The sun rose warm and golden over Milanello. For once, the air didn't feel like it was filled with pressure — just energy. It was a recovery day after Luca's debut against Ancona, but even on lighter days, Milan didn't sleep.
Luca arrived early, as always. But today, he wasn't alone.
"You're officially not the first in," said Massimo Ambrosini, holding a cappuccino.
Luca smirked. "You camped here overnight?"
"I was dreaming about your block in the sixty-eighth," he joked. "You've got guts, Bellini."
"Thanks," Luca said. "Still catching my breath."
Ambrosini clapped his shoulder. "Well, keep breathing. Word is, you're getting thirty minutes next match too."
---
The training session focused on transitions and small-sided drills. Luca worked beside Costacurta and Kaladze, absorbing more lessons through action than words. At one point, Maldini motioned him over.
"You need to talk more," the captain said. "Your voice is a tool, not a decoration."
Luca nodded.
So, next play, when he stepped forward to intercept, he shouted, "Mine!"
Kaladze looked over, surprised — but not in a bad way.
"Bellini's growing fangs," someone muttered.
He was.
---
After the session, they gathered in the main locker room. Ancelotti entered with his notes and that calm stare of his.
"Good match last Sunday," he said, setting his folder down. "But one win doesn't mean anything. We're facing Perugia this weekend, and they've got bite."
He turned to the whiteboard and scribbled quickly.
> AC Milan (4-3-1-2): Dida in goal, Cafu and Pancaro as full-backs, Maldini and Nesta in central defense. Midfield trio: Pirlo deep, Gattuso for intensity, and Seedorf for dynamism. Kaká in the hole behind Inzaghi and Shevchenko. Bellini, Rui Costa, Ambrosini and others ready on the bench.
> Perugia (4-3-3): Kalac in goal; Ze Maria, Di Loreto, Zanchi, and Grosso at the back. Obodo, Tedesco, and Blasi in midfield. In attack: Fabrizio Miccoli, Zalayeta, and Giovanni Tedesco.
"They're quick on the flanks. Luca—if you come on, you'll need to help stop Miccoli's inside runs. He loves cutting on his left."
Luca nodded, taking mental notes. Then Ancelotti paused, lifted a small envelope.
"By the way," he said casually, "Bellini's been named Serie A Young Player of the Month for August."
The room burst into applause.
"Didn't even start a match and still wins it," muttered Gattuso, grinning.
"You're the future," said Pirlo, raising his espresso cup.
Kaká leaned in. "Can I touch your boots now, or is that weird?"
Luca couldn't stop the smile. "Very weird."
---
That afternoon, after recovery treatment and a light gym session, Luca stepped outside Milanello's gates, phone buzzing in his hand.
Sofia: Still alive, award boy?
Luca: I am. Want to go get gelato before I turn into someone unbearable?
Sofia: Already unbearable. But sure.
They met at a little place they used to visit as kids — tucked behind a church, with faded red tables and teenage staff that didn't care about famous surnames. Sofia was already sitting, wearing a light blue sweater, her dark curls pulled into a loose bun.
He sat down with a quiet grin.
"So you're famous now," she said.
"Barely."
"Front page of La Gazzetta says otherwise."
Luca raised his hands. "I didn't write the headline."
They talked for a while — about football, about her biology classes, about a new dog her neighbor had adopted that barked all night. It wasn't heavy. It was easy. It always was with her.
At one point, Sofia looked at his hands.
"You always keep them like that," she said.
"Like what?"
"Folded. Like you're holding something back."
Luca looked down, then laughed. "Maybe I am."
"Just remember," she said, "not everything's meant to be analyzed. Some things are just… meant to be enjoyed."
He nodded.
"And this is good gelato," she added.
---
That evening, Luca sat at home, shirtless, still a little sun-warmed from the day. His notebook lay open on his desk, the familiar lines ready for the next entry.
> August 31 – September 5, 2003
Serie A debut ✅
Award: Young Player of the Month ✅
Locker room meeting: got mentioned by name.
Voice used. Result: more trust on the field.
Social: spoke up. Laughed. Didn't overthink.
Personal: Gelato with Sofia. She still gets me.
Focus for next game: read Miccoli's movement, trust timing, be heard.
He closed the notebook and turned off the lamp.
Outside, the city pulsed with life. But inside, for the first time in weeks, Luca Bellini felt still.
He wasn't just surviving Milan.
He was starting to belong.