Marcelli placed the tray on the table with a calculated movent, as if each gesture had a purpose.
Her friends hesitantly sat down next to her, leaving Lucas and Raphael diagonally across the table. Lucas, who was still cutting his at, felt her presence almost like a weight in the room.
Raphael seed torn between excitent and apprehension, his eyes shining hopefully as he tried to keep the conversation under control.
"Do you always play like that?" asked Marcelli, leaning slightly towards Lucas. Her brown eyes were fixed on him, assessing every detail.
Lucas looked up from his plate in surprise. He hadn't expected her to start a conversation with such interest... in him.
"Well, I... try. It was an important ga, so I think I did my best."
Marcelli smiled, resting his chin on his hand. "Isn't that what everyone says? 'I did my best'. But I saw it. You're a natural. Is playing for Brighton really your plan?"
Lucas shrugged, uncomfortable with the incisive tone. "It's too early to say. There's a lot to improve before then."
Raphael tried to join in the conversation, taking the lead. "He's modest. You had to see the goal he scored in training. Hardly anyone would have managed it."
Marcelli replied with a smile that bordered on impatience, before turning his attention to Lucas. "So, what did you think of his performance? Really. You seed so calm. Is that training or are you just naturally like that?"
Lucas hesitated for a mont, trying to decipher what was going on.
"I'd say it's a mixture of both. Training helps, but... trying to stay calm is sothing I strive to do on the pitch."
"Interesting." Marcelli leaned a little closer, his eyes shining with curiosity. "You don't seem like the type to let the pressure get to you, do you?"
Raphael tried again to redirect the conversation. "Lucas has been like that ever since I t him. In the sieve, he even looked older. Always calm, you know? A reliable guy."
"Is he?" Marcelli asked with a smile that Raphael interpreted as disinterest. She didn't even look at him, focusing only on Lucas. "I can see that you have sothing different. Many people comnted on you after yesterday's ga. I bet the scouts from the other teams already know who Lucas is."
Lucas laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe. But honestly, I'd rather focus on the next ga. There's no point if I think too far ahead."
"Very down to earth." Marcelli complinted, looking sincerely impressed. Then she suddenly leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table. "But tell , Lucas, what do you do when you're not playing? Do you have any hobbies? Or is it just soccer all the ti?"
Lucas blinked, feeling the pressure of so many questions. "Oh, I like to read, listen to music... Normal things, I guess. Nothing too special."
"Reading? Really? What books?" She seed even more interested.
"Usually fiction. Sothing to relax after training." Lucas replied, trying to keep the conversation light.
Raphael looked at Marcelli and then at Lucas, feeling a pang of frustration grow. He wasn't used to being left out, especially when he was the one trying to impress Marcelli. He knew she was interested in Lucas, but he didn't want to admit it to himself. Maybe it was just him, he thought. Maybe she was just curious about the ga.
"Lucas also has good taste in music. He always puts on so cool playlists when we're in the locker room." Raphael interjected, forcing a smile.
"Oh, really?" Marcelli asked in a tone that sounded more polite than genuine. "And what kind of music do you like?" again directing the question to Lucas.
Lucas looked at Raphael, sensing his friend's discomfort, but didn't know how to change the dynamic of the conversation. He answered, trying to be brief. "A bit of everything. It depends on the mood of the day."
Marcelli seed satisfied with the answer and continued the conversation, completely ignoring Raphael, who was now silent, munching on his food without appetite. Her friends also remained silent, exchanging glances with each other as if they had noticed the imbalance at the table.
After a few minutes, Raphael could stand it no longer. He stood up abruptly, picking up his tray. "I'm going. I have a few things to do before training."
Lucas looked at him, surprised. "Really? But there's still ti."
"Yeah, but... you know, so things can't wait." Raphael replied with a tense smile. He waved to Marcelli. "Bye, Marcelli. See you later."
"Bye, Raphael." She said, not really paying attention.
Lucas watched Raphael leave and felt a growing guilt. He knew sothing was wrong, but he couldn't figure out how to fix the situation without sounding rude.
"Your friend seems sensitive," Marcelli comnted, finally noticing him leave.
Lucas frowned. "Raphael is one of the best guys I know. He just... doesn't know how to choose properly."
Marcelli shrugged, apparently not caring. "Anyway, it was nice talking to you, Lucas. I hope to see you kicking ass in the next gas. Maybe we'll talk more?"
Lucas forced a polite smile. "Uh-huh. It was a pleasure."
When she finally got up with her friends and left, Lucas felt an imdiate sense of relief. He ran a hand over his face, taking a deep breath, before finally getting up, picking up his tray and strolling to the disposal area.
As he left the cafeteria, he put his backpack on his back, his thoughts still stuck to Raphael's behavior.
However, Lucas didn't have to wait long to find out what had happened. As soon as he passed through the double doors that led to the main courtyard of the Seyek Institute, he saw Raphael leaning against the wall near the exit. The afternoon sun partially illuminated his face, highlighting his relaxed expression as he fiddled with his cell phone.
When Raphael looked up and saw Lucas, a sarcastic smile appeared, followed by a restrained laugh.
"Finally, huh? I thought I'd be chatting to Marcelli forever," said Raphael, crossing his arms.
Lucas stopped next to him, trying to decipher his tone. Raphael didn't exactly look annoyed.
"You ca out of nowhere," said Lucas, directly. "What happened? Is everything all right?"
Raphael laughed again.
"Everything okay? Dude, Marcelli barraged you with questions as if you were in the middle of an exclusive interview. And you didn't even notice, did you?"
Lucas frowned, confused. "Interview? What do you an?"
Raphael shook his head, still laughing, but now with a look that mixed with amusent and exasperation.
"Marcelli is an explosive, aspiring reporter. She speaks three languages and always has a notebook or cell phone in her hand to write things down. She started talking to two weeks ago, you know? She said she was interested in Brighton. She wanted to know what life is like for the U20 players. Behind the scenes, that sort of thing. I thought it was normal curiosity, but no... She was doing her job."
Lucas blinked, processing the words.
"Job? Are you saying...?"
"That she was gathering information, my friend," added Raphael, raising his eyebrows. "About , about you, about the team, about anything that might make a good story. She's good at what she does, I won't deny that. She can get you talking without you even realizing it. But today... well, today she was clearly focused on you."
Lucas felt a wave of discomfort. He rembered the way Marcelli had looked at him, the incessant questions. At the ti, he had interpreted it as romantic interest, perhaps a little too much.
"Ow... won really are like snakes. But why?" he asked, still trying to understand. "Why ?"
Raphael shrugged, but his tone beca more serious.
"Because you're the number seven. Because you played an incredible ga yesterday, and because I speak highly of you. Because the scouts are watching you, and everyone knows it. She probably wants to write sothing big, sothing that attracts attention. And who better than the promising kid from Brighton?"
Lucas shook his head slowly.
"Ah, man! What a relief! I thought she was... I don't know, interested. In , as a person."
Raphael couldn't hold back a laugh this ti.
"Man, she's good. Superb. She made you believe that with no effort. But look, don't take this the wrong way. She's not a bad person. She just knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. I just... didn't expect her to let down so much today. Normally, she's more subtle."
Lucas crossed his arms, looking up at the blue sky. Everything made more sense now, but that didn't make the situation any easier to swallow.
"And why haven't you told this before?" he asked, raising his eyes to Raphael.
"Because I didn't think it was important," replied Raphael, shrugging. "And, to be honest, I kind of liked her attention. Even though I knew it wasn't 100% authentic. Anyway... You did nothing wrong. Just... maybe be careful of what you say to her. Marcelli is good at picking up details and turning them into stories."
"Thanks for warning ," said Lucas, looking at Raphael. "And I'm sorry again if I made you feel bad."
Raphael smiled, this ti more genuinely.
"It's okay, man. Just don't forget where you ca from, okay? Because when the fa cos... and it will, I'm sure of it... there'll be a lot of Marcelli's out there."
The two continued walking towards the training ground, the mood between them lighter now.
However, what they didn't yet know was that, that sa week, a new report in the city's newspaper was going to shake up the harmony within Brighton.
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