“Well? Do I look kind of rich?”
“···”
“···What was that? You trying to hold in a laugh? You wanna die?”
“Ah, no. You look like a rich man’s daughter.”
“Right?”
Watching Jiu looking into the mirror this way and that with a white cloth draped over her head, I force back the laughter trying to burst through my throat.
It’s called a *ghutra*.
That thing Middle Eastern people wear on their heads.
She told me to absolutely buy a souvenir, so I bought it at the airport.
Honestly, I wanted to buy something nicer, but I didn’t really have time, so that was all I could get.
So I came back fully prepared to get cursed out, but it’s cute seeing her try it on her head, saying it’s fun even so.
Fool.
Only men wear that.
“Hey, but doesn’t this look like that thing?”
“···What?”
“You know, when you get married, you wear a wedding dress. That thing you put on your head then. What do you call it again?”
“How should I know?”
“Anyway, it feels like that. It’s like I’m seeing a preview of myself when I get married. Though of course I’ll be way prettier than this then.”
Hmm, now that she mentions it, it does look similar.
“Sigh, seriously. Whoever it is, they’re really blessed. The man who’ll become the groom of such a beautiful bride.”
···Anyway, I’m really jealous.
How can she love herself like that?
I always feel it, but Jiu is the exact opposite of me, and I really envy that confidence.
“You think so too, right?”
“···Hm? What?”
“The man who’ll become my future husband. Isn’t he really blessed?”
“···”
“Answer me.”
“Y-yeah···”
“Ha, seriously, I’m jealous of him. If I were that man, I’d really bow every morning before starting my day.”
“···”
···Hmm.
Loving yourself is a good thing, but suddenly the four-character idiom *too much is as bad as too little* comes to mind.
It means anything in excess is worse than insufficiency; by that logic, wouldn’t I actually be better off?
But since there’s also the saying about knowing when to join in and when to back out, I decide not to say it out loud.
Anyway, I leave Jiu to her own devices since she plays well enough by herself.
Leaning back comfortably against the sofa, I let out a small sigh.
I returned from Qatar to Italy yesterday, and today is December 8th.
Since the league resumes on January 5th next year, there are basically no matches for about a month.
So it’s like I’ve been given quite a long winter break.
Am I trash for thinking that getting eliminated in the Round of 16 might not be entirely bad?
But what can I do about something so sweet?
The physical fatigue had felt like it was reaching its limit; now I feel like I can finally catch my breath a little.
Of course, I’ll need to discuss it with the team, but I think I personally need to make some plans on how to spend the next month productively.
Well, the season isn’t completely over.
The league is practically just getting started, and with a big match like the Champions League Round of 16 scheduled for February.
I can’t just rest the whole time··· but my immediate desire is to have a truly proper recharging period this month.
What should I do?
What do I need to do to properly refill my energy?
“So, what are you gonna do now?”
Lost in thought, Jiu sits down beside me, as if peeking into my head.
I shrug, and Jiu asks.
“Don’t you need to train?”
“Hmm··· right? The season isn’t over.”
“···Right. You have to work hard, training.”
When I answer, Jiu nods weakly.
For some reason, the girl who’d been excited until just now suddenly wilts.
I scratch my cheek and say.
“But I’m going to rest first. I’m tired.”
“Right? You should rest. You’ve been so busy lately, going here and there for matches every day.”
“Yeah···”
“What are you gonna do to rest?”
Hmm··· well.
“Maybe I’ll go on a trip.”
I toss out the suddenly arising thought casually, without really thinking about it.
From here to there, from there to here.
I’ve traveled thousands of kilometers, so part of me wants to hole up at home.
Maybe it’s because I realized that despite traveling to so many countries, I haven’t actually properly enjoyed any of them.
For once, not for work, I suddenly wanted to take a trip that actually feels like a trip.
“Really? Where? Is there somewhere you want to go?”
“Hmm··· not sure.”
I shrug at Jiu’s question.
So, somewhere I want to go.
I want to go somewhere, but nothing specific comes to mind right now.
No, to be exact, it’s more accurate to say it doesn’t matter where I go.
Anywhere is fine, but instead···
“Isn’t winter break coming up soon?”
“Hm? Me?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah. Right. It is break.”
To Jiu, who nods, I shrug unnecessarily and say offhandedly.
“Then I guess you don’t have anything to do.”
“Well, not really?”
“Then well··· let’s go together. If you have nothing to do.”
Whether traveling or doing something else, the goal is recharging.
So if asked what motivates me the most, I can’t deny it’s that fool who giggled even after receiving that weird gift.
Whatever the reason, Jiu is like a battery overflowing with energy, so I asked to share some of that energy.
Then Jiu shrugged.
“Well··· sure. I don’t really have anything to do. I was worried about what to do during break, so this works out, I guess.”
“···Then it worked out.”
“Yeah. It worked out.”
Nodding as if it were no big deal, she mutters meaninglessly that it worked out.
But for some reason, feeling a strange sense of relief puts me in a peculiar mood.
Thanks to that, while my heart is fluttering, Jiu suddenly jumps up··· and heads to the mirror again.
Then, as if that moment never happened, her briefly listless appearance disappears entirely, returning to how she was before.
“Ah, I’m tired. If we’re going on a trip, I need to buy some clothes too. Shopping is the hardest thing in the world for me. Because everything looks good on me.”
“···”
She says nonsense that’s hard to listen to, but it’s clearly nonsense said while she’s in a good mood.
For a moment, seeing Jiu like that reminds me of a puppy excited about going for a walk.
If Jiu had a tail, I wonder if it would be spinning like a helicopter right now.
Anyway··· she’s cute.
“···.”
···Hmm.
By the way, where would be good to go?
Since I’ve decided to go, the question is where.
Barcelona, where the weather was good and the scenery was pretty?
Or Seville was nice too.
Or Paris wouldn’t be bad either··· or going somewhere I’ve never been before would be fine too.
“···Ah.”
While turning it over in my head like that, a sudden thought makes me snap my fingers.
Everywhere else is good too, but a place that feels right to visit at this time suddenly popped into my head.
“···I thought of somewhere I want to go.”
“Hm? Where?”
Even though the weather isn’t good, there isn’t much to see, and it’s not even a place known for lots of delicious food···
“Manchester.”
This time, this place would be good.
···
Apparently, there’s a day in England called Boxing Day.
They say it refers to December 26th, the day after Christmas, but I don’t know its origins or what it’s actually for.
However, I looked it up, and they say there’s a tradition that Premier League teams must play a match during the week of Boxing Day.
They say this is why the Premier League doesn’t rest even when most leagues have their winter break.
And they said this tradition remained the same even this year, with the World Cup.
While Serie A has a sufficient break, with matches resuming on January 5th.
The Premier League resumes on December 27th.
That was precisely the reason I decided to spend this precious vacation in Manchester, where the weather is nothing special and there isn’t much to see.
“Hey, but our weather luck is good. It hasn’t rained once?”
“Right?”
“As expected, it’s because of me, isn’t it? Since I came, the weather cleared up on its own.”
“···Yeah.”
“What’s with that reaction?”
Ignoring Jiu’s nonsense with familiarity, I look around.
It’s a cozy room.
On one side, simple foods are laid out buffet-style, and the front has a refreshing glass window with nothing obstructing the view.
Perhaps because booking was a bit late, only the cheapest and most expensive seats remained, so I bit the bullet and spent some money.
Did they call it a VVIP room?
Honestly, if I’d come alone, I would have sat in the cheapest seats.
But since I wasn’t alone, I gripped my trembling hands and bought the tickets.
My money···!
“Oh, this is delicious. It’s pretty good. Have some too, Mister.”
“Yeah, sure. Gotta get my money’s worth. Hey, Jian. These guys really must have a lot of money. The facilities are absolutely dazzling.”
“I know, right? You can’t even compare it to their stadium.”
Well, since Jiu and Dad seem satisfied, it’s not a waste.
This must be why money is good.
I don’t really care, but having the means to give only good things to my precious people feels like a truly good thing.
For that, I’m once again grateful to the club and Puma.
“Hmm.”
Anyway, after finishing my look around the room, I shift my gaze to my phone.
It’s not long before the match starts.
Logging into the social media Jiu taught me, I check Manchester City’s starting lineup.
Truthfully, while it’s called a vacation, if I were really just going to rest, there would be no reason to come to Manchester.
My main goal was to watch Man City’s football in person ahead of time, since I’d be facing them in a month.
So inevitably, for now, I temporarily put vacation mode on hold and plan to watch the match in analysis mode.
That’s why I brought a notebook too.
Well, it’s not like my analysis would amount to much, and as the match approaches, experts much more qualified than me will provide briefings along with tactical analysis sheets.
Still, it’s better than doing nothing.
It should be a learning experience too.
“That’s a nasty lineup···”
While checking the starting lineup, I mutter without realizing.
I did some research before coming, and all the key players I saw then are included in the list.
Goalkeeper Ederson.
Stones in defense, Rodri in midfield.
De Bruyne.
Bernardo Silva.
Jack Grealish.
Phil Foden.
And Erling Haaland up top.
It’s exciting because it’s a list with all the main players out, but at the same time, a chill runs down my spine thinking that I’ll soon be facing this list as the enemy.
If you add up the transfer values of these players··· it’s not hundreds of billions, but well over a trillion.
And not barely over, but by a wide margin.
Just how well do they have to play to earn that kind of money?
To me, it feels like looking at the solar system, no, a galaxy.
“Oh, the players are coming out.”
While feeling an inexplicable awe, I raise my head at Jiu’s words.
Then I see the players revealing themselves on the pitch.
Looks like the match is about to begin.
Even through the glass window, I can feel the stadium getting louder, and I start getting nervous for no reason.
“···”
The Manchester City players in sky blue enter first, followed by the players wearing Nerazzurri uniforms.
Today’s Man City opponent is a team called Newcastle, a fairly strong team currently running 5th in the league.
Thanks to that, I have a feeling this will be a match with much to learn in many ways.
Soon, the players from both teams finish shaking hands and scatter to their respective sides as the start of the match approaches.
And finally, with the whistle, the match begins.
“···”
I tilt my head slightly and begin looking down at the match unfolding before my eyes.
This is the only time I’ll be able to look down at players I should be looking up to.
I’ll learn what I can learn, but on the other hand, just how well do they have to play to be called Europe’s strongest team?
I end up watching with a slightly jealous gaze.
So, let’s see how good they really are.
“···”
And so, 5 minutes, 10 minutes pass.
Before I knew it, completely immersed in watching the match, I briefly came to my senses at Jiu’s question from beside me.
“···Huh, what did you say?”
“I asked what you think watching them. Are they good? Do you think you can win?”
···Hmm.
Of course···
“We can win.”
“Ooh.”
I can’t show a lack of confidence by saying we can’t win, so I answer with some confidence.
However···
“···”
The more I watched the match, the more I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was in big trouble.