Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Returned after completely overwhelmed Yemen 3-0, it was a great sense of feeling for Mohanad Ali, Iraq's young but important player. And of course, none could feel better like their coach, Srečko Katanec. That Slovene boss enjoyed his first ever knockout stage as coach, previously led Slovenia and the UAE but didn't progress to the next round.

Mohanad Ali soon asked for going out, under permission, in which Katanec reluctantly agreed.

Ali is just 18, but he was more mature and experienced, and grew elder than most of other, as he, like many Iraqis, experienced hardship as a kid. Ali held a great respect for Younis Mahmoud, whom influenced him when Mahmoud was still at height of career. Unsurprisingly, Mahmoud placed great hope on future Iraqi children, including Ali.

…

…

"Hey, chill bro!"

Mohanad Ali turned back as he was joined by Ayman Hussein. Ayman, same with young Mohanad, experienced hardship before. Ali understood it well.

"Brother Ayman, there shall have nothing worse than this one if we don't take a try."

"I can see that well. By a way, who shall be our next knockout stage's opponent, we don't give a damn. We'll rape all."

"Yeah, but don't look on the sky, man." Ali warned Hussein: "We had just won a hard 3-2 against Vietnam; an easy 3-0 win over Yemen explained little to none. The Iranians surely are watching us."

"They also booked a ticket already. Who give a damn?" Ayman Hussein remained confidence as Ayman and Mohanad together joined their trip to a renowned restaurant, where they got some interesting dinner as well. Of course, Mohanad Ali respected that behavior from Ayman Hussein.

…

With Ayman, after settled in the Cantonese restaurant managed and owned by Hong Kongers, they tried to taste Guangdong duck meat. Mohanad Ali and Ayman Hussein soon made some short listed discussion, including the upcoming match between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia:

"Some materials, I guess. I bet that Lebanon can progress only if they overcome Saudi Arabia." Ali said.

"I feel poor the Lebanese, our brothers. They can progress or not, uncertain. Fucking hate these Gulf rats." Hussein stated: "These Gulf rats are the sources of all terrorism."

"You shouldn't disdain directly. Besides, remember this is the UAE, a Gulf country. These Gulf guys truly support each other until recent Qatar rift." Ali explained: "We cannot be sure unless they run out of oil."

"Ali, these fags from Saudi Arabia, Emirates and Qatar aren't much different, anyway." Ayman kept criticizing: "There's nothing worth to believe on them."

Meanwhile, a girl walked in. She just got a bit weird when she encountered her boyfriend and he was there.

Houki Shinonono, the girl with a decent dress, met Ichika Orimura, as they were suggesting for a date. However, due to the nature being conflicted, Ichika tried to persuade Houki alone, in order not being watched by other like Charlotte, Cecilia, Huang and Laura. But when they arrived, they got a surprise …

They did not expect that a couple would have been like this. Instead, they met with …

…

When Ichika and Houki arrived to the table, they discovered someone had taken their seat. And immediately, they mentioned …

"Hey! It's our table …"

Surprisingly, the table they pointed … was the table of Ayman Hussein and Mohanad Ali. Ayman Hussein and Mohanad Ali didn't know the table was booked by Ichika Orimura and Houki Shinonono, but it was done with damage. However, Ali soon turned up when he heard accusations on them.

"Hussein, stop eating. There's something to do with our table."

"What?"

Ayman was a bit reckoned when he heard about accusation pointing on them, but he didn't get the fact enough until a waiter arrived, in which they had a brief encounter with Ichika Orimura and Houki Shinonono.

This was unexpected.

…

And, after that, Houki questioned: "I thought the restaurant had issued us a table there. Why these two men here for nothing?"

Ayman got surprised, because when they issued the table, they also offered that one: "Really? Little lady, we have booked it first."

Ayman argued against Houki, stated that the table near the door was taken by Ayman and Mohanad first. Mohanad was in complete surprise, because Houki accused them for curtailing their table. They had a dispute over table since.

The problem was, last night at 7:30, Ayman Hussein tried to make formal contact with restaurant owner, and he reached an agreement for a table near the door in a Cantonese restaurant within Sharjah. For Ayman, he wanted to invite Mohanad for a good reason.

However, ten minutes before, Houki also did the same, although her contact in English was poor. Her good feeling made Houki liked Ichika greatly, her old friend who had not practiced kendo so long now.

But when she got a chance, Ayman Hussein had a conflict with Houki Shinonono.

Houki told that she phoned them very early. Ayman argued she called wrong table. But neither wanted to back down anyway. Mohanad Ali then told the waiter:

"Let me ask: do you receive their calls?"

"Yes. Even then the manager of restaurant confirmed."

By that time, the manager came out. After Ayman and Houki explained shortly, the manager discovered a huge mistake, but because he didn't discover out, it went to that hilarious story. Shortly, he received two calls in the same times, he forgot to write and instead he remembered wrong table calls, he wrote down same number of table.

This meant …

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?"

For a moment, Ayman Hussein, Mohanad Ali, Ichika Orimura and Houki Shinonono stood like ice. The manager, an Emirati himself, apologized, and suggested them to sit together since the place had four seats. But because of the nature of their own … they had no option …

…

…

And what happened?

Houki and Ichika could not talk much while Ayman and Mohanad felt pretty hard to eat. Thank you manager.

Haizzz …