"So, you're not hurting anywhere, right?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Nothing going on at home either?"
"Uh... no. Nothing."
"Good."
Manager Tony nodded while reading some documents and asking me questions.
I was sitting awkwardly in front of him.
Today is Monday.
I had just finished a light recovery training session and was about to head home when Manager Tony called me over.
He said he was doing brief individual meetings, and today was my turn.
Meetings with the manager were something we did about once a month, so I headed to his office without thinking much of it.
That's why I'm sitting here so awkwardly now.
The manager finished reading the documents and put them away in a drawer, then glanced at me and spoke.
"Do you have any plans tomorrow evening?"
"Tomorrow evening? Um... not really."
When I answered, the manager nodded.
"Good. There's a match at Artemio Franchi Stadium tomorrow at 5."
"Um, yes."
"It's a Coppa Italia Round of 64 match, and the opponent is a team called Palermo. Palermo is a Serie B team, but I hear they've been doing well lately."
"...Yes."
Coppa Italia... I heard it's something like Italy's FA Cup.
While answering, I must have had an expression wondering why he was telling me this, because the manager continued.
"Tomorrow, I'll excuse you from training, so go watch that match."
"...Pardon? Skip training?"
The manager nodded.
"Yesterday's match was quite intense. It was also your first full-time match. Take a day to rest."
"Uh... I'm not so tired that I can't train."
"Hey now. When the manager tells you to rest, you rest. Are you thinking of rebelling?"
"What? N-no way."
When I waved my hands in a fluster, the manager laughed heartily.
The truth is, the aftereffects from yesterday's match were still lingering.
The back-and-forth schedule itself had been tiring, and more than anything, the match itself hadn't been easy.
Thanks to that, I was so exhausted yesterday that I couldn't even see Ji-woo's face before going straight to bed.
So it's not like I hadn't thought about wanting to rest for a day... but is it really okay to rest?
Well, as the manager says, when he tells me to rest, I rest.
The manager, who had been laughing heartily, spoke.
"In exchange, I'll give you an assignment. Watch that match tomorrow and come back with your own thoughts about it."
"Thoughts, you mean..."
"Well, whatever you want. Things like 'what kind of football does our team play' would be good. Or 'what should we improve to play better football,' or 'if I were playing there, what role could I take on.' Things like that."
"Um... ah, yes."
Thoughts about the match...
Come to think of it, I've never properly watched our team play. The first team's matches, I mean.
Recently I've been too busy playing matches myself to watch, but even before that when I had free time, I never went to the stadium to watch. Even though we get free tickets.
It's just, how should I put it.
I felt like it was a place that had nothing to do with me.
Well, anyway.
I was thinking I should take this opportunity to go watch a match when the manager said casually.
"If possible, go with that girlfriend of yours."
"...Pardon?"
"Why so surprised?"
"Girlfriend... you say?"
"Ah, dear. Was it supposed to be a secret? I heard it from Luca."
...Coach Luca betrayed me like this?
I answered in disbelief.
"She's not my girlfriend, she's my friend..."
"Is that so? I heard you bought her gifts with your weekly wage."
"No, that's... you can buy gifts for a friend, can't you... even if they're not your girlfriend..."
"What did you buy?"
"...Clothes and shoes."
"Clothes and shoes. Sure, you could buy those. You can definitely buy clothes and shoes as gifts for a friend who happens to be a girl."
The manager said that, then looked at me and grinned.
It was the kind of smile that says 'I know everything,' and it made me want to get worked up for no reason.
"No, it's... it's not because she's a girl. It's because we've been close since we were kids. I'm grateful to her, so..."
"Ah, right. You said she's a friend you've known since Korea?"
"Yes."
"But what brought her all the way here?"
At the manager's question, I briefly explained about Ji-woo.
That she was originally studying cooking, and happened to get a good opportunity that brought her to Florence to study abroad.
However, after hearing my explanation, the manager raised one eyebrow and smiled again.
"There are better cities than here for culinary study abroad... and she came all the way to Florence where you happen to be?"
"I know, right. It's an amazing coincidence."
"Is it really a coincidence?"
"...?"
What on earth is he trying to say.
If it's not a coincidence, then what...
"Well, anyway. Having a good friend nearby is really a wonderful thing. That's why I'm saying go watch with her if you can."
"Yes..."
"Alright. You can go. Get some good rest."
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
I bowed my head and got up from my seat, but the manager kept watching me with that strange smile, so I furrowed my brow.
"...Why do you keep smiling?"
"Hm? It's nothing, nothing. But, she's really not your girlfriend?"
"I-I told you she's not."
"So she's not yet, is what you're saying?"
"Manager.."
"Alright. Don't get upset. Go on now. I'll see you Wednesday."
"Yes..."
Seriously.
If Ji-woo heard this, I'd be the only one looking like a weirdo.
Girlfriend? She'd hit me for that. Asking what kind of nonsense I've been going around saying.
By the way.
Why are Coach Luca and Manager Tony both so interested in other people's love lives?
They're both married men, is this really that entertaining to them?
-Sigh...
I let out a sigh and headed home.
ㆍㆍㆍ
"I'm booored..."
Kim Ji-woo, who had been lying on her bed fiddling with her phone, let out a sigh. Then she set her phone by her pillow and made a pouty face.
"..."
...She was bored.
Around this time, she would normally always be messaging or calling with Lee Ji-an.
Today, her phone was quiet.
Because of that, she had nothing particular to do and didn't know what she should be doing.
"Seriously, how tired could he be? He doesn't even have the energy to send a message?"
Kim Ji-woo glared at the ceiling with furrowed brows, then picked up her phone again.
She opened the messenger, but the last messages from Lee Ji-an were still from yesterday.
Ji-aning: I think I'm just going to go straight to sleep today...
Ji-aning: I'll message you tomorrow...
He said he'd message! He said he'd message!
Not seeing his face yesterday was whatever, since he said he was really tired, she could understand that.
But then he should message her first thing when he wakes up. What is he doing? Doesn't he have even a moment to send a quick message?
"Training should be over by now, right?"
Well, okay, let's say he was busy getting to school in the morning.
And let's say he can't use his phone at school or during training.
But once it's over, shouldn't he message right away at least then? Wow, Lee Ji-an has really grown up.
Isn't he being too neglectful of his one and only friend?
"...Hm?"
Wait.
His one and only friend...?
Could it be... that's not the case anymore?
"..."
Kim Ji-woo thought back to what happened last week.
Those people who had come to see Lee Ji-an.
Especially those girls who kept squealing and causing noise pollution at everything Ji-an did.
She'd laughed it off when they said he was popular among their friends, but it had actually been true.
Could it be... those girls won't leave him alone at school either? That's right. If they came all the way to watch his match, they'd definitely try to act close at school too. They'd be asking him to eat lunch together, to hang out together in the evening...
"Unbelievable."
An exasperated Kim Ji-woo let out a hollow laugh.
Ji-an hates bothersome things. Just imagining those girls who don't know that pestering him made her angry without even realizing it.
And this guy can't even refuse properly, so he probably couldn't say no and just stammered around.
These girls, seriously...
Thwack! Thwack!
Kim Ji-woo punched her pillow with her fists.
Then, suddenly hugging the pillow close, Kim Ji-woo stuck out her lips in a pout.
"..."
Come to think of it, this whole situation was ridiculous.
Why was she getting annoyed all by herself?
The fact that she was annoyed was even more annoying.
This is seriously ridiculous...
"What are you even doing, really..."
It was while a deflated Kim Ji-woo was taking her frustration out on the innocent pillow.
Buzzzzz-
Her phone vibrated.
In an instant, with reaction speed like light, Kim Ji-woo checked her phone and her face immediately brightened.
Finally, a message had come from Lee Ji-an.
Ji-aning: So... are you free tomorrow evening by any chance?
Ji-aning: If you don't have anything to do, want to go watch a match?
Ji-aning: The manager told me to skip training for a day and go watch it...
Ji-aning: It's a bit awkward to go alone
Tomorrow evening!? She didn't have any particular plans.
Go watch a match together?
Of course she'd lo...
"...ve to."
Kim Ji-woo, who was about to tap the chat window to reply immediately, pulled her finger away.
Then she buried her face in her pillow and made an "ughhhh-" sound.
Replying right away would be too easy on Ji-an after everything.
No, it's not like he actually did anything wrong... but still, it's just annoying. She can't explain why but it's just annoying, just because.
Also, she'd been waiting so long, and replying immediately just because a message came felt like losing somehow...
"..."
Kim Ji-woo waited with her face buried in her pillow. She kept pinching the pillow as time passed, then finally lifted her head with her lips in a pout.
This should be enough.
"...Only 4 minutes passed?"
What. She thought at least 10 minutes had gone by.
Ah, forget it. Waiting doesn't suit her personality.
Kim Ji-woo tapped the screen irritably and sent her reply.
Me: Dun wanna???
She had to play hard to get first.
It was time to establish some discipline.
Lee Ji-an has gotten way too confident lately.
"...Pfft."
Thinking of Ji-an scratching his head after getting her message made her snicker.
This kid isn't good at being rejected himself, so he's not the type to ask someone twice or three times.
He'd probably reply "Okay..." and give up.
Then she'd give him an earful.
Giving up just like that?
You're supposed to ask a girl two or three times...
Buzzzzz-
"...Huh?"
But when she checked the reply, Kim Ji-woo's eyes went wide. It wasn't the response she'd expected.
Ji-aning: Why? Let's go together...
Ji-aning: I don't want to go alone
Ji-aning: You're the only one I can go with...
...Would you look at this kid?
Wow. She'd been saying he's grown up, he's grown up, but he's really grown up? Then how about this?
Me: Why am I the only one you can go with
Me: You have school friends
Me: Just go with them
Answer carefully.
Ji-aning: They're kind of bothersome...
Ji-aning: We're not that close anyway
Ji-aning: Anyway it's because you're the only one ㅜㅜ
"..."
She's the only one?
At those words, Kim Ji-woo shook her head side to side, raising one corner of her mouth.
-Sigh.
If he's going to come at her like this, there's nothing she can do.
Me: Ugh
Me: Can't be helped then
Me: Noona will have to take pity on poor Ji-an
Me: Fine. Fine. I'll go. Happy?
Me: What time should we meet
The reply came right away.
Ji-aning: Since it's a 5 o'clock match
Ji-aning: Probably meet around 4?
Ji-aning: I'm not saying I have no friends!!
Sure you are.
Well anyway, if it's 5, watching the match and then eating dinner would work out perfectly.
"Hmm hmm hmm."
With a smirk, Kim Ji-woo got up from her bed and headed to her closet. She then began carefully picking out clothes to wear tomorrow.
ㆍㆍㆍ
"Whoa, there's so many people...?"
"I know, right."
"It looks like we'll have to wait in line for 30 minutes to get in."
Ji-woo scratched her head, looking troubled.
It was because of the crowd filling the area in front of the stadium.
From far away to the entrance, a long line had formed.
Hmm.
I didn't expect this many people either.
No wonder the neighborhood feels empty every weekend—everyone's at the stadium on match days.
"Hmm."
I had met up with Ji-woo about 30 minutes before and stopped by a café before arriving at the stadium.
Ji-woo said she wanted cake, so we had some and chatted a bit, and ended up arriving with less than 30 minutes until kickoff.
"We'll probably go in after it starts. Is that okay?"
Ji-woo asked with a worried expression, but I shrugged my shoulders.
Well, it didn't matter.
Actually, I'd purposely suggested meeting late.
Because I don't need to wait in this line.
"Follow me."
"Hm?"
I walked ahead, avoiding the line.
As I walked, I could see why the line was so long—there weren't many entrances.
This is Florence's stadium alright. Even the stadium here is old. That's why there were so few entrances, it seemed.
But one of those entrances had a noticeably shorter line.
That one had almost no people, and I headed there with Ji-woo.
"Is this also a place to line up?"
"No. It's a place where you don't have to line up."
"A place where you don't have to line up?"
I nodded, then rummaged through my pocket and pulled out a ticket. It was a special ticket from the team.
When I showed the ticket to the guard at the entrance, he immediately stepped aside and opened the way for us.
"Wow, what? We can just go in?"
"Yeah."
"Why? What is this?"
What do you mean, what.
"It's because I'm someone who'll be playing here soon. You've seen a player wait in line to get in?"
"Whoa... I mean, you're right, but why does it sound so obnoxious?"
I know.
It sounded obnoxious even to myself.
But I couldn't help it. I'd been thinking about this since yesterday—using the youth ticket to fast-pass through, then delivering this line.
"I feel kind of bad for the people out there."
"True, but there's no reason we have to wait in line if we don't need to."
"That's true, I guess...?"
"Let's go."
I headed toward our seats together with Ji-woo.