Two days later, Higo let out a deep sigh as he leaned his body back against the chair. In front of him sat three friends of his who had just enjoyed their bubble tea, all busy with their own phones. Somehow, the boy couldn’t help but rub his forehead when he watched this scene.
"You know, I expect a lot of things after coming back from Germany..." He spoke slowly. "Congratulations, maybe. A question about life there. Something essential, you know? Not this kind of meeting where we don’t have anything to do other than... Whatever we are doing right now!" He cried indignantly.
In return, though, Makino just gave him a glance before sneering. "What, your ego is flaring again? You want to be fed with more congratulations? Dream on, Bastard!"
Kuroki also chimed in here. "No need to be that harsh, Makino-kun. But we didn’t say anything because we knew that you would do well. So, why would we be enthusiastic over something we have already known before?" He shrugged nonchalantly.
The last nail in the coffin was Kumiko, as the girl just smiled apologetically at Higo. "We have already heard the story over and over again from the group chat, Ryukkun, and you sent so many photos that we don’t even know which part we should see first."
In the end, Higo just sighed sourly at his friends, sipping the bubble tea in front of him to calm down his head.
Yeah, a day after he arrived back at Hakodate, the first thing that came to mind was to hang out with his friends. It was strange, honestly, that he would only get closer to Kuroki and Higo after they went their separate ways like this. Still, the boy wouldn’t really complain, enjoying the company of his friends.
"Anyway, you don’t want to talk about my journey in Germany? Fine, let me shift the conversation here." Higo leaned his body on the table once again, looking at Makino with scrutiny. "What about you, Teme? Have you done your trial with Yokohama FC? What is the result?"
Makino tensed for a moment as he also noticed the interest from the others. Having no choice, he finally answered, "Everything is fine. I will start joining the junior team from the end of June, and I will also attend the management class from Yokohama University."
Both Kumiko and Kuroki had their eyes shining when they heard that.
"Congratulations!" Kumiko said in satisfaction. "I know you are capable of doing that! You just need an opportunity, and after this, you will only fly higher and higher in the future!"
"Yokohama FC, huh?" Kuroki also pondered here. "I heard most of their main players come from the youth team, so as long as you stick with them a little bit longer and show a good performance, you will be able to enter the main team sooner or later!"
Higo was also happy for his friend. However, his mood turned sour instantly at the thought that Makino got this warm reaction while the only thing he got was just a tired gaze that told him that they had had enough.
It seemed Makino also noticed this, and the boy just smiled smugly at Higo. "What? Jealous of me?" Even though it was hidden, everyone could see the laughter in his eyes.
"Don’t provoke him like that, you know he will get triggered, right?" Kumiko sighed helplessly as she sent a playful shove to Makino.
"Well, it is not my fault he is so easily provoked like this." Makino laughed, glancing at Higo challengingly.
Higo just scowled, clenching his fist while also slurping the drink in front of him quite violently. In the end, he could only change the conversation once again to divert everyone’s attention. "Anyway, is there any news worth mentioning?"
For a moment, the other three paused, thinking about it carefully. It was Kumiko who finally answered, "The school has already started their journey for the Summer Inter-high, advancing to the third round of the tournament. It seems Hiroshi-kun and the others have done a good job maintaining the school’s dignity after we left the team." Her smile was full of pride and satisfaction.
"Wait, you mean to tell me they have started their journey already?!" Makino widened his eyes before letting out a big groan. "Man, I cannot believe I would miss that! I want to see their first game after we retire, you know?!"
"What is the result? Have they conceded a goal yet? Have they finally solved their goalkeeper problem?" Higo also couldn’t hold back his curiosity here.
It wasn’t like him being narcissistic, only asking a part where he was involved the most. The team indeed always had a goalkeeper problem, even during his time there, what with him having to survive wind and storm, as the moment he fell, the entire team would crumble as well.
The others also knew about this, and that was why there was no mockery this time.
"Yes, they managed to solve this matter with one recruitment." Kumiko smiled as she told the story. "Toda-sensei saw one potential player in a member of a volleyball team, and he managed to snatch that boy to reinforce the team. So far, he hasn’t conceded a goal against any opponent, so I can tell that he has done a good job here."
"A reinforcement from the volleyball team..." Makino couldn’t help but mumble.
"The one being chosen by Toda-sensei himself..." Kuroki followed.
"Hasn’t conceded a goal since he came to the team..." Higo finished.
Then, they glanced at each other, a big smile forming slowly on their face. The more they heard it, the more they liked what the team turned out to be. It seemed that the introduction of Toda-sensei to the team worked well, since they were currently thriving in their tournament.
"Damn! Now, I really want to watch their game with my own eyes!" Higo declared excitedly. "Kumiko-chan, when will their next game be? We have to come and show our support!"
"Well, they have already entered the semifinal of the prefectural tournament, so it should be within a week," Kumiko said as a matter of fact. "As for their opponent... Well, we know them best. They are going to fight against Sapporo Otani, so that would be a game worth watching, right?"