Chapter 799: Trouble Back Home

Well, it wasn’t truly what Higo hoped for, but the answer was professional and reassuring at the same time.

He would love more than anything to have a green light for harder training, but the doctor didn’t even blink when the man rejected Higo’s idea. Still, the man didn’t dismiss the goalkeeper’s request completely, as he allowed Higo to do light training.

Of course, his rehabilitation plan couldn’t be stopped. No, if anything, the portion increased, especially anything related to shoulder strength and mobility. From arm raises, wall slides, and gentle reaching exercises, both Daniel Guzman and the girls were supervising him all the time, wanting to make sure everything was alright and Higo didn’t rush things up once again.

"The aim here is for you to have a smooth movement, not just you making a move to the max. If I saw the slightest pain or even delay when you make a move, that means your shoulder hasn’t been fully recovered yet. Be patient and don’t act like a stupid buffoon."

At least, that was what the Filipino doctor said, and coincidentally enough, the insult was similar to what Sakura threw at him a week ago.

A stupid buffoon.

"I know that I can be stupid sometimes, but can you find a lighter insult than buffoon?" Higo pouted one night when he and the girls were sitting on the couch, watching a show on TV.

"Well, it is not my fault that you can be as stubborn as a mule. Even Guzman-san agrees with me, you know?" Sakura snickered more at the pout on Higo’s face.

Kumiko just shook her head exasperatedly while feeding Higo a slice of apple that she had just peeled. The boy himself was able to spoon the food by himself right now, but the discomfort lingering on his shoulder was still there, making eat time less enjoyable than it should be.

As they chatted along, Higo suddenly felt his phone buzzing.Taking it out of his pocket, the boy smiled a little when he read the name that was displayed there.

"Yes, Aya-nee?" He picked up the call after making a room of himself, not wanting the conversation to stop the girls from their activity.

"Hello to you too, Ryukkun. How are you doing there?"

The voice on the other side of the call greeted him with her usual warm tone, enough to get the smile spread bigger than ever on Higo’s face.

"I am good, I’m good! The rehabilitation plan is still ongoing, but my condition is getting better every day! Where is Mom, by the way? It is rare to not hear her voice in this call?" He asked curiously.

Yeah, the one who called him was none other than Ayaka, his sister. Usually, she would always be with their mother, and yet, this time, Higo couldn’t hear his mom’s enthusiastic greeting, which was definitely a strange development here.

"... This is what I want to talk to you about, Ryukkun..." Ayaka’s voice popped once again, but this time, her tone was weary.

Higo frowned a little bit, not liking the tiredness in her voice. More than that, he had a bad feeling about this, especially since this should be about his mother. "Is there anything wrong with Mom?"

"Nothing, other than the fact that Mom starts to work back at the office again today."

"Wait, is that allowed?" Higo frowned immediately. "I mean, does the government allow workers to go back to the office already?"

"It is, under strict restrictions. Also, Mom cannot refuse the order right now, not when the boss himself promised her a promotion and a more luxurious salary."

If it were before, when Higo was in high school, the boy would be helpless about this situation. However, this time, he was a footballer with a lot of potential, and based on Fujita-san’s assessment, his salary would only increase further in the future. Money shouldn’t be a problem anymore for his family, so why would his mother accept this offer?

Higo frowned a little, trying to remember everything about his mother’s work.

She was the director of cold chain operations in an international shipping company that sent seafood products from Hakodate abroad.It was a glamorous title, but in reality, her work in the field was quite harsh, having to inspect the goods and everything related to it.

The job was harsh and demanding, and sometimes, his mother even had to sleep at her office and couldn’t go home for several days. The fact that his mother would start doing that in this coronavirus era didn’t sit quite well with him.

Moreover, Higo also didn’t like his mother’s job in the first place. The boy remembered how he spent his time in middle school and high school, taking care of his mother whenever she was at home; the boy couldn’t say that he liked it.

At that time, he was helpless since the family really needed someone to pay the bills, but this time, now that Higo had the money, determination suddenly flared inside him.

"Shall I talk to Mom? What kind of promotion is offered, by the way? I swear, her position right now is already great." He asked.

"She keeps a secret about the promotion matter, which only gives me a headache. It would be great if you could knock some sense into her. She is being so stubborn right now." Ayaka’s tone was helpless, clearly telling him that they should’ve had so many discussions about this back home, with the sister losing the end of it.

"It seems stubbornness really runs deep in our blood, huh?" He couldn’t help but snort.

"Yeah, and not in a good way." Ayaka’s weariness was clear in her voice, enough to make Higo chuckle.

They chatted for a little bit more, with Ayaka inquiring about Higo’s condition more. After another round of nagging from her about what to do and not to do, the call was finally over, and the first thing Higo did after that was to search for another name on his phone.

"Fujita-san, can I ask you something?"