God Of football

Chapter 921: End Of Asian Tour.

Izan was halfway across the pitch when a cluster of reporters slid in front of him.

The Yokohama players were already walking off, and so Shuu gave him a quick nod before disappearing down the tunnel with his teammates.

The Arsenal boys followed soon after, leaving Izan standing alone under the floodlights with a camera pointed straight at him.

A Japanese reporter stepped forward, slightly breathless and then moved her hair slightly out of the way before speaking.

”Izan, incredible match. Six goals for Arsenal, and you were involved in half of them. Did you expect this kind of performance tonight?”

Izan shook his head lightly.

”Not really. We’ve been travelling a lot, and matches on tour can get messy. But once we settled, it felt like everything opened up. The boys made it easy for me.”

The reporter smiled.

”You are really humble, but sometimes you should take credit. Your three goals were purely because of individual effort, I would say, and then you set another 3 up. Furthermore, your cornerkick goal is being called a revolutionary thing in football, while people are already calling it that your freekick was a message to Shuu after he scored his own earlier. Was that on your mind?”

”Not at all,” Izan replied. ”His was class. I just took mine the way I always do. Nothing more than that.”

”One last thing,” she said.

”How has Japan treated you? Fans were chanting your name from warm-up to the final whistle.”

”They’ve been brilliant. Really passionate. I’m grateful,” he said, giving a small wave before the staff signalled him to wrap it up.

He jogged off toward the tunnel and stepped into the cool, bright corridor leading to the dressing room.

Inside, most of the players were still half-changed, chatting in pockets.

The room quieted when Arteta walked in, clapping slowly.

”Alright,” he said, smiling as he looked around.

”That’s the Asia tour done.”

The players clapped in reply, more out of routine than anything, as Arteta lifted his voice a little.

”I know some of you missed London. The food. The weather.”

That alone set the room off.

Groans, laughter, and heads shaking.

Saka called out, ”Boss, you need to say something serious if you want us on that plane with you.”

Arteta pointed at him. ”Fine. Your bonus paychecks.”

Saka straightened immediately and grabbed his boots.

”Say no more.”

The room cracked up again while Arteta shook his head, amused, then clapped once.

”Get ready. We leave for the hotel in twenty minutes.”

The players scattered, grabbing towels and boots as they rushed to get things done like kids.

Once this was done, Izan fell into step beside Arteta as the dressing room emptied behind them.

The hum of the stadium still lingered outside, fans lingering near the barriers, hoping to catch a glimpse one last time.

”Coach,” Izan said, glancing up, ”do you think I could visit my grandparents before we leave for London?”

Arteta slowed, folding his arms as they moved forward.

”How long are we talking?”

”Just a day,” Izan replied, keeping his tone casual but firm.

Arteta nodded slowly, weighing it.

His eyes lifted to meet Izan’s, a hint of a smile breaking through the thoughtfulness.

”Alright,” he said finally. ”You’ve earned it. Just make sure you’re back on time for the flight.”

Izan’s expression brightened, but he kept his composure.

”Thank you, Coach. I appreciate it.”

The two began walking toward the waiting team bus.

The air outside was cooler now, and the remnants of the match drifted across the concourse.

A small crowd of fans had gathered again near the barriers.

Cameras clicked, and hands waved in greeting.

Izan slowed for a moment, raising his hand and giving them a wave, nodding and smiling in acknowledgement.

Some shouted his name, others held up banners or phones, hoping to capture a picture.

He lingered just long enough to sign a few shirts, take a quick selfie, and gesture playfully toward a group of younger fans.

The gesture drew laughter and cheers, and then once he was done, he climbed the bus steps, turning briefly to give a final wave.

Arteta followed, settling into the seat behind the driver’s side seat first.

The bus doors closed with a soft thud, the next moment and the engine started, signalling the next leg of the journey.

Outside, the last echoes of applause faded into the night as Izan leaned back in his seat, eyes already thinking ahead to the brief, meaningful visit waiting for him.

....

Back in Hampstead, Hori lounged on the couch, one hand ruffling Miko’s hair while the dog yipped and barked as if protesting every touch.

”Ungrateful,” she muttered under her breath, smirking at the little tantrum.

The early noon sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls of their Hampstead home, casting golden light across the living room.

From upstairs, Komi’s footsteps descended, soft but certain.

Hori barely looked up before her phone buzzed insistently on the side table.

Glancing at the screen, she frowned slightly.

Her grandfather’s number glowed, but she barely had time to register it before the call connected.

”Dad?” Komi’s voice drifted as she approached, curious.

Hori nodded, thumb hovering over the screen, when the unexpected happened.

Instead of her grandfather’s face, Izan’s appeared, beaming from the small rectangle.

Hori’s smile faltered instantly, twisting into mock horror.

She tapped at the screen as if accidentally pressing something wrong.

”Yeah, yeah, you wish you were here,” Izan said, his grin effortless across the distance.

Komi, ever quick to jump in, leaned over and snatched the phone.

”My Baby boy! How are you?”

Her tone was sharp with excitement, a little playful scold hidden in the edges, while Hori stood behind her mother with an annoyed expression.

”When did you go there?” Komi asked as she moved with Hori’s phone to the kitchen, with the latter following her around as she tried to get her mother to receive the call on her own phone, but failed.

”I got here about an hour ago,” Izan replied, voice warm but tired, a faint hint of the day’s exertion behind it.

”It’s 10 PM in Japan. I came right after the match.”

Komi’s eyebrows knit together.

”Why didn’t you rest?” she asked, voice teasing, though she could feel the genuine exhaustion beneath it.

Izan nuzzled against his grandfather and Grandmother as he might a dog seeking comfort, pressing close, a grin forming despite the fatigue.

”I missed them,” he said simply. ”Plus, I wouldn’t have gotten the time had I waited.”

Komi shook her head, rolling her eyes at his antics.

”Well, enjoy it then. Make yourself comfortable,” she said softly, brushing the screen.

With a final smile, she ended the call and then turned towards Hori.

”Here’s your phone,” she said with a smirk before walking off, while Hori gestured animatedly before settling into one of the glass stools at the kitchen Island, while Komi fiddled with foodstuffs.

.....

A couple of hours had passed after his call with Komi and Hori when Izan’s phone buzzed lightly on the nightstand, with the soft glow of a call screen cutting through the dim room.

A burst of laughter spilt from the speaker as he turned to face the window.

”You’re making people stare at me,” Olivia’s voice rang, light and teasing, the kind that made the corners of his lips twitch.

”I’m walking and laughing and everyone’s probably thinking I’m nuts.”

Izan chuckled, tilting his head back against the pillow.

”Why are you walking then?” he asked, amusement threading his words.

”Because my boyfriend isn’t here to bring me home,” she said, playful frustration colouring her tone, ”and... because I just felt like it.”

Her laugh danced through the line again, carefree and infectious.

”That’s dangerous,” Izan said with a soft laugh.

”You’re going to have me all to yourself again now that the Asian tour is over, aren’t you?”

Olivia nodded, the sound clear even over the call.

”Yeah... I will,” she admitted, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. Then, a little more seriously, she added, ”But I should let you rest. I’m on the sideroads, I’ll call later, okay?”

”Alright,” Izan replied, his voice warm, tinged with quiet affection. ”Don’t stay out too long, though.”

She laughed one last time, a lilting sound that left him smiling even as the line went quiet.

The phone screen dimmed, leaving Izan alone in the soft half-light of the room.

”At times like these, I miss having Saka’s Nintendo handheld with me,” Izan said as he set the phone down gently on the nightstand, letting out a slow breath.

[Ding has obtained another Ego Crown].

The system’s voice came through just as Izan was about to sleep, with the latter’s eyes snapping open, before following that with a sigh.

[Achievement Unlocked: Me First, Me Second, Me Third,]

”This sounds so wrong on levels,” Izan said as the flurry of notifications came to a stop, but then instead of checking what was up, he turned towards the other side and buried his head into the pillow, drifting off to sleep as soon as he did so.