Chapter 46: Who Wouldn't Like a Young Man Like That?
On the other side of the world, the clock had already passed midnight.
A faint click echoed through the quiet apartment as the bedroom door opened slowly. A tall middle-aged man, wearing loose shorts and moving carefully to avoid making noise, stepped into the living room.
This was Ken's Uncle, who had quietly slipped out after making sure everyone else was asleep.
Just as he reached the sofa, he noticed another figure tiptoeing across the room.
"Hey! What are you doing awake at this hour?" Uncle whispered sharply.
The younger boy froze mid-step, clearly startled. "You scared me! I thought you were asleep!"
"You have school tomorrow. Why are you still awake?" Uncle asked, folding his arms.
The boy scratched his head sheepishly. "It's Ken's first match tonight. I want to watch it live… just this once."
Uncle glanced toward the closed bedroom door again, then sighed before reaching for the remote control.
"Alright. We'll watch quietly. But if Ken doesn't come on by halftime, you go straight to bed. Deal?"
"Deal!"
The boy immediately ran to bring a glass of water and switched on the fan, the faint hum blending with the soft glow of the television.
Both of them sat down, eyes fixed on the screen.
---
Thousands of miles away, under the bright floodlights of a packed European stadium, the atmosphere was completely different.
The roar of more than eighty thousand fans rolled like thunder across the stands. Yellow banners waved endlessly, and rhythmic chants shook the air.
On the substitutes' bench, Ken watched everything carefully.
This was his first experience sitting on the bench in a top European league match, and the intensity of the atmosphere still amazed him.
The match had already been underway for nearly thirty minutes, and although Ken had not yet stepped onto the field, his focus never left the pitch.
Dortmund dominated possession, but the opposing team had packed their defense tightly, leaving almost no room to attack. Every time the ball approached the penalty area, defenders crowded together like an iron wall.
Ken leaned forward slightly, studying every movement of his teammates.
"This kind of defense…" he murmured quietly, "it's harder than it looks."
Beside him, the veteran captain nodded. "Low-block defending. Teams use it when they know they can't match our attacking speed."
"So how do we break it?" Ken asked.
"Patience," the captain replied. "Keep pressure on them. Eventually they'll make a mistake."
Ken nodded thoughtfully.
Even though he wasn't on the field yet, he was learning.
---
The first half continued with Dortmund pressing relentlessly.
Shots from outside the box, crosses from the wings, and repeated corner kicks tested the defense again and again, but the ball refused to go in. Every time it seemed a goal was certain, a defender appeared at the last moment to block the shot.
In the 32nd minute, a powerful long-range strike forced the goalkeeper into a spectacular save, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Ken clenched his fists unconsciously.
"Come on…" he whispered.
Another attack followed shortly before halftime. A corner kick swung into the box, and a towering header slammed against the crossbar before bouncing wildly among the players. Several desperate attempts followed, but the defenders managed to clear the danger.
The stadium let out a collective sigh.
Halftime arrived with the score still 0–0.
---
As players began heading toward the locker room, the coach suddenly turned back toward the bench.
"Ken, start warming up. You're going in at the beginning of the second half."
For a moment, Ken thought he had misheard.
Then excitement surged through him.
"Yes, coach!"
He jumped to his feet immediately, jogging toward the sideline with renewed energy.
The captain gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Relax. Play your normal game."
Ken nodded firmly. He had waited for this moment since arriving in Europe.
---
Back in the quiet apartment thousands of miles away, Uncle leaned forward, eyes shining.
"There he is… he's warming up!"
The boy nearly jumped off the couch. "He's going to play?"
"Looks like it," Uncle replied, unable to hide his smile.
The television volume remained low, but the excitement in the room felt louder than any stadium.
---
On the pitch, Ken stretched, took a few sprint runs, and lightly tapped the ball back and forth. The roar of the crowd surrounded him, but instead of feeling nervous, he felt strangely calm.
This was where he belonged.
He glanced once toward the field, watching the remaining minutes of halftime tick away, and then tightened his boots.
The second half was about to begin.
And with it, his true debut was finally coming.
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