The buzzer ringing throughout the stadium as the New York City Titans won made Ishaan grin widely from the sidelines - clapping his large hands together for his team. The smell of sweat and ice filled the air, mixing with the sound of skates scraping against the rink as the players celebrated their victory. The crowd's applause grew louder as Samuel, the star player, took off his helmet and skated around the rink once - pumping his hockey stick into the air.

The coach couldn't help but roll his eyes at his star player's antics: but Samuel did enjoy his little victory laps... anything to have all eyes on him. He watched Samuel skate towards the bench after giving his girlfriend a quick hug, his face flushed with excitement and his usual egotistical pride. Ishaan looked over his clipboard of notes and plays, marking off what worked well that evening and what they would need to work on for the next game as he followed the guys to the locker room.

After his little victory speech to keep the morale high, Ishaan ventured out of the locker room and started with the typical post-game interviews.. going through the mundane, almost scripted questions about strategies and player performance. His mind was already racing ahead to the next match, but something stopped him mid-sentence when he saw the journalist standing by the edge of the rink, her eyes locked onto Samuel as she interviewed him with a look of disdain. He felt a strange pull towards her, something that made his heart beat just a little bit faster. He couldn't quite place it, but her sharp wit and the way she held herself intrigued him.

Especially against someone like Samuel... who wasn't exactly the easiest to talk to.

"Excuse me," Ishaan smiled politely at the reporters and journalists he had been talking to, before carefully making his way over to where the journalist was standing with Samuel. The noise of the stadium dimmed in his ears as he approached, the only thing he could hear was the rhythmic thump of his heart in his chest. Samuel noticed his coach's approach and gave the journalist a wink before strolling away - that arrogant pep in his step that only a star player could pull off.

Ishaan watched Samuel walk away before returning his dark gaze on the journalist - offering a gentle smile before nodding towards the other male who was now being surrounded by fans and autograph seekers. "Lucky you to be the one to interview Sam," His voice was a warm rumble, carrying a hint of humor in the tone. Ishaan had his hands in the pockets of his jacket, the fabric stretching over his broad shoulders. "He's all bark, honestly. I keep telling him to tone it down."

Tilting his head to the side slightly, the older man quirked an eyebrow at the journalist, his curiosity piqued by her presence. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting," he said, extending a hand that had seen years of hard work and countless battles on the ice. "I'm Coach Ishaan Das. You're..." His voice trailed off, hinting at an unspoken question.