A Pleasant Thrill -2
There was a match on the weekend.
The opponent was a team called Atalanta, but I wasn't called up.
Meaning I couldn't even sit on the bench.
Still, I thought I'd pulled my weight during the practice match, so I'd been expecting to make it, but...
It seemed the coach didn't think I was ready to take the pitch yet.
Now, next week—no, wait.
Jiu is coming this weekend.
Failing to make the squad when time is running short made me feel a bit impatient, but
since there was nothing else I could do about it, I just did individual training.
Honestly, hoping to make the entry list after briefly playing as a filler in a practice game was greedy in itself.
Anyway, the weekend passed like that.
Midweek training began.
Monday, I trained with the reserve group.
Tuesday, and Wednesday as well, I trained with the reserve group.
And Thursday, when my anxiety was growing ever larger.
"Jian. Jian, go over there."
"Huh? Ah, yes sir!"
I was called over to the first team.
And trained there.
I was really happy, but I had no time to enjoy that joy.
Because as soon as I was called over, tactical training began.
All training is the same in a way, but still, basic drills or physical training are fine to do with your brain half-off. They're close to simple repetition.
But tactical training is something you can't lose focus on for even a moment, so I buckled down and threw myself into it.
Fortunately, the tactical training wasn't all that complicated.
I trained with the kids playing the same position as me, that is, the seconda punta spot.
Currently, there were three players in the first team who could fill this spot, including me.
Option 1 was Gino Calvani.
Option 2 was Andrea Mondi.
And Option 3 was me.
We proceeded with training by rotating the three of us in this role.
So I had no choice but to approach training more aggressively than ever before.
Think about it.
When a situation was given, it went like this: Gino, Andrea, and I would rotate in turn and show our respective plays in that situation.
Isn't this an environment where it's too easy to be compared?
What if Gino or Andrea easily solved a situation, but I showed myself floundering?
The coach would probably go like this.
*Tsk*, you're still lacking a lot.
"It's too soon to send you out in the weekend match!" Like that.
Well, anyway.
The focus of training was largely two things.
One was how to move the ball from midfield to the final third when we had possession in the center.
The other was how to link up to the finish in the final third.
Focusing on these two situations, we performed partial tactics while building chemistry with the midfielders or other forwards.
What was a bit interesting was that even in the same situation, the three of us each had different styles of solving it.
Gino, probably because he'd played as a starter for a long time, had great chemistry with his teammates.
Andrea tended to solve things more with individual skill.
I just adapted moment by moment, sometimes utilizing teammates and sometimes choosing individual play.
Of course, that didn't mean I was the most complete of the three.
Gino's play was smooth, and Andrea stood out.
I was just barely getting by with the feeling of doing whatever it took not to get chewed out.
Still, the power of desperation was greater than I thought.
Because I was able to finish training without any notable mistakes.
Rather, when Gino and Andrea got pointed out, there were times I received praise.
Well... that was probably just because the expectations for those two and me were different, though.
"Good work, everyone. Get plenty of rest tomorrow. Manage your condition well on Saturday. See you Sunday."
"Great work-!"
*Whew.*
Anyway, I'd done my best in the environment I'd been given.
Whether I could play in the weekend match now rested entirely on the coach's choice.
Honestly, I knew it was greedy to hope to make the matchday squad after just one training session with the first team.
But right now, it was a situation where I had to be greedy, so I couldn't help it.
Tomorrow, Jiu would arrive.
Throwing shame to the wind, I shouted inwardly.
Please.
Please give me a chance, Coach!
...
The day after Thursday's training ended.
By Friday noon, my phone was on fire.
Messages were coming in at a rate of one per minute, and they were from Jiu.
Jiu: [Photo]
Jiu: Finally arrived!!!
Jiu: Taking a taxi to the city now!!
Jiu: The streets are so pretty ㅜㅜㅜ
Yeah.
Jiu was here.
Honestly, until yesterday it hadn't felt real, but now it finally did.
She was here. For real.
I was in big trouble.
Feeling like a fire had been lit under my feet, I quickly took a shower first.
"Should've bought some clothes in advance."
After washing and opening my closet, a sigh escaped me.
All I had were uniforms and training wear.
I did have jeans and T-shirts, but they were from when I was younger so they felt a bit tacky.
Nothing to be done about it, I guess.
I'll just wear training clothes.
It's not like I'm meeting a girlfriend or anything.
Jiu: I arrived at my homestay!!
Jiu: I think we can meet in about an hour!
An hour?
What kind of preparation takes a whole hour?
The house where Jiu was staying wasn't very far. If you had to classify it, it was like the next neighborhood over.
She was doing a homestay at a normal family home, and she'd said she'd be attending school once the semester started.
Fortunately, it was a different school from mine.
By the way...
*Whew.*
Taking advantage of the free time, I lay on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
I felt strange.
Was I a little... nervous?
I didn't know why, but I was a bit jittery.
No, when we were young, we were attached at the hip almost every day.
Even after coming abroad, we'd kept in touch constantly.
I didn't know why I was getting nervous now of all times.
...It's not even like I'm going on a date.
*Hmm.*
Still, it wasn't a bad kind of nervousness.
What do you call this?
A not-bad tremor...
I don't know.
"No text yet?"
Letting out a sigh, I checked my phone again.
It should be about time for the team text.
The squad list text, I mean.
Did it usually come this late?
It felt especially late today.
*Whew.*
Will I play, or not?
I'd done pretty well in training, though.
If I wasn't included in the list, what excuse should I give to Jiu?
That I'm resting this week?
Or would it be better to say the opponent was weak so there was no need for me to play?
*Ugh.*
I don't know.
Normally, I was happy when the call-up text didn't come.
Now, I couldn't wait for it.
Hurry up and come, please!
Jiu: I'm almost ready!
Jiu: Come out soon!
...I wasn't talking to you.
Anyway, I should get going soon.
Check the mirror once before leaving.
"You'll be back after dinner?"
"Yes. I'm planning to eat nearby."
"Alright. Have a good time. Don't be too late."
I'd told Dad in advance.
Since Jiu had come over to our house sometimes, Dad knew her well.
As I was putting on my shoes to go out, Dad spoke.
"Son."
"Yes?"
"Go do well."
"...Do what?"
"Never mind. Be on your way."
"?"
What does he mean, do well?
"...I'm off."
I pouted my lips and left the house.
*
"It's here."
The place where Jiu would be staying was about twenty minutes from my house.
Since she'd just arrived and didn't know the way, she'd asked me to come get her, so I'd had no choice but to come all the way to her front door.
After sending a message telling her I'd arrived, I let out an unnecessary sigh.
Why am I really so nervous? It's annoying.
Come to think of it, it really has been a long time since we met.
Since it's been three years.
How will it be? Will it be awkward?
Eh.
We were friends since we were seven.
We'd kept in contact all along.
There shouldn't be anything awkward.
"..."
While I was waiting with various thoughts.
"Hey!"
A familiar voice rang out, and I raised my head.
It was Jiu.
Jiu was hopping over with a bright smile.
Uh...
I stared blankly at that sight for a moment, then awkwardly raised my hand.
"Uh... hi."
Even I thought it was a stupid greeting, but it couldn't be helped.
No... she's changed a lot.
I'd seen her in photos all this time, but seeing her in person felt completely different.
The Gim Jiu I knew was practically a tomboy...
"Hey! What's with that greeting? Aren't you happy to see me?"
"...Huh? Y-yeah."
"...? Excuse me?"
Since I was mumbling like something was broken, Jiu waved her palm in front of my face.
In an instant, something like hand cream fragrance wafted in sharply, making my head spin.
I turned my head for no reason and said.
"What's with the clothes?"
"Clothes? Why? Pretty, right?"
Jiu smiled, turning her body this way and that as if showing off.
"...You never wore skirts or anything."
Jiu was wearing a dress.
Did she like dressing up before?
Well, it was a style that many tourists wore.
She used to only wear pants.
Jiu tilted her head, grinned, and said.
"Why? Do I suddenly look like a girl because I'm wearing a skirt?"
"What..."
"But why can't you look me in the eyes? Hmm?"
"Ah, come on."
"Fell for me? Hmm? Hmm?"
Every time I turned my head, she followed to make eye contact, so I turned my body around completely.
"...Let's go eat."
"Am I looking like a girl to you or what!"
Well of course she's a girl, what else would she be.
Only her appearance changed; inside, she's exactly the same.
"Let's go!"
Seeing her enjoying herself while teasing me, it finally hit me that the Jiu I knew had really come.
*
"Wow... great atmosphere. What is this place? Did you look it up?"
"I just came in because I saw it."
"Really? But it's really nice?"
"They're all like this here. It's just a normal neighborhood restaurant."
"Wow... Europe really is different..."
Watching Jiu admire the restaurant interior, I smirked.
Since we were young, if anyone was taking anyone anywhere, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I was the follower.
Whether going out, sightseeing, or doing anything.
It was always Jiu who suggested going first.
Now that the opposite was happening, how should I put it?
I felt like I'd somehow become an adult.
Honestly, despite not having that many good memories since coming to Italy.
I poured water and drank it with feigned composure, not even giving the interior a glance.
As if I were at a regular neighborhood restaurant I frequented.
Though it was actually a restaurant I'd found through searches for good food and had never been to before.
The same went when ordering.
"Hmm... I think ordering two pastas like this would be good. Should we order something to share in the middle?"
"Uh... well, just do whatever. I don't really know."
"This place's bistecca is good, so... Excuse me, we're ready to order."
In truth, since coming to Italy, I'd never been the one to order at a restaurant like this.
When I came with Dad, Dad did it; when I came with the coaches sometimes, the coaches did it.
I was needlessly nervous, but I ordered as nonchalantly as possible, as if I ate like this every day.
"SÌ. Non avete altro da ordinare? (Do you need anything else?)"
"Perfetto. (We're good.)"
"SÌ."
Coolly, as if indifferent.
After finishing the order and closing the menu with a snap before sliding it aside, Jiu looked at me with an inscrutable smile.
"...What?"
"Huh? No, you just look a bit different?"
"How so?"
"Until you were in Korea, you were really a baby. Your noona had to take care of everything for you. You've grown a lot, a lot."
"What."
I laughed shortly in disbelief, but actually, that was true. But now that the roles were reversed, I felt some needless tension in my shoulders.
...But honestly, this wasn't the time to be putting on airs.
Because the call-up text still hadn't arrived.
"Hey, the day after tomorrow? You have a match."
"Huh? ...Yeah."
"I can look forward to it, right? Finally getting to see our soccer genius in action?"
She was poking at a sore spot with devilish precision.
She doesn't even like soccer that much, so why is she looking forward to it so much?
I avoided Jiu's gaze as she looked at me with sparkling eyes, pretending to look away for no reason.
"Well... it's up to you whether you do or not."
"Then promise me one thing."
"What promise?"
"Score a goal in tomorrow's match. How about it? For a friend you haven't seen in three years, you can at least do that, right? Our Jian is a genius."
"...That's a bit much to promise."
"Why? Is it hard?"
"It's not that it's hard..."
As I mumbled, Jiu tilted her head.
No... damn.
What excuse should I give?
Should I be honest right now and say, "I don't even know if I'll be able to play in the match, let alone score"?
Until yesterday, the bravado flowed easily, but now I was one step away from being found out, so the words wouldn't come out carelessly.
"Hmm. Well, it's not like you can just score goals whenever you want, right?"
No, but did she really come with such high expectations?
When I didn't answer and she made a disappointed expression, as I was about to make some excuse.
Vvvvrrr-
My phone in my pocket rang.
Checking immediately, it was a message from the coach.
After checking that message, I put the phone back in my pocket and spoke with feigned calm.
"Why would I need to promise something like that? What's so hard about scoring a goal? How many do you want?"
It was a message saying I'd been included in the Sunday match squad.
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