Chapter 997: Last Preparation before the Derby!

"Damn! I know that you both have gained a strong foothold in this team, but I didn’t know it would be this strong!" Tanaka exclaimed in awe once the meeting session was over.

"I mean, fucking hell! The team’s offense is basically revolving around you, Morita! And you, Higo?! The whole team has to listen to your ass when we are in defense! Fucking hell... This is out of my mind!"

Higo just snorted amusedly when he heard that.

It was exactly the same way he reacted when the goalkeeper met Wataru Endo for the first time, unable to comprehend how a Japanese player could be trusted to lead Stuttgart for the whole season.

At the end of the day, the boy finally realized that it was his inferiority complex that played a part in that. This was probably the one thing that plagued Asian people, making them always doubt their capability when they were compared to people from other countries.

Now, though, Higo finally figured out that the guys here had never looked at the players’ nationality to determine their role in a group. As long as the person was suitable, he would be the one chosen for that role.

That was what happened in Wataru Endo’s case, and this time, the same could be said for Morita and Higo, who finally shouldered a heavier responsibility.

"Well, that looks cool, but you cannot imagine how heavy the burden is," Morita said wryly.

"It just takes one accident for us to mess up, and all those trusts would crumble instantly like a sandcastle. Building it again will be a mission impossible, so don’t just look at us like that, Tanaka-san."

At this point, even Morita, who liked to brag about all of his achievements, couldn’t help but say something like this, wanting Tanaka to know that responsibility was not all sunshine and rainbows.

Tanaka just nodded quietly, understanding this matter as well. After all, he was also a talented player with a big burden on his shoulders during his time at Kawasaki Frontale, so the man knew what they felt right now.

What he still couldn’t understand was the gravity behind that responsibility in this foreign land, as people would always talk about their origin if they messed up something in the process.

Of course, even with all the bad sides that Morita talked about, that didn’t mean he and Higo would cower from their responsibility. No, if anything, they only got more excited than ever, wanting nothing but to prove that they deserved the role.

Not that anyone would question them, of course, but still, those two boys treated the training session in the next couple of days like they were going for the final of the World Cup or something like that.

"Sead! Shrink back! Remember, Sancho will try to go inside! Don’t hog the wing all the time!"

"Benjy, you cannot even hold on against Hoppe, so what right do you have to challenge Haaland?!"

"Jonas! Get ready for the second ball, for fuck’s sake! They are the best at getting rebounds, put up some fight!"

Higo didn’t know how long he had been shouting like this, but the next thing he realized, his throat was so dry from guiding the players in front of him so that they wouldn’t leave any hole that could be exploited by the opponents.

Waldoch also took his time chiming in when necessary, giving more information about what to expect from each one of Dortmund’s players.

Fortunately, everyone there didn’t complain a little bit about having to listen to Higo all the time, and this made the training session run smoother than ever.

Even some workers there could see that they were improving at a rapid pace, a rarity in the middle of a season.

Frohling couldn’t help but smile when he saw this, giving a subtle nod of approval toward all of his players.

"Yeah, that is what a training session should look like, right?" He murmured under his breath. "Still, there is one more problem that I have to solve first before the next matchday...’ His gaze shifted to Higo once again, pondering something for a moment.

Later, once the training session was over and Higo was still wiping the sweat from his face, Waldoch suddenly came and whispered to him, "The boss wants to have a talk with you."

"Um?" Higo blinked for a moment, getting startled by the sudden request. "Any idea what this is about?" He couldn’t help but ask, not finding any reason why he could be called out of nowhere.

In return, the assistant just smiled mysteriously, saying, ’I know about it, but you will have to find it by yourself if you want to really know as well.’ With his eyes.

Having no choice, Higo just sighed helplessly, following the Polish man obediently to the coach’s office.

The moment he entered the room, though, the warm feeling from the air conditioner washed over him, and a sigh couldn’t help but escape one more time as Higo just threw his body onto the couch like this was his own home.

Frohling who saw this also had the corner of his lips twitching, not expecting Higo to take his words, ’treat this room as his own’ to be this serious.

’Tch! Kids nowadays, not even knowing a little small talk and when he should refuse it...’ He grumbled inwardly.

Higo noticed the man’s state immediately, so without beating around the bush, he asked, "So, what do you want to talk about, Sensei? I am sure as hell that I haven’t caused any problems with the others, right?"

"Oh, no, no, no! You are definitely a perfect model student here!" Frohling shook his head quickly, trying to make sure that this wasn’t a meeting with a negative vibe. "I am just here to ask you one thing, though..."

This only made Higo more curious, especially when he saw the boss was hesitant even for a second.

"So, what kind of a question?" He pressed further.

In the end, the coach couldn’t bear it anymore and just spilled it out, "I want you to be the team’s vice-captain. Can you really do that?"