Felipe was overjoyed.
Yes! No loan clause to Girona!
Because of the City Football Group network centered around Manchester City, there had been a risk of him being loaned elsewhere. The absence of that clause was a huge relief. Perhaps because the fee had increased substantially, the worrisome clause was gone, and the contract was overwhelmingly favorable to Ha Sunmoon.
"Annual salary of £5.2 million. Weekly wage of £100,000. This seems like more than fair treatment."
The salary was solid enough that there was nothing left to demand. In fact, asking for more at this point would have felt greedy, so Felipe busied himself preparing the signature.
"Any requests for the club?"
"None. The club seems to be treating Sunmoon very well."
"Pep was apparently very impressed by his performance against Barcelona. He's expecting a lot. And… personally, he liked the boy's character too."
"I see. I'll be sure to tell him that Pep has a high opinion of him."
Sunmoon! This is perfect! Everything worked out so well!
Felipe knew that Ha Sunmoon and Pep had met before, but he wasn't aware of the exact conversation that had taken place. Still, it was clear that moment had been a tremendous help to the young player.
"Oh, right. Now that I think about it, there is one request. Would the club be able to help with accommodation?"
"Accommodation?"
"Yes. I heard some players stay at a hotel connected to the parent company. The one where Agüero and Stones used to live."
"Ah! We can certainly help with that."
"He's a young player without family here. Staying at the hotel where everything is taken care of would be a big help for him."
The hotel where Manchester City players stayed was quite special. Spacious rooms perfect for a single person, excellent gym facilities, and a chef who prepared meals. Clothing and other daily needs were handled by hotel services, allowing players to focus entirely on football. When traveling for national team duty, they could even take a helicopter from the hotel rooftop straight to the airport.
"That's no problem at all. In fact, I'll see it as a sign of his commitment to focusing on football."
"Thank you."
News about Ha Sunmoon spread quickly. Starting with reports on social media that several clubs had made offers, the story that he was undergoing medical tests at Manchester City was relayed in real time. After finishing his medical, Ha Sunmoon left the remaining contract matters to Felipe and returned to Espanyol to say his goodbyes.
"Isn't that Ha?" Raúl de Tomás greeted him with a bittersweet smile.
"Hello."
"I'm jealous. We're going to be suffering in the top flight while you get to play in the Champions League?"
"Haha…"
"Did the contract go well?"
"It's going well."
"Tell me. How much?"
"Um… the contract isn't finalized yet, so I'm not entirely sure…"
But Raúl de Tomás was persistent. "Come on, tell me. I'm genuinely curious. What's the weekly wage?"
"Ahem… £100,000."
"£100,000?"
He was momentarily confused that it was in pounds rather than euros, but once he calculated the amount, his jaw dropped.
"Wow… As expected from a top club…"
"It's just… the kind of money a rotation player gets."
"Even rotation players get that much. Man, it's no joke. I knew the Premier League paid well, but this is on another level."
As the two were talking, other players soon gathered, and Ha Sunmoon said his farewells to the rest of the first-team squad.
"What? Vegas, you made it to the first team?"
Ha Sunmoon said when he saw him.
"It's only temporary. I'm here as Vargas's backup. Since you're leaving, they said they'll use Pedrosa and Villa at left-back again."
"And at right-back, Gomez and Ian?"
"Yeah."
Having broken into the first team, Vegas looked absolutely thrilled.
"I'm stopping by Raul's restaurant later. Gather up the neighborhood kids for me. I want to see them before I go."
"That sounds good! Some of them have been saying they miss you. I'll tell them to come."
"Don't call too many…"
"Just buy them food. Hehe."
After saying goodbye to the first-team players, as well as coaches David and Abelardo Fernández, Ha Sunmoon headed to Raul's restaurant as evening fell.
"Ha! This really is the last time, huh?"
"Yes, it is."
Thinking that today would be his final visit to Raul's restaurant left Ha Sunmoon with mixed emotions. After arriving here, he had visited this place more often than the training ground itself. It was special to him.
"What will you order for your last meal?"
"Paella, of course. And I'll pay for everyone's food today. I earned quite a bit this time!"
"Haha, alright then."
Raul prepared everything for him, and Ha Sunmoon spent his final moments at Espanyol greeting acquaintances and fans who came to the restaurant and signing autographs.
"By the way, Vegas."
"Yeah?"
"Where's Annie?"
"Annie? She said she didn't want to come."
"What?"
"I don't know. She just said she didn't want to come, so I left her at home. No matter how much I called her, she wouldn't leave her room."
"Really? I wanted to see her one last time… but I guess it can't be helped."