“today… You really did well once.”

A bed in a large and spacious premium suite.

Mr. Choi, who was lying on the bed with the blanket spread under him, spoke calmly. Was it because of the darkened room or the wonderful night view through the window?

“It was good. The sauna was good, the massage was great, and the rice was delicious.”

Kim, who was lying next to him, nodded in agreement.

The sauna on top of the building was really the best, and it was a bit disappointing to hear that someone else would do the massage, not Taehan, but thanks to that, the fatigue went away and I was refreshed. Should I say that the word artisan was not a waste of skill?

The hotel buffet I visited after that was also of a high quality.

From that late afternoon until now, I’ve been spending special times and lying in bed, I even felt like I was lying.

“Mr. Kang really has a good son, well… … .”

“There are many successful sons around me, but there are not many who take care of their father. is not it?”

“Amman, it’s nagging to say two things.”

Choi nodded while lying down.

They were two people who often said good things about Taehan, but maybe it was thanks to the good times they had today.

“I-I’m just embarrassed to be listening.”

In the end, Kang Ho-yeon, who hadn’t heard, interjected.

Unlike the two lying on the floor with a blanket on, he was lying alone on the bed.

“What, were you listening? It’s a story I told you to listen to.”

Kim said smartly.

“Rather than that, are you going to stay there? There are two bedrooms, so why are all three of them crammed here?”

“why? It’s okay. It feels like we are all traveling together.”

“I prefer sleeping on the floor rather than on a bed.”

“Huh, true.”

Kang Ho-yeon burst out laughing as if he was dumbfounded, but his expression didn’t look that bad.

In fact, for almost ten years, Kang Ho-yeon had not stayed anywhere else except for going to the big house to hold ancestral rites on holidays.

I go to the store and come back home after work, and even if I go out, I look around the food mart or take a walk in the neighborhood and come back.

That’s why it’s been a long time since I’ve been playing far away with my acquaintances like this.

“What so… Not bad. Just like Kim said, I feel like I’m on a trip.”

“right? Rather, where will we go tomorrow? Today was fun thanks to Taehan, but tomorrow, before going to Daejeon, let’s take a look around Seoul.”

“Then I like Namsan Tower!”

“Mr. Choi, when will Namsan Tower be?”

“That’s where I first met my wife!”

“Then next time I will go with my wife. Because I hate it.”

Maybe it was because I got a massage and washed away my fatigue.

Even as the night deepened, the three of them spent time chatting about tomorrow’s schedule and small talk with a lively appearance. Everyone, especially Kang Ho-yeon, was smiling with the brightest face in recent days.

* * *

[Kang Ju-wan returns home alone to recover from injury during the season… Maybe it’s a preliminary step for release.]

One of the articles floating in the main.

Judging by the content, it was an article that started with an injury in last season and mentioned sluggish performance and the number of appearances.

Here, it was finished with a speculative ending, ‘This may be manager Albert’s calculation to get him released from the team.’

[I believe that our Juwan hyung can make a comeback.]

[No, is it a true story of sucking only sweet water and tossing up?]

[It’s not Tosa Gupaeng, isn’t it realistic? Honestly, the fact that Mr. Kang’s form has fallen these days is a joke haha]

[Just look at it, to get rid of the army, it’s a paving stone. See, don’t you know? Once, twice, keep watching! to put on a show like this The military service avoidance show that is rampant in the sports world! It must be stopped at the government level!]

“Whoa.”

If you scroll all the way down, there are hundreds of comments like an article on the main page. Of course, as always, there weren’t many comments worth reading there.

While waiting for the elevator, Kang Joo-wan, who read an article in his place, let out a small sigh with a slightly bitter expression.

“I wish it was a show… … .”

A low-pitched muttering to oneself.

There were a lot of comments from fans who supported him in the comment section, but there were also quite a few comments that were negative or filled with ridiculous conspiracy theories.

Originally, I would have read it roughly and not paid attention to it, but I was shaken by these comments, perhaps because I was in a bad mental situation myself.

‘Nope. Let’s not worry about it and focus on mental care.’

Today is the day we decided to spend a so-called staycation, where we decided to get a massage recommended by Choi Tae-joon and take a good rest at the newly opened hotel. At most, they came to recharge their energy, and there was no need to consume their vitality.

Kang Joo-wan shook his head once to get rid of his thoughts, and then got off the elevator that reached the top floor.

“What… Not bad.”

When I changed my clothes and entered the bath, I saw the open view of the Han River across the Olympic Boulevard.

But is it because I don’t have much room in my heart, or is it that I can’t feel this much emotion anymore? Kang Joo-wan took a shower with a calm expression and soaked himself in a hot bath.

“Whoa… … .”

When you soak your body from the neck down, the hot water warms your whole body. It feels like your whole body is soaked in warmth. I feel it every time, but the bath itself has a special feeling.

‘What to do next… … .’

However, Kang Joo-wan’s personal situation was not good to empty his head and focus only on taking a bath.

Rest recommendations from the team. In fact, it is safe to say that the speculative content in the article, ‘Isn’t it the intention to get the team released’ is almost true. Kang Joo-Wan himself, not anyone else, knew that best.

The only difference is that they are given another chance after returning. Coach Albert is the kind of person who will give you at least one chance if you say you’ll wait.

However… But it didn’t seem like the director was leaving high expectations. It’s just that I was a person who highly appreciated Kang Joo-wan’s potential, so I feel sorry for him. No, maybe it’s closer to a bit of mercy.

If you have ligament surgery, chances are you’ll be better than you are now. But that doesn’t mean that the old form will return, and there will be no going back.

Considering that there is a possibility that it will get worse as a side effect rather than getting better… In effect, it is like gambling with your body.

“It’s hard… … .”

If you are released from the team and your career as a player ends.

But that doesn’t mean everything is over right away. The sign of being a former Premier League player is a title with enormous power in itself. At least you won’t have to worry about starving to death because you can’t take care of yourself.

But what comfort would that be?

All he wants is to play on the field as a soccer player. The Premier League, which I have longed for since childhood. Even if I was to be released, it was my honest feeling that I wanted to play even one more season, no, even one more game.

‘But it’s not like you can run with just your heart… … .’

A player who does not play his role is not needed by the team.

Passion and effort are important even in the professional world, but those are the things that can only be evaluated after that when you have the skills above the required level.

because I knew that

Kang Joo-wan’s worries and complicated feelings had no choice but to deepen.

* * *

“welcome.”

When the customer opened the door and went inside, Choi Seong-hyun, who was standing at the counter, bowed his head and said hello.

“May I ask for the name of the person making the reservation?”

“Oh, I didn’t make a reservation.”

“If that’s the case, it’s hard to get the Cheonma course or the Craftsman course. I would like to guide you to the normal course, is that okay?”

A little awkward, but not too bad. At that, the man nodded slowly, and Choi Seong-hyeon measured the size with his eyes and took out clothes from the shelf below and handed them to the customer.

“Then take the clothes first… You can change in the changing room over there.”

“Ah, yes. All right.”

“If the clothes are small or large, please feel free to tell me.”

Seonghyun Choi lightly bowed to the customer walking into the dressing room, then went back behind the counter.

‘No, why is this man not coming like this?’

Of course, this is not Choi Seong-hyun’s job.

Choi Seong-hyeon is a masseuse in charge of the artisan course. Customer service at the counter is being handled by Manager Hwang and the staff in charge, and now it is Manager Hwang’s turn.

However, Chief Hwang complained of acute abdominal pain and ran to the bathroom. He ate more than usual at lunchtime, so it seemed that he had a bad nose.

That’s why I was looking for a substitute… Seonghyeon Choi, who had just finished a massage and was about to take a 30-minute break, was caught and put up here.

‘Isn’t it necessary to guarantee a break time… … .’

Choi Seong-hyun shakes his legs as if expressing dissatisfaction behind the counter. Even in the midst of that, when the door of the store opened, naturally bowing his head was truly sincere.

“welcome… yo. this.”

However, while he was raising his bowed head while saying hello.

Choi Seong-hyun, who met the customer’s eyes, forgot words for a moment.

The face I had seen so many times was right in front of my eyes.

‘… twin?’

I could immediately remember who it was.

Joo-Wan Kang. international soccer player.

Among them, he is one of the players who have inherited the legacy of Korean Premier Leaguers, and is one of the most recognized players among domestic soccer players.

The probability of encountering such a person here.

Probability that a similar person came by chance.

After guessing which of the two was higher, Seonghyeon Choi concluded that it would be the latter.

“What is the name of the person making the reservation?”

“Uh, your friend must have made a reservation, is that okay?”

“it’s okay.”

“This is Choi Tae-joon.”

In an instant, the contents of the What Tube video he had seen before appeared in Seonghyun Choi’s mind. Baseball’s Choi Tae-joon and soccer’s Kang Ju-wan are classmates in middle school, and they’ve been close since childhood.

“… Could you also tell me your name?”

This was an unnecessary procedure, but Seonghyeon Choi, without realizing it, put her hand to her mouth and asked in a low voice. It came out as a reflexive out of curiosity.

“This is Kang Joo-wan.”

In response, Kang Joo-wan revealed his name without much doubt. Choi Seong-hyeon nodded a couple of times, then, just like before, took out clothes that fit her size and handed them over.

“The shower room is over there.”

“A shower room?”

“No, the locker room is over there. You can change your clothes and come out.”

Ah yes… … .

Kang Joo-wan scratched the back of his head, took the clothes, and started walking in the direction Choi Sung-hyun pointed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Seonghyun. My stomach hurts so bad all of a sudden. Now go and rest.”

“… Manager.”

“Oh, I’m sorry… … .”

Choi Sung-hyun’s voice trembled slightly. Thinking that it was from anger, Chief Hwang put his hand on his shoulder and apologized again.

“Eh?”

However, Sunghyun Choi’s reaction was different from Chief Hwang’s idea.

Choi Seong-hyeon grabbed Chief Hwang’s hand, which was on his shoulder, with both hands.

“thank you so much.”

“That, is it?”

“I think I was good at letting Taehan follow me.”

“It is good to have high job satisfaction… … . I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

He had an expression that he didn’t know why, but it was Chief Hwang who gave Choi Seong-hyeon a cheer.

* * *

“What is it that makes such a fuss?”

Walking down the corridor of the store, Kang Tae-han scratched his head with a puzzled expression.

‘Taehan! Go to room 3, quickly!’

Choi Seong-hyun, who went to the counter for a while as a substitute for Chief Hwang, entered the break room making all sorts of fuss. It wasn’t that he made a fuss in the neighborhood, but it was an excessive reaction.

‘Looking at Seonghyun doing that, it seems like he’s probably a sports-related player.’

Maybe that’s why he’s a very famous player.

Kang Tae-han, who was walking down the hallway and reasoning in his own way, opened the door to room 3 and slowly entered.

“hello.”

“Ah yes. hello.”

A man who greets Kang Tae-han’s greeting.

Certainly, it was a familiar face no matter where I saw it. Kang Tae-han began to carefully scan the man’s figure.

‘It’s not about baseball… … .’

The upper body that naturally catches the eye after examining the face.

Although he has strong muscles, he has not trained intensively like a baseball player. Eventually, the moment you look at the lower body… … .

‘… Aha.’

The muscles of the lower body are toned and toned without any flaws.

And seeing the unstable blood flow from his left calf to his ankle, along the slightly twisted bloodline, Kang Tae-han was able to recall the name Kang Ju-wan, which has been frequently mentioned in Internet articles recently.