FOOTBALL IMAGINES

a chance encounter | jamal musiala

notes: i did post this as the first chapter in a separate book, but i have decided against continuing with it as a series, so i'm putting it in my main imagines book, apologies if you have read this before 🫶🏻

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you had gone to the cafe for a bit of peace and quiet, in hopes of finishing the work that you needed to finish for your next assignment. you thought the closest book cafe would be the perfect place to study, you thought it would be a little like a library, not silent, but a light hum of noise is exactly what you needed sometimes. however, a light hum was the last thing you got.

when you arrived, there were only a couple of people in there, the classical music playing over the speakers still very much audible over the light chatter. it wasn't until it passed the hour mark of you being in there, that more people started to enter the small shop. every single table was filled, and you were thankful that you had chosen the table in the corner, which was close to the crackling fire, that kept you the furthest away from the action that you could be.

but it was getting harder and harder to concentrate by the second, strangers' laughter bringing you away from the world you were exploring in your head. the best idea, you thought, was to put in your earbuds, hoping that the noise cancelling feature would give you the little bit of solitude that you needed to complete the work that you so needed to finish. putting on your studying playlist, you sat back in your chair, sinking back into the world that you escaped to whenever you wanted studying to be easier.

it wasn't until you went to grab your notebook, which was placed at the side of your laptop, to make a note, that you realised that there was a hand resting on the chair across from you. thinking it was just someone taking the chair to another table, you thought nothing of it, until a finger came down and tapped the top of your laptop, gaining your attention.

looking up, your eyes were met with a boy, who must have been about your age, staring down at you, an expectant look on his face. realising that he was waiting to talk to you, you took your earbuds out of your ears, put your pen down, and closed the lid of your laptop a little, before you started to talk to him.

"sorry," you smile up at him awkwardly. "i was in my own world then, can i help you with anything?"

"it's fine, don't worry about it," he smiles back at you, adjusting the grip he had on his coffee cup. "i was just wondering if i could sit here. i didn't realise that there weren't any seats left, if i did i would have gotten a takeout cup." the boy lets out a soft laugh nodding down at the cup in his hand. "i can see you're busy, so i'll try not to distract you, i probably won't be long anyway, i'll finish my coffee and i'll be out of your hair."

you look around the cafe, taking in the people sitting at the window seats, and the couple that are having to lean against the wall because of the lack of seats. "yeah, of course, you can, take as much time as you need."

you're just about to grab your earbuds when the guy across from you motions to you and says, "you're not from here, are you?"

you shake your head, "nope, i'm over from england, i chose to do my year abroad here."

"oh, interesting, what are you studying?" he takes a sip of his coffee, seeming genuinely interested in you.

"criminology, i'm kind of a true crime nerd," you let out a little laugh.

"you're not one of those people that's obsessed with serial killers, are you?" he smiles at you, tilting his head in a way to tell you that he's just teasing you.

"i am actually," you smirk at him. "and i firmly believe that everyone should be, criminal minds are the most fascinating in the world."

the boy nods, "yeah, i suppose they are. my name's jamal, by the way."