Become A Football Legend-Chapter 275: What’s Important

The car exploded with laughter.

"You’re unbelievable," João said.

Lukas shrugged.

"Think about it," he said calmly. "First professional start. Full 90 minutes. Winning play."

He paused.

"When you become a world-class defender one day, that jersey will be worth a lot of money."

Ruben leaned forward again.

"I’ll buy it!"

Joanna laughed. "You don’t even have money."

"I have birthday money!"

Lukas nodded approvingly. "See? Market demand already."

João shook his head, laughing.

"You’re shameless."

Lukas leaned back comfortably in his seat.

"Just make sure you sign it."

João turned back toward the windshield, still smiling.

"We’ll see."

But the grin on his face made it clear he was already planning to give it to him.

* * *

By the time they reached the Giménez house in Darmstadt, the evening had already settled into that soft early-summer calm that German towns often carry in May. Streetlights had begun to glow faintly along the sidewalks, and the quiet residential neighborhood felt warm and welcoming.

As soon as the door opened, the smell of food spilled into the entryway.

Sofía Giménez had clearly been preparing all afternoon.

The dining table was already laid out with more dishes than anyone could reasonably finish — roasted chicken with herbs, grilled vegetables, a large tray of oven potatoes, fresh bread still warm from reheating, bowls of salad, and several smaller dishes that Anne and Joanna had helped finish preparing before everyone arrived.

Ruben rushed in first.

"Finally!" he announced dramatically. "I’m starving."

João dropped his bag near the entrance and laughed.

"You’re starving? I just played 90 minutes."

"Yeah," Ruben shot back. "But you got to eat before the game."

Everyone laughed as they moved toward the dining room.

The atmosphere quickly turned lively as chairs scraped the floor and plates were passed around. The table filled with chatter almost immediately — overlapping conversations, jokes, congratulations.

Carlos raised his glass first.

"To João," he said proudly.

Everyone echoed the toast.

"To João."

João shook his head with a grin.

"Relax, it was just one game."

"Your first professional start," Sofía corrected him. "That is not just one game."

Anne nodded approvingly. "And you played the full 90 minutes."

Lucas leaned back in his chair slightly, smirking.

"And survived the yellow card."

João pointed his fork at him.

"You’re obsessed with that yellow card."

"Well you almost got yourself subbed off," Lucas replied.

"That was tactical aggression."

"Yeah, sure it was."

The table erupted in laughter again.

Sofía turned toward Lucas after a moment.

"And congratulations to you as well," she said warmly. "A hat-trick at Old Trafford."

Carlos nodded in agreement.

"Europa League final," he added. "That’s not a small thing."

Lukas shrugged modestly.

"It still feels a bit unreal," he admitted.

Joanna squeezed his arm slightly under the table.

Carlos leaned forward.

"So when is the next match?"

Lukas swallowed a bite of food before answering.

"Friday."

"Friday already?" Sofía said.

"Yeah," Lukas nodded. "Last Bundesliga match. Away in Freiburg."

Carlos raised his eyebrows.

"They come fast."

Lukas nodded again.

"And then the Europa League final after that."

João shook his head.

"Man," he said, looking across the table. "Your schedule is crazy."

Lukas smiled slightly.

"It’s what I like."

For the rest of dinner the conversation drifted easily — stories from the match, Ruben replaying the winning goal for the fifth time using exaggerated hand gestures, Sofía reminding everyone to eat more, Carlos discussing football tactics with Javi.

At some point someone turned on the television in the background, showing highlights from the day’s matches. João’s assist appeared briefly during the sports segment.

Ruben jumped up immediately.

"That’s him!"

João groaned.

"Sit down."

But everyone watched the replay anyway.

The atmosphere was relaxed. Warm. Familiar.

For the first time since Manchester, the heaviness Lukas had carried inside him had faded almost completely into the background.

He was simply enjoying the moment.

Football. Friends. Family.

Eventually the plates were cleared and the evening began winding down.

Lukas stood first.

"I should head back," he said. "I have to be back at the club tomorrow."

Joanna immediately stood with him.

"I’ll walk you," she offered.

Lukas shook his head gently.

"No, it’s fine. Don’t bother."

"You sure?"

"I’ll call you when I get home."

She studied him for a second, then nodded.

"Okay."

Before he could step away, she leaned forward and kissed him softly.

It wasn’t dramatic. Just quick and natural.

João groaned loudly from across the room.

"Wow."

Everyone turned.

"What is this?" João said, raising his hands theatrically. "Isn’t this supposed to be my celebratory dinner?"

Ruben burst out laughing.

Carlos shook his head with a smile.

Lukas just rolled his eyes.

"Relax."

Joanna smirked.

"You’re jealous."

"Of what?" João said. "The public display of affection?"

The room filled with laughter again.

They said their goodbyes — hugs, handshakes, warm farewells — before Lukas, Javi and Anne stepped outside into the quiet Darmstadt street.

The door closed behind them, and the warm noise of the Jiménez house slowly faded into the calm Darmstadt evening.

Lukas, Javi, and Anne stepped onto the quiet street together.

The neighborhood had that familiar late-night stillness — distant streetlights glowing softly, the faint rustle of leaves moving in the mild May breeze, and the occasional sound of a car passing somewhere far down the road.

For the first minute or two, none of them spoke.

Lukas walked with his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, looking down at the pavement as they moved along the sidewalk. Javi walked on one side of him, Anne on the other.

Eventually Lukas broke the silence.

"It’s been a nice day."

Javi nodded slightly.

"Yeah," he said. "It has."

Anne smiled softly but didn’t interrupt. She could feel there was something Lukas was working through.

They continued walking for a few steps before Lukas spoke again, his voice quieter this time.

"When Roger came... when he told us everything..."

He trailed off for a moment.

"It felt like too much."

Neither Javi nor Anne spoke. They simply listened.

Lukas exhaled slowly as if releasing something that had been sitting inside his chest for days.

"I just wanted to run away from it," he admitted.

They reached another streetlight, its glow stretching their shadows across the pavement as they walked.

"But today..." Lukas continued, glancing briefly toward the ground again. "Today reminded me of what actually matters."

Javi turned his head slightly toward him.

Lukas shrugged lightly.

"I love football," he said simply.

"And my family. My friends."

He continued speaking.

"And whether anyone likes it or not... Jane is still my mother."

The words came out carefully.

"She’s my biological family," Lucas said. "No matter how we try to explain it."

Javi listened quietly.

Lukas kicked a small pebble on the sidewalk ahead of him.

"I think I want to meet her," he said.

Anne glanced toward him but said nothing, letting him finish.

"I don’t know what I’ll say," Lukas admitted. "I don’t know how it’ll go."

He paused.

"But I want to at least have one conversation with her."

They stopped walking for a moment.

Javi looked at his son, and there was a quiet pride in his expression.

"I’m proud of you," he said.

Lukas gave a small smile, still uncertain but lighter than he had been days ago.

Javi nodded once.

"I’ll contact Roger," he said. "We’ll arrange a meeting after the season."

Lukas shook his head slightly.

"After the Nations League."

Javi raised an eyebrow.

Lukas shrugged.

"There’s a good chance I’ll get called up," he said. "And if that happens, I don’t want any distractions."

Anne nodded immediately.

"That’s smart," she said gently.

"So after the Nations League," Lukas continued. "Then we set up the meeting."

Javi nodded again.

"I’ll let them know."

Lukas exhaled softly.

"Thanks."

For a moment they just stood there beneath the streetlight.

Then Javi wrapped his arm around Lukas’ shoulders, pulling him lightly toward him as they started walking again.

Anne walked beside them, smiling quietly to herself as the three of them continued down the calm Darmstadt street together.

Toward home.