Well, none of the Hakodate Nishi players knew that they were the talk of the island right now. After their train arrived back at Hakodate, they all groaned tiredly, somehow feeling the fatigue accumulated on their shoulder to kick in.

"Damn, I swear I am more exhausted than any other game I have ever played in the past!" Fujinaga cracked his neck a little, trying to relieve his neck.

"Bah! Your effort is still nothing! If you want to brag, see how Usami-kun and Higo-senpai worked here!" Hori retorted mockingly.

Yeah, if there were players who worked the hardest in this game, that should be those two. Usami was the non-stop engine in the middle, chasing every one of the opponent’s players like a rabid dog, while Higo had to cover all the ground to protect the goal.

Even though Denji got the man of the match award, it was only for his goal and assist. Other than that, for the rest of the 90 minutes the game was played, his contribution wasn’t that much compared to those two names mentioned earlier.

"Well, at least, I could stay for the rest of the game, not like someone who got subbed off in the half break!" Fujinaga retorted with the same heat.

"Ha?! Care to say that to my face again?!"

"Who is afraid of whom?! Come on?!"

While they were bickering, though, the atmosphere was quite light here. Right now, all sixteen players, plus Kumiko as the head coach, were walking to Yakiniku Kintaro to celebrate this win. Well, not just for the win, since they didn’t really do that in the first two rounds. However, this was a special case, as the win today really led them to the Sapporo Dome.

This was a big achievement, the third time the team managed to reach this stage in their last one and a half year. Before, they couldn’t even touch the third round of the tournament; they were always happy to just win their first game of the tournament.

This was the transformation era, where Hakodate Nishi truly transformed from a mediocre team into a top-tier one in the prefecture. Now, with the reputation having been built like this, Kumiko wasn’t really worried about her retirement next year. More decent coaches would come to give their resume, and it was her job to pick one who was suitable for the team.

"Ojiisan, four tables for us, please!" Kumiko greeted the owner of the restaurant quickly once she entered the building.

"Oh, Ojousama! You are here! Does that mean the team wins again?" The old man’s smile was wider than ever once he caught Kumiko in his eyes. It seemed that he truly looked at the girl as his granddaughter in this case. "Well, just pick your usual place! It is empty right now! One special set for the Hakodate Nishi’s Football Team is coming!"

Well, not a single one of the players here needed to be told twice. They went straight to their place close to the wall, putting their belongings on the floor before taking a deep breath at the warm feeling under the kotatsu. Then, coupled with the cold sensation of the ionized water they took, it was like their brain was refreshed, feeling like everything was clear now.

"Damn, this is the life I deserve for!" Denji sighed, melting on the table immediately.

Even though he wasn’t the one who ran the most, his job as the wing back forced him to run back and forth for the entire second half, and now, the gas tank was almost empty, causing heavy sleepiness to attack the boy.

"Yeah, the atmosphere is nice and cozy, perfect for a recovery meal." Denki nodded after arriving back from washing his hands. "It would be perfect if we could vary it with another set of meals here, you know?" He added, taking a glance at Kumiko here.

The girl herself sighed helplessly at the not-so-subtle hint here. However, she just shook her head firmly, refusing to comply.

"First of all, it is not every day we are going here, so there is definitely no way you will get tired of this menu." The girl explained with one finger in the air. "Then, this meal is also planned by Ojiisan and me to fulfil all the nutrition lost on your body during the game. So, stop complaining and start eating here!"

After the warning, no one had to be told twice here. Kumiko was also correct. It wasn’t often they went to a nice meal like this, so there was no way they would get bored with it. Also, this was the first time they heard about this meal being planned by Kumiko, and somehow, they were so touched by her attentiveness.

"Anyway, forget about the food, we have to talk about our journey next!" Hiroshi suddenly changed the conversation here, being quite excited when he mentioned the tournament. "So, we are going to Sapporo Dome next, right? That means two more games, and we are going to the National!"

This time, everyone clenched their fist inwardly, and while they were dead tired right now, they could still muster their unwavering spirit once this topic was mentioned.

It was definitely a strange thing, since the thought of having to face Sapporo Otani didn’t seem to be as scary as it was in the past. Hell, if anything, they looked forward to the final game, wanting to prove that they had improved already after their last two encounters in the past.

"Well, it is okay if you are excited about the match, but don’t forget that you still have the semifinal, okay?" Kumiko smiled, not forgetting to remind them. "Esashi High might not be the best team here, and we also have experience beating them in the past. However, they will come at us with a spirit in their eyes, so it will be a tough match for us."

The others nodded in understanding, and somehow the atmosphere turned heavy out of nowhere. Seeing this, Kumiko was grateful that the old man brought the food on time.

"Well, since the food is here, let’s forget about everything else and enjoy the meal, okay?! Cheers!"

The others just looked at each other, but the small smile on everyone’s face showed how excited they were. So, without even being told, they had already started picking their meat right now.

"Come on! I am so starving right now!"