That training program was insane.

And that had only been day one.

Yesterday inside the LTC had been one of the most brutal sessions he had ever experienced in either life. By the end of it, he had spent almost eight straight hours inside the simulation completely unable to move properly after finishing the final endurance phase.

The recovery drills afterward had somehow been even worse.

Now, back in the real world, he could still feel the aftermath lingering deep inside his muscles.

Lukas slowly stood up from the bed and stretched carefully.

Immediately—

pain.

He winced.

"Ow..."

He rolled his shoulders, then clenched and unclenched his fists a few times before bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.

Bad idea.

A sharp soreness shot up through his calves and ankles instantly.

"Okay... yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Feet are definitely gone."

He stood there for another second, letting his body adjust before dragging himself toward the door.

The apartment was quiet when he stepped out into the living room.

Javi was already awake, sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand while the television played quietly in the background. He looked up the moment Lukas entered and immediately noticed the sluggish way he was walking.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"You finally woke up. Although you look exhausted, did you not sleep well?" Javi asked as his smile turned to a bit of a worried frown as Lukas groaned slightly as he dropped onto the sofa.

"No, not really... I slept well... Maybe my body just isn’t used to sleeping for so long..." Lukas replied as he downed a glass of water in front of him and acted naturally to not get his father suspicious.

Javi looked at him for a bit... then chuckled softly.

"Holiday mode?"

"Exactly." Lukas leaned back against the couch. "I don’t really get to do this often, so I’m taking advantage while I can. But it seems my body hates being in bed all day."

Javi nodded slowly, taking another sip from his cup.

"You deserve the rest."

There was warmth in his voice when he said it.

Real warmth.

Not just because of the football.

Because he meant it.

Lukas had spent the last year moving nonstop. Training. Matches. Pressure. Media. National team. Transfer rumors. Expectations.

At some point the world had stopped treating him like a normal teenager entirely.

So moments like this—

quiet mornings in Darmstadt—

felt strangely rare now.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Then Lukas shifted slightly on the couch.

"So..." he started quietly. "Today’s the day, right?"

Javi looked at him for a second before nodding.

"Yeah."

He placed the coffee cup down on the table.

"They arrived in Darmstadt last night. Roger sent me a message."

Lukas inhaled slowly.

Then exhaled.

The atmosphere in the room shifted almost immediately.

Subtly.

But enough.

His fingers tapped lightly against his knee as his thoughts started running again.

Jane.

Roger.

Everything connected to that side of his life.

Everything he had spent months pushing away to focus on football.

Now it was finally here.

Javi watched him carefully before speaking again.

"You know..." he said quietly, "we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to."

Lukas stayed silent for a moment.

Then slowly shook his head.

"No."

He looked down briefly before continuing.

"I want to."

Javi studied him for another second, then nodded once.

"Okay."

He leaned back slightly into the couch.

"We’ll prepare and head out in a couple of hours."

* * *

It was a little past 2 p.m. when the atmosphere inside the private dining room of OX U.S. Steakhouse had settled into an uneasy silence.

The room itself was elegant without being flashy. Dark wooden walls, warm lighting, quiet air-conditioning humming softly overhead, and large windows letting in muted afternoon sunlight from outside. The restaurant had given them one of the more secluded rooms near the back, away from the rest of the lunch crowd.

Jane sat at the table beside Roger.

Unlike the composed image she usually carried, there was tension in every small movement she made. One of her legs bounced lightly beneath the table, and her fingers kept drifting toward her other hand, absentmindedly picking at her nails before stopping and starting again a few seconds later.

She looked polished as always.

A light cream blouse with the sleeves folded neatly just below her elbows, paired with tailored beige trousers and low brown heels suitable for the warm June weather. A thin gold necklace rested subtly against her collarbone, and her dark hair was tied loosely behind her head in a way that looked effortless despite clearly taking effort.

Everything about her screamed educated, refined, well-kept.

Except for the nervousness in her eyes.

Roger noticed it immediately.

He had been noticing it all day.

"You’re still nervous?" he asked softly.

Jane let out a quiet breath through her nose, her fingers still fidgeting slightly.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Quite a bit."

Roger leaned back slightly in his chair.

"It’s going to be alright."

Jane gave him a small look but didn’t answer immediately.

"You keep saying that," she murmured.

"Because I believe it."

She looked down at her hands again.

"I don’t know if what I say is going to be enough."

Roger stayed quiet for a moment before replying.

"You won’t know unless you try."

Jane swallowed slightly.

"What if he hates me?"

Roger shook his head gently.

"I told you already. Just be honest."

He leaned forward a little now, his voice calmer, firmer.

"Tell him what’s on your mind. Tell him how you feel. Don’t rehearse it too much."

Jane looked unconvinced.

"I don’t think it’s that simple."

"Maybe not," Roger admitted. "But if you don’t take the chance, then you’ll never know."

The room fell quiet again after that.

Jane’s fingers stopped moving for a brief moment as she inhaled slowly, trying to steady herself.

Then—

A knock came from the door.

Both of them looked up instantly.

The restaurant worker opened it gently from outside.

"They’re here."

And then—

Lukas stepped into the room.

Javi was right beside him.

For a brief moment, nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

From across the room, their eyes met immediately.

Lukas looked at Jane.

And Jane looked at Lukas.

For what felt like an eternity, neither of them moved.

But in reality, it was only a few seconds.

Jane’s eyes lingered on Lukas’s face, almost searching for something, before she finally looked away first. Like she physically couldn’t hold his gaze for too long.

Roger cleared his throat softly and stepped forward slightly.

"Come in," he said gently.

Javi gave a small nod and walked in first, Lukas following beside him. The atmosphere in the room immediately became heavier now that everyone was actually standing together in the same space.

Roger approached first, trying to ease the tension.

He offered Lukas a hand with a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you again."

Lukas shook it firmly. "You too."

Then Roger stepped aside slightly.

And suddenly—

it was just Lukas and Jane standing there facing each other.

***************

A/N: Another extra Chapter sponsored by Arthur. Thank you so so so much! I really appreciate your support and hope you all enjoy.

If you can and want to, you can buy me a biscuit at ko-fi (.)com/writ1

1 biscuit = 1 extra Chapter dedicated to you!

Love y’all

-Writ