SAK International School El Castillo, located in Madrid.
The group headed to the school where Monica would be enrolling and met with the headmaster to complete the admission process.
"Miss Monica, Director Serena gave you a glowing recommendation. You must have worked hard in Brazil."
"Yes. I really wanted to come to Spain."
"Since you've come this far, your goal must be the Olympics, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Good. You're at an age where things will get quite busy. Ah, by the way, what is your relationship with these two gentlemen here?"
As expected of an arts school headmaster, the middle-aged man exuded elegance as he gestured toward the two men seated on the opposite sofa.
They were Ho-young and Lucci, who had accompanied Monica.
Lucci handed over his business card and said,
"I'm a distant uncle. Here, please take my card."
"A sports agent, I see. Since you live in Madrid, are you a football agent?"
"I mainly work with Real Madrid."
"Oh, is that so? I'm a fan of Real Madrid myself."
Not surprising. Most Madrid residents supported either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid.
The headmaster added,
"I'm not a socio, but I enjoy watching football whenever I have time. Even if I can't make it to the Bernabéu, I usually watch the matches from home."
"Haha, what a nice coincidence. Let me introduce you to the boy next to me. He's the player I manage. A member of Real Madrid."
"Oh, so he's a youth player? From the Juvenil team?"
"Haha, no. He'll be making his first-team debut this year."
"Ah, I see... Excuse me?"
The headmaster looked visibly surprised.
Ho-young took off his sunglasses and offered a proper greeting. The headmaster responded with various gestures of welcome, smiling brightly.
"Haha, this must be fate. If you're not in a rush, why don't we chat a bit more?"
As it turned out, he was quite the talker.
After nearly an hour-long conversation, the group dropped off Monica's things at the dormitory before heading to Ho-young's home.
It had been three years since they last saw each other. They couldn't just part ways like this.
With both of them likely to become very busy soon, who knew when they would next have time to meet?
Before they knew it, they arrived at the parking lot in front of Ho-young's house.
Maybe it was just a feeling, but Lucci seemed to be driving more hurriedly than usual today.
Screech.
As the car parked, Lucci spoke.
"You know your grandparents are both out, right?"
"Oh really?"
"You didn't know? Your grandfather went lake fishing, and your grandmother is at Central Market."
Lucci, who had been living with them for the past few months, was more aware of the household situation than Ho-young himself.
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason in particular. I just have some work to take care of too."
"You're not coming in?"
"No. I have something to do."
"I thought you said you didn't have any schedule today?"
"Something came up just now. I'll be back later with your grandmother, so just keep that in mind. Miss Monica can head back then, right?"
"It's fine. I'll explore the area a bit and head back on my own."
"Haha, whatever makes you comfortable."
As Monica got out of the car, Lucci glanced at Ho-young and winked.
The corners of his mouth curled up mischievously.
Ho-young had to hold back a laugh.
'Typical Brazilian.'
Indeed, it was very on-brand for a Brazilian, known for having one of the world's youngest average ages for first experiences, at 17.
Ho-young led Monica by the hand and brought her into the house.
"Monica, I've got something to show you."
"What is it?"
"Something I've been collecting."
Ho-young entered his room and opened a large box.
This summer's transfer market had been more active than ever, driven by the impact of Euro 2008 and the Beijing Olympic football tournament.
Even now, at the end of August, the heat of the market had not cooled, with the Premier League especially active.
Manchester City, aiming to leap into the ranks of the big clubs, signed Kompany, Jô, Zabaleta, and Robinho, all of whom had stood out at the Olympics. In response, Manchester United bolstered their attack with Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez.
La Liga was no less intense.
Pep Guardiola, newly appointed as Barcelona's manager, addressed last season's much-criticized defensive issues by investing over 150 billion won to overhaul the backline.
This included transfer fees for Piqué, Keita, Cáceres, Hleb, and Alves.
Of course, for players to come in, some had to leave.
Several surplus players were sold, with the biggest sale being Ronaldinho's move to AC Milan.
Barcelona also attempted to sign Ronaldo Cristiano by offering around 130 billion won, but the deal fell through due to the player's refusal.
August 29, Morning.
Reading the newspaper articles in bed, Ho-young sat up.
'So Messi and Ronaldo really are fated never to be on the same team, even in this era.'
Could Ronaldo end up at Real Madrid instead?
'Probably.'
He had said since childhood that playing for Real Madrid was both his dream and his mother's wish, making the move highly likely.
The expected transfer window was next summer.
The idea of possibly playing on the same team as Ronaldo excited Ho-young immensely.
Whether they could actually coexist was something to find out later.
'Enough daydreaming. Time to train.'
Early in the morning.
Ho-young finished getting ready and opened the door to head out.
Woof woof!
Tiny puppies came running up, wagging their tails.
A few days ago, Ho-young had given part of his Olympic bonus to his grandparents as spending money. The next day, they had brought home these cotton-candy-like puppies from somewhere.
They were Bichon Frises. Ho-young, thinking they looked like clouds, called them Doongdoongi.
"See you tonight, Doongdoongis."
Woof woof!
As he stepped out, bidding goodbye to the puppies, Grandma Lee Moon-hee came to the front door to send him off.
"Be careful out there."
"Oh, did I wake you up?"
"Don't worry about that. Old folks don't sleep much anyway."
"That's strange. I heard beautiful women sleep a lot."
"Oh ho. By the way, Ho-young."
"Yes?"
Putting on her leopard-print glasses, Lee Moon-hee beckoned to him.
"That girl the other day. She's very polite, not what I expected from a foreigner. Bring her over more often and I'll cook something nice."
"Huh?"
Actually, a few days ago, Ho-young had brought Monica over to show her his collection of player jerseys. Grandma Lee had unexpectedly returned early from a gathering and ended up meeting Monica.
Apparently, that encounter left quite the impression.
"Monica's well-mannered, yeah. Probably because her maternal grandmother is Spanish. She knows Spanish customs pretty well."
"Is that so? Then I'll have to ask where her grandparents live next time. Her parents are in Brazil, right?"
"Yes. But Grandma, I'm only sixteen. You're not hoping for a great-grandchild already, are you?"
"What kind of nonsense is that? Now get going."
"Haha."
His grandmother, still in her early 50s, was young and full of energy.
'She must be pretty lonely.'
Maybe that was part of why she wanted to raise dogs.
Ho-young resolved to treat her to something special once he had the chance.
"I'll be back later."
"Don't push yourself too hard. Your bones will wear out."
"Got it!"
That afternoon.
Valdebebas First Team Training Grounds.
With the league's first round just two days away, the squad was undergoing match-focused training.
Since Ho-young had returned late from the Olympics, he first underwent a medical check-up before joining training.
Having played so many matches during the preseason, his knees were the primary concern. Fortunately, the results showed no issues.
However—
"You're fine for now. But still…"
Team doctor Ariana, who hadn't seen him in a while, looked surprised.
It was due to his increased muscle mass compared to last year.
"Isn't it normal to grow during puberty?"
"Yes, but your growth rate is incredibly fast. So you need to manage it carefully."
Given how many muscle-related talents he possessed, it made sense his growth rate was rapid.
Ho-young asked,
"Is having too much leg muscle a bad thing?"
"No. More muscle is a good thing. As you know, thicker thigh muscles improve both power and explosiveness. And well-developed thighs also help reduce injury risks. Roberto Carlos, who has the thickest thighs on the team, is at 30 inches."
In comparison, Ho-young's thighs measured 24 inches.
There was no issue even if he grew further.
"But if you overdevelop your thighs like Ronaldo did, that can be problematic."
"I'm not at that level, am I?"
"No, you're fine."
"Phew."
What a relief.
"That's why you need proper management. Structurally, the body performs best when the front and back muscles of the thigh maintain a 7:3 ratio. But since you sprint a lot, your front muscles are much more developed now. Since you also need endurance and speed, you should start paying attention to the balance between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles."
"I guess I'll need to increase weight training intensity."
"The club will design a training schedule so it won't hinder bone growth. We'll reassess in eight weeks, so don't worry too much."
"Thank you."
"And avoid pushing yourself too hard in the meantime."
"Understood."
That wrapped up the consultation.
"Alright, you can go join the training now."
"Ah, wait a second."
Before getting up, Ho-young rummaged through his bag and pulled something out.
"This."
"What is it?"
"It's a commemorative Olympic gold coin from Beijing. They say it brings good luck."
"Haha. Thanks. I'll wish you good luck too."
It was Ho-young's small gesture of appreciation for someone who always took care of him sincerely.
With his medical check complete, Ho-young immediately joined first-team training.
Valdebebas Training Ground No. 1.
As Ho-young appeared, several players greeted him.
"Hey, Mr. Medalist! Come kick the ball over here!"
That was Roberto Carlos.
"Well, well. Look who it is. Must've made bank, huh?"
This time it was Sergio Ramos.
After greeting the players, Ho-young went straight to have a chat with manager Bernd Schuster.
Schuster asked kindly,
"How's your body feeling?"
"It gets better every day."
"Good. Let's aim for your debut soon."
Ho-young pulled out a small, gold-wrapped box.
"Here, please take this."
"A Beijing Olympic commemorative coin?"
"It'll bring good luck to the club. I'm giving one to everyone I meet."
"Hahaha. I can't help but get my hopes up for this season."
"You should. I promise I'll prove myself."
With firm resolve, Ho-young expressed his determination.
Schuster replied,
"Alright then. Let's see what you've got."
Tweet!
The second half of the mini-game resumed. Ho-young was assigned to the B team, composed of players like Marcelo, Higuaín, Sneijder, and Van der Vaart.
Rather than an attacking midfielder role, he was tasked with being a forward, which consumed less stamina.
He played up top alongside Higuaín in a two-striker formation.
About 10 minutes later.
As Ho-young darted across the pitch, Schuster exchanged thoughts with assistant coach Manuel Ruiz.
"His condition isn't quite at its peak yet."
"Yes. We'll need to wait a bit. He's been playing nonstop since the end of last season and all through June."
Schuster had originally opposed Ho-young participating in the Olympics.
He believed nothing was more foolish than overworking a young body.
But in hindsight, he was glad he allowed it.
First, because of the invaluable outcome of earning military exemption.
And second—
"He's clearly gained a lot of confidence in his movements."
"Yes. He used to shrink back a little around the senior players, but that's all gone now."
"Of course. He's experienced a big stage. I think he'll adapt quickly, even if we throw him into La Liga."
Ho-young was growing noticeably by the day.
The two coaches couldn't help but be impressed.
Then Schuster said,
"Let's put him on the substitute list for Round 1. We'll make the final call after tomorrow's training."
"Yes. He should be ready."
Ho-young's La Liga debut.
The moment was drawing closer and closer.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)