"Damn, I feel bad for them, you know?" Kuroki sighed helplessly as he witnessed the boys lying lifelessly on the ground. "They must feel like crap, losing in such a bad way after putting up a good fight. They deserve to win more than anything else."
The three teenagers next to them just nodded solemnly, looking at the boys with a complicated gaze. They could really see it. The team was even stronger than in the last winter tournament, and they had a head coach with rich tactical knowledge. They played so well for the entire game, showing that they were ready to become a top team.
However, it only took one mistake to destroy everything for them, and the culprit behind everything, Jun, could only cover his face in shame. Takaaki and Hiroshi were around him, trying to console the poor boy. However, it was clear that those two also had some sort of resentment right now, still having their emotion high.
Fortunately, it was clear that no one blamed him too much for that mistake. They knew mistakes could happen in the game, and the last person who wanted that to happen was the one who committed it. The boy was already down; there was no need to add the salt to the injury here.
Soon enough, the players started to get up, approaching the stand slowly. It was a tradition for the players to thank the supporters no matter what happened, as they all were willing to spend their precious time to show their support today.
Still, this time, it was different than the usual. Not only was it because Hakodate Nishi lost the game, but it also happened in front of their retired senpai, the people they wanted to show off the most here. They really wanted their senpai to be proud of them, but somehow, everything went downhill today.
Hiroshi, moreover, could feel his ears burning right now. He could still remember clearly what he said during the celebration for the second goal earlier.
’Showing the new Hakodate Nishi that is as strong as ever? Who am I trying to kid here? This is so ridiculous!’ He laughed bitterly.
It wasn’t just him, but everyone else was the same. Besides sadness, the common emotion here was shame, embarrassment for losing the game. Even though they still greeted the supporters properly, everyone could see the boys were trying to avoid everyone’s gazes, not wanting to face the scrutiny directly.
Having had enough of this depressing state, it was Kuroki who first rose from his spot. The boy didn’t have any reservations here, roaring as loudly as possible.
"What the hell are you doing with this kind of an attitude?! Is this even your first-ever defeat?! No, right?!" His voice boomed throughout the whole stand, catching everyone off guard. "Why are you acting like this is the end of the world?! Your opponent is Sapporo Otani, for God’s sake! Not some mere opponents that you could beat easily! They have been the king of this island for so many years! Why do you think you can get the win against them so easily?!"
The players were taken aback, yet they still didn’t dare to utter any words. Still, Makino could see the psychological state behind this silence.
"What, you think just because of one time we managed to get into the top eight of the national, you think that you are invincible? That Sapporo Otani couldn’t touch you?" He didn’t raise his voice, but his tone was as sharp as ever, stabbing the team straight where it hurt the most. "Let me tell you this, our journey last winter is called a miracle because it is so damn difficult to replicate. Our opponent becomes stronger, and they will analyze you more. Why would you think that everything can always go your way?"
Toda-sensei and the entire staff behind nodded in appreciation. This was the word they intended to speak, but it always came more effectively from the senior whom the players respected the most.
"Hiroshi-kun, I know that you are embarrassed after bragging about the new team being stronger than ever, and I would admit that you are right here." Kumiko’s tone was soft as ever. "However, you have to remember that besides the staff and the goalkeeper, you guys still have the same members. You will only become stronger after new players come in later, so don’t get impatient, okay?"
The boy she mentioned just nodded silently, either understanding his mistake or just wanting to end this embarrassing session as quickly as ever. He also couldn’t stand the fact that his mom just watched him with a worried face, and yet, any reassurance that he was okay somehow stuck in his throat right now.
Seeing this, Higo himself couldn’t help but sigh in a helpless mood. "You know, this is not the end of the world, right?" He said. "There will be a winter tournament to face, your last tournament in high school, and with new members coming, you will also become stronger than ever! That is your chance to return this humiliation tenfold! Don’t let yourself forget about the feeling today! Move on and train harder than ever!"
Unfortunately, the players were not in the right mood to listen to such a chicken soup. They just nodded restlessly before going back to the locker room, walking like a bunch of zombies who lost their power out of nowhere.
The four retired members of the team just looked at each other worriedly, with Makino asking, "Should we ask permission from Toda-sensei to have a good chat with the team?"
Kuroki was the first one to nod. "Yeah, it seems they need someone to knock some sense into them."
However, Kumiko shook her head firmly. "No, this is the process that the team has to take to grow stronger. It is painful, but we have to trust the process. Also, if we decided to step forward, this would undermine the coach’s authority, as they would listen to you more than to him. That wouldn’t be good for the team. Let’s just trust them and support the whole team from the background."
They just nodded helplessly, finding this situation to be more complicated than they had ever thought.
"Come on, we need to go." Makino finally rose from his seat, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Chibi, we might not be able to do anything to help the team right now, but at least, we can show how players from Hakodate Nishi fight! Come on, let’s turn the national team upside down!"