LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 234
**[Manchester United 2 : 2 Borussia Dortmund.]**
**[Manchester United advances to the semifinals with an aggregate score of 4:3.]**
**[‘Multi-goal explosion’ Son Jinho receives a standing ovation from Dortmund fans.]**
**[Dortmund shows dignified composure despite the defeat….]**
**[Right after the game, Dortmund fans shout…. “We are going to Berlin!”]**
└ ??? Dortmund has advanced to the DFL Cup final?
└ It’s true they advanced, but that was about going to see the finals.
└ Huh? Why do they say they’re heading to Berlin to watch the finals?
└ The Champions League final is at Berlin Olympiastadion.
└ Oh, I see.
**[Dortmund mobilizes a light aircraft for Son Jinho. “Compared to what he has done for Dortmund, this is a trivial matter.”]**
**[Son Jinho, with tears in his eyes, touched by the unwavering love of Dortmund fans….]**
**[Son Jinho expresses gratitude to Dortmund fans in the M.O.M. interview.]**
**[Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp. “After the Messi era, we will see the era of Son Jinho.”]**
└ Isn’t it already our brother’s era?
└ For now, it’s still Messi lol.
└ But soon, it feels like our brother’s era will come for sure.
└ Messi was born in ’87, our brother in ’95. Just looking at this, it makes sense, right?
└ An 8-year gap, crazy;;
└ Messi is currently 28, so in four years, he might decline. That’s when our brother will dominate the Ballon d’Or.
└ Wow. Even four years later, our brother will be only 24;;
└ At least an 8-year Ballon d’Or monopoly;;
└ Crazy lol that’s insane.
└ Is there a place that lets go of such a player?
└ This f***ing guy.
└ Where do you live?
└ ???: Son Jinho’s retirement from the national team, isn’t there any blame for the football fans?
└ Ah lol that article title makes me so mad every time I see it.
└ Sigh…. If we end up in the same group with England in the Russia World Cup, what a legend….
└ Honestly, if I were Jinho, I’d score against Korea and do the Cossack dance.
└ F*** lol if he actually did that, it would be infuriating yet hilarious as hell.
***
**The day after the Champions League quarterfinals ended with Manchester United’s victory.**
As the day for Manchester United to leave Dortmund arrived, the Dortmund fans came to the airport, lighting flares to send them off.
I felt grateful for the enduring love of the Dortmund fans, while on the other hand, I felt a little burdened.
I thought to myself that I shouldn’t disappoint them.
That’s also why I strive to become a slightly better football player.
[Son Jinho leaves a thank you message to Dortmund fans on his SNS.]
Anyway, as the number of comments praising my character on an SNS post filled with affection for the fans increased, I felt awkward reading those posts that complimented something so obvious.
Feeling grateful for someone’s love is an emotion that anyone can have.
Well, some players do occasionally take the love of their fans for granted, getting a lot of attention and interest while ignoring the fans who gathered to see them, so there are those who flake on the fans for a rare instance….
To be honest, that’s not human; it’s closer to being a beast.
“SIU?”
“No, I didn’t look for you.”
“SIU.”
Anyway, this guy’s intuition is sharp.
He can sense when someone badmouths him like a ghost.
While I was inwardly cursing Ronaldo, the private jet quickly flew to Manchester Airport.
I headed straight home.
Unlike in the past when I was alone after Gyeouri died, now I had a family waiting for me at home.
“Dad! You’re back!”
As soon as I entered the house, Haeun ran up and hugged me, followed by Gyeouri who approached with a smile.
“Haeun, did you listen to your mom?”
“Yep! I listened to everything!”
“Then, this is a gift for you, Haeun.”
I lightly picked up Gyeouri and, looking around as if searching for the gift, I handed over a toy I brought from Germany to Haeun who was looking around eagerly.
“Gift? Is it Haeun’s gift!? Wow!”
Seeing Haeun raise her arms with joy, Gyeouri and I just smiled.
***
The day I returned home from Dortmund to our house in Manchester.
As the remaining two teams that didn’t play the Champions League quarterfinals finished their games, all teams for the semifinals were confirmed.
[Barcelona wins big against Chelsea at home.]
[Luis Enrique, “Treble for two years in a row? If it’s us now, it’s possible.”]
[Overwhelming momentum from FC Barcelona, is the ‘evil empire’ of football being born?]
[Bayern Munich draws 1-1 away against Real Madrid. Advances to the semifinals with an aggregate score of 4-2.]
[Juventus, advances to the semifinals. The incredible performance of the MVPP line.]
The four major leagues known as La Liga, Bundesliga, Premier League, and Serie A each had a team advance.
[Is this a battle of pride for each league?]
[Which league is the true best in Europe?]
As the beautiful matchups were set, the teams that advanced to the Champions League semifinals began to represent their leagues.
[Liverpool, “I hope Manchester United loses.”]
[Liverpool fan, “Manchester United is the pride of the Premier League? That’s something a passing dog would laugh at.”]
Of course, the rival team fans had different opinions.
– Gyeouri: Aggregate score of 8:2.
– Gyeouri: The parting catastrophe lol.
Well, anyway, as Gyeouri mocked the loss to FC Barcelona, time flew by.
Before I knew it, the day for the Champions League semifinal draw was approaching.
***
April 24, 2015.
Today was the day the Champions League semifinal opponents were to be determined.
In the future, the draw for the semifinals will be done at the same time as the quarterfinals, but for now, they were being done separately.
‘Is it that the semifinal draw broadcast was combined with the quarterfinal broadcast because the semifinal broadcast time is too short?’
Anyway, after finishing recovery training at Carrington Training Ground, the players gathered to watch the draw broadcast together.
The Manchester United players huddled together with a slightly nervous feeling.
“Which team seems the easiest?”
“Among the teams that are here, is there a weak team?”
“If we had to find one among them, it would be Juventus.”
While the players were chatting casually.
“Jinho, which team would you like to meet?”
The sturdy defensive midfielder Sami Khedira, who has been a pillar of stability for Manchester United’s defense, asked, and I grinned and answered.
“Me? I want Bayern Munich.”
“Oh? Why? Isn’t Juventus a more manageable opponent? We’ve already won against them in the group stage.”
“I’ve never lost against Bayern Munich.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better to face Munich in the finals?”
“…Huh? Is that so?”
While Khedira and I were chatting.
[FC Barcelona.]
The name of Barcelona, deemed the strongest in the world, was picked, and tension began to weave through Carrington Training Ground.
[And the opponent for FC Barcelona is….]
Even Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie became silent, their gazes fixated on the TV.
[Juventus!]
Juventus was chosen as the opponent for FC Barcelona.
“Phew….”
The tension relaxed, releasing a sigh of relief.
Then, Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not like that display, stood up and strongly scolded the players.
“We are Manchester United. A prestigious club that stands shoulder to shoulder with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona! And you sigh in relief at avoiding FC Barcelona? You are not worthy of wearing the Manchester United jersey!”
As the (4) captain of Manchester United, I also actively supported Cristiano Ronaldo this time.
Sighing in relief before the game even starts means you’re already admitting you’re going to lose to FC Barcelona.
The player who sighed seemed to realize that fact as he made an embarrassed face.
[Manchester United faces FC Bayern Munich in the semifinals.]
Anyway, as the matchups for Barcelona and Juventus were completed, the opposite bracket was naturally completed as well.
We were set to face the fierce Bayern Munich filled with spite.
***
The Champions League semifinal bracket was finalized, and football fans who love the sport began to debate which team would advance to the finals.
Among various chatter, the most talked-about topic was Son Jinho’s record against Bayern Munich.
[Son Jinho remains ‘undefeated’ against Bayern Munich. Can he continue this record again?]
└ No way lol is he really undefeated against Munich?
└ Yup, but he lost a lot against Messi.
└ Wow, this level is like a human incompatibility lol.
└ ???: Bayern Munich is my food.
└ But it seems like our brother is generally strong against German teams. He knocked Bayer Leverkusen out in the group stage, eliminated Dortmund in the quarterfinals, and now he’s facing Bayern Munich in the semis?
└ Damn, the mere existence is like a democratic arsenal ;;