"Mike, you are so cool!"
When Mike said goodbye to Reporter Jack and went to the lounge area, Lina immediately gave him a hug.
Beside them, Cady and Paige looked at him with a different kind of sparkle in their eyes.
It was clear that Mike's brilliant performance on the field earlier had not only captivated the audience but had also made Lina and the others idolize him.
They were deeply fascinated by him…
On the other side, the game's procedure had reached its final stage: the handshake between the two coaches.
"Congratulations, George. Medford has an incredible player…" Coach Cotton extended his hand.
In this game, Mike had fully proven his ability to lead a team by himself.
This kind of leadership ability clearly showed he was a budding star player.
"Your big guy is also very talented. If nothing unexpected happens, he will definitely become an excellent professional player in the future…" George said sincerely.
Although St. Mary's High lost today's game, Michael's performance in the team was still commendable.
Whether in terms of physical talent or willpower, he showed a powerful side.
With these two qualities, Michael was fully capable of making a name for himself in the professional arena.
Hearing George praise Michael, Coach Cotton rarely showed a hint of a smile on his face.
It was clear that unearthing Michael's abilities gave Coach Cotton a great sense of accomplishment.
Moreover, today's game, thanks to the opponent's tenacious spirit, helped the St. Mary's Football Team maintain its last bit of dignity.
Afterward, the two head coaches also engaged in a tacit round of mutual flattery during the handshake.
As they were about to part, Coach Cotton proactively said, "George, I am very interested in your tactical arrangements. Can we exchange ideas privately sometime?"
This June, Michael was set to graduate from high school.
To prevent the team's performance from plummeting, Coach Cotton wanted to learn from George's coaching experience.
After all, to outsiders, the Medford High Football Team's significant improvement in such a short time must have been closely related to George, the head coach.
"It's my honor to exchange tactical experience with you," George replied with a smile.
In fact, he also admired Coach Cotton's on-the-spot tactical adaptability. George naturally wouldn't decline an opportunity to exchange insights with such an experienced coach.
Afterward, the two head coaches happily exchanged contact information before walking off the field, each satisfied.
…
"Mike~ Mike~"
After the entire game ended, Sean, at some point, came to the outside of the Medford Team's lounge area and desperately waved at Mike, who was chatting with the girls.
"What's wrong, Sean?" Mike came outside the lounge area and playfully said, "Are you here to help that big guy get justice from me?"
The way the big guy limped off the field earlier clearly indicated he had sustained a minor injury.
It was not hard to imagine that it was all thanks to Mike…
"No, Michael will settle things on the field himself. I came this time to give you this…" Saying that, Sean handed over a small piece of paper.
"What does this mean?" Looking at the string of phone numbers on the paper, Mike couldn't follow his train of thought.
"That's my sister Collins's phone number. She's your fan…" Sean was very clear about his sister's infatuation with Mike.
Because of this, while "selling out" his sister, he also keenly noticed Cady and Lina behind Mike.
In a very short time, Sean analyzed that, purely in terms of looks, his sister didn't seem to have an advantage.
"Are you trying to set me up with a girlfriend?" Mike continued to ask, amused.
This little guy's thought process was indeed very strange.
"Not yet, we don't know your personality. I just want to create an opportunity for you two to get to know each other…" Sean confessed.
Just then, Collins came looking for him: "Sean, what are you doing? We should go, Mom and Dad are waiting for you…"
St. Mary's High's bus had already left, and the Tuohy couple, who had come to watch the game, were also preparing to return home with their family.
Sean's independent actions had clearly delayed his family's schedule.
"This is my sister, Collins Tuohy…" Sean raised an eyebrow at Mike, lowering his voice as he continued, "I'll tell you a secret, my sister even has your poster hanging in her room."
Before Mike could react, Sean turned to his sister and introduced, "Collins, this is Mike. You should be familiar with him, right?"
Collins, whose face was bright red from Sean's antics, glared at him, then turned to Mike and apologized, "My brother isn't very sensible. If he offended you in any way, I apologize on his behalf."
"No, your brother is quite interesting…" Mike's gaze swept over the siblings, and he said with a smile.
"That's good," Collins smiled.
Then, she wanted to take the opportunity to say something more, but after seeing Mike's handsome appearance up close, her brain overloaded a bit, so she quickly said, "Sorry, we're in a hurry…"
As soon as the insincere words came out, the girl regretted them.
Collins, feeling that she had made a fool of herself, just wanted to escape quickly. Immediately, she pulled Sean and hurried towards her parents.
Sean shook his head helplessly at his sister's reaction.
Deciding to help her out again, he subtly made a gesture to Mike to remember to call before leaving.
…
"Mike, my parents aren't home today, do you want to go to the farm later?" After the Tuohy siblings left, Lina immediately invited Mike on a date.
Perhaps Collins herself didn't notice just now, but her behavior after seeing Mike was completely that of an infatuated girl.
Coupled with the fact that the other party's looks were no less than her own, this made Lina a little jealous.
Therefore, the girl decided to give Mike more sweet incentives to ensure she maintained a place in his heart.
"Okay, that works perfectly as a spring outing." Mike responded to the girl's kind offer with a smile.
Spring has arrived, and it's time for… spring outings…
Lina's family farm was very large, perfect for a spring outing.
"Count me in, I also have nothing to do today," Cady said, unwilling to be outdone.
"Me too…" Paige, for some unknown reason, also chimed in, joining the fun.
Mike was sure that with Paige's intelligence, she definitely knew what would happen at Lina's farm later.
He couldn't let a little girl participate in something like that.
"Um, Paige, today isn't convenient. How about I take you to the amusement park sometime?" Mike appeased the little girl, hoping she wouldn't make a fuss.
"Okay!" Paige was still a child after all, and the amusement park held a great attraction for her.
Therefore, she chose to temporarily let Mike off the hook.
After reaching a consensus with the girls, Mike handed his protective helmet to Georgie and, under the latter's envious gaze, left the campus with Lina and Cady.
Mike, whose physical fitness was already off the charts, hadn't broken a sweat during the entire invitational game today.
So he could totally shower after the spring outing.
…
The Tuohy family, on their way home by car.
"Collins, Mike is very popular with girls. If you're interested in him, you need to learn to be more proactive…" In the back seat of the private car, Sean quietly gave his sister advice.
"Don't talk nonsense, who's interested in him? We haven't even met many times…" Collins retorted guiltily.
However, looking at the expression on the girl's face, she seemed to be protesting too much.
In fact, earlier at the game, Collins had seen Sean go to find Mike, which was why she had proactively taken on the task of calling the little guy home.
Her subtle intentions were self-evident…
Just as Sean had sensed, his sister was indeed captivated by Mike.
"So, you're not interested in Mike then? That's perfect, actually, I don't like him either. He's too much like the pretty boy villains in TV shows," Sean said deliberately, like a little adult.
"I…" Seeing his brother misunderstand, Collins was about to explain.
Just then, Mrs. Tuohy, who had been listening intently in the front seat, suddenly turned her head and gossiped, "What are you talking about? Does Collins have a boyfriend she likes?"
The Tuohy family had a very open-minded approach to parenting, and since Collins was already eighteen, Mrs. Tuohy would not prevent her daughter from dating.
"The Mike you're talking about, is he the number twenty-three from the Medford Team today? He's indeed a great young man…" Mr. Tuohy, who was driving, also joined the conversation: "Collins, I don't object to you dating, but before you make it official, I hope you can bring him home for dinner."
Mr. Tuohy, who had independently created a restaurant chain business model, was clearly more tactful in dealing with people.
Having overheard his daughter's little secret, he quickly thought of inviting the boy home for dinner as a way to both not damage his relationship with his daughter and to help her vet him.
"Dad, what are you talking about? Mike and I aren't that close yet…" Seeing her father go too far, Collins denied her relationship with Mike, trying to cover it up.
And the ones who knew their children best were definitely the parents. Mrs. and Mr. Tuohy in the front silently exchanged glances, immediately realizing that their daughter might truly be smitten this time.
Then, the two began to chat about Mike.