The dinner was a little bit extravagant for a losing team, but that was exactly what the boys needed. Sometimes, the best medicine to heal depression was just good food, and right now, they were truly at a feast, not having to think too much about the lack of it.
Higo himself didn’t eat too much. The boy didn’t play today, so the energy he lost wasn’t really that much. Still, he couldn’t help but feel the corner of his lips twitching, looking speechlessly at Makino who devoured one plate after another in front of him.
"You know what, if I don’t know better, I would think you haven’t eaten anything in a week." He sneered a little. "At least, mind your manners a little bit here. Don’t act like a pure beast; that’s disgusting."
Makino just gave him a side-eye before snorting back. "Manner? What’s that?" He asked with a mouth full of food, only making Higo look at him in more disgust. "I mean, look around you. Can you see anyone still minding their manners here?" He pointed his finger everywhere.
Indeed, the scene looked like a bunch of cavemen getting introduced to roasted meat for the first time in their lives. Their mouth couldn’t stop moving, and their stomach also turned into a bottomless pit that could devour the whole world. Honestly, it was so scary to see at least ten boys doing that at the same table.
"Anyway, after landing back at home, what is your plan?" Higo asked while playing with his chopsticks casually. However, he didn’t know that the conversation was enough to put silence on his surroundings, as everyone suddenly paid attention here. "What?" He frowned.
"Oh, don’t be like that, Ryusuke!" Naoya hugged his shoulder fondly. "We also want to know what kind of plan you have!" Some of the boys nodded secretly.
At the end of the day, even though Higo was just a bench player on the team, no one forgot that he was also the first one who got recruited by a foreign team. While the jealousy wasn’t as high as in the past, at least they were still curious about what Higo would do next.
"Tch! What is there to plan about?!" Kawabe chimed in while still chewing the meat from his bowl. "Go back and train more! Big Zee, after we are back, we have to show everyone back home that we are capable of the main team! Let’s snatch the roster spot from those senpai!"
The dark-skinned goalkeeper nodded solemnly at this declaration. "Don’t worry, Senpai. I’ll be in the main team two months from now! Just wait for me!"
"Bah! Too long! Make it one month!"
"Yes, Sir!"
The rest of the boys were so speechless at those two’s conversation. Honestly, they sure knew how to boast here. However, almost everyone here knew how capable both Zion and Kawabe were, so getting into the team’s main roster wouldn’t be that much of a problem for them.
"Haha! That’s the spirit!" Kageyama-sensei laughed heartily, his face flushed red. It seemed he decided to indulge himself for a moment, ordering a bottle of sake for him and the staff. "If you could get into their main team and adapt quickly, Urawa Red will be a clear favorite for the championship this year!"
Championship...
At first, no one thought about it too much, still finding this to be a thing far away from their career. After all, most of them were still playing in the club’s second team, while those who were unlucky enough would be demoted to the University League. Still, hearing the assessment from the coach that those two Saitama boys would be able to fight for the biggest trophy in the country next year...
"Damn, don’t think you can do anything you want like that!" Naoya pointed excitedly. "Just wait, next season, me and Tagawa-san will dominate the entire J-League with FC Tokyo!"
"Ha! Dream on! Our Shimizu S-Pulse is still the best!"
"Fuck it! Don’t disrespect the title holder Kawasaki Frontale like that, Bastard!"
Commotion broke instantly at the table, and Higo’s face paled when he saw this. Somehow, a little question could erupt into a great debate like this, and honestly, he didn’t know how to interrupt them.
"So, what is your plan, really?" Miki Yamane suddenly whispered at him, trying to ignore the chatter around.
"Me? Nothing much, just enjoying the next week as my last holiday before flying back to Germany." Higo shrugged, recalling the email he received from the head coach back in Schalke. "Schalke II is playing in the Regionaliga, the fourth division of German football this year, and it starts earlier than the regular league. Our first ever game will start in the second week of July, so I have to be there at the beginning of the month."
Makino also heard that, and he just nodded quietly. In his mind, though, the boy also recalled his plan after going back, and he just smiled bitterly at his own thought.
’Yokohama FC gives me two weeks of holiday, which should be nice, but that means they are just treating me as an ordinary player, right?’ The boy thought. ’Compared to me, Higo, who has to be urged by his own team, is definitely more valued, and he also plays in Germany, for God’s sake! How could the difference between us be this big?!’ He groaned inwardly, so frustrated over his own situation.
Makino could still remember clearly that it had only been one year since Higo started playing football, so how could the boy fly so high and leave everyone in the dust like this?!
Higo didn’t notice his friend’s frustration, just chatting casually with Miki Yamane in front of him. He could also see the left back’s envy, probably also yearning to experience the same thing as him. This had been a common reaction whenever someone asked about his journey in Europe, and at this point, Higo had already gotten used to it.
Still, instead of lording over it, Higo just patted Miki Yamane on his back. "Don’t worry, with your ability, sooner or later, you will get a chance to go abroad. When that time comes, I will wait for you there!"