Soon enough, all the players finally came back to their own positions. However, the atmosphere had already risen to the peak, with Takaaki stealing the limelight all by himself. The last goal really stunned the whole crowd, so they started digging deeply into the boy’s information. Unfortunately, they were bound to be disappointed here.

"What do you mean he has no record in the past?!"

"It is exactly what I mean! His middle school record is fucking blank! His first ever tournament was the Inter-High two years ago!"

"You mean to tell me such a talented player had just started training in high school?! I don’t fucking believe it! Dig deeper!"

Honestly, this was the same problem as when they started looking for Higo’s information. Takaaki didn’t come from a football background. No, he was the best student in his year back in school, dealing more with tubes and formulas rather than sweating himself on the pitch.

The only reason the boy tried this club was that Fujinaga and Hori dragged him into this, and since then, Kumiko taught him everything he should know about how to be a good commander in the midfield. Now, seeing the commander whom she raised from null becoming the sensation in this stage, Kumiko couldn’t help but feel warm in her eyes as she tried to hold back the tears from streaming down her face.

"You really make me proud, Takaaki-kun." Her gaze was soft and full of fondness as she watched Takaaki being surrounded with all the love the boy deserved. However, right after that, right before the game could be resumed again, Kumiko suddenly made a surprising decision. She took off Takaaki, the team’s hero, and replaced the glasses boy with Fujinaga.

"What the hell?! Just when he is about to take over the game?!"

"Are you kidding me?! That girl must hate her players, right?"

Some people started to complain about this decision. However, Takaaki himself let out a relieved sigh as he noticed his number was on the board. The boy started walking away slowly, even giving a round of applause to the fans all around the stadium.

"Damn, Takaaki, you don’t know how fucking cool you are right now!" Fujinaga grinned as he high-fived the boy.

"Ha! Of course, I know it!" Takaaki received the high-five with a snort. "Come on, I’ll leave the rest to you!"

When he walked back to the bench, Takaaki also noticed that Kumiko had been waiting for him; her eyes were puffy with tears threatening to fall. Seeing this, a huge grin formed on Takaaki’s face, one that was rare to be seen on his stoic face.

"Sorry, Senpai, I am beat." He apologized playfully.

Kumiko choked for a moment, hugging the boy tightly while also patting his hair with the fondness of a sister to her little brother, whispering, "Thank you for your work. Now, rest and wait. The rest are going to bring us to the promised land."

While a heartfelt scene could be seen on the bench, the same couldn’t be said for the pitch. The moment Fujinaga came in, he could feel the pressure immediately, knowing that Shimizu Higashi’s players were in for blood.

’Damn, and you are telling me that the others have been playing with such intensity? They sure have a ball of steel, huh?’ He sweated a little bit. "Kazawa, we are going to play as a double pivot, so cover as much ground as you can. I will move back a little to support the defensive line, so keep an eye on my positioning as well." He relied on Kumiko’s instructions to his partner in one breath.

"Got it. Just force Nori and Jun to talk more; they are too quiet to my liking." Kazawa nodded.

Soon enough, the referee finally stood inside the center circle, checking his watch for the time management. After noticing that everyone was ready, he finally blew the whistle.

FWEEE!

"Come on, Mamoru! We need to bite them back quickly!" Han-Gyeol muttered before sending the ball back to the midfield and rushing forward immediately. Mamoru Suzuki just nodded, following from behind as a support.

Shimizu Higashi didn’t really have the same kind of Blitzkrieg attack. However, their possession game moved in a smooth flow, getting the ball from one player after another without the opponent ever able to stop it. Just soon enough, they had already occupied the right side, still targeting Hori, who was guarding that flank.

"Shit! Keep an eye in the middle!" Hori shouted without even turning back, still lowering his stance while waiting for the opponent to take an action.

"Don’t worry, I get you!" Kazawa was also there, being bold enough to go to the flank. He dared to leave the center, knowing that Fujinaga would be there as a backup. That was the advantage of having two holding midfielders in the game.

However, even with those two around, Mamoru was still able to break through the sideline. His quick feet with the ball were a little bit too much for those two to handle, and with a quick one-two, the boy managed to get a good space to cross the ball with his left foot.

Thud!

"Fuck! Clear it!" Hori scowled as he saw the ball get through his shoulder. "JUN, DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!" He shouted at his friend.

Inwardly, though, the boy felt a little bit guilty. After all, he was told already that Higo was being targeted, and a cross close to the six-yard box should be prevented at all costs. Unfortunately, planning was one thing, but doing it perfectly was another. Who would’ve thought that Mamoru would suddenly attack his side, getting through him as if he was not there, and send the kind of crossing that all of his teammates warned him not to let happen?

The cross flew perfectly out of Jun’s reach, but fell directly to Park Han-Gyeol’s head. Even with Ishinori bothering him from behind, the Korean striker didn’t even need to jump, just heading the ball straight to the goal. However...

Thud!

The ball went perfectly to Higo’s clutch, stunning everyone who witnessed it.