Football singularity

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[Full-Time | Home Deluxe Arena, Paderborn | Final Score: Paderborn 2–2 Bayer Leverkusen]

As the final whistle rang out—FWEET, FWEEET, FWEEEET—players dropped their shoulders, some with relief, others with bitter frustration. The Home Deluxe Arena buzzed with the chatter of fans still processing what they'd just witnessed. Most wanted a clear winner, and others were simply here out of boredom, but most were happy at the action-packed match they had witnessed.

"Well, there you have it, folks," Derek Rae began, his voice steady despite the chaos they'd just narrated. "In Game Week 18 of the Bundesliga, the clash between Paderborn and Leverkusen ends in a draw. 2–2 is all she wrote."

Stewart Robson added, "It was a match of two halves. Paderborn were electric in the first, but Leverkusen's second-half response, led by some brilliant moments of individual brilliance, completely flipping the momentum."

On the pitch, Kai Havertz, visibly exhausted but still composed, exchanged a respectful handshake with Sebastian Vasiliadis, while Zingerle, drenched in sweat and wrapped in his keeper's towel, collapsed onto the turf for a moment before being helped up by Schonlau.

Reporters quickly flooded the field to catch some of the players, but most quickly made their way into the tunnel. Despite feeling warm, given that they had just run over 8 miles in the match. Lucky or unlucky for most it was the big names like Haverts and Diaby who drew the hyenas' attention.

Rakim slipped through the tunnel after donning a team tracksuit handed to him by one of the coaches. He had no interest in speaking to the vultures, especially after failing to secure the win. He had won a free kick in the dying minutes of extra time at the edge of the box.

He and Havertz had argued over what to do, but in the end, he won, given that he had won the set piece. In the end, he trusted his skills and fired a rocket around the wall, but the ball didn't curl back enough. In the end, it impacted the outside of the net, harmlessly flying out for a goal kick.

It was frustrating coming so close to victory only to fall short at the last moment. Shaking his head in frustration, Rakim tucked his TitanHood further down, trying his best to fly under the radar as his boots clattered on the stone floor. Before he could move past the press area, where a group of reporters stood next to the Bundesliga advertisement board, someone called out to him.

"Rakim! Just a minute?" one reporter called out, prompting him to stop and turn in their direction as microphones were immediately shoved in his face. For a second, he was almost blinded by the camera flashes, giving him Men in Black flashbacks.

"Rakim, that was a dramatic second-half comeback. First of all, what's your take on the final result?" a kicker reporter questioned, pushing his mike further forward, close enough to almost bump Rakim's chin.

Holding back the urge to glare at the man, he recoiled slightly before locking gazes with the man. "Frustrating," he said plainly. "We came here expecting to win. The way we started the second half, we knew we could break them down. But football doesn't always listen to one's desire."

"You had a hand in both goals, especially that assist to Havertz. But that free kick at the end—how close did it feel? And do you think you should have been put into the game earlier, considering your contributions to your team's comeback?" another reporter wearing the ZDF badge queried, not letting him settle for a single moment.

Rakim exhaled through his nose, letting the question hang for a moment, wondering how to navigate this minefield. "Look, it's a simple question of confidence," he began, voice calm but clipped, "the free kick—I backed myself. I always will, I've hit those in training a hundred times, and today it missed by inches. It just means I'll have to take a few hundred more in training."

He glanced to the side, nodding at an acquaintance before continuing to answer the question. As for the timing of my sub… that's not my call. We've got a manager with a plan, and we trust that. I just try to be ready when my number comes up."

The reporters murmured among themselves, but before anyone could interject with another sharp follow-up, Rakim raised a hand, slightly stopping any equations. "But yeah," he added, tone shifting subtly. "I'm proud of how we fought back. We were two down, away from home, and we didn't fold. We showed what we were made of."

There was a pause following his words, and just as he was about to leave, one younger journalist raised his hand. "Did you say anything to Volland before that second goal? You two looked like you'd rehearsed it."

Rakim chuckled slightly, letting the first smile since the interview grace his face. "Nah, nothing rehearsed. I just knew where he'd be and trusted him to finish it off,"

"Last one, what do you have to say about your biological father wanting to reconnect with you?" a Sky Sports reporter asked, instantly chilling the atmosphere as everyone turned towards Rakim, eagerly waiting for an answer.

"I don't got time for this," was all he said as he there his hood back on and proceeded to walk off towards the changing room. Ignoring the clamour of reporters wanting an answer to a question they had been shoving down his throat since New Year.

~~~

The post-match proceedings went by quite quickly as Peter Bosz stated they would have an analysis meeting tomorrow afternoon. Rakim honestly didn't care either way as he simply went through his post-match routine. He was one of the first on the bus, turning up his Beats headphones, trying to catch up on his sleep.

The two-and-a-half-hour bus ride went by in a flash in the almost silent bus. No one was in the mood to joke, so they simply enjoyed the red home arriving at the BayArena a little past 11 pm. They directly split up from there, and Rakim hopped into his i8, wasting no time to drive to his house.

Yes, he had finally gotten around to finding a place after the New Year's debacle. It was more a case of self-preservation since the paparazzi had become more daring, and the hotel's security became as trustworthy as politicians. Once he realised that the staff was going through his trash, he knew he had a problem.

Lucky for him, his realtor had a few houses lined up and given that he was only renting for now, it wasn't hard to find a place. Turns out that if you have enough money, the world tends to move on your time. His I8 softly roared as he drove into the Hahnwald neighbourhood area and despite it not being a closed community its security was top notch in the city.

Five minutes into the estate, the i8 came to a stop in front of a metal gate, stopping for a moment as the security system recognised its plates. Looking out of the window at the metal box that proceeded to scan his face, a second green light lit up, followed by the metallic chime of the thick metal gate sliding to the left, opening up a path to the villa.

Driving through the white stone bend that was covered by imported bamboo trees on either side. The bamboo-lined path curved one final time, making an S shape before Rakim's new house came into view. It is a 3-bedroom 2-bathroom small villa with all the modern amenities he could need, from a gym, a sauna, to a swimming pool.

The two-story villa appeared to float above perfectly manicured grounds, with subtle LED strips outlining its geometric edges against the evening sky. He parked the i8 in the three-car garage, next to his Sián FKP 37, which was covered under a silver car tarpaulin. Not wasting time, he stepped out of the car just as the garage door slid shut behind him with a whisper-quiet hum.

Duffel bag in hand, he walked through the garage entrance into the main house. "Honey, I'm home!" he exclaimed, but all that greeted him was silence. Sighing, he walked through the foyer, exchanging his sneakers for house slippers before two pairs of paws and claws scratched the marble ground as they rapidly approached him.

(Woof) A powerful bark greeted him as Zeus jumped into his embrace and proceeded to attack him with his young. "I missed you, too, boy, but it's not like I've been gone for more than 6 hours. Plus, little Emilia came to watch you," Rakim retorted with a bright smile before gently nudging him down."

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To be Continued...