Chapter 917: A Plan for the Winter Break

Once the game finished, time passed so quickly, and before he knew it, Higo had already been in his empty flat the next day, letting his body relax from all the tension that was still lingering from yesterday’s game.

Currently, he was just laying around on his bed lazily, engulfing his body in a warm blanket as the winter was so close. No, it wasn’t just close anymore; it had already knocked on his door, and he was just waiting for the snow to fall to make it official.

Still, the boy didn’t think too much about the weather. No, if anything, his hands were busy right now, scrolling through his social media account to read all the news about the game against Frankfurt yesterday.

Frankfurt Down! Schalke 04, The New Giant Killer?!

One Goal and One Assist, Koki Morita Wins the Man of the Match Award Against Eintracht Frankfurt!

Another Clean Sheet: How Good Is Schalke’s Defense?

So many bombastic titles popped on his screen, and Higo grinned widely as he read them all one by one. Honestly, at this point, it became a therapeutic experience, reading all the news and comments that praised him.

Still, the boy was being careful to not make it too much, or he would suffer from having his head being too big for being cocky.

’Speaking of which, we are getting close to the Christmas holiday, right?’ Higo muttered, remembering that at some points, the competition would have a break for at least two weeks to allow the players to celebrate. ’I wonder if Kumiko-chan can come here...’ He mused, finding himself having his finger on the girl’s contact.

He hesitated for a second here, his mind starting to overthink.

’What if she is busy with her schedule? Would I bother her? Or what if she has a lot of more fun things to do with her friends? I cannot just keep her for myself, right?’

Yeah, being alone would always make all the men species in the world start overthinking. In all honesty, all Higo needed was to press the call button and got the answer instantly, but his brain was still on the mood of playing a guess game here, wandering what the girl’s reaction would be.

Fortunately, he was saved from his own spiraling thoughts as, in the next second, his phone suddenly rang. Coincidentally enough, it was none other than Kumiko who called him, and the boy had the biggest grin on his face the moment he read her name.

"Ah... Uh, yes, Kumiko-chan? Is there anything I can help you with?" He coughed, trying his best to maintain his composure.

Unfortunately, Kumiko knew Higo well enough to notice this trick, and she couldn’t help but giggle when the girl heard his tone a little bit higher in that greeting. "Well... Nothing. Can I just say that I miss my boyfriend?" She asked teasingly.

If anything, this only made Higo blush harder, somehow feeling like a complete teenager here. "Ah—Of course, you are allowed to do that! It’s fine, it’s fine!"

This time, she didn’t hide her giggle, enough to make Higo feel a little embarrassed. Still, his heart was blooming when he heard that melodious laugh, soothing his tired heart right at that moment.

"So... Not that I mind you calling me, but is there really nothing you need?" Higo inquired. "I am sure that this is the first time you initiate the call. Usually, it would always be me who called you first, right?"

"Ah, it is nothing!" She said, probably shaking her head. However, they had been friends with each other for so long that Higo could know that it was the whole truth.

After pausing for a moment, the girl finally asked the crux of this matter today. "So, I have checked your schedule in December, and you will get your holiday for at most a week before you have to be there again before the break, right?

Higo stopped for a moment, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. Sure enough, even though they lived far apart in two completely different cities, Kumiko still kept up with his schedule, knowing exactly what he was up to.

"Well, do you have a plan to spend that holiday?" She asked the next second, startling Higo for a moment.

’Yeah, this is the second time today.’ He muttered, glancing around to see if there was a hidden camera that observed him or something like that. ’How does she know that I thought about that and even intended to ask her earlier? This was a bit too much to be called a coincidence, right?’

Still, Higo stayed calm, answering, "No, I don’t have any plan. Do you have any?"

This time, though, the silence was a little bit longer, as if Kumiko was hesitating about whether she should say it or not. Higo just waited patiently, giving her all the time in the world. In the end, though, the first thing he heard after a long pause was a deep sigh from the girl, followed by a question that pierced him straight to his heart.

"Well... We have been in this country for more than a year, right? A year and a half for you, even. Do you want to take a short break and go back home to visit our parents?"

BOOM!

This reminder was like a slap in the face. After all, he had never thought about his parents when he was here, especially since the boy called her almost every day. However, it was clear that those calls would never be able to replace his real presence, and even though she would never say it, what kind of mother wouldn’t miss her son?

"...Ryukkun?" Kumiko asked once again as her question only met silence. "It’s okay if you don’t have time. I mean, we can do it next summer if—"

"No, no, that’s fine!" Higo interrupted hastily. For a moment, only his heavy breath could be heard across the call, and after calming his heart, the boy finally whispered, "You are right. It has been a long time since we were home. Let’s go back for Christmas, okay?"