It was the end of the day, and right now, Higo and his sister were currently lying on the boy’s bed. The sound of the phone beeping could be heard while the boy was checking the time.
"Hmm... 5 in the evening... That should be around midnight back home, right?" Higo asked, couldn’t help but feel worried. "Are you sure that it is okay to call this late? I mean, we can wait until tomorrow, you know?"
In return, his sister just shook her head strongly. "No, you make a promise to Mom to call her immediately after everything is over, so at least, make sure you fulfil that one first." The girl said, not showing any compromise at all.
Higo just sighed helplessly, rolling over on his bed to make himself comfortable. The boy also checked his group chat for a moment, and there, he found so many encouragements from his friends.
Makino: Hey, Chibi! Don’t you dare embarrass yourself in German, you hear me?!
Hiroshi: Senpai, good luck with your trial! I hope I can get the same chance as you next year!
Kuroki: The trial will be held today, right? Tell me the result afterward.
There were also some from the national team members, like Mamoru or Kawabe. However, none came from Kumiko herself, as right before he left the room, the girl was still on a call with him. Somehow, she was worried more than the boy who was going to be on trial himself, and the girl couldn’t help but gush over everything.
"Don’t forget to bring your mineral water, okay? Also, don’t contradict what the head coach said! Just nod and accept the instruction! Follow Fujita-san’s guidance, and always wait for Aya-nee’s supervision! Don’t try to do anything alone!"
Honestly, Higo felt the corner of his lips twitching when he remembered the last conversation. Somehow, he got treated like a child who was going out for a school trip for the first time ever, and while it was slightly insulting, the boy also found everything to be funny.
Now, though, that everything was over, he couldn’t wait to make a call as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait for so long. The video call from Ayaka’s phone finally connected, though from the other side of the world, and there, somehow, Higo found his mother was sitting together with the girl of his life in his living room.
They looked so anxious and tired, clearly waiting for the connection to be made as well. The moment Higo’s face popped, though, all the exhaustion was swept instantly, getting replaced by genuine concern and curiosity.
"Ryukkun! My boy!" Minami cried instantly when she saw Higo’s exhausted face. "So, how is it going? Have you been good? No one is bullying you, right? If so, just tell me, and I will call Fujita-san immediately! Also, why haven’t you had a shower yet?! What time is it there?! You will get sick if you are late for that!"
Higo couldn’t help but smile when he heard that. As expected, no matter how big his achievement was, his mother would only have a concern over his well-being. As long as he was okay, nothing else mattered.
He could also see Kumiko waiting next to his mother, her expression eager. So, without waiting anymore, the boy let out the biggest grin he could muster here. "I am fine, Mom! Also, look at this!" He waved a map with a document in it. There, a big Schalke logo was placed in the middle, showing where it came from. "I signed the contract!" He couldn’t help but laugh when announcing this matter.
Right off the bat, both Minami and Kumiko squealed simultaneously. They even started hugging each other, showing how ecstatic they were right now.
"Congratulations, Ryukkun! I know my boy can do it!" Minami wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
"So, what is the content? Share it here, come on!" Kumiko asked immediately.
Instead of answering that question, Higo just turned around to look at Ayaka. The stare from the boy was enough to make the big sister wilt, as she just let out a deep sigh before taking over the conversation.
"It is a standard contract, 2 years plus one additional option if he wanted to pick it before his contract is over." She explained the details immediately. "The wage is also decent, 30,000 Euros annually, still excluding tax. That should be around 5 to 6 million yen, and the team also provides accommodation for the new players, Mom, so you don’t have to worry about logistical matters here."
Minami choked for a moment, too speechless to say anything. However, her eyes went teary, somehow feeling so grateful to see her son successful like this. Kumiko was also quiet next to her, just rubbing the older woman’s back soothingly.
"What about the other terms? Is there anything we have to be worried about?" The youngest girl asked.
"Well, it is more about the professional term." Ayaka frowned as she read the contract once again. "There are performance bonuses for every clean sheet he records, or if the team gets promoted, and then, if somehow, the first team calls him up, the number will also be higher. However, Fujita-san warned us that it would be something to think about in the future, and for now, it is best to think of how to play as well as possible first."
Kumiko nodded a little, trying to comprehend this information. Unlike Minami, she still cared enough about this professional detail, and the girl was trying to ponder whether this contract was a good one or a bad one.
Then, her eyes caught Higo grinning foolishly in the background, and the smile spread on her face immediately. "Well, what do you think about everything, Ryukkun? Are you happy with the result you get today?"
Higo couldn’t help but laugh at that question.
"Am I happy?" He repeated it for a moment. "I will be playing football with an annual wage higher than my mom’s, and next October, you will also be here fighting alongside me! Why would I not be happy here?!"