The Brazilian winger had deleted every post from his account and even removed his profile picture, a move that, in the middle of a prolonged saga over his future, was widely read around the Bernabéu as an ominous sign.
Real Madrid officially confirmed his contract extension on Thursday, and it quickly became clear the clean sweep had been the prelude to good news rather than a farewell.
Vinícius restored his profile picture with an image tied to the club, showing his name, the number 7 on his back and a cabinet of trophies, an unmistakable nod to his standing in the dressing room.
Shortly after, the 26-year-old took to Instagram with a message loaded with commitment: "Eight years at the Bernabéu are too few. Six more years, and forever."
A declaration of love for the club that erased any doubt over his future after weeks of speculation.
There was also room for those behind the renewal.
"I love you all. Thank you fans, president, Mourinho, Juni (Calafat), José Ángel (Sánchez), players and the whole club," he added on social media, name-checking sporting director Juni Calafat and chief executive José Ángel Sánchez, who led the negotiations alongside head coach José Mourinho.
The new deal, confirmed in a statement from Real Madrid, ties Vinícius to the Santiago Bernabéu until 30 June 2032. Since joining from Flamengo in 2018, the winger has made 375 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 128 goals and winning 14 titles, including two Champions League crowns, three LaLiga titles, three Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups.
Negotiations over the new terms had dragged on for more than a year, with the winger entering the final year of his previous contract and Arsenal among the clubs credited with interest, before Madrid moved to offer improved terms that finally broke the deadlock.
Doubts over Vinícius's long-term future had also been fuelled by Real Madrid's record-breaking pursuit of Yan Diomandé, with some observers wondering whether the Brazilian's position in Mourinho's attack could be affected.
Thursday's announcement put those questions to rest. What for hours had been read as a bad omen ended up being the prelude to major news for Real Madrid supporters, with Vinícius set to continue leading the club's attack for years to come.