Echoes of Glory: FC Barcelona Imagine

⟡ ݁₊ . A Night in Shilin (Pablo Torre.)

⚽

It started with a whim.

A casual conversation turned into a booked flight, and now here you were, standing in the middle of the bustling Shilin Night Market, your fingers barely brushing against Pablo Torre’s as you both wandered through the glowing maze of lanterns and laughter.

You wore a light jacket, the Taipei night air cool but pleasant, carrying the scent of fried chicken, grilled squid, and the sweet hint of bubble tea.

Tourists were everywhere, but somehow it felt like you and Pablo were the only ones in your own little world.

“Do you smell that?” Pablo asked, leaning closer.

“I think that’s stinky tofu.”

You laughed, wrinkling your nose.

“You try it first.”

He raised an eyebrow, pretending to act betrayed.

“So I’m the designated food tester now?”

“Exactly,” you said, smiling.

He bought a stick, took one bite, and instantly winced.

“Nope. That’s all yours.”

You both burst out laughing so hard the vendor chuckled with you.

⚽⚽

After a while, you found yourselves sharing a giant chicken cutlet and sipping milk tea with oversized straws.

Every time Pablo looked at you, there was something different in his gaze something softer, quieter, like he was memorizing this night.

You passed by a lantern stand where couples wrote wishes and lit them into the sky.

“Want to try?” he asked.

You nodded.

On the little card, you wrote your wish in small, careful letters:
“May this not be just a memory.”

He didn’t show you his wish, but when the lantern rose, his fingers wrapped around yours.

“I hope that one comes true,” he whispered, voice nearly drowned out by the surrounding noise.

But you heard it. Loud and clear.

⚽⚽⚽

Later, you wandered into the side streets, away from the crowd.

The lights were dimmer here, the sounds quieter. He stopped in front of a claw machine arcade and pointed.

“Winner buys dessert?”

“You’re on,” you challenged.

Of course, neither of you could win anything.

But you ended up laughing so much, cheeks sore, hands sticky from cotton candy and takoyaki. It didn’t matter.

The night was already perfect.

Then, as the crowd thinned, he looked at you, not with his usual humor or sarcasm, but like he was standing in front of something fragile and beautiful.

“Hey,” he said gently, “Can I tell you something?”

You nodded.

“I’ve been to so many places… but this night? With you? It feels like the one I’ll remember when I’m old.”

You didn’t answer with words.

You just leaned your head against his shoulder, your heart beating with both peace and excitement, like the night sky filled with floating lanterns.

And somewhere in the middle of Shilin, under the warmth of yellow lights and the faint buzz of neon signs, you realized:
This wasn’t just a vacation.
It was something beginning.