Hooligan Mode Activated
"English football isn't that hard. You just need to keep a few things in mind."
"What things?" Ha Sunmoon still couldn't quite grasp Harrison's meaning.
"What did I say? I told you it's men's football, didn't I?"
"Yes. Men's football."
Harrison puffed out his chest and stood tall before Ha Sunmoon with absolute confidence.
"First! You must always carry yourself with pride. Never show weakness. You have to look strong at all times so no one sees you as easy prey."
"But I'm short and still young."
"No!" Harrison shook his head vigorously.
"Being short doesn't make you weak. If you look tough and solid, no one will underestimate you no matter your height. You need to show them you've got real fight in you."
When Ha Sunmoon still seemed a little unsure, Harrison prodded him.
"Remember those rotten bastards? You need to have the mindset that you'll smash them the moment you run into them on the street."
The words clicked instantly. Fire returned to Ha Sunmoon's eyes.
"That's it. Stay in exactly that state at all times."
"But that... doesn't sound like something a soldier like you would say."
"I'm not speaking as a soldier right now. I'm talking about English football."
"Ah!"
That made sense. Since this was advice from one football man to another, Ha Sunmoon decided to listen quietly.
"That's the constant mindset you need. Now for the part that actually matters—the things you'll do on the pitch."
"Yes! I'm listening!"
"Second! Don't act like a little shit on the pitch."
Huh? Ha Sunmoon frowned, feeling like the words were aimed straight at him.
"Specifically, what do you mean by not acting like a little shit?"
"You get tackled and the referee doesn't blow his whistle. What do you do?"
"Well... I'd protest to the referee, right?"
"Wrong. You get straight up, chase the bastard down, and put in a tackle on his ankle."
"What?" Ha Sunmoon was genuinely shocked.
"Wouldn't that get you sent off for retaliation?"
"Who gives a fuck? Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth! If you eat a shit tackle and the ref swallows his whistle, you answer with a tackle that could end the prick's career. If he doesn't call it, that means it's fair game."
Ha Sunmoon's head spun from the sheer brutality of Harrison's words.
"The opponent humiliates you with fancy footwork. What then?"
"I analyze the move and make sure I can take it away next time."
"Wrong. You smash him so hard he never tries that shit again."
"Gasp!"
Coming from Brazil, where beating opponents with skill earned cheers, this was a culture shock.
"Do I really have to go that far?"
"Of course you shouldn't actually do it. But you need to have that mindset. If you don't, your teammates end up in danger. There's nothing more stupid than taking every rough challenge while the other side plays dirty."
"Hmm..."
Ha Sunmoon struggled to swallow all of it. Harrison's philosophy was far rougher than usual.
"Third, never argue with the referee."
"Why not?"
"You know what sort of people become refs? Most of them are the ones who never studied properly and just kicked a ball around all day."
"Whoa..."
"And those referee bastards couldn't even cut it as players, so they wormed their way into the game anyway. Half of them probably can't even memorize the rules."
Ha Sunmoon shivered at the venom. Soldier mode had vanished; hooligan mode was fully engaged. Harrison sounded half-mad.
"Instead of wasting time protesting to those clowns, just play your game. Getting red-faced and shouting at them won't make them listen. It's doubtful they'll even sort the situation out properly."
"Then what exactly are you telling me to do? Just lie there after an unfair tackle? Or commit a revenge foul and get sent off?"
"No. Unless you're actually injured, don't roll around whining to the referee. Grit your teeth, get up, and keep playing like a man. That's the kind of play that wins matches."
Harrison's eyes blazed as he spoke. Strangely, Ha Sunmoon felt moved by both the gaze and the words.
"Kid, football is war. That's why there's a captain, and why we compare the manager to a general. Unfair situations will happen. Plans will fall apart. In those moments, don't stand there with a sour face complaining like a pushover. Be the one who steps forward and acts. Understand?"
"Yes! I understand!"
Ha Sunmoon was steadily growing impressed, even inspired, by Harrison's philosophy.
The day before the match, Ha Sunmoon visited Raul's restaurant for the first time in a while.
"Hey there, Sunmoon!"
"Hello, Mr. Raul."
Raul and the Espanyol fans were delighted to see him. His presence meant he still held the club in high regard.
"Ahem. What are you in the mood for today? Another protein-heavy meal?"
"No, I'd like paella today."
"Paella?"
"Yes. I have to play tomorrow, so I need to load up on carbohydrates."
Tomorrow's the Barcelona match. Is Sunmoon starting?
"Hmm! So Coach Abelardo kept you out of the Copa del Rey to save you for the Barcelona game?"
"No. I threw a fit because they didn't play me in the Copa del Rey, so now I'm starting."
"Ahem..."
Raul flinched slightly. Of course he'd seen the gossip columns. The stories about Ha Sunmoon halting contract talks due to dissatisfaction with Espanyol.
"Then... the article about your contract renewal complaints..."
"It's true. If they don't start me tomorrow, I'll have no choice but to leave. We had an agreement, but they couldn't even keep something that simple. Not that I'd complain if they'd beaten Bilbao, but with tactics that terrible they only managed to lose."
"Ahem..."
Raul was flustered by the harsh words coming from such a young player. He barely kept his composure.
Kid, I told you not to act like a pushover. Who told you to be rude? There are other people here. Maybe ease up on insulting the manager...
"Then when am I supposed to say it..." Ha Sunmoon grumbled back at Harrison.
Of course! Nothing you said was wrong. I'd have said the exact same thing. But that kind of talk stays in the locker room. Even if it leaks, it should only circulate inside...
Harrison was starting to regret teaching the boy the rough English style. Ha Sunmoon, meanwhile, had interpreted it as I can throw tantrums as long as it's inside the locker room.
Finally, the day of the Barcelona match dawned.
"Today's match against Barcelona is extremely important. Everyone, keep your heads straight."
In the Espanyol locker room, captain López's voice boomed out.
The Catalonia derby. Though the two longtime regional rivals carried very different weight, the fierce atmosphere on match day was more than enough to produce surprising results.
Knowing this, several regular starters who had played only two days earlier had asked the coach to include them. The result was a solid, competitive lineup.
Striker de Tomás, wings with Vargas and Embarba. Midfielders Darder and Roca. It's basically the first team.
Harrison was pleased to see so many regulars selected. In truth, it might have been pragmatic to treat the match lightly, but this was a derby. Besides, these players didn't like Barcelona any more than Ha Sunmoon did. They had endured constant comparisons from fans and heavy defeats at Barcelona's home ground. At Espanyol's home, they were determined to win.
But you'll have to cover a lot of ground. Most of these starters played two days ago, so they'll run out of steam in the second half. You'll need to run nonstop from the first whistle.
Ha Sunmoon nodded at Harrison's assessment.
And this is the perfect stage to show everyone what kind of player you are.
A voice spoke up beside him.
"Hey. Happy about starting today?"
It was Villa, dropped from the starting lineup because of Ha Sunmoon's public discontent.
What the hell?
"Yes, I am. Why?"
"You shouldn't pressure the staff and the coach like that to force your way into games."
Villa clearly wasn't happy about losing his expected starting spot.
Is this old-timer really whining about something like this? If you've got a problem, go see the manager. Tell him to fuck off.
"That promise was already broken back in the Copa del Rey when Pedrosa played. If you have complaints, take them to the coach."
"Ha! Must be nice."
Thud!
Angry, Villa kicked the space beneath Ha Sunmoon's locker chair hard before returning to his seat.
The heated atmosphere López had stirred suddenly turned ice-cold.
Why pick a fight right before a crucial match?
The old Ha Sunmoon, as a young player, wouldn't have known how to respond. But the current Ha Sunmoon had absorbed Harrison's English football mentality. He grabbed the nearest water bottle and hurled it at Villa.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"Ha! You can't do that!"
Huh? Kid? That's the right response, but why are you the one moving first?
Villa, struck by the bottle, scowled and charged at Ha Sunmoon.
"You little fucker! You think I'll go easy just because you're a kid?"
"You son of a whore! Ruining the locker room atmosphere before the match, you piece of shit!"
Ha Sunmoon hurled thick Spanish curses right back and rushed forward. López and the other players hurriedly pulled them apart.
"Whoa, whoa! Villa, calm down! Ha! You too!"
"This bastard threw a water bottle at me! And why should I stay quiet when this little shit keeps flashing his unhappiness everywhere?"
"You started the fight and now you're complaining about a water bottle! If you're pissed, settle it with skill! If your skills aren't good enough, retire already, you old fart! Or shut your mouth and sit in the corner as a substitute player."
Hmm... Yeah, this is better. A hot atmosphere is far better than that cold, low-pressure mood!
Harrison was satisfied with the blazing fire in Ha Sunmoon. A heated brawl among men in the locker room was a familiar, almost comforting sight to him.