Chapter 77: Fan Service

The match ended with a 2-0 victory for Manchester City.

After Nakamura’s injury, Brighton’s attack completely fizzled out, and the remaining time passed quietly.

[Manchester City secures their lead at the top of the league with a 2-0 victory over Brighton. It was a match highlighted by goals from Guerrero and Matias, and a perfect save from Jeong Tae-woo.]

No matter how good you are at football, it’s just a game without the fans.

I knew that better than anyone.

Just then, I noticed a little kid in the front row of the stands, wearing my jersey and waving his hand.

On the small sign in his hand, it was written in a clumsy handwriting, ‘TAEWOO IS MY HERO’.

I naturally walked towards him.

“Hello, little gentleman.”

“Wow! It’s really Jeong Tae-woo!”

The way he excitedly jumped up and down in front of me was really cute.

“Haha, yes, it’s really Jeong Tae-woo.”

“I’m not a little kid, I’m Brian!”

“Brian? That’s a cool name.”

“Hehe, when I grow up, I’m going to be a cool goalkeeper like you and protect City’s goal!”

Seeing Brian’s innocent smile, a smile spread across my own lips without me realizing.

I also had a dream as a child, admiring someone.

“It’s going to be really tough, you know? You have to train a lot and put in a lot of effort. Can you do it?”

“Of course! I’m the football king at my school!”

“Really? Then this is a gift for the future City goalkeeper.”

I handed Brian my treasured football gloves, which I had worn since my high school tournament.

Brian’s eyes widened, and he carefully accepted the gloves as if he had received the most precious treasure in the world.

“Wow… are these really your gloves, Tae-woo hyung?”

“Yeah, they’re the gloves I’ve used since I was young. I hope to see you at City by the time these gloves fit you.”

“Thank you!!”

As Brian bowed his head in thanks, the surrounding crowd, who had been watching, stood up and applauded.

“Tae-woo is really different from other young prospects!”

“How can he be so handsome and have such a good personality? Marry my daughter, Tae-woo!”

“Hey, your daughter is already in her 40s. Get a grip.”

“…Love knows no age.”

The woman next to Brian, probably his mother, was also looking at me with moist eyes.

Her expression was filled with love and emotion for her son.

“Thank you so much, Tae-woo. Brian watches your games every day and says he wants to be a goalkeeper.”

“Not at all. I’m the one who’s grateful. To have a fan who supports me like this…”

And this scene was being clearly filmed by a broadcaster’s camera.

***

“Ugh, I’m really nervous…”

Sitting in this room filled with Manchester City’s blue, I feel like I’ve entered the enemy’s camp.

To think that I, who have supported Manchester United my whole life, am sitting in the interview room at the Etihad Stadium.

If my past self saw this, he would probably call me a traitor and hit me on the head.

But this… is a really special case.

I never dreamed that the relationship that started with that mistake would lead to this.

Starting with the video that criticized Jeong Tae-woo, apologizing, talking on the phone… and now, meeting him in person for an interview.

“Phew… my heart is pounding.”

“I know, he was handsome even from a distance.”

Today, our entire filming team witnessed a special scene at the stadium.

Tens of thousands of City fans cheering enthusiastically for a young Korean player.

And Jeong Tae-woo, humbly interacting with his fans while receiving their cheers and love.

Especially after the game ended, his gesture of gifting his precious gloves to a young fan and giving each one a sincere high-five moved all of us.

I thought we had become somewhat close through our phone calls… but seeing his sincerity in person seems to have made me even more nervous.

Click-

The door opened, and today’s main character entered.

Like a scene from a movie, the hallway light spread softly behind his silhouette, creating a halo-like glow.

“Wow… amazing.”

“Crazy…”

“Sigh-“

Exclamations of admiration naturally flowed from the mouths of the filming team.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Jeong Tae-woo in Manchester City’s sky-blue uniform looked more like a specially styled model for a magazine or an ad shoot than a real person.

“Hello, I’m Jeong Tae-woo.”

“Uh… yes, nice to meet you.”

I could feel my voice trembling.

The confident demeanor I usually showed on broadcasts had completely disappeared.

I saw the PDs trying to hold back a slight smile at my state, but I couldn’t help it.

‘They say successful people have an aura…’

His smile was warm, but at the same time, I felt something unapproachable.

Despite his age of 18, he exuded the aura of a professional who had already established himself among the world’s top players.

“Hmm…”

It was just a small sigh of admiration, but as if by magic, all eyes in the room focused on him.

And so naturally.

That was his presence.

A presence that made everyone focus on his every small movement, even without him doing anything special.

And the player with such an incredible presence looked at me with a smile and finally opened his mouth.

“Gamst hyung, why are you so frozen? You weren’t like this on the phone.”

‘He… called me… hyung.’

My mind went blank.

A 18-year-old genius goalkeeper playing in the Premier League, a world-class player adored and loved by tens of thousands of fans, calling me ‘hyung’.

It felt completely unreal.

Seeing me frozen like that, Jeong Tae-woo smiled playfully.

Then he waved his hand in front of my face and said.

“Is Gamst hyung sick today? I thought we had become close, but you’re so frozen. Aren’t you?”

The filming team let out a small laugh.

Only then did I manage an awkward laugh, feeling the tension slowly release.

The aura of a world-class player was still there, but I could also see the playful boy hidden within.

“Hahaha… I’m sorry. I just saw you play in person after only seeing you on TV, and you were so good that I froze without realizing.”

“Haha, then do you want to be a City fan?”

“That’s not happening.”

I answered firmly.

Then Jeong Tae-woo laughed playfully.

“Wow, you’re so firm, hyung.”

Looking at his eyes, I could read his intention.

It was a joke he deliberately threw to break the awkward atmosphere and ease my tension.

Despite his age of 18, he knew how to read the other person’s mind and lead the atmosphere.

Not only his professionalism as a player, but also this delicate consideration.

His combination of the skills of a player active in the world’s top league and the maturity of a human being was impressive.

I could understand a little why he was able to establish himself as a key player in Europe’s top team at such a young age.

‘He’s a really amazing kid…’

I admired him inwardly and smiled without realizing.

The initial frozen tension had disappeared completely.

***

‘Wow, no mercy.’

Even though I knew it was impossible, I wanted to try putting our City uniform on Gamst hyung’s body, but it seemed really impossible.

Seeing him firmly refuse my offer to become a City fan even while being nervous, he was a Manchester United fan to the bone.

‘Still, I’m glad he seems to have relaxed.’

As we talked, the official interview filming began before we knew it.

“Everyone, do you know where I am right now? My clothes are red, but everything around me is blue. Today, I’m here to meet a special person, the best goalkeeper in Korea, who is currently writing a new history in the Premier League, Jeong Tae-woo. Nice to meet you, Jeong Tae-woo!”

It was an introduction worthy of Gamst hyung.

“Hello, viewers. This is Jeong Tae-woo. But Gamst hyung, why are you suddenly using formal speech again? Could it be…”

I said, squinting my eyes playfully.

“Don’t you want to be friends with me?”

“Tae-woo, if you act like that with that face, I could really get in trouble, man! Everyone, Tae-woo and I are like brothers. Don’t misunderstand.”

The interview continued like that, and time passed pleasantly as we picked the European football legend TOP 11 and the Korean legends with Gamst hyung.

Then his expression turned slightly serious.

“Alright, Tae-woo. This next question is something I was personally curious about while watching the game… It might be uncomfortable for you. Is it okay if I ask?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“This time, after blocking Nakamura Kenji’s shot, you dribbled the ball yourself. Was there… a reason for that?”

He seemed to be worried that my action could be seen as a provocation.

In fact, it was a situation that could easily become controversial among Japanese fans.

Even if I had checked Nakamura’s injury and immediately kicked the ball out to help him get treatment, and even if he was injured while trying to tackle me recklessly in the first place, that wouldn’t matter to them.

They would just criticize me for creating such a situation, especially because I was Korean.

Hyung must be worried about the criticism I might receive in such a situation.

‘That’s Gamst hyung for you.’

After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I answered calmly.

“Hmm… well, my dribbling out might have seemed like a provocation, but it was the coach’s instruction. I was just following it. And I really feel sorry for Nakamura Kenji’s injury.”

Hyung nodded and said.

“I was really impressed when you immediately kicked the ball away even though it was a counter-attack situation.”

“For a football player, an injury is… a disaster. I thought getting treatment quickly was the priority.”

“Wow~ Our Tae-woo is good at football and has a great personality. Alright, last question! Can you say a word to the young prospects who are dreaming of becoming football players while watching you?”

“Actually… there’s a dream of mine that I haven’t told anyone yet. It’s winning the World Cup.”

I looked straight at the camera and continued in my most serious voice.

“Some people might say it’s impossible.

But I’m running for that dream every day.

You’re all the same, aren’t you?

If you’ve decided on a dream, work so hard that you won’t have any regrets, no matter what people around you say.”