"The official name is Patellar Tendonitis, but most people often know this as Jumper’s Knee," Makino explained, his voice eerie. "This is an inflammation in the tendon connecting the kneecap and the shinbone. Here," He rolled his trainer up and pointed at one particular spot on his knee. "You can still even see the last trace of it, right?"

The others gulped unconsciously, indeed seeing one particular mark slightly below his knee. It was easy to be unnoticeable in that spot, but once they narrowed their eyes, they couldn’t help but spot that mark.

"This is an injury caused by overtraining. You can even say that this was the consequence of my stupidity." The captain chuckled bitterly. "Honestly, even at that time, I noticed something was wrong with my foot. However, I just gritted my teeth, thinking that this was the pain I had to suffer to step up further to a higher realm. Oh, how foolish my younger self was..."

"So, is that why you were rejected from Sapporo Otani?" Higo frowned. "I mean, they denied you entry because of that injury? Is that why you want revenge?"

"Oh, yeah, that was the reason they rejected me. They didn’t say it blatantly, even discussing whether my potential would offset this injury or not, before, in the end, they decided that they couldn’t be patient enough to wait for me to recover." Makino nodded. "However, I didn’t really hate them, you know? Not back then, and definitely not right now."

"Um? Why?" Takaaki blinked in surprise. "They screwed your future, right?"

"Oh, no, it was me who screwed my own future. They didn’t have any hand in it, you know?" Makino shook his head while also walking faster, trying to get back into the hotel before the cold air of November could kill him. The others followed his action, knowing that it would be colder later.

"Anyway, I didn’t hate them. If anything, I am grateful for them. I mean, they even covered for my recovery, you know? A full one, nonetheless! Guaranteed until the doctor finally gave his nod that I was as good as new. They felt responsible since the incident happened on their ground, so they went all out to help me get back on my own feet again."

Everyone was in awe after listening to the generosity that Sapporo Otani showed. Only Higo still frowned as he asked, "Then, what kind of revenge do you want to happen in the next game?"

"Eh, revenge is a strong word that I think right now. No, if anything, I just want to make up for my regret here." Makino shook his head strongly. "At that time, they were so desperate to get a defender, so they picked Rin Mito and Yuma Igari instead of an injured me, which is fair, to be honest. Those two are killers on the back. However, I still liked to think that I could hold my own ground against them even after my injury, and the next game... That was my only chance to prove that."

Silence followed, as they all stared at their captain in a complicated mood. No one would think that their usually stern but popular captain would have such a deep regret in the past and was in his last redemption arc right now. He had two chances in the past, and yet, the team failed to get a point against Sapporo Otani. Now, the next final would be his do-or-die game, as he would never fight against Sapporo Otani on the pitch again in the future.

Higo, in particular, couldn’t help but see him in a new light. After all, before joining the football team, the only interaction he had with Makino was when they were bickering over Kumiko. At that time, he thought Makino was just another brainless playboy who had already had girls surrounding him, but still never had enough of it.

Now, though...

Higo still thought that Makino was an annoying womanizer dude and his biggest rival in getting Kumiko’s heart, but at least, he put some respect into the captain’s name.

"Still, you don’t regret joining the team, right?" Higo inquired cautiously. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Regret? Nah! Kumiko-chan and Miyashi-senpai were the ones who dragged me out of the darkness that I was, helping me back to fight on the pitch again. This will forever be the debt I couldn’t repay, so there is no way in hell I would regret this." Makino snorted. "Still, that doesn’t mean I cannot regret my foolish younger self, right? That’s why I am seeking closure here."

Somehow, hearing this, Higo couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh. If somehow, the team’s captain said that he regretted joining the team, it could lead to big trouble among the players here.

"Oh, well..." He patted his friend’s shoulder firmly. "Revenge can wait until later. For now, we have to get a good rest first, or we will be in trouble tomorrow. I don’t want to get punished by Kumiko-chan for staying up too late."

"Yeah, Senpai." Kazawa nodded lightly, walking back to his own room. "Also, your revenge will not be easy. You have to stop Yuwell Carlson first, and that is when you can brag to the others that you have completed your mission. For now, get back to sleep and get ready for tomorrow’s meeting."

After this, no one really consoled the captain anymore. Everyone realized that the boy needed a moment to contemplate here.

Makino himself just stood still, his eyes wandering far into the past. In his mind, so many things are battling each other, from memories, thoughts, and even his anxiety. Somehow, before going back, the scene earlier, when Ritsumeikan’s captain, Takuro Iwai, just stood still with hollow eyes as if he lost all the joys in the world, flashed into his head, enough to send a shiver down his spine.

’No, no, no. I cannot stay like this forever.’ The boy slapped his own cheeks, trying to wake himself up from this hellish loop of thought. ’This time, everything will be different! Kumiko-chan is optimistic, and everyone is also looking forward to it! We are not afraid of them! We can best them!’

Of course, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, Makino knew that down inside his heart, he was still afraid here. So, the boy just took a deep sigh, walking slowly back to his own room, leaving the lobby with his mind still in turmoil.