Well, for all the scary talks with Kumiko about how she would whip his ass to get him in his best shape, the first agenda the moment they arrived at Hakodate was quite mundane. In fact, it was so mundane that Higo felt like he was back at high school again.
Yeah, four days after the camp was over, it was time for the graduation day, and right now, Higo was back to being an NPC once again, sitting among so many students while also waiting for his name to be called by the headmaster.
At this moment, he was not the most talented goalkeeper in the country anymore. Some might still notice him, but they would treat him just like any other student outside.
This was the graduation moment for everyone, and no one was above the others today.
’Yeah, after today is over, I can say goodbye to this uniform.’ He glanced at his own clothes for a moment, sighing in melancholy. ’Kumiko-chan would also grow more beautifully in the future. Everyone will grow following their own path, not knowing where it would lead them to..."
Higo sighed once again, straightening his head while looking at the boy who had just received his diploma from the headmaster. "Adulthood is going to be scary..."
Soon, he also heard a familiar name getting called to the front.
"SABURO KUROKI FROM 3-C!"
Then, from the crowd, the team’s tall striker, who was so fierce fighting against four to five defenders at the same time, rose. He had already gotten a new haircut, something close to a buzzcut. With his muscular figure, the new hairstyle made him look so imposing as he walked onto the podium.
Somehow, looking at the boy there, Higo recalled his phone call with the group last night.
"Wait, what?! You have been accepted into Sapporo University? For the Machine Engineering program, right?" Higo asked in disbelief.
It was just a few hours before graduation day, and he, Kumiko, Makino, and Kuroki decided to make one last call as the members of the football team. They had been doing so many times this year, helping each other in their studies. Now, it finally came to an end, and Kuroki sure knew how to drop the news.
"Yeah, my interview got an excellent result! The interviewee even said that they couldn’t wait to have me as their student!" Kuroki’s laugh was so boisterous it echoed throughout Higo’s room.
"Congrats, Kuroki-kun! I know you are smart enough to pull that!" Kumiko squealed happily, getting ecstatic as if it were she who was accepted. "I don’t really care whether you keep continuing your football career or not, but make sure you are thriving at the field that you choose, okay?!"
"Ha! Don’t worry about me!" Kuroki laughed. "Anyway, what about you, Makino? Have you done well in Yokohama?" It should also be a day after Makino’s trial with Yokohama F.C. was over, so Kuroki couldn’t help but ask about the result.
"Urgh..." The image of Makino sitting in his room, grimacing, was quite clear from everyone’s perspective. "I think I did well, but I made one big mistake that would cost me everything..."
"Wait, what mistake?" Kumiko asked quickly, her face worried.
"Urgh... Because the team’s head coach is so young, and the assistant is so old, I mistook them both for the assistant and the head one in my first meeting! That was so embarrassing, I want to die!"
Silence fell for a moment before laughter followed. Higo himself choked, feeling his stomach hurt from this. Makino could be seen gritting his teeth, probably trying to hold back his embarrassment from showing up here.
"I thought it would be the other kind of mistake..." Kumiko sighed in relief, her lips quivering a little bit. "If that is the kind of mistake that you made, I am sure you will be okay, Makino-kun."
"Yeah, Teme! Your coach will also be able to remember you better!" Higo laughed mockingly.
"Shut up, you Bastard!" The boy gritted his teeth.
Kuroki just shook his head before turning his attention back to the conversation. "Anyway, so, Makino-kun is doing a good job? What about you two? When will you go to Germany?" He asked both Kumiko and Higo.
Higo went quiet for a moment, waiting for Kumiko to answer. To be honest, he was also curious, since the boy had never heard her plan before.
"Me? The school will start in October, so I will have to wait until that time here, maybe preparing for the lesson here and there as well." Kumiko shrugged. "As for Ryukkun, he will go to Germany next month, where he will have his trial for at least two days. After that, everything depends on the result, right?"
This time, the silence that followed was quite solemn, because everything had been laid out for now. One would go to Sapporo, one to Yokohama, one would wait until October, and one would fly next month to fight for his life in Germany.
"Ha! The four pillars of the Hakodate Nishi team are finally going to fly high, huh?" Kuroki snorted; his smile was weak. "Hey, I demand a video call at least twice a month, okay? Don’t you dare act so snotty as if you are a big shot after becoming famous!"
"Ha! Tell that to Teme!" Higo snorted, pointing at Makino. He himself also hid his sadness right now, not wanting to be the first one to break down.
"What do you mean by me, you Bastard?! It is you we should be wary of!" Makino cried back at him.
"Okay, okay, no one will change even after they become famous." Kumiko interrupted, her eyes getting watery. "Just remember, Guys, this is not a true separation! No matter what, we are still going to be best friends!"
"Heck, yeah!"
"RYUSUKE HIGO FROM 3-C!"
Higo took a deep breath as his name got called, snapping him out of his little memory lane trip. He took a deep breath, glancing around at his best friends. He could see Kumiko waving at him, Makino just threw a little snort, while Kuroki gave him a nod of encouragement.
’Yeah, Kumiko-chan is right. This is not a separation at all. We are just going to fly higher!’
With that in mind, he finally stepped forward, embracing the scary adulthood without knowing where it would lead him.