My system allows me to copy talents - #235 - 235 Tattered old house

Trepidation reflecting in his eyes and his mouth opening and closing, again and again as if he was having trouble speaking his hearts, coupled with his irregular breathing and face full of perspiration, it seemed like that the boy who sneered at Mateo a moment ago was startled to his core at the moment upon seeing Mateo’s bare face and hearing Mateo’s voice.

Every single one of them were tongue-tied at the moment.

From their reaction, one could tell that nobody among them had seen Mateo’s bare face previously.

Thus right now, upon seeing Mateo’s horrifying face, every single one of them were startled at the moment.

Mateo then sneered at them as he shrugged and veiled his face with the mask again.

Without saying anything, Mateo then started to leave.

Looking at Mateo’s leaving figure, finally those five kids heaved a sigh of relief as they mustered their courage and started to scoff about Mateo.

“So that’s why he’s wearing mask huh?”

“He looks freaking ugly”

“That grotesque face gave me chills…”

“But still… that fucker….. won the bet and took our money” gritting his teeth, one of the guy sneered as he stared at Mateo’s leaving figure with bloodshot eyes.

Without looking back, Mateo and the other guy kept on walking.

After some moment, those two disappeared from their sight as they blended in the darkness of the alley.

Curious about Mateo’s earlier action, the guy with small stature who was walking beside him had a complicated look on his face.

“Why did you show them your face today Mateo?” Asked the boy, unable to hold himself back any longer.

“If I hadn’t strike them first then they would have strike us instead. And compared to them we were far outnumbered. Not only will they have beaten us, they’d even have snatched our hard earned money” spoke Mateo in a profound way.

As mentioned by Mateo, situation would have indeed turned ugly if he hadn’t acted that way. Showing his face horrified those boys, making them lose their composure for some moment which inturn provided Mateo and his friend some leeway to escape.

By showing his face and by revealing his intentions, Mateo once again avoided a predicament today.

It wasn’t his first time acting in such a way. Growing up in slum, he had understood that to survive in this harsh environment one must be ruthless and fearless.

The one who gets scared gets picked on most. The one who shows weakness gets trampled. That’s what he had learned after countless beating.

And even in that moment, he might not have been their match but if they had dared to strike him, he’d have fought back, regardless.

Hearing Mateo’s words, the guy with small stature frowned his brows as he spoke in a muffled voice, “We should… Probably stop… Betting Mateo”

Mateo however kept his mouth shut as he pretended to ignore his rants.

Although the heaven hadn’t blessed him with good fortune, it had still blessed Mateo with footballing talents. And he’d have been making fool out of himself if he wasn’t using his talents.

Now one must wonder why with such talents, he wasn’t playing for any clubs or playing football professionally.

It’s not that he didn’t wish to play professionally. Infact he had tried out for local clubs previously. But since youth players can’t earn anything in youth clubs, he had given up on the chance to play for clubs.

“I know that you have told me the reason. But still with your talents, why don’t you play football professionally?” Asked the boy while deeply looking at Mateo.

Mateo however spoke nothing and took out the money which he had won a moment ago. He then handed two, one-thousand bill to the boy and left without saying anything.

Bewilderment, sorrow and indignance. With such mixed emotions, the boy fixedly looked at Mateo’s leaving figure while continuously blinking his eyes.

“We can’t pay you much Mateo. The most we can pay you right now is 5 dollars per week and 1 dollars per goal.” A middle-aged man spoke with a concerned look on his face.

His gaze reflecting his helplessness and his tone extremely sincere.

Mateo who looked a lot smaller right now, helplessly gazed at the middle-aged man with expectant eyes.

“Sir can’t you increase it a little more? I really need money” Mateo begged helplessly.

“Mateo I know how talented you are. But it’s the maximum amount our club can pay you. You know right youth players don’t get paid? Infact most youth players even have to pay instead. However considering your talent we are breaking the rules. But we can’t raise the price any more than this Mateo” the middle-aged man who was currently speaking with Mateo helplessly sighed as he tried to convince Mateo.

“Unless you start to play for the main team we can’t really pay you Mateo” continued the middle-aged man.

Suddenly as he spoke those words, the figure of the middle-aged man and the environment around Mateo started to get hazy.

Soon as the fog in his sight cleared, Mateo found himself infront of a small tattered house made up of brick and rusty metal sheets. Creaking from the tiny holes of the metal sheets and from space beneath the door, yellow light was creaking out.

“Ahh… Why am I remembering that scene again?” Murmured Mateo as he stood infront of a tattered wooden door infront of a tiny old house.

His gazes looking at the yellow light coming from the house and his feet frozen infront of the house, clearly he was hesitating to go inside for some reason.

Even so, despite not feeling good walking towards the house infront, Mateo strode forward.

Creak!!

The fence like wodden door made creaking noises as Mateo pushed it.

Woof!! Woof!!

Hearing the creaking noises, some street dogs started barking.

After entering Mateo tried to push the main door of the house from where the light was creaking outside. The door however was locked from the inside. Thus, he started to knock on the door.

Knock!! Knock!!

“Who’s this?”

A voice came from the inside. The voice sounded feminine meaning it was a voice of a female.

“Alexia, it’s me Mateo” answered Mateo as he stood outside the door.

Soon after he answered, he heard someone opening the door.

And as the door opened, a figure of a small girl probably about 11 or 12 year old emerged from within the house.

Silky smooth blond hair which cascaded down her head towards her shoulder like waterfall, innocent looking azure blue eyes, reddish-white skintone and a little flushed cheeks, she was Mateo’s younger sister Alexia.

“Why do you always come home late Mateo?” Concernedly spoke Alexia.