Chapter Text
“Daniel, let's comb your hair.”
Nine o'clock in the morning. Late spring sunlight climbed over the window, stretching its long arms across the walnut floor. The boy called Daniel sat at the kitchen table, which was filled with the aroma of coffee. After finishing the remaining milk in his cereal bowl, he hopped down from the chair—which was a bit tall for his height, leaving his feet dangling about five centimeters above the floor—and headed toward the living room.
The living room TV, which usually broadcasted soccer matches every evening, was turned off, faintly reflecting the platinum-hued scenery of the room. The faint sound of chirping birds tickled his ears. In the quiet surroundings, the boy rolled his eyes to look for the man. When their eyes met, the man’s sunset-colored eyes crinkled into gentle crescents.
“Come sit over here. Good boy.”
With familiar ease, Daniel climbed up and perched on the lap of the man sitting on the sofa. The tabletop mirror on the long coffee table reflected the boy's face. Though it had settled considerably compared to right after waking up, his pure platinum blond hair still stuck out wildly in every direction, soft and fuzzy like the down of a two-week-old kitten. As the man skillfully combed back the boy's hair, the brilliant blue eyes buried beneath stared back at the boy in the mirror.
He looked utterly adorable. Daniel knew this because most of the adults he had encountered so far told him so. Like a polished, shining pearl, the boy possessed a beauty that anyone couldn't help but love. Daniel subtly shifted his gaze to check the man's expression reflected over his shoulder in the mirror. The man's face, wearing a warm, pleased smile, seemed like proof of how proud he was of the boy.
At seven years old, one is old enough to know pretty much everything. Daniel not only had a cute appearance, but he also knew how to behave maturely in front of adults and never fought with his peers. A child like an angel descended from heaven, a gift from God. The boy liked being a good child. Because it wasn't just a compliment directed at him alone, but also implied that his guardian was a wonderful person.
“It really sticks out easily, doesn't it…”
Daniel hummed a tune, feeling the gentle touch of the comb running through his hair. It was a children's nursery rhyme the man also remembered learning at school during his childhood. The man chuckled softly and asked.
“Are you looking forward to it that much, Danny?”
“Yeah, I’m definitely going to show Alec today. How good I am on the field.”
“Daniel always works so hard, so I'm sure you'll do great. Since it's your first match, just go out there and have fun.”
The reflection of the boy's forehead in the mirror furrowed slightly. The man was always laid-back, never rushing or nagging him, nor demanding that he push himself to achieve something. Lately, Daniel hadn't been very fond of the man's consistent attitude.
“Just having fun isn't enough. Because I'm going to become the world's best striker.”
Hearing those words, the man's hand combing down the boy's hair paused for a moment. The boy turned his head to read the man's expression. The man's face still held the same pleased smile, but for some reason, an aura lingered around him that made the boy anxious. Something very subtle, invisible to the eye yet palpable. It existed between their gazes for a fleeting second before vanishing without a trace, and the man curled his lips into a bright smile.
“If that's what Daniel wants, I'll cheer you on with all my might!”
With his hair now neatly combed and sleek, Daniel brushed his teeth, put on his uniform, and stepped out the front door. The man, who had left the house first, was waiting for the boy with the SUV he had pulled out of the garage. The boy declined the man's help and climbed into the back seat all by himself.
“You didn't forget anything, right? Cleats and water bottle too?”
“I packed everything!”
The boy checked inside his duffel bag one last time to make sure his cleats, water bottle, extra uniform, and towel were all there, then nodded vigorously. For today's match, the boy had put in the greatest effort of his entire life. So far, everything was going smoothly.
The boy was eagerly looking forward to it.
The day he could finally call Alexis Ness 'Father.'
* * *
The German love for soccer is hard to describe as anything other than extraordinary. After all, even a neighborhood without a café has an amateur soccer club. In Munich, besides the professional team, there are over a hundred local youth soccer clubs, and friendly matches or amateur tournaments are held among them every week, leaving the guardians of Munich's young footballers with never a dull moment.
Unlike professional matches, friendly matches between youth clubs are practically recitals to showcase the results of coaching, so it is hard to find tension or feverish excitement among the spectators. Occasionally, subtle psychological warfare breaks out between overly passionate parents burning with ambition to raise their children into pro players, but even that is merely a behind-the-scenes incident.
However, this match was different. A crowd several times larger than usual had gathered in the small stadium, which didn't even have proper seating. Not only the guardians of the participating players, but also soccer fans who usually had no interest in amateur matches, and even sports journalists and academy scouts were occupying seats, their eyes gleaming as they directed their gazes toward the field.
There was only one reason a strange excitement hung in the air of the stadium. The protagonist of the match, who was pulling in everyone's attention like a black hole, was warming up on the grass, passing the ball back and forth with a teammate without showing any reaction.
Even with a crowd the likes of which he had never seen before watching him, Daniel remained completely unfazed, calmly focusing on what he had to do. One could say he was born with a temperament that enjoyed the gaze of others, but it was more because he was so engrossed in his task that nothing else entered his sight.
While some children were already bursting into tears due to the unusually restless atmosphere in the stands, the boy cared about only one single person. After greeting the opposing team and taking his position, Daniel shifted his gaze toward the stands while waiting for the referee's whistle. Alexis was sitting in the reserved seat he had mentioned beforehand, his eyes shining with anticipation as he looked at Daniel.
All preparations were complete. Now, all he had to do was show them.
Fweeeeet—!
The moment the kickoff signal blew, Daniel dribbled the ball across the half-line all on his own and cut deep into enemy territory. He lightly bypassed the rushing defenders with his dribbling, accelerating to seize the penalty area in an instant. Gasps and whistles erupted from the stands.
It had only been half a year since Daniel started playing soccer, but even before playing his first match, he had claimed the ace striker spot in his age group at the club. While this was not unrelated to the boy's pedigree, Daniel wanted to trace the roots of that talent solely to his relationship with his guardian.
Daniel's guardian was once a starting midfielder for Germany's top team. Even if his skills might have rusted now that he was retired, his coaching ability was beyond comparison to that of amateur coaches. As a result of spending time together in the backyard every day since he started soccer, Daniel possessed a level of skill—at least in terms of individual technique—that was incomparable not only to his peers but even to players three or four years older.
Less than three minutes into the match, while the opposing team's young goalkeeper was flustered by the unprecedented danger right in front of his goal, Daniel cleanly hammered a shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
Applause and cheers reminiscent of a professional match echoed through the small stadium. Daniel extended his right arm above his head and looked toward the stands with a triumphant expression. Alexis had sprung up from his seat, beaming brightly and clapping vigorously. Overcome with excitement, he even grabbed the shoulders of the person sitting next to him and shook them.
Huh?
Daniel's expression instantly froze. An uninvited guest he had no recollection of inviting was brazenly occupying the seat next to Alexis, which had been empty right up until the match began. He had the same blond hair as himself, and on his neck, his trademark blue rose was clearly visible. Daniel could feel the people sitting in the surrounding stands glancing back and forth between the man and Daniel, clearly conscious of him. In the middle of the fever-pitch stadium, the man's cold blue eyes were alone and razor-sharp, as if ready to carve Daniel right out of the scenery at the end of his gaze.
Something hot surged up from inside. Daniel clutched his chest at the nauseating, churning sensation he had never experienced before. It was the most piercing fury Daniel had felt in his seven years of life.
Before he could even identify that sensation, the whistle blew to resume the match. Daniel sprinted forward as if venting his pent-up frustration. Today was supposed to be the day he shone the brightest. Yet that damn man who suddenly appeared was stealing the spotlight and ruining everything.
If only that sense of unfairness and anger had served as drive for a player, it would have been better, but Daniel couldn't immerse himself in the match, glancing at the stands at every moment. With his concentration shattered, he lost the ball to foolish mistakes, and his shots went wide. Daniel wanted to cry, but he hated the thought of showing tears to the audience even more, so he gritted his teeth.
The spectators were puzzled by how sluggish the striker's movements had become after the first goal, but the gap in skill between him and his peers was still overwhelming, resulting in a 3-1 victory. However, despite achieving a hat trick in the very first match of his life, the young player's face as he stepped out of the locker room after the game was as dark as if he had attended a funeral.
“So you're Daniel Kaiser! You look just like your father!”
“As expected of a Kaiser, that was a wonderful match.”
The adults who had been lingering in front of the gate waiting for the boy to appear tossed out their remarks the moment they caught the chance. The boy wanted to cover his ears and scream at the top of his lungs. That he had nothing to do with that man. That his greatness wasn't because of that person, but thanks to Alec. It was Alexis who practiced dribbling with him every day, and Alexis who smoothed down his wildly sticking-out hair every morning. He utterly despised the man who suddenly appeared and snatched all the credit.
“Danny! You were truly amazing!”
Alexis, who was walking toward the gate from a distance, spotted Daniel and shouted as he jogged over. Daniel broke away from the people talking to him as if brushing them off, running straight into Alec's embrace. The moment he caught the familiar scent, the sorrowful tears he had been holding back burst forth.
“U-Uh-oh~ Why are you crying? You scored a wonderful hat trick, didn't you?”
That's not it, that's not it… Because of the rough sobs swelling up, Daniel couldn't utter a single word of explanation. The man, who was shamelessly standing next to Alec all this time, sneered with a cold smirk.
“He's probably crying because he could only score three goals. How pathetic.”
“…Kaiser!”
Alexis was startled and admonished him, but that sneer had already reached Daniel's ears without filter. As his weeping intensified, Alexis repeatedly kissed Daniel's forehead, soothing his tears.
“We promised to go to Danny's favorite restaurant after the match, remember? You didn't forget, right?”
Daniel nodded with his face buried in Alexis's chest. Now, he didn't care about the match results anymore. If only that annoying man would disappear from before him and Alexis, he felt like he could even sell his soul to the devil! Daniel barely managed to swallow his sobs and wiped his face, a mess of tears and snot, with his sleeve.
“Chocolate, *sniff*, ice cream too…”
Alexis smiled softly and gently stroked the sniffling Daniel's hair. For a brief moment, guilt flashed across his face.
“Of course. But today… an urgent matter came up, of all times, so I asked Michael. To spend some time with Daniel.”
“Huh?”
“So Danny, today you're going on a date with Daddy all day long.”
Daniel's eyes went wide, looking back and forth between Alexis and the man's face. The man had his arms crossed, not even sparing Daniel a glance, looking utterly bothered by everything.
It was a nightmare. He was being punished for dreaming beyond his station.
The world of the young boy Daniel began to crumble down.
* * *
In the end, Daniel wailed once more, and Alexis barely managed to peel the clinging boy off himself and hand him over to Michael. The moment he was loaded into damn Michael's blue supercar like a piece of luggage, Daniel snapped to his senses, and his tears dried up in an instant.
Daniel's grand plan had been as follows: First, score at least five goals in today's match and become the Man of the Match. After the game ended, act extremely mature and polite in front of the adults gathered to praise him. Then, the adults would say, 'A child who plays soccer this well and is so well-behaved too! Your parents must have raised you so well!' At that point, Alexis would surely be flustered, and Daniel would look up with big, glistening eyes and ask, 'Alec, can I call you Daddy?'
However, this flawless plan had completely unraveled due to damn Michael's appearance. If Operation 'Get Adopted by Alec by Acting Like an Angel' had failed, the only thing left was Operation 'Get Disowned by This Man by Acting Like a Demon.' Alec was gentle and felt sorry for Daniel, so if Daniel were abandoned at an orphanage, he would surely come and apply for adoption!
With his lips poked out, crumpled into the ridiculously cramped back seat of the supercar, Daniel glared at the back of Michael's head as he drove and spoke.
“Let me off. I need to pee.”
“Hold it.”
“I'm gonna pee on the seat.”
The supercar, which was cruising at a speed far exceeding the city's speed limit, came to a dangerously abrupt halt, and the recoil made Daniel slam his head against the front seat with a thud. Pulling the car over to the shoulder, Michael opened the rear door, grabbed Daniel roughly by the collar, hoisted him up, and tossed him out of the car. Daniel, who almost fell over, barely caught his balance and screamed.
“Tyrant!”
“Shut up, bedwetter.”
Puffing with indignation, Daniel pulled down his pants and unleashed a stream of urine, pretending the roadside weeds were Michael's hair. Grumbling spilled out from his still-pouting lips.
“Damn Michael, always getting in the way…”
“Looks like Ness at least taught you the word 'damn'?”
“I learned this from *you*. Alec is a good 'guardian,' so he doesn't use words like that.”
“My, my. For a brat who could only babble back then, your ears were wide open, weren't they?”
It had been five years since Daniel was entrusted to Alexis's care; the memories of living with Michael had almost entirely evaporated, leaving only fragmented events in his mind. The memory of wailing so loud the whole house shook upon hearing the woman who was his mother and Michael screaming at each other, the time he stepped on sharp fragments of things Michael had thrown and broken, and Michael's terrifying face as he roughly pushed away Daniel when he tried to approach for a hug. Not a single memory came close to what happiness looked like.
In contrast, what was life with Alexis like? For a boy who had spent day after day trembling in anxiety and fear, the peaceful days where everything was painted in warm, beautiful colors were precious beyond measure. That was why Alexis was the only one he considered family.
Yet, when Daniel mustered the courage to call Alexis 'Daddy' one day, Alexis had worn a sorrowful expression he had never shown before.
'I'm not Daniel's daddy. Your father is Michael…'
After that, Daniel never uttered the word 'Daddy' again. Perhaps Alexis felt uneasy about that incident, because he often arranged one-on-one time between Michael and Daniel—which neither of them wanted—just like today. Did he really not realize that the more such days repeated, far from building a bond between father and son, the emotional rift between them only deepened?
“If you're done pissing, get in. Let's hurry up and scarf down your damn steak or chocolate ice cream so we can get this over with.”
No matter how much he loved the food, there was no way he could enjoy eating it while sitting across from that man. Rather than coating his favorite food in bad memories, he felt it would be better to shovel down sewage filth instead. Daniel deliberately stomped all over the roadside mud to soil his shoes, climbed into the car, and aggressively kicked the front seat, covering it in dirt.
“Just so you don't misunderstand, I have more than ten cars like this, and if it gets dirty, I can just scrap it.”
“I thought you said you didn't want pee on your seats?”
“Piss smells like shit. And I'd have to change your damn pants too.”
“You're really the worst.”
“I feel the same way. You damn brat.”
After that, the father and son didn't exchange a single word all the way to the restaurant. It was a mid-to-low-tier family restaurant chain Alexis had reserved in advance, a place where a celebrity like Michael Kaiser would rarely visit, so the moment the two stepped inside, burning gazes were felt immediately. The staff member at the counter, who had been glancing back and forth between the two, finally asked as if unable to contain their curiosity.
“Y-You're the player Kaiser, right? I-I'm really a huge fan! Is the one with you your son?”
“That's right.”
“He really looks just like his father! How old is he? Ah, by any chance, could I ask for an autograph…”
“We just came to eat.”
“Ah, oh! I'm sorry. Please don't mind me. I'll guide you to your table.”
Flatly rejected on the autograph request, the staff member's ears turned bright red with embarrassment as they led the two to a window table and quickly left. Michael's arrogant attitude despite being a damn superstar who drew the spotlight wherever he went, and the staff member uttering the verbal abuse that he resembled such a man as if it were a compliment, made Daniel pout with irritation.
“…What part of me even looks like him?”
“Tell me about it. It's utterly insulting that a half-wit who could only score three goals is said to look like me.”
“That's…! I would've done way better if you hadn't come!”
“Ha, did you get nervous because I was watching?”
“I wasn't nervous at all! It's just that looking at your face makes me wanna throw up!!”
“Whatever the reason, a pro scores goals regardless of that kind of crap.”
Daniel tried to talk back, but unable to think of any retort no matter what, he opened and closed his mouth before slamming the table in annoyance. Michael clicked his tongue as if looking down on his son.
“You don't even have talent, so why did you bother making a fuss about playing soccer?”
At those words, Daniel felt a sharp prick, as if a needle had pierced the back of his neck.
Starting soccer hadn't been anyone's recommendation; it was a decision Daniel had made for himself. Five years ago, when Daniel first began living with Alexis, Alexis was still active as a player, or so he heard. After retiring not long after, he watched soccer broadcasts with Daniel every single evening. Even without words, Daniel could feel it. That Alexis still longed for the pitch.
Alexis seemed to be a fan of Michael. After all, besides the matches of his former club, Bastard München, he watched almost every match Michael played in. Perhaps that premise was behind how he became the guardian of Daniel, someone he had never met before. Alexis genuinely loved Michael Kaiser. To the point where he willingly gave up his own soccer career just to look after his son, Daniel.
Which meant that without being Michael Kaiser's son, he was a meaningless existence to Alexis.
The day he called Alexis 'Daddy,' Daniel realized that truth, and from that day on, he came to utterly despise the existence of his biological father, whom he had occasionally missed. That was why he made up his mind. He would become a greater player than that Michael Kaiser. Because then, Alexis would look at Daniel Kaiser himself, not just as Michael's son.
That grand plan was just about to begin, but that oblivious, greedy, and utterly arrogant man had appeared like a natural disaster, turning all his hard work into bubbles.
“I really hate you. I don't need a dad like you.”
“Well, looks like we're on the same page about that. Son.”
Michael popped open the can of cola the staff had just served, poured it into Daniel's cup, and continued.
“Still, shouldn't you be grateful? If you weren't my son, you wouldn't be clinging like a leech to that Ness you love so much in the first place.”
It was a remark that hit right on the mark. Even while knowing those words weren't wrong, Daniel shrieked out of sheer indignation.
“That's not true! Alec said he loves me!”
“I doubt it.”
“Every morning, he calls me the Danny he loves most in the world, you know?!”
“That's just the way the bastard talks. And even if he does love you, it's only because you look like me.”
“What?!”
“You resemble me to an annoying degree. Except for being bad at soccer. Your looks, your filthy temper—”
“I don't! I don't look like you at all!!”
“You hate my guts, don't you? You wish I'd just vanish from before your eyes, right?”
Michael curled one side of his mouth into a bitter smirk as he sneered. Daniel nodded his head so violently his vision blurred. Michael rose slightly and reached across the table toward Daniel. Grabbing the startled Daniel by the scruff of his collar, he roughly stuffed the napkin he held in his other hand into the boy's neckline.
“Even the fact that you think of your old man like that is just like me. You damn brat.”
Michael patted Daniel's napkin-covered chest twice and sat back down. Right before tears could burst out from Daniel's eyes, the steak was served. Daniel took three deep breaths, barely swallowed his tears, and picked up the cutlery. In the next moment, his mind went blank. It was because he belatedly realized that whenever he ate steak until now, Alexis had always cut it for him.
He jammed the fork and knife into the meat haphazardly, but far from cutting it, he only ended up messing up the garnish on the plate into a disaster. Tears welled up at the sheer misery, but he would rather die than ask that man for help. Daniel ultimately gave up on dining with manners, stabbed the steak with his fork, and lifted it whole.
“Hey, hey. Hand it over.”
Michael, who had been watching quietly, clicked his tongue repeatedly and pulled Daniel's plate toward himself. With a few swift motions of his knife, he skillfully slaughtered the steak into pieces and pushed it back in front of Daniel.
“I should add being unable to cut steak to the list of things you didn't inherit from me.”
Daniel looked down at the plate. Distinctly different from the neat pieces Alec usually cut for him, the chunks were jagged, messy, and awkwardly large to put into his mouth.
'He's terrible at cutting it himself anyway.'
Instead of complaining out loud, he shoved a huge chunk into his mouth and chewed it aggressively before swallowing.