God Of football

Chapter 1000: 18

The Hampstead house was still wrapped in that soft grey light when Izan’s eyes snapped open.

For a moment, the latter didn’t move.

He just lay there, staring up at the ceiling, letting the silence settle around him.

Eighteen.

The number felt strange in his head as he turned his head slightly.

Olivia had drifted closer to him in her sleep sometime during the night, one arm loosely across his chest, her hair scattered across the pillow like it had claimed territory there.

Not that she ever didn’t.

The rise and fall of her breathing was the only motion for a moment as Izan froze like he didn’t want to wake her up.

He watched her for a second longer than necessary.

Then he leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek.

The reaction came instantly.

Without opening her eyes, Olivia murmured, voice soft and half-buried in sleep.

"Happy birthday."

Izan blinked once, a tad bit surprised, while a small smirk crept onto his face.

"You’re not even awake," he said quietly.

She didn’t respond, though, and just shifted slightly, settling deeper into the pillow as if the task had been completed.

He stayed there another second, then carefully slid out from beneath the covers before turning towards the small bed on the other side of the room.

"Just as I thought," Izan said before moving to close the main door that Miko had somehow opened.

With that, he stretched once before padding across the room and into the bathroom, where the large glass window panes were already catching the light, giving the space an ethereal look.

The mirror above the sink greeted him with a familiar face, though this morning it seemed to belong to someone a year older.

He ran a hand through his hair, wetting it slightly in the process.

It had grown longer than he’d realised, with strands brushing past the back of his neck and falling way over his forehead in a way that made him squint slightly.

"I should get a haircut," he muttered to himself.

Right on cue, a familiar voice answered.

[Congratulations and Happy birthday, Izan. You are now eighteen years old.]

He glanced sideways, not surprised in the slightest because it wasn’t his first time.

"Thanks," he said dryly as the system’s wishes since he got it were still unable to sit well with him.

The system continued as if reading from an invisible ledger.

[You have been the best version you can possibly be over the past year, but that is just the beginning. You-]

"Hold on," Izan interrupted, leaning on the counter.

"Still no gift?"

After that, there was a brief pause before the voice returned, mildly curious.

[Am I not already enough?]

Hearing that, Izan couldn’t help but imagine the smirk in the voice of the system.

He considered that for a second, watching his reflection in the mirror.

Then he shook his head with a small chuckle.

"No," he said, pushing himself off the marble counter.

"You already are."

He turned toward the shower, twisting the handle as steam began to fill the room, and a few seconds later, the sound of water replaced the quiet of the room.

An hour later, the smell of something sweet reached him before the voices did.

Izan had just stepped off the last stair when the singing started.

"¡Cumpleaños feliz... cumpleaños feliz...!"

He froze halfway into the kitchen, already shaking his head as the scene came into full view.

Hori stood at the table with her phone raised, documenting the process while Miranda and Komi flanked the other side, clapping in rhythm.

And Olivia stood in the middle of it all, holding a homemade cake with a single candle flickering stubbornly in the morning light.

When they finished the song with a flourish, Izan dragged a hand down his face and covered his eyes with both palms, laughing under his breath.

"You lot are unbelievable."

"Blow the candle before it melts the frosting," Miranda said, nudging the plate closer.

He leaned forward and did exactly that, and in one quick breath, the flame vanished.

Komi, standing behind Olivia, applauded like it was a stadium moment.

From the other flank of Olivia, Miranda crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"So," she said, narrowing her eyes, "what did you wish for?"

Izan, not bothering to glance at her, picked up the knife and started cutting into the cake.

"You know I ain’t telling."

"Worth a shot," she muttered as he slid the first slice onto a plate and then looked up at her properly.

"Cake on an empty stomach. The nutritionist might give me an earful."

"Actually," he continued, brow furrowing slightly, "what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work already?"

Miranda slowly raised her hand as if she were about to smack him, causing Izan instinctively lean away, jokingly.

"Careful," she warned.

Then she pointed at him with the same hand.

"What use is my job if I can’t take time to wish someone who happens to be my boss a happy birthday?"

He stared at her for a moment.

Then laughed.

"Flatterer."

Olivia stepped closer, brushing her shoulder lightly against his as she reached for a plate.

"So," she said, glancing up at him, "what are your plans today?"

Izan shrugged, sliding another slice of cake toward Hori.

"I don’t really know yet," he admitted. "We can talk about it later. After training."

The moment those words left his mouth, Miranda cleared her throat loudly, and that got his attention.

"What now?" Izan asked

"Actually," she said, folding her arms again, "about that."

"Arteta asked me to pass something along. He said to wish you a happy birthday. And..." she paused just long enough to enjoy the moment, "...he hopes you’ll take the day off."

Izan let out a slow sigh, leaning back against the counter.

"If they keep giving me all these days off," he said, shaking his head, "I’m going to lose touch with football."

"Look on the bright side," Olivia replied easily. "You get time to think about what you want to do."

He turned to look at her.

"What about you?"

She gestured down at her clothes.

"I’ve got lectures."

Hori, already halfway through a slice of cake, lifted her backpack.

"School."

Miranda tapped the watch on her wrist.

"Work."

Komi at last gave a small wave with her phone in hand. "Also work."

Izan looked around the kitchen slowly, and then everyone dressed to leave.

Which meant...

He pointed toward the living room where Miko had just padded in, tail wagging lazily.

"So it’s just me and the dog?"

Miko barked once, as if confirming.

Izan sighed dramatically and dropped his head back.

"Just great," he said, causing the ears of Miko to droop as if she had taken offence to what Izan said, and that got a fit of laughter out of the others around.