Physical Exhaustion
Pablo Machín stood before the players with a satisfied expression. "Everyone, before we start today's training, I want to say one thing first." He had nearly lost his job, but the success against Real Madrid had put some distance between him and resignation, allowing him to look at the squad with a much lighter heart.
"You all did very well against Real Madrid. The fans are happy about it too, and earning a point against such a strong team is something worth applauding. So go ahead and give each other a round of applause."
Hmm… I suppose that’s true.
Clap clap clap clap clap. Ha Sunmoon thought it felt a little awkward, but there was nothing wrong with the players applauding one another.
"Good. Well done, everyone. Today we’ll do full recovery training in preparation for Thursday’s Copa del Rey match. Players who didn’t feature in the last game can do individual training separately."
Recovery training, huh…
Since Ha Sunmoon had played the full ninety minutes against Real Madrid, he headed off to join the recovery session. It consisted of light stretching, cycling, and massages. Sunmoon followed the other players and went through the routine with them.
"Ugh… krrghhh."
"What’s wrong?" The sports trainer frowned when Sunmoon let out a strange noise while receiving a massage.
"Ah… it’s just… this spot hurts a bit, and this area feels weird."
"Hmm. Your recovery is a little slow. You played the full match last time, right? If you overdo it, this kind of thing happens." The trainer slathered on a generous amount of massage cream and began working on Sunmoon’s calves and thighs again.
"You really need to rest properly. If you keep playing full matches like the last one, you should only play once a week."
"Really?"
"If you don’t rest that much, you’ll definitely get injured. Coach!" When the trainer called out, Pablo Machín walked over.
"What is it?"
"Sunmoon’s condition isn’t good. It would be better if he only played in next weekend’s match."
Pablo Machín nodded at the sports trainer’s words. "That makes sense. He covered the most distance in the last game and had the most sprints too. How bad is it? Are you saying he can’t play this weekend?"
"It’s not an injury, just simple fatigue. His body hasn’t fully developed yet, so he needs to be given sufficient rest."
"Because he’s still young. In that case, playing about once a week seems appropriate going forward."
"That would be best." The sports trainer continued working on the fatigue in Sunmoon’s lower body while verbally relaying the information to Pablo Machín.
The news that Ha Sunmoon would be unavailable might have been bad for some, but for Pablo Machín it wasn’t unwelcome. Although Sunmoon had shown remarkable performances, there was still the experienced first-team player Villa.
Since Ha Sunmoon can’t play, I can start Villa or Rancho. If possible, I should give Rancho one last chance… and until Pedro returns, we can go with Ha Sunmoon and Villa.
Having finished his thoughts, Pablo Machín looked at Sunmoon.
"I won’t include you in the squad for Thursday’s cup match. So use this time to rest well and get your body in good condition for the next game."
"Yes! Understood."
Does that mean I can just relax when there’s no match?
"Oh! Even if you’re not in the squad for Thursday, you still need to come to the stadium with us and watch the game. You know that, right?"
As if he had read Sunmoon’s thoughts, Pablo Machín added one more remark.
"Yes! Of course!" Sunmoon answered brightly.
What a shame!
After finishing recovery training, Ha Sunmoon returned home and collapsed onto his bed.
"Hmm… Listen, hyung. They say my body recovers slowly… so what should I do?"
There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s because you still haven’t finished growing… Your body needs at least another six years to fully mature. You’ll just have to do the best you can with what you have.
Harrison also thought the current situation wasn’t so bad. If Sunmoon kept playing every match just because he was performing well, he would definitely break down. So it wasn’t a bad thing for other players to get game time. It was more important to play one match brilliantly when it truly mattered. Sunmoon was still a young player; they had to think long-term. To build a better career at an even higher level in the future, self-management was even more crucial.
Gurgle.
"Ah~ I’m hungry." Lying down, Sunmoon quickly felt hunger strike. Even though he hadn’t done much exercise, his body—having burned through so much energy in the Real Madrid match—constantly craved more fuel.
"I should go to Uncle Raul’s place."
Kid, how was the meat you ate yesterday?
"The meat? Hmm… it wasn’t bad."
Then let’s gradually shift your diet toward that kind of meat-heavy menu. It’ll help your body recover faster.
"You mean I should eat more pork and beef?"
That’s right.
"Hmmm. But I really like paella. The rice tastes so good…" Sunmoon felt slightly disappointed. He remembered the saying that Koreans run on rice. Even back in Brazil, he had preferred meals with rice like the ones he ate with Carretero, which was why he liked dishes like paella in Spain too. However, from a nutritional standpoint, eating more protein than carbohydrates was better, so Sunmoon stubbornly resisted Harrison’s suggestion.
Ding.
"Huh?"
Sunmoon stared blankly at Clara’s message for a moment.
"Wait, I should go, right?"
Hmm… this is a bit ambiguous, kid. In times like this…
Because the message carried a strange undertone, Harrison hesitated slightly, but Sunmoon had already gotten up from his seat.
"I… I should go! I have to go." Sunmoon hurriedly gathered his clothes, changed, and prepared to head out.
This feels risky…
After replying, Sunmoon first headed to Raul’s restaurant.
"Uncle Raul!"
"Oh! Sunmoon! Did you come for a meal again today?"
"No, that’s not it… Do you know where Passeig de Gràcia is?"
At the unexpected question, Raul tilted his head. "Hmm… Have you suddenly taken an interest in clothes? Well… it is about time you started wearing something other than training gear."
Raul had simply accepted it because Sunmoon always wore the training kit provided by Espanyol.
"Hmm~ hmm~." Clara shook her head as soon as she saw Sunmoon.
"You came out to see me looking like that?"
A dagger flew straight into Sunmoon’s heart.
Urgh… ugh.
With just one sentence, Sunmoon became a man who hung his head in shame.
"How can you come out looking like this? You’re a player… Don’t you have enough money?"
"No… it’s not that… I’ve just been training every day, so…"
"Even so. Who on earth shows up to meet a girl wearing the club’s training kit?"
Sunmoon stared at a statue on top of a distant building. It was the only place he could look. Looking at Clara right now was simply impossible.
"What are you looking at?"
"Ah! That… the statue over there just looks kind of cool."
You’re done for. Oh man… Kid, in that case…
"Are you kidding me? You should be focusing on me, yet you’re looking somewhere else?"
Gulp.
Under the continuous barrage, Sunmoon didn’t know what to do.
"I can’t walk around with you looking like this."
"Umm… I’m sorry. What should I… do?"
"Sigh… I’m disappointed. A little disappointed. But you’re still young, so I guess it can’t be helped. First, we need to buy you some decent clothes. I can’t stand being seen with you like this."
Stab.
Sunmoon felt as if a knife had been driven deep into his heart. His self-esteem was completely shattered.
"You have enough money, right?"
"Uh… yeah!"
"Good. Then let’s go buy some clothes first." Clara swallowed a deep sigh and headed off to shop with Sunmoon.
Fortunately, this was a shopping district. Although the prices were quite high, there were plenty of good brand products available. Sunmoon followed Clara into the stores and had to change outfits multiple times.
"That doesn’t suit you. Try the other one."
"Ugh… okay."
Is this really necessary…?
In a gloomy mood, Sunmoon changed into the clothes Clara had picked out again.
"Hmm… that’s not bad, but that one over there looks better."
"Umm… got it."
His stomach was growling, yet he was doing nothing but walking around and changing clothes. This was already the fourth time. At first Sunmoon had felt down, but now he could feel his energy being completely drained.
"There! Finally, that looks decent." Sunmoon looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was the transition from autumn to winter. The combination of trousers, a sweater, and a jacket gave just the right amount of effort to his outfit. It looked good both for the weather and visually.
Oh… that actually looks pretty good.
Even Harrison could tell right away. After several rounds of trial and error, they had finally found clothes that suited Sunmoon. Clara had surprisingly good taste when it came to fashion.
"Perfect. Now I can walk around with you." Clara stuffed Sunmoon’s new clothes into a shopping bag and handed it to him.
"How is it? Looks good, right?"
Nod nod.
Clara checked Sunmoon’s outfit one more time. Thump thump thump. Sunmoon’s heart began racing again at the touch of her hands.
"Next time, get a haircut too. It’ll look even better. And hurry up and pay. We still have real shopping to do." Clara pointed at the waiting clerk and stepped outside. Sunmoon quickly paid for the clothes.
"Now that we’ve bought your clothes, it’s time to buy mine. I’m going to buy a lot, so you’d better keep up."
Sunmoon nodded and followed Clara out of the store.
I’m glad I came out today.