Chapter 171

The sun streamed through the curtains of Miranda’s Madrid apartment as Izan stirred awake, the warmth of the morning light nudging him into consciousness.

He stretched lazily, the excitement of the day ahead quickly replacing his grogginess. Looking around, Izan took his phone and glanced at the time.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he slid out of bed and headed for the shower.

The cool water pellets fell on his head waking him up entirely as he went through his morning routine.

"Max" Izan called with his toothbrush in his mouth. Heeding his call, the system materialised in front of him.

Looking at the screen, Izan found his daily task beckoning. "I’ll do it in the evening," he thought as he glanced at his personal hub.

He had depleted his stat points after the last upgrade and would have to wait until the end of the season to have any chance of upgrading again.

After a while, Izan came out of the shower, towel in hand. After going through his luggage, Izan chose his clothes for the day.

He dressed in a casual yet stylish outfit—black jeans, a loose-fitting white T-shirt, and a light bomber jacket—and finished the look with a pair of sneakers.

Stepping into the living room, he found Miranda already waiting, sipping her morning coffee. She glanced up, her eyes scanning his outfit.

"You clean up well," she remarked with a smirk. "The car’s waiting downstairs. The driver knows the way to La Moraleja."

Izan grabbed his phone and keys. "Thanks, Miranda. I’ll keep you updated."

She nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Have fun. And remember-No headlines"

Izan made his way downstairs to find a sleek black car parked by the curb. The driver greeted him with a polite nod before opening the door.

Settling into the backseat, Izan watched as the city buzzed past, the towering buildings giving way to the quiet luxury of La Moraleja.

When the car pulled up to Jude’s residence, the sheer size of the house took Izan by surprise.

The modern mansion was surrounded by manicured lawns and high walls, exuding understated elegance.

The gate opened smoothly, and as the car rolled into the driveway, Jude appeared at the front door, casually dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants.

"Yo, Izan!" Jude called out, his grin wide as he jogged down to meet him.

"Hey, Jude," Izan replied, stepping out of the car. The two shook hands before Jude clapped him on the back.

"Glad you could make it," Jude said, leading him inside. The house was just as impressive inside—spacious, tastefully decorated, yet comfortable.

They spent the morning in Jude’s entertainment room, settling on a couch with controllers in hand.

Jude booted up FC 24, and they both grinned when their player cards appeared on the screen.

"An 83-rated card for you. And it’s your first card. That’s exceptional," Jude teased, pointing at Izan’s card. "I think it should have been higher but this is also good."

Izan laughed at Jude’s words before looking at the latter’s card. "And an 86-rated card for you. Guess I know who the game thinks is better."

"No that’s not it. My first Card was a 69 rating back in FIFA 21 but your first FC Card and you’re already an 83-rated player. You’ll probably catch up to me in next season’s game if you keep playing like this".

"Okay, enough of that. Let me just prove now and here that I’m better than you" Izan said as he chose his team.

"Someone’s getting cocky," Jude said while he chose his team.

The two dove into the game, trash-talking a bit and laughing as they played. Jude picked Real Madrid, while Izan stuck with Valencia.

The competition was fierce, with Jude’s in-game version scoring a brace, but Izan’s digital self-managed to net a stunning equalizer in the final minutes.

"Not bad, kid," Jude said, nudging him playfully.

"Learned from the best," Izan shot back, smirking.

By early afternoon, Jude grabbed a set of keys. "Let’s head out. I’ll show you some cool spots around Madrid. We’ll keep it low-key."

They both donned caps and sunglasses to go incognito, with Jude opting to drive instead of his driver. The duo went through the bustling streets of Madrid.

They visited a local park, grabbed quick bites from a food truck, and even strolled through a quiet art district.

At one point, while Jude was admiring a mural, a young boy approached cautiously, his eyes wide with recognition.

"Excuse me," the boy said, clutching a notebook. "Are you... Jude Bellingham?"

Jude froze for a moment, then broke into a sheepish grin. "You got me, mate. Don’t tell anyone, all right?"

The boy nodded eagerly, his excitement barely contained. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Of course," Jude replied, signing the notebook.

Izan watched the interaction with a smile. The boy’s awe and gratitude reminded him of the impact players like Jude had on fans.

Jude crouched down to chat briefly with the boy before sending him off with a friendly wave.

As they got back in the car, Jude sighed but smiled. "Can’t hide forever, huh?"

"Nope," Izan said, chuckling. "But that was cool. You handled it well."

Jude shrugged. "It’s part of the job. You’ll see soon enough."

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over Madrid, the two headed back to Jude’s house.

After lounging about for a bit, Izan found his phone ringing. "Alright Jude, that’s me. See you later " Izan said as he took his phone.

Bellingham who was engrossed in his phone, stood up and walked Izan to the gate. "I had fun. Let’s hang out again " Jude said as he waved.

Izan arrived at Miranda’s cosy apartment just as the evening breeze picked up, carrying a faint chill that hinted at the onset of night.

The day had been long, but as he stepped inside, the warmth of the space quickly replaced the weariness in his bones.

Miranda greeted him with a smile, ushering him toward the dining table where a simple yet inviting meal awaited.

"Thought you’d be hungry," she said, setting down a plate of steaming spaghetti.

"Thanks," Izan murmured, sinking into the chair. He dug in quietly, savouring the meal while Miranda sat across from him, scrolling through her phone and occasionally glancing up.

The two shared a comfortable silence, punctuated only by the occasional clink of cutlery.

After dinner, Izan rinsed his plate and stretched, his muscles aching slightly from the day’s exertion. "I’ll head to bed," he said softly, to which Miranda nodded in understanding.

"Get some rest. You’ll leave first thing in the morning." Miranda said before looking back at her phone.

The next morning, the sunlight streamed through the blinds, waking Izan early.

He quickly freshened up and packed his belongings, his movements deliberate as his thoughts lingered on the journey ahead.

By the time he stepped into the living room, Miranda was already waiting, car keys in hand.

The drive to the airport was uneventful, filled with casual conversation about the day ahead.

Miranda dropped him off at the terminal entrance, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I won’t be back in Valencia for about two weeks. Plus I have to deal with the YSL thing, you know with the release date coming and all.

Play like you always do while showing off your charm since the European Championship is coming and leave the rest to me okay? " Miranda said.

Izan nodded at her words before turning to leave. The airport buzzed with activity, and Izan moved purposefully through the crowd, checking in and making his way to the departure gate.

The plane touched down smoothly on the sunlit tarmac of Valencia’s bustling airport, the faint hum of the engines easing as it rolled to a stop.

Izan peered out of the small window, catching glimpses of the vibrant city skyline in the distance.

As the passengers began disembarking, Izan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Sliding it out, he saw a message from his mother, Komi.

Komi: Let me know when you land. I can call someone to pick you up.

Izan quickly typed back, a sense of independence flickering in his chest.

Izan: Don’t worry, Mom. Pietro and Sosa are picking me up.

The reply came swiftly, but it was less of a protest and more of a reminder.

Komi: Okay. Be careful, Izan.

He smiled at her concern and slid the phone back into his pocket, stepping into the warm Valencian air.

The terminal buzzed with life, and Izan easily spotted his two teammates, Pietro and Sosa, waiting just beyond the arrivals gate.

Pietro, tall with an easy grin, waved enthusiastically, while Sosa leaned casually against the railing, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

"There he is!" Pietro called out, his voice carrying above the noise.

Izan made his way over, greeted by firm handshakes and friendly backslaps.

"How was your ’Holidays’ " Sosa teased, his tone lighthearted.

"Felt short. I see you’re returning from training" Izan said, his eyes pointing to Sosa’s bag.

"Yeah, we just finished. Anyways let’s get out of here. A few people are looking at you" Sosa said.

Izan glanced around and saw a few hands pointing at him. He nodded at Sosa as the trio headed toward the parking lot.

A/N: hello guys. A few readers are commenting that some parts of a few chapters feel a bit generic and all. Well I ask Grammarly to make corrections to any incorrect grammar or setup I write so that maybe it.

Anyways sorry for that and I’ll try to make changes to that. Anyways stay tuned and thank you guys for the supports and gift. I may not be able to show it but I really appreciate it.