Not long ago, Monica had an unexpected incident.
It happened in the early hours of December 13, the day of El Clásico.
She had been at her dormitory and sneaked out of her room just before dawn. She waited until the time Ho-young usually woke up, then went to use the hallway payphone. But just her luck, she got caught by a security guard.
"But somehow, the story spread around school."
"What kind of story?"
"Um..."
Inside a cozy café with a mellow atmosphere, Monica took a sip of her hot chocolate before continuing.
"They say I have a boyfriend. The problem is, some girls are talking behind my back, saying I'm being overly dramatic about it."
Despite being athletes who spent most of their time in the gym, many of them were very interested in romance. They were at that age where such curiosity came naturally.
It was only natural for them to show interest in others' relationships.
"So that happened. But that's odd. Didn't you tell them the reason you made that call that night was to cheer me on?"
"No one knows the person I called was Real Madrid's 'Ho-young.'"
"I thought you would've told them already."
"If they knew, it'd be chaos. The whole school would probably beg me for your number every time we had class. Haha."
Monica laughed brightly.
Catching up with Ho-young after so long filled her with joy.
"So the only one who knows about us is the headmistress?"
"About us?"
For a moment, Monica's mind raced.
After much internal debate, she finally responded.
"Yeah. Only the headmistress knows."
"Then, here. Take this."
"Huh?"
Ho-young pulled a small white box from his bag and handed it to her.
When she opened the lid, her eyes went wide.
"Apple?"
It was none other than the newly released 3G mobile phone from this year.
"It's so cute. Looks like a piece of chocolate. But what is this?"
"It's a phone."
"I mean, I can see that, but..."
"It's your Christmas present."
"What?"
Monica looked genuinely flustered at the unexpected gift.
"I can't possibly accept this..."
"I already activated it so you can contact me easily. You just need to use it. It's really simple. Try pressing the home button in the middle."
"The home button?"
Press.
"Oh! It turned on."
"Haha. Of course it did when you pressed it."
"Hehe."
Watching Monica giggle with joy brought a natural smile to Ho-young's face too.
"If you're really thankful, just cook me something delicious. Didn't you say you learned how to make farofa from Maria?"
"Aww. Thanks, Ho-young."
Monica wanted to hug him on the spot, but the round table between them made it impossible.
Instead, she placed a small box on the table.
"A Christmas gift?"
"Yeah. But now mine looks so cheap in comparison."
Scratching her head, Monica looked at him with a worried expression.
"Want to open it?"
Ho-young untied the ribbon and opened the box, unable to hide his smile.
Inside was a pair of white knitted gloves.
They were so well-made, they could've been store-bought, but upon closer inspection, it was clear Monica had made them herself.
"El Salvador."
That phrase, meaning "The Savior," which Real Madrid fans often used to refer to Ho-young, was delicately embroidered in golden cursive on the gloves.
"I made them little by little whenever I had some free time. I hope you like them."
"Did you do it in your dorm?"
"Yeah. Hiding under the blankets."
'No wonder that guard caught her that night.'
Ho-young chuckled as he put the gloves on.
They were warm and soft, just like Monica's hands.
"I actually needed gloves. This is perfect. Thanks."
It looked like he'd be able to spend the winter season warmly.
The final days of December 2008.
The extended break that continued into the new year was an extremely precious time for footballers.
They needed to stockpile energy to last through to the end of May. So even though it was vacation, they had to manage themselves carefully.
No excessive outings or partying. Just light training to maintain touch with the ball and weight training for physical upkeep. That was the basic rule.
Of course, some players ignored that and spent every day drinking and partying, but at Real Madrid, discipline was strictly enforced.
Team training resumed right after Christmas, and except for the year-end and New Year's holidays, light sessions were scheduled almost every day.
And then came December 28 at Valdebebas.
"Hey, what'd you do on Christmas Eve?"
"What else? Ate spaghetti while watching football. What about you, Marcelo?"
"I went around and finally met a famous hair stylist. Starting next season, I'm going with an afro."
"Why next season?"
"You didn't know? Robért is leaving Madrid at the end of this season. And Gigi will probably retire."
The time had finally come.
Veteran players who had been pillars of the team were preparing to leave.
"Then you'll have to hold down the left-back position now."
"And you'll have to take Gigi's role."
"Guess so."
It felt strange for Ho-young.
It had already been three years since he started training with Zidane.
The idea that the mentor he relied on was retiring didn't quite feel real.
"So, who do you think we'll sign in January? The front office keeps saying they'll strengthen the midfield and defense."
"Someone will come, for sure."
Ho-young wasn't concerned.
Regardless of who joined, he only had one thing on his mind: work hard to win the league title.
And just as the morning training session was about to wrap up, the moment he had been waiting for finally arrived.
[You covet Artistic Ball Control (SS+3).]
[It will take 200 days → 25 days to fully acquire the talent. During this time, no other talent can be coveted.]
[Artistic Ball Control (SS+3)↑]
His existing Ball Control (SS+) had just evolved two levels.
But Ho-young didn't stop there.
Using the potential gained from Messi, he applied it to the upgraded Artistic Ball Control (SS+3).
And at that moment, the long-awaited notice appeared.
[Transcendent Ball Control (SSS-)↑]
[It will take 300 days → 60 days to fully acquire the talent. During this time, no other talent can be coveted.]
His very first Triple S-grade talent.
Overwhelmed with emotion, his heart pounded.
And then, another message popped up that made him even more excited.
Ho-young's eyes gleamed.
[In 60 days, you will be able to combine all your talents related to Ball Control.]
[List of talents combinable with Transcendent Ball Control (SSS-)]
To be revealed in 60 days
'Combination, huh...'
How was it different from fusion?
He was thrilled.
He couldn't wait to find out what kind of change this would bring.
One thing was clear — he had a new goal.
December 31, night.
At Puerta del Sol, the countdown to the New Year began at the famous clock tower.
As the bell rang, people across Spain ate grapes in line with tradition.
Ho-young, watching the broadcast from home, gulped down a drink filled with grapes as well.
Thus began the year 2009.
January 2009.
Real Madrid became busy as soon as the winter transfer window opened.
To reinforce the midfield, they brought in French defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra for 40 billion won, and also loaned Julien Faubert.
Although there were talks among board members about signing Dutch striker Huntelaar, Pérez firmly opposed it, and the transfer was canceled.
He also declared there would be no further reinforcements for the attack.
It marked the end of the so-called Dutch Connection.
Still, things had gone relatively well.
Despite a few hiccups, the new arrivals adapted quickly to the team and performed decently in training.
Moreover, since there were no Champions League matches in January, the schedule was fairly relaxed.
With a fortified midfield, Real Madrid had little to fear.
As proof, they continued their winning streak by beating traditional powerhouse Villarreal 1-0 in an early January home match.
The problem came next.
On January 11, during an away match against Valencia, a shocking incident occurred.
The match was already intense from the start, as it was a clash between the second- and third-placed teams in the league.
Things got so heated that fans near the stadium even got into fights.
Though the two clubs usually maintained good relations, today, it was pure hostility.
The atmosphere in the stadium was so toxic it felt more like a Madrid derby.
Under such pressure, Real Madrid players were inevitably affected.
Veterans like Zidane and Van Nistelrooy were unbothered, but some players were clearly off from the start.
Chief among them was Pepe.
That day, he was obsessed with the idea of putting the hostile Valencia fans in their place.
Having been overflowing with confidence ever since the Barcelona match, his aggression had only grown worse.
Eventually, he lost control and committed a horrific act during the match.
The spark was a dribble attempt by David Villa in the box.
Having already clashed with Villa before, Pepe tripped him with a reckless tackle.
That alone might have been written off as a tactical foul.
But what followed was the real problem.
As Villa fell, Pepe drove his knee into him, a sickening act of violence.
Had he stopped there, things might have settled somewhat.
But Pepe didn't stop.
When Vicente protested to the referee, Pepe charged at him and punched him in the face, revealing his inner boxer to the world.
The result was obvious.
Red card.
Real Madrid then conceded a penalty, which Villa converted.
From there, Valencia capitalized on their one-man advantage and secured a 3-1 victory.
Football fans around the world, who had expected Real Madrid to win, were stunned.
Even more shocking was what Pepe said after the match — "You're all sons of whores!" — directed at the referee.
La Liga's disciplinary committee immediately handed him a 10-match ban and condemned his actions in the strongest terms.
Real Madrid were given the right to appeal within 10 days, but there was little hope of overturning it.
This series of events brought an unforeseen crisis to the club.
Ho-young had been preparing in advance to stop Pepe's outburst, knowing the future. But since the incident happened three months earlier than expected, he was unable to act in time.
The legend of Mad Pepe had begun once again in this life.
And it marked the start of a string of misfortunes for the club.
Time flew, and before anyone knew it, mid-February had arrived.
That's when the real challenge began.
Their upcoming opponent in the Champions League Round of 16.
Currently second in the Premier League, they were one of the most dominant forces in English football.
To beat them, Real Madrid would need more than luck — they needed a brilliant solution.
(To be continued.)