"Kumiko-chan, you are so evil, you know that, right?" Higo grumbled as he tried to keep his hand warm with his breath. "How could you force me to do something like this in this weather? It is snowy, for God's sake!" He cried indignantly.
"Oh, don't be such a crybaby! It is 4 degrees already, better than last month! Also, this little snow will not affect your move! You are Hokkaido-jin, snow is practically your best friend!" Kumiko snorted at him heartlessly. Hokkaido-jin here meant 'Hokkaido people', how the local people here called themselves. "Oh, also, wear this. You are a goalie, right?" She threw a pair of gloves at him.
"…What a heartless witch," Higo grumbled, starting to wear the gloves.
He had already changed from the school uniform into the training suit that the club lent, and even though it was a bit oversized, at least, this didn't hinder his movement. The moment Higo stepped into the field, though, he was dumbfounded to see that most of the people there had a shovel in their hand while the field—at least a small part of it—was cleaned from the snow already.
"…Do you guys actually always clean the field like this before training?" He finally asked.
In return, the players there just stared at him with the 'Are you stupid?' gaze, enough to make Higo flustered. "Of course, Senpai! We are always doing this! I mean, the snow will not clean itself up, right?" Hiroshi asked with a chuckle.
"Also, this is a good way to train our physique!" The tall boy who was the goalkeeper before Higo replaced him grinned, showing his muscular bicep. "Look! This is what I get after joining the club! Don't you feel envious of this muscle?!" He patted it proudly, triggering a wave of envy from the others.
Higo was too speechless to respond to that, so in the end, he started doing a little bit of warm-up. Of course, since he himself didn't know anything about it, his attempt looked like a kid trying to do some weird robot dance, and some players were holding back their laughter after witnessing the scene. Fortunately, Kumiko took pity on him, and before he could die in embarrassment, she saved the boy from his misery.
"Jun-kun, please help him do a warm-up, okay?"
"Yes, Senpai!"
The tall boy approached him, and while Higo knew that the boy was friendly, the fact that he could see a hint of laughter in the boy's face was enough to trigger a glare. Inwardly, Higo kept muttering to himself, 'Just one game… Okay, let's make it quick and go home soon…'
After a while, everything was ready, and standing alone in front of the goal while all the other players were eyeing him fiercely, Higo couldn't help but gulp, somehow feeling the pressure. It was as if he were a rabbit under the gaze of a pack of hungry wolves.
"So… How should we do this?" He asked Kumiko, trying to hide his nervousness. "Also, can you explain the rule a little bit more in detail? I don't know anything about this, okay?" He emphasized this part one more time.
"Oh, don't worry, it is quite easy." Kumiko waved her hand nonchalantly. "This is just a one-touch drill. Hiroshi," She pointed at the sunny boy earlier who stood close to the sideline. "Will send a pass, and players will take turns shooting the ball. Your task is only one: stop them from scoring a goal."
Well, that was a simple rule. Except that… The players were so close to the goal! Hell, they were even inside the penalty box, and Higo was so sure that the impact would hurt more if the shot was closer!
"Um… Kumiko-chan…"
"Yes, Ryukkun?" She tilted her head while smiling so innocently, the adorable gesture that frightened the boy the most.
"Are they really supposed to be this close?" He asked hesitantly. "Are you sure it is not from outside of the box?"
"What? Of course, not!" The girl answered cheerfully. "We are going for a shot drill, so the most ideal distance is there! Don't worry, you will be okay!"
Honestly, Higo had a feeling that he was being fooled here, yet he didn't have anything to prove it. In the end, he just took a deep breath, turning around to face the army of hungry soldiers in front of him.
"Fine, let's get over it!"
"Attaboy! That's the spirit!" Kumiko cheered. Then, she started calling a name out of nowhere. "Fujinaga-kun, you are first!" The moment she blew the whistle—Higo didn't know where it came from—Hiroshi sent a low pass, which was smacked instantly by a bald-haired boy after a small run-up.
'A low shot to the left!' Higo suddenly received a vision, and right before the shot was coming, he had already made his move.
BAM!
"Oh! What a kick-save, Higo-senpai!"
"Fujinaga, that shot is shit, you know?! The direction is so easy!"
"Oh, shut up!"
Higo let out a relieved sigh after he saved the first ball. It was such an easy one, as the power and the direction were quite weak. He just needed to stretch out his right foot slightly, and it was enough to deflect the shot in the air.
'Hmm… Not bad…' Kumiko, who was on the sideline, nodded in approval. 'It seems you really have a talent, Ryukkun… Don't worry, I will give you a chance to untap that potential.'
With that thought in mind, she shouted, "Takaaki-kun, it is your turn now!"
"Ha! Fujinaga, let me show you how you should've done it!" Takaaki, a boy with glasses, starts to do his run-up before launching a powerful shot to the top bins.
BAM!
'Oh, fuck!' Higo cursed as he started moving before the shot was even launched.
The shot was really intended to hit his biggest weakness, which was his short figure. While it wasn't a strict rule, the common requirement for a goalkeeper was a tall player, so that he could reach the whole goal and protect it more easily.
Honestly, even if Higo dived and showed the potential of a top goalie, he wouldn't be able to reach the shot due to his short posture. Fortunately, he had his clairvoyance ability, which allowed him to make a move first before the shot was launched. As a result, he had already covered half of the area before jumping, easily punching the ball out of the goal's range.
'Another save!' Hiroshi, whose task was to pass the ball, was currently bouncing in excitement. 'Shishida-senpai, he might be the goalie that we have been searching for!' He whispered quite loudly toward Kumiko.
The girl pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No, not yet." She said decisively.
"Um? Why?" Hiroshi was taken aback. "Higo-senpai has already saved two out of two shots from a close distance. What else does he need to do?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"Well… How should I put it… You see, even though everyone was surprised, you don't see admiration from them, right?" Kumiko pointed out the line of players waiting to take a shot.
"You are right!" Hiroshi had his eyes widened in disbelief. "Is what Higo-senpai did here not impressive?" He wondered.
Kumiko shook his head immediately, denying that idea. "No, if anything, saving two shots from a close distance like that is a very impressive thing, especially considering this is the first time I've seen Ryukkundoing that." Her eyes were shining as she stared intently at her childhood friend.
"Then… Why is it not enough?"
"Because we don't have any time to train him." Kumiko sighed, for the first time showing a hint of exhaustion. "It is already the end of February, and in the next two weeks, we will have our first game ever for Hokkaido prefecture. With the shot-stopping ability that Ryukkunshows so far, he might be able to be a decent goalie, but if we want to push further, this is still far from enough."
Hiroshi gulped, finally realizing for the first time that behind her kind smile, the football team's manager was a very strict person, even to her best friend. "So… What would he need to show?" He asked.
"Oi, Kumiko-chan, what are you waiting for?! Don't just leave us hanging to chat with your kouhai, okay?!" Higo called out; a hint of jealousy could be heard in his tone.
It was enough to snap Kumiko from her own thought, and then, an idea suddenly formed inside her head. 'Listen, Hiroshi-kun…'
She suddenly whispered something, which was enough to burn more jealousy from Higo's part. However, Hiroshi couldn't care less about his reaction, as right now, the boy was too stunned at the order he received.
'If I did that, would it make me a target?' He asked hesitantly.
'Don't worry, I will talk about him later! I mean, he is not that petty!' Kumiko smiled, slapping the boy's back. 'Anyway, this is going to be his biggest test today! Just do it, and we will see if he really has what it takes to be our goalie!'
Hiroshi gulped a little, trying his best to avoid Higo's malicious stare. In the end, he could only apologize silently, 'I am so sorry, Higo-senpai, but this is what Shishida-senpai asks… Please, forgive me…'
As he launched the ball, everyone gasped, knowing that this was far from the usual.
'This pass…'
BAM!