The Twelth Player

Chapter 6

Matti's Perspective

"More happiness is in giving," I heard Elina's voice in my head as I walked to training. It had been bugging me for days. Michael was right – my whole life, I'd only been focused on myself. And then there's her, running around helping everyone, even when she can barely stand on her own feet. Maybe I should stop being the idiot who thinks the world revolves around him.

When I arrived at the field, I noticed the younger guys struggling with the goalposts. Two of them were trying to lift one, and the third was just wandering around because he didn't have enough strength for it. All the others, including me, usually pretended not to see it. It's not my job, I'd tell myself every time. But today, I stood there watching.

Then it hit me. No, Matti, today will be different.

I walked straight over to them. "Hey, let me take it for a moment," I called. The guys looked up, a bit surprised. "I'll help you."

"Really?" one of them asked in disbelief, like he thought I was joking.

"Yeah, really. We're not going to spend half the day on this, are we?" I held one end of the goalpost and lifted it. It was heavy, but nothing I couldn't handle. The guys smiled and came to help me. Once we got it in place, they thanked me, and I gave them a somewhat silly grin.

Maybe it wasn't a big deal, but for me, it was a step. More happiness is in giving, I repeated in my head as I joined the others on the field.

Elina's Perspective

That evening, I sat on my bed looking at the Kinder egg. I still felt like I should give it to Katie. The chocolate would make her happy. But something inside me resisted. "You're not a robot, Eli. You deserve something for yourself, too," I heard Matti's words.

Finally, I unwrapped the egg. I felt a bit guilty, but as soon as I tasted the chocolate, something changed. It was sweet, soft – it reminded me of what it was like when I was little. I closed my eyes, and suddenly I saw my mom and dad smiling at me. I was sitting at the kitchen table with them, showing them my drawings, and they were praising me. "Our little princess," my mom said, stroking my hair.

That's how I used to be – happy, full of dreams, full of joy. But now? Now I can't even remember what it's like to think about anything other than others. But maybe I can change that, I thought as I opened the plastic capsule inside the egg.

There was a cute little owl with big eyes. I held it in my hand and had to smile. It was pretty. Gentle. It reminded me that I have the right to be myself, too. I placed it on the nightstand next to my bed to remind me of this moment.

And then I decided. I can feel good, too. In the morning, I even washed my hair and left it loose, even though I usually wear it tied back in a braid or bun so it doesn't get in the way. Then I rummaged through my clothes and found a sweater someone had given me. It looked pretty nice. I don't have to be just a wallflower, I thought, and for the first time in a long time, I smiled at myself in the mirror.

Matti's Perspective

When I walked into the Union Kids Center that day, I saw her immediately. She was standing at the table, handing out crayons to the kids, and I felt like I was seeing a completely different Elina. Her hair was loose, falling around her face, and the sweater she wore surprisingly suited her. I don't know why it struck me so much. Maybe because until now, she always wore something baggy, like she was trying to hide. But now? I don't know what made her show herself a little, but damn... she looked good.

I froze. What the hell am I doing? I came here to pick up my niece, and instead, I'm staring at Elina like I've never seen a girl before? But there was something about her. Something delicate, almost fairy-tale-like.

"Hey," I said when she got closer. She smiled at me in her shy way that always kind of disarmed me.

"Hey," she replied quietly.

I just stood there for a moment, staring at her because I couldn't help it. When did she change like this? I noticed she was holding something in her hand – it looked like a little owl. She was fiddling with it nervously, her fingers twisting it.

"Nice little owl. So you kept the egg after all?" I asked, nodding toward her hand.

She blushed and lowered her eyes. "Yeah... actually, I did," she admitted quietly.

I smiled. "I told you, you deserve something for yourself."

She looked up and for a moment seemed serious, like she was searching for the right words. "Maybe you were right," she finally said. "It helped me think a little. The owl... reminds me that sometimes it's not bad to think about myself, too."

I looked at her nervous hands, gripping the toy, and felt something warm inside. Her transformation was barely noticeable, but at the same time, it was huge.

"You know, I tried it, applying what you taught me," I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"That thing of yours, about how there's more happiness in giving," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "I helped carry goalposts at practice. For the guys who could barely handle them. And... it actually made me happy."

She smiled, a little uncertainly, but still looking pleased. "That's good," she said.

We stood there for a moment, and I felt like she wasn't just the girl from the Kids Center who took care of my niece. She was becoming a good friend to me. Who would have thought, not so long ago, that we'd be helping each other like this?

In the meantime, Katie was ready, so I went home with her.

I looked at the toy in her hand again. "Take care, little owl," I said with a slight smile.

Elina laughed. "Take care, Matti."

And from that day on, I couldn't get her out of my head.