The Weight of a Nation's Expectations
In the meantime, back in Korea, unflattering articles about Ha Sunmoon had begun to appear.
Recently, Ha Sunmoon showed signs during a press conference of attempting to naturalize in Brazil.
The Korea Football Association has selected him several times in the past, yet they view his sudden move toward Brazil as an act of betrayal.
Moreover, the program that sent Sunmoon to Brazil was ultimately a KFA overseas training initiative, leaving no word more fitting than betrayal.
“Oh dear…”
Lee Ji-seon, who worked for the Korea Football Association, let out a small sigh as she read the articles about Ha Sunmoon. She felt truly sorry for him. With so many complicated circumstances surrounding the young player, it pained her to see him become a target for the media. Since the articles had started coming out one by one, it was only a matter of time before the evening news picked them up as well.
Really… should I try to persuade his mother? But that would be…
“What do you want to do?” asked Coach Kang Jeong-ho.
“Hoo… Well, he hasn’t officially joined the Brazil national team yet. There’s still time. There are still unresolved issues…”
“In that case, Ji-seon, you should go meet his mother. I’ll try to persuade Coach Bento to include Sunmoon in the senior national team. We need to get him into the World Cup squad and treat him like a key player from a top European league so he’ll want to stay.”
“Yes, let’s do that. I’ll go see Ha Sunmoon’s mother.”
And so, Coach Kang Jeong-ho began working to improve Ha Sunmoon’s situation, while Lee Ji-seon set out to persuade his mother to convince her son.
“Ha. You okay?”
“Yes.”
Fernandinho was worried about Ha Sunmoon during training. The British press was already hounding him, and now he had learned that Sunmoon’s home country was publishing negative articles as well. On top of that, the reason was apparently Sunmoon’s consideration of the Brazil national team. As both captain and a Brazilian player himself, Fernandinho felt he had no choice but to look after the young fullback even more carefully.
“I heard the news. Are you really alright?”
“Yes! I’m really fine. I’ve decided not to pay any attention to it.”
“Hmm… Especially the national team stuff…”
“I’m paying even less attention to that.”
“Really? Why?”
In this regard, Ha Sunmoon had grown quite hardened. Especially when it came to anything involving his mother, there was nothing left for him to hope for.
“It’s just… I don’t really expect anything from my country anymore…”
Ha Sunmoon thought of Harrison. If Harrison had never appeared, his life probably wouldn’t have been much different from back then. A life where it wouldn’t have mattered if he died. The memories of living with his mother when he was very young weren’t entirely bad, but after returning to Korea, those bitter recollections had become something he desperately wanted to forget.
“Still, it’s the country where you were born…”
“Most of my happy childhood memories are from when I was in Brazil. Of course, there were sad memories there too, but I’ve shaken all of those off.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Yes. I’m really okay.”
When Ha Sunmoon kept insisting he was fine, Fernandinho had no choice but to back off.
“Then if anything ever feels too heavy, come talk to me anytime.”
“I will.”
Hmm… Is he really okay?
But Harrison knew those words weren’t entirely true.
“I’m fine. Sigh… It’s already exhausting here, and they’re making it exhausting over there too. Ugh… Maybe it really would be better to just ignore everything and go to Brazil… I don’t even know if this counts as trying to persuade me.”
Yeah… It really is tough. But what are you going to do…
“Maybe it was better when I was at Espanyol.”
That time was nice, wasn’t it? Going to Raul’s place and seeing that girl you like, right?
Whenever Ha Sunmoon started thinking about the negative things, Harrison immediately changed the subject to lighten the mood.
“That’s not it.”
I had some good times too… but I can’t remember them. Let’s go see someone you should know later. He’s an amazing guy. I saw him when I went to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs before.
“Hmm… Alright.”
“Damn it…”
Manager Pep Guardiola gritted his teeth. The win in the Carabao Cup had been excellent. But after that, they had dropped far too many points. A draw at home against Southampton and a loss at home to Crystal Palace had left them with a poor run of results.
“Hoo… This is giving me a headache.”
What troubled him most was the squad’s composition. The players’ fitness was gradually improving, but something about their performance felt off. In particular, the inconsistency of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus had worsened, and the player filling the number nine role kept breaking down.
He had considered Ha Sunmoon, but with both the British and Korean media constantly attacking the boy, Pep Guardiola was worried about his mental state and hadn’t used him. However, the time to use Ha Sunmoon was approaching. There were almost no fullbacks left available for the next match.
“Hoo…”
Manager Pep Guardiola let out one last small sigh before entering the meeting room. Inside, the coaches and captain Fernandinho were already seated.
“Ah! Fernandinho, what about that thing I asked you about before?”
“I’ve been watching Ha closely… He seems to be overcoming it well on his own. He doesn’t show much depression. Even though he’s still so young, he often displays remarkable mental maturity.”
“That’s a relief. I was thinking of using him in the next match.”
At Pep Guardiola’s words, both Fernandinho and the coaches looked surprised.
“Ha? The next game is against Liverpool. I’m not sure he can handle it.”
They still saw Ha Sunmoon as a decent youth player at best, someone who might rotate into the squad, so they were doubtful about throwing him into such a high-stakes match against a powerful Liverpool side.
“We don’t have a choice. Most of the fullbacks are injured, and the only ones left are Ha and Cancelo.”
“That’s true… Zinchenko is out for two weeks with a minor injury, and Walker… of all people… tsk…”
“Then the fullbacks will be Ha and Cancelo, and the center-backs will be Laporte and Ake.”
Pep Guardiola let out another small sigh. The once-reliable Dias-Stones partnership had both fallen to injury after being overused last season. Stones was injured against Southampton and Dias against Crystal Palace, leaving them without any top-class center-backs.
“Midfield will be Fernandinho, Gundogan, and Kevin De Bruyne. The attack will be Foden, Sterling, and Jesus. That’s the plan.”
“Mares is in better form than Jesus right now. Wouldn’t it be better to use him?”
“Ha has good chemistry with the Brazilian players. I’m choosing to trust that again.”
And so, Manager Pep Guardiola continued discussing the next match with the coaches and captain.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
“Hello, Mrs. Ha Eun-ju. My name is Lee Ji-seon from the Korea Football Association.”
Lee Ji-seon, an employee of the KFA, had come to visit Ha Sunmoon’s mother.
“Again… What is it this time?”
Ha Eun-ju, Ha Sunmoon’s mother, did not look pleased to see Lee Ji-seon at her door.
“How have you been feeling?”
Lee Ji-seon looked at her with deep concern. This was a nursing hospital in Chungcheong Province, a facility dedicated to caring for cancer patients. Ha Sunmoon’s mother was painfully thin, her hair barely long enough for a short bob.
“Well…”
While Lee Ji-seon was still trying to figure out how to begin, the topic appeared on the television.
“Why… my son…”
“That’s why I’m here. Please, I beg you to persuade Ha Sunmoon.”
“Ah… Is it because my son did something wrong that he’s appearing on the news like this?”
“No, no… Ha Sunmoon hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s just… he’s so exceptionally talented that we want him to stay in Korea. That’s why I came to ask for your help.”
“Ah… I’m sorry, but I can’t offer any help. Let me say it again—I’m someone who will be leaving soon.”
Seeing Ha Sunmoon’s mother looking utterly exhausted from her battle with cancer, Lee Ji-seon found herself at a loss for words.
“Still… I must say again that Ha Sunmoon is sincerely searching for his family. He’s looking for his father and for you, his mother. For his sake, won’t you consider seeing your son at least once?”
“If I see my son… I think I’ll start wanting to live… And I don’t have the right to see him.”
Ah…
Lee Ji-seon felt a heavy weight settle in her chest. Asking something of a person facing death was incredibly difficult for her.