Recontracting 'Hehehe'
After finishing his shower, Ha Sunmoon waited at the hospital, fresh and fluffy, giggling away to himself.
Aren't you that happy about it?
Ha Sunmoon nodded. "Of course."
I like it too. Wow~ Who would've thought you'd win like that?
Harrison was extremely satisfied with the toughness Ha Sunmoon had shown, far beyond his expectations. The boyish side he'd displayed until now had vanished; in the match earlier, he had been reborn as a warrior.
You did so much better than I imagined. That last cross especially was killer.
It was a scene that had impressed even Harrison. Ignoring the opponent's tackle, getting back up and delivering the cross—that was precisely the England style Harrison pursued.
And getting revenge on those bloody Barcelona bastards feels incredibly refreshing.
"That's right. Hehehe."
Ha Sunmoon had been quite angry lately with so many unpleasant people tied to Barcelona, but the proper revenge had eased his temper. It also felt satisfying to have proven himself to the other players and the manager through this match.
"Now all that's left is for the team to avoid relegation."
Yeah. Well, I'm not satisfied with that either. Defending against relegation? It'd be better to fight for a European spot. Tsk tsk. I came in expecting a team that had been sitting in seventh, but by the time you broke into the first team, they were hitting rock bottom.
Harrison grumbled about Espanyol's situation.
"We just have to do well from here. We can win every game and climb our way up."
That's right. Pedrosa will have to sweat now. Villa can't even look you in the eye.
Who was the real starter? That was the question Ha Sunmoon posed to Espanyol. Unless Manager Abelardo was a fool, he would have no choice but to use Ha Sunmoon as a key player in upcoming matches.
They'll probably balance things by shipping Villa out or shifting Pedrosa to the left wing from time to time... but we'll see when the time comes.
"Hmm... What if the competition makes things a bit exhausting?"
Then you just leave. The season's almost over anyway.
Harrison gave a simple, clear answer.
At that moment, the doctor, nurse, and club staff approached Ha Sunmoon.
"Ah..."
The club staff wore a slightly dissatisfied expression, as if he'd already heard the news.
"Well, first of all... today's injury isn't a major issue."
The doctor began explaining the results to Ha Sunmoon in a calm, measured tone.
"But you must not push yourself under any circumstances. It looks like a simple bruise, but there's also some minor damage to the calf muscle."
So how long does he have to miss? That's what matters, right?
Following Harrison's cue, Ha Sunmoon asked directly, "How long will I be sidelined?"
"Hmm... Hearing you talk like that, you really sound like a proper footballer. One week of rest for recovery, then another week to gradually monitor your condition. Essentially, you'll miss matches for two weeks."
"Two whole weeks?"
Groan... Two weeks out means missing two games.
Now it was clear why the club staff had looked so unhappy.
"I understand. I'll miss two matches. But with Pedrosa back, we'll be fine, won't we?"
The next day, Ha Sunmoon went out for a meal with Felipe. Their destination was Raul's restaurant.
"Are we really going to Uncle Raul's place? With all the contract talk going on, won't it be a bit chaotic right now?"
Recalling the previous incident, Ha Sunmoon asked Felipe.
"I was planning to discuss the contract with you anyway. Your opinion has become quite important in several aspects."
"Really? Weren't you just taking good care of me before?"
"Things are different now. The scale is too big for a casual contract, and there are many factors to consider. That's why your wishes matter. Of course, this situation only arose because you performed so brilliantly yesterday."
"Ah... A lot has changed in that short time?"
"Naturally."
The door creaked open.
"Oh my!"
As Ha Sunmoon and Felipe entered, one of the hall staff who had been about to greet them jumped in surprise.
"Ah! You've come for a meal?"
"Yes. Table for two."
Felipe spoke calmly to the clearly excited staff member.
"Of course. I'll show you to a seat. A spot with fewer people around would probably be best."
"Thank you."
The staff guided them to a relatively private table, but many fans had already spotted Ha Sunmoon upon entry and offered him quiet cheers.
"Ha~!"
"Ha~!"
"It's Ha! It's really him!"
"You were the best yesterday!"
Ha Sunmoon gave the Espanyol fans in the restaurant an awkward smile and followed the staff to their table.
"Welcome! We're truly grateful that yesterday's hero has graced us with his presence! Hahaha."
Raul, the restaurant owner, greeted Ha Sunmoon and Felipe warmly.
"What would you like? Shall I bring everything on the menu? Today's meal is on the house for both of you."
"Raul. I appreciate the generous offer, but ham and bread will do for me."
"Understood. And for Sunmoon?"
"Paella for me, of course."
"Very good."
Raul took their order with a delighted expression and headed toward the kitchen.
"So I'm asking for your thoughts. You want to keep playing for Espanyol, correct?"
"Yes. I'd like to renew the contract if possible."
"Good. You're still young, so even with a renewal there will be chances to move to bigger clubs later."
Raul respected Ha Sunmoon's wishes. Behind the scenes, however, Harrison was somewhat displeased.
Groan... The agent lacks more backbone than I expected. If I were the agent, I'd push hard for a club offering strong commissions... Guiding him to a big club would be win-win. What a shame.
Harrison had hoped Ha Sunmoon would head to England, but seeing the boy's heart set on Espanyol left him slightly disappointed. While he appreciated that Felipe was both shrewd and deeply considerate of Ha Sunmoon, Harrison still regretted that a return to his homeland seemed unlikely.
"Here comes the food."
Raul brought out their orders. Salad, ham, and paella soon covered the table.
Felipe noticed Raul glancing at them hesitantly.
"Is there something you'd like to ask?"
Raul hesitated. "Ah... It's a sensitive matter, so I shouldn't pry. We'll just have to wait anxiously."
Felipe offered a light smile. "Haha, even though I'm his agent, I can't reveal too much. For now, I intend to respect Sunmoon's wishes. He genuinely likes Espanyol. I hope that helps."
"Yes! I like this Barcelona, and I like Espanyol too."
When Ha Sunmoon added his own words, Raul's face lit up with joy. The statement clearly signaled that Ha Sunmoon wanted to renew.
"Then..."
"Ah! Jumping to conclusions is dangerous. But one thing is certain—Sunmoon will not be going to Barcelona."
"Absolutely not. I won't even look in their direction."
Ha Sunmoon added another firm remark.
"Hahaha! Understood."
After the delicious meal, Ha Sunmoon returned home.
"So what are the issues?"
"There are more factors to consider than expected. Contract length, salary amount, the buyout clause, and what that buyout would become if the team is relegated."
"Hmm..."
"And if we factor in the possibility of you moving to another club, there are even more variables."
That's right. We have to consider the possibility of leaving, just in case.
Ha Sunmoon's brows furrowed.
Seeing the boy deep in thought, Felipe smiled gently.
"Shall we go over the broad outline first?"
"Yes."
"There was one demand the club had been ignoring... but it's been resolved this time."
"What was it?"
"We requested the highest pay in the squad, but it wasn't going anywhere. Now it's been settled."
Ha Sunmoon had already been receiving decent treatment for his age, but contract renewals operated on a different level. Felipe had demanded a figure comparable to what top clubs would offer, and Espanyol had initially resisted.
"Highest pay in the team? Wow..."
"Exactly. A crack player is valuable. You'll be on a similar salary to the current captain, Lopez."
Espanyol, which had been refusing, quickly changed their stance after witnessing Ha Sunmoon's destructive performance against Barcelona and agreed to accept all terms.
"To be honest, if you didn't sign now, you would have received an enormous offer from another club. Espanyol is terrified of that. Your current buyout is practically a bargain by big-club standards."
"I see..."
Ha Sunmoon's buyout was under 30 million euros. It was expensive for smaller clubs, but for the current big clubs it was so cheap they would trigger it without hesitation. Moreover, as a young fullback—a rare position—this price would make even mid-to-lower Premier League sides salivate.
"The salary will be 3 million euros. The only sticking point is relegation—if the team goes down, the salary could be cut in half. Once we settle the duration and buyout, we'll be set."
"How many years is normal?"
"Personally, I think three years would be appropriate, keeping a future move in mind."
Oh! That's right!
"Then let's go with three years."
"Good. For the buyout, we'll demand something realistic. Are you okay with it being on the higher side?"
Realistic, definitely!
"What amount is the club thinking?"
"They were considering something close to 100 million euros."
Crazy!!! Are they complete idiots?
"What's realistic, then?"
"For you, moving from the current 30 million to around 40 million euros would be reasonable."
"Oh... Then please set it somewhere in the middle."
"Understood. In that case, the negotiations shouldn't drag on too long."
Felipe began writing down and organizing everything they had discussed.
"Is that everything?"
"Yes. It looks like we'll be taking some photos at the Espanyol club building soon. Since you're currently injured, it should be welcome news for the fans as well."