A Chairman Who Has No Regrets - Chapter 173
Only Noblemtl
Episode 173 – Leverkusen (8)
It would not be an exaggeration to say that all Koreans in this small town called Leverkusen were present in this scene unfolding in front of Cha Geun-beom’s house.
“Live- live- I’ve done all the kimchi-making in Germany-”
As one merchant said.
therefore.
I never imagined that I would see my mother and sisters making kimchi in Germany.
“Oh my! Player Cha, get over there!”
The mother is urging Cha Geun-beom.
Before I knew it, he was crouching down in front of a red tub, crushing the insides of kimchi.
“Haha, what’s the point of just watching…”
“Okay-okay! Someone has to play in a few hours!”
“Who said no!”
“Get out of here quickly! Get out of here!”
The attitude of the people who had treated Cha Geun-beom like a VIP until just a moment ago had changed completely. Now, Cha Geun-beom was just a nuisance. That was how sincere the people were to Kimjang.
Cha Geun-beom made a sour expression and then stood next to me with a cough.
“I want this… I’m sorry.”
“Yes, you should do that.”
At my blunt response, Cha Geun-beom’s eyes rolled back and turned to Tae-soo. His face looked as if he was asking, “What’s wrong with him?”
Taesu shook his head.
“By the way, shouldn’t you really take care of your condition?”
Cha Geun-beom chuckled, checked his watch, and said.
“I have to leave in two hours anyway, so I’ll start by warming up at the stadium.”
“ah-”
“You don’t have to worry about the house, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
Cha Geun-beom nodded, coughed in vain, and said.
“That’s right.”
“Yes, bro.”
“This is kimchi, but it can be pickled in less than 2 hours…”
“Absolutely impossible.”
“yes…”
A very regretful expression.
“I think it will end when the game ends, right?”
“Does it take that long?”
“It takes a whole half day just to pickle the cabbage.”
“I see.”
“I don’t know if it’s possible to make something like pickled radish…”
Cha Geun-beom, who followed my gaze and checked the people busily moving around in front of the terrace, shook his head. People were sweating bullets, so I couldn’t eat the pickled vegetables as I wanted.
“Would you like to eat well after the game?”
“Ugh, I guess so.”
“And what do you put in kimchi?”
“huh?”
Cha Geun-beom tilts his head.
“Would the beef be tasty, or would the pork be tasty?”
Cha Geun-beom swallowed his saliva, nodding his head loudly as if his mouth was watering just thinking about it.
“It has to be pork.”
“Yes, shall we go buy it?”
“okay!”
The butcher shop that Cha Geun-beom frequents, the moment he spots him, places beef on the counter without a care. When Cha Geun-beom smiles and says something in German, the owner tilts his head in surprise and goes into the storage room to take out something else.
“@#%@#$@#$”
I feel like this is all there is to it.
“How should I cut it?”
“Wow… That would weigh about 40kg, right?”
“There are a lot of people.”
“You must be spending a lot of money.”
Cha Geun-beom chuckled.
“Should I just take it whole?”
Cha Geun-beom opened his eyes wide.
“When did you learn it?”
“There’s a fireplace in the yard too?”
“yes?”
“Wouldn’t it be ripe in half a day?”
Cha Geun-beom nodded and lifted the pig’s front leg with the skin still on it onto his shoulder.
“please.”
“Okay, this much is fine.”
“Please give it to me because I don’t want to hear people say that you lost the game because of me.”
He smiled and obediently handed over the meat.
“thanks.”
The sudden thank you made me chuckle. I don’t know what kind of thanks he meant, but I could tell that he was sincere.
“It’s been a while since I’ve laughed. It’s because of you guys.”
“You used to smile every time you scored a goal?”
“It’s just instinct.”
“Are you going to score a goal today?”
“I want to do that.”
Cha Geun-beom, who has been on the rise since the season before last, and knowing that he will start receiving great reviews starting this season, I couldn’t help but chuckle at his joke.
“why?”
“The team squad is in a slightly disappointing state.”
“Then what should we do?”
“what?”
“We don’t have any pork or kimchi to give to the losers.”
Cha Geun-beom chuckles.
It would be a lie to say that he didn’t feel pressured in this very important match for advancing to the UFFA Cup. He was in a sensitive state, and it must have been great patience that he showed a little irritation in the interview the day before yesterday, ahead of the important match.
“I have to win no matter what.”
“Yes, I look forward to it.”
“Okay, look forward to it. I’ll definitely eat kimchi… Boiled pork… Bossam in Germany.”
Is it an illusion that his eyes seem hotter than when he looks at a soccer ball?
Cha Geun-beom, who had brought the meat, looked at the red tub and cabbage with a face full of regret before getting on a vehicle sent by the team and leaving for the home stadium first.
“Faster! Move faster!”
Both uncles and aunties.
And our mothers, sisters, and even the broadcast staff. They sweat more than day laborers, working hard to make kimchi.
“Is this how it is supposed to happen…”
I find myself shaking my head.
The reason why they are speeding up even more.
“The game starts in 2 hours, hurry up!”
It was because of the soccer game.
“Hey! What are you doing? Why don’t you move quickly?”
“Uh huh.”
Although I was nervous, I had no choice but to help out with the kimchi-making work at the behest of my older sister.
Seriously, just try to lose the game today.
I will take responsibility and make sure you don’t eat bossam.
**
This works.
I nodded my head as I was led into the stadium by my sister and mother’s hands.
My sisters and mother woke up earlier than ever before since coming to Germany and hurriedly moved to finish making kimchi before the game started.
It was probably easy thanks to the experience gained from working in a restaurant. Making side dishes or kimchi every day was almost like a daily routine.
Although it was a task of pickling 50 heads of cabbage, the family was able to achieve their goal by moving in unison.
“Woooooooooooo-”
At that moment, when Leverkusen’s opponent, Cologne, was entering the stadium, the whole stadium was filled with boos, and my sisters and mother looked around nervously as if they were curious.
“Why do people do that?”
I answered my mother’s question as if it was nothing.
“Last season, Leverkusen’s performance was a bit bad, but FC Köln, the opponent of Leverkusen, is right next door, and they beat Leverkusen a few times in the previous season, so the locals don’t like that team.”
“Oh my, I can still hear everything, but the players are dying-”
“I guess that’s the fun, it would be similar if Leverkusen went to Cologne’s home stadium.”
“Oh my, so Player Cha plays soccer and gets booed like this?”
As soon as the mother finished speaking, the players started to come out onto the field along with Leverkusen’s entrance music.
“Wowaaaaaaaaaaaa-”
“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Fans cheering on Leverkusen players by stomping their feet.
As if to show how important this match is, Leverkusen’s home stadium, the Bay Arena, shakes as if an earthquake has occurred.
The faces of my mother, younger sister, and older sister seemed to have turned slightly red from the mysterious heat. It felt like the heat of the fans was being transmitted as is.
“Wow, that’s amazing…”
Taesu muttered quietly next to me.
The boy’s words were small, but they were clearly heard by my sisters, my mother, and me. Everyone was nodding and agreeing with what Taesu said.
“Even though Mom doesn’t speak German, she knows that so many people are rooting for Cha.”
The older sisters nodded at their mother’s words.
“Last season, Leverkusen’s performance was really bad. They finished 15th? That’s about it.”
“Oh my… Player Cha must have been in a lot of pain.”
Before I knew it, my mother started to worry about Cha, almost like the uncle next door or a neighbor. It was to the point where I wondered how they could become so close after only seeing each other for two days.
“But Leverkusen is doing well this season. They’re probably 6th or 5th in the league so far.”
“Oh my! Isn’t that great? Getting 5th out of 15?”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
“It seems like player Cha is really good-”
With all the talk focused on Cha Geun-beom, it seemed like his mother had already maxed out his favorability rating.
“Fighting, Oppa Cha Geun-beom-”
Sudden shouting from my little sister.
Cha Geun-beom, who was walking around the field and greeting people, suddenly turns his head towards his little sister and us.
“Master! I believe! Win!”
“Fighting, oppa!”
Before I knew it, he had become a big brother to my younger and older sisters. My mother smiled brightly and gave me a thumbs up.
what.
There’s something I don’t like.
Brother?
I frowned and said,
“There is no kimchi on the ground!”
Cha Geun-beom opens his eyes wide for a moment, then smiles, nods, waves his hand, and returns to the field to prepare for the game.
“#$%#$%#$%”
People around us were talking loudly to us in German, but unfortunately no one in our group could speak German.
“Do you know Boom?”
Someone asked us in stiff German English. Before I could answer, Taesu glared and said,
“This is my teacher!”
“Oh! You are Boom’s disciple!”
Now that I think about it, it would be no exaggeration to say that our group was the only Asian group in this large audience. Perhaps it was more obvious because there were more than 10 Asians gathered together at once, including the staff and our families.
“You came all the way here to cheer for Boom! As expected, these people are as passionate as Boom!”
A few Germans, who were busy selling beer and sausages and other snacks, started handing us beer and sausages.
“@#$^@#$@#$%”
People who speak loudly in German and put beer, cola, sausages, fries, popcorn, etc. in our hands.
“Boom, man, my, man.”
Although she spoke in short English words, we could understand the meaning. My little sister coughed and glanced at me.
“What? Why?”
He wiggles his eyebrows and looks uncomfortable at my reaction, then continues speaking.
“No, I was wondering if I could accept it.”
“It’s free beer?”
“Ahem, I can’t stand that.”
“Oh my gosh- I’m finally getting to try German beer-”
Before I knew it, my mother was bowing her head slightly as she accepted the beer that a young man was smiling and handing her.
Just knowing Cha Geun-beom changed the way the fans treated us at this home stadium.
“Oh, if this continues and Geunbeom-hyung makes a mistake, won’t we be in big trouble?”
Director Baek, who had just received a beer, frowned at my words.
“… a full-time student.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That, that word could become a seed…”
“no way-”
“… Did I just imagine that? Everyone in the audience here cursing at Cha Geun-beom and glaring at us?”
“Ah, haha.”
Gulp, beads of sweat run down my temples. It’s because the same imagination came to my mind because of Director Baek’s explanation.
“Well, in Europe, hooligans? Those kinds of fanatic fans often do things like destroying stores or setting fire to stadiums…”
Director Baek and I gulped at the words of a writer who had his shoulders hunched.
I quickly drank the beer in my hand.
Bam!
“Ouch! What the heck? Are you a hooligan?”
“Where on earth did this kid sneak in some beer!”
She was my little sister.
I’m watching this, this.
“Give it to me! You drink cola.”
After sipping the cola, I put my arm around Director Baek’s shoulder. I also naturally put my arm around Taesu’s shoulder, who was standing next to me.
It’s not because Cha Geun-beom is pretty.
My older sisters call me oppa.
My mother made kimchi from dawn, and that person said, “What’s so pretty about that?”
“Go, Leverkusen! Win, Leverkusen!”
Director Baek and Taesu looked at me with strange eyes as I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“What the heck, you punk? What the heck, director?”
“No, isn’t Kang-i’s character originally like this?”
“That’s why, cheering doesn’t suit him at all.”
I said with a small sigh.
“Whew- I still have a long way to go… I haven’t even earned or spent anything yet, I can’t just get killed here, what are you guys doing? Cheer up, cheer up! If Geunbeom-hyung can’t do it, we’ll all die!”
The men who realized something from what I said started to cheer me on, one after another, grabbing my shoulder.
“If you don’t score a hat trick today, there’s no such thing as kimchi for Cha Geun-beom! Don’t even dream about it!”
It was a moment when Korean resonated louder than any other sound in the arena.
Let us be angry and cause trouble.
Before I knew it, blonde Germans began to gather around the staff and me, and they began to vaguely mimic what we were saying.
“There’s no kimchi-”
Their eyes looked like, “We can’t lose to your passion either! Let’s cheer together!” At this level, even if Leverkusen does something wrong, they won’t be killed.
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