Higo didn't know about the others, but he himself definitely didn't expect that the players would notice his presence. The fact that it was during the boys' celebration also added to the enthusiasm here, and he couldn't help but laugh with the others.
To his surprise, though, the first one to respond to that question was none other than Kuroki, who sent his biggest thumbs-up toward the players.
"Good job, Takaaki! At least, you don't bring shame to our Blitzkrieg attack! Also, Kenji, you are less handsome than me, so don't try to act cool just because you can control the ball with your chest, okay?!"
This triggered joyful laughter among the audience, with Kenji himself making some rude gestures toward Kuroki.
"A retired bench player who couldn't even beat me doesn't have the right to criticize my style, Senpai!" The boy retorted with no heat in his tone.
