2026-08-16, 10:19 AM - Word count:
Unbelievable. That was the word that kept ringing out in Joe’s mind. Some 45 minutes earlier, they had been sitting in the very same dressing room, 4-1 up. The rest of the match was going to be but a formality. Yet, the locker room was once again quiet after a match. They had conceded three in the second half, most excruciatingly a 94th minute goal by a lad whom Joe knew all too well from his academy season. Dante Von Wolfe had equalised with the final kick of the match. Two of the three points had vanished in that exact instant, although one could say that they had it coming, conceding two earlier in the half. Either way, the fact of the matter was that they had left the pitch without victory yet again, now finding themselves in a real rough patch following the two opening wins.
The staff in the lobby nodded and bowed in the direction of Joe as he moved from the elevator to the door. This was truly the worst part about living in a hotel. No matter how much you wanted to be left alone, you would always feel watched. And rightly so, because the staff were clearly paying attention to his movement. Try as he might to avoid meeting their eyes, he knew they must be following him. How else could they be bowing towards him? Aware that he was always careful to greet the staff with a smile and a small nod, Joe felt that he had to do the same again today, even if the desire to do so was wholly absent. As though it wasn’t enough that he’d had to do so when he’d come back from the match an hour later. Unfortunately, acting out of line for his general character would only stir conversation about him. That much he knew. So he eventually looked in the general direction of the front desk and tried a toothless smile in combination with a nod, without actually looking at the person he was supposed to be aiming it at. He pretended not to notice the piccolo before feeling forced to repeat the gesture for the guy who opened the door for him to leave the building.
Once he was outside, the fresh air hit his face. The evenings weren’t as hot as they had been when he had first arrived in Budapest, but they were nevertheless warm enough for a good walk. If anything, they were actually nicer like this. It felt way better to run in this temperature than back when it had been more akin to what he knew from Bangkok than what he had expected of Europe.
Joe wore a thin hoodie, something he wouldn’t have been able to stand a month or two earlier.
It had become a bit of a ritual for Joe to go out for a meal when he was in a bad mood. He still wasn’t totally sure about the whole fresh air thing that the farangs seem to love, but what he was certain about was that he did not want to be at home. Stepping out onto the street, he quickly turned a corner, after which the process of walking became mostly mindless. Despite knowing that he shouldn’t be looking at his phone following another disappointing match, he found it hard not to, and so his face was quickly buried in its light, feet moving however they wanted.
“How about you watch where you are going?!” The words escaped his lips with as little thought as he had placed on his walking. They were in Thai. Wait. Why would he say it in Thai? No, to begin with, why did he think he’d heard someone else speak his native language?
After a moment, the voice returned. “Well, maybe if you hadn’t been so absorbed by your phone, you would have noticed that you weren’t the only person on the street!”
Joe was beginning to realise what had happened. The woman had mumbled “watch where you’re going, damnit” as they passed each other. In Thai. His instincts had taken over and he’d returned the gesture.
At this point, he had to commit to it. “And why were you not paying attention yourself? You could have just walked around me.”
“Clearly, I was paying attention! If not, you would have walked right into me!” she bit back. “And besides, is that any way to talk to a girl?”
Joe wasn’t having it. Not tonight, he wasn’t. Not even if he knew that he was the one in the wrong. “To a..” Joe stopped for a second. “I treat people nice if they’re nice.” There was just something about the way she spoke that rubbed him the wrong way.
“So, now you’re judging my character? On the basis of what – you walking into me and not bothering to apologise? Some nice guy you are.” She seemed to be trying to get on his nerves intentionally.
“I’m not judging anyone. And I didn’t walk into anyone.” As soon as he’d spoken the words, he started to regain composure. “Anyway, I’m sorry.”
His apology seemed to take her by surprise, and she just looked at him for a second before nodding and turning back the way she’d been walking, and walking off into the night.
Joe put his phone away and walked, now with more of a goal in mind. He couldn’t wait to get to a restaurant where he would be able to sit down and text Sem about what had happened while eating a warm meal.
The following morning, Joe woke up to see a response from Sem pointing out the thing he might not have noticed on his own: “I was expecting you to be feeling down about the match, not some random person on the street. Guess it at least took your mind off things.”
The staff in the lobby nodded and bowed in the direction of Joe as he moved from the elevator to the door. This was truly the worst part about living in a hotel. No matter how much you wanted to be left alone, you would always feel watched. And rightly so, because the staff were clearly paying attention to his movement. Try as he might to avoid meeting their eyes, he knew they must be following him. How else could they be bowing towards him? Aware that he was always careful to greet the staff with a smile and a small nod, Joe felt that he had to do the same again today, even if the desire to do so was wholly absent. As though it wasn’t enough that he’d had to do so when he’d come back from the match an hour later. Unfortunately, acting out of line for his general character would only stir conversation about him. That much he knew. So he eventually looked in the general direction of the front desk and tried a toothless smile in combination with a nod, without actually looking at the person he was supposed to be aiming it at. He pretended not to notice the piccolo before feeling forced to repeat the gesture for the guy who opened the door for him to leave the building.
Once he was outside, the fresh air hit his face. The evenings weren’t as hot as they had been when he had first arrived in Budapest, but they were nevertheless warm enough for a good walk. If anything, they were actually nicer like this. It felt way better to run in this temperature than back when it had been more akin to what he knew from Bangkok than what he had expected of Europe.
Joe wore a thin hoodie, something he wouldn’t have been able to stand a month or two earlier.
It had become a bit of a ritual for Joe to go out for a meal when he was in a bad mood. He still wasn’t totally sure about the whole fresh air thing that the farangs seem to love, but what he was certain about was that he did not want to be at home. Stepping out onto the street, he quickly turned a corner, after which the process of walking became mostly mindless. Despite knowing that he shouldn’t be looking at his phone following another disappointing match, he found it hard not to, and so his face was quickly buried in its light, feet moving however they wanted.
“How about you watch where you are going?!” The words escaped his lips with as little thought as he had placed on his walking. They were in Thai. Wait. Why would he say it in Thai? No, to begin with, why did he think he’d heard someone else speak his native language?
After a moment, the voice returned. “Well, maybe if you hadn’t been so absorbed by your phone, you would have noticed that you weren’t the only person on the street!”
Joe was beginning to realise what had happened. The woman had mumbled “watch where you’re going, damnit” as they passed each other. In Thai. His instincts had taken over and he’d returned the gesture.
At this point, he had to commit to it. “And why were you not paying attention yourself? You could have just walked around me.”
“Clearly, I was paying attention! If not, you would have walked right into me!” she bit back. “And besides, is that any way to talk to a girl?”
Joe wasn’t having it. Not tonight, he wasn’t. Not even if he knew that he was the one in the wrong. “To a..” Joe stopped for a second. “I treat people nice if they’re nice.” There was just something about the way she spoke that rubbed him the wrong way.
“So, now you’re judging my character? On the basis of what – you walking into me and not bothering to apologise? Some nice guy you are.” She seemed to be trying to get on his nerves intentionally.
“I’m not judging anyone. And I didn’t walk into anyone.” As soon as he’d spoken the words, he started to regain composure. “Anyway, I’m sorry.”
His apology seemed to take her by surprise, and she just looked at him for a second before nodding and turning back the way she’d been walking, and walking off into the night.
Joe put his phone away and walked, now with more of a goal in mind. He couldn’t wait to get to a restaurant where he would be able to sit down and text Sem about what had happened while eating a warm meal.
The following morning, Joe woke up to see a response from Sem pointing out the thing he might not have noticed on his own: “I was expecting you to be feeling down about the match, not some random person on the street. Guess it at least took your mind off things.”
