Good thing I knew.
Really.
If I hadn't known today was Christmas Eve, and that Eve was a day when you had to do something···
I probably would've gotten smacked by Jiu.
"How about this? Is it okay?"
"...It's fine."
"No, look closely and answer properly. Is it really okay?"
"I looked closely. I said it's fine."
"You looked closely? At what?"
"..."
I sigh and turn my head away from Jiu, who giggles mischievously.
I had made plans to go downtown with Jiu in the evening, and right now I was helping her pick out clothes to wear.
I didn't get why she was worrying so much when it seemed like she could just wear anything.
Actually, Jiu had subtly asked yesterday evening.
"Are you training tomorrow too?"
I hadn't realized it at the time, but thinking about it now, that was a question I needed to answer carefully.
"Tomorrow... I'm not planning to."
"...You're not? Why?"
"It's a holiday after all, I should have a rest day."
"Hm. Really?"
When I answered that I'd rest tomorrow, I could see Jiu's expression brighten even as she pretended otherwise.
She had asked casually, as if in passing, but it actually wasn't.
"Then... what are you going to do?"
"Who knows. Just... maybe I'll go downtown or something."
"With your dad?"
"Dad? Dad said he's going golfing with the manager and coach."
"Hm. Really?"
When she heard that Dad, the manager, and the coach—these three men—had plans, Jiu's voice grew even brighter.
"What about that hyung, Jino?"
"He's going back to Palermo this evening. Said he's meeting his family."
"Ah, really? Hmm... then I guess we'll have to go just the two of us."
"Well... yeah."
"Yeah, well. Then let's do that."
At the news that Jino was leaving, Jiu twitched the corners of her mouth before whirling into her room.
And now...
"I think I'll wear this after all."
"...If you were going to choose whatever you wanted anyway, why did you ask?"
"Because I'm the one wearing it, so it's my choice. Now get out. I'm going to change."
"..."
"What are you doing? I said get out."
"Alright."
Jiu's energy, having pulled out every piece of clothing she owned to put on a fashion show, seemed like it would fly into the sky.
I shook my head and walked out, closing the door.
Come to think of it, Jiu really has some childlike sides.
She can't hide her expressions well.
When she's in a good mood, you can see her getting happier in real time, and when she's depressed, you can see her getting depressed.
Maybe it's like how restaurants have 'OPEN' and 'CLOSE' signs—it feels like she walks around with 'I'm in a good mood now' or 'I'm not in a good mood now' plastered on her face.
Kids are exactly like that.
These days, whenever I see Jiu like that, I often get a strange feeling.
Whenever Jiu called herself my noona, I never once reacted to it, but truthfully, I had somewhat felt that way in my heart.
More like a noona than a friend.
Well, it's not that she looks old.
It's just that ever since we were young, Jiu had more courage than me, was better at studying, and was better at talking.
I always felt she was a bit more of an adult than me.
But these days, there are times when Jiu looks like a little child.
Why is that?
Have I grown that much?
Hmm.
I don't know.
*
The scenery of the sky turning appropriately dark and the lights brightening that darkness in orange gave quite a cozy feeling.
Evening came and I came out to the small downtown area with Jiu, and the downtown was already bustling with a Christmas atmosphere.
"Buon Natale!"
The streets were filled with nothing but people smiling happily, and they all offered the same greeting.
Buon Natale.
It means Merry Christmas.
"Buon Natale!"
Jiu exchanges greetings excitedly with passersby.
I don't know how she can be so opposite to me.
She greets people she's never met like old friends, and when she's curious about something, she can't bear it and runs off to look around, as if she can't rest until she does.
She's really just like a puppy.
Not as an insult, but literally like a cute puppy wagging its tail propeller and trotting around.
"Wow, what's this? It looks delicious!"
"Provalo! (Please try it!)"
"Huh? You're giving it to me?"
"Yeah. They said to try it."
"Thank you! Thank you! Grazie!"
"Hahaha!"
Maybe the townspeople found Jiu cute like that too; whenever she scurried over to look at something, they gave her something to eat.
Just like giving treats to a puppy.
Thanks to that, I got to eat one by one beside her, and it felt like I could fill my stomach without spending any money just by following Jiu around.
"How is everything so delicious? Amazing, right?"
"Yeah."
"And everyone is so kind. Is it because it's Christmas? It's really nice..."
"...Yeah. It is nice."
Anyway, it was nice.
The streets were cozy yet lively, everything tasted good, people were kind, and everyone looked happy.
Being among people radiating such bright energy, how should I put it—
For this moment at least, it felt like all my worries disappeared.
"Wow, that's a huge tree! Let's go take a picture!"
"Uh, uh."
Truthfully, Christmas had been nothing more than a day without any particular meaning to me. Just one day out of 365.
I hadn't been interested in it at all. I only realized it was Christmas because the manager had mentioned it.
Rather, I used to dislike Christmas when I was young.
Up until elementary school, I had to go to church, and I really hated that back then.
Having to greet people I didn't know all day long, having to eat with them.
That bustling, lively atmosphere just didn't suit me.
"I'm going to stand in front, so take a good picture! Long legs, small face. You know what I mean?"
"I don't."
"Argh, seriously! I taught you last time. Just align the bottom of the frame with my toes."
"Got it."
But today... I don't know.
It's still bustling with people and everyone is radiating lively energy.
But it's not entirely bad.
No, rather, I enjoyed it.
This moment was quite enjoyable.
"Did it come out well?"
"Well... it came out just as you are."
"Let me see. Hmm... you're right? It came out exactly like real life?"
When I showed her the photo taken in front of the large Christmas tree, the corners of Jiu's lips curved up in a grin.
Actually, she came out looking much taller than in real life, but sometimes these little white lies have a good effect.
Lately, I'm learning the wisdom of life.
"What's that? There are so many people gathered."
"I know, right."
"Let's go see too!"
A beagle's stamina is uncontrollable.
The moment we checked the photo, I was grabbed by the arm and dragged off again by Jiu.
I thought I'd trained my stamina pretty hard... but why does it feel like Jiu's stamina is better?
Is this what they call talent?
Anyway.
The place I was dragged to had something like a small arched gate. I didn't know what the gate was for, but people were lining up and passing through it.
"Let's do it too!"
"What is that..."
"It's probably one of those things, right? Where if you pass through there, your wish comes true, or something like that."
I hate waiting in line to do things, but pulled by Jiu's hand, I had no choice but to line up.
Seeing everyone passing through joyfully, it seemed to have some kind of meaning.
After waiting like that, our turn came.
"Please let everything go well!"
"..."
Jiu made a wish without even knowing what this was, and I passed through the gate without saying anything.
Instead, I made a wish inside.
That this happiness wouldn't be broken going forward.
"Oh, there's something written here. What does it say?"
Having passed through the gate like that, a small signpost was standing there. It seemed like a guidepost, so I tried reading it...
...Huh?
"Why? What does it mean?"
Even after reading it, I couldn't answer Jiu's question. I had really thought it would be like Jiu said—a wish-granting thing, or something for health.
It wasn't.
"What, is it a difficult word? Wait a minute."
"Ah, no. It's not that—"
When I didn't answer, Jiu took out her phone. And without giving me a chance to stop her, she turned on an app that automatically translates when you take a picture, and translated the guidepost.
"...A gate of love that connects eternal love?"
"..."
"..."
"...Let's go."
"Uh, uh. Yeah..."
Ahem.
Feeling awkward for no reason, we quickly moved our steps.
Well... anyway.
Today was probably a first.
A Christmas that would remain as a good memory.
...
The two-week holiday had ended.
After spending quite a warm winter on the island of Sicily, we returned to Florence, and daily life began again.
The training ground we returned to hadn't changed.
Though it had been two weeks since we'd seen them, the seniors were the same too.
Everyone's faces were bright, perhaps because they'd rested well, and we trained in a more lively atmosphere than before.
However, it wasn't that nothing had changed.
Actually, something extremely important had changed.
A face that should have been there wasn't visible.
We couldn't see Senior Vlahović at the training ground.
"You saw on the way here, right? That vicious stuff."
"...Yes."
"Of all places, he had to go there..."
During the holiday, I had lived without touching my phone at all, so I hadn't known... but according to the news I heard belatedly, Senior Vlahović had left the team.
He had transferred.
To Juventus.
Perhaps because of that, the road to the training ground was lined with graffiti of vicious phrases.
They were crude words almost too harsh to speak. Kill, spare, won't let it go...
The word traitor was always attached at the end.
"If we don't get results at a time like this, the atmosphere will get even more brutal, so we remaining ones just have to do well."
Naturally, the fans were said to be very angry. Of course at Vlahović, but also at the club for failing to keep him.
Especially because he went to Juventus, public sentiment was said to be even worse.
Honestly... I felt a bit off about it too.
They say the pro world is cold-hearted... but it had been only a few weeks since we beat Juventus together and celebrated like that.
That he had gone to the very team we had beaten did make me feel a slight sense of betrayal.
But... everyone has their own circumstances.
It's not right to speak carelessly about others' affairs, and meddling in others' business was never my hobby in the first place.
Worrying only about what I had to do was exhausting enough for me.
But...
"Hey, you know. This season."
"Yeah?"
"I hope we finish higher than Juventus."
"Higher than Juventus?"
"Yes. I just... I hope so."
I just had that thought.
By the time summer comes, whatever position we're in.
I had the thought that I hope we'd be higher than Juventus.
I thought that.
"Hey, maknae. Can I ask you a favor?"
"...What favor?"
"If we win this week's match, and if you happen to get an interview."
"Yes."
"Just say exactly what you said just now."
"...In an interview? Why?"
I tilted my head, and the captain spoke, baring his white teeth.
"If you say that, I think we can flip the currently vicious public sentiment in one go."
Hmm... is that so.
I shrugged and nodded.
Saying that wasn't a difficult thing.
Winning the match and doing the interview were the hard parts.
...
Our first league opponent after the break was a team called Empoli FC.
It wasn't an unfamiliar team. Because although it was in the U17, we had met them once before.
Back then, I think I recorded 2 goals and 1 assist. Actually, I don't really know my own records well, and I'm not the type to try to remember them.
The reason I remember that match is because I succeeded in signing a pro contract after playing it.
So, well, the conclusion was that I had good memories with the team called Empoli.
However, apart from that, I couldn't help but feel quite nervous when I stepped onto the pitch.
Because the atmosphere at the stadium was no ordinary matter.
"Things are no joke."
"If we lose today, we're fucked. Guys."
Just like the seniors said, it was an atmosphere where it felt like something really bad would happen if we lost.
The air felt acrid from the red smoke lit here and there, and banners with vicious phrases hung all around the stands.
They were all content criticizing our team.
Calling them merchants who only know money, saying this team doesn't think about the future...
These were the phrases that were at least speakable, and the others were of a level too harsh to even utter.
Seeing that, I couldn't help but feel much more tense than usual.
Come to think of it, I hadn't actually done anything wrong.
"Beep—!"
Anyway, the match started like that.
Just like in the last cup competition match, I took on the role of the foremost striker and false nine, and approached the game drawing on that memory.
Perhaps thanks to having experienced it once, it wasn't as difficult to unfold the game as it had been then.
I focused on the plays I had to make with some familiarity.
For one, my condition was pretty good.
It definitely felt like the results of training were showing.
Even I could feel that my body was quite light, and my speed seemed a bit faster too.
Of course, it was probably just a feeling.
Having run on sandy beaches throughout the holiday, running on smooth grass inevitably felt that way.
But the important thing was that thanks to that, my confidence had risen considerably without me realizing it.
I played more aggressively than usual.
And that had a good effect.
Waaaaaaah—!
Around the 20th minute of the first half, our opening goal went in, and I recorded an assist.
It was Senior Saponara who finished the through pass I gave from the front of the arc.
Moreover, around the 15th minute of the second half, I scored myself. After creating space with give-and-go passes with the right winger Callejón, the shot I took from the right side of the box split the goal net.
They were moments that made running around on sandy beaches throughout the holiday worthwhile.
"Now, hello! Congratulations on the victory!"
After the match ended in a 2-0 victory like that.
I stood in front of the camera with a reporter holding a microphone.
When I was answering the reporter's questions, thinking that while I'd gotten used to playing matches, interviews never seemed like something I could get used to...
The reporter asked me this question.
"Vlahović, with whom you boasted good chemistry, has transferred to Juventus. If you have any emotions regarding this, or anything you'd like to say?"
The moment I heard that question, the captain's words came to mind. So, looking at the vicious banners hanging around the stands, I answered.