Who's That Guy? | Yuta [Book 1] ✓

15 | 'you know ... it's crazy how wrong you can be about a person...'

        Eun Ra frowned, this time a blatant give-away to her ignorance. He caught on. "The national German team? Die Manschaff? Who doesn't know that?"

        "Oh." She released in an almost audible mutter, feeling genuinely embarrassed. Eun Ra tried to figure out which was more disturbing: that Yuta could have more than a soft spot for a country that wasn't his motherland, based off of everything he just said, or that he looked believably devastated over the fact that his favourite player—also a German—had long since gone into retirement.

        "I'm betting you full on supported them during the World Cup. My, that's not very patriotic of you, Nakamoto. Don't you think?" She jeered lightly. Settling down on the grass, Eun Ra let herself get comfortable.

        His laugh, she could listen to all day. Breathy and brief and smooth and perfect. Hearing him accept the facts, making no effort to deny them, made it whimsical.

        "Don't get me wrong, I do support Japan with my life. Germany is like a rebound. I look to them when my country disappoints." Then his expression became chagrined and he puffed out a mouthful of air that fanned the tips of his dark locks. "Weird to think the tables turned at Russia."

        It was indeed shocking to see the defending champions lose out rather early. She didn't get to travel for what could be seen as the biggest tournament in sports however, Eun Ra hadn't missed out on any of the action. Each game, mistrusting and unpredictable than the last, was watched to the very last detail. With every team kicked to the curb, fear and anxiety got juxtaposed with hope from the thought of South Korea reaching far this time around. Eventually, Eun Ra turned to England, until they too got kicked out and Russia 2018 became about watching just to see who took the gold trophy; whether the unexpected happened.

        "I went on a dry fast that day," he told her. "Germany was temporarily blacklisted."

        Eun Ra chuckled. "A dry fast wouldn't compare to what you would have done for them. Maybe you made some ridiculously tacit decision."

        "You know me so well." Yuta scoffed, sarcastic. It appeared that way to Eun Ra. With keen attention, she watched him position himself on the grass like she had, unconsciously pantomiming his decision to sit cross-legged. "Got any favorite players below fifty?"

        "Ozil."

        Yuta gave an expected reaction: disbelieving, confounded, you-must-be-crazy-ed . The same underrated way everyone did whenever she voiced her approbation toward the Turkish-born German. "That man couldn't play football to save his life."

        "Of course, you'd say that." Eun Ra turned defensive, similar to every other time she felt the need to. "He doesn't vaunt about his skills so he doesn't get the acknowledgement he rightfully deserves. That man plays a major role in every match he makes an appearance, no matter how diminutive his playing time. Cardinal reason why Germany lost."

        Yuta snorted. "Germany lost because the spotlight got turned on them. Nothing but."

        Nothing was said after that, Eun Ra choosing to let him have the benefit of the doubt; to keep her opinions to herself. Notwithstanding, she was grateful, content even, for all of this. For what they were now. Friends—she still felt a whole damn giddy about it. Still, it was much too early to have those presumptions that they were truly friends, even though they were getting there.

        Very, very soon.

        "Okay." He sprang to his feet, movements quicksilver and in a way that appeared effortless.