Just like usual, the journey from Japan to Germany took more than half the energy in Higo, and while he spent most of his time sleeping, the moment he arrived at Dusseldorf International Airport, the boy still groaned, finding his body ached.
Unfortunately, Dusseldorf was not the final destination here. He still had to take at least five hours of train to Gelsenkirchen, the home base of Schalke 04. It also didn’t help that somehow, the train was late, and while it was only for a few minutes, this little detail was enough to infuriate Higo.
’Goddamnit! I thought Germans were infamous for their discipline?!’ He cursed inwardly. ’Once my wage is high enough, no way I would go by train like this! A taxi or renting a driver will be quicker and not as tiring as right now!’
Of course, he would never curse out loud. This was the era where language barrier didn’t mean anything, and the last thing Higo wanted was to have someone recording him and putting it online, making everyone translate what he grumbled right now. No, that would be a social disaster for him.
After arriving at Gelsenkirchen, though, Fujita-san accompanied him to the flat that the man had rented for him. It wasn’t far from the Berger Feld, the team’s training ground, just five minutes away on foot. Not only that, everything was already set up for him to use, from the bedroom to the kitchen area.
The best part was that this was just one block away from the Asian market, and there, Higo could try so many cuisines, from Japanese to Chinese to even Vietnamese or Indonesian ones. It was a perfect place for an Asian person like him who might not get used to the local delicacies around.
"Damn, you sure have outdone yourself, Fujita-san." The boy let out a low whistle, feeling impressed with the explanation.
"Ha! Who are you asking for?! While I got this at a high price, around 750 euros monthly, at least, it is convenient for you to go everywhere." The man nodded in satisfaction. "It is a pity, though, that German people didn’t like to bargain, or I could probably get it for around 600." He still clicked his tongue at the lost chance to do that.
Higo himself didn’t need to worry about that. His monthly wage after the tax was around 2500 euros, so having 750 for this kind of an apartment, while it might look excessive, was not a big deal right now.
’As for what if I couldn’t gain a foothold in the future... Let’s think when that thing really happens. Still, as long as I work hard enough, there is no way I would be that unlucky, right?’ He murmured under his breath.
What made Higo satisfied with his living condition was that it was big enough for two people to live together. He had already imagined in the future, when he and Kumiko had a day off together, maybe he could invite her to stay for one night or a little bit longer.
’No, no, no! No pervert thought here! Let’s keep it PG!’ He shook his head quickly, trying to get rid of the blush on his face. ’Anyway, it is still around 1 in the afternoon, so it should be 8 at night back home, right? I need to have two clocks to make sure I don’t mess up the time difference in the future. For now, maybe I have to give them a call first.’
Without even tidying his new living place, Higo just lay on the bed, starting to call his mother’s number on his phone. It took a while, but in the end, Minami finally answered. The woman was not alone, since Kumiko was there as well.
"Ryukkun! You are finally calling us!" His mother’s tone was full of relief as she saw his face directly like this. "So, how have you been? How is the living condition that Fujita-san prepares? Is it good enough?"
"I am okay, Mom, and it is good!" Higo answered quickly before his mother started rambling further without anyone being able to stop her. "Anyway, the flat itself is also nice. Let me give you a little bit of a room tour."
In the next second, Higo found himself starting to act like a YouTuber introducing his new humble abode to his viewers. Minami and Makino stared intently at whatever the boy was introducing, sometimes even asking a question. Only after he finished showing everything did they finally let out a relieved sigh.
"I am so glad that Fujita-san found a good apartment for you," Minami said in a melancholic tone. "The room still looks dead, though. Maybe, once Kumiko-chan is there, she could help you decorate everything. What do you think about that?" A mischievous smile curled on her face.
Both his and Kumiko’s faces turned red like a ripe tomato. Even though they liked to tease each other, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be embarrassed when anyone else did the same to them, and the fact that it was Higo’s mother who did that only made things worse for them.
"A—Anyway, when will you start training?" Kumiko asked while also trying to hide her stutter.
"Oh, it will start tomorrow. Frohling-sensei has already asked me to go back to the session, and he also wants to check my situation first." Higo shrugged.
"Wait, tomorrow?" Kumiko’s frown was visible on the small screen on Higo’s hand. "You have just arrived in Germany today, isn’t that a little bit too hasty? Can you... I don’t know, asking for one more day off to recover?"
"Well, yeah, I can. But that would mean delaying my adaptation time with the team again." Higo replied. "While I am still confident in my ability, I have to gain a foothold as quickly as possible, or it will be harder for me in the future. Don’t worry, I will be able to handle this." He patted his chest smugly.
Still, that didn’t mean the girl wouldn’t stop worrying about him. No, she still had a frown on her face, pondering over his situation there.
"Just... Don’t go overboard and don’t act recklessly, okay? Keep it steady; you don’t need to rush things up. I know you will thrive there, so just believe in yourself."