This should be the last chance of the first half. By how the referee kept glancing at his watch, everyone knew that the game was about to enter a break after this. However, that was also why, the moment Wataru Takagi managed to stop the ball on the sideline, the entire pitch went into a frenzy.

"SHIT! MOVE BACK! MOVE BACK!"

"TAKAAKI, DELAY!"

"DON’T LET HIM GO FURTHER! DO ANYTHING!"

No one knew who started it. Hell, the start might not be simultaneous, and everyone had a different starting line. However, before people knew it, a chaotic race toward Hakodate Nishi’s half suddenly happened on the pitch, with all the players there running for their lives.

The supporters on the stand were also at the edge. They rose instantly, biting their lips hard to hide their nervousness. This was almost the end of the first half, and a goal would be crucial for both teams. For those who conceded, they would enter the break in the lowest mood possible, unable to fight after conceding here. But for the one who scored, they would let out a relieved sigh, knowing that they managed to hurt the opponent where it hurt the most.

After saving the ball with an incredible sliding tackle, Wataru Takagi got up quickly. However, it still wasn’t fast enough because Takaaki came right in front of him with a lowered stance. The aim here wasn’t to snatch the ball. No, the glasses boy wasn’t confident enough to do that right now, and he didn’t want to get beaten straight away. However, if he could delay for even two or three seconds, the others would be able to recover, and he would count this as a success.

Somehow, though, this worked quite well. When Wataru saw someone from Hakodate Nishi approaching him before he got ready, his mind went blank before getting filled with a sense of panic.

"Fuck! What should I do?!" His brain spun so fast it gave him a headache. However, even with his brain entangled like this, the boy still recognized one thing. "I cannot let him get this ball!" After all, if he lost the ball, it would be sent back to the penalty box again, and he didn’t dare to think what would happen after.

In a chaotic moment like this, though, his peripheral vision suddenly caught so many players with white jerseys rushing forward. Then, the next move was a pure instinct. He didn’t even think, but in desperation, the boy just kicked it as far away as possible, knowing that one player would always chase this kind of ball even to hell itself.

BAM!

’I’ll leave the rest to you, Han-Gyeol-a!’

"FUCK!" At the same time, Takaaki also cursed when he saw the ball flying above his head. The boy turned around quickly, and his expression turned ugly when he saw only Usami fighting against the Korean striker over who got the ball faster. "FUCK, USAMI! HOLD HIM BACK!" He roared.

Poor boy, with his height being 10 cm shorter than Park Han-Gyeol, the scene was like an adult bullying a child. Unfortunately, even Ishinori, who also guarded the backline during the corner kick earlier, couldn’t help him. After all, the other area is also set to get filled with Shimizu Higashi players, and if he moved away to help, they would expose it quickly.

So, it was a unique battle between Park Han-Gyeol and Usami, with them chasing and calculating where the ball would fall from the sky. Still, while running, the Korean striker couldn’t help but scowl.

’What the fuck is this, a day to bully Park Han-Gyeol?!’

Well, his frustration was understandable. After all, the long pass itself was awful. Honestly, it was more like a higher version of Mamoru’s pass at the beginning of the game earlier, and it was not the quality that was higher, but only the pass itself. Literally. It deviated slightly in the air, getting closer to the flank rather than the penalty box.

The only saving grace here was that he could use his right foot at the fullest right now, and in this situation, something suddenly popped inside his head.

’If I time it perfectly, maybe I could do something like what Jamie Vardy did in the past, right?’

What he meant by that was the goal from Jamie Vardy, Leicester City’s legendary striker from England, against Liverpool FC during their campaign to create a miracle. At that time, the man also received a long pass to the flank, and with a direct volley from that angle, he slammed it through the opponent’s goalkeeper, creating an iconic moment for the whole league.

This situation was somehow similar. While Usami’s pressure was still there, Park Han-Gyeol was confident he could brush it off easily. Now that the thought flashed in his mind, the boy became more ambitious, calculating everything inside his head.

’The ball will definitely fall there, so if I can reach it in the next two seconds... I can do this!’

Park Han-Gyeol suddenly increased his speed, startling Usami. However, little did he know that the situation was far more complicated than he imagined. Higo, who was guarding the goal, couldn’t just stay on the back line with ease when he saw Usami getting beaten. So, just two seconds ago, when the long pass was made and Higo received an image inside his head, the goalkeeper rushed simultaneously, coming out of the box to clear the ball by himself.

"SHIT! SENPAI, KILL IT!"

"DON’T LET HIM GET THE BALL!"

Somehow, this scene gave everyone on Hakodate Nishi’s side a little heart attack. After all, this should be the first time Higo had ever done something like this. However, the boy managed to keep his composure at all times, even glancing at Park Han-Gyeol, who was approaching that side at full speed.

’You want another clash, huh?’ The boy couldn’t help but snort, getting ready for another collision. ’Well, let me show you that all the boxing training in the past is for nothing. Come on, Bastard! Hit me!’

BAM!

IN the end, Higo managed to head the ball first, clearing it away from the danger area. However, as a consequence, the boy could also see Park Han-Gyeol unable to hit the brake in time, and the next thing he knew, he felt like he was hit by a fucking train.

’God... Damnit!"