The day passed quickly, and before Higo knew it, he had already stood in front of the Berger Feld, Schalke’s training ground. The field was still empty, and Higo couldn’t help but smile wryly after checking the time on his clock.
’07:25... I am one hour early, damn!’
This couldn’t be blamed on him. Higo didn’t realize, but he had been quite nervous all the time last night. Usually, when he came to a new team, there would be either Makino or Kumiko standing next to him. However, this time, he had to rely on himself, and the boy didn’t want to leave a bad impression in his first meeting. That was why he left quite early, just to find an empty ground in front of him.
’Oh, well, I cannot help it. Let’s just do a little warm-up and jog.’ The boy grumbled before taking off his jacket and starting to run.
This was also the first time he ran alone, so the boy couldn’t help but feel awkward about it. He always felt like anyone who passed by would stare and whisper something about him, enough to make his ears burn red. However, after one lap of running, that distracting thought started to disappear, and now, all of his focus was just completely on his run.
’How long have I been running? Shall I stop? Nah, one more lap. This is the first time I’m running on this ground, let’s enjoy this moment for a while.’
For the next thirty minutes, the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing from Higo. However, it was broken immediately once the boy heard someone shooting the ball at him. It wasn’t his clairvoyance, but his reflexes forced him to turn around and receive the ball straight on his chest.
BAM!
"Uf!" Higo couldn’t help but flinch. He turned his head ahead, wanting to complain or even curse here. However, the moment the boy saw the culprit, his eyes lit up immediately. "Fabian! Since when have you been here?!"
Yeah, the one who launched a shot at him was none other than Fabian Reese, the handsome young man with blonde hair flowing on his shoulder. This was the guy Higo got along well with during his trial two months ago.
"I’ve been here for quite a while, hitting the gym for about 30 minutes." Fabian Reese smiled at him. "You, though, are a different story. How long have you been running here? This should be your first day in training, right? Why are you this early?" He asked with a puzzled expression.
"Ahaha... Just a little bit nervous." Higo rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
The Blonde man just shook his head in exasperation before asking, "Wanna jog together?"
Higo’s eyes lit up instantly as he nodded. "Sure!"
Right after that, those two started jogging together, and the dead silence that had filled the pitch started to have more color as well. They chatted quite a lot during this time, with Higo inquiring more about the team and what he should do to not step on a hidden landmine.
"Honestly, you don’t have to worry that much, you know? Even with you being so cautious like this, you will offend some scoundrels soon enough, so don’t think too much about it." Fabian laughed at his rapid question.
"Ah? I will offend someone?!" Higo’s eyes widened in shock, not knowing whether Fabian was joking or not. "Why would I do that? I don’t think my temper is that bad to do something stupid like that right after joining the team, you know?" His brows furrowed deeper than ever, trying to think of what he could possibly do to make an enemy straight away like that.
"Oh, no, I can assure you that it is not your problem. Even I myself received the same treatment the first time I came here." Fabian laughed, this time more sarcastically. "You are here to take over the goalkeeper spot, but those local boys who have been waiting for their turn and think that they deserve the spot just because they have been in this team longer while they don’t even have the ability will be offended, and having been in this team for a long time, they have some supporters who will follow their action stupidly. Yeah, those guys... The moment you joined the team, you have already offended them, so don’t worry about it." He patted Higo’s back reassuringly.
Well, this explanation was enough to make Higo figure out everything. His gaze hardened instantly, and the fighting spirit that had been dormant due to all the holidays and his time sitting on the bench for the national team burned once again, blazing with determination.
’Yeah, I was so worried about not wanting to offend anyone else that I forgot: the taller the trees stand, the fiercer the wind will blow. They will come sooner or later, so it is better to face them head-on than to wait for them to ambush me!’
"Yeah, good expression, Ryusuke." Fabian nodded in approval, stopping on the sideline before offering the boy a bottle of water. "That is how you have to deal with them. Being polite will not bring you anywhere. Strike decisively, and make sure you show them their place! That was what I did in the past, and you have to do the same as well!"
Higo nodded secretly, knowing that while it was indeed dangerous, this was the best and quickest way to gain a foothold.
While taking a break from their jogging, they still talked about a lot of things, from the team’s current situation to their target this season. Fabian also told him about his ambition to play in the first team for the first time ever this season, hoping that he could make a big jump in his career.
Those two didn’t realize that they had been chatting for quite a while, and only a shout from the familiar voice was enough to snap them from their conversation.
"Fabian? Higo?! What are you doing this early?!"