The next day, Tuesday, the National Cup continued. Onikan Stadium buzzed again, louder and brighter than before. Adaeze wore her press vest and held her notebook close, though her hands felt unusually warm.
She told herself it was just another match, another story. Yet the moment she stepped onto the sidelines and saw number 9 jogging onto the field, her heart reacted before her mind did. It skipped, quick and uninvited, as if it recognised him first.
Izunna did not notice her at once. He was with his teammates, laughter bubbling between them, shoulders gleaming with fresh sweat. There was something lighter about him today, a softness beneath his focus. He looked ready, but he also looked happy.
The referee's whistle blew. The game burst to life. Boots thudded against grass, the ball rushed across the pitch, and the crowd rose in a wave of noise that wrapped itself around the stadium. Adaeze found her eyes drawn to Izunna again and again. He moved with the ease of someone born for this stage: quick, bold and certain. Watching him felt strangely personal, as if she were seeing more than just a player.
Halfway through the first half, an opponent blocked his shot and he crashed to the ground. The stadium gasped as one.
Adaeze shot to her feet, fingers gripping the railing. A sharp worry pricked through her chest. Izunna rose slowly, wincing, brushing dirt from his shorts. Only then did she release the breath she had been holding.
Minutes later, when he scored, the stadium erupted. Izunna did not celebrate wildly this time. He simply lifted a hand, then looked up towards the press box. His eyes searched, found hers, and did not let go. It felt like a moment meant for two, in a crowd of thousands.
Adaeze froze, her pen slipping from her fingers onto her notebook. She bit her lip, caught between wanting to look away and unable to move her eyes from him. A small smile tugged at his lips before he jogged off to rejoin his team.
Kamsi leaned in. 'Was he… looking at you?'
Adaeze cleared her throat, heat rising to her cheeks. 'No. Probably at the cameras.'
'Hmm.' Kamsi arched a brow. 'If you say so.'