Honestly, at first glance, everything should be controllable. There should be no chaos here, especially since Higo was about to reach the ball. Also, Yuwell was completely surrounded by Makino and Nori, so even if the ball escaped, the Swedish striker would never get it first.

However, disaster always struck in the most unexpected moment.

Jun, who had no business joining the mess and just tracking back behind to deal with the possible scenario of the ball going to the other flank instead of Yuwell, accidentally tripped over himself. It was a pure coincidence, and the boy couldn’t stop himself from falling. However, with just pure instinct, his hand tried to grab anything close to him, and unfortunately, the thing turned out to be Yuwell’s leg.

So, in the end, he didn’t just fall alone, as the boy dragged Yuwell down to the ground as well. The most unfortunate thing, though, was that it happened in front of the referee’s eyes, so no matter how much he complained, the man didn’t budge even for an inch.

"Sensei, you know that the decision is too harsh, right?" Makino still tried to appeal the case to the referee. "He just accidentally falls! You didn’t even grant us a foul in a worse collision before that, and now you punish us for this?! It is so unfair!"

"I also didn’t push him, you know?! It is just a light touch, and can you believe that the smallest contact like that was enough to knock a big boy like him on the ground?! He should be playing a trick right now!" Jun also added, trying to make his case.

Poor by, his face was so pale from the adrenaline right now. He had already made one blunder earlier, and with this penalty... If somehow, the team failed to win the game, he would be a sinner here, a public enemy in the school.

It wasn’t just them who tried to put pressure on the referee. Takaaki, Kazawa, and Kuroki were also discussing the decision here, thinking that the man was too harsh in his decision. Hell, Sapporo Otani made some contacts that were worse than this, and yet, most of them were deemed as just a normal collision.

Unfortunately, the referee’s decision still stood.

"You think it is too harsh, but your teammate basically tripped Sapporo Otani’s number 9 in front of the penalty box, where he has a chance to score a goal. This interference is basically a warrant for a penalty, no matter how light the contact is." He tried to explain.

Makino still tried to complain, but in the end, he couldn’t do anything about it, just returning to Higo helplessly.

"Sorry, Chibi, it seems we have to rely on you." He apologized.

"Yes, sorry, Senpai..." Jun didn’t even dare to raise his face here, too ashamed to face his captain. "If only I were not that clumsy..." The boy had never regretted or been ashamed of his clumsiness, but this time was different. It really put his team straight on the edge of the cliff, and if they conceded a goal right now, the boy didn’t know how he could forgive himself. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Standing behind the line, though, Higo didn’t look nervous at all.

"Why are you so gloomy?! Even if they score, it will only be a tie again! We still have the second half to return the favor! Don’t you trust your attackers?!" He pointed at Hiroshi, the twins, and Kuroki, who just stood behind the penalty box solemnly. "Also, my track record against a penalty kick is good, you know? Remember how I stopped Prak Han-Gyeol from Shimizu Higashi? Or Takuro Iwai from Ritsumeikan?"

When Higo reminded them about that, those two boys had their mood slightly improved, knowing that there was a chance Higo could make a miracle here. The captain stared at his friend intently in his eyes, and a moment later, he just patted the goalkeeper’s shoulder solemnly.

"You are right. Our attacking line is good. Even if they score, we can still return it. So, don’t put too much pressure on yourself."

"Hah! Don’t worry about it!" Higo barked out a laugh. "Just go away! Let me concentrate, and get ready to clear the ball!"

Soon enough, everything was cleared away from the penalty box, leaving Higo and Yuwell as the main characters there. No one knew who would be the protagonist and villain here, as they both just stood in their respective spot with a solemn expression.

Higo himself took a deep breath, knowing that this would be hard to anticipate. Compared to Park Han-Gyeol and Takuro Iwai, who always aimed low, Yuwell tended to blast the ball to the top bins, the hardest place to block. It was a testament to how confident the boy was with his penalty technique.

’If I want to have a chance to stop his shot... I have to move the moment my clairvoyance ability flares, and that is... Now!’

FWEEE!

The moment the referee blew the whistle, and Yuwell made a move, Higo shifted quickly, taking one big step toward his left side. Yuwell was so fixated with where to aim already that he didn’t notice the goalkeeper was already there to save the ball. In the next second...

BAM!

A powerful shot was made, going straight to the top left. Higo’s earlier move allowed him to get a better reach with a dive, and he did so by extending his right hand far in the air. The boy could feel the weight of the ball in his finger, and he couldn’t help but curse.

’FUCK! THIS HURTS!’

That slight tip, though, was enough to deflect the ball up in the air. It ricocheted up, hammering the crossbar before bouncing straight on the line and flying back to Yuwell’s position.

"FUCK! I NEED TO GET UP!" Higo gritted his teeth, knowing that this was not over.

Unfortunately, even with his penalty being saved, the ball still favored Yuwell here, as he didn’t even have a hard time executing the rebound. The Swedish striker just headed the ball to the opposite side of the goal, never letting Higo recover quickly to get the second save.

As a result...

Thud!

The ball fell onto the net, giving Sapporo Otani the game-tying goal that they needed.