Author’s note: Special thanks to Hattorin and Crazyjr_96 for the additional Golden Ticket! With that, the story will have a double-update day for 7/5, 9/5, 11/5, and 13/5 for the next week. If you want to add more to the schedule, please, don’t forget to support this story more!

Thank you!

-0- 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Yes, Takaaki! What a shot!"

"Hahaha! Damn, do you see how dumbfounded their goalkeeper is?!"

"Come on! That’s what I am expecting from you, Takaaki!"

Right after the referee blew the whistle, all the Hakodate Nishi players except some on the back who were too far from the boy rushed forward, wanting to get their hands on Takaaki. They all laughed, slapped the boy’s back quite playfully, even ruffling his hair like he was a child.

Once the crowd started to subside, everyone could see that the usual intellectual look was gone, getting replaced with the disheveled appearance as the boy’s hair was messy, even with his glasses tilted so goofily on his face. However, the grin on his face clearly showed that he didn’t mind this treatment. If anything, he even waved enthusiastically to the crowd, wanting to hype the goal up.

Meanwhile, on the stand, a group of players with the sky-blue jackets were seen, with some of them having their jaws dropped in disbelief. They were the group from Sapporo Otani High, and those who were surprised here were their newcomer players.

"Damn! I thought they were just our usual defensive team! How could they have such a strong attack like this?!" One of them asked in clear astonishment.

He was clearly not the only one who felt that way. Almost all the new players there had their jaws dropped, looking bewildered at what they had just witnessed on the pitch.

Even though they were all elite players in their middle school time, it was actually quite rare to see a blitz attack be successful like this. Hell, even in the top level, it was still difficult to pull, especially once the opponent knew what they were about to do. Still, it was clear that this was not a coincidence, but a pre-planned tactic from the girl on the bench.

"So, she is not just a pretty face, but also has a brain, huh?" Another newcomer hummed thoughtfully while his gaze turned to Kumiko.

In return, it was Rin Mito, the team’s captain, who gave a clarification. He did it with a sarcastic snort as if their words were funny here. "While I get that you underestimate her because of her age and her status as a girl, don’t let them blind you from the fact that she is capable. Hell, I even heard a rumor that the federation is keeping their eyes on her, wanting to see how she would develop. If things go right, she has a big chance to continue her studies in German, you know?"

This... This was the news that even Kumiko herself didn’t know. However, Rin Mito had a family member working in a high position in the federation, and while Kumiko wasn’t big enough to be a subject of a nationwide rumor, when people asked about Hokkaido’s development, everyone there would immediately think about her.

It was understandable, honestly. After all, it was rare to see a team being managed by their own peer, a girl, nonetheless. That alone was worth the higher-ups taking note. It also helped that the girl managed to bring Hakodate Nishi from the slump that no one batted an eye at to be one of the powerhouse schools in the prefecture, always competing for the top four in the last two years.

With that kind of development, it was no wonder the federation took a fancy to her, ready to invest some heavy money in the girl.

"Damn... Will she be a part of the Nadeshiko team or what?" Another player couldn’t help but whisper, looking at Kumiko in admiration.

Hearing that, silence descended on the stand where they sat right now. Even the senior members of the team couldn’t help but stare at Kumiko in a new light, for the first time realizing what the girl represented here.

Kumiko herself didn’t know that she was the talk of the group on the stand. She also hadn’t heard any news about her being linked with the federation. No, right now, her attention was completely on the pitch, as the game was about to be restarted again.

"Denki-kun, remember the instruction. Your side will be bombarded heavily with Nishimura often roaming there, so take aside your pride and ask for help if you cannot bear the pressure alone, okay?" She held the boy’s shoulder tightly while giving the warning here.

"Don’t worry, Senpai. Unlike Hori-senpai, I am not that reckless, you know?" He grinned, still taking his time to send a jab to his senior on the bench. That senior just snorted coldly, huffing annoyedly with both arms crossed.

Well, it seemed that Kumiko was worried too much here. After the kickoff started, the opponent started to rush things up, even trying the long-ball approach desperately. However, this only made their attack dull, easy to be cleared away by either Sano, Makino, or Ishinori.

The goal really changed the direction of the game. While Esashi succumbed to chaos, Hakodate Nishi became even more comfortable, backing down into their cocoon-style defense. It was ugly, but they weren’t really bothered by that. The most important thing here was to win, and this was the best way for the Hakodate team to do that.

"Fuck it! What are you guys doing?!" On the sideline, Jirokichi also started to get impatient. He was warned by the fourth referee for his colorful language, but it seemed the old man didn’t care that much about it. "Nishimura, are you an idiot or what?! If you cannot get a ball, drop back! Drop back, you fucking imbecile!"

Hearing that, it wasn’t just the Esashi players who got scolded who were tense, but the Hakodate Nishi players as well. They knew that the further the player was away from the baseline, the easier they were to send a fifty-fifty cross close to the goalkeeper.

Not a single person with the black-and-white jersey believed that the man was just scolding his captain. No, this was definitely a secret signal that the old geezer sent, wanting the team to launch their hideous strategy again.

’Yeah, fuck! We have to get ready, or we will be screwed!’