I continued with my usual routine until Wednesday. After receiving my weekly pay that day, I headed home. Clara arrived about half an hour later and began preparing dinner as she always did. Since I had just been paid, I suggested ordering food instead. Clara insisted I should save my money for myself, but after a little persistence, she agreed. I ordered Sofia's favorite pizza.
When the food arrived, Sofia gave me a strange look, as if she couldn't understand why I was being this considerate. I genuinely wanted to be a better brother to her.
During dinner, I turned to Clara and said,
"There was a day last weekend when I didn't go to work. I told you I was going out to play football with my friends."
Clara looked at me, puzzled.
"Yes? Did something happen? Why bring it up now?"
After thinking for a moment about how to explain it, I finally said,
"Actually… I didn't play football with my friends that day. I participated in the trials of an amateur football club."
Since I had gone without telling anyone, I expected Clara to be upset. But surprisingly, she remained completely calm.
"So you want to become a footballer? Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you. Just make sure you've thought it through," she said.
Meanwhile, Sofia listened to our conversation with a smug expression on her face. She probably thought it was a foolish decision or just another short-lived whim.
Encouraged by Clara's reaction, I continued,
"I'll learn the results tomorrow. I really thought about this before joining the trials, and if I get accepted into the youth academy, I'll work incredibly hard."
It was a much better reaction than I expected. I glanced at Sofia and jokingly said,
"What about you? Maybe I'll become a great footballer. Then I can buy you anything you want."
Sofia, matching my tone, replied,
"You dream too much. But if you do become a good footballer, just know I'll definitely take advantage of it."
Our relationship was slowly improving. She still didn't fully trust me, but her attitude was starting to soften.
After the conversation, Clara and Sofia sat in front of the TV to watch their usual show. I went to my desk to work on a few tests given at school.
When I finished and tried to sleep, I realized I simply couldn't. The excitement and tension of receiving the trial results tomorrow kept me awake.
To relax, I started thinking about my favorite footballers from my previous life — the legendary Argentinians, Brazilians, and English players I had admired growing up. Wingers, center-backs, full-backs, midfielders, strikers… I had watched countless matches of each.
And now, unlike back then, I had something even those legends didn't have: my system. With it, I had the chance not just to reach their level, but to surpass it. In this life, I would use the system to its fullest and become a world-class star with abilities no one else could match.
As those thoughts filled my mind, both my excitement and anxiety slowly faded. My eyes grew heavy, an
d I eventually drifted off to sleep.