After the graduation day was over, it was time to get busy. Well, at least that was for Minami, Ayaka, and Kumiko. For Higo, though, the more he tried to care, the more he got pushed off by the female members of the group.
"You don’t need to think about this complicated thing. Just train to your best and push yourself to your limit, leave this administrative nonsense thing to me." At least, that was what Ayaka said, enough to make Higo scratch his hair awkwardly.
Honestly, this situation should be a recipe for disaster. Even Higo himself knew, as he had been reading a lot about so many players getting screwed by the family who butted into their career too much, that it started to affect their performance as well. Right now, he was walking into a dangerous territory.
Still, Higo didn’t really mind it. The boy knew that all the girls in his life wanted him to do well, and if somehow, they got some little compensation in the process... Well, they fucking deserved it. I mean, Higo didn’t even get involved in all the administrative tasks, for God’s sake! All he had to do was practice well, eat well, learn English well, and sleep well.
Yeah, that’s it.
That was definitely not a luxury that a new player in the circle could afford, and Higo intended to enjoy everything till the last drop.
Or... Well, at least until next week, because he and the other three had to fly back to Sapporo for another meeting. This time, after searching for so long, Ayaka finally found a suitable football agent who could help Higo in his career, and now, they would meet for the first time ever.
After traveling by car for about 4 hours, they finally arrived at the meeting point, a small family restaurant near the airport. The moment they went inside, Ayaka stepped forward immediately and asked, "A private room for Ayaka Higo?"
"Ah, someone has already arrived there!" The waiter perked up immediately. "Come on, let me lead you to your room."
Higo just followed from behind while glancing around at the restaurant. It was a nice and cozy place, even though the location was right in the heart of the city, a nice place to hang out. Hell, if he didn’t know better what they were doing right now, the boy would think that they were just here for fun.
The moment they entered their private room, though, the atmosphere changed. Not into a tensed or solemn one that Higo expected to be, but into a more amusing one, as he saw a person, probably a few years older than his sister, sitting so straight with both palms on his lap, looking straight forward as if he was waiting for a judgment here.
Honestly, it looked less like a meeting between a potential agent and client, and more like a job interview for that poor man.
As the man finally realized that he wasn’t alone anymore, his eyes perked up instantly. First, he scanned the whole group, and once he found his target, the man’s eyes lit up in a heartbeat before he rose, shaking Higo’s hand out of nowhere.
"You must be Ryusuke Higo, the miracle Iron Wall from Hakodate, right? I have been watching your game since the national tournament began, and I really admired your perseverance! I am so happy that I will be able to work with you in the future! Ah! Where is my manner?! My name is Koisuke Fujita from UDN Sports! Nice to meet you!"
Higo was so dumbfounded for a moment before his eyes turned to his sister for a moment, silently asking, ’Is this the man you found for me? Are you sure he is reliable?’
Ignoring that gaze, Ayaka sat down with Minami and Kumiko, those three watching the interaction amusedly. In the end, the big sister finally opened her mouth here. "He comes from the UDN Sports from Tokyo, the biggest athlete agency in this country. Most of the Japanese players who went abroad started their career with their help, so you should be in good hands."
"Oh, yes, that is my agency, but unfortunately, I am not that capable yet." The man, Keisuke Fujita, took a seat immediately after his enthusiastic introduction. "This is going to be my first time having a project on my own, so please, be patient with me!"
Somehow, if anything, Higo started to get worried again. "Is it really okay with him?" He whispered to Kumiko.
"Don’t worry, you know Aya-nee is never going to lead you to the wrong place, right?" Kumiko smiled knowingly. "Also, I have read his resume beforehand, and I have to say that, besides his lack of experience, he is indeed an excellent agent. Just... Trust him first."
Well, Higo really had no choice here. He just had his arms crossed a little, looking at the man skeptically. "So, can you explain to me something here?" He asked, still trying to be polite.
"Oh, it is easy. You are about to go for a trial with Schalke 04, right? Your sister has already talked to me about it. Wait a second."
The man suddenly took out a file from his bag. It was a familiar one that Higo recognized well, and he couldn’t help but glance at Kumiko. To his surprise, the girl shook her head quickly, telling him that it had nothing to do with her.
"Ah, you should notice this, right?" Koisuke Fujita smiled. "This is the report file that I got from Akiba-sensei from the national team. It is quite easy to get one if you know where to pull the string to."
Higo felt the corner of his lips twitching, inwardly cursing Akiba-sensei for sharing his private information so freely like that. Still, at least, he had to admit that the man had some abilities here, knowing where to look when necessary.
"Okay, so this is your basic information, and you are about to go to Germany for the next three weeks." Koisuke Fujita cleared his throat for a moment before grinning excitedly. "Then, let me tell you the trial strategy that I have planned for you!"