Football: King of Penalty Area
Ch. 42 - National Record and Team

While the outside world was talking about it a lot, Raynaldi and Leona went to a recording studio to record a song. The owner of this recording studio is a lecturer from the university Leona attended.

“Sister Leona why did you pull me here?” Raynaldi himself felt less happy when pulled out forcibly by Leona. Although it was also a team holiday after the game, but Raynaldi was used to running in the city park during the holidays and he was dragged here before doing his routine.

“Don't I tell you that your song will be recorded here? I'll be the singer but I can't find a good accompaniment, so I dragged you here.” Leona knew this niece of not much different age was feeling a bit upset about being pulled out after breakfast.

“Why me?” Raynaldi can only resigned to the behavior “asuka’ Leona.

“Because in my opinion, your guitar playing is very good.” Leona answered briefly.

Raynaldi wanted to talk and denied more but Leona cut him off.

“Calm down, this won't take much time. Just a few hours for today is enough.” Leona convinced Raynaldi.

Raynaldi could only nod in agreement with Leona.

Finally with ‘guide’ Leona, Raynaldi also entered the recording studio. They met the manager of this recording studio who was none other than Leona's lecturer, Anna Ivanovic.

Anna sees her pupil enter with a little man who surprises her, as she recognizes the boy as the new invader of the Athletic Cologne. Anna never thought that the acquaintance called Leona was one of the newly emerging stars in the City of Cologne.

“Leona, what is this?” Anna asks Leona about Raynaldi.

“This is my nephew, well even though we are only 5 years old. And he is a professional football player.” Leona introduces Raynaldi.

“So she is indeed that person, it just so happens that my husband often discusses a new child coming to Koln Athletics in mid-season. He also said the sale of his number 99 jersey directly runs out in 3 weeks.” Anna said with a smile.

Before Raynaldi could ask, Leona had already explained Anna's intentions. “Suami Anna is the commercial director of Koln Athletics, which manages the club's revenue from commercial areas such as jersey sales, merchandise and food court at Koln City Stadium.”

“Oh, so.” Raynaldi.

“Yeah, since we don't have much time, let's start recording now.” Anna brings Raynaldi and Leona to begin recording the song.

. . . . .

The recording of the song went well, although Raynaldi came for the first time to record the song, but he was not at all nervous or made any mistakes in recording so the process of recording a song went much faster than planned.

Starting from the beginning of the recording to the end only takes two hours which is fairly short to record the song. It also made Anna feel that Raynaldi could also be quite successful as a singer if he was not a professional footballer.

“I didn't think that recording a song would be this easy.” Leona who finished recording the song quickly today felt quite happy.

“Yes, this is really fast for a beginner. Leona, I think Ray can also be a good musician if he doesn't play football.” Anna also smiled happily when she saw the recording.

“Sorry, Anna. I still choose to play football.” Raynaldi responded to Anna's joke with a small laugh.

“OK, I know.” Anna did not continue her joke.

“Then can this song be released immediately?” Leona asked Anna.

“Yeah, but we also have to make a video clip to amplify the effect and atmosphere of this song. Do you have any advice about people who can be models?” Anna asked Leona.

“Sorry, Leona. But you're not cut out for this, you're basically an independent and confident person, and this song is about a girl's struggle to be more confident.” Anna immediately rejected Leona.

“Anna, actually I have one candidate. And I also hope you agree.” Raynaldi intends to suggest his acquaintance Irene, however the girl has a good stature and this can also ease the burden of her family.

“Oh, who is it?” Anna asked Raynaldi.

“Irene, she's a junior in my school, she quite fits this song because she needs to be a more confident person.” Raynaldi had originally intended to let Irene get involved in this.

The reason Irene was the target of bullying was because she felt inferior and weak compared to others, this made her tend to give up and not dare to fight when others did something to her.

So the most effective way is to let her get involved in something that could be “her beliefs”, and Raynaldi hears from Irene if she is often involved in the school theater, she said, although almost all of his appearances only acted as passers-by.

Raynaldi intends to let Irene get involved in making this video clip so that she has confidence that she can also do something that she can be proud of as long as she wants to try and try. This will make Irene feel confident and lose her sense of inferiority.

“Oh, so.” Anna looked at Raynaldi and then at Leona.

Leona who understood Anna's intention said to Raynaldi. “Is that the child who experienced the bullying you mentioned earlier?”

“Iya.” Raynaldi.

“You really look like your mother, Ray. You two really like to interfere in other people's affairs.” Leona joked while chuckling.

“My mother is a Psychologist, and her work does interfere with other people's problems.” Raynaldi smiled as he shrugged his shoulders.

. . . . .

Raynaldi returns home first and leaves Leona still busy with her first song. After arriving at his home, Raynaldi returned to his computer to check the latest news on the internet.

There should have been news of fluctuations in gold and crude oil prices in January to February this year, but Raynaldi did not find any news related to that. After checking the financial market application and not finding “quick” money to harvest, Raynaldi decided to turn off the computer and jump into bed.

As Raynaldi is about to go to sleep and enter the virtual stadium, his phone rings and shows a call from his agent Joko Sasongko.

“What's Sis doing?” Raynaldi answered the phone.

“Hai, Ray. I just got word that the national team coach is going to watch your next game, maybe you'll get a national team call soon.” Joko Sasongko's excited voice was heard from the other side of the phone.

“Really? That's good news, but to be honest I probably won't perform as well as at the club when I'm in the national team.” Raynaldi is also pleased with news from Joko Sasongko, but also feels his performances will not be as good as when he was at the club.

“Why?” Ask Joko Sasongko.

“I am a player who needs the support of teammates to perform better, do not look at the number of goals and my efficiency in previous matches. But if I don't get the support of my teammates, my performance won't be as good as before.” Raynaldi was well aware of its advantages and disadvantages.

“Oh, but I heard there's a genius midfielder in our national team. He will only be 19 years old in September, if not wrongly named Rangga.” Joko Sasongko also knew what Raynaldi meant so he lifted the name of the genius midfielder of the national team who became the king of assists in the 2007 Asian Cup with 3 assists in 3 group games.

“Rangga?” Hearing this name Raynaldi again remembered the captain of his school football team, he played for one year with Raynaldi in Indonesian High School football championship and in this year his school won the championship. At that time Raynaldi became the top scorer with 18 goals and his captain, Rangga became the best player with 10 assists and 5 goals.

“This is not the same person right?” Raynaldi thought to himself.