God Of football

Chapter 889: Responsible For Another Life?

The arrivals terminal at JFK was its usual blur of voices, trolleys, and rolling luggage.

Izan walked just ahead, cap low over his face, Olivia at his side, and Hori trailing slightly behind, yawning into her hoodie sleeve.

They moved slowly through the crowd until a voice called out.

”Mr Hernandez!”

All three turned toward the sound and saw a man in a navy coat and glasses, waving and smiling in the polite but nervous way of someone trying to stay professional while being starstruck.

Izan glanced at Olivia, then nodded toward the man before the trio headed over.

The man extended his hand quickly.

”Hi, I’m Aaron. I was told to pick you up. It’s an honour, by the way. Big fan.”

”Thanks,” Izan said simply, shaking his hand with a polite smile.

”Appreciate it. And just call me Izan. Mr Hernandez sounds a bit too businesslike.”

Aaron’s excitement flickered into a nervous laugh before he gestured toward the exit.

”Ok Izan, car’s this way.”

They followed him through the glass doors into that cool New York air they had just traded in for LA sun a while ago.

The black SUV waited by the curb, engine running.

Once the luggage was loaded, they slid into the backseat, and the doors shut softly behind them.

The ride began quietly as the city hummed past in motion.

Hori had her phone in hand, the cheerful chime of Gardenscapes filling the silence.

Izan, on the other hand, rested his arm against the window, eyes half on the skyline, while Olivia dozed beside him, her head tilting slightly toward his shoulder.

It wasn’t until the car slowed and turned into a wide fenced property that Hori’s game went silent.

She slipped the phone into her hoodie pocket and looked out as the sign came into view.

New Haven Animal Care Centre

Aaron parked near the front building.

”We’re here,” he said, turning slightly in his seat.

”They should be expecting you.”

Outside, the air smelled faintly of grass and disinfectant.

A woman in a staff jacket came out from the entrance, her brown hair tied neatly in a ponytail.

She smiled as she recognised them.

”Good afternoon, Izan? We met at the Purina event.”

Izan nodded, offering a small smile.

”Yeah, I remember. Clara, right?”

”Good to know that you remember me and good to see you,” she said warmly. ”Thank you for coming. This means so much to us.”

They followed her inside, the sound of distant barking echoing softly through the halls.

As they walked, Clara spoke.

”We’ve always worked with Purina to place some of the dogs with families, and Miko was the same. A couple of months before, Miko was adopted by a couple, who seemed perfect at first, and we were all happy that we at least got another dog a home. They really liked her. But about a month later, she ran all the way back here. Literally showed up at the gate one morning.”

Hori frowned. ”Ran back?”

Clara nodded, her expression darkening.

”We found out later that the husband had been abusive. Toward his wife and Miko. The wife’s safe now, but... she’s in care. Miko’s been back with us since. She hasn’t trusted anyone since then. Until that event, actually.”

Olivia’s eyes softened. ”That’s awful.”

Clara nodded again.

”When we saw her with you, Izan, it was the first time she really opened up to anyone. The handlers were shocked.” She smiled faintly.

”Maybe you’ve got a gift.”

Hori snorted quietly.

”A gift? You mean him?”

Clara blinked. ”What do you mean?”

Hori crossed her arms. ”You’re talking about someone who flinches when a puppy walks too close.”

Olivia laughed under her breath, while Clara looked between them in surprise.

Izan shot Hori a look.

”Let it go.”

”Just saying,” Hori muttered.

They reached a wide glass door that opened into a large, grassy play area where a handful of dogs were roaming freely, tails wagging, paws muddy from the afternoon drizzle.

The moment the trio stepped in, a few of the dogs trotted over, circling Olivia and Hori, eager for attention.

Izan stayed back, instinctively keeping a bit of distance.

Then his eyes caught a little flash of white across the field.

Miko was lying near one of the low fences, her fur bright against the dull grass, her head turned away.

Izan then slowly started toward her, his steps soft on the ground.

When Miko turned, it was as if recognition hit instantly.

Her tail lifted, body tense, then she bolted.

”Wait—” one of the handlers called, but Miko was already sprinting full speed.

Izan barely had time to brace himself before she leapt into his arms, knocking him back a step as her paws pressed against his chest.

Her tongue found his cheek immediately, tail wagging in wild, happy circles.

The handlers froze for a moment, astonished.

Then a few smiled, one of them letting out a quiet laugh.

”I guess she remembers you,” Clara said softly, almost in disbelief.

Izan stood there for a moment, hands buried in her thick white fur as she kept nuzzling against him, whining softly like she’d finally found something she’d been searching for.

Hori and Olivia stood a few steps away, both watching with small smiles.

”She missed you,” Olivia said gently as she approached the dog.

Izan just looked down at Miko, her eyes half closed in contentment.

....

Miko’s soft bark echoed through the quiet park as Olivia and Hori crouched beside her, laughing while she pawed playfully at their shoes.

The Samoyed’s snowy fur gleamed in the afternoon light, her tail curling like a cloud behind her.

Izan stood a few steps away, hands tucked into his pockets, eyes fixed on the dog but body rigid, like he was trying to take up as little space as possible.

Clara noticed, and she walked over slowly, stopping beside him.

”Guess it’s confirmed?” she said quietly.

Izan didn’t glance her way. ”What?”

”Miko’s mood. It’s because of you.”

He gave a small nod, still watching as Hori let Miko tug at her sleeve.

”Figured as much.”

Clara folded her arms. ”So what do we do now?”

”Good question,” he murmured, his tone flat. ”You tell me.”

She sighed, eyes shifting to the dog. ”I don’t know. It kind of depends on you.”

Izan finally turned, frowning. ”On me?”

Before Clara could answer, Hori came bounding over, Miko trailing behind her with a wagging tail.

”I have an idea!” she said, cheeks flushed from playing. ”We should adopt her.”

Izan blinked. ”Adopt her?”

”Yes!” Hori said, grinning widely. ”I can’t live without her now.”

That got a small, surprised laugh out of him.

”You can’t live without a dog you met an hour ago?”

Hori nodded with dramatic seriousness.

”Exactly.”

He shook his head, a faint smile fading from his face.

”You’ll live.”

Her face fell, eyes glistening.

”So you just want her to die of depression?” she said, her voice wobbling.

Izan’s brows knit together. ”What? No. Of course not.”

”Then why can’t we keep her?”

”Because,” he said, exhaling, ”owning a dog isn’t a toy thing, Hori. Do you even know how to take care of one? Feed it, train it, walk it every morning?”

Hori froze, opening her mouth but not managing an answer.

”That’s what I thought,” he said quietly.

”If you can’t handle that, then leaving her with someone who can is better. Otherwise, you’ll just hurt her without meaning to.”

The words hung heavy in the air while Olivia stayed silent near the bench, her smile gone.

Miko had stopped wagging her tail, sitting beside Hori as if sensing the tension with the only sound breaking the stillness, being the wind through the trees, while Izan’s eyes softened, guilt flickering there for a brief second before he looked away again.

When it was time to go, Hori didn’t say much as she walked out of the shelter.

Her head was low, her arms wrapped around herself as if she could hide the disappointment in her chest.

The late afternoon light stretched across the parking lot, glinting off the cars as she made her way toward theirs.

From inside, Izan and Olivia watched her through the glass door as Olivia sighed softly, rubbing her arm.

”She’ll get over it,” she said, though her tone didn’t sound too sure.

Izan didn’t reply.

His eyes lingered on Hori until she disappeared behind a row of parked cars, then turned to find Clara walking toward him.

Clara stopped in front of him with a faint smile.

”You did what you thought was the right thing,” she said, her voice calm but gentle. ”Thanks for that.”

Izan gave a small shrug. ”Didn’t feel like it.”

”Well, it was,” she said. ”We’ll figure something out for Miko. There’s always a way to help her through this.”

He glanced past her, toward the kennel window where Miko was, tail wagging slowly as she pressed her nose to the glass.

For a second, Izan’s expression softened, then he gave a small nod in the dog’s direction, then looked back at Clara.

”Take care of her.”

Clara nodded, the smile still there but quieter now.

Without another word, Izan turned and pushed open the door, their footsteps echoing against the pavement as they headed for the car where Hori waited.

Inside the shelter, Miko stayed by the glass, watching them until they were out of sight.