Among the hospitals capable of detailed examinations, I was transferred to the one closest to the stadium and immediately received a check-up.
From the moment I was moved to the hospital, throughout the examination, and while waiting for the results, I felt as though my blood were drying up... but fortunately, the words that came from the doctor in charge of my treatment were hopeful.
“It appears to be due to simple accumulated fatigue. There’s no major problem.”
It wasn’t a serious injury—just accumulated fatigue.
At those words, I let out a deep sigh, and the trainer also let out a sigh of relief.
The funny thing was, even the doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a sigh.
“Do you know how surprised I was watching the broadcast? I was terrified.”
In fact, I could tell early on that the doctor was also a Fiorentina fan from the photos hanging here and there in the room.
They were photos of players who had been in his care before me, taken with their arms around the doctor’s shoulders.
“Anyway, that’s a relief. We examined you with all our capabilities, but found no signs of muscle tears or sprains. It seems your muscles were simply startled after moving aggressively while in a state of accumulated fatigue.”
Since the doctor was smiling like that as he spoke, it definitely didn’t seem to be a major problem. ...I felt awkward for no reason.
It felt like I was faking an illness over nothing.
No, but it really had hurt earlier.
But the doctor soon changed his expression and spoke seriously.
“But don’t misunderstand this. Even though there’s nothing seriously wrong right now, if fatigue continues to accumulate like this, it could progress to a sprain or tear. You’ve simply stopped at the stage just before that.”
So it wasn’t faking after all.
“Rather, it’s fortunate that you felt something wrong and stopped there. If you had kept running while enduring it, you would have blown the rest of the season. In your current state, rest is absolutely necessary.”
“I think so too.”
The doctor and the trainer both nodded simultaneously.
“...”
Between them, I could only quietly watch their reactions.
It was a relief that it wasn’t an injury, but still, the trainer had warned me several times.
I felt sorry because it seemed I had made things worse due to my own greed, and I was also sorry to the seniors and the coach who had remained to play the match even after I was substituted.
Of course, the same went for the fans who would be anxiously worried, for Dad, and for Jiwoo.
Hmm.
Thinking like this, I realized my body wasn’t mine alone.
Because there were so many people who would be sadder than me if I got hurt.
In many ways, I resolved that I must absolutely avoid getting hurt.
While I was reflecting like that, the doctor asked with a deliberately bright voice.
“Do you happen to remember how tall you were about half a year ago?”
I searched my memory for a moment at that question before answering.
“Uh... I think I was about 177 centimeters half a year ago.”
I wondered why he was suddenly asking about my height, but upon hearing my answer, the doctor made a slightly surprised expression and said,
“Then you’ve grown 3 centimeters in half a year. The examination sheet here shows 180.5 centimeters.”
“...Ah. Really?”
I had passed 180?
At my question asking if it was true, the doctor nodded, and I smiled unconsciously before having to lower the corners of my mouth after reading the trainer’s expression.
Honestly, me.
Here I was, having come to the hospital injured, yet laughing because I heard I had grown taller.
Perhaps finding my appearance absurd, the doctor also burst out laughing and said,
“Anyway, since your body is still growing, it’s true that your recovery is better than others, but don’t take rest lightly. Your body’s balance isn’t fully established yet, so you’re prone to injury. Well, it’s not like this is the first or second time you’ve heard this.”
At those words, the trainer nodded vigorously, and I nodded too.
Anyway, I was happy about the fact that I had grown taller.
I wished I could grow just as much as Vlahović.
Then I could become a player who could participate in aerial duels when the team needed me.
“Until the next check-up, you must absolutely use this. You can’t just walk around because you feel fine or because it’s annoying. Know that every time you do that, your return date gets delayed by a week.”
“Yes...”
Anyway, after all the examinations were finished, the doctor handed me crutches that looked like walking sticks.
Having to use crutches made me feel like a real patient, but at the warning that my return date could be delayed, I decided I absolutely had to use them.
“Then let’s meet again in a week.”
Since he said we needed to monitor the progress even though I was fine for now, we made an appointment, and I got up using the crutches and bowed respectfully to the doctor.
And as I was about to leave the room, I hesitated for a moment before speaking to the doctor.
“Um... would it be possible... a photo...?”
I had asked just in case because of the photos of players hanging around the room, and at my words, the doctor burst out laughing.
“After you’ve fully recovered. Could you smile for a photo in your current situation? All these photos were taken after full recovery too.”
“Ah...”
“I’ll ask for an autograph then too.”
Feeling awkward for no reason, I smiled like a fool and left the room with the trainer.
“Phew. Thank goodness. Thank goodness. I really thought I was going to faint earlier. It felt like the hair all over my body was standing on end.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s my fault. I should have spoken firmly to the coach. I thought you’d be fine at least until today. It’s my lack of ability.”
We walked down the hallway with awkward smiles.
I had cried in the stadium tunnel earlier, so the fact that I could laugh now was a relief... though looking back, it was a bit embarrassing.
I was supposed to be a pro player, and at my age too, bawling like that.
“...Please pretend that didn’t happen earlier.”
When I quietly asked the trainer, he seemed unable to understand for a moment before realizing my meaning and chuckling.
As we walked down the hallway together like that.
I spotted familiar faces far down the hallway.
Uh... it was Coach Vincenzo and... Coach Tony.
Their appearance was a bit strange.
What I mean is, the two of them were standing facing each other. Coach Vincenzo had his head bowed deeply, and Coach Tony in front of him was saying something angrily.
What the.
Could Coach Tony actually be scolding Coach Vincenzo?
As I slowly walked closer, bits of their conversation began to reach my ears.
“...Come on, really. A coach who can’t even grasp the physical condition of a player, huh?”
“...”
“If he had collapsed after colliding with something, I might understand. But he sat down on his own while running? A sixteen-year-old kid?”
“...”
“I told you not to give him excessive burden, but when did I say to neglect him? Huh? What if it had been a serious injury!”
...He really was getting scolded.
*“They say it’s not really serious? Huh? Really?”
“I told you it’s not. He just accumulated a bit of fatigue.”
“They say he’s really okay? Really?”
“Really. They say he’s really okay.”
Jiwoo kept repeating the same question no matter how many times I said I was okay, making a hollow laugh burst out of me.
At that, Jiwoo hit my shoulders repeatedly.
“Ah, ah. Why are you hitting me?”
“Is this the time to laugh? Hey, you idiot! Do you know how worried we were? Huh? Do you know how worried!”
“...Sorry. But they say I’m really okay.”
“Ha, really! Really!”
“...Could you stop hitting me? I think I’m actually going to get hurt at this rate.”
“You’re really like a fool. Fool, fool, fool...”
Jiwoo, who had been throwing punches that didn’t hurt at all for quite a while, finally sat down on the sofa as if relieved.
I didn’t know what she had done, but her head was soaked with sweat and disheveled.
Well... needless to say, the atmosphere at home was downright murderous when I returned.
Dad was holding his head, and Jiwoo had her face buried in the sofa.
When I even appeared using crutches, both of them looked like they were about to pass out.
Seeing that made me think it was fortunate it wasn’t a more serious injury, and also made me think I had to be careful from now on.
This time it ended fortunately, but if it had really been a serious injury... wouldn’t Dad and Jiwoo have been sad continuously?
My heart sank even more at the thought of seeing them like that.
I had felt it earlier too, but my body was no longer mine alone.
“But you know.”
“...What, you fool.”
Sitting next to Jiwoo and carefully speaking to her, Jiwoo glanced at me and answered gruffly.
For some reason, that sight made me want to laugh, but I held back my laughter and spoke.
“What you said earlier, did you mean it?”
“...What do you mean, what I said earlier? What did I say?”
I looked into Jiwoo’s eyes as she answered as if she couldn’t remember.
Hmm. Judging by her expression, she didn’t seem to be pretending not to know; she really seemed to have forgotten.
I shook my head.
“It’s nothing.”
“What. Why start talking and then stop. What did I say earlier?”
“...You don’t remember?”
“Yeah. I was out of it.”
“I don’t remember either. That’s why I asked.”
“What. Absurd. Anyway, seeing that you have the leisure to talk nonsense, I guess you’re fine. Goodness, really.”
I put on a silly smile at Jiwoo, who snorted.
Earlier, the moment I opened the door and came in, Jiwoo had sprung up, run to me, and said this first:
“Hey!! Do you want to die? Why did you get hurt and cause a fuss! Lee Jian! Are you okay? No, you have to be okay! If you get hurt, my heart gets hurt too, you idiot!”
If you get hurt, my heart gets hurt too...
“...”
To hide my flaring nostrils, I turned my head away from Jiwoo.
I was definitely sorry for making her worry, but I didn’t know why I kept wanting to laugh since earlier.
Well anyway... I have to make sure that Jiwoo’s heart never gets hurt from now on.
Absolutely.
*“I’m glad you’re okay. Earlier, Dad was also startled...”
“...I’m sorry.”
“What do you mean, sorry. Well, anyway, rest well. Don’t worry about anything else.”
“Yes...”
I have no face before Dad.
Because I knew that when I had collapsed, Dad was the one whose heart had sunk more than anyone else’s.
Because Dad was someone who worried about me whether asleep or awake.
“...Dad.”
“Hmm?”
“I think I shouldn’t be greedy after all.”
“...Greedy?”
As I spoke while lying in bed, Dad, sitting at the foot of the bed, looked at me.
I spoke while keeping my gaze on the ceiling.
“In my desire to do well... my body tried to follow that forward-moving mind too late and overdid it, I suppose.”
“...That’s right.”
I wasn’t a son who was affectionate toward Dad.
I had always been taciturn, but even more so at home. Ever since I was young.
So rather than speaking to Dad first, I had always just answered his questions.
I had rarely opened up about serious concerns or my inner thoughts.
But now, perhaps because I felt I needed to reassure Dad somehow.
Sincerity flowed from my mouth.
“I won’t do that from now on.”
“Yes. There’s no need for that.”
“Today’s match. It was definitely a poor performance. But the spectators applauded. They could have cursed and it wouldn’t have been strange.”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks to that, my heart felt very much at ease. I don’t need to show a perfect appearance every single moment... it’s okay to not do well sometimes. I’ve gained a bit of faith that our fans will continue to like me without change even if I don’t play well.”
“Unconditionally. Unconditionally.”
When leaving the stadium.
The tears that had poured from my eyes were partly due to frustration and guilt, but mostly due to gratitude.
It was definitely not a good match.
Even though it was a poor performance, the fans were not disappointed.
Rather, they sent cheers and were simply worried about me.
It’s okay even if you don’t do well.
Thanks to the fans who expressed that fact through their cheers, ironically, though my body was injured, I felt as though my heart was being healed.
Also, because of that, my desire to do even better grew stronger.
However, it was different from the feeling before, as if I were being chased by something.
Rather than feeling I had to do well because I didn’t want to disappoint the fans, I felt I wanted to do well to make the fans happy.
This was the same feeling I had when Jiwoo came.
Now I was feeling that toward the fans as well.
“It might be strange to say this while injured, but I think this will be a good experience for me.”
“...”
“Well, it’s something I can say since it’s not a major injury.”
Saying that, I rolled only my eyes to look at Dad, and Dad was wearing a gentle smile.
Then Dad soon nodded and got up from the bed.
“Yes. If you’ve gained something from this, then Dad is relieved too. Rest well.”
Dad turned off the room light, opened the door to leave, stopped for a moment with the door open, and spoke.
“But don’t get hurt in the future. Earlier, Jiwoo sobbed endlessly after you left. So this can’t happen again. Sleep well.”
Soon the door closed.
“...”
I smiled alone in the dark room.
Strange.
Normally, when I’m like this, I should feel a bit hollow.
But today, this dark room somehow feels warm.
...By the way, Jiwoo sobbed?
Goodness.
Jiwoo and I cry on the same day, at the same time.
At this point, there must really be something between us.