Scarlett stood there in a daze and even forgot to take pictures. She only remembered to raise her camera after all the Manchester United players had already walked into the stadium tunnel.
Ethan walked out of the office, smiling as he welcomed the Manchester United stars. He guided them inside, then noticed Scarlett holding up her camera.
"Hello, Ms. Reporter, can we discuss something?" Ethan asked with a friendly smile.
Scarlett thought he was about to stop her from interviewing, so she lowered her camera and replied coldly, "I told you, my name is Scarlett Elan, and I'm an intern reporter for the Manchester Evening News sports section."
"Alright, Miss Elan. They just came here to support their friend. Even though there is nothing to worry about, I still don't want them to run into any trouble over this. Can you agree?" Ethan's tone remained polite, his smile unchanged.
To Scarlett, however, it sounded hypocritical. Every word carried a trace of threat.
"Friend?" Scarlett was slightly surprised. She hadn't realized this guy had such a wide network of connections. So many Manchester United stars came here to support him.
"Yes, they are all my friends. And if you agree to this, I can give you an exclusive piece of news in return. I guarantee no one else knows this yet. You'll be the first."
Scarlett hesitated. She thought to herself that the appearance of so many stars here could easily be turned into a headline—claims like they were supporting the new Manchester United in this way, or that they were expressing dissatisfaction with certain policies of the club.
But Scarlett wasn't the type to spin baseless stories. She preferred evidence over speculation.
"Alright, I promise," Scarlett finally nodded.
"As you just saw, Steve Bruce has signed a three-year contract with our club as both player and manager."
Scarlett was momentarily surprised but quickly frowned. "That's it?"
"That's right, Ms. Reporter. I assure you, you are the very first to know this news. Truly!" Ethan left her with that and returned straight to the office.
Scarlett glared at his back, gritting her teeth. Even if he hadn't told her, she could have easily confirmed this news during the warm-up match.
But despite her frustration with Ethan, she still chose not to report on the presence of the stars. Not only because she had given her word, but also because she knew it would be inappropriate. Still, she would definitely mention in her article that these stars had come specifically to show their support.
Even though she disliked Ethan, Scarlett remained at the stadium. She sat in the stands, keeping her eyes fixed on the stadium entrance and the office.
As match time approached, more fans began pouring in. The players of both teams arrived one after another and entered the simple dressing rooms on either side of the stadium gate.
Though it was only an amateur warm-up match, Droylsden had specially invited three part-time referees from Manchester. The ball boys around the pitch were drawn from Droylsden's youth academy.
As the stands filled, Scarlett noticed the patchy terraces gradually being dyed bright red. Surrounded by fans singing, cheering, and chatting noisily, she felt stifled. Compared to this chaos, she much preferred the quieter stands of Old Trafford, even if older fans constantly complained in the papers about its declining atmosphere.
...
When the clock struck 4 in the afternoon, the referee blew the whistle for the first warm-up match since the founding of the new Manchester United.
The team lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Between the posts was 18-year-old Robert Kane, on loan from Droylsden. At 1.86 meters, he was thin but agile, with sharp reflexes. He had been a backup keeper for Droylsden but rarely got minutes.
The central defense pairing was Steve Bruce alongside 25-year-old Gareth Turner, who had previously played in the English amateur league. Turner was 1.88 meters tall, strong in the air, and physically robust, but his footwork was clumsy and his turning speed slow.
At left-back was 17-year-old Patrice Evra, whose pace was his biggest weapon. After training under Steve Bruce, he had accepted the transition to a deeper role.
The right-back was 28-year-old Kevin Ewen, once part of United's youth academy before drifting through amateur sides. At 1.83 meters, he was strong but slow, and could also cover as a center-back.
The midfield duo consisted of Carl Makinson, who sat deeper to defend, and Stephen Smith, tasked with moving forward and organizing play.
On the left flank was 23-year-old Richie Wilson, whose speed was his only real strength.
On the right was Darren Lyons, jokingly nicknamed the Beckham of the new Manchester United by Ethan. A set-piece specialist, he was their most dangerous passer, his bending crosses and long diagonal balls consistently creating threats.
Up front were Rhodri Giggs and Jonathan Maten. This strike partnership had already clicked in training, particularly Maten, a former professional whose finishing was the cornerstone of their attack.
On the bench sat the substitutes: backup keeper Roy Green (19), full-back Roy Williams, center-back Danny Collins, defensive midfielder Ben West, midfielder Victor Moses, left winger Frank Karake, versatile attacker Adam Hame, and striker David Bell.
Since they couldn't play, Messi and Curtis stayed by Ethan's side on the touchline, helping fetch balls and watching the game.
Droylsden kicked off.
As a Northern Premier League side, they had signed three players over the summer, including a striker who had once been among League Two's top scorers. Though now over 30, he still had ability.
Like many English teams, Droylsden lined up in a 4-4-2 with a flat midfield. From the start, the battle was concentrated in the middle of the park. Even Jonathan Maten had to drop back under Steve Bruce's instructions, leaving only Rhodri Giggs up front.
Amateur matches like this rarely offered high intensity or tactical nuance. With both sides made up of part-timers, the referee often took center stage.
Not because of mistakes, but because fouls were constant.
Both sides prioritized defending, and chances were scarce. It wasn't until the 23rd minute that Stephen Smith slid in to intercept a pass in midfield and quickly fed Rhodri Giggs ahead.
Although not as fast as his brother Ryan, Rhodri still had pace to burn. The Droylsden defenders couldn't cope and hauled him down after he broke through. United won a free kick in the attacking third.
It was too far to shoot directly, but Darren Lyons whipped in a curling cross to the far post. Steve Bruce rose under pressure, unable to head at goal, and instead nodded the ball back across.
Carl Makinson surged forward and swung his right foot, unleashing a thunderous strike.
He had never shown this kind of long-range shot in training. Seeing the ball drop perfectly and space in front of him, he decided to try his luck. No one expected the ball to rocket into the top left corner.
Goal! 1-0!
The stadium erupted, the stands exploding like a pot of boiling water. The Butcher's Arms turned into a sea of celebration.
Carl Makinson had scored the first goal in the history of the new Manchester United. Though it was only a warm-up match, it was destined to be remembered.
All the United players swarmed him. Out of their shared love for Manchester United, they had come together here, and despite the short time, their bond was strong.
But Makinson broke away from the group and ran straight to the touchline. He embraced Ethan tightly and whispered, "I'm sorry!" in his ear.
Ever since injuring Ethan previously, Makinson had carried deep guilt. He had wanted to apologize but never found the courage, too awkward to express himself. He had resolved to wait until he scored his first goal for the new Manchester United.
As a defensive midfielder, he had never scored in an official match. He thought he might never get the chance. Yet in their very first game, he scored, and in such spectacular fashion.
Scarlett, aiming to capture Makinson's joyous celebration, instead caught the sight of him embracing Ethan. She instinctively snapped several photos in a row.
Ethan nearly had the air squeezed out of him by Makinson's hug. After struggling free and taking a few deep breaths, he looked at Makinson heading back onto the pitch, shook his head, and smiled wryly.
"You idiot, you didn't need to apologize like that."
Messi and Curtis beside him couldn't hold back their laughter. To them, this was certainly one of the most unusual apologies they had ever seen.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)