The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 117: Hiroshi’s Sudden Request
Silence fell as no one really knew what was going on here.
Honestly, Hiroshi, for all the shits and giggles he always inflicted on the team, was not the most expressive one when it came to himself. Hell, it wasn’t just Higo who didn’t know his background story. Everyone only knew that he came from a big team in the middle school, and yet, somehow, the boy was thrown away into this barren land.
No one really knew why, probably except for the Hotaru Twins. They also had this solemn look, secretly begging everyone else to nod at Hiroshi’s request. Kumiko also stared at the boy intently, and honestly, seeing the usually cheerful guy like him had his eyes dulled like this hurt her heart.
Still, the girl had a headache here, not knowing what to say since she herself also didn’t know the boy’s story.
’Oh, if only I were not a student here....’ She moaned secretly at her misfortune.
Yeah, usually, the head coach of the sports club could just access the members’ past record, and while it didn’t tell the coach the problem directly, at least, it could give an idea. Unfortunately, Kumiko’s status as a student prevented her from doing that, as no students were allowed to see the other students’ records due to privacy reasons.
Of course, she could’ve just asked the boy. However, seeing how tight-lipped he was, as if he wasn’t ready to share his secret yet, Kumiko buried that idea immediately, knowing that it would be counterproductive not just for him, but for the team as well.
’Oh, gosh... Forget it. I am sure he would share his story when the time comes.’ Kumiko shook her head quickly. Then, she turned to Makino and asked, "As the captain, what do you think, Makino-kun?"
Makino raised his brows slightly at the question. However, when he saw Hiroshi looking at him with eyes full of hope and stubbornness, the captain knew that he had to think his words carefully.
"Honestly, though, I don’t really mind it." In the end, that was what the captain said. "It is not like the MVP of the tournament can be decided just because you want it. You still have to fight it, lead us to the glory, you know? But if you want to try, go for it. Ask your fellow attackers for help first, though." He glanced around at Kuroki and Yuji.
"Ah... Me?" Kuroki rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, not expecting to receive the bomb out of nowhere. "Honestly, I don’t really care. I am not cut out to be a professional player, anyway, so I can help Hiroshi-kun to get this award if he wants."
"Me as well." Yuji shrugged. "I mean, I know that I am not the best player on this team. It would be weird for me to get one. If you can just feed me some good passes, you can brush your assist stats, and maybe, that would give you an edge, you know?" He grinned, punching Hiroshi’s shoulder lightly.
Hiroshi’s eyes were so teary when he heard this; the support from the others really meant everything to him. The boy knew that what he asked was too much, especially since he was still unwilling to share his story. Yet, here his teammates were, indulging his selfishness readily, as if it were not a big deal.
"Hey, hey, don’t cry yet! Don’t you need to ask me first?!" Kenji, the mood breaker he was, spoke in panic. "I mean, don’t you think I also have a chance?!"
This made the others stare at him in disdain.
"You, handsome?" Makino sneered. "I admit that your playing style is beautiful and dangerous, but you are too lazy, and your stamina sucks. Until you can fix that problem, you will not be given the spot on the first eleven, you know?"
For that, the boy had his eyes widened in shock, snapping his head at Kumiko immediately. "Is that real?!" His voice rose as he asked.
Kumiko just nodded sheepishly here, explaining, "I am so sorry, Kenji-kun, but before you can stand on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, we cannot risk having you from the beginning. At most, you will be our secret weapon."
Indeed, even with his lazy playing style, Kenji couldn’t really last for more than 45 minutes, let alone if he was forced to run back and forth to help defense. No way he would survive here, and the boy would only be a burden on the pitch.
Of course, Kenji also knew that. Even though he was resentful, the boy just accepted this. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, will you. Just don’t cry when I show you that I can still be the best even with only 45 minutes a game." He grumbled grumpily.
Makino just shook his head in exasperation, yet was glad that the tension ebbed away from the room. Then, his eyes landed on his friend/rival, and a mischievous smile curled on his face. "If anything, Hiroshi, the one you need to worry the most is Chibi, right?"
Right after that, all heads snapped at Higo, and the boy who was just enjoying his snack choked at the sudden attention. "What? Me?" He blinked his eyes in surprise.
"Yeah, you. Who else?" Makino smiled gloatingly, especially when he saw Hiroshi eyeing his friend with a burning gaze. "I mean, you are the golden glove of the prefecture. If there is one player who could be the best, it should be you, right?"
Higo opened his mouth, wanting to retort. However, the boy shut it immediately when he saw Kumiko shaking her head at him.
’What? You want to foster this kind of environment where Hiroshi is treating me as a rival?’
’Yes. While the team is willing to support him, he needs to know that it is not for free. If he doesn’t play up to the standard, the others will snatch it for him, so please, accept the villain role for once, and make him know that you are watching from behind.’
’...Fine...’
That conversation somehow happened in just one glance, with no single word escaping through their mouth. Years of growing up together allowed them to know what the other thought with just one glance.
’Oh, well... Since you want me to be a villain...’ Higo felt the corner of his mouth curl for a second, especially when Hiroshi was staring at him with the intention to kill. "Honestly, it is no use to compete with me. Our position is different, and if I were the one who got the award, that just shows your impact on the frontline is not up to the standard, right?"
