The man looked like an ordinary office worker, wearing a formal suit with a clean hairstyle and glasses as thick as the book that Takaaki always carried. However, those ridiculous appearances couldn’t hide his enthusiasm as he shook Kumiko’s hand excitedly.

For a moment, both Makino and Higo just stared at each other, confused. At first, they thought they were going to meet an important person. However, it was like a fan meeting, with the man keeping chatting about their achievements as he knew them quite well.

"So, you are Higo-san, right? I heard that you only started playing football last April! As expected of a genius!"

"Tomoaki Makino, your record of going to the national tournament in middle school is impressive! If not for your injury, you would be one of the best defenders in the country right now, I truly believe that!"

Both Makino and Higo couldn’t help but shudder. The more they listened to the man in front of them, the more they felt something crawling on their back, giving them a shiver down their spine.

’Are we really dealing with our stalker right now?’ Higo asked his friend silently.

’I don’t know. Ask Kumiko-chan about it.’ He pleaded in silence as well, not wanting to meet the man’s gaze directly.

Fortunately, Kumiko finally took pity on them. She cleared her throat, snapping the man from his frenzy state. "Kusakabe-san, should you introduce yourself? Your email only told us that it is urgent, but you haven’t said anything about it yet."

"Ah, you are right!" Being reminded like this, the man suddenly pulled out two business cards from his pocket, giving them to the boys in front of him. "The name is Seichiro Kusakabe, and I am a Liaison Officer from the federation. It is nice to meet two of the hottest prospects in the country right now!"

"Urgh... Nice to meet you as well..." Both boys accepted the business card awkwardly.

Makino, more so, because he knew that the man’s words were full of flattery. While yes, Higo was the hottest commodity in the country right now, he was far from that level. No, his reputation was way below Higo, and the boy was self-aware of that.

Well, the man himself didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness lingering in the air right now. He invited those three to the closest table there before finally asking, "You must be wondering what is going on here, right?"

This time, not just the boys, but even Kumiko leaned her body forward here, paying more attention to the man in front of her. She herself still didn’t know what business the liaison officer from the federation had with them, but at least, the girl had a good guess here.

"This is not official yet, so please, wait until at least the middle of March when things will be announced, but right now, the head coach of the Young Samurai team, Kageyama-Sensei, takes a fancy to you two and wants you to join the team’s training camp next spring."

"..."

Jaws dropped instantly as the man dropped the bomb out of nowhere. Well, at least two jaws, because Higo himself still didn’t realize the gravity of the situation. He just turned around and saw his friends’ bewilderment, and the boy couldn’t help but ask, "Young Samurai?"

"Yup! Young Samurai! The National Team U-20." The man, Kusakabe, nodded in confirmation. Little did he know, though, that Higo didn’t need a confirmation, but more like information, since he was completely clueless about this.

Makino himself was still too dumbfounded here, as if his brain had short-circuited. In the end, it was Kumiko who reacted, as information she had read in the past before suddenly emerged in her brain.

"Wait, the Young Samurai team? Is it for the World Cup U-20 next summer in Poland?"

In return, Kusakabe just nodded appreciative. "So, you know your stuff, eh? But yeah, this is for the World Cup later." He leaned his body forward; his eyes were full of excitement.

"Usually, the players who get chosen in this squad will be the ones who have experience in professional football, but some high schoolers who showed good potential will be chosen as well. This time, you both managed to attract Kageyama-sensei’s attention, and while it is not the final decision, he decided to give you a chance in the camp next spring."

At this moment, several memories that Higo had already forgotten emerged inside his head, such as how Hiroki Kawabe and Taiga Nagai said that they were going to be teammates soon. Curious, he also asked about them, just to get a nod of confirmation.

"Yup! Hiroki Kawabe from Urawa Reds Youth and Taiga Nagai from Vissel Kobe U-21 will also be there. Not just them, but more players in this winter tournament who are affiliated with the professional team will be chosen as well, so it will just be a big reunion between rivals."

’Well, that answers their mysterious statement.’ Higo nodded secretly. ’Still, being in the same team as them, huh? This is going to be interesting...’ A smirk curled slowly on his face.

Higo, by no means, was a football maniac like the others. He just treated everything casually, doing the best he could in every chance he got. Still, it wouldn’t be a lie if he said he didn’t feel any spark inside him right now. The thought of playing with rivals sure was exciting, and it also helped that this was for the World Cup, the biggest stage they could ever possibly think of.

Makino was also on the same boat here. Even though he didn’t know why he was selected as well, considering the boy thought he was far from the best, that didn’t dismiss his excitement. Clenching his fist, he muttered, ’This is my chance to step further into the professional world, huh? I cannot mess this up!’

The only one who was in confusion was probably Kumiko, as she didn’t know why she was here.

"Oh, you and Sakura Aizawa from Shohei High are also getting invited into this camp," Kusakabe added, noticing the girl’s puzzled expression.

"This is also the federation’s program to promote more girls to get involved in a high-level team. You both are the poster girls for the Young Nadeshiko right now, with you taking a rookie team to the top eight of the winter tournament, while Sakura Aizawa being the assistant coach that even Shohei High recommended since the beginning of the year. So, you both will be joining the official team as assistant coaches, learning directly from the national team. What do you think?"