Chapter 805: Good News from the Doctor!

It took a week, but after waiting for a while, the team’s official social media account finally posted online, and the reaction was quite wild.

Schalke04_official: We are delighted to announce that Ryusuke Higo will be with us for four more years!

Fabrizio Romano: Schalke’s 19-year-old goalkeeper from Japan, Ryusuke Higo, signed a new contract for four more years. Here we go!

Four more years with Schalke 04- what will it mean for Ryusuke Higo’s development?

Ryusuke Higo, Hakodate’s Iron Wall, Flying High in Gelsenkirchen!

So much news was reported about this new deal, and hell, even Asahi Shimbun, the biggest newspaper in Japan, also had a full article in the sports section that detailed Higo’s achievement from the start of his career up until now.

Higo didn’t know about it, but his mother cut that section carefully before sticking it to the wall where everyone could see it the moment they entered the house, letting the guests know about Higo’s journey. It was her way to show how proud the family was of him, and a humble reminder for the boy that no matter how far he went, the people back home would always be waiting for him.

Of course, that wouldn’t be what the boy cared the most about now. No, for a young adult like him who craved acknowledgement from his peers, his concern was mainly about his friends’ reaction, and the boy couldn’t help but grin like a loon when he saw so many people congratulated him on his private message.

Hiroshi Tsuburaya: Senpai, congratulations! Damn, I know you are always that awesome! Just wait, I will be there as well, quicker than you think!

Saburo Kuroki: Bastard! How could we only know about it from the news?! You owe us a good round of yakiniku when you are back later! Come on, keep climbing higher!

Tomoaki Makino: Tch, not bad. Don’t get cocky, Chibi; I will haunt your ass sooner or later.

Hiroki Kawabe: RYUSUKE! CONGRATULATION! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! ALSO, THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF SAKURA FOR ME!

The more he read on those, the happier Higo became. It was as if he had a lifetime right to brag to his friends, even to some who were congratulating him begrudgingly, like Makino. His feet kicked unconsciously as the boy giggled, imagining how ashen his former captain’s face was when sending that message to him.

’Oh, God, I will definitely rub this straight in front of his face when we meet again.’ He laughed secretly at his insidious plan.

His state was definitely noticed by the two girls living with him, and even Kumiko herself felt a little bit disgusted at how Higo was grinning like crazy right now. She hid behind Sakura as they whispered to each other while looking at the boy with concern.

"Okay, Ryusuke, this has to stop!" In the end, it was Sakura who acted like a strict mother to scold him. After all, Kumiko was too soft-hearted when it came to the boy. "How could you lose control of yourself like that?! People will always come and go so quickly, praising you at one time and scolding you at another without mercy! Don’t lose your grip on reality just because of that!"

"I know, I know..." Higo grumbled while rubbing one of his ears mockingly at the girl.

Well, it was just another round of playful banter between those two, but it definitely managed to trigger the girl’s temper, starting another round of bickering that made a sigh escape from Kumiko’s side.

Still, this was a scary phase in his career where people started to notice him climbing higher. The immense praise was enough to drown him, causing him to lose control of himself and become so cocky that he treated everything as beneath him.

It wasn’t an exaggeration, as so many players met their downfall because they failed to control themselves once a big contract was on their side. It was fortunate that Higo had Kumiko, Sakura, and his family back home who kept anchoring him to the ground, or he would find himself flying so high that he forgot where the earth was.

If anything, their reminder was enough to make Higo more excited than ever. He followed the rehabilitation plan eagerly, wanting to get back to the training ground as quickly as possible. Yeah, the boy was so eager to prove his worth right now, wanting to let the world know that he deserved everything that he got right now.

Then, time passed so quickly, and before Higo knew it, he was already at the fifth week of his rehabilitation plan. Everything seemed to be longer than what was originally scheduled, but Higo himself had already passed his anxious phase, just waiting patiently until he got a green light from the doctor.

Well, he didn’t have to wait for so long.

At the end of the fifth week, when Higo was in the middle of the checkup, the news that he had been waiting for finally came.

"Hmm... The result is good, and all the damage has already been fixed at this point." The doctor nodded in approval. "We will wait for another week, and if the next assessment goes well, you can start joining the team with a modified training plan."

Higo’s eyes lit up immediately when he heard that. "Really?! I am allowed to train again?" He asked quickly, wanting to confirm that his ears didn’t deceive him.

"Really." The doctor nodded with a smile on his face as well. He had seen the boy’s dedication to get back to the training ground, and he knew Higo deserved this recovery more than anyone else in the world. "Still, be patient and don’t rush things, okay? Take it slow and follow the plan until the end; don’t lower your guard at all." He couldn’t help but remind the boy, not wanting him to get reckless.

"Sure, Sensei! Don’t worry about it!" Higo laughed loudly, finding his spirit burning brighter than ever.

’The timing is the best here, just a week before the pre-season begins.’ Higo clenched his fists tightly. ’Oh, man... I cannot wait to be in action again!’