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[(Live) 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or.]

└ Houuuuuuu

└ LMAO, seeing my brother there is just insane lol

└ I thought they’d skip over him since he’s Asian, but they sure gave him a lot of attention, huh?

└ True that

└ I just turned on the TV, why is Ronaldo staring at my brother? Is Ronaldo a racist or something?

└ Racist? LOL, it’s that little troll who did the eye-squinting celebration lmao

└ But there were no Asians there, so why did he squint his eyes?

└ Maybe he just wanted to squint his eyes lol

└ No, answer the question; why is Ronaldo glaring at my brother?

└ My brother said this Ballon d’Or was for Messi, haha

└ Whoa haha, he’s sitting right behind and just dissed him outright? What a crazy dude lol

└ Judging by the panic, it seems he didn’t realize Ronaldo was right behind him.

└ Wow. Disappointing, Son Jinho. Supporting a squinting Messi?

└ LOL, honestly, the competition is pretty viable when it comes to Messi, considering he scored 91 goals in 2012. Isn’t it clear that he deserves it?

└ You Messi fans, stop trying to sway public opinion by bringing up my brother.

└ For real, isn’t it obvious?

– UEFA President’s takes.

└ But seriously, when are they announcing? Ugh

└ Why am I watching a half-bald old man and some hideous armadillo dance?

└ Promotion for the Brazil World Cup, idiot

[Fifpro world XI goalkeeper Iker Casillas.]

└ Whoa, finally happening

└ LOL, started after a whole 30 minutes of waiting, damn haha

—

Starting with goalkeeper Casillas, the names of the defenders selected as the best in the world are announced.

[Daniel Alves!]

Beginning with Daniel Alves, who will later transfer to FC Jail, followed by Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos, and Marcelo taking to the podium.

Soon after, the midfield award winners are announced.

[Andres Iniesta!]

As Iniesta, who was easing the tension by giving congratulations, moved first, I started feeling a bit nervous.

[Xavi Hernández!]

I was already backstage following the guidance of the event staff for the awards, but wait—could this suddenly get canceled?

Well… thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

“Whew….”

I took a moment for a deep breath.

[Son Jinho!]

Hearing my name called from the blonde lady and confirming the cue from the event staff to come up, I took the hand of the little lady beside me and stepped onto the stage.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

I exchanged a light handshake with the half-bald high-ranking official and stood next to Xavi Hernández, who had just received his award.

The attackers include Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who headlined the awards, and a brief interview followed.

“Oh. Jinho! You’ve been selected as the World Best from Asia! Care to share a word on how you feel?!”

The blonde lady, serving as the host, approached me with a smile.

All eyes were on me.

My throat was tightening with nervousness.

“Houuuuuuu—!!”

I shouted into the microphone to loosen my tightened throat.

“Yes. Thank you for this award.”

The blonde lady, smiling, took the microphone from me.

Huh? What about my thoughts?

—

[Breaking News) Son Jinho wins FIFPro World XI 2012.]

└ Wow, this is crazy

└ OMGOMGOMG

└ D. Jin. Ho.

└ From this moment on, the Asian GOAT is Son Jinho.

└ If it’s World Best, then it’s definitely true lol

[Son Jinho, shouting ‘Hoo’ as he becomes the first Asian World Best.]

└ LMAO, is he nuts?

└ No way, this dude is wild, haha

└ Seriously lol

└ OMG, everyone was rolling with laughter in the crowd, haha

└ How could anyone not laugh at that?

└ Ah, it’s so funny but also embarrassing, wth?

└ Relatable embarrassment, lol

└ Now, what’s left is the Puskás award, right?

└ We still have the Men’s Coach, Women’s Coach, and Ballon d’Or left, though?

└ My brother still has a shot at winning.

└ Oh right

└ It’d be great if he wins the Puskás too, but just winning World Best is enough satisfaction lol

└ For sure lol, ah, Son Jinho’s World Best season will be a thing in Football Online, haha

└ If Nexon is grinning thinking about selling World Best packs right now, they’re gonna sell like hotcakes lol

[Football Online 3 celebrates Son Jinho’s World Best award with a special PC room event!]

└ PC room 4-hour event: Join for a chance to win a 2002 legend or World Best pack?

└ Ah, I gotta go for this lol

└ Do I just need to leave my computer on?

└ Yup, since it’s connection time, just leave it on and come back home.

—

[Winner of the Women’s Football Coach of the Year award, USA women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage.]

[Winner of the Men’s Football Coach of the Year award, Vicente del Bosque, who led Spain to Euro victory.]

After the awards for FIFA Women’s Football Coach of the Year and FIFA Men’s Football Coach of the Year ended.

—

[(Live) 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or.]

└ When are they doing the Puskás award?

└ For real, I’m about to die waiting.

The day the Puskás award that Korean football fans had eagerly awaited was approaching.

Short clips of the scoring moments of the Puskás nominees played. The faces of Radamel Falcao, Miroslav Stoch, and Son Jinho appeared on the screen.

[Colombia legend Carlos Valderrama will present the award.]

└ Who is this bomb-head guy?

└ Haven’t you seen Unlimited Challenge? It’s that guy who guest-starred when Henry was on it.

Carlos Valderrama smiled as he showed the paper to the camera.

[Son]

Son Jinho stood up with a smile.

“I want to thank Gyeouri, who always gives me strength with her bright energy…”

Son Jinho, who lightly hugged Carlos Valderrama, extended his gratitude during the award speech to his girlfriend Han Gyeouri, her family, and everyone at Dortmund, including Jürgen Klopp.

“Finally…”

And after a moment to steady his voice, Son Jinho recalled his parents who passed away in childhood and shouted in Korean.

“Mom, Dad! I won an award!”

—

– Gyeouri: T_T Son Jinho T_T T_T

– Gyeouri: Look at those watery eyes T_T T_T

– Father-in-law: Jinho is growing up well without going off track.

– Cheolmo: I hope our Gyeouri matures a bit more.

– Gyeouri: What?!

– Gyeouri: Anyway! It’s cool for Dad. Getting to visit the awards ceremony.

– Father-in-law: I was too busy getting Drogba’s autograph that I didn’t even get to watch.

– Gyeouri: Oh. What about Dad’s Rooney autograph?

– Father-in-law: Don’t have that one, kiddo!

—

The owner of the 2012 Ballon d’Or was, as history dictated, Lionel Messi.

[‘God of Football’ Lionel Messi succeeds in winning the Ballon d’Or for the fourth consecutive time!]

[‘We are living in the Messi era.’]

Well… in some ways, it was a given result. He scored 91 goals in a single year.

Who else could possibly take it over that monster?

Feeling a sudden admiration for Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d’Or against such a monster.

Anyway. While the whole world talked about Lionel Messi’s fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or victory.

Still, in Korea and Asia, articles about me flooded in.

[‘Ballon d’Or 11th place Son Jinho, becoming a pride for Asia!’]

[‘Do you know Son Jinho? Son Jinho becomes a representative football player for Asia!’]

Riding in my father-in-law’s car, heading back to Dortmund.

I received a long message from an unknown number.

[Son Jinho, you must respect me! I have lifted the Ballon d’Or and many trophies, I earn way more than you and have gathered even more money—and…more to come.]

How did he get my number?

Amid my surprise at the sudden Ronaldo message.

“Who is it? A friend?”

My father-in-law, who was driving, asked curiously, and I shook my head and answered.

“No, it’s just spam mail or something.”

“Team Leader Kim Mi-young?”

“Well… it’s a similar vibe.”

In that moment, when I was about to register Ronaldo’s number as spam.

I felt a sense of injustice that I couldn’t let a spam mail slide like this.

– Hou: Ronaldo, you should respect me too! At just 17, I’ve won World Best, two league titles, and one cup. You might earn more per week, but I have more assets. To avoid any doubts, I’ll be sending proof pictures…more to come.

Without delay, I sent a heartfelt long reply to Ronaldo.

– Hou: (Asset verification.jpg)

– Hou: This letter started in the UK…

Asset verification photos and the lucky letter were icing on the cake.

Did he feel the difference in status?

Ronaldo didn’t respond for a long time.

A victorious smile emerged on my lips.

Just as I was about to put my phone back in my pocket.

Another message from Ronaldo arrived.

[You seem a lot like me. We can become good friends.]

You? Me?

While I was flabbergasted by Ronaldo’s message.

[This letter started in the UK…]

Ronaldo’s lucky letter came back to me.

[Jinho, you know I don’t believe the contents of this letter.]

[But it’s just that it’s a letter to commemorate our friendship, which is why I’m returning it to you.]

What’s this? This guy was just late because he was busy sending lucky letters around?

 

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