The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 116: A Dinner with the Team

The situation inside the club room was so festive, with everyone bringing something from their home. Yeah, even though the exam announcement was also today, everyone had already planned for the celebration beforehand, somehow feeling confident that they all were going to pass the exam.

Hell, Yuji even brought a hotpot set from his home, as if he was ready to celebrate since the beginning. Then, Usami doubled down, bringing the best quality meat that could possibly be bought in the market. Just within a moment, the room was transformed, as everyone was ready to have a hotpot party here.

"Goddamnit, can you see the marbles sparkling there?"

"I swear, I have never seen any meat prettier than this..."

"Hey, Usami-kun, are you sure this is okay?"

The last question was asked by Kumiko, who was worried that they went overboard here. The boy himself shook his head quickly, answering with a little stutter. "I—It is okay, S—Shishida-senpai! M—My dad asks me to bring this for us all!"

The others stared at each other for a second before cheers finally broke out once again in the room.

"YES! Long live Tanaka-ojiisan!"

"Damn, is this how it feels to have a sugar daddy?!"

"Bah! Don’t be disgusting like that!"

The four newcomers who didn’t know Usami’s identity were confused for a second before Hiroshi finally explained what was going on here. The four boys had their eyes widened in shock, never expecting the quiet and slightly timid senpai among them would be a hidden bigshot among them all.

"Don’t think anything stupid and greedy, you brats! Usami-kun is our friend first and foremost, so don’t take advantage of his family!" Makino scolded them quietly when he saw a strange expression flashing into their eyes.

"Tch! Do you think we are that bad, Senpai?" One of the twins, Denji, if the captain was right, clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Yes, yes, we are just trying to build a connection here. Saying that we are taking advantage is a bit too much, right?" The other twins, Denki, added solemnly.

The captain just rolled his eyes at them, but was secretly taking note that he had to keep an eye on those four. Meanwhile, as the one who had the most experience in cooking, Higo took over the job of preparing the food, setting up the hotpot so proficiently that it seemed as if he had done the job for years.

"Hori, stop trying to steal the meat! Put it back on the table!"

"Ishinori, wait until the broth is boiling, and put the Shitake mushroom there!"

"Hey, who brought the veggies?! Eat your veggies, you bastards!"

The situation was quite festive here, with Higo being the cook that everyone was surprised by. No one had ever thought that he would be this good in the kitchen. Well, no one really knew him well, as, besides the club, Higo was a quiet person.

"Damn, Senpai, this is good." Hiroshi nodded in approval as he took another big chunk of meat from the pot.

"Yeah, yeah..." Fujinaga nodded, still with his mouth full. "Who would’ve thought that someone like you could be this good at cooking?"

Higo didn’t even turn his head, just frowning for a second before asking, "What do you mean, someone like me? My grade in Home Economics is the best, you know?"

"Indeed, much to my dismay." Makino sneered, as if the thought of him admitting that disgusted the boy himself.

Kumiko watched the interaction from the sideline, somehow feeling proud that her best friend could mix into the group so seamlessly. She still remembered how sad he was for being treated as a normal ’NPC’ in the classroom, and yet, here the boy was, finally starting to find a place where he belonged.

’Oh, good for you, Ryukkun, I am so happy for you...’ She wiped a single tear from the corner of her eye secretly.

After each one of them having their stomach full enough, the girl stepped forward again, taking over the conversation with another heavy topic. "So, since the exam is over and we all passed the grade, that means we can go together to Niigata, right?"

Right after that, cheers erupted inside the room.

"Hell, yeah! I have already prepared for that!"

"I heard that the prefecture is famous for its beautiful sandy beach, right?"

"Damn, I haven’t gone to a beach in a long time! I cannot wait here!"

Even though at first, they all were excited about the prospect of getting invited into a top tournament, that feeling was replaced for a moment after the arduous week of studying for the exam. Kumiko just let them be, knowing that they needed to vent out their emotions here. However, after a while, she coughed a little bit louder, gaining their attention again.

"I know that this is going to be a wonderful holiday for some of you, but don’t forget that we are going to Niigata to play football, okay?" She smiled with a scary aura behind her, enough to make some people on the frontline gulp nervously. "Anyway, try to get serious, because I heard the best player of the tournament will be offered a professional contract immediately."

This made some of the boys widen their eyes in shock and disbelief.

They all knew that the tournament was held by a J-League team, Albirex Niigata, and they could also guess that some scouting process would also be involved here. However, to hear the direct confirmation from Kumiko that the best one would be recruited instantly...

"Damn, they sure are crazy, huh?" Hori whispered while shaking his head incredulously.

To everyone’s surprise, though, the first one to have a big reaction was Hiroshi, as the boy suddenly let out a boisterous laughter. Hell, he even had tears in the corner of his eyes, making everyone look at him concernedly.

"Hahaha... This is crazy..." He laughed to the point he cried here.

After the boy was calm enough, though, he turned to his teammates there and said with an unusual serious tone from him, "I am sorry, Senpai, but please, can you help me get the contract?"