Jaden woke up in the morning and went to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth before taking a quick shower. Feeling fresh, he went downstairs, where the smell of breakfast greeted him and his family was already waiting at the table.
Jaden took a seat, and as always, his father handed him the newspaper he had been reading.
"Thanks, Dad," Jaden said with a small smile.
"Hey, when are you going to take me to your work?" Kamo asked eagerly.
"You should take her, son. She's been waiting for the chance to spend time with you," his mother added.
"I will, when the time is right," Jaden replied calmly.
"And when will that be?" Kamo pressed, rolling her eyes.
Jaden chuckled and pinched his little sister's cheek, teasing her before turning his attention to the newspaper. His eyes remained cold and narrow, as he spotted himself and Ramsey on the front page.
'Ramsey spotted training with the under-18s, did Jaden Senzo place him on the transfer list?'
"Why am I not surprised," Jaden thought, shaking his head.
"Kamo, go get changed before I change my mind," he said firmly.
"Yessss!" she squealed, jumping up and rushing off.
Jaden watched her disappear upstairs, "Why is she like this today? This isn't like her at all. She's a little devil with an attitude, I swear," he muttered inwardly before turning back to the paper.
Meanwhile, in the office of the manager of the Carrabean Pirates, Manager Wirtz sat in his chair, today's newspaper spread across his desk. Across from him, the team's captain leaned forward, listening intently.
"Things just keep getting better," Wirtz said with a sly grin. "The only player I fear might cause us trouble is Ramsey but it seems he won't be playing. As for the others, I already have plans to contain them."
"What about their young talent, Max, and Ramothwala's dribbling?" the captain asked.
"Put two or three men on Ramothwala, he'll be out of the game. If that doesn't work, stopping Max will cut off the supply to him. And how do we stop Max? We go physical. He's still a teenager, his body isn't ready for that kind of pressure."
Outside the Majesty Arena, Jaden stood with Kamo at his side, gazing up at the towering stadium.
"The Majesty Arena… it never ceases to amaze me," he thought.
"Wooooow! So this is what it looks like in real life!" Kamo's eyes sparkled with joy.
"Since when did you start liking football?" Jaden asked, raising a brow.
"You do know football is the most loved sport in the country, right? So why should it surprise you that I like it?" she shot back coldly.
"And there's the attitude," Jaden muttered, pressing his palm to his forehead. "When did the shrimp get this smart?"
"Hey, Jaden!" Anna's voice rang out as she hurried from the stadium entrance.
"Who's that?" Kamo asked, glaring at Anna.
"Kamo… behave," Jaden whispered.
"Who's the shrimp?" Anna teased, eyeing Kamo.
Jaden chuckled.
"Those eyes… brown, sharp, and cold. Wait, you have a sister?!" Anna bent down, pinching Kamo's cheek.
"Hey! Did you just call me a shrimp?! And stop pinching me, only my brother can do that!" Kamo snapped, shrugging her hand away.
"Aww, she's so cute. The resemblance is uncanny," Anna said warmly. "Come on, the press conference is about to begin."
Inside the stadium, the three entered the media room. Anna stayed with Kamo while Jaden took his seat beside Captain Willies at the table lined with microphones.
Willies spoke first, answering questions with calm authority, the mark of a true leader. Then it was Jaden's turn. He kept his composure, but the questions grew sharper, more pointed.
"If they keep pressing, he's going to snap," Kamo muttered.
"You think so? He usually keeps his cool," Anna replied, watching Jaden closely.
"I know so. He doesn't like being cornered," Kamo said firmly.
A journalist leaned forward. "So Senzo, what does this mean for Nobles FC? Can you afford to lose your best player? I mean, you'd have to be crazy to let Ramsey go. Perhaps this shows your inexperience."
Jaden's eyes narrowed, cold and steady. He had already seen through the journalist's attempt to bait him.
"Okay, that's it for today, folks," Anna cut in, ending the conference before things escalated.
"Seems that journalist doesn't like you, coach. Do you know him?" Captain Willies asked.
"Never seen him a day in my life," Jaden replied.
The journalist approached the podium, looking up at Jaden. "My name is Dave South, from the Daily Moon. I just wanted to thank you for your time. What happened just now was just me doing my job, nothing personal." He extended his hand with a fake smile.
Jaden glanced at the hand, then stood and walked away without a word.
Dave smirked. "I love it when I piss people off."
Jaden left the media room with Anna and Kamo. Both of them couldn't help but worry as Jaden remained silent.
Kamo held his hand, easing his nerves. "He's such a good actor," she thought, letting out a little smirk.
"Oh, I know what we should do now, let's go get some ice cream after we're done ice skating."
"Big bro, can we go? Please?" Kamo asked.
"Trust me, it will help," Anna added.
"Fine," Jaden agreed.
"Yeaaaaah!" Kamo erupted with joy.
The three left the stadium, their next stop far from the noise of football. They stepped into the cool atmosphere of the ice skating hall.
"Wow, I never knew we had a place like this in town," Jaden said, putting on his skates.
"It just opened up. That's why there are barely any people," Anna explained.
Kamo quickly put on her skates and made her way to the ice. "Hey, be careful!" Jaden yelled after her.
Anna stepped onto the ice and waited for Jaden. "What are you waiting for? Let's go."
"Uhm… I can't skate," Jaden admitted.
"As expected," she said, offering her hand.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Jaden asked, accepting her hand.
"Smart people usually struggle with things that require physicality," she teased, pulling him onto the ice.
As Jaden stepped onto the rink, Anna guided him to the center. He began to glide but quickly lost his balance. Anna offered her other hand, keeping him from falling.
Hand in hand, they began to glide. "Keep your eyes on me. Don't look down or think too hard, just let your legs move on their own," she instructed.
Jaden focused on Anna's eyes as they skated slowly and smoothly, almost as if they were dancing.
Eventually, they came to a stop, still hand in hand, gazing deeply into each other's eyes.
Just as they leaned closer, a clicking sound and a flash interrupted them.
Jaden immediately lost his balance and fell, pulling Anna down with him.
It was Kamo, snapping pictures with her phone. She continued taking shots while Anna lay on top of Jaden. Embarrassed, they quickly separated, only to burst into laughter moments later.
Meanwhile, in Manager Wirtz's office. "Are you sure about this, coach?" the captain asked.
"I am. Trust me, it'll be a walk in the park," Wirtz said confidently.
"But that makes it sound like you're underestimating him."
"Yes, I am. I've been in this game a long time. He won't outsmart me. Besides, our players need the rest."
"But Grimorè has been training like crazy. He'll be furious if he doesn't play."
"He might be a problem, but I'll deal with him. That's all for now." Wirtz dismissed him with a wave. "Tomorrow will cause an uproar… a perfect day for the media."