Before the Opening

At eleven that night, the team returned to the hotel. Fans still waited downstairs. Some wanted autographs. Some wanted to shout. When Mason stepped off the bus, a boy squeezed to the barrier holding the gray T-shirt. "Mason!" the boy called. "Are you really going to score at the World Cup?" Security moved to block him. Mason stopped. Every camera turned back toward him. He looked at the boy and was silent for two seconds. "Yes." No explanation. No smile. Just one word. That night, the clip replaced half the mockery videos. Some called him arrogant. Some called him insane. For the first time, a few people wrote the same thing in the comments: "What if he actually does it?"