Reincarnated As A Wonderkid-Chapter 573: U18 Cup Final

"Ladies and gentlemen," the host announced to the camera. "He is the Professor. The Legend. The man who won everything. Alex Finch!"

The audience applause sign lit up. The crowd cheered.

Alex waved. He was used to this now. The lights. The noise.

"So, Alex," the host leaned in. "Retirement treats you well. You look rested."

"I sleep eight hours a night now," Alex smiled. "It is a luxury. No more 6 AM ice baths."

"But the world isn't letting you rest," the host said, tapping a card. "Tomorrow is the big day. The 'Royal Wedding of Football'. You and Maya. The data analyst who stole the Professor's heart."

"She calculated the probability of me saying yes," Alex laughed. "It was 100 percent."

The screen behind them changed. It showed a photo of Alex and Maya walking in London. And then, a photo of a teenage boy in an Arsenal kit.

"And let's talk about him," the host said. "Leo Finch. Sixteen years old. He just signed his first professional contract. The media is calling him 'The Sequel'."

Alex looked at the screen. Leo looked just like him, but with Maya's intense eyes.

"He is his own player," Alex said firmly. "He is not a sequel. He is an original."

"But the stats, Alex!" the host exclaimed. "He scored 40 goals in the academy last season. He is faster than you were. Is he better?"

Alex paused. He thought about the garden kickabouts. The way Leo struck the ball.

"He has better teachers," Alex grinned. "His Uncle Mark taught him how to run. His Uncle Rico taught him how to dance."

"Speaking of Mark," the host pressed a button.

A video played on the screen.

It was Mark Speed. He was standing outside the wedding venue in Italy. He was wearing a suit made of... gold foil?

"HELLO WORLD!" Video-Mark screamed. "I AM THE BEST MAN! I AM THE EMPEROR OF WEDDINGS! I HAVE TESTED THE CAKE! IT IS AERODYNAMIC AND DELICIOUS! I AM NERVOUS BUT HUNGRY!"

The audience roared with laughter.

"Is he... safe?" the host asked.

"He is Mark," Alex sighed. "Safety is not in his vocabulary."

Lake Como. Italy.

The venue was a villa overlooking the water. It was the same place where Alex had revived his career years ago.

The gardens were manicured. The flowers were blooming.

And it was absolute chaos.

Alex walked into the main hall.

Milo was standing by the entrance. He was wearing a suit that looked like a priest's robe, but it was covered in logos.

"THE OFFICIANT!" Milo screamed. "ALEX! I AM ORDAINED! I BOUGHT THE LICENSE ONLINE! I AM SELLING BLESSINGS! 'THE FINCH BLESSING'! GUARANTEED HAPPINESS OR YOUR MONEY BACK (in store credit)!"

"Milo, we hired a real priest," Alex said.

"I AM THE BACKUP!" Milo yelled. "IN CASE HE GETS A RED CARD!"

Alex walked further in. He found Mark in the kitchen.

Mark was arguing with the Italian chef.

"NO!" Mark shouted, holding a bag of frozen chicken nuggets. "PUT THESE ON THE PIZZA!"

"Signore," the chef pleaded, looking at Alex for help. "He wants to put... nuggets... on the truffle pizza."

"It is protein!" Mark insisted. "It is texture! It is genius!"

"Mark," Alex said. "Step away from the pizza."

Mark turned around. He looked stressed. He was sweating.

"Professor!" Mark gasped. "I am panicking! Being Best Man is hard! I have to hold the rings! What if I eat them? They look like calamari!"

"Do not eat the rings, Mark."

"I tried to put them in my pocket," Mark whispered. "But my pocket has a hole. So I taped them to my chest."

"You taped the wedding rings to your chest?"

"It is secure!" Mark ripped open his shirt.

There, taped to his chest hair with duct tape, were two diamond rings.

"Ow," Mark winced. "That is going to hurt later."

Alex shook his head. "You are an idiot. But you are my idiot."

He walked out to the terrace.

Leo was standing there. He was wearing a tuxedo. He looked uncomfortable. He was juggling a ball (because Finch men couldn't stand still without a ball).

"Hey," Alex said.

Leo caught the ball. "Hey, Dad."

"You okay?"

Leo looked at the lake. "The internet is going crazy. They are comparing my stats to yours at sixteen. They say I need to win the World Cup by twenty or I am a failure."

Alex leaned on the balcony rail.

"The internet is noise, Leo. Like static on a radio."

"But it is loud," Leo said. "Everyone expects me to be... you."

Alex looked at his son.

"Do you know why I was good?" Alex asked.

"Because you were a genius?"

"No," Alex said. "Because I failed first. I lived a life where I wasn't good enough. I knew what it felt like to lose. That made me hungry."

He put a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"You don't have to be me. You don't have to be Danein Blake. You don't have to be Leon Fischer. You just have to be Leo."

"But what if I miss?" Leo asked.

"Then you miss," Alex smiled. "And then Mark will make a joke about it, and we will eat pizza, and the sun will come up tomorrow."

Leo smiled. "Uncle Mark said he would race me if I scored in the final."

"He will race you anyway," Alex laughed. "He races pigeons."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Now, put the ball away. Grandma will kill you if you get grass stains on that tuxedo."

The Wedding Ceremony.

The sun set over the lake, turning the water purple and gold.

Maya stood at the altar. She wore a white dress that was simple, elegant, and structured.

"Efficiency," Alex mouthed.

Maya smiled. "Optimal aesthetic."

Mark stood beside Alex. He was vibrating.

"Do you have the rings?" the priest asked.

"YES!" Mark shouted.

He winced as he ripped the duct tape off his chest. RIIIP.

"OUCH!" Mark yelped. "HERE THEY ARE! WARM AND HAIRY!"

The guests giggled.

Alex took the ring. He looked at Maya.

"I calculated the probability of finding someone like you," Alex said in his vows. "It was one in eight billion. A statistical anomaly. A miracle."

Maya wiped a tear (inefficient, but allowed).

"I analyzed the variables," Maya said. "Life is chaotic. Entropy is constant. But with you... the chaos makes sense. You are my constant."

"I DO!" Mark shouted before Alex could answer.

"Mark!" Alex hissed.

"Sorry! I was excited!"

They exchanged rings. They kissed.

"I pronounce you... The Finch Dynasty," the priest (who looked terrified of Milo hovering behind him) said.

The party started.

Rico took over the DJ booth.

"SAMBA TIME!" Rico screamed.

He played Brazilian funk mixed with Arsenal chants.

Leo was dancing with the bridesmaids. He had some of Rico's moves.

Alex sat at the head table. He looked around.

The media were outside the gates, trying to get a photo. The world was talking about them.

But inside, it was just a family.

A weird, loud, pizza-eating family.

Milo walked over. He was holding a tray of drinks.

"CHAMPAGNE!" Milo shouted. "IT IS ACTUALLY SPARKLING GRAPE JUICE! I DRANK THE CHAMPAGNE BY ACCIDENT! BUT I AM SELLING THE CORKS! FIVE EUROS!"

"Sit down, Milo," Alex laughed.

Mark stood up. He tapped a spoon against a glass (he broke the glass).

"SPEECH!" Mark yelled. "I AM THE BEST MAN! LISTEN TO ME!"

The room went quiet.

Mark cleared his throat. He pulled out a piece of paper that was stained with tomato sauce.

"Alex," Mark said. "Professor. My best friend."

Mark looked at Alex. His eyes got watery behind his sunglasses.

"We started in a playground," Mark said. "I was fast. You were smart. Rico was dancing. Milo was... selling rocks."

"HEY!" Milo shouted. "MINERALS!"

"We conquered the world," Mark continued. "We won the gold things. We ate the pizzas. But the best thing..."

Mark paused. He sniffed.

"The best thing is that we did it together. You never left us behind, Alex. Even when you were the Ballon d'Or guy. You always passed the ball."

Mark raised a toast (a breadstick).

"To Alex and Maya! And to Leo! The next Emperor!"

"TO THE DYNASTY!" the room roared.

Alex felt a tear roll down his cheek.

He looked at Maya. She squeezed his hand.

"Heart rate elevated," she whispered. "Serotonin levels maximum."

"I am happy," Alex said.

Later that night, the fireworks started.

They exploded over the lake. Red. White. Gold.

Alex stood on the terrace with Leo.

"Look at that," Alex said.

"It's bright," Leo said.

"Like your future," Alex said.

"Dad," Leo asked. "Did you ever want to give up?"

Alex thought about the rain in Brentford. The dark hospital room.

"Yes," Alex said. "Many times."

"Why didn't you?"

Alex looked at Mark, who was trying to catch a firework (Milo was holding him back).

"Because the game is too good to quit," Alex said.

Leo nodded. "I have a game on Saturday. U18 Cup Final."

"I will be there," Alex said.

"Will you analyze my stats?"

"No," Alex smiled. "I will just watch my son play."

"Cool," Leo said.