God Of football

Chapter 1030: A Reason To Hope

Toot Toot

Before the third ring could come in, the call connected.

Olivia’s face filled the screen, and for a moment she just looked at him without saying anything.

But she couldn’t keep staring as a small smile invaded her face.

”Hi,” Izan said, Olivia’s smile infecting him.

”Hi,” she replied, like she was sulking, but she couldn’t for long.

”I missed you.”

”I know.”

”Well, don’t say it like that.”

”Like what?”

”Like you’re used to it. It makes me feel needy!”

”Well, I am used to it.”

”Izan!!” she complained again while Izan smiled, simply messing with her.

”I missed you too.”

Hearing that seemed to satisfy her as her sulking face turned into a smiling one again.

She shifted on whatever she was sitting on, the hotel bed by the look of it, and pulled her knees up.

”The second goal,” she started, knowing exactly what she was doing.

”Don’t.”

”The way it just..... from that angle.....”

That alone made Izan almost convulse from laughing, the way Olivia tended to get analytical whenever talking about something Izan did.

There was just something about a woman who could also make her man smile.

”You’re unbelievable, you know that?” Olivia said.

”Yeah, yeah, you’ve mentioned it.”

”Well, I’m going to keep mentioning it.”

She was still smiling when the phone moved, but not out of her choice.

The phone’s camera lurched sideways, and then Komi’s face was there instead, closer to the lens than was strictly necessary.

”Aren’t you going to say anything?” Komi said as Izan smiled wryly.

”I’ve been a bit occupied.”

”Mhmmmmm,” Komi agreed but not entirely believing him.

”Are you eating properly?”

”Yes.”

”Properly. Not whatever you boys eat.”

”We eat fine.”

Komi made a face that told that she disagreed, but before Izan could respond, she moved on.

”Your sister.”

Behind Komi, a faint but unmistakable ”Don’t,” sounded.

”She has been on her phone,” Komi continued, with the measured delivery of someone presenting evidence, ”for three days. Smiling.”

”Mama—”

”I found a name in calling her a while ago that I didn’t recognise.”

”MAMA.”

Komi’s expression didn’t change.

”I’m just telling your brother. Weren’t you always up in his business with Olivia?”

”Well, I was looking out for him.”

”Well, he can too,” Komi said as he turned back towards the camera.

”Hori has a boyfriend,” Komi said to Izan, clearly this time and without the particular drama that always came attached.

The noise from the other end sounded less like a scream and more like someone who had just been personally offended by reality itself.

Komi held the phone steady through it all.

After sixteen years, reactions like this barely registered anymore.

On the other end, Izan was laughing.

”Tell her I say congratulations,” he managed.

”I WILL END YOU—”

”She says congratulations,” Komi relayed.

”We have more pressing matters. I need more scenes in this novel,” Hori’s voice came through, closer now, indignant.

”I’m barely in this, and when I am, it’s always something embarrassing. Even Miko gets more scenes than me.”

...

[London, Hampstead]

”Wooof woof woof. Ruff woof,” Miko barked, pawing at his ears.

[Translation: Why do my ears suddenly feel itchy? Is someone talking about me?]

”Miko, where are you? I have your food ready,” the voice of the sitter suddenly invaded her space.

”Ruff woof woof,” Miko made out again before it began walking.

[Translation: Ah, yes, finally!]

”Wooof, ruff woof woof, ruff,” she continued as the sitter exclaimed, ”There you are,” and picked her up.

[Translation: I should be joining my human soon]

...

[Back to Chattanooga]

Izan frowned.

”What do you mean, Miko has more scenes?”

”I don’t even know why I said that, Komi said smoothly, turning the phone back toward herself.

”Anyway, eat properly, win the Uruguay game and call more.”

”I call every day.”

”Call more.”

Hori said as she handed the phone back to Olivia, only to snatch the phone back again.

”And tell that bum author to write more Chapters and finish this book!”

[Art233: What did I do!]

”Whatever. I’ll see you after Uruguay,” Izan said.

”You better,” Olivia said as she took the phone from Hori.

He nodded, and then the call ended.

After that, he set his phone into his storage space and jogged back out to where the session was already going, with De La Fuente calling him over before he’d even reached the grass.

As the days went on, there was a shift, and it had all started from the Saudi game.

Spain had still won comfortably, but people had two takes from the game.

They remembered Izan’s goal and, second of all, they remembered Saudi’s.

They remembered the spell afterwards too, when Saudi Arabia pushed forward and had made Spain look mortal.

That was enough, or the Uruguay fans certainly thought so.

Uruguay were second in the group behind Spain, and as the days passed, confidence among their supporters began to grow.

Everywhere the same point kept coming up.

Saudi Arabia scored against them.

If Saudi Arabia could find a way through, then Uruguay could too.

After all, they had Valverde.

They had Núñez.

They had players like Araujo and Jose Gimenez that could all come through.

They had a midfield that had quietly put together a very strong tournament so far.

And until the game kicked off, that uncertainty permitted people to believe.

Whether they had enough was the question everyone was debating, and nobody could answer.

Eventually, the day dawned as Zapopan received them on a Thursday morning that was already thirty degrees before ten o’clock.

The players weren’t feeling any less drained than they were after the Saudi game, but they were feeling well prepared.

After conceding that unnecessary goal, De La Fuente had made sure to drill so much sense into his players that some of them could repeat all the instructions he had given them throughout the course of that time.

The players, after exiting their plane, were led through the more secure passageway, but that couldn’t keep them away from the eagle eyes of the reporters of the land of freedom!

....

USA! USA! USA! 😂