Episode 208: A New Nest – Part 1
People really do seem to be animals sensitive to scent.
Sometimes our moods fluctuate based solely on smell, and seeing old memories resurface one after another proves it.
Now is one of those times.
Thanks to the hospital’s distinctive odor, I’m not feeling particularly great.
I’m going to be an adult soon.
But in front of this smell, I feel like a little kid being led by my mother’s hand to sit before the doctor.
“Mmm…”
Sitting in front of the doctor as he carefully reads through several sheets of paper, I can’t help but feel nervous for no reason.
I’d been undergoing physical exams since early morning.
Not the simple kind where they measure your height, weight, and eyesight.
I’d been getting detailed examinations for quite a long time.
It’s called a medical test.
Since the club is trying to sign me for a large sum of money, a medical test is an examination to see whether there’s anything wrong with my body.
For the tests, they drew blood, attached strange things to my body, gave me an ultrasound, and even had me run on a treadmill while wearing something like a mask.
They even did something called an MRI where I went inside a tube-like machine and experienced what it must feel like to be a corpse.
Having been examined from head to toe like that, it was only natural to be nervous.
For some reason, even the doctor’s expression looked serious.
“I will tell you the overall examination results.”
However, what soon came from the doctor’s mouth was a relief.
“You have no significant injury history, and no chronic issues were found in the test results. Your current condition is clean with nothing especially bad overall. However, since we cannot say your physical development is completely finished, you will need special care. Aside from that, there don’t seem to be any problems.”
As I listened, it didn’t seem like bad news, so I was about to sigh in relief when the other man sitting next to me let out a long sigh first.
Anyone watching would think what was just said was his own test result, but that man is just a Manchester City official.
I don’t really know why he’s so happy.
“Anyway, to conclude, there are no abnormalities.”
“Excellent! Thank you!”
…He’s still doing it.
The man is answering for me when I should be the one to respond.
Anyone would think he’s my father.
It’s not like I’m adopted.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Either way, the feeling of finishing the exam and leaving the consultation room is always refreshing.
It’s nothing short of amazing that the hospital’s distinctive smell, which had only felt unpleasant before, no longer bothers me now.
Stepping out of the consultation room into the hallway, the official pats my shoulder and speaks.
“You must feel light. You are now a player for our team.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“You must be tired, but there are remaining schedules. Let’s go together. It’s just taking a few photos, so it shouldn’t take too long.”
I nodded and followed the man outside.
…Hmm.
Is this really the end now?
Hearing the words “our team” and knowing that our team isn’t Fiorentina.
It suddenly felt strange.
*
The place we arrived at by car was a small studio.
Following the official inside, the staff were already bustling with preparations… and the props prepared on one side were all sky-blue.
Things I now have to wear instead of purple.
They were Manchester City uniforms.
“Can you change into this first?”
The official quickly brought a uniform and handed it to me.
My name, JIAN LEE, was printed on it, and the number on the back was 7.
Honestly, I had wanted number 10, but since a player already wears it, I ended up receiving number 7, which was available.
Well, it’s not like I’m particularly greedy when it comes to jersey numbers.
But since I wore number 10 at Fiorentina, I had simply wanted to continue with the same number.
Manchester City had said they kept number 7 open for me, so it felt awkward to be greedier about it.
I figured I could take it later when it becomes available someday.
“It suits you. It really suits you.”
After a quick change, the official even clapped and showered me with praise.
I didn’t come here to buy clothes, yet I felt like I somehow had to purchase them.
Anyway, I changed clothes and stood in the studio illuminated by umbrella-like lights.
And finished preparing for the photoshoot.
“First, we’ll just take some free shots. If it’s difficult, shall we try pointing at the emblem on your chest and cheering?”
…Hmm.
Can I do this well?
Taking photos is always awkward, but today I have a feeling it will be even more so.
Because I think I’ll need to add a bit of acting to it.
But that’s courtesy toward the new team I’ll be playing for.
I’ll have to pretend to be as happy as possible.
“Let’s go!”
With a clack, the bright lights turned on.
Wearing Manchester City’s sky-blue uniform, I began the shoot.
*
“It’s amazing, right? Incredible, right?”
“…It’s nice.”
“I feel like I could hide for an hour if we played hide and seek here. Want to try? Want to?”
I smirked and shook my head at Jiu, who was making a fuss with arms spread wide.
We had just arrived at the hotel after finishing today’s schedule.
I had gone around with the official who came to greet me as soon as I got off the plane, while Jiu had come here first and waited for me.
It was the hotel the club had provided for us to stay in during this trip, but I could tell from the first-floor lobby:
a club with a lot of money is definitely different.
As expected, the room was as big and splendid as Jiu said—big enough that finding someone in a game of hide and seek would take an hour.
…Hmm.
I suddenly thought of my teammates.
Next season, when they go on away trips too, won’t they be able to stay in hotels like this?
“Sigh, only the announcement is left now! I don’t know why I’m the one who’s more nervous!”
The agent came out of the bathroom drying his hands and said.
The agent had somehow become our guardian on this trip because Dad had things to wrap up in Italy.
“…I’m nervous too.”
“Haha, really? You have every right to be nervous! Well, everyone probably knows already, but they’ll all be more surprised when the official announcement drops!”
Jiu, the agent, and I sat around the sofa.
If you call it sitting around, it sounds intimate, but the sofa was several times larger than the bed in our house, so it actually felt spacious.
“Why? Why will they be surprised?”
Jiu asked the agent.
At that, the agent laughed heartily and answered.
“Because it’s an incredible contract! Our player is an incredible athlete, so he received treatment befitting that—everyone will be surprised!”
The agent nodded confidently and continued.
“You know that Man City is a rich club, right?”
“Yes. I think I can tell just from this hotel.”
“So there have been many cases where they spent a lot of money to recruit players. There have been as many as five signings with pure transfer fees exceeding 100 billion won, you know?”
“Huh? 100 billion won?”
At those words, Jiu let out a strange sound and opened her eyes wide.
Not just her eyes, but her mouth was hanging open.
The agent cackled and nodded at that sight.
“But, hmm! There’s no need to complicate things! If I tell you just one thing!”
Then he suddenly adopted a grave tone.
“At Man City, the owner of the highest transfer fee record is none other than our player, Jian Lee. For your reference—”
“For your reference?”
“The player who previously held Man City’s highest transfer fee record was a player named Jack Grealish. That player’s transfer fee was a whopping!”
“A whopping!”
“It was virtually 170 billion won!”
…She’s going to start drooling.
Jiu’s already gaping mouth opened even wider.
A bug could fly in there.
But Jiu seemed to have no intention of closing her mouth; she turned her head while still agape and looked at me.
“…You were worth that much?”
At a time like this, all I can do is shrug.
Because saying it with my own mouth isn’t very cool.
…In that sense, I wanted to stop the agent, yet at the same time, I wished he’d say even more.
“Well, anyway! From my perspective, I wish it were tomorrow already! Because the official announcement drops tomorrow. You don’t feel burdened or anything, right?”
“Hmm…”
Burdened.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t.
It was true that I had asked for a large transfer fee first. I had said I would go to a team that could pay a large transfer fee.
After all, it was a transfer decided with the thought that I wanted our team to receive as much money as possible, if nothing else.
However, because of that, I couldn’t help but feel burdened.
In the end, the new team had bought me at a high price.
You could say it’s the burden of having to be worth that money.
For example, say you ordered 5,000-won food.
Even if the portion is small or the taste is a bit off, you can understand because the price is cheap.
But if that food cost 100,000 won, the story would change.
If it tastes even slightly off, the disappointment would inevitably be greater.
It’s only natural that the standard you hold changes depending on the price.
Right now, I was that food.
The team had bought me for an enormous, absurd amount of money.
That amount was essentially an indicator of the expectations the team had for me.
Therefore, doing moderately well isn’t enough.
I have to do absurdly well.
Because the money received by both me and Fiorentina is enormous.
They even said they’d give more money after the transfer was completed.
“Th-that’s correct, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The thing about additional transfer fees being paid depending on my performance.”
At my question, the agent nodded.
“Yes. There’s such an option! You can check the specifics in the contract, but there’s a bonus depending on performance! Simply put, the better you do, the more money goes to Fiorentina as a bonus!”
That’s what I was talking about.
They say the initial transfer fee isn’t everything; depending on how I do at Man City, additional transfer fees might or might not be paid.
If I do well, Fiorentina gets more money; if I don’t, they don’t.
“…”
So I have to do even better.
Moving teams doesn’t mean my connection with Fiorentina is over.
Even if it’s England instead of Italy, Manchester instead of Florence, and a sky-blue uniform instead of a purple one.
In a way, I might still be playing for Fiorentina.
In many ways.
There are more than enough reasons why I absolutely must do well.
“Well, don’t worry too much! Just do as you’ve been doing! Everything has an order, doesn’t it?”
“Order?”
I looked at him as if asking what he meant, and the agent said:
“It is an absurd transfer fee! But they didn’t pay it to demand absurd performances! You produced absurd performances all this time, which is why this transfer fee came about!”
“…”
“So there’s no need to think you have to be worth the money—just have pride! ‘This team needed me this much! I am that valuable a person!’ Like that!”
…Hmm.
I nodded at the agent’s words and fell into thought for a moment.
Thinking that way, I suppose it could be.
If I think about it again with the food analogy from earlier… isn’t the agent’s point something like this?
It’s not expensive because it must be delicious—it’s expensive because it is delicious.
Well, even if I think that way, the burden doesn’t disappear instantly.
But it was clear that going forward, I would have to use such thoughts as weapons to fight against the burden.
“Wow…”
By the way… I glanced at Jiu, and her mouth still showed no sign of closing.
It seemed to be because the agent had been hyping me up so much.
Hmm.
Seeing Jiu like that, the agent’s usual chattiness and over-the-top demeanor, which normally only felt burdensome, felt oddly welcome today.
Because it’s still a long time until bedtime.
I wouldn’t have minded if he kept going a little longer.
“Th-then, I’m number one within Man City in terms of transfer fee, right?”
“Yes! But not just within the club! Even looking at the whole league…”
With that thought in mind, I casually threw it out there, and seeing the agent take the bait as if he had been waiting, I smiled inwardly, mischievously.