The day after the match against Juventus.
Today was the day we were returning, but because of the flight time, I was given free time until the afternoon.
I had briefly come to the department store during that free time.
I wasn't alone; I was with the Captain.
Heeding the Captain's warning that it could be dangerous, I came out in full gear with a hat and a mask.
"I bought everything. Let's go."
"Wow..."
"Why are you surprised?"
"Huh? Ah. It's just, you spend so generously..."
"Hand? Ah, hahaha."
When I expressed surprise at the shopping bags filling the Captain's hands, he laughed heartily.
"It's not that we don't have money; we don't have time. You buy in bulk when you have the time."
"Are all of those gifts?"
"These and these are mine. The rest are all gifts."
The Captain spoke as if it were nothing. Did you need to be this lavish to be a captain?
While the Captain was paying, I secretly looked at the price tags on the hanging clothes and gasped.
Good heavens. They were so expensive that I was learning for the first time that clothes could cost this much.
But the Captain tossed those expensive things into the cart as casually as buying socks at a market and bought them all at once.
Honestly...... that's pretty cool.
When I was at U17, my weekly wage had been enormous too.
But coming here, I feel needlessly intimidated... "What's up? Why are you looking at me with envious eyes?"
"No, it's just... I can't buy like that yet..."
"Hah, look at this kid. At your age, I couldn't even earn twenty euros a week. And in just a few years, you'll earn several times what I make. If you envy me, what does that make me, punk."
I scratched my head at the Captain's words.
Me, more than the Captain?
Hmm. Will such a day really come?
"Anyway, let's go buy yours now. The age range is too high here. You said your girlfriend is the same age as you, right?"
"...Yes."
"Let's go. Follow me."
I followed behind the Captain, who stepped forward confidently.
Last night, I had worried about what gift to get Jiu, but nothing came to mind except clothes.
But it troubled me because I knew nothing about women's clothes. I barely know men's clothes; how would I know women's?
So the Captain offered to help me pick some out.
At first I said it was fine, but he insisted (?) that it wasn't some old man's taste, that he'd first dated when he was twelve so he knew teenage tastes well, so I just said alright.
...But honestly, I still don't quite trust him. Wouldn't I have better taste than a thirty-year-old man?
"Oh, this place looks good. Let's take a look."
"Yes."
Anyway, I followed the Captain into the store.
We decided to look around separately for now and circled the store once. Pretending to browse the clothes, I checked the price tags first, and fortunately they were at a level I could afford, so I let out a small sigh of relief.
I can manage this much.
"So, did you pick something?"
"Uh... Not yet. I don't really know."
"What's so hard about it. I mean, she must have a style she usually wears often, right?"
At the Captain's question, I thought of Jiu for a moment.
Hmm. Her usual style.
Except for occasionally, Jiu seemed to dress comfortably, but... "I don't know how she dresses in winter..."
"Ah, right. You said you haven't been here long."
The last time I saw her in winter clothes was three years ago, so I don't really know.
Well, I can just wear the padded jacket the club gives me, but Jiu wouldn't be like that.
"Hmm, let's see."
The Captain, unable to watch anymore, pulled out a few clothes and showed them to me.
"I think this would suit her, or maybe this would suit her more."
"Hmm..."
One was a thick gray hooded zip-up and one was a cardigan. I pictured Jiu's face and compared the two... Hmm. I absolutely couldn't choose just one.
"Not feeling it? Then what about this and this?"
This time the Captain held up different clothes.
But it was the same.
I shook my head again.
Then the Captain sighed and asked.
"Why can't you choose? Is this not her style?"
"It's just..."
Yeah, why?
Why can't I choose?
I thought carefully about the reason, and belatedly, it came to mind.
"...I think they'd all suit her well, so I can't choose."
"......What? Look at this guy."
At my words, the Captain looked at me with a bewildered face.
Then he soon shook his head and laughed.
"You little punk, pretty smooth? I should learn a thing or two from you. I acknowledge you as an Italian man."
"But I'm Korean..."
"In that spirit, I'll buy these two for you. Buy the other two."
"Huh? Ah, no. You don't have to..."
"Hey. It's a gift so take it. And don't forget later. Ah, no. I'll just buy them all. Buying only two feels a bit stingy."
Having said that, the Captain gathered the clothes he'd picked out and strode to the counter without giving me a chance to stop him.
"...Ah."
I watched the Captain's retreating figure and thought.
That person truly is a cool person.
Someday I should become an adult like him too...
***
"Son! You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
"Hey! You aren't hurt anywhere, right?"
The moment I opened the door and entered, Dad's and Jiu's voices rang out simultaneously.
What a heartwarming first greeting.
And it's not even the team doctors...
"...I'm fine."
"Really? That's a relief! Good work!"
"Thank goodness! You worked hard!"
At my answer, the two of them sighed simultaneously, and the timing was without a hair's breadth of error, so I ended up laughing without realizing it.
"But hey, what are you carrying all that for?"
"What is that?"
"Ah, this..."
As I entered through the front door and heavily set down the luggage in both hands, Dad and Jiu asked.
I scratched my head and answered.
"I picked them up on the way..."
"...Where exactly do you have to go to pick up things like that?"
"Where is it? I want to go too!"
"Well, actually I had some time left so I went to the department store, and they were having a sale. So I bought some clothes for Dad."
"Clothes for me?"
Dad opened his eyes wide and pointed at himself with his finger.
When I nodded and held out a shopping bag, Dad opened his mouth as if he hadn't expected it at all.
Dad scratched his head and took out the contents from the shopping bag, then widened his eyes once more.
"Huh? It's really for me?"
...What. Did he naturally assume it was for Jiu?
Have I been living such an unfilial life...?
I ended up reflecting for no reason.
"Wow, this looks expensive. Is it okay for me to wear this?"
"Of course Dad should wear it; who else would?"
"Oh my... really. I don't need something this nice..."
Even as he said that, the corners of Dad's mouth twitched.
It was nothing special, just a padded jacket, but Dad's was easy to pick. Since Dad and I have similar tastes anyway.
The moment I entered the store, I saw his and bought it right away.
...I didn't pick it randomly. Really.
"How is it, Jiu? Does it look okay?"
"Wow
- It suits you so well!"
See? It's a perfect fit.
Dad quickly tried on the padded jacket and looked himself over from different angles, striking a pose, and at Jiu's words that it suited him well, his cheekbones rose.
He seemed to be trying to hide his smile, but it didn't seem to be working.
"Oh, oh, look at this. I'm already sweating. This isn't a padded jacket, it's a sauna."
"Wow, really...?"
"The size too, it's just perfect for me."
When Dad laughed wholeheartedly, looking satisfied, Jiu made an envious expression.
"I wonder if it's okay for only me to receive something like this. Is there something for Jiu too?"
"Oh, no. Uncle. I'm fine."
At Dad's words, Jiu waved her hands, but no matter who looked, it was a lie.
Jiu had been absentmindedly agreeing and stealing glances at the remaining shopping bags.
I laughed and said.
"Yours is here too."
"...Really? Why did you buy mine too. I really don't need it... hehe."
Even while saying she didn't need it, the corners of Jiu's mouth crept upward.
I felt like teasing her for no reason.
"You really don't need it? Then I'll return it..."
"Hey, hey. Don't be a pain. I can't let you waste your time!"
As if someone were trying to snatch them away, Jiu quickly grabbed the shopping bags.
Jiu's eyes widened after checking the contents inside.
"Why is there so much!?"
"Well, actually I didn't buy it. The Captain bought it."
"The Captain did?"
"Yeah."
The Captain had told me not to say he bought it, but to say I bought it.
But lying felt a bit wrong.
And this wasn't exactly cheap.
"But why would the Captain buy me something like this...?"
"Huh? Well, just because."
Jiu tilted her head and looked at me.
When I met those eyes, Jiu suddenly broke into a grin.
"Ahh, I got it. I'll pretend the Captain bought it."
"...?"
"Tell him thank you. I'll choose to believe that."
...What's she talking about.
The Captain really did buy it, though.
But seeing Jiu so happy, I didn't really feel like explaining.
But then, when I happened to make eye contact with Dad... Dad alternated his gaze between Jiu's pile of clothes and the padded jacket, and his expression soon turned a little sullen.
Ah, no... even if there's a difference in quantity, Dad's was more expensive.
I scratched my head.
***
Serie A in Italy doesn't hold matches for roughly two weeks, from late December to early January.
It's a winter break, but in truth, it's a break only for the players; the clubs are actually busier during this period.
Because the winter transfer market officially opens on January 1st.
Especially Fiorentina this year was expected to be even busier.
There were quite a few players that needed to be offloaded, and quite a few positions that needed strengthening.
More than anything, it was also because Fiorentina was the team possessing a hot commodity receiving inquiries from all over Europe.
"So, first of all, Chiesa will likely be wrapped up as a permanent transfer..."
With all of Fiorentina's higher-ups gathered, Director Paolo reviewed the documents with narrowed eyes and spoke.
"Next is Vlahovic."
At the name that had made the team, not to mention all of Europe, buzz over the past few months, everyone leaned forward.
They had already attempted to re-sign Vlahovic several times, but all attempts had failed, so the direction had now been set toward letting him go.
Director Paolo spoke.
"There may be some change. As you all know, the talks that had progressed the most so far were with Juventus, but..."
"Well, has a better offer come in?"
"Not exactly. An entirely different proposal has come in."
"An entirely different proposal?"
Director Paolo nodded.
"We quietly received contact saying they want to sign Ji-an Lee instead of Vlahovic. They said they'd like to offer a level similar to the amount we had set for Vlahovic."
"...A similar amount?"
"To that extent?"
"Yes. To be exact, it falls slightly below that level."
At Director Paolo's words, everyone made surprised expressions.
An offer at a level similar to Vlahovic? To a player who had debuted with the senior team less than six months ago?
Well, age is king in the transfer market, to be honest. If they have similar ability, a player even one year younger getting a higher price is just how this business works.
But there are limits to that.
Lee Ji-an was sixteen, a rookie among rookies who hadn't even played half a season.
That they would make an offer similar to Vlahovic for such a rookie.
"They must be truly desperate."
"Their heads are about to roll."
Everyone chuckled and muttered.
Juventus really seemed to be in a hurry. The situation had been growing serious since the last match.
"Then we send Lee to Juve and Vlahovic to England? That seems right."
Someone raised a hand and spoke.
It wasn't only Juve that had shown interest in Vlahovic, so even if Juve gave up on him, there were many places to send him.
But Director Paolo shook his head.
"Lee is absolutely out of the question. For now."
"For now...?"
"Yes. Well, isn't it obvious? His contract isn't expiring anytime soon. There is simply no reason to sell."
At Director Paolo's words, everyone nodded as if to say that made sense.
Lee Ji-an was essentially an NFS (Not For Sale) player.
They could sell Vlahovic, but not him. It was because the fans expected so much of him and loved him.
Selling such a player carelessly could cause trouble.
But... "Still, at that amount... shouldn't we at least think about it?"
At someone's words, everyone nodded again this time.
"It's essentially a panic buy. Opportunities to sell a prospect for that price aren't common."
It certainly didn't feel like a normal offer.
Sensational as his performances had been, to value a prospect who had just debuted on a level similar to Vlahovic, who had been the best striker in recent years.
It was natural to think this was an offer only possible because Juventus was backed into a corner, and natural to wonder if this opportunity would come again.
"No."
But Director Paolo shook his head firmly.
"Absolutely not."
"You don't have to say absolutely..."
"No. Right now we would unconditionally be at a loss. Why? Because Lee's value will continue to rise. I'm saying now is not his peak. Even if we just stay still, money will copy itself. My plan is as follows."
Director Paolo began explaining his thoughts. Having been the one to recognize Lee Ji-an faster than anyone and finalize his contract, Director Paolo had everyone's full attention.