A Blonde Older Girlfriend?
The whistle blew sharply. "Next!"
The Espanyol first-team players were grinding through an incredibly tough training session under their manager’s orders. With the announcement that new starters would be selected, the squad trained with a palpable sense of competition, giving everything they had. Between drills, head coach Pablo Machín carefully reassessed each player’s capabilities.
Eventually, Pablo Machín made his way over to where Ha Sunmoon was working. Compared to the first-team players, Ha Sunmoon stood out immediately—he was far too young. On top of that, he still hadn’t finished growing and was barely 160cm tall, making him look painfully small.
“Hmm… With that height, can he really defend properly?”
“According to David, his greatest strength is actually defense. He doesn’t rely on physical size; he’s intelligent and quick, the type who defends with sharp positioning and speed.”
The coach emphasized that defense was his forte. Pablo Machín’s expression shifted to one of genuine interest.
“Really? Defense is his strong point?”
“Yes, sir. They say it’s what he does best.”
“Huh… Interesting. Still, wouldn’t he be at a disadvantage in aerial duels?”
“I agree that could be an issue. With his height, he’ll struggle in physical battles.”
“Fair enough. It’s a relief that defense isn’t as big a problem as I feared.”
Since the full squad session was still underway, the drills continued to focus on basic athletic qualities. Then, during the rondo exercise that tested fundamental technique, Ha Sunmoon put on a surprisingly impressive display.
“He’s definitely different. Is he really only sixteen? Does that look like a young prospect? How can he dribble with such maturity?”
“Yes, exactly. I was shocked too. His technique is outstanding.”
“Let’s keep watching. We still have other drills to evaluate.”
Pablo Machín, the first-team manager, and his coach watched Ha Sunmoon with clear astonishment at the youngster’s current level.
“His dribbling when breaking forward is excellent, and his ball touch is very smooth. He could even play as a left winger. He really was one of Brazil’s top youth prospects.”
The coach was visibly impressed by Ha Sunmoon’s ability. During the build-up phase, Ha Sunmoon had already beaten the right-sided forward Ureña three times. He wasn’t beating defenders in a traditional sense, but the fact that he could bypass players with quick dribbles instead of relying solely on passes allowed the attack to develop at high speed.
“That last sequence was impressive. What about his stamina?”
“He seems capable of handling first-team intensity. He hasn’t shown any major signs of fatigue during training, and David reported that he never looked exhausted even in a 4-4-2 formation.”
“Ha, so he already has the stamina to play at this level? Overall, he looks like a solid rotation option.”
“Yes, I’d say so.”
“Then let’s move on to full-back specific drills and see what he can do.”
After the main group session ended, Ha Sunmoon was grouped with players by position for specialized training. He joined Rancho, who had already been promoted, and the first-team left-back Vila for left-back drills.
“So, how did it go?”
“His defense is the best part. In fact, his defensive ability might even surpass Pedroza.”
“That good?”
“Yes. While his forward runs were impressive, his defending was flawless. He truly plays like someone who used to mark talented young Brazilian attackers.”
At the full-back coach’s glowing praise, Pablo Machín nodded.
“But there’s a significant problem.”
“A significant problem?”
“Yes. His crossing is poor. Out of ten attempts, only one ball reached inside the penalty box.”
Pablo Machín frowned, clearly displeased by the report.
“Only one?”
“Yes… And even that one wasn’t particularly good. He’s a promising talent, but that flaw is quite noticeable. After looking into it further, his attacking contributions mostly resemble those of a wing-forward. He tends to hug the touchline and deliver cut-backs into the box rather than classic crosses.”
“So he can’t deliver high-quality crosses.”
“Correct.”
“Huu…”
Pablo Machín shook his head slowly before nodding again.
“For a kid his age, this is still acceptable. He has a lot to learn, but it’s not bad. His style of attack is quite different from what I envision for a full-back, but since he can hold his own in zonal defending, it’s fine.”
As Espanyol’s first-team manager, Pablo Machín believed Ha Sunmoon would be better suited to a Barcelona-style system. Had the previous coach still been in charge, Ha Sunmoon likely would have been heavily utilized. But now Pablo Machín held the reins. Still, because the boy’s defensive qualities were so strong, he considered him a usable piece in his own tactical setup.
“Hmm… This is tricky. Vila is too ordinary. Rancho is basically a weaker version of Vila. Sunmoon has excellent defense but can’t deliver the crosses that are crucial to my system…”
Pablo Machín’s dilemma deepened.
‘It makes sense now why his youth wages are higher than the others. He’s not bad at all. Should I take a gamble? The fans are usually forgiving with academy products. Besides, the key against Real Madrid will be defense, so I might as well try him out.’
After finishing his first session with the senior squad, Ha Sunmoon was resting at home.
Vrrrr
“Hmm?”
Lying on his bed, Ha Sunmoon felt his phone vibrate. He picked it up and checked the screen.
It was the girl he had met at the beach.
“Oh? She actually texted me?”
Ha Sunmoon flipped over onto his stomach and stared at his phone intently.
Harrison was startled when Ha Sunmoon suddenly focused so hard on his phone.
“Hmm…”
Ha Sunmoon’s heart began to race at Diola’s offer to come watch a game. But the opponent was Real Madrid. Even though he was working hard, the chances of the first-team manager selecting him were slim. They would probably go with the experienced Vila.
Diola tilted her head in confusion.
‘That’s strange. I thought he was the most promising youngster at Espanyol.’
She pulled up information on Ha Sunmoon. From his standout performances in the U-17 World Cup, he had become a modestly known prospect among Espanyol fans. After searching his name, Diola confirmed that he was indeed a highly rated young player. Still, hearing he would be on the bench was a little disappointing.
‘Hmm… Bench for the B-team… Is he still not ready? That’s a shame.’
Ha Sunmoon checked the schedule. The Real Madrid match was at Espanyol’s home ground.
Diola tilted her head again.
‘Real Madrid? Is Real Madrid B playing against Espanyol B?’
She searched for Real Madrid B on her phone, but they weren’t in the same league as Espanyol B.
Diola was genuinely shocked. She knew Ha Sunmoon was very young.
‘He’s only sixteen and he’s already been promoted to the first team?’
It wasn’t unheard of for young talents to debut with the senior side—usually in cup competitions, though exceptionally gifted players sometimes debuted in the league. Diola glanced at a jersey hanging in her room. The blue-and-red kit bore the name of a player who had torn La Liga apart since his youth days. The team she supported was currently locked in a fierce rivalry with Real Madrid.
She suddenly felt that giving a little extra encouragement to the football player she had met at the beach might be a good idea.
“What?”
Ha Sunmoon was clearly flustered by Diola’s sudden date proposal. Watching him waver so badly, Harrison slapped his own forehead.
‘Kid? You can’t play football with that kind of motive! You can’t let a girl shake your focus like this!’
But Ha Sunmoon didn’t hear a single word.
Ha Sunmoon now had one more reason to fight for a place in the lineup against Real Madrid.
“I’m dead. Tomorrow I’ll have to train like a madman.”
‘Sigh… I don’t even know anymore. Working hard is good, but…’
Harrison let out a long, heavy sigh.