Chapter 935: Meeting Old Friends

"So, are you ready?" Kumiko asked; her hands were already on the steering wheel.

"Sure. Don’t rush things, okay? They have already said that it is okay to be late." Higo nodded before putting on his seatbelt.

It was around 2 in the afternoon, and right now, they were already inside the Toyota Corolla that Kumiko’s mother used to pick them up from the airport last night.

This was probably the car model that most people in Hakodate used, what with how reliable the car was in facing the snow-packed, hilly terrain of this town.

The place they were going to meet the others itself wasn’t that far. No, it was just fifteen minutes of a drive, so close to their old school Hakodate Nishi.

They also knew that place quite well. The name was Yakiniku Kintaro, and this was the old place where the team always went whenever they were celebrating their win at that time.

It was such a nostalgic place that once Kumiko parked the car outside, they just stood in front of the building for a moment, observing it from the top to the very bottom as if trying to make sure that this was the right one in their memory.

"It has been a long time, huh?" Kumiko murmured, feeling nostalgic.

"Yeah, I remembered my first ever win, and how you brought us all here," Higo added, having a similar smile to hers. "You were so pretty that day that everyone looked at you like you were a goddess descended on earth, you know?" He asked, now with a playful tone.

Kumiko blushed for a second, somehow remembering how everyone was trying to get a piece of her at that time.

"Stop teasing me like that!" She slapped him on the shoulder playfully, feeling a little bit embarrassed that her dark memory was mentioned. "Anyway, let’s go. Everyone should be waiting there!"

She went in first, and Higo followed from behind. The moment they were in, memories of the past rushed in without any warning, attacking him from all directions.

The smell of the fume from the yakiniku place, the laughter of people around, and the classic decoration that was hanging on the wall really brought back memories of his high school time, and he couldn’t help but smile unconsciously at that.

"Oh! Kumiko-chan! It has been a long time since I saw you!" The owner of the place, an old man with an obsession with a tall chef hat, greeted the girl enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sorry for not coming in a long time, Ojiisan." Kumiko smiled gently. "We are here to meet our friends. Have they arrived already?" She asked, linking her arm toward Higo’s.

This little move didn’t escape the man’s eyes, and right after that, he glanced at Higo, observing the boy carefully.

He narrowed his old eyes for a moment, as if trying to remember something here. The next second, though, his eyes widened in shock, as if realization hit him hard at that moment.

"Oh! It is no wonder I feel like I have seen you! You are our new superstar, right?! The one who played football in Germany?!" He exclaimed excitedly.

Fortunately, the restaurant wasn’t that full, so only a few people noticed their presence. However, Higo couldn’t escape their gazes here, and in the next second, everyone greeted him with the same excitement.

"Hey, hey! Who would’ve thought that Ryusuke Higo would eat in this small restaurant?!"

"Can I take a picture with you?"

"No need to push around, Bastard! He is here to eat; give him some space!"

In the end, Higo had to accept a few photos here, even one with the owner as well.

He felt a little bit awkward, especially since usually, here, it would be Kumiko who was the center of attention. However, the girl didn’t mind it, looking at him with a proud feeling as if she was the one who raised Higo.

Well, that wasn’t wrong, per se, since without Kumiko, the boy would never even have considered football as his career.

Once again, fortunately, not a lot of people were there, and soon enough, the owner let them go to the private room that was rented by their friends beforehand.

Higo himself couldn’t help but have a wry smile, knowing that he would be teased more once he stepped into that room.

"So, ready to meet our friends?" Kumiko asked, holding back her laughter when she saw his hesitation.

Higo gritted his teeth before taking a deep breath here. "Fine, let’s do this!"

The moment he slid the door open, the boy saw so many familiar faces, yet with less familiarity than the last time he remembered them.

Kuroki was there, but he was thinner and had deep bags under his eyes.

Hiroshi sat calmly, but his body was bigger than before. It seemed that being in a pro club did good for his development.

Then, Usami and Takaaki sat next to him. Those two looked like normal college students outside, and yet Usami carried the confidence that he had never shown in the past, while Takaaki had thicker glasses right now.

Those four were the only people who were free to attend this little gathering, but somehow, Higo was so happy to see them at this moment.

"Oh! Our new superstar is here!" Kuroki laughed the first time he saw him here. "So, how’s life, Higo? Don’t forget that you are the one paying this shit, okay?!" He hugged him tightly, patting the goalkeeper’s shoulder fondly.

"It’s good, it’s good. Don’t worry about the bill." Higo grinned, accepting the hug.

"Senpai! I have always watched your game, you know?" Hiroshi grinned, the second one to hug him.

"Really? I swear to God that our game should be around midnight here, right?" Higo asked, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Hah! That’s what I tell him, if only he were not that stubborn!" Takaaki snorted while pushing up his glasses, something that he always did even in the past.

"Hey, if you put someone as your target, you have to know them well, okay?!" Hiroshi retorted with a slight blush on his face, not expecting that Takaaki would attack him out of nowhere.

"That concept is absurd, Hiroshi-kun; I don’t even know if I have to applaud you for your brilliancy or stupidity." Usami chimed in with his usual soft voice.

"Not you too, Usami!"

Seeing all of his friends bickering like this, Higo couldn’t help but smile, looking at Kumiko for a moment as they had a similar thought.

"Man, it’s great to have them here, right?"