Chapter 18: Are You Sick?
The press conference incident did little to affect Joshua Smith's mood.
Compared to the pressure he had endured over the last two months, a few hostile questions from reporters meant almost nothing.
The team was finally taking shape.
That alone was enough.
Since taking charge of Luton Town, Joshua had barely stopped moving.
Recruiting players.
Building tactics.
Studying opponents.
Creating training plans.
Monitoring fitness.
Everything had consumed him completely.
But now—
For the first time since arriving in England—
Things were stabilizing.
The framework of his team was complete.
Five key players had been personally brought in by him. Combined with the few remaining core members of the old squad, Luton no longer looked like a club waiting to collapse.
It looked like a team preparing for war.
And Joshua could feel the improvement clearly.
Training intensity.
Tactical understanding.
Player chemistry.
Everything was progressing at astonishing speed.
Sometimes, standing on the sidelines during drills, even he felt surprised at how quickly the players absorbed his ideas.
Especially during pressing exercises.
The synchronization between the midfield and attack was becoming sharper every day.
The front line hunted together.
The midfield squeezed space instinctively.
The defense pushed upward with confidence.
It was no longer fragmented football.
It was becoming a system.
And tomorrow—
The season would officially begin.
Just thinking about it caused a flicker of anticipation to rise in Joshua's chest.
Competition meant results.
Results meant rewards.
And rewards meant growth.
He needed more tools.
More options.
More advantages.
If Luton wanted to climb out of the abyss—
Every edge mattered.
After leaving the press conference room, Joshua didn't immediately return to his office.
Instead, he walked slowly around the training grounds.
The evening sky had begun darkening, painted in shades of orange and deep blue. A cool breeze drifted through the empty pitch, rustling the nets gently.
For once—
He allowed himself to relax.
Eventually, he left the training base and wandered through the streets of Luton.
The city carried a rough industrial charm.
Historically famous for hat-making, Luton had long been associated with manufacturing and engineering as well. Old brick buildings stood beside modern storefronts, while pubs and takeaway shops glowed warmly beneath the evening lights.
Joshua walked without purpose.
Just observing.
Listening.
Breathing.
The atmosphere here was completely different from Jamaica.
Different from Kingston.
Different from the heat and rhythm he had grown up with.
Yet strangely—
He didn't dislike it.
He stopped at a small takeaway shop tucked inside an alley and ordered fish and chips.
The taste was still as aggressively British as ever.
Joshua chewed silently for a few seconds before muttering to himself:
"They really think boiling food counts as seasoning…"
But despite the complaint—
He still finished everything.
By the time he stepped back outside, night had fully settled over the city.
Streetlights flickered softly across damp pavement.
Joshua stretched lightly and finally decided to return to the apartment the club had rented for him.
He had only slept there once.
Compared to the tiny camp bed in his office, a proper mattress sounded heavenly tonight.
The apartment building sat inside a quiet shared courtyard.
The properties belonged to the Saul family, longtime Luton supporters who had agreed to rent one unit to the club.
As Joshua approached the gate—
He suddenly stopped.
Someone else had arrived at the exact same moment.
Roy Saul.
The reporter from earlier.
Under the dim yellow light, she looked different from how she had at the press conference.
Less aggressive.
More… vivid.
Her black business suit hugged her figure neatly, though the heat of the summer evening had clearly exhausted her slightly. She had removed her high heels and was carrying them in one hand while standing barefoot against the stone path.
A few strands of hair clung lightly to her face.
For a brief second—
Neither of them spoke.
Then Roy's expression changed dramatically.
Her eyes widened.
"You?!"
Joshua blinked once.
"What?"
Immediately, Roy stepped backward slightly, gripping one of her heels like a weapon.
"What are you doing here?!"
Joshua stared at her in confusion.
"I live here."
"Liar!"
Her voice rose instantly.
"You followed me here, didn't you?!"
Joshua's expression darkened.
Was this woman insane?
Roy pointed a heel at him accusingly.
"This is private property!"
Joshua sighed slowly and reached into his pocket for his keys.
"I know. That's why I have these."
"Don't move!"
Roy immediately raised the shoe higher, as if preparing to throw it at any moment.
Joshua froze for a second, genuinely stunned.
"You're serious?"
"I know exactly who you are!" Roy snapped. "A fraud pretending to be a football manager!"
Joshua exhaled sharply.
The irritation he ignored during the press conference finally surfaced.
"This again?"
"You tricked the club into hiring you!" Roy continued angrily. "And now you're dragging amateur players into professional football! You're going to destroy this team!"
Joshua glanced at her, then at the shoe still aimed threateningly in his direction.
Under the dim courtyard lighting, her expression was fierce—
But also strangely flustered.
And despite the anger—
Joshua's eyes involuntarily dropped for half a second.
Then he muttered quietly:
"All confidence, no common sense…"
"What did you say?!"
Before Joshua could answer—
A black high heel suddenly flew toward him.
Whoosh!
His body reacted instinctively.
He tilted sideways just in time.
BANG!
The shoe slammed into the iron gate behind him.
Joshua stared at the vibrating metal in disbelief.
That thing could have actually injured someone.
And before he could even speak again—
Roy charged at him, holding the other heel.
Joshua's patience snapped.
He stepped forward immediately, caught her wrist firmly, and pinned her lightly against the wall before she could swing again.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
Roy froze instantly.
The remaining heel slipped slightly in her hand.
"Are you sick?" Joshua said, genuinely annoyed now.
The two of them were suddenly extremely close.
Too close.
Roy could feel the warmth radiating from him.
The sharp scent of sweat, grass, and cold night air mixed together around him—the unmistakable smell of someone who had spent the entire day on a football pitch.
Joshua's breathing was steady.
Controlled.
But intense.
And for the first time—
Roy realized something.
This man—
Wasn't nervous around her at all.
Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily.
Joshua's dark eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unwavering.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Dominant.
Confident.
The kind of gaze that made people instinctively retreat.
Roy suddenly felt her throat tighten slightly.
What…
What was he planning to do?
The courtyard fell silent.
Only the distant sound of traffic echoed faintly through the summer night.
And neither of them moved.
(End of Chapter 18)
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