Protect the Youngest -1
Looking back, I realized I had been thinking something ridiculous.
The truth is, after the match ended, I had planned to meet up with Dad and Jiu and head home together.
I thought we could talk about today's match on the way, stop by a restaurant for dinner, and take a stroll through the night streets while walking home.
But the moment I reached the stadium exit, I realized it was a ridiculous plan.
"Waaaaah-!"
"There he is!"
I was dumbfounded.
Because the moment I set foot out the exit, an enormous number of people were shouting toward me.
Of course, if they had just been shouting, I would have thought it was directed at my seniors, not me, but…
"Ri! Ri! Ri! Ri! Ri!"
No, they were cheering while calling my name—how could I not know?
Even I couldn't help but realize the cheers were directed at me.
"You'll have to take responsibility, won't you?"
"W-what am I supposed to do…?"
When I asked, turning pale, Senior Biragi shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, the good news is, there are two ways."
"Two ways…?"
"Yeah. One is to tell the fans and everyone else to screw off because you're tired to death, then get on the bus. The other is to sign autographs with a grateful heart and take pictures with them."
"…"
I had listened to the captain's words seriously, fell into thought for a moment, then let out a sigh.
No, how is this even two choices? One of them is literally how to become human trash.
"Well, the choice is yours."
Wow, this is crazy…
No, of course, I'm grateful.
How could I not be grateful that they know my name and are cheering for me like that?
I'm just a rookie whose debut match was today. I'm not even an official first-team player yet.
But that's exactly why it's so cringeworthy.
They're telling me to do "fan service" right now?
Me? It's funny enough that I even have fans, and now they're telling me to act like a star and do fan service.
And in front of my seniors, no less.
I genuinely feel so embarrassed that I want to hide in a mouse hole.
"Hoo…"
But I didn't have a choice.
I can't become human trash just because I'm embarrassed.
I had no choice. I steeled myself and stepped forward.
Honestly, I was more nervous than when I had stepped onto the pitch as a substitute.
"Woooah!"
"Autograph! Just one autograph!"
"I've been your fan for five years! Please, just one picture!"
"Start next week! If you play, I'll follow you to any away game!"
The moment I exited, baritone cheers poured in from all directions. If I couldn't understand Italian, I might have apologized first, thinking I had done something wrong.
That was how aggressively the fans thrust their jerseys at me.
"Th-thank you."
My hands trembling, I signed them one by one.
There were fans occasionally trying to leap over waist-high barricades, but thankfully, team staff protected me.
Senior Biragi, who had spoken as if he would abandon me, didn't abandon me. Standing by my side like a bodyguard, he even managed the crowd.
"Everyone! He's only sixteen years old! It's almost his bedtime. Let's stop here for today! For those who didn't get an autograph, I'll sign for you!"
"We don't need yours!"
"What? Who was that?"
Well, the process wasn't exactly smooth, but…
Anyway, just when I thought I might injure my wrist from all the signing, Senior Biragi dragged me away, allowing me to escape the hell of fan service.
Honestly, I could have endured it, but I just pretended to be overwhelmed and let the senior take me away.
"Hey, you brat! I didn't get one yet!"
"Get it next week, next week!"
"Who do you think you are, dragging him away like that!"
"I'm the captain of this team, you punk!"
Thanks to that, somehow Senior Biragi was the only one getting cursed out by the fans, but seeing him not even flinch, I couldn't help but admire him.
So this is what it takes to be captain here.
I probably couldn't become a captain even in ten years…
"Ugh…"
Thanks to the fans, by the time I boarded the team bus, I was completely drained. How am I more tired now than right after the match ended?
Today has been full of things I never imagined.
"Wow, great. Thanks to our youngest, we're getting home late. Just great."
"Zzz… Zzz… Huh, what? The youngest is here? I must have dozed off waiting."
"A maknae who makes his seniors wait. Now, that's what I call a proper maknae."
As soon as I got on the bus, the seniors made their remarks one by one.
Ah…
"S-sorry…"
Not knowing what to do, I lowered my head and apologized, and suddenly the bus filled with laughter.
"Hey, you punks. You should pick your targets when you joke around. He's going to cry."
As soon as Captain Biragi, who boarded after me, said that, the giggling seniors clutched their stomachs.
"It was a joke, a joke!"
"Hey, thanks to you, we're getting off work without getting cursed at for the first time in a while. Of course it's a joke, man."
"Our new youngest is way too fun to tease. It's gonna be a blast from now on."
…Damn. I was really scared.
When I made a wronged expression at hearing it was a joke, the seniors' laughter grew louder.
"That's cute. Wanna sit next to me?"
"Hey, you crazy bastard! Cut it out! Hey, kiddo. Ignore him and go sit in that empty seat over there."
Captain Biragi threw a mock karate chop at the seniors and pushed me toward the back seat, so I was able to escape their burdensome attention.
…This isn't easy in so many ways.
"Whew…"
Sitting in the back seat like that, finally having a moment to myself, I suddenly looked out the window.
The fans lined up in a long row along the barricades were still waving toward the bus.
Even now, it doesn't feel real that so many fans know of my existence, but I think it's truly something to be grateful for.
What did I do to deserve this…
"…"
I quietly took out my phone from my pocket.
And I took a picture with as many of the fans outside the window in the frame as possible.
I've gotta show this off to Jiu.
*
"So what. What do you want me to do about it?"
"No, it's just…"
"Ah, you want praise? Our Jian wanted to brag? Okay. Noona will do it for you. Ahem. Woooow! Our Jian is amazing! As expected of a soccer genius! The best, the best!"
"…"
Jiu thrust her thumb right in front of my nose.
…My face is burning.
I had subtly shown her the photo I took on the bus, but I wasn't even getting a proper reaction.
I should just eat.
"Hey, but I was a little disappointed?"
"…About what?"
"When you scored, earlier. How could you not find me? I was in a really front row seat."
"W-well… I did try to find you. But there were too many people."
Jiu crossed her arms and snorted.
"Hmph. Then, what about the celebration? Who was that for?"
"The celebration? It was obviously for…"
Hmm.
"I did it for Dad."
"Wha, what…"
At my answer, Dad, who had been quietly eating beside us, chuckled and said, "Heh heh. That's right."
Jiu pouted her lips and tried to pinch my side, so I hurriedly added:
"O-of course, it was for you too."
"Damn. They say you've really grown up, so you've gotten too cheeky? Huh?"
"If it's unfair, you should've grown up while I was growing up too."
"…Ha."
Seeing Jiu at a loss for words as if it was absurd, I laughed. I suddenly remembered what the seniors had said earlier.
The comment about me being so fun to tease.
Jiu is also subtly great fun to tease.
I used to wonder why the seniors kept teasing me, but looking at Jiu, I think I understand.
If someone had reactions this good, even I'd want to keep teasing them.
Of course, I probably don't look as cute as Jiu…
Anyway, as we were eating with bright smiles, Dad asked me.
"Did you know?"
"About what?"
"That you would play in the match today."
"Hmm…"
I shrugged.
"No. Honestly, I didn't know. But…"
"But?"
"I was prepared. Because I wanted to play."
At my words, Dad made a slightly surprised expression.
"You wanted to play?"
"Yes. If I hadn't played… you and her would have come all this way for nothing, right? So, well, I wanted to play."
"Hmm…"
Dad looked at me, nodded, and then spoke after a moment.
"Weren't you nervous or anxious?"
At that question, I let out a hollow chuckle.
No, of course…
"…Hmm."
I was about to say I was nervous to death, but I closed my mouth for a moment. I realized Jiu was listening.
I couldn't say I was trembling like a coward then.
"I was a bit nervous, but more than nervous, I was excited."
"Excited?"
"Because I wanted to show you. Me running around…"
The truth is, I wasn't just a bit nervous—I was so nervous I couldn't think straight, but…
It wasn't entirely a lie.
There really was some excitement.
And I truly had wanted to play in the match too. I had been thinking that the whole time I sat on the bench.
Of course, I had also thought I didn't want to play at the same time, but I'd say the feeling of wanting to play was a little bigger.
Because I wanted to show them.
Me playing.
"That's wonderful."
Dad, looking at me, grinned and gave me a thumbs-up.
Then he spoke to Jiu, who was eating.
"Isn't it?"
"…Huh?"
"I'm asking if Jian isn't cool."
"…"
Jiu, her cheeks puffed up with food, looked at me. Then she opened her sleepy eyes and looked at me.
She's sending a message with her face.
It's exactly "-_-" this.
"Well? I don't know?"
"Huh? Really? But you were shouting earlier about how cool he was."
"Pfft!"
"Why, what's wrong?"
At Dad's words, Jiu suddenly covered her mouth.
W-what. Why is she suddenly about to spit out her food.
"*Cough*, *cough*."
Her face turning red as she coughed, Jiu spoke as if it was absurd:
"When did I do that!"
"Huh? You did it at the stadium. When Jian came on as a substitute, and when he got the ball, and when he passed…"
"S-stop it! Stop!"
Jiu almost got up from her seat, reaching out as if to cover Dad's mouth.
Her face grew even redder, turning almost the color of tomato spaghetti.
"Hahaha! Okay, okay."
"Pfft…"
At that sight, Dad laughed and I laughed too.
I said I liked it, didn't I? She's so fun to tease.
"Damn it…"
Watching Jiu pout as she picked up her fork again, I thought that this moment was quite enjoyable.
The fact that I had wanted to play in the match, that I had wanted to show a cool side of myself.
The fact that I had trained hard for that too—I suddenly felt it was all for moments like right now.
…
"Yo! Who is this! The pride of our team! A prodigy who appeared like a comet! The hero of a debut goal in a debut match! If it isn't Jian!"
"C-coach…"
"Haha!"
Today is Monday.
The moment he saw me, Coach Luca made such a fuss that a deep sigh escaped me.
Why does he have to embarrass me like this?
"Welcome. Your gear is over there. You just need to take it."
"Yes… thank you…"
This morning, I received a message from the coach telling me to come to the U17 training ground. He said he had packed the gear from my locker and told me to pick it up.
When I asked what this was about, the coach had answered like this.
That from today, I had become an official first-team player.
In other words, I wouldn't be going back and forth between the first team and the U17 team—I would be staying entirely with the first team.
"Well, even if you're leaving, it's fine to say goodbye to your friends, right?"
"Ah, yes."
Well… I had already played my debut match, so it wasn't exactly sudden, but it still felt somewhat abrupt.
Me, an official first-team player.
Honestly, when you think about it, playing the debut match was just a bit of good luck.
Somehow I had squeezed into the substitution list, somehow the opponent was Genoa, a weak team, and somehow the situation was comfortable with us leading 2-0, and so somehow I ended up playing my debut match.
To think I'd become an official first-team player just because of such luck—it did feel burdensome.
I also felt that I would have to work even harder from now on.
"Oh, Jian."
"I watched yesterday's match!"
"Wow, it was really amazing!"
Walking toward the training ground with the coach, the kids warming up spotted me and waved.
"Keep doing what you're doing even there!"
"Yeah, thanks."
"I knew you'd do well. I'll follow you soon, okay?"
"Yeah. See you soon."
I shook hands and greeted the kids one by one. I suddenly remembered the day Jino left for the U19 team. Back then, Jino had seemed so incredible, yet now I was in that position.
Well, it still doesn't feel real.
As I awkwardly exchanged greetings with the kids…
"Jian."
"Ah, Bruno."
Bruno extended his hand to me with a very serious face. As I took it, Bruno spoke.
"You're a real genius. You know that?"
"Huh…? Ah, no. What genius…"
"Hey. If someone making the first team at sixteen isn't a genius, what is? Being too humble is rude to us too. If you're not a genius, what does that make us? Right?"
"…"
Because Bruno said it with such a serious expression, I closed my mouth for a moment.
Without realizing it, I had almost denied it again… but I was slightly shocked by the words that being too humble could also be rude.
Bruno grinned and said:
"Show them even when you get there. Your talent. You're the face of our U17 team now, after all. Show the seniors and the coaches a good impression. That way, we can benefit from your success too, can't we?"
"Ah… yeah. I got it."
"So, what are you?"
"…The face of the U17 team."
"Good."
Bruno nodded vigorously, and I nodded too.
"Come on, let's go. I'll walk you."
After finishing my goodbyes with the kids like that, I left the training ground I had grown attached to, together with Coach Luca.
With gear in my hands, I couldn't help but feel like it was really the end.
Also… on the way to the first team training ground, Bruno's words kept swirling around in my head.
I thought that being too humble and lacking confidence could really be an unpleasant sight to someone.
It was a thought I had never had before… I was grateful to Bruno for teaching me.
That's right.
From now on, I shouldn't show weakness, at least outwardly.
Because from now on, depending on how I act, the image of the U17 kids could be determined.
So, with a sense of responsibility.
Let's be confident.
With that thought, when I arrived at the first team training ground with my shoulders squared—
"Ooh, the youngest is here."
"Our cute little tyke is here. Come here and sit down. I'll help you stretch."
"Youngest. Never go near that guy."
"Hey, you bastards. Are you going to go nuts the moment the kid gets here? He's frozen stiff."
"That's why he's cute. Why?"
The moment I faced the seniors again—bulky builds, beards, covered in tattoos—I couldn't help but apologize inwardly to my friends.
Sorry, guys…
The face of the U17 team that you guys are thinking of… here, it's just a toy that's fun to tease…
"Hey! Youngest! Come to my side!"
"Uwahahaha!"
Sorry…
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