228_Hmm... -1
“Jiwoo.”
“Hmm?”
“Is it just my eyes?”
“What now?”
“Somehow I only see Jian. There are so many kids running around, but I only see Jian.”
“···”
“Is there a spotlight shining only on Jian? Why does he seem to glow?”
“···No, Mom. Stop gushing.”
At her mother’s words, Kim Jiwoo let out a sigh.
Because she’d been constantly gushing since earlier, she couldn’t focus on the match.
Every time Jian touched the ball, her mother would make a fuss beside her, so Jiwoo found herself glancing around self-consciously.
But no matter what.
Her mother’s gushing showed no signs of stopping.
“Oh my. I didn’t know kicking a ball could look so elegant. The other kids look rough, but Jian has such class.”
“···”
“How does he do that? So... Hey! Hey, you rascal! Don’t push him! Gosh, just! What’s his name!”
Since the match started, it had been like this the whole time.
She would normally be sick of it by now, but honestly, Kim Jiwoo couldn’t say much either, so she was just quietly sighing.
The reason she couldn’t say anything was because her mother’s reaction was exactly what she herself used to do.
I guess they call it mirror therapy.
Feeling like, *Was I really like this?*, Kim Jiwoo thought she should restrain herself a bit going forward.
“···Still, I don’t think it’s just our eyes making him look that way.”
“Right? I’m not weird, am I?”
“Look around. Everyone’s doing the same.”
At Kim Jiwoo’s chin gesture, Mom looked around.
Come to think of it, it was like waves.
Sometimes the atmosphere would be calm, then suddenly heighten.
It was when Jian got the ball.
“Come on, Lee!”
“Leeee!”
“let’s go, Lee!”
Whether it was Kim Jiwoo or her family.
They were people who couldn’t look at Jian objectively. He inevitably looked special.
But everyone else had the same reaction.
Whenever Jian got the ball, it felt like everyone’s concentration jumped up 200 percent.
Powerful voices could be heard here and there, and many people would half-stand up the moment he touched the ball.
“It’s not just our eyes. To others too, Jian looks special.”
“Meaning he’s that good?”
“Of course. Look. That player over there is worth 100 billion won, and that one too. And the one wearing the headband is 160 billion.”
“Oh my, with that kind of money, they must be rolling in it.”
“But Jian? 200 billion. What’s the point of saying more?”
“Oh my, oh my. If they’re Dior and Chanel, Jian is Hermès. Luxury among luxuries! That’s why he stands out so much.”
“···Mom, do you attend some academy?”
“Huh? Academy? What academy?”
“···Never mind. Forget it.”
Kim Jiwoo shook her head again.
She had been confident that when it came to gushing over Jian, she wouldn’t lose to anyone.
But facing her mother’s gushing skills, which even brought out luxury brand analogies, she felt a slight wall and her pride was hurt.
But she couldn’t lose easily. ...What would be good?
As Kim Jiwoo pondered what words could express Jian’s greatness even more greatly, she soon faced an insurmountable wall.
“Really... how did that tiny little thing grow up so strong and well...”
“···Mom?”
“I’m proud, so proud. How can a child be like that...”
“···Are you crying?”
Mom, who had been laughing heartily just moments ago, suddenly dabbed at her eyes.
Kim Jiwoo looked at her mother with a bewildered expression.
No, why are you crying now?
This is cheating.
How am I supposed to gush more than this?
Looking at her as if unable to understand why her mother was so sincere about Jian, Mom dabbed at her eyes and spoke.
“You remember too, don’t you? When you first brought him home as a friend.”
“···No, I don’t really remember.”
“Well, you wouldn’t. But Mom remembers. He was so tiny and handsome, but his eyes were unusual.”
“What about his eyes?”
When Kim Jiwoo tilted her head and asked, Mom seemed to recall that time, fell into thought for a moment, then answered.
“How should I put it... he didn’t look like a child his age. He seemed to have so much on his mind. This tiny little thing looked like he was carrying all the worries of the world. It was when you were obsessed with cartoons and going around calling yourself a princess.”
“···Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“I’m saying you were exactly like a child, but Jian wasn’t. That’s why my heart went out to him strangely. I wanted to feed him one more dish or something.”
At her mother’s words, Kim Jiwoo pouted but nodded.
She had been the same.
The reason she talked to him first and dragged him around everywhere was because of that.
“The child was very polite, which was good, but on the other hand, it was a bit worrying. I wished he was a bit more spirited. He’d get shy just from being talked to. Jian.”
“He did.”
“So I was surprised when I heard he was playing soccer. They say the competition is incredibly fierce, and I wondered how a child like Jian would manage. Here I was, just his friend’s mom, worrying about everything.”
Mom’s eyes brimmed with compassion as if saying, *That’s how it was back then.*
But now, that same Jian was playing soccer in front of all these people.
That shy little brat now had a bigger and stronger heart than anyone.
“Maybe it’s because I watched him since he was so young, but honestly, no matter what you say, it doesn’t feel real to Mom. He still looks like a child in my eyes.”
“Honestly, me too. That quiet kid and the one over there being the same person.”
Kim Jiwoo and Mom looked at Lee Jian with identical gazes.
At the same time, smiles formed on both their lips.
Their eyes and mouths revealing contradictory emotions created peculiar expressions.
Mom dabbed at her eyes again, deliberately looked around, then spoke energetically.
“Aren’t you grateful? That they’re all cheering like this with one heart.”
“Well, I am grateful, but it’s because Jian plays so well.”
“Still, the fact that they’re cheering itself is something to be grateful for. Should we hand out rice cakes or something?”
“Then our house would go bankrupt, wouldn’t it?”
The two giggled.
If only their wallet situation was like that of the Middle Eastern billionaire who was said to be the club owner, they really would have handed out rice cakes.
Unfortunately, they were tens of trillions of won short, so they couldn’t do that.
Instead, what they could do was cheer the hardest.
“You must be very proud. Even as outsiders like us, we can tell he’s at this level.”
“Huh? Ah, well... I am proud.”
“But you must have had many worries, though.”
Lee Wonhun scratched his head and smiled.
Naturally, there was nothing prouder than one’s son.
However, it hadn’t been only good times, and he knew full well how much effort his son had made to stand in that place.
It was true that he felt complicated emotions in many ways.
“Well, actually, the hardship was greater than mine... uh, uh!”
“Why? What is it?”
In the middle of speaking, Lee Wonhun couldn’t finish his sentence and suddenly craned his neck and half-stood.
It wasn’t just Lee Wonhun.
Beside him, behind him, in front of him.
All the spectators sitting around began to rise from their seats with their eyes fixed on one spot.
At this, Kim Jiwoo’s mother quickly turned her head and saw Jian running with the ball.
“Let’s goooo!”
A dolphin-like cry echoed from the sky box seats.
Meanwhile, down on the grass below, the air grew fierce.
Tap-tap-tap-!
Lee Jian, who had received the ball on the right side at some point, drove into the center.
Carrying an opposing fullback on his tail, he entered the half-space, where many players were in the center.
It was congested with defenders holding their positions and players trying to squeeze into space.
To anyone looking, it seemed too narrow to break through, but Lee Jian continued to dribble into it.
Tap-tap-tap-!
Then, at a position where defensive responsibility was ambiguous.
In other words, the border area where it was unclear whether the fullback should keep following him or the center-back guarding the middle should step out to mark him.
-Paaang-!
Lee Jian chose a short pass.
To Haaland, who was standing like a wall with his back to a defender thanks to his imposing physique.
-Paaaang-!
Haaland gently redirected the pass with the flow of his touch, changing only its direction.
A perfect wall pass sent behind the defense.
Lee Jian sprang out from behind the defense toward that pass.
He looked almost as if a shadow had become a person.
Tap-tap-tap-!
Paaaang-!
Adjusting his stride as he charged in, Lee Jian struck a right-footed shot.
The shot wasn’t very powerful.
But what mattered more than power was accuracy.
It seemed to demonstrate like a textbook that a shot was merely the final pass.
Shoooooom
-Thwack-!
The ball passed the goalkeeper and shook the net.
At the same time, a roar burst from the fans who were already on their feet.
Waaaaaaaah─!
A roar so massive it could be felt not just in the ears but through the entire body.
It was the home opener goal, and since the process of that goal was clean as well, it was only natural for the roar to be massive.
But to Lee Jian alone, that roar sounded even greater.
Normally, he would have gone to Haaland, who recorded the assist, and embraced him, but today he wanted to surrender himself a bit more to that roar.
“···”
Lee Jian ran leisurely along the front of the stands with his arms spread wide.
.....90:00 (Match End)
Manchester City 3 : 1 Newcastle Utd.
-18’ Lee Jian (Assist - Haaland)
-61’ Haaland (Assist - Lee Jian)
-73’ Isak (Assist - Almiron)
-79’ Lee Jian (Assist - Phil Foden)
─No. 7 LEE JIAN
- Minutes played: 83
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 1
- Accurate passes: (53/59)
- Long pass success rate: 75% (3/4)
- Dribble success rate: 80% (4/5)
- Big chances created: 3
- Final third passes: 7
- Fouls won: 5
- Overall rating: 9.5 (Player of the Match)
“Why do you keep smiling to yourself?”
“···Huh? Ah.”
“You’ve been smiling by yourself since earlier.”
“···Did I?”
“You have every reason to. You were perfect today. It’s nice to see you smile.”
On the way home on the team bus.
At Rodri’s words from the seat beside me, I scratched my head and looked out the window.
...Was I grinning like an idiot?
Come to think of it, my face reflected in the window looked bright even to me.
I must have been in a very good mood.
It had been a difficult opponent, but we had secured victory. Though there were things to improve on, I had played quite satisfyingly.
Luckily, I had been involved in every goal.
In the first half, I scored the opener with Haaland’s assist; in the second half, I returned the favor with an assist to Haaland.
And right before being subbed off, I had scored another goal.
In a match where I had wanted to do better than ever, I had actually done quite well.
Thanks to that, I seemed to have been grinning like an idiot without realizing it. ...A bit embarrassing.
“Rest well. See you.”
Anyway, I arrived near my home, said goodbye to my teammates, and got off the bus.
Teammates who lived nearby also got off and walked toward home together, then after parting ways with them, I arrived at my house.
At the front gate, thankfully, the security guard was there.
“Please go in.”
“Thank you.”
Passing through the front gate and walking across the garden toward the house.
The house was brightly lit.
Dad, Jiwoo, and Jiwoo’s parents had probably arrived before me.
Due to team rules requiring post-match stretching, and because we all left together despite it being a home game, my return was later than when I had been at Fiorentina.
“···”
Heading toward the house where people would welcome me gladly, my heart pounded for no reason.
If praise started pouring down, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, but it seemed I was looking forward to it without realizing it.
It was time to soak up the positive energy of Jiwoo’s mother.
Fortunately, since I had played quite well today, I was happy that I had been able to show a good performance.
I was always grateful to the fans, but even more so today.
They had kept shouting my name, and Jiwoo and her parents must have heard it too.
...Why are my shoulders like this?
They’re stiffening up from tension.
I shouldn’t be like this.
“···”
I’m grateful.
That I played well.
Click.
Even from the front gate, it was quite a walk before I opened the front door and entered.
Walking down the hallway that led to the living room, the closer I got, the more bright voices I heard.
From those voices, I felt the warmth of people living their lives.
Listening to the sounds coming from beyond the hallway, I stopped for a moment.
It seemed Jiwoo and her mother were talking, so I decided to listen for a while without interrupting.
I could faintly hear my name now and then, so it seemed they might be talking about me.
Hearing a mother’s voice in our house was unfamiliar yet pleasant.
“···.”
I quietly felt the household’s warmth that way.
My body was tired, but the fatigue seemed to melt away quickly.
Feeling both relieved and grateful that I had finished today’s match so well.
“...So how long are you going to keep doing that?”
“...Doing what?”
Though not exact, the content of the conversation faintly coming from the end of the hallway gradually began to reach my ears.
If it were just sounds, it wouldn’t matter, but now that the content was becoming audible, I was inadvertently eavesdropping.
Just as I decided I should clear my throat and go in.
“...!”
At the conversation that followed, I had no choice but to hold my breath and focus all my nerves on my hearing.