"Substitution for Hakodate Nishi High! Number 25, Kenji Makabe, in! Number 12, Fujita Kazama, out!"

The moment the announcement was made, cheers erupted from the stands. All the girls who were only here for Kenji rose immediately, squealing like a bunch of mindless fangirls they were.

"KENJI-KUN! YOU ARE FINALLY HERE!"

"COME ON! PLEASE, NOTICE ME!" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"WAIT, HE IS WAVING AT US! HE IS WAVING AT US!"

Honestly, the reaction was so exaggerated here, especially since Kenji himself didn’t even turn to them. The boy was taking a deep breath, preparing to come in for Kazawa. Unlike the people on the stand, though, all the Hakodate Nishi players were surprised by this decision, wondering whether Kumiko was drunk or not.

"It is me?!" Kazawa pointed at himself, still confused.

It was not like he was confident he wouldn’t be replaced, but if he had to come out of the pitch, the boy thought that it would be for Fujinaga, at least to ensure that the team’s defensive line was still fresh and could run. As for Kenji, if the boy had to come in, he thought it would be for Kuroki, as they both were the players who hovered on the front line.

"Just accept it first. Maybe, Kumiko-chan has an idea right now." Makino pushed the boy lightly. "Also, don’t run too quickly, okay? Walk slowly and address the supporters, try to waste more time." He didn’t forget one last instruction.

"Um." Kazawa nodded, walking slowly while also applauding the supporters as if he were a big name in this game.

Soon enough, Kenji came with the jersey still tucked inside his shorts, grinning widely at Ishinori and Makino. This was enough to send a shiver down those two’s spines.

"Sorry, Nori-senpai, Captain, Kumiko-senpai said she would apologize later, but she put me on the holding midfielder, asking me to control the ball better while also asking you both to cover it up for me. You can do this, right?"

Not only them, but everyone around the vicinity also had their jaws dropped, not believing a single word coming out of the boy’s mouth. Makino and Ishinori, especially, groaned in sync, their face like they were just running five more miles in one go.

"Are you joking me?!" The latter cried indignantly. "She asks me to run more to cover your ass?! You, whose defense is worse than a fucking baby?!"

"Hey, that’s not nice!" Kenji frowned, slightly insulted. Then, a grin formed on his face as he added, "I know it is too much, but in return, we are going to start pushing back, you know? After this, Kuroki-senpai, Hiroshi-senpai, and the wings, get ready, because our next attack will start from me!"

Those who were mentioned had their eyes shining brightly, knowing that they were finally going to take action here. "Damn! This is what I am waiting for!" Hiroshi’s grin was so wide it even hurt his facial muscles.

"Come on, Kenji! Don’t mess this up, okay?!" Hori slapped the boy’s back while also laughing boisterously. "Show ’em who is the best Kenji on the field!"

Indeed, this was definitely a match worth keeping an eye on. Both teams had Kenji on their own, with Sapporo Otani’s Kenji Harada having been on the pitch since the start of the game. Coincidentally enough, both Kenji were the team’s playmaker, having the task to initiate the team’s offense.

Even though Kenji Harada had never taken this seriously—hell, he didn’t even know Hakodate Nishi’s Kenji at all—the away team’s Kenji was so fired up for this, knowing that this was a chance for him to make a name for himself.

After this, the game continued, and just like the usual, Sapporo Otani controlled the ball slowly, wanting to occupy more space in their opponent’s half. They didn’t take Makabe Kenji’s threat seriously, thinking that the boy should be just another defensive midfielder with fresher energy to do Kazawa’s dirty work earlier.

They were being proven wrong instantly, though, as the moment the ball landed on Kenji’s feet, instead of clearing the ball away like the other Hakodate Nishi players, he started to take things on his own.

’Now, it is a show time...’

He picked the ball right in front of the team’s penalty box, and with two of Sapporo Otani players surrounding him, running on his own would be a suicide here. However, Kenji was confident.

Even when facing the other Kenji and one more player from Sapporo Otani, he didn’t panic, just using his light footwork to navigate the ball to get out of the crowd. He moved like a ballerina, avoiding all collisions with the elegance that only he himself could handle. Within a second, he pushed the ball with his toe, and the boy started to make a run into the space right in front of Ayase.

"Oh, shit! Come on, KENJI!"

"Ayase, kill the ball! Don’t let him get first!"

Kenji clenched his butt tighter, trying to add more speed to his run. He regretted slightly how bad the last touch was, forcing him to run so not elegantly. With Ayase getting closer and closer, though, there was only one thing he could do to maintain the possession.

’Oh, well, Kumiko-senpai asks me to go crazy, right? Well, let her see it with her own eyes!’

Right before Ayase could get in touch with the ball, Kenji pivoted the ball on one foot before spinning around so quickly like a hurricane. The move was so fast and smooth, catching Ayase off guard. This triggered cheers and awe from the stands, as they had just seen probably the play of the day.

"Fucking hell! A Marseille Turn?! Who does he think he is, a fucking Zidane?!"

"Hey, the point is that he is a newcomer! How could Hakodate Nishi save such a player on the bench?!"

"Come on, Kenji-kun! You can do this!"

Ayase himself was in a panic right now. "Hiroyuki! Senpai! Cover for me!" He shouted, calling for a reinforcement.

However, before anyone could get closer to him, Kenji caught a glimpse of bright orange on the flank, and with a grin on his face, the boy couldn’t help but murmur, ’Well, let’s show them that we are not just bench warmers, Senpai!’

Then...

BAM!

The ball moved so fast, flying to the left flank where Hori was running.