Chapter 338: To Manchester (ko-fi Coolvamp) 1/4

Lukas’ expression softened immediately.

"Me neither."

He let the silence settle briefly before continuing.

"But you still have to think about your future too, Jo."

She sighed softly.

"Madrid is still far."

"It’s literally a three-hour flight," Lukas replied. "You can come visit during weekends, holidays, international breaks... whenever you’re free."

She looked slightly less unconvinced now.

Then another thought crossed Lukas’ mind.

"Actually... maybe you could start there first."

Joanna looked up at him.

"You can start in Madrid," Lukas explained. "Then next year, if you still want Manchester, you could apply for a transfer."

Her eyes lit up slightly.

"...That’s actually not a bad idea."

Lukas grinned.

"I have those sometimes."

Joanna rolled her eyes lightly.

"I’ll think about it properly," she said. "I still need to talk to my parents too."

Then—

the bedroom door suddenly swung open.

"’mAdrId Is OnLy ThReE hOuRs AwAy. YoU cAn CoMe ViSiT eVeRy WeEkEnD.’"

Both of them immediately turned.

João stood there at the doorway trying—and failing—not to laugh at his own terrible impression.

Joanna’s eyes widened instantly.

"What are you doing here?!"

She grabbed the nearest pillow and launched it at him immediately.

João caught it cleanly against his chest while laughing.

"I just came to get my charger," he said between laughs. "I didn’t know Romeo and Juliet were having long-distance planning sessions in here."

"Get out!" Joanna shouted, now laughing too despite herself.

João pointed accusingly toward Lukas.

"You’re the one corrupting my sister."

Lukas raised both hands innocently.

"I’ve done nothing."

"Liar."

Then João tossed the pillow back onto the bed and walked backward toward the hallway still grinning.

"By the way," he added, "Dad said dinner’s ready in ten minutes."

He looked between both of them one last time before shaking his head dramatically.

"’mE nEiThEr, Jo.’"

Joanna buried her face into Lukas’ shoulder immediately while Lukas burst out laughing.

And João finally disappeared before another pillow could hit him.

* * *

Early morning on the 12th of June, the private aviation section of Frankfurt Airport was still quiet.

The sun had only just started properly rising, pale morning light stretching across the empty tarmac while the distant sounds of aircraft engines echoed faintly through the cold air.

At around 7 a.m., a black SUV rolled into the private hangar area and slowly came to a stop near the jet waiting on the runway.

Annie stepped out first from the driver’s seat, adjusting her jacket slightly against the morning breeze. João climbed out from the front passenger seat while Lukas, Joanna, and Javi stepped out from the back.

For a moment, everyone just stood there stretching slightly after the drive before João walked around to open the trunk.

Suitcases came out one after another.

A couple large travel bags.

Joanna’s smaller suitcase.

Javi’s carry-on.

And Lukas’ own black duffel bag with the Manchester City crest already stitched discreetly onto the side.

Annie folded her arms lightly as she looked at all of them.

"I’m really sorry I couldn’t come with you guys today," she said. "Work would absolutely kill me."

Javi smiled faintly.

"It’s okay."

"Keep me updated though," Annie continued. "And call me before you’re planning to come back."

"I will."

She stepped closer and kissed Javi lightly on the cheek before looking toward Lukas and Joanna.

"And you two," she said, pointing between them, "try not to become celebrities while you’re there."

"Too late," João replied immediately.

Lukas snorted while Joanna rolled her eyes.

Then, after a few final goodbyes, the group started walking toward the aircraft waiting ahead of them.

The jet itself looked sleek even from a distance.

A white Bombardier Global 7500.

Long-bodied.

Polished.

Its dark-tinted windows reflected the morning sunlight while the Manchester City crest sat subtly near the entrance beside the staircase.

It wasn’t flashy in an obnoxious way.

It was the kind of luxury that simply assumed its own importance.

A ground steward walked forward immediately to take their luggage while another member of staff greeted them politely near the stairs.

As they climbed aboard, the inside of the aircraft opened into an entirely different world.

Cream leather seats.

Dark polished wood finishes.

Soft ambient lighting running along the ceiling panels.

A long seating arrangement stretched through the center cabin while a smaller lounge area occupied the rear section. Everything looked quiet, expensive, and impossibly comfortable.

João stopped midway into the cabin and looked around openly.

"Okay," he muttered. "This is insane."

Joanna immediately elbowed him lightly.

"Stop embarrassing us."

"I’m serious!" João replied. "This is literally my first time inside a private jet."

One of the flight attendants laughed softly while guiding them toward their seats.

Near the cockpit entrance, both pilots greeted them politely.

Lukas shook hands with both naturally.

"Morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Brandt."

The Manchester City media team was already there too.

Two cameramen.

One social media staff member.

A photographer.

They were already filming small clips as Lukas entered the jet, greeting the pilots, greeting the staff, and settling in with everyone else.

At one point, one of the media staff asked Lukas to redo walking through the aisle once more for footage.

João immediately burst out laughing.

"They got you doing retakes already?"

"Shut up," Lukas muttered while trying not to laugh himself.

Eventually though, once the filming was done and everyone settled properly into their seats, the cameras were turned off and packed away while the aircraft prepared for departure.

As the engines began humming louder beneath the cabin floor, Joanna leaned slightly toward Lukas.

"So," she asked quietly, "have you actually been in a private jet before?"

Lukas thought about it for a second.

"I mean... technically?"

João looked over immediately.

"What does technically mean?"

"At Frankfurt we used private flights sometimes for away games," Lukas explained. "So if those count, then yeah."

He glanced around the cabin again.

"But this is the first one that’s... specifically for me."

That still sounded strange even saying it aloud.

João shook his head slowly in disbelief before grinning.

"You know," he said, "one day you should just buy your own private jet."

Lukas looked at him like he was insane.

"Bro. Own one?"

He pointed around the cabin.

"Do you know how much something like this costs to maintain every year? Forget buying it. Just keeping it parked in a hangar costs ridiculous money."

João waved a dismissive hand.

"Please. I’ve seen the news online. Apparently you’re earning like five hundred gazillion pounds now."

Joanna laughed immediately.

"And getting a signing bonus of ten bazillion," João continued dramatically.

Lukas burst out laughing and shook his head.

"Don’t worry," he replied. "Soon your own time will come too."

He pointed toward João.

"When you get your hundred quadrillion signing bonus, you can buy your own private jet."

João nodded seriously.

"Exactly."

Eventually the conversations faded naturally as the flight continued.

João ended up watching a movie.

Joanna curled slightly into her seat with headphones on. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Javi quietly read something on his tablet.

Meanwhile Lukas sat with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing slowly.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

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

A/N: Coolvamp has delivered the Chapter to you all! All hail Coolvamp! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

The rest of your extra Chapters are being written, don’t worry!

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