#myas

My heart nearly stopped hearing her say that.

"Uhhh… come again? HOW much?!"

"Seven million, five hundred ninety fi-"

"I HEARD YOU JUST FINE!! But.. there's no way I'll be able to pay that off…"

I said, in an utterly defeated tone.

"Hey, it's not so bad! Like I said earlier, Tom Nook is really lax about this stuff. He's a good guy!"

I sighed, looking at the golden key that glimmered in my hand.

"Guess I'll just have to take things one day at a time, then! Worrying about all of it right now is just going to give me a heart attack."

Isabelle nodded in agreement.

"That's the spirit, Logan! If you look in the secret storage room- there's a bunch of furniture to start you off. A little worn- but perfectly usable for now!"

I opened the nearly seamless secret door in the wall that flipped around to reveal a secret room filled to the brim with furniture.

"This is awesome- I thought I was going to have to sleep on the floor!"

Isabelle shook her head.

"Noooo! Not at all! And hey- I can help you place some of the furniture to get you started! Getting that bed upstairs would be kind of hard for one person to do all on their own."

"That's.. really nice of you, Isabelle. Thank you!"

"It's no problem! How about I go and get a couple of the neighbors to help too? I'm sure they'd love to help out."

"Oh-er.."

Before I said anything she headed towards the door.

"Don't worry- I'll be back in a jiffy!"

I couldn't reason with her. I stayed inside the house and sat on the floor of the living room, placing my bags next to me. I pulled my knees up to my chest as my mind began to wander. I started to think about everything that's happened so far- but before I could totally get lost in thought, Phil, Kabuki, a lady besides Isabelle, and two other men entered my home.

"I brought the strongest people in town with me!"

"You already know me, Kid." Kabuki said, beaming a smile.

The two unknown men walked forward and introduced themselves.

"My name's Walker!!" "And mine's Nate!"

The other lady stepped forward as well.

"I'm Plucky! Nice to meet ya' mister mayor!"

Then Phil stepped forward. He placed his hand on his chest and theatrically spoke.

"And I just couldn't resist coming along to help decorate! ★"

I couldn't help but be moved by everyone's kindness. A smile danced across my face as a warm glow came from my heart, enveloping me. Is this what having a community feels like..?

Plucky, Nate, Kabuki, and Walker followed Phil's directions of where to place the furniture. Sometimes they would move things back and forth- seeing what looked best. As midnight approached, we finally finished decorating the house.

"My damn back..!"

Kabuki said with a groan as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He gripped his lower back, slightly rubbing it.

"You should really be more careful, Kabuki."

Walker said looking concerned.

"You callin' me old or somethin'?!" Kabuki barked back at Walker, slightly shaking his fist at the young man.

"N-nono! Not at all! You're as young and spry as ever!" He said, stumbling over his words as he lied through his teeth.

"You're a really bad liar, Walker."

Said Nate obliviously as he rubbed his nose with a slight sniff.

"WELL HE WAS RIGHT! I may not be young but I'm in tip top sha- OWW!" He said as his words were stopped short from his sharp yelp. He seemed to be in a lot of pain.

"C'mon Mr. Kabuki, let's get ya home."

Plucky said, putting her hand on his back as she supported him.

"Alright… sounds good." He said with a sigh, quite exasperated. Despite admitting defeat, he was very grateful for Plucky's support and Walker's concern. I was surprised at everyone's teamwork and care towards one another. This was completely different than my life in the city. I think I'm starting to like it here.

"Well, thank you for coming out to help, everyone! Great job!" Isabelle announced joyously. Everyone let out a cheer at a night well spent helping move all of the furniture.

As everyone left, Isabelle spoke to me.

"Well, your home is impeccably decorated now! We'll discuss your other mayoral duties tomorrow!!"

I nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Isabelle. I'd thank everyone else too but they all left, haha!"

"You can do that whenever, it's no big deal! Everyone here helps each other. It's just what we do!" She said with a bubbly, yet soft expression. She gave me a slight bow.

"Good night, Logan!"

"Night, Isabelle!" I replied, trying my best to not yawn. Isabelle left but Phil was still in the doorway.

"Hope you don't mind me being the last to leave! I just wanted to ask you what you think of the placement of everything~?"

He said with a slight hum in his voice. He was quite pleased with himself.

"I think it's wonderful, Phil. Thank you! You really have an eye for this sort of thing."

He nodded and gave a small theatrical bow, as he seems to always do.

"Well I am very knowledgeable on feng shui! It's one of the many art forms I have under my belt! ★"

It was incredible that he didn't seem to be tired at all. But to be fair, he wasn't doing heavy lifting. He paused, realizing he was overstaying his welcome at this point.

"O-oh would you look at the time..! Sorry for being such a blabbermouth- I can get carried away when I talk about my passions!" He said, looking quite embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it! I'm the same way about my interests..! But I'd better get to bed. Goodnight, Phil."

"Good night, Logan. I hope this is the start to a beautiful friendship!" He said as he made his exit, closing the door behind him. After he left I locked the door and turned off the lights, heading upstairs. I pulled down the blankets on the freshly made bed, flopping onto the mattress. My phone began to ring- it was my mom. I answered.

"Hey, ma."

I said, trying to not fall asleep on the spot.

"Hello, dear! How was the move? Did you get there okay?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I got here fine. Everyone seems really nice- I think I'm going to like it here."

"Oh I'm so glad you're making new friends~! You sound tired, though. I'll let you sleep. Good night, sweetie!"

"G'night, ma. Love you."

The phone beeps three times as she hangs up. I stare at the ceiling as I slowly lull into a deep sleep. But soon.. I find myself in a dream. I'm floating in a sea of blue hues that are surrounding me. The blueness glitters and morphs, shifting into different shades. I hear a voice call out to me, but I see no one.

"Sorry about placing the burden of being mayor on you- but I knew the next person to happen upon this place would be the proper one for the job." The voice said.

"Who are you..?" I asked. The voice that spoke to me was shifting as well. It was hard to make out a distinct voice.

"You'll probably never know the real answer to that- but I can tell you that today marks the start of a new journey for you. You're in for a treat, my friend!" The voice fades into the distance. I hear waves crashing.

Has there been an official communication from IOA’s side?

Never! There hasn’t been any official announcement from IOA about the same and all we got has been a verbal communication. The IOA never followed the protocol of communication and did not even inform us as to why the Football Team(s) have been barred from participating in the Asian Games.

Why don’t you send the Football Team(s) at your own expense?

We have expressed our disappointment to IOA officially wherein we have even mentioned that we are willing to bear expenses of travel and stay on our own.

The IOA had asked for an explanation way back on June 4, 2018 and after that there has been no communication as to whether the IOA wants to engage further or not. Even Mr. (Praful) Patel, the AIFF President spoke to IOA President Mr. Narinder Batra and he was told the same thing – ‘to draft an explanation for reconsideration.’

Football is a global and a different kind of sport. We have jumped from 173 to 97 in FIA Rankings since 2015 and it is time that the IOA looked at things differently.

How will this affect Indian Football?

11 Players in the Senior National Team setup are U-23 and immediately after the Asian Games we head to the SAFF Championship where a significant number of youth players will be part of the squad. Moving ahead, in 2019 we have the AFC U-23 Qualifiers and this would have been a great learning exposure for the players.

It is sad and disheartening that the IOA has adopted such an approach. We were 173 in 2015 and as of today we are 97 in the FIFA rankings which explains the significant efforts made for the evolution of Football in India. The fact that we have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup and have setup various grassroots initiatives and Youth Leagues are a testament of that effort.

Even for the Women National Team there have been significant efforts to develop the squad and they were already in camp and were supposed to play a tournament in Spain as preparation for the Asian Games.

Abhishek Yadav, present Director of National Teams, AIFF sitting next, added:

We were considering calling up U-17 World Cup players for the preparatory Camp for the Asian Games. The Indian Arrows’ players who have the experience of playing in the World Cup and the Hero I-League represent the next generation of Indian Football. The Asian Games would have been a huge experience for them which would have served Indian Football in the long run. We are pushing aggressively to develop our players and the more exposure the players get, the better it is for Indian Football.

Has the Government been supportive?

Mr. Kushal Das said: The Government and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have been hugely supportive of our developmental activities. We have received an unprecedented support from their side which is significantly much more than what we used to get.

However, the decision of not allowing the Team is solely of the IOA and not of the MYAS.

Are you optimistic that the IOA will change their stance?

We are still optimistic that the team will receive the green signal for participation. We are asking for an explanation and maybe the IOA will reconsider their stance.

"Nono, Kabuki. You don't need to drown the flowers with water! They only need a little bit."

"Oh-er… sorry Etti.. Bah! I'm no good at this stuff!" Kabuki said with a frustrated shrug as he crosses his arms.

"Hey.. it's okay! We all have to learn before we become good at something. Oh..!"

She sees me and immediately stands up. She seems a bit flustered. She has pastel purple hair that's in a ponytail, cascading into waves that reach the back of her head. She's wearing a lightweight scarf that's tied around her neck, and an entirely pastel, cutesy outfit with a pink dress and bubblegum-pink shoes.

"U-um.. I'm really sorry- I didn't see you there! You must be the new Mayor everyone is talking about!" Her anxiousness turns into a shy smile. She reaches out, extending her hand daintily. I shake her hand, beaming a smile back at her.

"It's nice to meet ya! My name's Logan!"

"Oh wow, what a lovely name! My name is Étoile, it's so nice to see a fresh face around here! I can't remember the last time we've had someone new move to Seacliff."

"Well I saw the town's brochure and I just couldn't resist coming here! So far it's so much nicer than living in a big city." I said in a jovial manor.

"You're from a city, Kid? So is Phil! Maybe you two could bond over that experience, sometime." Kabuki said back to me with a reassuring nod.

"Oh, yeah? Do you know what city he's from?" I asked as I couldn't help but be a bit curious.

"I don't remember the name at the moment, this old brain lets me down sometimes! Never get old! Gahaha! ..But I'm sure Phil would happily tell ya where he's from. He just loves to talk about himself.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his remark. Phil does seem like that type of guy- but not in a conceited way or anything. He seems full of himself but in a confident and fun way; that's the impression I get.

"Well.. I'm gonna head to the café! Later, guys!"

"Oh.. um.. okay, Logan!" Étoile said, seeming a bit confused. I don't really pay attention to that though, I have coffee I wanna order- and that café is calling my name! I wave goodbye to them both as I make my way over there.

"You're gonna tell him the café's been closed for years now, right?" Kabuki asked Étoile.

"Well, he'll figure it out when he gets there.." She said, shrugging. "Now, Kabuki. I'll show you how to pull out weeds that are growing around the flowers."

"Ah jeez.. if I can't even water 'em right how will I be able to do that?!"

She giggles and shakes her head.

"Don't worry so much! Now.. this one here is thistle- it's kinda pokey so be careful! And this one is.."

She continued to go into depth about the different types of weeds one should pull out of a garden.

After a little while of walking I finally reach the café! And… it's…

"Closed?!" I say out loud in disbelief.

"There HAS to be somewhere else to get coffee though, right..?" I said, checking my phone. But no, there were no other restaurants or eateries in the area. However, there WAS a small grocery store called T&T Mart. Maybe they would have something I could eat..!

I look both ways once I reach the northernmost part of town, making sure no trains are going to cross the tracks. I walk up the street and to my surprise.. T&T mart and some kind of clothing store called "Able Sisters" were the only stores there. The rest of the buildings that surrounded them looked abandoned and boarded up.. Completely different from the brochure I'd read before coming here.

I walked into T&T mart and was greeted by a short young man with big dark blue eyes and brown hair.

"Welcome to T&T Mart, can I help you find anything?"

The young man asked.

"Well.. maybe. I'm looking for something to eat. I tried going to the café but it seems like they've been closed for a while."

"Oh, they've been closed for a few years now. But we have some food for you! We have a small hot bar over there. We also have a coffee dispenser and hot water for tea."

"Years, huh..?" I said, thinking to just a few moments ago when I saw all of the abandoned shops. "Have the other shops been closed that long, too?"

"..Even longer. The café was the last to go." The young man said as he briefly paused, looking quite sad.

"The owner is friends with Blathers, the man who runs the museum. Blathers begged him to stay but he just couldn't keep the café open with so little visitors. Locals can only sustain a store for so long.. as we're beginning to see for ourselves right now at this store."

"You say "we"- but you're here by yourself? What's your name?" I asked the young man.

"I'm Tommy, but my brother helps me run the store. His name is Timmy." the young man replied.

"Oh..! Are you that Tom Nook guy Isabelle told me about..?! I.. Imagined you being a lot different.. mostly older if I'm being honest. But hey, young people can be just as successful as-" He shakes his head and cuts me off.

"Oh, you misunderstand. Tom Nook is my uncle. He used to run this store before me and my brother were born, but when we turned twenty he passed the store along to us."

"T-twenty..?" I stammered. He didn't look like he was in his 20's at all! Maybe it was the height.. maybe it was the giant sparkling eyes? Either way, it caught me off guard.

"I'm twenty-three now. Does that surprise you or something? I mean, if I'm being honest- you don't look much older. You could even be younger than me for all I know."

"I'm… 26…." I managed to mutter, feeling utterly defeated by him clocking me like that. I know I look young but come on..!

"Ohhh okay. Got it. So you are older than me. Well, sir- we offer senior discounts if you'd like to take advantage of that today for your purchase."

I couldn't even reply to that, I honestly walked right into that one. I got my meal from the hot bar, picked out some dry goods for later, and walked up to the check-out, placing my items on the counter.

"That will be 200 bells, sir." Tommy said as I avoided looking him in the eye out of shame. I put the money into his hand, gave a small bow and made my way towards the exit until he spoke up.

"By the way, you're the new mayor, right?" He asked.

"Uh.. yeah..! For now, anyways." I replied, feigning some sense of normalcy.

"I see!" He said with a soft smile. Well- jokes aside.. it's nice to meet you. Logan, right?" Tommy asked with kind curiosity.

"How'd ya know?"

"You'll find that word travels fast in this town. That's just how it is in smaller communities." He said with a slight nod.