Chapter 421 Meetup with Eric
?As Hiro's performance on the field continued to dazzle fans and critics alike, his fame soared to a level anything like before. In a month's worth of time, his reputation surpassed that of an emerging talent. Each match brought new accolades, and his reputation as a rising star soared.
Registering a goal contribution every 70 minutes, he earned himself a spot in the starting eleven. Initially, he clashed with the team's star Ericson. But later as they worked together to tear the defense of the opposing teams apart, they got accustomed to each other's play.
Now together, they haunted their opponents.
But due to the hole in the defensive midfield position, they still couldn't find a rhythm. And, though their performance had improved significantly, still they hadn't managed to clinch the top spot. Comfortably sitting at the second spot, they were right now placed second in the league.
With every goal and assist, his social media following exploded, and brand endorsements flooded in, vying for his attention. Not only regionally, but his popularity also spread worldwide as even some international fans started taking notice of him due to the media exposure and the clips circulating on social media sites.
Yet despite his success, he was finding it quite overwhelming to handle his success. The constant notifications from his social media accounts, the never-ending stream of emails from potential sponsors, and the need to maintain his public image were starting to take a toll on him.
Previously he didn't have to be conscious of his image. But now he couldn't even show his face in public or roam the streets peacefully. Every time, he'd walk out of his house he'd get bombarded by fans.
Even doing grocery shopping had started becoming a hassle. He hadn't handled such a level of attention previously. Though he had been fairly known previously, he could still roam around the streets peacefully.
But now, if he went out in public without a mask or a cap, somebody would notice him. It's as if he had become a national-level celebrity.
Such a level of affection and attention however was starting to affect both his personal life and professional life. He couldn't even attend his training without being noticed.
One early morning when he arrived at the training ground to train, he noticed a flock of supporters guarding the gate, awaiting his arrival. Unaware of their intentions, as he tried to get through them, they stopped him and started interacting with him.
And though they meant no harm and were merely present there to see him and interact with him, he wasted more than an hour's worth of his time trying to get through them.
Then one day he got a call from his agent Eric Parker. In the call, Eric told him that he was right now in Japan for some business deals. So since he was in Japan, he asked to meet with him. It had been quite a lot of time since he last met Eric in person, so he readily agreed to his suggestion.
As he prepared to head out, Hiro glanced at the black mask and black cap resting atop his bed, "Do I really have to keep on wearing these?" he murmured, sounding rather tired.
Earlier while getting dressed, he was quite excited about the meeting. But now as he glanced at his mask and cap, he couldn't help but frown. He really didn't want to wear those.
Nonetheless, he still put them on. Well if he didn't, who knows if he'd even get to the meeting in time? And, he didn't want to mess up.
So for such reason, he put on his mask and his cap, against his will. Since they had a match the other day, the coach had given them a day off today. So, he was free for the entire day today.
"Jeez..., you look like a kidnapper," Tatsuki who was in front of the TV placed in the hall, joked about his appearance.
Naoto at the moment was in the kitchen preparing something to eat. The aroma coming from the kitchen smelled quite fragrant. Since both he and Tatsuki were bad at cooking, Naoto handled the cooking.
And for some reason, Naoto was quite skilled at cooking. Not only were his goalkeeping skills top-notch, but his cooking skills were even better. Was it because he was good with his hands, that he naturally was good at cooking too?
Neither he nor Tatsuki could figure it out. But one thing both of them agreed on unilaterally was the fact that after retiring Naoto would go on to open his own restaurant. Both of them could vividly visualize it as well.
The fragrant aroma of herbs and salmon blended together, creating a mouth-watering sensation. And, since he hadn't had anything to eat, Hiro started to salivate upon smelling it. The aroma intensified his hunger as his stomach started making growling noises.
Growl!!
If not for the sound of the television, Tatsuki would have immediately found out.
"Well, I'm on my way to kidnap your Golden Boot," he replied sarcastically.
His response triggered Tatsuki which made him jump out of his seat. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he looked at Hiro with eyes full of agitation. It appeared as if he was trying to say something but couldn't find the right words to say it.
Just at this moment, Naoto walked in. And, he immediately caught the whiff of the thing that had taken place here at the moment. He could tell that it was Tatsuki who had started the fight and Hiro would have replied something that caused him to get agitated.
Naoto sighed as he ignored Tatsuki and looked at Hiro, "You're meeting Parker-san today right?"
Hiro had already informed them about his meeting with Eric. After all, both of them took care of him as if he were their own little brother. So, it wouldn't be fair to hide such stuff from them now, would it?
Hiro gently nodded his head as he answered, "Yeah,"
Naoto's eyes flashed with concern as he asked, "Will you be alright? If you want we could come with you?"
Naoto was genuinely worried about him. And, he could feel it too. But troubling them for his matter would be really selfish of him. So, he politely declined his offer, "No, it's alright. Eric said that he'll be sending a driver over so I'll be fine. But thank you for your concern." After hearing Hiro's response, Naoto felt a little relieved. He was aware of the troubles Hiro had been suffering due to his increased fame.
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