The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 268: After the Game... (I)

"CHAMPIONE! CHAMPIONE! OLE! OLE! OLE!"

"CHAMPIONE! CHAMPIONE! OLE! OLE! OLE!"

Even after the closing ceremony was over, all the Hakodate Nishi players were still singing loudly, celebrating the hard-earned win they got today. They also danced around the tournament’s trophy like lunatics, taking photos here and there to upload them to their social media.

All the Hakodate Nishi supporters also came down to the pitch, celebrating with the team as well. No one knew how they were allowed to do so, but it seemed the headmaster really put a word in for the organizer, letting the kids who came from Hakodate be allowed to celebrate it with the team.

So, a funny scene could be seen in the Sapporo Dome right now, as when all the home team’s supporters were gone already, the away team still remained inside, going crazy with their little party.

Higo was naïve enough to think that he could slip from the crowd and become an NPC again here. Unfortunately, things didn’t work his way, as everyone put their focus on him immediately. After all, he won the Golden Glove and the MVP awards of the tournament, so they were all curious about him.

"Come on, Dude! No need to be so shy like that! Tell me all of your secrets!"

"Hey, Higo-kun, take a photo with me! I need to prove to everyone that I have a photo with the best player in Hokkaido!"

"Um... Can I get in touch with your trophy? I swear, I will not drop it!"

Higo just smiled stiffly as he accepted all the kind words from the others. Inwardly, though, he had a sweat drop here, as the boy himself didn’t expect so many people would suddenly be close to him as if they were close friends before.

’Yeah, they are just flocking to the one who is in the biggest spotlight. Before this, Makino and Kenji always received one, right?’ He couldn’t help but mutter.

Not just him, but Usami also received overwhelming acknowledgement from the supporters. His solo-run goal in the first half really put awe in the eyes of all those who witnessed it, and they would definitely never forget about the scene for the rest of their life.It was a pity that there was no Goal of the Tournament award, or the boy would have won easily.

Soon enough, the headmaster suddenly arrived, wearing the team’s jersey as well, with a big cap covering his round face. He was beaming so bright from the joy he received today, knowing full well that the team he led had just created history. Unfortunately, he had to be the bad guy here, telling the bad news to everyone.

"Come on, Guys! We have to leave the stadium in the next 20 minutes!" He shouted, just to trigger a round of groans from the others.

"No, Sensei! We don’t want to!"

"Come on, just five more minutes!"

"Yeah! We still don’t have enough of the Sapporo Dome!"

For that, the headmaster explained patiently. "Well, the home team has already gone here, and we are definitely overstaying. So, please, don’t be too shameless, okay? Also, can you not see how tired the players are? Let’s go back to Hakodate first and prepare a big party for the team!"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Man, I cannot wait to tell the others about this! They will be green with jealousy!"

"Hahaha! Let’s do it together! I want to see their faces when we brag about this!"

Fortunately, they all complied, saying goodbye first to the players before leaving the stadium one by one. Higo could also see that Kumiko was chatting with the headmaster for a while, the man’s stomach shaking slightly whenever he laughed happily with Kumiko. It was clear that the man was the most ecstatic about the result today.

As the 100 students that the school brought to support them finally went back, the team finally let out a relieved sigh, starting to show a hint of exhaustion. The day really took a toll on them, not just physically, but also mentally. However, they couldn’t take a rest now, not when they had one more group to meet.

Fortunately, this time, they were more willing to do that, since the ones they would meet were...

"RYUKKUN! KUMIKO-CHAN! HERE!" A familiar melodious voice rang throughout the air as the team walked into the parking lot.

"Ufh~!"

Higo winced unconsciously when his mother suddenly slammed herself onto him, before he accepted the hug fondly. Not just him, but Kumiko also got dragged into the family group hug, since at this point, she had already treated the girl as her own daughter.

"Mom, you need to be calmer, you know? The trophies are quite heavy." He joked around.

Yeah, the group that was waiting at the parking lot was the parents’ association, as they also wanted to get in touch with the team. Not that the boys would reject that, since not only were they their parents, but the group had been here whenever the team was in Sapporo, and they really appreciated the support here.

"HAHAHA! Good job, Usami! You really make your father proud!" Usami’s father, the local tycoon of the group, laughed boisterously while hugging his pitiful son. "I mean, a Maradona-esque goal?! Really?! Are you kidding me?! I will have to show this to everyone at work tomorrow!"

"No, Dad... Not that..." His weak voice was filled with panic, not wanting to get more attention than this.

"Hey, Brat! Is that the one that you always want?" Makino’s father, Yoshio Makino, glanced at the trophy that the boy carried. His gaze softened immediately as he knew what this trophy meant for his son. "Good for you. At least, you got what you wanted before you graduate."

Makino nodded silently, feeling his eyes warmed by tears.

Similar scenes could be seen everywhere here, with each player getting the bear hug and heartfelt congratulations from their family. After such a long battle, this was definitely what they needed: a warm greeting from their closest people in the world.

Well, that was one of them, as the next thing they needed was...

Gruuuuu~~~

The loud grumble from Kenji’s stomach suddenly snapped everyone out of their own thought. When they turned around, they could see the boy’s mother hissing so embarrassedly, while the boy himself just grinned goofily.

"What? I am hungry." He stated as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hahaha! You are right! After playing such an intense game, you all should be famished right now!" Usami’s father laughed once again. "Come on, everyone! Jump to your own bus! We will have a party tonight!"