It was the fourth day since Paul had woken up, and he was finally going to be discharged from the hospital. The past four days had felt like a continuation of a strange dream. He had woken up in a body that was not his own and learned that people he didn't know were his family. Now, he was preparing to take the first steps of his new life. Beside him was his sister Grace, who was gently helping him. She held onto Paul's arm, supporting him to walk slowly.
"Take it slow, big brother," Grace said, her voice filled with worry. "No need to rush."
Paul felt grateful for this kindness. Despite the shock and confusion he was experiencing, the love of this new family created a warmth within him. He slowly stood up and turned to Grace. "Thank you for helping me."
Grace smiled at this unexpected politeness. There was both sadness and joy on her face. "I really want your memory to come back," she whispered. "But you've never said thank you before. Maybe this is better."
Paul smiled too. The sincere honesty of this young girl lessened the feeling of being a stranger a little. "I have a kind sister," he said. "It's only natural that I thank you."
Now, they were both standing. They began to walk slowly toward the door in front of them. As they walked, Grace suddenly frowned. "It's really going to take me a while to get used to this personality of yours, big brother."
As Paul got used to her honesty, he started to enjoy this new situation. He replied calmly: "Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon."
A sincere smile appeared on Grace's face. "I hope so."
They had reached the door. Grace, while supporting her brother with one hand, opened the door with the other arm. They stepped into the long, white corridor of the hospital. The corridor was filled with a faint antiseptic smell. They began to walk to the left.
As he walked, Paul looked around. The glowing, rectangular devices everyone was holding caught his attention. "What are those things in people's hands?" he asked.
Grace wasn't surprised by his question. As if she were giving a history lesson, she replied patiently: "Ohhh, those are phones."
Paul was surprised. He spoke to himself: "Technology has advanced so much. They have nothing to do with the phones from the old days." In his time, phones were just a means of communication. Now, people's entire lives were inside these small devices.
While Paul was lost in these thoughts, Grace spoke again: "Your phone is in my pocket right now, big brother. I can give it to you if you want."
Paul realized he didn't want to adapt to this new world immediately. He wanted to get used to it slowly, by digesting it. He spoke with a normal expression: "There's no rush. I'll get used to my new life sooner or later anyway."
Grace was surprised. "New life?" she asked.
Paul, with a mischievous smile on his face, explained the situation from his point of view: "I mean, since I don't remember anything, everything feels new to me."
Grace said, "I seeee," and they continued walking. They were finally approaching the main exit of the hospital. Paul and Grace took one more step to go outside. When they stepped out the door, human sounds came from everywhere. Car horns, people's conversations, the noise of the street... Everything was a mix.
Paul spoke to himself: "Technology has advanced, but people being noisy has stayed the same. That's a comforting thing." This noise gave him a familiar feeling. It was just like the sound of a stadium before a match.
Suddenly, Paul saw a bench. His body wasn't even used to this short walk. As Steven, he used to run for miles every day. But this new body got tired from even the simplest walk. "Grace, you won't believe it, but I'm already tired," he said. "Can you let me rest for a bit?"
Grace understood his situation. A compassionate smile appeared on her face. "Actually, it's better for you to rest," she said. "I have to go back and help Mom."
Paul was a little disappointed by this answer. He said with a smile: "I would have been happier if you had just said you were thinking of me and letting me rest."
Grace frowned. "I'm sorry," she said. "Unfortunately, I'm too honest of a person."
They both walked toward the bench. Paul said, "I like that you're honest." Grace just smiled at this sentence. They approached the bench, and Grace helped Paul sit down. Paul sat on the bench.
Grace looked at him and said: "I'll be right back, big brother."
Paul replied calmly: "I'm comfortable here. You go and help our mom."
Grace ran back into the hospital. Paul looked after Grace and spoke to himself: "She really cares about her big brother. I'll have a good family in my new life."
Paul turned his head and looked at the people around him. He spoke to himself: "But I'm not sure if this new life I've been given is a chance or a challenge."
He lowered his head and looked at his own body. This body was not like a football player's body. It was skinny, weak, and frail. Paul spoke to himself in a gloomy way: "I'm 17. I think my height is around 1.79 meters. With this skinny body and height, can I be a good defender again?"
Paul raised his head and looked at the sky. "I'll have to work much harder than in my previous life," he thought. As Steven, football was a passion and a natural talent for him. But as Paul, everything was starting from scratch.
He closed his eyes. The moment he closed his eyes, Grant's image appeared in his mind. "This body reminds me of you, old friend," he thought. "I don't know what you're doing right now. But my previous life was spent playing football with you."
Paul opened his eyes. There was a determined smile on his face. "So the only thing I can do is apply what I learned from you," he said. "So I won't be a defender anymore, I'll be a striker."
He suddenly paused. A new question had appeared in his mind. "Wait a minute. Since the year is 2025, how much has football changed?"