Second Half Chapter 9

Jerim weakly nodded, completely ignoring the claim that he was “perfectly fine.” His motivation to keep fighting had vanished, and he was about to turn his back again when Aaron’s voice drifted over once more.

“Jerim, is that all you’re curious about? Whether or not I’ve adjusted to the jet lag?”

“What else should I be curious about besides that? Your condition is a matter that directly affects our team from now on, so of course I have to pay attention.”

To put it differently, it meant he had no interest in anything except for matters that could impact a match. Honestly, whether the guy collapsed from pain or went out of his mind, he didn’t want to care; however, personal feelings aside, it was undeniable that he was a talent who would be a massive asset to the team’s strength, so he had no choice.

‘I have to lift the Big Ear at least once before I retire….’

After lifting the trophies for the Premier League, the Champions League, and the Cup, he felt he could truly retire without hesitation. Although he had achieved Premier League and Cup victories after transferring to Sefton, the day he would win the Champions League seemed distant. Despite comfortably advancing to the main tournament in line with their reputation as one of the Big 4, they always had a habit of dropping out around the quarter-finals.

Still, last season the games went so well that he had inwardly expected this time to be the one. When they broke through the Champions League semi-finals, their league performance was also in first place, so he was soaked in the dream that even if they couldn’t achieve a Treble, they could lift two trophies simultaneously.

But the result was second place for both. The Sefton players, including Jerim, were quite devastated. They thought they would win the league even if the Champions League was a toss-up, but in the final league match, the team that had been maintaining second place by two points behind Sefton miraculously won, earning 3 points and pulling off an upset. Of all teams, the one that achieved the turnaround was Sefton’s long-standing rival, Malden FC, making the team atmosphere even worse.

In such a situation, since a top-class striker like Aaron Reyes had transferred in, it was natural for the club and fans to pin their hopes on him. Even his fellow players did.

Everyone knew well how difficult it was to find a striker with proven skills, and how vital a striker with good finishing, physicality, and sense was to a team. Lehmann, who was currently a starter, was certainly a good talent, but perhaps because he was still young, he lacked that decisive “one shot.”

Even Jerim, when he first heard the news of Aaron’s transfer, hated it so much his body twisted, while at the same time thinking, ‘This time, there might really be a possibility?’ It was to that extent. That was why he had vowed not to fight. Though that vow had turned into a blank sheet of paper just one second after they locked eyes….

‘I really shouldn’t fight from now on.’

Recalling Aaron’s value once again, his heart naturally became more generous. Before retirement—to be a little more greedy—the desire to lift the Big Ear before turning thirty moved Jerim to act.

“Hey, let’s stop…”

It was just as he was about to offer a reconciliation after a short moment of self-reflection. Perhaps he failed to see Jerim’s tentatively extended hand, or perhaps he ignored it intentionally, but Aaron crossed his arms. As if he didn’t want to share something like a handshake.

That movement touched a trauma buried deep in his heart. Jerim reflexively swallowed hard and quickly tucked his hand away lest anyone see.

The World Cup held at an unprecedented time at the end of the year. His first national team debut. A fatal mistake. The cause was….

Amber eyes, which he used to stare at as a child, fascinated because they were as sparkling and pretty as jewels, stared intently at Jerim. Facing him calmly like this, Jerim realized late that the brightness of those eyes had lowered slightly—just a tiny bit—compared to the past. Along with the fact that the emotion held in those eyes was hostility.

“You really haven’t changed. You’re nauseatingly insensitive. How are you even acting as captain with that attitude? It must not suit your personality at all.”

Aaron rebuked Jerim, spitting out his words in a tone quite different from before. Earlier, although he was sarcastic, his voice was mixed with a playful tone so it didn’t feel like being condemned, but now, a conversation purely for the sake of condemnation was taking place.

Jerim’s heart, which had been about to request a temporary truce, also froze cold. The dark history that unexpectedly surfaced and Aaron’s shameless attitude struck him in the head.

Reconciliation with a jerk like this, my foot. He must have been momentarily possessed by the soul of the Buddha. Jerim muttered in a grim tone, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets.

“Yeah, I manage. You’re as thick-skinned as ever, too.”

“I’m thick-skinned? No. The thick-skinned one is you, Bunny.”

“Who do you think you’re saying that to? And if you call me by that nickname one more time—”

“Bunny. Come on, what are you going to do?”

A sudden urge rose to punch the face of the guy who was shrugging his arms with exaggerated movements. But if he did that, it was certain that a scar would be left on that face that was so damn handsome it couldn’t even be hidden, and Jerim would be disciplined for assault within the club.

Then should he hit a spot that isn’t noticeable? Jerim slowly loosened his hands while carefully observing the thighs or abdomen that would be covered even if he wore a jersey. Because he heard the nickname ‘Bunny’ for the first time in a while, his fingertips curled like the legs of a grilled squid.

A spot that isn’t noticeable… the stomach or legs are definitely the best. The problem was that both were areas where things could go seriously wrong if hit incorrectly. If there were a guarantee that the injury would heal during the pre-season, he would hit him a hundred times over, but what if things went wrong and he was injured to the level of having to miss an entire season?

Not only would the Big Ear fly away, but he also wouldn’t be able to avoid discipline. No, in this case, it wouldn’t be discipline, but a lawsuit.

After calculating various scenarios, Jerim quietly suppressed his anger. If he swung his fist because he couldn’t overcome a momentary impulse, there was too much to lose. Instead, he huffed and puffed, his chest heaving.

“Fine. God, at my age, being so childish…. Hey, I don’t want to waste any more time on you, okay? I’m not even interested to that degree. So let’s just stay as teammates. Okay?”

No matter how much the manager ordered them to become close again, that was impossible. A relationship as distant colleagues who don’t have private contact and only see each other’s faces during training and matches was the limit. It was the moment he finished the task cursorily, as if throwing out trash because he didn’t even want to make that suggestion.

“Ha!”

A scoff of disbelief pierced Jerim’s ear, and at the same time, his shoulder was roughly pushed. Thump! As soon as his entire back hit the wall, Aaron stepped right up to his nose and blocked him. The eyes of the guy, who twisted the corners of his mouth into a sneer, flashed with a threatening light.

“Teammates? Don’t make me laugh. How could we ‘just’ be teammates?”

“And why couldn’t we?”

“Reasons are more than enough. Do you give ‘just’ teammates handjobs? Do you kiss them because they look a bit cute?”

“Yeah, I do. Is there a rule saying it must have been only with you?”

Of course, he had never done such a thing. Just the imagination of doing such a thing with the colleagues currently in Sefton made him feel a shiver of disgust to the point of nausea. However, a childish spite that wanted to win the argument faked a confident attitude.

At the same time, a formidable grip was transmitted to his held shoulder. Before his eyes, Aaron, with an expression that wouldn’t be strange even if he killed a person right then and there, was grinding his teeth.

“…You said you haven’t met any men besides me.”

“I said I haven’t met them, I never said I haven’t done it?”

After breaking up with Aaron, he hadn’t had a relationship or sex with a man. Honestly, since Jerim’s own way of thinking was completely biased toward the idea that a relationship and sex couldn’t be separate, he had never had a relationship like a sex partner even when meeting women.

But this, too, could be fabricated as much as he wanted in order to best Aaron. Aaron, receiving Jerim’s gloating gaze head-on, took a deep breath as if suppressing his anger, then finally sneered.

“Fuck, with that kind of attitude, who are you calling a slut. Aren’t you the slut?”

Uttering the word ‘slut’, Aaron flicked Jerim’s chin up with his index finger as if to clearly remind him who the subject was. It was only natural that Jerim’s eyes flipped at the movement that looked down on him as if he were a puppy.

“Jerim, just what do you think you did so well that since a while ago you’ve been to me— Ugh!”