Felix followed behind his agent, Lukas Marenwald, hands in his tracksuit pockets, that usual calm look on his face—like nothing ever really rattled him. Lukas had been his agent for about two and a half years now. They made a solid pair.
When they reached the hotel door, Lukas paused before knocking and turned to Felix.
"You ready?"
Felix shrugged. "Not sure." He smirked.
Lukas knocked. A man opened the door, smiled at the two of them.
"Ah, welcome. We've been expecting you."
They walked in. Felix saw his mom and stepdad already inside. That caught him off guard a bit.
"Ma, Pa—you didn't tell me you'd be here."
"Lukas asked us to come. Thought it'd be important," his mom said warmly.
Felix hugged them both, then looked around the room. Aside from the guy who opened the door, there were two others seated.
"Good afternoon." Felix shook hands with each of them, polite and composed.
Everyone settled in. Felix sat between his parents on the couch; Lukas stood nearby.
"So, Felix," said the man across from him, "I'm sure Lukas gave you a heads-up about what today's about. I'm Kim Falkenberg—Head of Youth Recruitment for Bayer Leverkusen. These are Slawomir Czarniecki and Manfred Pomp, the scouts who've been following your progress these past six months."
Felix nodded slowly as he took it all in.
"We've been interested in you for a while," Kim continued, pulling out an envelope. "We think you'd fit perfectly at Bayer. And with the right guidance, you've got everything to become a great professional."
He leaned forward slightly.
"We're also aware of your injury issues this season. That's why we'd put you on a customized program: training load, recovery, nutrition—all dialed in to prep your body for first-team football by next year."
"If you keep progressing, you'll be training with the senior squad next season. And depending on performance, you could become a full squad member within two years."
Felix raised a brow. "What would I need to achieve for that?"
"Well, the U19s will be competing in the UEFA Youth League next season, so there'll be plenty of matches. If you score 30+ goals across that season, you'll be called up immediately."
Felix smirked. "That sounds like my kind of challenge."
"It'll be a two-year contract to start. If all goes well, we'll offer a pro contract before it ends."
Felix paused a beat, then said, "Forty."
Kim blinked. "Sorry?"
"By January next year—I'll hit 40 goals. Mark it down."
Kim smiled. "So you're in?"
"Absolutely." Felix stood and offered his hand.
Kim shook it firmly. "Welcome to Bayer. Can't wait to see you in action next season."
Everyone exchanged smiles and handshakes. The mood was light now, relaxed.
In the car, Lukas drove with Felix sitting up front and his parents in the back.
"Wow, son… sounds like big things ahead. Before you know it, you'll be Germany's next star," his mom beamed.
"Your mom's right," added his stepdad. "We're proud of you—and we'll always have your back."
Felix looked back and smiled. **"Thanks. Means a lot."
"Lukas planned all this," his mom said. "We just showed up."
"Appreciate it, Lukas."
"No problem. It's a big moment—you deserved to have your family there."
"Yeah, he couldn't stop talking about it," his mom laughed. "I think he was more excited than you were."
"To be honest, I thought you'd turn them down," his stepdad admitted. "Lukas mentioned you weren't too keen on the idea. What changed?"
Felix looked out the window. "I don't know. Maybe it's how much they seem to believe in me. More than I did at first. They understand me… in their own way."
As the car cruised through the city streets, his mom perked up.
"Let's eat out to celebrate. I'm sure you guys know a nice spot around here."
"There's one I've been meaning to check out," Lukas said, turning the wheel.