Family News 2
‘Football. So that’s the answer after all.’
Ha Sunmoon’s heart had been tangled in knots, but he had finally found clarity. Whenever a heavy worry weighed on him, football always swept the complicated feelings away. ‘Right. Football… I’ll just play football. As much as I want…’
Yet sleep refused to come. Staring at the ceiling, Sunmoon began retracing the path he had walked. The first time he learned football at Suseok Elementary School. The days training with Fluminense’s youth team after moving to Brazil. The period of wandering after returning to Korea. The moment he met Harrison and started playing again. Arriving at Espanyol and learning the short-pass, possession-oriented Spanish style. Discovering Diola’s modern dietary management and Barcelona-style football. Absorbing Harrison’s English-style football and the mindset of a true professional. And finally… receiving advice from Pep Guardiola, the pinnacle of modern football.
‘I’m still far from where I need to be…’
He had run hard, but looking back from a step behind made him feel painfully small. The more he drew closer to football to escape his worries, the more new concerns seemed to pile up. ‘What should I do…’
[What’s got you tossing and turning like that?]
“Aah! You scared me!” Sunmoon yelped, kicking his legs skyward in shock at Harrison’s sudden appearance.
[Whoa! Even when you’re startled, can’t you drop that habit? You’ll get injured!]
“Ugh… How can you just pop up like that? You scared me.”
[You kept fidgeting, so I came to check. What’s bothering you?]
Harrison knew family matters were a sensitive topic for Sunmoon, so he had hesitated to intervene. But seeing the young man sink back into gloom, he decided to step in anyway.
“Rison hyung, I was just wondering how to make football more fun… and how to get even better at it.”
Harrison had expected a different answer and looked surprised.
[That’s simple… just keep doing what you’ve been doing. You’re already doing plenty well. Or… maybe move to a better team that can teach you properly… but you chose to stay, so that option’s off the table now.]
“I like it here. This city… these people… I want to grow while staying here.”
[Well, wouldn’t Barcelona solve that?]
Sunmoon shot Harrison a sharp glare.
[Joking, joking. I already told you what you need.]
“The English style has helped a lot, but my long balls still aren’t clicking…”
[Not that. Don’t you know imitation is the mother of creation?]
“Sorry?”
[Why do you think I’ve been showing you Liverpool players’ footage all this time? Watch the good ones, copy their techniques, then reshape them into your own style. That’s all there is to it. Sounds simple, but you’ve already been doing exactly that—with that brilliant talent of yours.]
“Hmm…”
Sunmoon scratched his cheek, unsure whether it was advice or praise.
[The goal is to watch their play, replicate it in training, and then use it in matches. So what do you need to do?]
‘What do I need to do?’
[Stop overthinking and get some proper sleep. Recover your body, wake up tomorrow, and train. You’ve already seen plenty. All that’s left is training. You’ll play plenty of matches from now on, so you won’t lack experience to fully internalize it. The most basic answer is usually the right one. So sleep.]
“Got it. I’ll sleep.”
Sunmoon closed his eyes, following Harrison’s words.
* * *
Time flew by, and La Liga 2—the second division of Spanish football—kicked off. Most teams relegated from the top flight would have hung their heads, but Espanyol’s players and staff were determined to climb back out.
“We will secure promotion. No question.”
Manager Abelardo Fernández declared it to the promotion-hungry fans. Though some argued that a manager who had led the club to relegation should be sacked, Espanyol—already reeling from the drop—couldn’t afford another managerial change. Abelardo had struggled in the first team, but he was a proven promotion specialist with experience in the second division, so the club kept him.
[Since we’re stuck in the second division anyway, let’s make the most of it.]
Sunmoon brimmed with motivation. Whether it was because his first senior team had been relegated, because he now had a clear reason to focus solely on football, or because he wanted to forget his family troubles, Harrison couldn’t tell. But he thought Sunmoon’s current state wasn’t bad at all.
The problem was that Sunmoon’s enthusiasm was slightly excessive.
[Huh? Sunmoon? Where are you going?]
“I’ve got somewhere to be.”
[Where? What are you planning?]
“The manager’s office. I have a request.”
[What? At least talk it over first. What exactly are you going to ask for…]
“I realized there’s still more I’m lacking. I’m going to fill those gaps.”
[Lacking? You can fill those gradually.]
“This is different.”
Harrison wore a slightly bewildered expression at Sunmoon’s intense drive. After the first team training session following the holiday, Sunmoon sought out Abelardo.
“Hello, Manager.”
“Have a seat over there first.”
Abelardo guided him to the chair opposite and Sunmoon sat down, staring straight at the manager.
“Hmm… Right. I was planning to speak with the players one by one anyway now that the season’s started.”
Abelardo met his gaze.
“But this isn’t me calling you in, so I’m a bit cautious. You must have a reason for coming first. I’d like to hear it.”
Sunmoon was a core player in the squad. Even after his wages were cut, he still earned far more than anyone else. Abelardo couldn’t help feeling pressured.
But Sunmoon’s reason for visiting was simple.
“Manager, I’d like to play right-back as well.”
“What?”
[What?]
“Hmm… That’s a bit surprising. Suddenly wanting to play right-back too.”
Multi-position versatility. Sunmoon was applying Pep Guardiola’s advice.
“We only have one right-back right now. I’ll cover that spot as well.”
“That position… We were going to bring someone up from the B team. I was thinking of promoting Ian to back up Gomez.”
“Ian?”
Sunmoon gave a light laugh.
“I played in the B team too, so I know. Ian isn’t ready for the second division. He struggled even against third- and fourth-division sides in the B team. And you want to throw him into competition with second-division players? That’s asking for trouble. Didn’t Manager David from the B team mention that his level might be lacking?”
Abelardo swallowed. He had heard almost the exact same assessment from David.
— There’s no talent at right-back in the B team or the youth academy. The players lack the quality for senior football.
“It would be more helpful if I played right-back.”
Abelardo fell into thought at Sunmoon’s words.
“Hmm… Thank you for the suggestion. But I’ll need some time to consider it.”
* * *
A few days later, Sunmoon’s phone rang.
— Hello. This is Lee Ji-seon from the Korea Football Association.
It was the same KFA employee he had met before.
— I’m contacting you regarding the test results we discussed earlier. Please let me know when you’re available and I’ll call you then.
Sunmoon, resting at home, replied immediately.
— I’m free now!
It was the family news he had been waiting for. Soon his phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Yes! Hello, this is Lee Ji-seon.”
“Yes! So, did you find my father?”
“Ah… well…”
Lee Ji-seon’s voice lacked confidence.
‘I knew it… It wouldn’t be easy to find him…’
“It might take a little more time.”
Sunmoon had already suspected finding his father wouldn’t be simple, so he kept his disappointment from showing.
“I figured as much. It would take time to find someone who isn’t family. Still, since we’re looking in Korea, it shouldn’t take too long, right?”
“Ah! Well… If he were Korean as you mentioned, it wouldn’t have taken long.”
“Sorry?”
“According to your genetic test results, there’s a 53% chance you’re East Asian, 37% chance you’re European, and the rest is other. It indicates you have European ancestry.”
Sunmoon’s face went blank at the sudden DNA revelation.
“So what does that mean?”
“It means you’re mixed race. Your father is likely European—or possibly North American. So we plan to seek help from overseas institutions to locate him. That’s why I’m calling… it may take quite a bit more time.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Yes. We’ll definitely find reputable institutions and keep investigating, so please trust us and wait.”
“Understood. Thank you for letting me know.”
Sunmoon set his phone down and blinked slowly.
[Why do you look so dazed? What happened?]
“Rison hyung… I just found out I’m mixed race.”
[What? You’re mixed? What nationality?]
“I’m not sure exactly. They said it’s most likely European or North American.”
[Tsk. There are always guys who can’t take responsibility. They ought to be ashamed. We soldiers even look after our comrades’ children.]
Harrison grumbled with a scowl.