Even after listening to the explanation from his mother, Higo was still in a daze, not knowing what to think right now. Even after Kumiko picked him up and they walked together to the school, he was still in the same state, and the girl couldn’t help but feel worried here.

"Um... Is there something on your mind?" She asked cautiously.

Higo didn’t answer immediately, just staring far with a blank gaze. In the end, he couldn’t help but mutter, "I just realized that I suddenly grew taller, you know?"

Kumiko blinked for a moment, trying to make sure that she didn’t mishear this. "Well, yeah, I think, I was around your mouth’s height before, but now, I am completely below your head. But, isn’t it normal?"

"Wait, normal?" Higo snapped his head quickly, which scared the girl a little bit.

"Um... Yeah?" The girl answered hesitantly. "You might not realize this, but goalkeeper training involves a lot of stretching, jumping, and core strengthening that helps correct your spinal alignment and posture. Then, your eating quality also improves a lot since joining the team, right? Now, you eat more meat and less junk food, so this will definitely help. As long as your growth plates are still there, a better living habit can indeed help you grow taller."

Well, the explanation just flashed quickly inside Higo’s head without staying for so long. However, it didn’t really matter. No, the boy was so fixated on the words that Kumiko said in the last sentence.

"I can still grow taller, huh..." He mumbled unconsciously. "Kumiko-chan... If I can grow a little bit taller... Just a few centimeters taller... Can I really become a good professional goalkeeper?"

This time, the girl couldn’t hide the utter shock on her face anymore. "A professional?! What prompted you to think that?!" She couldn’t help but ask, not being able to hide the surprise in her tone.

"Ah, well..." Higo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly; his ears were so red from embarrassment. "I think... If you really want to go to Germany, maybe I could try to do the same? I mean, I know it is impossible for me to do that with only one year of experience, but... Who knows, maybe if I really go to the pro, I will have a chance standing next to you? Sorry, a bit cringey, I know..."

Kumiko also felt her face flushed red immediately from the shyness here. Higo might not say any romantic words here, but the implication of him being willing to go do something she was passionate about to stand next to her in the future... This was even more romantic than any confession she read in the romantic novel, for God’s sake!

"You know what, even with your current height, you would still be a good goalkeeper in the professional league, you know?" She spoke softly. "Your clairvoyance ability is your capital here, and you might not notice this, but you are getting stronger, and your reaction speed is getting faster. Moreover, your shot-stopping ability is also there. This is the most important thing to have as a goalkeeper, so you don’t have to worry about anything else."

Higo just nodded silently, pondering over what the girl said. The boy himself was still not sure here. The idea of going professional had been lingering inside his head since he got the invitation for a trial in Niigata. However, this was probably the first time he ever considered this seriously, and it would be a lie if he said that this didn’t scare him.

It seemed Kumiko also took notice of this, as she patted him on the back gently. "Well, it is good that you start thinking about your future seriously. However, put this aside and let’s focus on the National Tournament first. If you can impress some scouts, your chance to go professional will be better than just joining Albirex Niigata’s trial."

Higo just nodded along, deciding to go with the flow again.

Inwardly, Kumiko was satisfied with this conversation. She had been trying to attract Higo deeper into the football circle for a long time, at least since she knew that the boy had this clairvoyance ability.Hell, she even forced him to learn the biomechanics thing from the most difficult sports science subject to plant an idea inside his mind that he was good enough for football, and now that the boy finally started to think about it, the girl couldn’t help but feel ecstatic.

’You have so much potential in this that you have to fulfill it, Ryukkun! Come on!’

Unfortunately, the conversation had to be stopped once they arrived at the school, especially since they were swarmed immediately by the students around. Yeah, this also included Higo, since the boy was the main man in the final. Those who had never talked to him suddenly acted so chummy, hugging his shoulder as if they were a long-lost friend here.

"Come on, Higo-kun! Sit here!"

"Tell us what is going on with the Sapporo Dome? Is it as crazy as your kouhai spread rumors about?!"

"Hey, Makino-kun, come here as well! Share your story with the others!" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

It had only been ten minutes since he got swarmed, but somehow, Higo had already felt tired from all the fake smiles that he had to put on. The boy also glared at Makino subtly, trying to communicate with the captain without any words here.

’This should be your thing, right?! Come on, distract them for me!’

’What do you mean by my thing?’ Makino just arched one of his eyebrows slightly. ’Just deal with it, people will forget about this soon.’

Higo groaned inwardly, feeling like his head was about to explode. ’How could that Teme and Kumiko-chan be calm when facing this?! It is fucking horrible!’

Fortunately, the bell finally rang, and in the next moment, the homeroom teacher finally arrived, giving Higo a little bit of time to breathe. However, his face was still quite dark here, especially when the boy imagined that the next few days would be as hectic as this morning.

’Fucking hell... I have to talk to Kumiko-chan about this, or I would never survive tomorrow...’