The atmosphere on Shimizu Higashi’s side was so gloomy after this. The goal from Usami really put them on edge, as they really needed to score right now. Not that it was much different than before, but compared to Park Han-Gyeol and Miki Yamane, who managed to execute the kick perfectly, their confidence in the next round was not that great.

Their next taker was a substitute attacking midfielder named Shinta Fukuda, coming into the second half to add more gunpowder for the team. He was also quite experienced in a high-pressure moment like this, and that was why the coach put him on the task as the fourth taker.

Normally, the task was just as simple as that. However, now with Usami putting the ball in the back of the net, the pressure was completely on Shinta Fukuda. He couldn’t miss this penalty, or Hakodate Nishi would win the game instantly with a penalty kick from Kenji later. If Shinta Fukuda missed, they wouldn’t be able to force the shootout to Mamoru’s feet later.

It sounded complicated, and the variable was too much for them to worry about here. Still, reality never allowed them to do that. They knew that as long as the penalty was in, everything was alright, but the opponent between the posts was Higo, and the boy had just gained a huge momentum after witnessing Wataru Takagi’s last penalty flying far wide to the sideline.

So, yeah, right now, they were nervous beyond belief, praying that Shinta Fukuda managed to get through the iron wall in front of him.

"I should be the one who takes the shot, right?" Mamoru bit his lips nervously as he kept his prayers inside his heart. "I mean, even the most crucial fifth place doesn’t matter if we cannot reach that point, right?"

Somehow, everyone managed to hear his mumble, and while some thought the same way, no one dared to say it out loud. Still, the words reached the coach’s ears, and the man couldn’t help but turn at him sharply.

"You have to learn how to trust your teammates, Mamoru. Not everything can be solved alone by your own hand." The old man said it lightly.

Mamoru opened his mouth slightly, probably about to complain. However, all the words stuck in his throat, and in the end, he decided to swallow up everything. This argument didn’t really matter, honestly. As long as the penalty kick was in, they would not complain about anything else.

Still, this depended on how Shinta Fukuda executed this penalty. The moment the whistle’s sound echoed throughout the whole field, the boy made a slow run, glancing slightly to the left side before whacking the ball to the complete opposite direction.

BAM!

This was just a classic penalty technique, using the most basic deception trick in the penalty shootout. Unfortunately, his opponent was Higo today, and he had neither the power nor the accuracy to get the ball into the most difficult spot in the goal. As a result, not getting fooled by the trick, Higo reacted accordingly, tipping the ball with his left hand to push it far from the goal.

"FUCK, YEAH!" Higo roared the moment he felt the ball touch his hand. "COME ON!" He waved at the crowd crazily, which was followed by cheers from the stands.

"Yeah! Finally, we see a save!"

"It has to be Higo, right!"

"Higo! Higo! Higo!"

Some small part of the crowd, one belonging to the group that came to support Hakodate Nishi, started to chant to Higo. Of course, the players also joined the celebration, as everyone could be seen high-fiving each other enthusiastically.

"Come on, Kenji! Now it is up to you!" Hori slapped his friend on the back quite hard, giving the boy the encouragement he didn’t really need.

"One more goal and we will win! Come on, Kenji!" The others followed the action, slapping his back quite hard.

Kenji could only sigh helplessly as he stepped onto the penalty pitch. There, Kang Do-Jin had already been prepared in front of the goal. The goalkeeper’s expression was somber as he knew that this was a do-or-die moment for the team. Seeing this, Kenji had the corner of his lips twitching a little.

’Well, isn’t this a little bit interesting?’

Meanwhile, the somber atmosphere shifted to Shimizu Higashi’s side. Even the cold weather in the stadium couldn’t be compared to the freezing hell they felt right now. The one who failed to score earlier, Shinta Fukuda, just covered his face while sobbing secretly, the realization of him being the reason the team was getting eliminated finally sinking in. Still, no one had the time to console the boy right now.

Hell, even Park Han-Gyeol was so tense, with a thick vein popping on his forehead. His eyes were completely locked onto his friend between the posts.

’Come on, Do-Jin... This is your moment... I swear to God, you have to save this...’

The boy would never admit it out loud, but he was really afraid right now. The thought of getting eliminated didn’t bode well inside his mind, and he didn’t know how to react if somehow, the next penalty got through his friend’s defense. Unfortunately, this was not the situation he could get into to help his friend. No, he had done everything he could earlier in the normal time, and now, he could only rely all of his hope on Kang Do-Jin in front of the goal.

Now, all the eyes were on the penalty spot, shifting back and forth between the goalkeeper and the taker. Everyone held their breath unconsciously, some even turning their body around, not daring to witness the next scene directly.

FWEEE!

A moment after Kenji put the ball on the spot, the referee finally blew the whistle, signaling for the boy to start the penalty. Kenji himself was calm. He just walked slowly; his eyes were completely on Kang Do-Jin’s movement. For a moment, they even had a staring contest, wondering who would wilt first under the pressure.

In the end, though...

BANG!

The penalty was kicked, and to everyone’s shock, it ricocheted to the sky.