He selected him. The camera zoomed in for the pre-match cutscene.
He navigated to the line-up. There, at number 19, was the name: . PES 2017 YOUNG LIONEL MESSI FACE HAIRSTYLE
For weeks, Leo had been searching. The default PES 2017 Messi—the one with the short, cropped hair and the generic face—was wrong. It was the 2016 version. A tired, bearded king. Leo wanted the prince. The 2007 Messi. The one who ran like a wisp of smoke, who kept the ball tied to his left foot with a ribbon of magic, and who wore his heart on his sleeve—and his hair like a forgotten rockstar. He selected him
He saved the game data. Then, he turned off the console, got up, and looked at his own reflection in the dark window. He smiled, tucked a stray strand of his own hair behind his ear, and whispered to the night: "Perfect." There, at number 19, was the name:
He wasn’t just any player. He was the player. The one the gaming forums called "Young Leo."
Leo (the player, not the boy on screen) held his breath. He chipped the keeper.