The flight back to Germany was a blur.
Mateo sat by the window, his forehead resting lightly against the glass.
Outside, the endless sky stretched into twilight — but inside his heart, there was a fire that refused to dim.
The victory.The goals.The ovation.
It all replayed in his mind like a dream.
And yet, as the excitement slowly ebbed, another thought crept into his mind —or rather, another face.
Klara.
Her bright green eyes.Her warm smile.The way she had believed in him even before this match.
By the time he arrived at home, exhausted but still buzzing with energy, it was past midnight.
Helena hugged him tightly at the door, whispering how proud she was, tears glistening in her eyes.
They shared a quiet dinner — just reheated pasta — but it tasted better than any feast.
Finally, after showering and changing into comfortable clothes, Mateo lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep refused to come.
Not yet.
Impulsively, he grabbed his phone.
His thumb hovered over Klara's name for a long second.
Was it too late?
Would she even pick up?
His heart thumped nervously.
But then he took a breath — and pressed Call.
It only rang twice before she answered.
"Hallo?" came her soft voice, slightly breathless.
Mateo smiled automatically.
"Hey... it's me. Mateo," he said, suddenly awkward.
"I hope I didn't wake you."
"No, no!" Klara said quickly."I was still awake. Watching some highlights from today."She laughed lightly."You were amazing, Mateo. Seriously. That last goal... everyone's talking about it!"
Mateo felt his ears burn slightly.
"Thank you," he mumbled, feeling shy in a way he hadn't during the entire match.
There was a small pause — comfortable, but charged with something new.
Then Mateo gathered his courage.
"Um... I have the day off tomorrow," he said, forcing the words out before he could lose his nerve."I was wondering... maybe... if you wanted to hang out? We could go to the mall or something?"
For a heartbeat, silence.
Then he heard her soft giggle.
"I'd love to," Klara said warmly."It's a date then. Let's meet at the Marienplatz Mall? Maybe around noon?"
Mateo grinned wide, feeling like he had just won another final.
"Perfect," he said, trying — and failing — to sound casual.
They talked a few minutes more —about football, school, random little things.
It was easy.Natural.
When they finally said goodnight, Mateo lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling again —but this time, smiling like an idiot.
Tomorrow was a new day.
A different kind of challenge.
Not on the pitch.
But in life.
And somehow —that excited him just as much.
Tomorrow, Mateo González Schwarz had another goal to chase.And this time, maybe, just maybe —it would be even harder than scoring against Ajax.