Chapter 1045: A Call with Kumiko After the Game

"I mean, I don’t know that our national team is that strong, you know?" Higo stated during a phone call with his girlfriend the next day. "Compared to that, our game against South Korea U-20 in the last World Cup sounds like a joke now!"

It was a day after the game was over, and Higo, with his impatience, didn’t wait for the sun to rise higher before he called his girlfriend and told her about this result.

After all, the game was only broadcast on local TV stations, so Kumiko, who was in Germany, wouldn’t be able to watch it live from her room.

"I only watched the highlights and read the statistics, so I couldn’t comment too much here. However, that is what you get when you are relying too much on individual heroism. Compared to that, the South Korea U-20 team that we faced a few years ago was definitely stronger."

Higo couldn’t help but grimace when he heard his girl talking about individual heroism. This reminded him instantly of his conflict with Frohling, and they both were still in the middle of a cold war without anyone willing to lower their ego first and apologize.

’Oh, well, that is not my mistake, anyway, so let him speak to me first.’ He thought inwardly before shaking his head, putting his focus back on his girlfriend.

"So, the junior team that we faced at that time was stronger?" Higo asked.

While Higo himself remembered that game clearly, honestly, when it came to the opponent’s side, his memory went blank.

Everything about that event that still lingered in his head was about how he changed the whole game with his presence, blocking four penalties to bail the team’s ass out of the danger zone and carrying them all in the penalty shootout.

Higo would never say it out loud, but if people asked about what football memory was the fondest that he had, the boy would never hesitate to say that it was that game.

"That, and we were also not that strong in the first place. You remember how much conflict we had internally? About players who refused to train seriously? I am sure you also complained at that time when one of the goalkeepers asked you to show less effort, right?"

Once again, Higo couldn’t help but grimace at that memory. Yeah, he forgot about that bastard’s name, but the unpleasant talk that they had at that time still tasted awful on his tongue.

The boy wouldn’t lie that he would enjoy nothing but forget about that memory. Unfortunately, it was also a part of his journey, one that reminded him not to be that kind of an asshole when he became a veteran for his team.

"Still, now that I know that the team is this good, what is the use of me?" Higo couldn’t help but ask, being in a self-deprecating mood. "I mean, the defense is already good enough to deal with everything, right? Gonda-san didn’t even make any saves yesterday, for fuck’s sake!"

"..."

Silence followed, as it seemed that Kumiko didn’t expect Higo to rant out of nowhere like this.

However, a second later, her voice rang once again, and this time, it was with the gentleness that could melt even the hardest metal in the world, let alone Higo’s fragile heart, as she spoke about logic and facts that could dissect all of his problems like a genius surgeon.

"You didn’t see the full picture here. The team could do that because the opponent is South Korea, who is not playing with their best squad. However, do you really think that our opponents in the future will always be like that?"

The silence was now on Higo’s side, as the boy pondered about it carefully.

"No, in the next World Cup, which is next year, if you remember, our opponents will be harder. Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina..."

"All of those opponents will be more dangerous than South Korea, and when that time comes, the country will need their iron wall from the north to defend their honor in front of the world."

Higo couldn’t help but smile a little when he heard that, somehow always finding that the girl had her way with words to soothe his heart whenever his mind was in trouble.

"Anyway, enough about the game!" The girl suddenly changed the topic, startling Higo for a second.

Then, her voice became lower as she spoke in a dangerous tone, and the boy could imagine that if she were here, Kumiko would look at him with her eyes narrowed sharply.

"Today is Aya-nee’s graduation day, so you would never forget that, right?"

Higo couldn’t help but smile wryly at that reminder.

Yeah, after four years studying at Tohoku University, his sister finally graduated, and while not a lot of people would come since they were still in the middle of the pandemic, somehow, the university managed to secure permission to let the family come to the event.

Higo himself had already prepared everything, from the formal suit to the present for his sister. So, this reminder was a little bit useless, as the boy was more than ready to join the fun today.

"Don’t worry, Aya-nee will kill me if I forgot about today." He murmured inwardly.

"Well, good..." Kumiko sighed in relief. "Anyway, my present is already in your bag, right? Don’t forget to give it to her, and say my hello as well!"

"Oh, don’t worry, she will know about it. If anything, she will care toward you than me." Higo smiled wryly whenever he remembered his sister’s antics.

Kumiko giggled merrily, probably imagining Ayaka nagging Higo about her as well.

They chatted for a little bit more, talking about the national team and even the most trivial things, like what she ate during the day.

For a moment, Higo sounded like an ordinary boyfriend here, not one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world.

After a while, though, so many alarms rang in the dormitory where Higo lived right now, and that was when the boy knew that it was time for a meeting.

"Anyway, I have to go first, Kumiko-chan," Higo said, albeit a little bit reluctantly. "I will call you in four hours once I have already met, Aya-nee, okay? Get ready! See you later, Kumiko-chan! Love you!"