My Girlfriend Wants Victory

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The match between Argentina and Portugal ended with Argentina’s victory.

[Lionel Messi on winning against Portugal… “I was lucky.”]

└ Messi’s interview is so boring.

└ Can’t wait for Shin Doo-hyung’s interview.

└ For real lol, seeing Shin Doo-hyung’s expression earlier, I feel like an epic interview is coming.

Lionel Messi, who won decisively against his rival Cristiano Ronaldo, gave an interview that seemed to respect Portugal’s performance.

[Cristiano Ronaldo on losing to Argentina… “Team difference.”]

└ Team difference lol.

└ Haha, as expected, it’s Shin Doo-hyung’s interview.

└ Pure fun GOAT haha.

└ But why is this funny? Isn’t blaming the team too much given that the players worked hard together?

└ Are you saying our Shin Doo-hyung is at fault?

└ Isn’t it always these kinds of guys who blame the team in League of Legends?

└ Since these guys have nothing to say, they’re attacking the messenger…

On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t accept his loss.

As I was browsing articles and comments, I suddenly started to worry about Ronaldo.

[Title: Shin Doo-hyung got eliminated from the World Cup .gif]

After the match between Argentina and Portugal ended, Cristiano’s face on the broadcast looked completely shattered.

‘Chris can’t break down yet; we need to sell him to Saudi Arabia for a high price later.’

But my worries disappeared as a notification popped up on my smartphone.

– Mental victory: Son Jinho.

– Mental victory: I didn’t lose in the match.

– Mental victory: As Lionel Messi said, it wasn’t me who lost, but Portugal.

– Mental victory: If the team was just a bit stronger, we definitely could have won!!

At this point, I had to admit it.

Ronaldo, this guy’s mentality was different from others.

‘At least his mentality is better than Messi’s.’

Anyway, seeing Ronaldo unfazed by the cold reality, I let out a sigh of relief and sent him the meme that Gyeouri had sent me.

– Ho-woo: (Crying Ronaldo meme.gif)

– Satisfied: Hmph.

– Satisfied: I don’t know who it is, but they really are handsome.

Wow.

‘This… crazy narcissist!’

*

The next day.

Pre-match interviews for England and France took place. As the captain of England, I followed coach Southgate and conducted interviews with reporters.

– Recently, there’s been a rumor that Cristiano, disappointed in the Portuguese national team, might retire from the national team. Have you heard anything about this?

Of course, not everyone was asking about the match coming up tomorrow.

“He is the strongest man I’ve ever seen. Without a doubt, Ronaldo will not retire from the Portuguese national team. He has worked hard to be the best and will challenge again to become the best.”

I could have blocked the reporter’s question, claiming it wasn’t related to the match, but I smiled and earnestly answered their questions.

There was no need to make enemies with journalists.

I would’ve cut off rude questions about personal life without mercy, but this kind of question was within the range I could answer.

Moreover, for the past ten years, we (Messi, Ronaldo, and I) had all led our national teams to the World Cup semifinals, so the reporters had no other choice.

A Portuguese reporter who heard my answer through an interpreter sat down, satisfied.

– I’m curious about Kylian Mbappé as a strong rival. What do you think of him?

Then, a French reporter raised his hand to ask a follow-up question.

Given the strong pride in their country from the French media and how they were promoting Mbappé as my rival and the next Ballon d’Or competitor, the French reporter’s question was similar to the content in the French media.

‘Of course, the country that booed after Messi defeated France in the World Cup final.’

Anyway, behind the French reporter, I could see an English reporter smirking.

Well… it wasn’t just the English reporter; most reporters from countries other than France had similar reactions. Kylian Mbappé was performing like crazy in the World Cup, but it was still too early for him to compare with me.

Even so.

I didn’t need to make unnecessary enemies, so I gave a moderately flattering answer.

Images are created through such small actions.

Sometimes, it might be necessary to give provocative interviews for star status.

But since I had already secured the star power of being ‘Lionel Messi’s successor,’ I didn’t need to create any rivals.

“Mbappé is a player with wonderful potential and qualities to become the best. But comparing him to me at this point is too harsh for him. Still, I’m sure he will become a great player who wins the Ballon d’Or someday.”

Reporters nodded at my straightforward and neat interview.

The French reporter who seriously regarded Mbappé and me on the same level showed a slightly startled expression.

A German reporter, proud that the Bundesliga raised me, asked about his country’s football system.

“The youth development system in the Bundesliga is at the highest level. I could learn a lot there and grew into one of the best football players.”

I healed their bruised hearts from being eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup through my interview.

– Now that we’ve reached the semifinals, are you confident about winning the World Cup?

And when I was about to answer the English reporter’s question smoothly, I paused for a moment, then with a smile on my face, I spoke sincerely.

“100%.”

Well, I thought that kind of confidence was okay to express.

*

[Son Jinho declares victory!]

[England challenges for victory after 52 years.]

[How did England become a strong team after being eliminated in the group stage of the Brazil World Cup?]

└ Huh? Isn’t this statement…;

└ The reporter must be crazy; they might as well curse.

└ This seems like the reporter’s grand plan.

└ What plan?

└ It seems they want to prove whether it’s ‘that team’ or the statements that are the problem.

└ Damn, four years ago, England was eliminated in the group stage; now they’re talking about winning the World Cup.

└ Ah, seriously, give me Son Jinho back, you pirate bastards ㅠㅠ.

└ Germany is saying the same things as the comment above.

└ ? Why are those bastards being so annoying?

└ They say Son Jinho has a soul of a German.

└ Is that soul the one that failed art school and committed suicide with a gun?

[Coach Southgate, “Match preparations are perfect.”]

[Coach Deschamps, requests reporters to tone it down. “France has many young talents right now. It is our duty to ensure they don’t feel burdened.”]

*

Time flows quickly.

In the French locker room, ahead of the match against England.

The boy, resembling a ninja turtle named Kylian Mbappé, quietly closed his eyes and began to meditate before the game.

Born to a multicultural family of black and white, Christian and Islamic backgrounds, Mbappé had drawn attention as a football prodigy since childhood. After the 16/17 season ended, when a transfer proposal from Manchester United came in, he seriously contemplated it.

It felt like an opportunity to move to a big club.

At that time, Arsenal’s coach Wenger had reached out to him directly, but Kylian Mbappé’s priority was Manchester United.

“Ki-ki (nickname for Mbappé), why not wait another season instead of rushing to decide? If they really wanted you, they’d send another offer next season.”

If it weren’t for his mother’s advice, he would have confirmed his move to Manchester United.

Accepting his mother’s advice, Kylian Mbappé turned down the allure of a big club and remained with AS Monaco.

The following season, at just 18 years old, he recorded 26 goals and 11 assists, exploding in Ligue 1.

Then, Real Madrid, which could be considered his dream club, showed interest in him as well.

After negotiating conditions with AS Monaco, it was narrowed down to Real Madrid and Manchester United, as well as Paris Saint-Germain.

Kylian Mbappé demanded a salary of 12 million euros (around 17 billion KRW) from Manchester United and Real Madrid, which PSG had offered.

That roughly equated to a weekly wage of about 230,000 euros, demanding to be treated as a key player, not just a promising young recruit.

Real Madrid, who couldn’t match the weekly wage first, gave up on acquiring Mbappé, leaving only Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Considering the status of the team, Manchester United might have seemed more appealing, but Kylian Mbappé’s heart couldn’t help but lean towards Paris Saint-Germain.

For Kylian Mbappé to move to Manchester United would be like becoming the overshadowed second fiddle to Lionel Messi, who is an overwhelming number one, just as Neymar did when he transferred to FC Barcelona.

Since his childhood, Mbappé’s goal had been to become the world’s best player, and in the end, he chose Paris Saint-Germain.

As time passed, based on his performances with Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain, he also joined the French national team.

‘Finally, I am here. If I win this match, I’ll be in the final.’

He was just one step away from the World Cup final.

Kylian Mbappé headed toward the entrance tunnel. There, he saw Son Jinho wearing the captain’s armband, and his competitive spirit ignited.

Transforming his competitive thoughts into determination, he sang the La Marseillaise.

“Le jour de gloire est arrive! (The day of glory has arrived!)”

“Contre nous, de la tyrannie, L’eandard sanglant est leve. (Against tyranny, the bloody flag is raised.)”

He pledged to bring victory to his country against England’s tyrants today.

*

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Son Jinho felt a familiar essence from Kylian Mbappé.

The confidence that he would become the world’s best player and the madness of seeing a natural disaster as his rival.

‘Chris…?’

It was like the way Cristiano Ronaldo looked at Lionel Messi.

‘I feel like I’m about to get stabbed in the back.’

While shaking hands with the French captain Lloris, Son Jinho let out a quiet sigh at the feeling of Mbappé’s gaze on the back of his head.