He tried again, and the same thing happened, and confusion mixed with frustration as he muttered, "What the hell."

The conversation hadn't felt that heated, and he'd explained his reasoning clearly, and Adidas was objectively the better offer, so why was she upset about it?

Makes no sense, he thought, and he set his phone on the nightstand before running both hands through his hair while accepting that women were complicated and Sophia was more complicated than most and he was too tired to figure it out tonight.

He stood and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and when he returned to his room, his phone screen was still dark with no new notifications.

She wasn't texting back.

Fine.

He'd give her space.

A soft chime rang in his head just as he was about to climb into bed.

The system.

A panel materialized in his vision with golden text that immediately caught his attention.

「NEW MISSION AVAILABLE」

「BRAND PARTNERSHIP SELECTION」

「Select your endorsement partner:」

「Option A: Nike」

「Option B: Adidas」

「REWARDS UPON SELECTION:」

「50 SP」

「200 TP」

「300 MP」

Demien smiled despite the exhaustion and the confusion with Sophia, and fifty special points plus two hundred training points plus three hundred match points was massive currency that would push his development forward.

"Can't wait," he said quietly to the empty room.

Adidas would send the contract by end of week, and he'd review it with Marco before signing and claiming the rewards that came with the mission completion.

The system panel faded, and Demien finally climbed into bed while his mind ran through tomorrow's schedule: Thursday training for recovery, then Friday's tactical prep for Lecce on Saturday.

He closed his eyes and sleep came fast.

Thursday, August 29th, 2022

Bortolotti Training Complex, Zingonia

9:17 AM

Thursday's training session was light recovery work following Sunday's match at San Siro, and Gasperini kept the intensity deliberately moderate because he wanted fresh legs for Lecce this weekend.

Demien moved through the drills with focus while his body responded well to the possession exercises and rondos and tactical positioning work that didn't demand too much physically, and the soreness from Milan had faded completely as his muscles felt clean and responsive.

The session ended at 11:30 AM, and as Demien walked off the pitch toward the locker room, the familiar chime sounded in his head.

「TRAINING SESSION COMPLETE」

「Quality: Good」

「REWARD: 10 TP」

「Current Balance: 45 TP | 0 SP | 16 MP」

The notification faded, and Demien showered quickly before changing into casual clothes and heading home.

His phone stayed quiet all afternoon with no messages from Sophia, and he didn't reach out again because she'd made it clear she needed space.

Friday, August 30th, 2022

Bortolotti Training Complex

9:03 AM

Friday morning came with sharper focus because matchday minus one meant preparation intensity increased, and Lecce away on Saturday was real Serie A points on the line.

Demien arrived at the training complex early, and the parking lot was already half full with players' cars because everyone understood the importance of proper preparation before away matches.

Inside the locker room, the energy was different from Thursday's recovery vibe as players taped ankles with precision while conversations stayed quieter and focus had sharpened across the squad.

At 9:15 AM, Gasperini gathered everyone in the tactical room where the projector displayed Lecce's formation and key players, and the coach stood at the front with his arms crossed before speaking.

"Lecce plays a four-three-three," Gasperini began while the screen showed their system clearly. "High pressing in their own stadium. They're aggressive, physical, and they'll test us early."

He clicked to the next slide showing their defensive structure before continuing, "We stick with our four-two-three-one. Same system that worked against Sampdoria. Midfield control is everything. If we dominate the center, we dictate the match."

His eyes scanned the room, and Demien felt the weight of his gaze when it passed over him before moving on.

"De Roon and Éderson anchor," Gasperini continued before pausing and glancing at his assistant who whispered something. "Wait, Éderson is still out. Right. De Roon and Koopmeiners anchor. Walter plays the ten. Lookman left, Malinovskyi right, Højlund up top."

Demien's chest tightened slightly because starting again meant the ten position with creative freedom and defensive responsibility both weighing on his shoulders.

"Lecce's fullbacks push high," Gasperini said while gesturing to the screen. "That's our opportunity. Quick transitions. Exploit the space behind them. Walter, your movement between the lines will be critical."

Demien nodded once, and the tactical session continued for thirty minutes covering pressing triggers and defensive transitions and set piece assignments before Gasperini finally dismissed them.

Everyone filed out toward the locker room, and the assistant coach was already at the bulletin board near the exit posting a sheet of paper that read STARTING XI - LECCE (A) across the top.

Players gathered around immediately, and Demien stood at the back waiting for the crowd to thin before stepping forward to scan down the list.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

GK: Musso

DEF: Hateboer, Tolói, Demiral, Maehle

MID: De Roon, Koopmeiners

ATT: Malinovskyi, WALTER, Lookman

FWD: Højlund

His name sat there in bold letters as the central attacking midfielder, and the weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders because three starts in a row meant Gasperini's trust was real.

Koopmeiners appeared beside him and nodded at the sheet before saying, "Ready for tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Demien said simply.

"Good. We'll need you sharp between the lines."

They walked outside together where the rest of the squad was already warming up on the pitch, and the morning sun cast long shadows across the grass while light training followed with passing patterns and movement drills and shape work without contact because Gasperini wanted sharpness without fatigue.

The session ended by 11:00 AM, and as Demien walked toward the bus stop outside the training complex, his phone stayed silent in his pocket.

Still nothing from Sophia.

He took the bus home while his mind stayed focused on tomorrow's match because whatever was happening with Sophia would have to wait until she was ready to talk, and right now his focus had to stay on Lecce and the starting XI and proving he belonged in Serie A week after week.

Demien's Apartment

12:45 PM

When Demien opened the apartment door, he found Luca in the living room surrounded by two large suitcases and a duffel bag, and his roommate was folding clothes with careful precision while checking items off a list on his phone.

"You're actually leaving," Demien said, and the reality of it hit harder than he'd expected.

Luca looked up and smiled. "Braga's waiting. Flight's at four, so Marco's picking me up in thirty minutes."

Demien set his training bag down and walked over to where Luca was packing. "How long's the loan?"

"Rest of the season. Seven months if everything goes well." Luca zipped one suitcase closed before starting on the second. "Maybe longer if they want to make it permanent."

"They will," Demien said. "You're too good not to."

"Appreciate that." Luca paused his packing and looked at Demien directly. "You're starting tomorrow against Lecce?"

"Yeah. Saw the sheet this morning."

"Third start in a row." Luca's expression carried pride mixed with something else. "Coach really trusts you now. You've earned it."

"Still feels surreal sometimes," Demien admitted.

"It shouldn't." Luca folded another shirt. "You belong there. Everyone can see it except you."

They fell quiet for a moment while Luca continued packing, and the weight of the goodbye hung between them because seven months was a long time and Portugal was far away.

"I'll miss having you around," Demien said finally.

"Yeah, well." Luca's voice stayed light despite the emotion underneath. "Someone had to keep you from being a complete hermit. Now you'll actually have to make friends with the first team guys."

"I have friends."

"Teammates aren't friends until you've done something stupid together off the pitch." Luca grinned. "But you'll figure it out."

A car horn sounded from outside, and both of them looked toward the window.

Marco's Mercedes sat at the curb with the engine running.

"That's my ride," Luca said, and he grabbed the handle of the first suitcase before looking at Demien. "Take care of yourself. And don't let Sophia drive you crazy."

"How did you—"

"I'm your roommate. I notice things." Luca clapped his shoulder once. "Whatever's going on with you two, just talk it out. Communication fixes most problems."

Demien nodded, not trusting his voice.

Luca grabbed both suitcases and the duffel bag, and Demien followed him down the stairs to where Marco was waiting beside the open trunk.

"Demien," Marco said with a nod. "Good timing. Came to see him off?"

"Yeah."

Marco loaded the luggage into the trunk with practiced efficiency before closing it and walking to the driver's side. "I'll give you two a minute."

He climbed into the car and closed the door, leaving Demien and Luca standing on the sidewalk.

"This is it," Luca said.

"Good luck in Portugal," Demien replied. "Score some goals. Make them remember your name."

"That's the plan." Luca pulled him into a brief hug before stepping back. "And you? Keep starting. Keep proving everyone wrong who said you weren't good enough."

"I will."

Luca opened the passenger door and climbed in, and through the window he raised one hand in final goodbye before Marco pulled away from the curb.

Demien stood on the sidewalk watching the Mercedes merge into traffic and disappear around a corner, and the apartment upstairs suddenly felt emptier than it had thirty minutes ago.

He turned and walked back inside while accepting that things were changing fast and people were moving forward and all he could do was keep proving he belonged at this level.

Seven months until Luca came back.

Seven months to establish himself as a Serie A regular.

Seven months to figure out what the hell was happening with Sophia.

Everything else could wait.

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