Chapter 13: That's the old geezer? Gacha?
Kai's heart sank. He knew he had to act fast to salvage the situation. He quickly rummaged through his backpack, searching for his phone. He pulled it out, and with a trembling hand, showed the guard a text message from Dan inviting him to the PSG academy. "Here, look at this. Zagadou sent me this message. He's already inside the camp." Kai held out his phone, hoping it would be enough to convince the guard. The guard took the phone and scrolled through the message, then handed it back to Kai.
"Fine, you can go in. But if I catch you lying to me, you'll be out of here faster than you can blink." The guard stepped aside and gestured for Kai to enter the camp. Kai nodded gratefully and walked past the guard, feeling relieved to finally be inside the PSG training camp.
This scene however was not only perving to those two people. It was at this moment that another person that was nearby witnessed the entire process from start to finish. The boy found it humorous.
As Kai walked past the guard, he noticed a PSG player, standing nearby, trying to stifle a laugh. He had been watching the whole interaction between Kai and the guard, and Kai couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. The player caught Kai's eye and walked over, still chuckling to himself.
"That was hilarious," The boy said, barely containing his laughter. "I can't believe you almost got turned away."
Kai felt his cheeks turn red. "Yeah, it was pretty awkward," he replied, feeling a bit self-conscious. "But at least I made it in."
The boy nodded, still grinning. "I'm Odsonne Edouard, by the way. Are you here for the trial?"
Kai introduced himself and confirmed that he was there for the trial. "I'm hoping to make it onto the youth team," he said.
"Well, good luck with that. The competition is pretty tough, but you never know. Maybe we'll be teammates one day," Edouard said with a smile.
Kai smiled at the thought. "Yeah, that would be pretty amazing." As the two walked towards the field, Kai couldn't help but feel grateful for the unexpected encounter with Edouard. It seemed like fate had intervened to help him on his journey to achieving his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
Edouard had a deep gaze as he never quite looked away from Kai. There was a curiosity that emitted from his perspective. He was curious, as though he had a million questions he would ask this Asian youth that only just entered the PSG academy.
"Zagadou was talking about you," Edouard stated. "Nkunku and Zagadou went on the whole week persuading that old geezer."
Kai was taken aback by Edouard's words. He didn't know what to make of it. "What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.
Edouard chuckled at Kai's confusion. "Sorry, I forgot to explain. Zagadou and Nkunku are two of my teammates on the u-19 team. They were telling our coach about this Asian kid that was just on the street, and that no club wanted him! They said you were pretty good."
Kai's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I didn't know anyone was talking about me."
Edouard nodded. "Yeah, you should take it as a compliment. Zagadou and Nkunku don't give out praise lightly. They see something special in you."
Kai felt a surge of confidence at Edouard's words. To have the praise of two professional footballers was a huge boost to his morale. He thanked Edouard for telling him and walked onto the field feeling more determined than ever to make an impression at the trial.
As they reached the edge of the field, Edouard turned to Kai and gave him a serious look. "Listen, I know this can be a nerve-wracking experience, but just remember to be yourself out there. Don't try to be anyone else. That's how you'll stand out and impress the coaches."
Kai nodded, taking Edouard's advice to heart. As he walked onto the field, he felt a newfound sense of confidence and determination. He was ready to show the coaches what he was made of.
As they ventured further into the training ground. The French Historical architecture blessed his eyes as he inspected the state-of-the-art academy that was under PSG.
This was undoubtedly the best Youth Academy in the whole of France. And possibly only second to the infamous La Masia in terms of producing talent.
Kai was eager. He must join this side.
Eventually, the training ground appeared before his eyes as the red, blue and white gear that was worn by the club's youth players appeared before his very eyes. Kai glanced at these players. The players glanced him back.
"Kai? OH SHOOT!"
Zagadou suddenly realised his mistake. He forgot to keep track of the time and completely forgot about Kai that was waiting outside the gate.
Kai waved at Zagadou as he approached him with a smile on his face. "It's all good, I made it in eventually," Kai said as he patted Zagadou on the back.
Zagadou laughed in relief. "I'm sorry about that, bro. But hey, better late than never, right?"
Kai nodded in agreement, his eyes still scanning the training ground. He couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of playing alongside these players.
As they made their way towards the locker room, Nkunku appeared out of nowhere, startling Kai.
"Hey, I see we will have a new guy joining the team," Nkunku said as he smiled warmly at Kai. He still had yet to forget the huge favour he owned Kai. Specifically the important role Kai played in defeating the Hernandez Brothers in a futsal match.
Just thinking about that match made Nkunku all bubbly. Oh my hero... my Diego Costa shirt!
Kai nodded shyly, feeling a little overwhelmed by all the attention he was getting from the players.
"Don't be nervous, man. We're all here to help each other out," Nkunku said reassuringly.
Kai felt a sense of relief wash over him as he followed the two players towards the locker room, ready to start his journey with PSG's youth academy.
~~~
Kai reappeared on the football pitch. He wore the PSG training kit. It gave him a sense of Deja Vu as he repeatedly caressed the fabrics of the clothing. It was incredible. He was shocked at the quality of these clothes.
The Asian youth looked around as he identified the people around him. It gave him little comfort with all the gazes that were on him, but what helped him was staying incredibly close to the people he had some familiarity with. Zagadou and Kai were right beside each other.
The 'old geezer' that everyone kept naming was none other than Mohamed Gacha. Kai had no recollection of this man from the future. He doubted this man had any footballing brain at all. Compared to the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, Gacha was like an underage teenager trying to argue he was old enough to drink beer!
The u19 manager only gave a sideways glance at Kai before ordering everyone to perform their routine training.
Kai joined in with their training. He wanted to have a feel of how professional football players trained.
As the training session went on, Kai observed the other players closely, analyzing their movements and understanding their roles within the team. He could see that they were all technically proficient and physically strong, with excellent ball control and dribbling skills. However, he also noticed that some of them lacked the tactical awareness that he possessed, and this gave him a sense of confidence.
Kai focused on his training, trying to improve his physical abilities as much as possible. He knew that he needed to work hard to catch up with the other players, but he was determined to do so. He tried to stay close to the ball at all times, using his De Bruyne Vision to anticipate the movements of his teammates and opponents.
As the training session drew to a close, the U19 manager called Kai over to him. "Kai, I was impressed with your performance today," he said. "You have a good understanding of the game and a great vision. However, you need to work on your physical strength and speed. I suggest that you work on this aspect of your game during your free time."
Kai nodded his head, grateful for the advice. He knew that he had a long way to go before he could match the skills of the other players, but he was willing to put in the effort to get there. He felt a sense of excitement and determination. He knew that he had found his place at PSG, and he was ready to give it his all.
Gacha only gave his opinion on what he could deduct from his short time observing Kai. The real test had yet to begin. The u19 manager assembled the entire squad as he gathered everyone around him.
"Alright boys. You're all warmed up now." Gacha authoritatively observed everyone, stopping at Kai for a few lingering seconds before continuing his speech.
"We'll have a friendly match with ourselves. I have already organised everyone into two sides.
Eyeing his assistant on the sidelines. "He'll announce the teams."
The assistant coach then stepped forward and announced the two teams.
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