The boys were celebrating in the locker room when Coach Ishii walked in, followed by Coach Suzuki.
"Guys! One moment of silence!" Ishii called out.
The boys fell quiet immediately.
"I'll start by saying this win was phenomenal. But honestly… it was also clear they weren't on our level. That's why I want you focused. Don't get carried away—every round from now on will be harder. Don't lose the hunger to show who you are. Understood?"
"Yes, coach!" they answered together.
"Good…" Ishii turned toward the door. "You can keep celebrating!"
The locker room exploded in cheers.
[Later]
Riccardo walked out alone, bag on his shoulder. Near the entrance he spotted Inoue and Sato waiting for him. He blinked, surprised, and walked over.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked.
"Like I said… we watched the match," Sato replied shyly. "And I wanted to tell you you were amazing."
Riccardo scratched his head, caught off guard by her sincerity. "Thanks, Shiori. But I just did my job. I wouldn't have scored three without my teammates."
Sato stepped closer, her face lit up with excitement. "I know! But you still finished the plays. And your third goal… that one was all you. Even I—someone who doesn't know much about soccer—could tell you were on a different level out there. You're special."
Her words left Riccardo speechless, but then a quiet smile formed on his face. "Thank you. I really needed to hear something like that."
Sato blushed. "You're welcome…"
"Now it's your turn on Monday. I'll be there cheering for you, like I promised."
Sato met his eyes with determination. "Yes. And I'll show you that I'm someone special too."
"I'm looking forward to it." Riccardo swung the bag on his shoulder. "Thanks again for coming. I'm exhausted… see you."
"See you," both Sato and Inoue said.
Sato watched him leave, until Inoue placed a hand on her shoulder, making her jolt. She turned and found his teasing grin.
"He promised you… how exactly did we get here?"
"Well… when we talked alone…"
"Ohh, I see. Good for you."
Inoue let out a soft, wicked laugh.
[On the metro]
Riccardo stood with his phone in hand, the metro too crowded for seats. Some girls nearby whispered while eyeing him.
"He's so handsome…"
"He's so tall…"
Riccardo ignored it, switching songs. Then he glanced at the date: May 10, 2025.
It's the 10th… Am I forgetting something?
He opened his calendar. On the 11th, he had written "Mother's Day."
His stomach dropped.
Shit! I completely forgot!
The next station flashed: Shibuya.
That's mine!
He jumped off the train and immediately called his sister, weaving through the crowd.
"Hi Riccardo!" Cecilia answered.
"Cecilia, I have a problem…"
"What kind?"
"Remember when I told you I needed you free tomorrow?"
"Yes… and that's what I did," she replied, confused.
"Well, as you guessed, it was for Mother's Day… and I forgot."
"You don't say…" she answered sarcastically.
"Not the time for sarcasm."
"What were you planning to do for her?"
Riccardo dodged people rushing through Shibuya Crossing.
"I wanted to take her to the aquarium. She always talked about it back in Italy, said she wanted to go again with us. But I didn't book the tickets."
"So what do you want to do now?"
"You're home?"
"Yes."
"Open the fridge. Tell me what we have."
"…You want to cook?"
"Not me. We're cooking."
"What!?"
[The next morning]
Their mother woke up, grabbed her phone, and saw the date: May 11.
Happy Mother's Day to me…
Yawning, she walked to the kitchen. At first, she noticed nothing—but then she saw the countertop: pies, pastries, cornetti… an entire spread.
"What…" she murmured in disbelief.
On the couch, Riccardo woke up, still half-asleep. He noticed her and stood up.
"Good morning, Mom…"
She stared at him. "You made all this?"
"Not just me… Cecilia too."
"When did you even do it?"
"Last night. These walls are pretty soundproof."
She didn't know what to say. "I… I don't…"
"I wanted to take you to the aquarium, but with the tests and the match I forgot to book. I know you wanted to go… I'm sorry—"
Suddenly she hugged him tightly. Riccardo instantly hugged her back.
"Happy Mother's Day…" he whispered.
"Thank you, my son…"
"I'm sorry, Mom…" Riccardo's voice trembled. "I'm sorry for breaking your trust."
"Don't worry…" she said, crying now. "Stammatina è n'ata jurnata." Translated gently from Neapolitan: "This morning is a new day."
Riccardo smiled gently. "Yeah… it is."
They separated, the mother wiping her tears. "Well… shall we try what you made?"
"Sure."
"It's… a lot."
"I asked a pastry chef friend of mine in Italy for the recipe."
"Gennaro, right?"
"Yeah. Always him."
She tried a cornetto.
"Mmm… good!"
"Really?" Riccardo asked, hopeful.