The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 148: A Quick Change from Kumiko!

Contrary to what the others believed, Makino didn’t hate Higo.

Annoyed? Maybe. Friend? He wouldn’t admit that. Seeing that boy as a rival? Definitely yes. However, was the hostility to the point that he wanted to humiliate the boy? Hell, no! This was not a TV drama where there was a villain in life! They were just normal high school students, for God’s sake!

That was why, when Makino heard the accusation from Higo, his face was so pale as if blood drained from his brain, and he froze without being able to say anything. It was as if a big slap landed on his cheek, and he didn’t know how to retaliate.

"Captain..." Usami, the most sensitive person among them all, approached the boy worryingly.

However, it seemed Higo didn’t have any intention here. Since the captain couldn’t really say anything to defend himself, the boy decided to continue his rant.

"What? You think I am wrong? Think again! What have you done in this game to help me? You know what? Nothing! You even let the most dangerous snake get closer to me twice, for God’s sake! Who do you think I am, a fucking God?!"

No harsh words were spouted, but the way Higo said it, with his eyes bulging so wide as if they were about to pop out of the socket and veins popping on his forehead, showed how furious he was. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about it, as the goalkeeper had the right to feel so.

Just in twenty minutes of playing, somehow, Park Han-Gyeol, one of the most dangerous players from the opponent’s team, was able to sneak through the captain’s defense twice. It would be okay if all those came from a heading scenario, since the Korean striker was a taller one here.

However, no! Reality was harsher than that.

Twice Makino let Park Han-Gyeol escape, twice also that slippery eel was able to face the goalkeeper head-on; no interference was seen in the process. The first one might be acceptable, since it was right after the kickoff. It was normal for the defender to slip when their concentration wasn’t quite there yet.

However, that second one? That was unforgivable.

Not only did Makino completely forget about Park Han-Gyeol’s presence, but he also let go of his marking, miscalculating where the ball would land. He jumped to clear the ball, just to find it brushing his hair and falling straight to the Korean striker’s feet. That was definitely not a sin that could be washed with a mere apology.

"Okay, what are you guys doing here?" The referee suddenly chimed in, interrupting the conflict between two teammates. He glared so sternly at the two boys before adding, "We are still in the middle of the game! If you have any grievances against each other, solve them directly with your head coach in the locker room later! For now, we still have to continue the game!"

Well, the conflict subsided, but the tension was there. Everyone could see that Higo was still fuming, while the captain himself was in a daze, his eyes unfocused. All the Hakodate players looked at him concernedly, but the warning from the referee didn’t give them any time to console their captain other than with a pat on the shoulder.

Makino himself was still in a whirlwind, having a mess inside his head.

’Yes, what the hell am I doing?’ The captain frowned, evaluating himself inside his head. ’Even other than those two occasions, I really didn’t do a good job in my task. My support is late, my command is awful, and my vision is always too narrow to deal with the situation. Is there something wrong with me today?’

The boy knew that he was not in his greatest state right now, which also affected his whole performance. Unfortunately, this was not something that could be fixed with a realization. No, even though he knew he was in a bad state, changing it would be a completely different matter.

Kumiko also saw this, and the frown on her face kept getting deeper as she racked her brain. In the end, she finally made a decisive choice here. "Kazawa-kun, come in. Get ready to play." She called the defensive midfielder on the bench.

The boy whose name was mentioned perked up instantly, not expecting him to get called this early. However, he didn’t question the order, just taking off his vest and getting ready to come to the pitch.

While the game was still quite early, Kumiko was always decisive in making a change. Even if only ten minutes had been running, she would never hesitate to substitute the player who she thought hindered her strategy, and as the all-around player whose task was to replace anyone on the pitch, Kazawa had gotten used to this sudden call in the early first half.

"Listen, I am going to put you out of position. This is not the first time you’ve done this, but are you ready to take command on the defensive line?" The girl asked.

Kazawa was taken aback, blurting out a question unconsciously, "Am I going to replace the Captain?"

However, Kumiko just shook her head firmly. "No, he still is important to stabilize the team’s mood. I also believe that he will bounce back soon. No, you are going to replace Fujinaga-kun. He is a bit off today, often too hasty to charge at Suzuki-kun just to get blown away so easily. I need a more stable presence, and you are my only choice here."

The boy nodded silently, stuffing all the messages into a small part of his head.

"After coming in, you will switch with Makino-kun. Let him run more to chase the opponent and clear his mind first. Once he is stable enough to take over the defensive line again, you can switch back to the midfield area."

It was a strange instruction, but Kumiko had read in the past that running could help clear away a cloudy mind. This also worked in a football game, and since this wasn’t the first time she did so, Kazawa just nodded silently, not questioning it at all.

"Don’t worry, Senpai." The boy said solemnly. "Until Captain gets into the right mind, I will be the one who protects our backline."