missnovel Chapter 396 - 2: Manchester Is Not Bergamo II
Chapter 396 - 2: Manchester Is Not Bergamo II
Thursday, August 10, 2023 — Temporary Apartment, Manchester — 9:30 PM BST
Demien sat in the living room after showering with the lights low while his body felt the accumulated training load from two intense sessions, and the tactical correction from earlier stayed with him more than it should have because the mistake itself was small though the principle behind it was large.
His phone rang so Isabella’s name appeared on the screen.
"Mi amor," she said when he answered, while her voice carried warmth through the line that made the apartment feel less empty. "How are you?"
"Good," he replied as he leaned back against the sofa. "Training’s intense but good."
"You’re eating properly?" she asked, since the question was the same one she’d asked since he was sixteen while living in Atalanta’s youth dorms.
"Yeah."
"The apartment is comfortable?"
"It’s fine," he said. "Modern. Quiet."
There was a pause before she said something that landed differently than he expected. "The house feels strange without you moving around in the morning before training."
Demien felt that line settle in his chest. "I miss you too."
They talked for fifteen minutes about small things that didn’t involve football—her garden, the weather in Florence, whether he’d found good places to eat in Manchester—and she didn’t ask about lineups or pressure because that wasn’t why she called, instead she called because she missed hearing his voice while wanting to know he was okay.
After they hung up Sophia called so her voice was lighter though it carried tiredness underneath.
"Hey," she said.
"How’s the company?" Demien asked because she’d taken over more responsibilities since her father stepped back.
"Stressful," Sophia admitted. "Everyone expects answers fast while every decision feels huge."
"Sounds like playing for United," Demien said.
Sophia laughed so the sound made him smile. "Maybe we’re both in over our heads."
They talked about normal things—his apartment, her meetings, how fast everything had changed since summer started—and she told him she missed him in a way that was simple yet honest.
He was quiet for a moment before saying it back.
The call ended softly so the apartment felt less empty than before, and he looked at his boots near the door with the Carrington schedule on his phone where tomorrow was the final serious preparation before matchday decisions became obvious.
The lights went off while sleep came easier than expected.
Friday, August 11, 2023 — Carrington Training Centre — 9:00 AM BST
Friday carried the weight of selection day without anyone saying it openly because the opener was three days away while Ten Hag was narrowing choices, and everyone who’d been at United longer than Demien knew what the atmosphere meant even if the manager never announced his decisions until the day before matches.
The system activated before training when the panel appeared cleaner than the previous days.
「MISSION: FINAL PREP」
«Complete session»
«Create 2 chances»
«3+ defensive actions»
«+10 TP»
«+10 MP if squad inclusion confirmed»
Training started with Wolves-specific patterns though Demien was still not with the starting group, which stung in a way he didn’t let show on his face because complaining about squad rotation at Manchester United after three weeks at the club would be absurd.
He worked with the second unit while focusing on making every action clean yet purposeful. In attacking drills he created two chances—one through a disguised pass into the half-space that split two defenders, another with a clipped ball behind the fullback that put the academy winger through on goal. In transition work he recorded four defensive actions including one sharp interception that killed a counter before it started.
「LEGENDARY SKILL ACTIVATED」
N’Golo Kanté — Everywhere at Once
His defensive read sharpened during the transition drill so the passing lane closed before the ball arrived, and the interception was clean enough that Ten Hag glanced at his assistant while saying something Demien couldn’t hear though he assumed was positive based on the context.
Ten Hag watched but didn’t move him into the starting group even after the strong moments, which was the reality Demien had to accept.
Near the end the matchday preparation group was separated from the players who wouldn’t be involved Monday, so Demien’s name was called among those expected to be in the squad which meant traveling to Old Trafford while being available even if not starting.
The system confirmed when training ended.
«PREP COMPLETE»
«Chances: 2»
«Defensive actions: 4»
«Squad inclusion: Confirmed»
«+10 TP»
«+10 MP»
«Balance: 500 TP | 24 SP | 513 MP»
He read the balance before letting it fade while understanding that points didn’t matter compared to the simple truth—he was in the squad picture though not the starting eleven, which was where he stood three days before his potential Premier League debut.
Sunday, August 13, 2023 — Carrington Training Centre — 10:00 AM BST
Sunday was lighter physically yet heavier mentally with recovery work plus tactical reminders filling the session, and the squad already knew the opener was close enough that every movement mattered even in what was supposed to be a sharpness session rather than full training.
The system gave one final pre-match mission that was simpler than the previous days.
「MISSION: SHARPNESS」
«Complete recovery work»
«90%+ passing»
«No errors»
«+5 TP»
«+5 MP if peak condition»
The session was short though precise so Demien kept everything clean—no forced passes, no unnecessary risks, no tactical mistakes during set-piece review where they walked through corner defending with attacking patterns.
The system completed quickly.
«SHARPNESS MAINTAINED»
«Passing: 94%»
«Errors: 0»
«Condition: Peak»
«+5 TP»
«+5 MP»
«Balance: 505 TP | 24 SP | 518 MP»
After the session the Wolves matchday squad was confirmed officially before being posted in the dressing room on a sheet that listed eighteen names, and Demien checked it while other players crowded around reading their own status.
His name was there among the substitutes below the starting eleven that showed Casemiro with Mount as the midfield pairing while Bruno sat ahead of them.
He stared at it for one second longer than necessary though there was disappointment but no anger because David Drinkwater had lived through years of waiting for minutes that never came, so Demien knew better than to treat a bench place at Manchester United like an insult when it represented opportunity rather than rejection.
He returned to the apartment that evening before packing his matchday bag with the items he’d need—United tracksuit, shin pads, recovery gear, headphones, Adidas boots sitting on top where he could see them.
Isabella called briefly just to hear his voice while reminding him to eat properly before sleeping, and Sophia sent a message saying she hoped he slept well before calling for a few minutes when she was free between meetings.
Neither conversation was about whether he’d start because they already knew he wouldn’t, so they just missed him while wanting to hear his voice before the first real matchday came.
After the calls the apartment fell quiet so Demien looked at the bag by the door while understanding that tomorrow wasn’t the USA tour though tomorrow wasn’t friendly since tomorrow was Old Trafford.
Monday, August 14, 2023 — Manchester — 6:45 AM BST
Demien woke before the alarm went so he sat on the edge of the bed while the city outside was still dark, and he reached for his phone where headlines were already waiting because journalists needed content while speculation about new signings filled articles easily.
"Will Demien Walter make his Premier League debut tonight?"
"Ten Hag expected to ease United’s £62m signing into English football"
"Wolves test awaits Manchester United’s new midfield weapon"
He scrolled for less than a minute before locking the phone then setting it face-down on the nightstand because he didn’t need the noise or the speculation or the pressure that came from reading what other people thought he should be feeling.
He looked at the packed bag near the door with the boots sitting on top, and the first real matchday of his Manchester United career was beginning whether he was ready or not.
A/N
Sorry for ethe no upload, So I plan on quitting my 9-5 job and just focus on myself for a while so ive been deciding if i should or not, well ive made the decision and by the end of the month i will surely be quitting.
Thanks for the support on the book i really do appreciate.