Chapter 99: Unexpected Neighbor

Kristin laughed. "Your reaction is priceless. Why shouldn't I be here? This is my apartment, after all." She said, pointing at the door behind her. "Instead, it is I who should be asking why you're at my doorstep."

Zachary gave her a look over, wondering whether she was being serious or joking. "You really live here, in this building?" He asked after a moment, his voice slightly higher than he'd intended.

It had been close to two years since he'd last seen her, but she'd grown more beautiful. She was even more gorgeous. Her intelligent amber eyes matched her long blonde hair, which she wore in a ponytail. She had a full, womanly figure. The curves of her hips and the fullness of her bosom brought to mind the idea of perfection. Most Norwegian ladies that Zachary had met were not excessively curvy. Kristin was the exception in that regard. Even her Nike Air running jacket and pair of baggy pants couldn't hide her shapely figure.

"Yes, that's right," Kristin replied, the corners of her lips curling into a soft smile. "This has been my apartment for about five years. But why are you here?"

"I live in the apartment on the sixth floor," Zachary replied. "I moved in at the start of January. However, I haven't seen you in this neighborhood even once. Are you sure you're a resident here?"

"Yes, of course," Kristin replied. "But, I've been away for my studies since last August. So, my roommate was alone in the apartment for the past six months."

"But that aside," Kristin continued, tilting her head for a moment and studying him. "I heard from my grandpa that you graduated from the academy last December. That means that you must have already signed a contract with Rosenborg. Is that right?"

Zachary sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "The negotiations with the club took longer than expected. I only managed to sign the professional contract yesterday."

"Yeh, that's great news," she said, pumping her fist into the air like a football player celebrating a goal. "Have you joined the senior or the youth team?"

"The senior team, of course," Zachary replied, beaming. "That's at least according to the terms of the contract."

"Congratulations. Not many can sign a professional contract right after graduating from the academy. Academy graduates usually have to become under-19s or under-21s before joining the first team. The coaches must be very impressed with your skills since they allowed you to join the team right away. You should work hard and treasure the opportunity." She added, taking on the tone of an elder.

"Thank you," Zachary replied, not minding her tone one bit. "I'll try my best on the senior team."

"If I remember correctly, Rosenborg will be playing Odds BK on the 17th of this month. That's only two weeks from now. There must also be some more pre-season friendly matches before that. Isn't that right?"

"Yes." Zachary nodded in assent. "Before playing Odds BK, we'll first face the Swedish teams, Malmo and Örebro. The two matches will be played in Sweden on Tuesday and Thursday this week."

Kristin arched her brows, giving him a once-over from the head to the toes. "Then why aren't you training with the team today? Don't you intend to make it to the first team as soon as possible?" She asked.

"Of course, I would have loved to train with the team today. However, Coach Johansen and the sporting director strictly advised me to take the weekend off and rest my body. That's why I'm here jogging alone instead of being at Lerkendal."

"Oh!" Kristin smiled, giving him an arch look. "I can see that you're doing your best to rest your body then."

"Jogging is a form of resting," Zachary emphasized. "There are tons of sports science articles that support this conjecture."

Kristin smiled, raising her hand in a placating gesture. "Zach! You don't have to be defensive with me. I'm not your manager. But be careful not to openly disobey the coach's orders when you've just entered the team."

"Would you like to come and visit me since you have got a day off?" Kristin intoned, changing the topic. "I have warm coffee—the best at warming the body after being out in the cold. Moreover, I would like to hear about your adventures in Riga and Valencia." She laughed.

"Not today," Zachary replied, shaking his head. "I'm still sweaty from running, so maybe I'll have the coffee next time."

"Oh, that's fine," Kristin said. "We can maybe organize and have dinner some other time. Where is your friend Kasongo by the way? Is he still in the academy?"

"Yes, he is in the academy. But he should be joining the under-19 team pretty soon. They'll be going through the youth team trials next week."

"So, don't you want to brag to me about your performance in the academy," she said, giving him an arch look. "I heard that you were on fire during the international youth tournaments."

"There isn't much to tell about the tournaments. We worked as a team to win in Riga and reach the semis in Valencia. Of course, I was the top scorer in the two tournaments." He emphasized, wanting to look good in front of Kristin.

"You must have worked very hard for the academy to obtain such achievements." Kristin smiled, nodding. "It's a pity that everyone at the club believes that Coach Johansen performed some miracle to win the two cups last year. They don't get that it was all your doing. That was why he got the Rosenborg head coaching job despite his inexperience in the top-tier leagues. He almost didn't face any competition."

"But, Coach Johansen is a great coach," Zachary argued. "Why do you sound like you're dissatisfied with him?"

"Really?" Kristin raised an eyebrow. "Do you think we can trust him to take the team back to the top?"

She sighed. "I don't want to see the team end up performing poorly like last season. To put it simply, Coach Johansen doesn't give me confidence in the club this season."

"That's understandable." Zachary nodded. "But, Coach Johansen is a great coach. I have played under him for two years. He knows how to utilize the capabilities of all his players. Furthermore, he is not rigid and can easily adapt to novel situations quickly. You don't have to worry about the club this season."

"I hope so," Kristin mumbled, shaking her head. "It would be bad if we continued underperforming this season."

Zachary couldn't help but recall Rosenborg's performance the previous season. The team only managed to finish third in the Tippeligaen and were even eliminated by Molde, their arch-rivals, at the fourth round stage of the Norwegian Football Cup. To make matters worse, they took a harsh beating in the Europa League—not advancing further than the group stage. The season had been a disappointment to both the fans and the management since it was unbefitting their history.

That was why the management was eager to shake things up and change the club situation. They started a back-to-the-roots project that aimed to take the club back to the top of the Norwegian Football tournaments.

They had appointed Coach Boyd Johansen the previous December since he'd just won two cups while coaching the academy team that-very-year. But his appointment faced a lot of backlash from most of the Rosenborg fans since they wanted the club to hire Coach Per Joar Hansen instead.

"Enough about the coach," Kristin intoned, interrupting Zachary's contemplation.

"Why don't you work hard and help us win the league this season? My grandpa says that you're the most talented player he has ever come across in his scouting career. So, it should be a piece of cake for you to take us to the quarter-finals of the Europa League." She laughed, regarding him with a relaxed, calculating expression.

"You must be jesting Miss Kristin." Zachary smiled wryly. "I haven't even made it to the starting line-up, but here you're, asking me to take the club to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Do you have that much faith in me?" He held her gaze.

"Well," Kristin mumbled. "Not you. But I believe in my grandpa's vision. He has never made a mistake about a player's worth. Since he regards you that highly—comparing you to the likes of JJ Okocha and Yaya Toure, you should at least be able to help us win the league." She looked at him with puppy eyes, taking a step forward and holding his hands. "Isn't that right?"

Zachary was struck speechless.

He had never realized that Miss Kristin had such a playful side to her. He had always assumed she was one of those 'queen-bee types' who looked down on everyone else. But it seemed he'd been wrong.

"Won't you say yes to my simple request?" Kristin prompted.

"Are you serious?"

Kristin met Zachary's gaze and spoke softly. "Yes, I'm serious. You 'just' have to make this one promise of helping us reach the quarter-final of the Europa League..." She stopped mid-sentence as another voice came through her apartment's door that was slightly ajar.

"Kristin," the other soft voice called. "What are you doing outside? You're about to miss the beginning of the show."

"Monica," yelled Kristin, turning around to face the door. "I'll be there in a moment."

She then returned her attention to Zachary. "You should really join us at least for lunch?" Kristin once again urged. "That was my roommate in there, just now. So, you'll get a chance to have lunch with two beautiful girls." She gave him an arch look.

"No, maybe another time," insisted Zachary, his tone firm. "I really have to get back to my place and take a shower. Or else, I'll get a cold. That would affect my training on Monday morning."

Although he enjoyed Kristin's company, he didn't want to spend his Saturday watching soaps and reality TV shows in a girls' apartment. That would be even more tiring than playing an intensive football game.

"Okay, then," Kristin said, smiling. "See you around."

"See you around," Zachary replied before turning around and heading up the stairs.