Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

153 – Engagement

153

When the old man from Shinsegae Optics handed me his business card and smartphone, I was unfazed.

It’s not that I wanted to brag, but I’ve experienced countless situations like this before.

Just walking down the street, I’d receive business cards from entertainment CEOs, agency directors, and famous model agency representatives, so an optician team leader like him was nothing special to me.

However, the problem was that the smartphone he handed me had a photo of my boyfriend.

“Uh… Goddess, is this Joo Ji-tae?”

“What the… This is crazy. Is this photoshopped?”

“This is insane. There are so many women wearing bikinis. What is this, sir?”

Among the women shamelessly flaunting their large breasts, my boyfriend was smiling brightly.

My friends were chattering excitedly, but I couldn’t hear anything.

I just stared intently at Joo Ji-tae in the photo.

And soon, I regained my composure.

“Goddess, this is a big deal. You should contact Joo Ji-tae—”

“It’s okay.”

“What? How can you be okay? This isn’t the time to be so calm.”

“I’m fine.”

I really was fine.

If you ask me why… well, I don’t know what to say, but I was fine. I wasn’t worried at all.

However, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

No matter how much I trusted my boyfriend, it was unbearable to see those women behaving so shamelessly, stripping off their clothes and throwing themselves at him.

So, I headed straight home.

“Mom! Mommy!!”

“A big kid like you shouldn’t be so reckless.”

Coincidentally, my mom and Joo Ji-tae’s mom… no, my mother-in-law? was at home.

“Hello.”

“Yes, our kid is back. Leave her alone, she’s still a high school student.”

“She’s still childish because she’s too spoiled. I don’t know when she’ll mature.”

As soon as I bowed my head, the chatter began.

I quickly took a seat and pulled out my smartphone.

“Mom, mom, mom, look at this. Look!”

“What’s this again?”

“Mo…ther…”

My mom and mother-in-law’s eyes widened, and I felt a sense of pride as I said,

“But it’s okay. This is just business, right?”

“…….”

“…….”

After a brief, awkward silence, Mom carefully examined the photo.

“What’s going on? I knew Westerners were bold, but this is too much.”

“Ugh, look at this guy, he’s really going all out. I need to have a serious talk with him. But, dear, did you call him?”

“Call? No.”

“I think Grandma might misunderstand, so maybe you should give him a call to clear things up.”

Misunderstand? I don’t think I’ve done anything to be misunderstood.

However, Josie, being the obedient daughter-in-law she was, hesitantly made the call.

Before long, a panicked voice came from the other end of the smartphone.

“—No, it’s not like that… I mean, I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear!”

“Hmm.”

The panicked voice was cute, but the excuses that followed were endless.

“—The photo was just taken at a bad angle, I didn’t do anything!”

“Skinship?”

When I zoomed in on the photo, it looked like… he was embracing the girls on both sides, but it was just a clever pose.

“Speaker, speaker.”

“Ah, right.”

As soon as Mom whispered to switch to speakerphone, a flurry of excuses poured out.

“—There was no skinship, I swear! Just… a peck on the cheek or something?”

What? A peck?!

That’s… that’s a bit annoying.

I’ve only kissed twice in my life, and he’s talking about pecks?!

Josie, taken aback, reflexively declared.

“Then I’ll go give him a peck!”

“—What? You’re coming? Why? No, I really didn’t do anything wrong!”

“I know you didn’t, but I’m still coming.”

“—But you’re coming? What about school?”

“It’s summer break, though?”

“—Ah… it just so happens to be summer break now?”

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want me to come?”

“—…No, that’s not what I meant.”

I was just frustrated and impulsively made things difficult, but I didn’t really plan on going.

I’m a dutiful daughter, after all.

As a dutiful daughter, I should know how to turn a blind eye to my boyfriend’s necessary struggles outside the house. The female lead in the drama I’ve been watching did just that.

But suddenly, the voice on the other end of the smartphone became serious.

“—No, come. Just come to me. I’ll take care of explaining to my parents.”

Suddenly?

Josie, who had been rolling her eyes, suddenly thought this was a great opportunity.

Yes.

It’s summer break, and staying at home is getting boring. I’ve already watched all the dramas I wanted to, and hanging out with friends is getting old too.

Maybe I should take a trip to Europe.

“Uh… So, what should I prepare? Ah, there are many things to prepare. Hmm….”

More than anything, seeing himself in the mirror, who had become even more handsome recently, would make even Ji Tae surprised. Jo Ye Shin was worried about how to appeal his recently grown chest without making it look cheap, when…

—Huh? What’s with all the preparation? Just come. You only need to bring your body, what’s there to prepare?

Wait, what? Did I just say something weird?

“Mo, body? You only need to bring your body!?”

—Yeah, that’s right. You just need to bring your body.

Only my body!?

—I’ll tell your parents.

Your parents!?

Already!?

“Ah, no! That’s something I’ll tell them later!”

—Uh, really? So, you’ll tell them?

“Yeah! I’ll tell them!!”

—No, what’s the big deal about who tells them? Alright, you tell them. Okay.

Jo Ye Shin glanced at the two aunties who were stuck to her left and right.

What was so fascinating that they had their eyes shining bright, with a subtle smile on their lips?

Jo Ye Shin whispered to her mother and mother-in-law with a mix of embarrassment and anticipation.

“Hey, marriage… do you want to get married?”

…Yes?”

“…Get married?”

As always, only the wife knows her loving husband’s heart.

Jo Ye Shin, who had discovered Ji Tae’s confession, nodded repeatedly with a bright red face.

“Hmm, so… Ye Shin-ah. This isn’t that kind of—”

The silly, no, adorable Ji Tae mom was about to reveal the truth, but was interrupted by her mother-in-law.

A sudden grab on her arm.

Their eyes met, staring straight at each other.

The two women, who had been playing along with the in-laws’ game, quickly became one mind.

Since it had come to this, they might as well send it off quickly.

“That’s right. Ji Tae proposed.”

“I, no, I approve of our new son-in-law.”

“Heehee~ shy~”

The two aunties nodded, seeing Jo Ye Shin who didn’t refuse.

The real marriage preparations, unknown to the main character, had begun.

* * *

It was when they went to the ground to warm up and check their senses before the competition.

“Heh heh.”

“Huh huh.”

“…?”

Ji Tae’s eyes, which felt a strange sense of unease, quickly scanned the surroundings, seeing his colleagues laughing with weird expressions.

From the coach to the colleagues, they were all laughing suspiciously, avoiding eye contact, and it was clear that something was going on, but Ji Tae had no idea what it was…

“Is today my birthday, which I don’t know about? Or did I get my birthday wrong again?”

I wondered if there was a special record set today, so I checked my phone again.

I keep major records in mind, but I have to check minor records in my notes from time to time.

“…There’s no record to break. Is there a record I don’t know about?”

The sport of records is football, and Barcelona’s history is deep, so there are all sorts of records.

The problem is that most of the major records are dominated by the name “Lionel Messi”.

As a Barcelona youth product and a football GOAT who has spent most of his career at Barcelona, it’s hard to break Messi’s records, even if I’m a genius. There’s a physical time difference, after all. Maybe if I play for Barcelona for about 10 years.

I was about to ignore the story about getting married and becoming a “man’s tomb” when I heard the loud announcer’s voice before the game and couldn’t help but sigh.

[Today, Barcelona’s rising star Joo Ji-tae’s parents and fiancée have arrived at Camp Nou! Please give them a warm welcome!]

The giant screen showed his parents and in-laws…

“In-laws…? What did I just hear…?!”

Joo Ji-tae was shocked by his own thoughts, but he couldn’t help but think that his fiancée looked pretty.

The game against Eibar was an easy win, and Joo Ji-tae scored two goals, including a penalty kick, and was named MOM. In the post-game interview, he put an end to the rumors.

“There have been a lot of rumors about me lately. Marriage… is a slightly exaggerated story. We’re planning a simple engagement ceremony with both sets of parents after the season ends. I’m still young, and my girlfriend is even younger, so we won’t get married for a while.”

“Joo Ji-tae announces engagement to childhood friend girlfriend!”

“Joo Ji-tae scores multiple goals, including a penalty kick, in front of his fiancée!”

“Joo Ji-tae’s girlfriend appears at Camp Nou with his parents!”

“Jo Jae-sin, who scored 10 league goals, including a penalty kick, says, ‘Engagement? I’ve never heard of it. Who’s getting engaged? Ah, it’s a joke… Are you really getting engaged? No way, this is real!'”