There was an interview immediately after the match.
However, Guardiola entered the press conference room looking dazed and could hardly bring himself to speak.
Shock.
That was all.
Still, he had to say something for the furious fans, so he finally opened his mouth.
"I spent 12 years as a player at Barcelona. I know very well how infuriating it is to lose to Real Madrid. Personally, I find it deeply regrettable."
"What do you think was the main cause of the defeat?"
"We had our chances. In fact, we created as many as they did. But we lacked finishing in front of goal. We will address this issue and come back much stronger in the second half of the season."
"One last question. Do you have anything to say about Ho-young, who scored a hat-trick today?"
"I tried to achieve perfection, but in the end, he was the one who was perfect. That is all. If there is one decisive factor in the defeat, it is that."
Guardiola spoke candidly, like a man who had given up half of his life.
He did not even feel anger anymore.
If Ho-young had not joined Real Madrid, if he had come to Barcelona instead, or if he had never started playing football at all.
Perhaps Guardiola would have achieved far greater accomplishments by now.
Yes, surely that would have been the case.
Faced with such an overwhelming reality, Guardiola swallowed the bitterness once again.
[Barcelona's nemesis Ho-young, officially named Man of the Match in El Clásico, stirs another sensation.]
[Rating site WhoScored.com gives Ho-young a perfect 10.]
[Ho-young scores 3 goals from 4 shots, explosive finishing.]
[Despite intense pressure, Ho-young records only 1 turnover, at peak form.]
After the match.
Among the flood of articles, Scolari's interview drew the most attention.
"I deeply regret Barcelona's professionalism today, regardless of the result. Alves' actions crossed the line. La Liga must address this firmly. A strong punishment is necessary, and Barcelona should also receive a warning. Failing to properly manage a player is also the responsibility of the manager."
Scolari, who usually appeared jovial in the media, was visibly furious.
If Alves' foot had been just a little higher, Ho-young's knee could have been shattered.
Scolari was not the only one enraged.
The club also filed an official complaint, demanding severe punishment for Alves.
The footage spread worldwide, provoking outrage among Ho-young's fans.
Alves' Facebook page was flooded with insults, on the verge of collapse.
To make matters worse, Barcelona issued what sounded like excuses, further inflaming the situation.
It also intensified the rivalry narrative between Messi and Ho-young.
Arguments broke out constantly online.
The main battleground was La Liga Mania.
[Instead of playing football, were they practicing kicking? Typical Barca. No foundation.]
└They should have crushed him properly this time. Alves was too soft.
└Next up is Messi. Watch out. Pepe is coming.
└Messi is agile. He'll dodge everything.
└That just means he's short.
└Ho-young is probably bigger there anyway. Asians are small, right?
└Even so, Ho-young's girlfriend is younger and prettier than Messi's. The real winner is Ho-young.
└That's true.
While childish yet fierce keyboard wars raged on, La Liga's disciplinary decision was announced.
[On November 30, 2009, Real Madrid requested additional sanctions against Dani Alves. After thorough review of his conduct during the November 29 match, the committee has decided by majority vote to impose a Level 3 major sanction. Dani Alves is suspended for 8 league matches and fined 80,000 euros.]
In the end, it was Real Madrid's fans who smiled.
Even so, their anger did not fade easily. But as good news continued to pour in, their frustration gradually eased.
The first was the team's performance.
Following their dominant El Clásico victory, Real Madrid defeated Almería and Valencia in succession.
With Ho-young and Ronaldo in sensational form, they also crushed Zaragoza, firmly maintaining sole possession of first place.
<1> Real Madrid: 13W 1L, 39 points, 49 goals scored, 7 conceded
<2> Barcelona: 11W 2D 1L, 35 points, 40 goals scored, 11 conceded
<3> Valencia: 7W 3D 4L, 24 points, 21 goals scored, 16 conceded
This season's La Liga had long narrowed into a two-horse race between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
As a result, individual awards were also split between the two sides. But from November onward, the balance began tipping to one side.
September Player of the Month: Lionel Messi (4 matches, 7 goals, 1 assist, 3 MOTM)
September Manager of the Month: Luiz Scolari (4 wins, 18 goals scored, 0 conceded)
October Player of the Month: Cristiano Ronaldo (4 matches, 6 goals, 2 assists, 2 MOTM)
October Manager of the Month: Pep Guardiola (3W 1D, 13 goals scored, 1 conceded)
November Player of the Month: Ho-young (3 matches, 5 goals, 5 assists, 3 MOTM)
November Manager of the Month: Luiz Scolari (3 wins, 11 goals scored, 2 conceded)
The December award had not yet been announced, but Ho-young, who recorded 3 goals and 1 assist that month, was the strong favorite.
Moreover, with 17 goals in 14 league matches, he now led the La Liga scoring chart outright.
These were the best days of his career.
On top of that, their Champions League Round of 16 opponent, CSKA Moscow, was considered one of the weaker sides, allowing them to relax somewhat.
Mid-December.
The players entered the Christmas break.
At night they visited clubs or casinos. During the day they ordered pizza, drank beer at home, and gathered with close teammates to play football video games, strengthening team chemistry.
There was even a famous quote from a player that said, "Playing football games is also a form of training."
It was rare to find a player who did not enjoy football games.
One of those rare exceptions was Cristiano Ronaldo.
December 23.
Ronaldo woke up sharply at 6 a.m., finished his morning workout, and stuffed plain salad without dressing and chicken breast into his mouth while watching football footage.
It was tactical analysis of CSKA Moscow provided by the club's technical staff.
His life revolved entirely around football.
He always wanted to be the protagonist on the pitch.
For now, that role belonged to Ho-young, but he swore to himself that one day he would reclaim it.
That was why he trained every single day.
But today was Christmas Eve's eve.
'Just today, I'll relax.'
With that decision, Ronaldo texted a few players he liked.
[Got time? Want to play a game at my place?]
The replies came quickly. The first guest arrived an hour later.
"I'm here."
"Oh, Woo. You're here?"
The first to arrive was Ho-young, carrying several shopping bags.
"What's all that?"
"Some scented candles and wine. A little housewarming gift."
"Thanks. The place would have felt empty otherwise."
"Thanks for inviting me."
Though they had played together for six months, their conversation was oddly awkward.
"Sit on the couch and watch TV for a bit. You'll like it."
"At this hour? What are we watching?"
"Moscow analysis footage."
"Oh."
Interested, Ho-young immediately turned his attention to the TV.
Twenty minutes later, another guest arrived.
"Xabi, you're here?"
"Xabi?"
"Oh, Young's here too."
The ones Ronaldo had invited were Ho-young and Xabi Alonso.
Just the two of them.
This improbable trio had been in Ronaldo's imagination even before he joined Real Madrid.
Alonso in midfield.
Himself in the second line.
And Ho-young up front.
It had not worked out exactly that way, but this was not bad either.
Inviting them had been the right choice.
"Let's eat lunch first. You two haven't eaten yet, right?"
"Starving."
"Me too. Since I'm your first guest, I'm expecting something good."
"Of course. I'll cook."
"Oh?"
"Interesting. I thought you only knew how to play football."
"Of course I can cook."
True to his meticulous nature, Ronaldo put on an apron and began cooking.
He poured store-bought salad dressing over cabbage and served chicken breast.
That was it.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Chris. Where's the meat? Stop hiding it."
"That's everything."
"No way."
"This is too much."
Alonso asked incredulously.
"Chris, what's your weekly wage again?"
"278,000 euros."
"You'd be better off hiring a chef. Don't tell me you eat like this every day?"
"Is it that bad?"
"Are you serious?"
"At least give us salt and pepper."
"Oh. I forgot."
"Unbelievable."
Alonso was dumbfounded, but also intrigued.
He had not expected Ronaldo to be like this.
But the real shock came after lunch.
"Everyone finished?"
"Yeah. So what now? Video games?"
"Of course. We ate, so let's digest with a game."
But instead of a console, Ronaldo brought out a football.
"Alright. Let's go outside."
"Where?"
"To the backyard. Three of us. Two versus one keep-away."
"Unbelievable."
The "game" Ronaldo meant was not a video game, but actual football.
Alonso's face twisted.
"Damn it. I don't usually swear, but…"
But Ho-young's response was even more shocking.
"I'll be the defender first. I need to improve my pressing."
"Holy shit."
Experiencing culture shock, Alonso muttered an old English curse he used to say in England.
Ho-young looked at him with eager eyes.
[Xabi Alonso]
[Possessed Talents: El Pulmón (T), El Pulmón's Earth-Splitting Long Pass (U), Extraordinary Vision (SS-), Explosive Kicking Power (S), Genius Football Intelligence (A+3), (More...)]
(One talent can be acquired upon fulfilling the required conditions.)
(When acquiring a Title-grade (T) talent, partial sensory adaptation is possible. Must be over 18 years old.)
(Grade S and above require hidden conditions.)
(Condition 1: Complete 300 passes in official matches)
(Condition 2: Receive 300 passes in official matches)
(Condition 3: Record 10 assists in official matches)
(Condition 4: Train together for 3000 minutes)
(Hidden Condition: Unlockable when at least one talent is acquired)
El Pulmón.
Spanish for "The Lung," a nickname given because he distributed the ball tirelessly.
He had a special gift for passing, especially long passes, among the best in the world.
'Just four more assists.'
At this rate, he could probably acquire Alonso's unique talent around April or May.
He was no longer just a striker. His midfield abilities were gradually reaching elite level.
And while Ho-young moved closer and closer to perfection, far away in South Africa, the draw for the 2010 World Cup was about to begin.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)