Kai extended his arm out the bus window.
With emotion in his gaze, he waved—
And slapped hands with the fans lining the street!
"Chin up! No tears!"
Kai shouted through the open window with a smile.
In an instant—
All the fans surrounding the bus froze.
Then, as if struck by lightning—
Their bodies trembled, and their eyes sparkled with recognition.
That familiar line…
It brought them back to that night last season.
The night when Kai led Crystal Palace to a dramatic comeback in the final round of the Championship, clinching the title in dominant fashion.
The whole stadium had erupted in celebration.
Fans had wept with joy.
And Kai had stood tall, calling out to the tens of thousands of Crystal Palace supporters:
"Chin up! No tears!
The journey is not over yet!"
It was a secret code shared between Kai and the Crystal Palace fans!
The cheers that followed swept like a wave alongside the team bus.
Inside the bus—
Van Persie was visibly moved.
"Captain, you really are a born leader," he said.
"Just one season at a club—
and you became the pride of an entire city."
Walcott nodded in agreement.
"We're supposed to be the away team today…
but it feels like we're playing at home.
The fans here love our captain too much."
Arteta's eyes flickered with emotion.
"No matter where he goes, the fans there love him completely.
That kind of charisma… it's just natural.
If one day he leaves North London, if he ever leaves Arsenal—
I can't even imagine what will happen in North London that night."
The Arsenal players sat quietly, taking in the wild cheers from outside…
And letting Arteta's words settle in their minds.
Kai clapped his hands together, then playfully slapped the back of Arteta's head.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"Did you forget our goal for the season?"
"No one's leaving until we win the title!"
Hearing that—
At the front of the bus, Wenger's eyes couldn't help but flicker.
Van Persie perked up instantly.
"That's right!
This season, our goal is to win titles—
As many as we can!"
All the Arsenal players felt a surge of passion and anticipation rising in their hearts.
"Eagle King! Come look at the front of Selhurst!"
"We built a statue for you!"
Outside the bus—
Crystal Palace fans were jumping for joy.
Hearing this—
Even the Arsenal players inside were stunned.
A statue?!
South London had built a statue for Kai?!
The bus slowly entered the grounds of Selhurst Park.
And there it stood—
A lifelike statue came into view.
It was Kai's iconic celebration pose—
Arms wide open, as if embracing the entire stadium.
Like an eagle spreading its wings, ready to soar into the sky!
In that moment, even Kai was visibly moved.
His former club—
Had built a statue in his honor right outside the stadium gates!
He stepped off the bus with his Arsenal teammates—
And walked slowly toward the statue.
His heart surged with a thousand emotions.
Memories flooded back like a tide!
One hour later…
Under the night sky of South London—
Inside Selhurst Park Stadium—
All 30,000 seats were completely packed!
Since Kai's departure, Crystal Palace's performance had become unstable again.
Though they had climbed to the Premier League—
They now hovered near the relegation zone.
Selhurst Park's attendance had never again reached last season's heights.
In fact, except for a few crucial matches—
Most Premier League teams rarely saw a full house every single game.
But tonight…
For both Arsenal and Crystal Palace fans—
It was a night to remember.
Arsenal only needed one more win to tie the all-time record—
And to set a new winning streak record across Europe's top five leagues.
But for Crystal Palace fans,
This was a night that meant so much more—
The Eagle King had come home.
In the player tunnel before kickoff—
Kai stepped out of the dressing room.
Coming toward him was a crowd of familiar faces from Crystal Palace.
"Captain!"
Nathaniel Clyne rushed over and wrapped Kai in a tight hug.
Grinning, he pointed at the captain's armband on his sleeve:
"Captain, look! I'm the new captain of Palace now!"
"After you left, the coach decided to put his trust in me.
But to be honest… I haven't led the team very well.
Since getting promoted to the Premier League, we've been struggling badly…"
Kai gave him a firm pat on the back.
"Being a team captain means shouldering endless responsibility.
You'll get better. I know you will."
Inside the tunnel, more Crystal Palace players stepped forward.
Every single one of them embraced Kai warmly—
Their eyes filled with the emotion of a long-awaited reunion.
Ambrose, Zaha, and even James McCarthy—
Who had announced his retirement midway through last season—
Had returned this year!
McCarthy gave Kai a powerful hug.
The two smiled at each other with mutual understanding.
Even several of Crystal Palace's new summer signings,
players who had just joined the club,
walked up nervously to shake Kai's hand and hug him.
Even before they joined,
they had already heard legends of what Kai had done at Crystal Palace.
He was the one who led a struggling Championship club to a double crown season.
He was a club legend—
His jersey number had been retired.
A statue had been erected in his honor outside Selhurst Park!
For these young players,
it was a kind of respect and legacy that felt unimaginable.
And now, standing right before them—
Was that very legend in the flesh.
His story was one passed down and cherished
by thousands of fans throughout South London.
Under the South London night sky…
The clock struck 8 PM.
Kai, wearing the Arsenal captain's armband,
led his teammates out of the tunnel and onto the Selhurst Park pitch—
into the full view of the roaring crowd.
At that moment—
The stadium erupted in deafening cheers!
"EAGLE KING!"
"EAGLE KING!!"
Crystal Palace fans shouted his name at the top of their lungs.
Whoosh—
A massive banner slowly unfurled in the stands.
Kai couldn't help but be moved.
On that banner was the scene of his very first appearance at Selhurst Park,
wearing the No. 10 Palace shirt.
His name and number were clearly visible above the crowd.
It had been over half a season since he left—
And yet, as he returned to Selhurst Park,
it all felt like yesterday.
Yes, time had passed.
Yes, people and circumstances had changed.
But the love from these fans—
Had not faded in the slightest.
Kai waved to the crowd.
After the pre-match ceremony, he walked to the sideline—
And embraced both Ian Holloway and Keith Millen,
his former coaches.
"Welcome home, child of Selhurst,"
they said, eyes glowing with pride.
It felt like half a year hadn't passed at all.
As if nothing had ever changed.
Stepping onto the pitch once again—
Kai was still Selhurst's prince.
Facing the deafening cheers of thousands,
he made his way to the center circle.
Across the halfway line, he saw them—
All familiar faces.
This was a milestone night for Arsenal.
But also—
It was a night that Kai would repay
with the best performance he could give.
A tribute to the fans of South London who still loved him deeply.
"BEEEP!"
The referee blew the opening whistle
at a sold-out Selhurst Park.
And the entire stadium erupted like thunder—
As the match began!
~~----------------------
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