Football singularity-Chapter 398 It Begins

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[Friday, 25/10/2019, 13:15, Bydgoszcz, Poland]

Following their conversation that had taken a serious turn the both of them decided to brush it to the side and enjoy their date. Finishing their coffee, they decided to explore the city of Bydgoszcz since neither of them had ever been to Poland.

Rakim and May strolled down the cobblestone streets of Bydgoszcz, hand in hand, their earlier conversation fading into the background as they immersed themselves in the charm of the city. The sun peeked through the clouds, casting a golden glow over the historic buildings, and the soft hum of street musicians filled the air.

"This place is beautiful," May said, her voice tinged with awe as she took in the vibrant colours of the Old Market Square. "It’s like stepping into a postcard."

Rakim smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "It’s nice. No Florida but what really is? I don’t miss the gators for sure tho,"

"Oh, you sush. Burt Reynolds is cute he only bites when he is hungry," May joked with a short chuckle as she playfully slapped his shoulder.

"Yeah, and when is a Gator not hungry," he retorted clearly displeased at the memory of Burt Reynolds not understanding why someone would keep reptiles as pets.

They stopped at a small street vendor selling obwarzanki—traditional Polish pretzels. Rakim reached into his pocket, pulling out a few zloty coins to buy two. He handed one to May, who took a bite and let out a contented sigh.

"This is so good," she said, breaking off another piece. "You’ve got to try it."

Rakim nodded and proceeded to take a bite of the pretzel she was holding in her hands, surprising her. "You’re right it tastes good," He simply replied with a bright smile on his face not minding her questioning glare.

"Eat your own, this one is mine," She hissed turning half her body away as she puffed out her cheeks prompting Rakim to poke her left cheek for fun. Before she could get angry, she found the pretzel in her hand had disappeared and replaced it with a new one. "Yours tastes better,"

"You haven’t seen tried yours so how could you know,"

"I just do," Rakim chuckled, shaking his head as he took a bite of his stolen pretzel. "Don’t be so dramatic, lest check out that stall next I think they’re selling jewellery."

Following his words, he immediately dragged her to the stall selling homemade jewellery, not waiting for her response. As they approached the stall, May’s eyes lit up at the array of handmade jewellery displayed on a velvet cloth. Intricately designed necklaces, bracelets, and rings gleamed in the soft afternoon sun.

Rakim released her hand, letting her explore as he leaned casually against the side of the booth. If he learned one thing from his father about placating women is that compliments and gifts go a long way and if you mess up, you either deny until proven guilty or throw yourself at their sword. However, if it’s just something light you can always try and convert the agro into something positive which is why he craned his vast vision to spot the stalls selling homemade jewellery.

"See anything you like?" Rakim asked, watching her as she picked up a delicate silver bracelet adorned with small, colourful beads.

May held it up, tilting her head to examine it in the light. "It’s so pretty," she said, glancing at him with a smile. "But I don’t need it."

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Rakim raised an eyebrow. "Need and want are two different things, May. Let me get it for you."

She started to protest, but Rakim was already speaking to the vendor in a mix of English and the few Polish phrases he’d learned the moment he found out the venue of the mini World Cup. Within moments, the bracelet was paid for and handed over in a small, drawstring pouch.

"Here," Rakim said, taking the bracelet out of the pouch and gently fastening it around her wrist. "Now you’ll have something to remember this trip by—other than me, of course."

May rolled her eyes, though her cheeks flushed slightly. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

"I’ve been told," Rakim replied with a grin. "But you keep me around anyway."

She laughed softly, admiring the bracelet on her wrist before taking his hand again.

"Alright, Mr. Impossible. Where to next?"

~~~

[Friday, 25/10/2019, 13:15, Bydgoszcz, Poland]

The two continued their stroll, wandering into the heart of Bydgoszcz’s Old Town. The colourful facades of the buildings and the calm flow of the Brda River gave the city an almost magical charm. They stopped at the famous Mill Island, where small bridges connected lush green spaces surrounded by water.

"Do you think you’ll have time to explore after the games start?" May asked, her voice curious as they paused to watch a group of swans gliding across the river.

"Doubt it," Rakim admitted. "Once the tournament starts, it’s all about focus. Training, matches, recovery, repeat. But maybe when we win, I’ll get a free afternoon to celebrate."

"Sometimes I wonder where you get all that confidence from despite probably being the most introverted person I know." She said in a questioning tone. "Though I fully believe you will win, no matter what game you play in, the moment you have a ball at your feet you come to life and the world seems to revolve around you."

Rakim turned to May, her words settling warmly in his chest. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his gold-highlighted dreadlocks swaying slightly in the breeze. "That’s because, on the pitch, everything makes sense. It’s like... I don’t have to think. I just know what to do."

May smiled, her green eyes shimmering in the soft light. "It’s your gift, Rakim. And watching you play, it’s like magic. I don’t think anyone else in the world can do what you do, the way you do."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," he teased, grinning. "But seriously, having you here means a lot, especially since you are skipping lectures to be here."

"Oh, don’t worry they are recorded so I can catch up I’m good really and before you ask, I’m staying at the Hilton hotel it’s safe and comfortable," May told him already guessing what he was worried about. "Plus, Lisa will be joining me tomorrow to watch the matches, you guys are playing Japan, right?"

Rakim nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, Japan first. Should be a good game, from the scouting report they’re a fast attacking side, quite technical, and disciplined too."

~~~

[Saturday, 26/10/2019, 19:00, Zdzisław-Krzyszkowiak-Stadion, Poland]

With only half an hour to go before the match, the stadium started to fill up with spectators from both sides took their seats. With Japan considered the home side all of their fervent fans wore their home white jerseys setting off a tide of white. The German side had a few sporadic patches of green around the stadium as most of their fans didn’t bother to buy the away kit.

The two sides showed their love for their country by drawing their national flags on their cheeks. Most German fans made sure to bring their flags waving them excitedly whilst blowing into their plastic trumpets that had been popularized in the 2014 World Cup. It wouldn’t be abnormal during national tournaments to hear them blowing in German neighbourhoods whenever the senior team scores a goal.

The Japanese fans weren’t left behind in showing their love for the team as 4 large burly men sat in the first row with a large drum in front of them. Each time they struck the drum it felt as if Raijin was impacting the stands as the fans behind them sang songs that resembled war cries. With the stadium being filled up to 3/4’s of its 20,187 capacity the atmosphere was quite high for a youth tournament considering that even some club team’s stadiums can’t get that many fans to show up to their matches.

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To Be Continued...