Riding the Momentum
I believe that once you catch momentum, you can perform at a level far beyond your usual best. And right now, I was riding that wave. On the flip side, if you fail to seize it, you grow numb to the taste of defeat. That numbness hardens into inertia. You stop even dreaming of success and simply go through the motions on autopilot.
This wasn’t just about today’s match. For the past year, I had been trapped in that cycle of defeat-turned-inertia, and it had crippled me. But in the previous game, I had finally caught fire again. At this moment, no one on the pitch could stop me.
The opposition’s number four began marking me with robotic precision. Those mechanical movements no longer worked against me.
Flick— flick—!! Channeling the flair of Brazilian samba soccer, I tapped the ball up with my toes and chipped it cleanly over the defender’s head. I claimed the space where it would drop. The instant before it landed, I locked my ankle and whipped my foot through it.
BOOM—!!
The ball slammed into the top of the net and rattled the iron frame.
THUMP—!!
Finally, the hand I thrust into the air clenched into a fist.
Espanyol’s Wayne Rooney! A striker who drops deep to create play, shoulders the attacking midfielder’s duties, covers endless ground, delivers pinpoint passes, and still bags goals with silky dribbles. That was Wayne Rooney in his prime. And right now, I had become exactly that for Espanyol.
“You’re the best! That was incredible!”
“You were the greatest!!”
The sharp Spanish sunlight poured down on me. Every time I moved, it felt like the light moved with me. That same sunlight now bathed my parents in its glow. A quiet thought crossed my mind—this might be my last youth-team match. It was just a feeling, but my instincts whispered it with absolute certainty.
I looked at my parents and broke into a wide grin.
Two consecutive hat tricks. If the one against La Masia had been for Hayun, this one was for Mom and Dad.
“Lee! That’s my son! Suhyuk! Our Suhyuk is my boy!”
“Suhyuk, you were amazing! So incredible! You did so well!!”
“What do you want for dinner tonight? I’ll cook anything you like!”
“...”
Sorry. I already have plans for dinner. Let’s do it next time, okay?
The match ended 3–1. A complete victory for Espanyol.
Surrounded by a roaring wave of cheers, I tilted my head back and stared at the sky. Not a single cloud marred the perfect blue, and the sun blazed bright. Today’s game had been genuinely fun—fun enough to make me hungry for a professional debut.
I was starting to get addicted to this sound.
“Hey.”
The opposing number four tapped my shoulder. Alejandro Morales. Only now did his full name register. The game was over; he was no longer my enemy.
“Alejandro.”
“Lee.”
“What’s up?”
He scratched the back of his sweat-soaked head a few times, then peeled off his jersey.
“Give me yours.”
“...”
I let out a small laugh. Looks like I was growing fond of the guy.
“Here.”
“...You were brilliant today.”
“You too.”
“Heard anything about a first-team call-up?”
“Not yet.”
“It’ll come soon.”
“What about you? Any news on your end?”
“Starting tomorrow, I’m only training with the first team. Today was my last youth match.”
I had to admit I was jealous. The guy was good enough to walk straight into Real Madrid’s squad as a backup center-back. He might even start soon.
“You’ll be up there with the first team before long too.”
I thought about his words for a second, then nodded. Honestly, my instincts had been telling me the same thing.
“Next time, let’s meet as first-team starters. And just so you know, I haven’t given up on Sofia. If you two aren’t dating, I’ll shoot my shot again.”
I chuckled once more and gave him a light punch to the stomach.
“Do what you want. I’ll focus on my own path.”
After saying goodbye to Alejandro Morales, I headed down the tunnel toward the locker room. That was when a familiar face stepped into my path—the face every Espanyol youth player dreamed of meeting at least once. It was Sergio, manager of the first team.
“Hello, sir.”
“Lee.”
“Yes, coach.”
“I’d like you to join first-team training starting tomorrow.”
“...!!”
The words I had been waiting for had finally arrived. A call-up.
“We’ll get the professional contract sorted as quickly as possible. I’ve already reached out to your agent.”
“...”
“I can’t promise you playing time, of course. You might train with the first team only to be sent back down to the reserves. But Lee, as your manager, I can promise you one thing.”
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
“If you show me something in training, I’ll throw you in for ten minutes in the next match. I’m ready to roll the dice on you.”
“...”
“My goal is to turn this team into a contender as fast as humanly possible. For that to happen, young players like you need to accumulate experience quickly. Just keep showing me good things in training. That’ll give me all the justification I need to debut you in La Liga.”
If I proved myself in training, he would at least put my name on the bench for the next game. What greater motivation could a player ask for?
In the past, the pressure would have crushed me instantly. But things were different now. If I made the pro team and debuted in La Liga at my age, I would get attention from so many more girls. My SNS would be flooded with new followers every single day!
Sofia was someone who genuinely loved soccer. And all throughout today’s match, she had been smiling while watching Suhyuk.
I want to know more. So much more about him.
The more she learned about Suhyuk, the more she wanted to know. He had just scored a hat-trick against Alejandro Morales—the same guy who had been aggressively hitting on her. And he had done it with that innocent, boyish face of his. Despite his smaller frame, young age, and cute appearance, he transformed into the most terrifying presence on the field. That contrast kept pulling her thoughts back to him.
Sofia beamed as she looked at Suhyuk across the table. Simply sharing a meal with him felt thrilling. It had been a long time since her heart raced like this. Eating with men was nothing new, yet she never expected it to feel this exciting with Suhyuk—the one guy who didn’t seem all that interested in her.
She was genuinely excited.
Suhyuk, for his part, kept pinching his knee under the table to steady his nerves. He had felt nervous eating with Kim Hayun too, but the situation with Sofia felt slightly different.
With Hayun, we text often and it feels comfortable. But with Sofia…
It was still a little awkward. Maybe it was because of the outfit that showcased her figure so perfectly. Suhyuk felt his face growing hot and instinctively lowered his head. Sofia smiled softly, clearly charmed by the sight.
He didn’t seem interested at all… but maybe that’s not entirely true?
She began firing questions at him. The usual script—men asking her questions while she gave short answers—had been completely flipped.
“Lee, what do you usually do for fun?”
“Um… soccer.”
“Any hobbies besides soccer?”
“Lying down?”
“…No! I mean real hobbies. I love taking photos. I like being in them too. I just signed with a magazine, so I’ll be doing some modeling work.”
“Whoa, that’s awesome.”
Sofia pouted. Is he really not interested? This guy kept confusing her over and over. Strangely, that confusion only made her more determined. She stared straight into his face with a competitive glint in her eye.
“You’re cute, you know.”
“...”
Suhyuk’s blush deepened. Wait, isn’t that basically a confession…?
“Lee! Don’t you have any other hobbies?”
“I like running.”
“Oh, I hate running.”
“Why?”
“Because my chest bounces everywhere.”
“...”
Suhyuk lowered his head again. Sofia chuckled, clearly entertained by his reactions.
“Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask.”
“Yeah?”
“You and Morales didn’t seem to get along at all.”
“Ah, he kept picking fights with me about why you and I follow each other on social media.”
“...He knew we follow each other?”
“He really likes you.”
“...Doesn’t that bother you?”
Suhyuk thought for a moment before answering.
“It bothered me enough to score a hat trick.”
At the deadpan remark, Sofia’s eyes curved into perfect crescents.
“You’re confusing me again?”
“What?”
“Never mind. If you didn’t hear it, it’s fine.”
Suhyuk genuinely hadn’t heard her, so he wore a puzzled expression.
“So, did you enjoy today’s game?”
When Sofia asked, Suhyuk answered with an innocent, bright smile.
“Yeah, it was really fun. I’m so grateful to my teammates. After they found out Morales was messing with me, the older guys kept harassing him the whole match.”
“Ah, so that’s why John shoved him.”
“Exactly. When I first met John, I thought we’d never get along. Turns out he’s actually a really good guy.”
The moment soccer came up, Suhyuk lit up. The boy who had barely spoken a few sentences earlier suddenly wouldn’t let Sofia get a word in. He kept talking about his teammates without pause.
“John told me he’d help me as long as we’re on the same team. And he really did—just kept supporting me the whole time.”
Watching him, Sofia smiled with open affection. …Is it okay to like him this much? He’s too cute.
She nodded like a gentle older sister looking after her younger brother.
“I start first-team training tomorrow and I’m a little nervous. John, Hugo, and Daniel won’t be there.”
“Wait!”
“Huh?”
“You got called up to the first team?”
Sofia shot up from her seat in surprise.
And at that exact moment, at the far end of the window seats in the same restaurant, Kim Hayun sat wearing a hat pulled low over her eyes. She was losing her mind with curiosity over what they were talking about.
…Does Suhyuk really like her that much?
It was the first time she had ever seen him talk so much or smile like that. She felt like she might explode if she didn’t somehow find out what they were saying. Part of her wanted to march over to their table right then and there.