Chapter 981: Explosive News & A Call from an Old Friend

The next day, news of that pitchside interview exploded across Japan and Germany.

Well, how could it not, when Higo and Morita had basically declared to the world that they were among the best youngsters today?

Even though they really had the capability for that, being the best was never about self-acknowledgement with just words, but more about the action that they took on the pitch.

Still, those who had followed their journey since the beginning also knew that they deserved to be in that consideration. Hell, the only reason why they couldn’t gain support was just that they played for Schalke.

However, their performance was definitely worth the nomination here.

That was why, somehow, the internet split into two factions, all looking at this matter from different perspectives.

Bah! Who do they think they are?! Just one good season, and they think they deserve to be the best in the world?!

Well... Isn’t that the requirement to get the award? Just one good season is enough, right?

Yeah! Also, they truly deserve to be in that nomination! Look at their stats! Those are ridiculous!

Morita is the top-assister in the Bundesliga, getting involved in 72 percent of Schalke’s goals this season, and Higo is the goalkeeper with the most saves so far, leading the team to be the best defensive team in the world even with Bayern in the same league. If that is not enough to get them consideration, I don’t know what they need to do.

Tch! Just a farmer league. Play in the UCL first like Rodri, and then they can talk big!

Yeah, a bunch of country bumpkins, not knowing how big the world is.

Well, it was no wonder that so many people looked down on those two.

After all, besides the fact that they came from Japan, a not-so-strong country in the football world, this boldness is usually reserved for those who had already proved to be the best, like Cristiano Ronaldo or someone of that caliber, not two young boys who had only played in Europe for two years.

Still, so many people showed their support, especially those who watched the Bundesliga game and followed those two all the time.

"I don’t know what is so funny about it. They are doing great, and they have the confidence to get there, so it is good, right? Compared to that, when was the last time our players truly had that confidence? They didn’t even have the guts, for fuck’s sake! No wonder our country’s performance has been declining in the last couple of years..."

That was what Michael Ballack said on social media to support those two boys.

Not just the man, though, but some legends like Oliver Kahn, Miroslav Klose, and even Liverpool’s head coach Juergen Klopp also showed their love for Higo, expressing their support with one or two words that would silence the doubters instantly.

Morita himself wasn’t bothered by the massive exposure of his name out of nowhere like this. No, if anything, he was so giddy that some of the veteran players whom he had idolized for a long time stepped up to back them up.

Morita-san: Hey, Ryusuke! Didn’t you see the news?! Even Honda-san gave us a thumbs-up!

Morita-san: Damn! This is awesome!

Morita-san: I feel like I could conquer the whole world right now!

Higo just read the whole chat while shaking his head in exasperation. Sure enough, it seemed that his friend was incapable of negative feelings, always being able to find the positive side of everything that was going on for him.

Before he could answer a single one of them, though, his phone suddenly rang, and when Higo saw the name of the caller, he couldn’t help but feel startled.

"Yes? Now you remember that you have a friend, huh, Teme?" He opened the call with a sudden sarcastic attack.

If people overheard the conversation, they would’ve been taken aback by the sudden snarky greeting, not expecting Higo had it in him to do that.

Still, the man on the other side of the call wasn’t flustered at all. No, if anything, the man laughed his ass off boisterously, finding himself also missing this bickering.

"Tch! I should be the one who said that! The Golden Boy award, huh? You sure learn well from Morita how to brag around, Chibi."

"That’s my business. Also, it works well when my ability matches, you know?" Higo retorted quickly.

Honestly, if people didn’t know better, they would’ve thought that Higo and the person on the other side of the call were hostile against each other.

Still, that was far from being the truth, as that person was none other than Tomoaki Makino, Higo’s captain during his time in Hakodate Nishi High.

Even though Higo missed his friend after not knowing the boy’s news for such a long time—not that he would say it out loud, of course—his first instinct the moment he heard Makino’s voice was that he was being sarcastic, as that was their usual conversation in the past.

Makino himself didn’t mind it, as he even doubled down on his teasing for Higo’s boastful remark in the pitchside interview a few days ago.

"I told you that I didn’t say anything at all! Everything is Morita-san’s doing!" Higo sighed helplessly here.

"Tch! Don’t try to fool me, Chibi! I watched that interview, and I know you gave him a nod! You also want to brag, right? Don’t put the blame on Morita-san, Brat!"

Higo was so flustered as he got caught off-guard like this.

"Anyway, not that I mind, but why are you suddenly calling me?" He changed the topic abruptly.

"The last time I heard, you were still busy with something in Yokohama, right? You didn’t even have time to meet with me last Christmas." The boy spoke the last part with a sour tone, as if he was offended by that.

Makino didn’t answer immediately, though. No, silence fell for a moment while Higo also waited patiently.

In the end, with his breath uncharacteristically heavy, Makino finally dropped the bomb.

"Don’t just have fun alone there, Chibi. Next week, I will also follow your path, so get ready for me, okay?"