Free Time
The interim coach, David, examined Ha Sunmoon's condition carefully.
"How's Sunmoon's body?"
"We'll need a more thorough examination to know for certain, but it looks like there's an issue with his knee."
"How serious are we talking?"
Problem my ass...
Ha Sunmoon munched away on a banana, watching the medical staff and coach discuss his condition with complete detachment.
"If it's just a mild bruise, we'll be lucky. In worse cases, it could involve the cruciate ligament."
"I see..." David let out a long breath. "Understood."
Once the explanation was finished, David walked over to Ha Sunmoon.
"Sunmoon, are you alright?"
"Yes, sir. I feel fine now."
"Good. Shower up, then I'll send you straight to the hospital for a full scan. Get it checked properly."
"Uh... I don't think that's necessary..."
"No. You will get the examination. You might feel okay right now, but we need to confirm it with precise tests."
I told you not to fake an injury.
Clive Harrison spoke while looking at him, but Ha Sunmoon simply kept chewing his banana with obvious enjoyment.
"Yes, sir. I understand."
Ugh... He's messing with me on purpose.
"I'll give you a week off to rest properly. Oh, and while we're at it—in the second half you stayed in the midfield the whole time. Why did you play like that?"
The sudden question caught Ha Sunmoon slightly off guard.
"Well... I wanted to try something different."
"The opponent wasn't pushing players up on the right and focused their attacks through the left and center, so your decision wasn't terrible. Still, there were quite a few visible shortcomings when you played in that position."
Yeah. No matter how you look at it, that role seems difficult. You agree, right?
Ha Sunmoon scratched the back of his head. He already knew playing from the outside had been far more effective. But if he stopped here, there would be no point in studying Diola.
"Yes, I was definitely lacking. But isn't that kind of movement still a good option?"
"Hmm... It can be. The previous Espanyol manager, Coach Rubi, often used fullbacks in that manner."
Instead of giving up, Ha Sunmoon decided to ask how he could improve in that specific role.
"Then, in your view, Coach, what exactly am I missing? And how can I perform better in that position?"
David paused, considering the question. The boy's enthusiasm was obvious.
"Depending on the situation, that kind of movement isn't necessarily bad. That said, you clearly look more comfortable playing in the classical sense."
Exactly. Don't overthink it. The outside is where you belong. You've already earned your first-team spot with that wide, stretching style of play. Why complicate things?
Clive Harrison chimed in, backing up the coach.
"What you did was close to an inverted fullback. But it's incredibly difficult. Do you know why the inverted fullback role is so hard?"
Ha Sunmoon shook his head.
"To put it simply, what's the field of vision like for the left-back or left-winger position you usually play?"
"Hmm... About 90 degrees."
"Correct. You maintain that view and, with the touchline as a boundary, you can extend it to a consistent 180 degrees. But an inverted fullback, depending on the situation, functions almost like a midfielder. And a midfielder?"
"Has to see the full 360 degrees."
"Precisely. That's where the problems begin. When you play as an inverted fullback, you can't just focus on the left and center. You have to monitor the immediate surroundings, both flanks, the middle, and even distant forwards. Even if your vision is sharp enough to see all that, the real question is whether you can deliver the right pass to those players."
David broke it down point by point, explaining the inherent difficulties. Ha Sunmoon nodded along, absorbing every word.
"Do you still want to try playing that way?"
"Yes! I want to do it."
"Very well. I'll add it to the training sessions. However, in actual matches, you must play classically. I don't need the sloppy version of you from the second half. I need the sharp, decisive Ha Sunmoon you showed in the first half."
Heh heh heh. Right in the bullseye. Kid, you're a pro now. Remember what the coach just said.
Ha Sunmoon nodded in understanding.
"Alright. See you next week."
With the medical check complete, interim coach David headed out for his post-match interview.
"Are you satisfied with today's result?"
"Not at all. That said, I want to give the players tremendous credit for securing the win."
"Ha Sunmoon left the match with an injury. Can you update us on his condition?"
The reporter wasn't about to miss the chance. Ha Sunmoon was one of Espanyol's most promising young talents.
"In Ha Sunmoon's case... after speaking with the medical team, we've confirmed an issue with his knee. We'll be conducting a detailed hospital examination to determine the exact severity."
"So it may not be a minor injury. How long do you anticipate he'll be sidelined?"
"Nothing is confirmed yet, but we plan to give him at least a week's rest. If the diagnosis is poor, he could be out for quite some time."
David explained the situation carefully and methodically.
"Espanyol seems to be dealing with more injuries than expected. How do you plan to approach the remaining fixtures?"
"Pedro has returned, and Villa remains in excellent form. Other positions have gaps, but players will be coming back soon and we'll restore balance."
As expected, the hospital diagnosed Ha Sunmoon with nothing more than a mild bruise. Still, David gave him a full week off just to be safe. And so, Ha Sunmoon suddenly found himself with an unexpected vacation.
Which meant he was now incredibly bored.
"Ugh... I should've just said I'd train."
After lying like that? Just rest quietly or do some light jogging.
"I guess you're right. I'm heading out."
Feeling restless from Clive Harrison's words, Ha Sunmoon decided to leave the house.
"Hi?"
"Whoa! You scared me!"
Ha Sunmoon jumped at the sudden appearance of Annie.
"What? What's going on?"
"I was just saying hello?"
"Jeez... You really startled me."
He took a moment to catch his breath. Annie watched him with a slightly worried expression.
"Were you that surprised? Is your leg okay? The shock didn't make it worse, did it?"
"My leg?"
"Yeah. I heard you got hurt. Coach David mentioned it."
Ah... He must have said that in the interview.
"Oh... yeah. But I'm fine. It's not a serious injury."
"That's a relief. So that's why you skipped training today?"
"Pretty much."
"Then where are you going now?"
"Nowhere really... I just came out because I was bored."
Annie's face brightened at his answer.
"In that case... could you go somewhere with me?"
"Where?"
Ha Sunmoon tilted his head.
"I want to go to La Rambla, but... Mom says I can't go alone."
"Then just don't go."
"No! I want to go! Come with me."
"Why would you want to go there?"
"What do you mean, why? Don't you know La Rambla?"
Ha Sunmoon shook his head.
"Nope. Never been."
"Then this is perfect! Let's go together. There's so much to see!"
"Really?"
The promise of plenty to look at immediately caught his interest.
"Shall we go then?"
"Yes! Let's go."
And so Ha Sunmoon set off for La Rambla with Annie.
"Wow... There are so many people."
"I told you it was great here."
La Rambla was wide, with clean pedestrian paths stretching into the distance.
Hmm~ Lots of people. It's nice.
"It's really beautiful at night."
"You come here often?"
"Of course. Sometimes with my family, sometimes with my brother."
"Ah, with Vegas?"
"Yeah."
To Ha Sunmoon, Annie looked genuinely delighted to be here.
"Looks like fun."
"It is! Hehe."
Whatever the reason, Annie was clearly happy to be spending time with him.
"There's an artist who draws portraits in that alley, and over there is a restaurant with really delicious food."
"Really? What do they have?"
"Churros. Dip them in chocolate and they're incredibly sweet."
The sweet-and-salty combination was one of Barcelona's famous treats. Just imagining it made Ha Sunmoon's mouth water.
"For real? Where is it?"
"Huh? You want to go now?"
"Obviously!"
"I don't have much money on me..."
"It's fine."
Ha Sunmoon gave her a playful wink.
"I've got plenty. After all, I'm Ha Sunmoon—first-team player for Espanyol!"
"Uh..."
Thump.
It was clearly a joke, yet Annie's heart gave a strange little flutter.
"Why? Was that lame or something... Annie? Can you show me the way?"
"Oh! Right. It's this way."
Wait a second, kid. Are you seriously going to eat churros right now?
Clive Harrison was stunned that Ha Sunmoon was about to indulge in such massive junk food. Before he could intervene, the boy had already hurried to the churros stand with Annie and placed his order.
True to its reputation, the churros arrived almost instantly. Ha Sunmoon took the long, warm pastry, dipped it deep into the chocolate, and bit in.
"Mmmmmm."
"How is it? Good, right?"
"It's the best."
With a blissful expression, Ha Sunmoon kept dipping and eating. Annie watched him and smiled softly.
Good grief... This is exactly why you shouldn't get involved with girls. At least Diola was better.