Harrison and Liverpool
Harrison and Liverpool. ‘Is Clive like a common name for us, something like Cheol-su? There are more of them than I expected.’ It was an all-too-familiar name. Ha Sunmoon’s mind immediately went to Harrison. Yet the couple he had heard about before carried the surname Harold, so he told himself it had to be someone else with a similar name.
Steady footsteps approached. “It’s been a long time, Mr. Harold.” At that moment, a soldier walked up to the elderly couple.
“Been a while, Scott. You keeping well?”
“I’ve been living with gratitude every single day, sir.”
Ha Sunmoon studied the middle-aged soldier with the solid build. The sword emblem on his rank insignia marked him as a senior officer, though Ha Sunmoon had no idea what the exact rank meant. He simply saw an older man with white hair who was hosting the day’s event.
“Thank you for attending today’s ceremony.”
“Of course I had to come. It’s about our son…”
“Clive was an outstanding soldier. Always the first to advance and the last to return—the kind of comrade you could count on.”
“Kind words. Thank you.”
Scott had also served in the Iraq War. Back then, as a company-grade commander, he had led the very unit that included their son, Clive Harold.
Hmm, it’s about time I slipped away… While the three of them talked, Ha Sunmoon, who had been standing there awkwardly, tried to excuse himself.
“Ah, right! I nearly forgot about this lad. Thank you for coming to the event.”
“Ha! I’ve always wanted to attend something like this. Thank you. I should get going now.”
“Off you go, then.”
Mrs. Harold gave Ha Sunmoon a warm farewell that said he had done more than enough, and he left the area.
Phew… I nearly ran late.
“Hmm… curious. That young man felt a little like Clive.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah… forgive me. It just brought Clive to mind for a second.”
“What possible connection could that Asian boy have?” William Harold said, sounding distinctly displeased.
“It’s only that… Ah! You may not have heard, but Clive had a girlfriend at his previous posting.”
“Previous posting? Korea?”
Scott nodded.
“First I’m hearing of it.”
“Huh… The boy who wrote his father letters every single day left out something that important. I simply… wondered if it might be possible.”
“You’re mistaken. Let it be.”
“Understood.”
After leaving Ha Sunmoon for a short while, Harrison wandered through the various sections of the veterans’ affairs office.
Damn it! I can’t press anything… If only there was something, anything helpful… I just want to grab someone and talk. If I’d known it would be like this, I should have asked Sunmoon to inquire for me… No. If a special-forces man like me slips up, Sunmoon could end up looking like some weirdo…
He decided he would have to figure it out alone and roamed the building, but found little of value. Then—
Hmm?
The same sensation as before. Suddenly a fragment of memory returned to Harrison.
“Hey, Harrison! Quit acting like a bloody child! How many letters are you sending your family?”
“Father keeps telling me to write, so what am I supposed to do? Back in the day, letters were the proper way to stay in touch with family, or so they say…”
“Then why the hell are you still sending them? Phones exist, you know…”
“I don’t know, and stop calling me Harrison. Use the code name if you’re going to call me anything.”
“Sure~ Keep writing those old-fashioned letters~ Harrison! I’ll only use your code name during operations~.”
“You bastards.”
In the memory, Harrison had been writing letters to his family while his comrades teased him by repeatedly calling him Harrison.
So my name really wasn’t Harrison. It was a nickname. Then my real name was probably…
While Harrison was tracing the memory, a familiar face walked past.
Sc… Scott? The lieutenant?
It was an old face, but Harrison recognized him at once.
“Brigadier! It’s time for you to head back, sir.”
“Is it? Hm… later than I realized.”
Damn it! So Lieutenant Scott really became a brigadier? Bloody hell, how much time has passed!
Harrison wanted to follow Brigadier Scott immediately, but then realized the thirty minutes he had promised Ha Sunmoon had already elapsed.
Damn… Still, I recovered a few memories. I suppose I should be satisfied with that…
Harrison returned to the spot where he had told Ha Sunmoon to wait, and Ha Sunmoon arrived shortly after.
Sorry! Did you wait long?
“No, I had a few things to take care of… Did coming here help at all?”
Hm? Yeah. It helped. A few memories came back.
“Really? That’s good to hear.”
Yet Harrison could not hide the regret in his eyes. I have so many questions for Scott… Tsk. If Sunmoon stays in England, there will be another chance.
“Should we just keep waiting?”
“Or would you like to go look around somewhere?” Felipe asked Ha Sunmoon, who was waiting for the negotiations to finish.
Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool.
“Don’t I need some kind of invitation to tour other stadiums?”
“They’re still discussing it, but touring as an ordinary fan wouldn’t be bad. If we keep a low profile, they probably won’t notice, right?”
Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool. Liverpool.
No… if it’s like this…
Because of the Liverpool ghost’s relentless chanting, Ha Sunmoon had no choice but to head for Liverpool.
“Then let’s go to Liverpool for now.”
“Liverpool? Liverpool, eh… good choice. I’ll arrange a club tour. It should still be enjoyable. Honestly… Liverpool hasn’t shown much interest in you. This is probably the best way to see the stadium.”
“Understood.”
Ha Sunmoon traveled to Liverpool in Merseyside, England.
Ah~ Yes, this is it!
On the train heading to Liverpool, the moment the city came into view Harrison spoke. The scenery was the same as before, yet Harrison gazed at it with deep familiarity.
My hometown. I’ve waited far too long. Hoo…
“Can’t you remember anything else?”
Ugh… That’s… yeah, I suppose not.
Even after reaching Liverpool, no further fragments returned. Harrison answered with clear disappointment.
“Still, walking around might jog something.”
Right.
“Those who applied for the stadium tour, please gather here.”
Ha Sunmoon pulled his cap low over his eyes and joined the tour group with quick steps. A long line had already formed.
Hurry up and move! You need to go too!
“Ah!”
Ha Sunmoon hurriedly joined the queue.
“Anfield, the symbol of Liverpool, first opened in 1884. Everton used it from 1884 to 1892, but Liverpool have called it home since 1892.”
“Oh…”
Yes, that’s right.
“That was before Reeson-hyung was even born, wasn’t it?”
…
“The Anfield we know today is quite different from the original. It has undergone multiple renovations and expansions. Key changes include the 1928 expansion of the Kop Stand, the installation of floodlights in 1957, the extension of the Road Stand in 1963, and the Main Stand in 1973.”
Ha Sunmoon toured the historic Anfield alongside Harrison’s memories.
Ah! Finally something I recognize.
“The more recent configuration dates to 1980. Part of the Main Stand was converted from standing terraces to seating, and the stadium was painted in Liverpool’s traditional colors.”
Because of a tragic event, the guide continued with careful, measured words.
“Then, in 1989, a disaster occurred. After that, every stadium in the country replaced standing areas with all-seater configurations. The seats installed at that time are still in use at today’s Anfield. Shall we now move inside the stadium?”
“Yes!”
“Sounds good!”
Once the explanations ended, Ha Sunmoon was able to enter the inner facilities, the locker room, and finally step onto the edge of the grass pitch. The pitch itself was off-limits while being tended for the players, but Harrison walked straight onto it.
It’s been so long since I last stepped on this turf!
Ha Sunmoon followed along the grass verge beside him.
They’ve expanded it again. It’s different from what I remember…
“Is it?”
Then Harrison looked at Ha Sunmoon.
Ah… Sunmoon. Being here again makes me realize it all over. I’m so envious of you… You still have the chance to play on this pitch.
Harrison walked the grass once more.
When I was still a player, there was one thing I always wanted to do at Anfield. Right here. I wanted to perform my celebration looking over there from this exact spot.
“Here? That’s close to the halfway line.”
Yes. Because my father and mother often watched from that section. They preferred the center so they could see the whole match clearly.
“I see…”
Like this!
From the touchline near the halfway line, Harrison turned toward a particular spot in the stands and snapped a crisp military salute.
I used to score and salute my father because he was a soldier. Now it’s only a memory.