Chapter 31: The Spotlight Finds Hamadi
Sunday morning crept in slow and gray, the pale winter light barely piercing through the curtains. Amani lay sprawled on the couch, one leg dangling over the side, the other stretched across the armrest. His muscles ached from the week’s brutal training, a soreness so deep it felt stitched into his bones, but beneath it, pride glowed quietly.
He’d survived Week One. More than that, he’d owned it.
From the kitchen, Malik’s familiar racket filled the air, cupboard doors banging, spoons clattering, the sound of someone who looked like they were fighting the ingredients. Amani smiled to himself, letting the noise roll over him like home.
Then came the front door, slamming open so hard that Amani nearly fell off the couch.
"YO! HAMADI!" Malik’s voice bellowed through the apartment, half-shock, half-accusation.
Before Amani could even sit up, Malik stormed into the living room, brandishing a glossy magazine over his head like he’d just found a treasure map, Voetbal International.
"You’re famous!" Malik cried. "And nobody told me?! I had to find out at the newsstand like some random fan. Bro, this is disrespect."
Amani’s face twitched, trying not to laugh. "You bought that?"
"Of course I bought it! Cost me three euros, you ungrateful..."
"I got mine for free," Amani said, holding up his own copy.
Malik froze mid-rant. "What?"