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Chapter 578: Special Gift
Chapter 578: Special Gift
Chapter 578: Special Gift
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As the evening unfolded, filled with laughter, stories, and celebration, Hiro found himself glancing at Ishikawa more than once. She was always by his side, ensuring he was enjoying himself, her smile never wavering.
By the time the night drew to a close, Hiro realized something important: this birthday wasn't just about celebrating another year of his life - it was about the people in it. And in that moment, as he looked at his parents, his teammates, and Ishikawa, he knew he was fortunate.
As they stood together outside the café, snow gently falling around them, Ishikawa nudged him playfully. "Did you like your surprise?"
Hiro smiled, the warmth in his chest matching the coolness of the night. "Yeah, I did. Thanks, Sumire. For everything."
She grinned, her eyes twinkling, "Happy birthday, Hiro."
And in that quiet moment, as the snow continued to fall, Hiro felt something new bloom between them a bond that went beyond friendship, something deeper. A feeling that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something special.
At that moment, he couldn't help but feel grateful to have her by his side. But, he couldn't bring himself to say the feeling he had inside his heart.
The fear of inflicting pain on her as he had done previously prevented him from speaking his heart out. So, he withdrew his gaze away from her.
"Shall we head inside?" he asked.
The two then headed inside. The celebration lasted for quite a while. The invited people thoroughly enjoyed the moment and Hiro also enjoyed the moment to the fullest.
Later in the evening, Hiro sat by himself, recalling the moment he had spent. Thinking about the moment, he couldn't help but grin, "It was fun."
Ring! Ring!
Just then he heard his phone buzzing.
"Who could it be?" he mumbled.
It was Eric who had been calling him. So, he didn't find it surprising. Considering the time difference, it was to be expected.
Hiro picked up the call, "Hello."
"Happy birthday, star boy," Eric wished him.
Hiro graciously accepted the wishes, "Ahh... you remembered? Thank you."
"Of course, I do. I have even prepared a special gift for you," Eric answered, sounding rather excited.
"A gift? You didn't have to do that."
"You sure, you don't want it? I mean, you might regret it," Eric teased.
Hearing him, Hiro felt quite intrigued. He couldn't help but look forward to the gift he was mentioning about. So, he didn't shy away from accepting the gift he mentioned.
"Then, I shall receive it," Hiro said.
At this moment, Hiro's phone buzzed with a notification. Right at the time, Eric said, "Look at your phone, your gift should have arrived."
It was a mail that he had received from Eric. Glancing at the mail, Hiro said albeit sounding a bit disappointed, "A mail? You're gifting me a mail?"
"Look at the content of the mail."
Hiro opened the mail. Just as he opened the mail, he was met with a contract. Eric had sent him the details of a contract.
"ATHLETICO MADRID!" Hiro shouted in surprise, overwhelmed by the content.
Eric lifting the corner of his lips grinned as he heard him through the phone. Then he let out a mischievous grin as he said, "There's more."
"There's more?" Hiro asked his tone a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
"Yes, there's more. How could I only manage to pull a single club? Are you doubting my abilities?" Eric said in a teasing voice.
Exactly, with Eric's capabilities, there should be more. Upon hearing him, Hiro immediately composed himself as he hastily scrolled down.
"PSG..., RB Leipzig, Dortmund, and even AC Milan?"
Each of those clubs was a giant in their league. They were all a title-contending team and a regular top four finishing club. Especially, Paris Saint-German, it was the cherry on the top.
With their record, Hiro could start winning silverware from the beginning. Even if it was only domestic success. Also, securing a spot in the Champions League would be as easy as snatching candy from a kid.
Sure, the list didn't contain the clubs of his choice. But still, to receive an offer from such great clubs wasn't an easy task to accomplish.
Hiro could only imagine the trouble Eric had to go through to convince those clubs. It'd have been an entirely different scenario if he had already proved himself on the world stage. But since he had only proven himself locally, the offer he received from those clubs was way beyond his wildest imagination.
Hiro had been content receiving offers from a top-six team from the top five leagues. But he had received offers from the top fours instead.
He was exhilarated beyond measure to receive those offers. However, seeing so many available options, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the choices.
Each one of those clubs was great.
If he had received an offer from a sole club, he wouldn't have had any difficulty making his decision. But he had received offers from multiple clubs.
"There were a few others too. Barcelona was also willing to invest but their proposal was rather ambiguous. I talked with their sports director and offered you. He seemed impressed but the offer they had put on the table was rather mocking."
"It was as if they were buying cheap goods from the market. Like how could they be so shameless to offer such less salary?"
"I know what you require right now is experience. But trust me, Hiro, looking at their offer I couldn't feel any sincerity behind it."
Although Hiro was interested in the offer, he could also sympathize with Eric. With his
expertise, he should be able to discern the best from the worst.
If he sounded this annoyed even while mentioning the deal, he couldn't help but imagine how humiliated he had felt when discussing the transfer.
"But even with all those lowered salaries, they are only willing to provide you the status of a rotational player. That means unless anybody gets injured, you wouldn't be able to play."
"On the other hand, Athletico Madrid are willing to bet their future on you. With Griezmann leaving the club, they are in desperate need of a playmaker. And they see you as a perfect
candidate."