SPW 68

The disciplinary action ended at a three-match suspension. This was thanks to evidence and testimony emerging that the opposing player, Klimko, had made inappropriate remarks during the match. A video, which made its way not just to the sports section but to the main news, clearly showed a drunken Klimko.

The location was Klimko’s residence, at a party celebrating the victory they had secured by defeating the Rhinos for the first time in 28 matches. Klimko, shouting the exact same words he had recited to Sarang on the pitch, raised his glass, surrounded by family, friends, a few teammates, and acquaintances. The source of the video was one of them.

In the two days after the match before the video was released, criticism poured down on Sarang like a bombing raid. As if the unbearably harsh and violent barrage of criticism wasn’t enough, it was followed by an attempt by a fan who had stormed the stadium to attack Sarang.

Ultimately, the club issued a statement regarding the hooligan (a violent spectator or fan) and took protective measures for Sarang. That protective measure was a vacation for Sarang. Until his suspension was over, Sarang was forbidden from entering the stadium or the club facilities. It was called a protective measure, but it was a practical punishment handed down by the club.

The fan forums were beyond boiling over; they were on the verge of exploding. One actual community was temporarily shut down. Opinions ranged from defenses like, “Wasn’t it Klimko who started it?” to criticisms like, “Still, he should have held back on the pitch. Sarang was unprofessional for not controlling his emotions.” Discriminatory remarks also began to run rampant, such as, “His parents are betas, so his innate disposition is violent,” and “I thought Asians were just submissive, but I guess they can go wild like dogs too.”

“The usual luv is a kind and good person. He’s incredibly passionate on the pitch, but he has never shown unsportsmanlike behavior without reason before. I guarantee it, Klimko must have spouted some bullshit first.”

“Right, right. Our Sarang isn’t the kind of kid who would do that.”

“So it’s okay to beat people up if you have a reason? Luv, my ass. Tell that gangster bastard to get off the pitch.”

“You can beat people up if you have a reason. Is a soccer player a saint? You’re the one with the cheap mouth, you get lost.”

Jeong-hoon, who had been reading aloud a post from the fan forum, switched over to the news section.

“The cause of the incident was revealed to be Klimko’s hate speech. An exposé video provided by one of the acquaintances who attended the party at the time contained Klimko’s vivid confession. Klimko dismissed it as just a joke made while drunk, but the remarks in the video alone are enough for him to face not only disciplinary action but also criminal charges.”

“What disciplinary action? They should permanently revoke his player license.”

“The Ducal House and Kim Sarang’s side have maintained their silence, while the PL office, immediately upon confirming the video, withdrew the additional disciplinary action and concluded the matter with a three-match suspension as per regulations. The office’s stance is that there is no clear evidence that Klimko’s discriminatory remarks were made on the pitch, and even if they were, violence on the pitch cannot be tolerated.”

“They’re saying there’s absolutely no way the card can be rescinded now that the match is over. It’s the referee’s authority, after all. Who doesn’t know that referees are gods in the PL?”

Jeong-hoon glanced down at Jae-hyeok, who was lying improperly on the sofa and sarcastically dissing the opponent he disliked, then put his phone away.

“It seems the Ducal House is managing things to some extent.”

“I’d bet a hundred won it’s not the Ducal House, but Florian.”

“What good is a hundred won? I don’t think Florian is very interested in player Sarang’s career.”

“Seeing as he doesn’t care about the domestic public opinion, you have a point, but this time he was insulted too.”

“That makes sense.”

Jeong-hoon, who had been conversing with Jae-hyeok, made himself some instant coffee mix in his tumbler.

“When you see them together, it seems like Florian also cherishes and loves player Sarang, but it’s strangely negligent.”

“What about mine?”

“Make it yourself.”

“Hey, you could make some for your hyung!”

“Are you… from the Joseon Dynasty, perhaps?”

“And you, can’t you just stick to either formal or informal speech?”

“Sure, Boss.”

Contrary to the content of their conversation, the two, who were not particularly agitated, had switched places at some point. Jeong-hoon, now sitting on the sofa, took out his phone, and Jae-hyeok, while grumbling, expertly made some instant coffee mix.

“He clearly doesn’t know what the national team means to a player. No, does he really look down on our country?”

“Hyung, that’s a victim complex. I heard Florian originally had zero interest in soccer. It’s only because he met player Sarang that he even goes to the stadium and all that. I think it’s not that he looks down on it, but that he has no interest at all.”

“That’s even more offensive. And that brilliant man can’t understand the simple fact that in our country, regardless of skill or whatever, if your image takes a nosedive, you get dropped from the national team in an instant?”

“That’s why he signed a contract with us. To manage things over here for him.”

“If they had handled things properly in his home country, it wouldn’t have blown up all the way in Korea!”

“Don’t you know how trashy the media is in his home country?”

“True. The trash reporters in our country are stupid trash, and the trash reporters in that country are ‘at least’ smart trash.”

Jae-hyeok, who had replied in a mumble, took a slurp of coffee and sat down opposite him.

“Negligent? He sends him on a private jet every time he’s called up, and if Sarang seems to need him, the man himself flies into the country. You can’t do that with a negligent heart.”

Jeong-hoon, who was looking at Jae-hyeok deliberately revealing his inner thoughts as if to convince himself, slurped his coffee.

“There are times he sends player Sarang alone, though.”

“Does that man live only for Sarang? When you’re the heir to the Ducal House and the Wellington family, it’s a miracle he spends this much time, a miracle.”

“Exactly. He’s not negligent, but it strangely seems like he is.”

Jae-hyeok glanced at Jeong-hoon, who was downing the rest of his coffee with a sour look on his face, but he didn’t reply and just put the paper cup to his lips.

Kim Sarang and Florian.

Jae-hyeok had also noticed the subtle atmosphere flowing between them. Florian was kind and cherished Sarang more than anyone, but he had a line. On the other hand, Sarang’s eyes, when looking at Florian, were overflowing with uncontrollable feelings. It was visible to others that those feelings were enveloping the line Florian had drawn, yet Florian himself didn’t seem to know. Or he pretended not to know.

Feeling a bit bitter for some reason, Jae-hyeok washed away the bitter taste with the remaining coffee.

“Let’s get to work. Now that the details of the incident are out, we need to spread it far and wide.”

Jae-hyeok brushed himself off, stood up, and lightened the mood.

Florian, who received a report while on the move, looked down at his tablet. His index finger tapped, tok, tok, against the edge of the tablet.

“He is still active as a pimp.”

A mugshot of a man in his thirties with messy blond hair and numerous piercings filled the screen.

“We have secured testimony that he was often seen with Colin.”

“Colin was involved in the sex industry?”

“Circumstantially… yes, that is correct.”

“Kaia must know, then.”

“Yes, Boss. It seems they are waiting for the right moment.”

“It will get noisy, but they won’t be able to damage me with information like this.”

It wasn’t Kim Sarang himself who had sold his body, and the fact that his father, who died years ago, was a male prostitute could not be Kim Sarang’s fault. Of course, the media would tear into it. Florian had a duty to protect Sarang whether he was at fault or not, and he would be faithful to that duty.

“Boss, public opinion will worsen. The Royal Office may send someone.”

“Tell them to just endure it for four years since we’re getting divorced anyway.”

“The fact that it’s a contract marriage is a secret, isn’t it, Boss?”

Florian, not even glancing at Bailey who only spoke the truth, swiped the tablet screen.

“The clinical trial was also illegal.”

“This, we can certainly make a legal issue out of, Boss.”

“Are you going to put handcuffs on a dead man?”

“They will use it to question his morality and hold a trial by public opinion.”

“On Colin’s son, Kim Sarang. And they’ll smear ink on me too, Sarang’s husband.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Tok, tok. Florian, tapping the edge of the tablet once again, swiped the screen again.

“The first one to recognize Sarang’s talent was Colin. He approved of him becoming a soccer player, and he was the one who supported him both materially and emotionally. And he created a scandal like this? He must have known it would definitely become an issue once Sarang became a professional player.”

The context didn’t add up.

“Should I dig a little deeper?”

“Find out if he had regular clients, and if so, who they were. Also, find out the route through which he came to participate in the clinical trial.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“To Sarang,”

“I will never let him find out, Boss.”

“Good.”

Florian, swiping the tablet with a somewhat complicated expression, leaned his body back against the seat.

To think I want to see his face in a situation like this.

No, it was because it was a situation like this that he wanted to confirm Sarang’s safety.

Tsk. Florian, clicking his tongue, opened his mouth.

“Where is Sarang now?”

“He returned to the club starting today, so,”

Florian held out a hand to Bailey, who was about to roll up his sleeve to check his watch, signaling him to stop. He then took out his phone. And he called Sarang directly.