Free Web NovelChapter 370: The Game Day!
The day passed in a blink, and before they knew it, all the Hakodate Nishi players had already arrived at Mitsuzawa Stadium, the same stage where they fought the opener of the tournament two weeks ago. The moment they stood in front of that massive, old building, some couldn’t help but let out a melancholic sigh.
"Damn, with how everything unfolded, I couldn’t believe it has only been two weeks since we’ve been here..." Kenji stared up to the rooftop; his gaze was complicated. "Time sure passes by so quickly, huh?"
"Well, don’t think too much. Come on, we still have to go in, or people will notice us." Makino patted the boy’s back lightly, walking into the stadium with the sports bag on his shoulder.
Indeed, as they scanned their surroundings, they noticed that more people were coming here. It was crazy, considering the weather seemed to be colder than usual. However, the tournament had already entered the top 8 stage, where the competitiveness would reach its peak, and more supporters would definitely come to witness the fun.
That was why they were back from the small pitch around the Nissan Stadium to Mitsuzawa Stadium, the legendary battlefield of the city. After all, this place could hold around 15,000 people, and while the total number of people here wouldn’t be that much, at least it would be higher than the first three rounds combined. The number would increase more until the final, and that was also one of the reasons why people were excited to go this far.
However, that wasn’t the only reason why Mitsuzawa Stadium was chosen. No, all the players realized this immediately once they stepped onto the field for their warm-up session.
"Damn, no snow is piling up here, huh?" Jun couldn’t help but mutter, touching the cold grass on the ground. "It is also not that slippery. It seems the maintenance here is better than any other stadium we played before." He commented, nodding in approval.
"Well, that is the difference between the stadium that is maintained by a professional club and one that is not. The money difference is big enough that you can notice with a slight eye test." Makino shrugged.
Meanwhile, Hiroshi’s gaze wandered far, scanning throughout the whole stadium. "The home ground of Yokohama FC..." He muttered inwardly. "If everything goes well, in one year or two, this is where I will play, right?"
Kenji seemed to notice his partner’s dazed state, with him patting his senpai’s back quite hard. "Come on, Hiroshi-senpai, don’t daydream about something that is still so far! Just focus on what is in front of you first; who knows, maybe a better offer will come!"
This made Hiroshi shake his head quite violently before a small smile tugged on his face. "You are right, Kenji. Let’s focus on the game first; think about any complicated thing later."
"Atta boy!" freēwebnovel.com
As they were doing their warm-up session, more people started to come. Not only that, even some television teams were placed in the back of the goal, broadcasting the gam live. They were not coming from the top TV stations, but their presence alone was enough to give some Hakodate Nishi players stage fright.
"Do you reckon one of them?"
"Hey, I see the Sapporo Sports TV! That’s our local sports channel, right?"
"Damn, do you think someone we know will watch us from back home?"
"This is sick!"
While they were whispering in excitement, none of the Hakodate Nishi players noticed that their opponent had already arrived at the stadium as well. The one who reacted first was Higo, as he saw a familiar boy coming to greet him.
"It is nice to see you again, Higo-san." The boy smiled sweetly, a smile that gave Higo a shiver down his spine.
"Yeah, hope that you won’t go crazy today, Mamoru-kun," Higo answered in a wary tone.
In return, Mamoru just laughed casually, patting Higo’s shoulder with eyes burning in determination. "I am afraid that I cannot do that, Higo-san, so please make sure you are at your best today."
Before Higo could accept the challenge, though, the goalkeeper felt the pressure suddenly got amplified. He shivered a little, glancing at the person who was standing in the middle of the pitch, and yet staring at him intently. That was the gaze of a predator who couldn’t wait to hunt its prey, and unfortunately, Higo was the prey in this case.
"Oh, you notice Han-Gyeol-a as well?" Mamoru’s gaze followed Higo’s before his grin was as wide as ever. "Yeah, I know. I am not the only one who gets excited for today’s match. He has been waiting for today’s game, so eager to take revenge on that penalty that you blocked. So, get ready, because we are coming at you, Higo-san." freewebnσvel.cøm
After he was done with his war declaration, the boy went back to his team immediately, leaving Higo in his dumbfounded state. It took a while, but in the end, the boy couldn’t help but groan.
"Fucking hell... Why are they so eager to kill me today?"
Unlike any other player here, he didn’t play football because of his love for the game. That was why he wasn’t that excited when facing a challenge from a strong opponent like this. Hell, if anything, Higo would always pray before the game that his opponent would be in a terrible state, somehow getting into an accident or something like that.
Well... That was a little bit too much.
It didn’t have to be an accident, but Higo would definitely be happier if his opponent didn’t come with a high spirit like this. Unfortunately, it seemed that his hope was indeed too much to ask, since both Park Han-Gyeol and Mamoru Suzuki, two of the opponent’s best players, were coming with the intention to kill.
"Come on, Chibi! Don’t just daydream there; Kumiko-chan has already called!" Makino suddenly shouted, snapping him from his daydreaming.
Shaking his head, the boy walked back to the locker room while muttering, "Damn, today is going to be a long day..."
