"WELCOME BACK, HAKODATE NISHI HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM!"

The banner was quite big and colorful, and among all the people who were waiting at the arrival halls, this definitely attracted some attention. Hell, people even started taking photos, knowing that this was going to be a big commotion.

The moment the team arrived, those people who carried the banner, joined by some who went there to join the fun, shouted at the same time, "WELCOME BACK, OUR HERO!"

Right after that, confetti cannons also popped in the air, showering the boys with a rain of sparkling small papers. This definitely caught the players off guard, as some even ducked in surprise at the loud bang from the confetti cannons.

After everything finally sank in, though, Higo finally reacted first, having the corner of his lips twitching as he asked, "We sure are still in Sapporo, right?"

"Yes, we are..." Makino groaned, covering his face in embarrassment.

This was just basically a blatant provocation, as they were still in the middle of the opponent’s territory. It wasn’t an ordinary opponent as well, as Sapporo Otani had just been beaten by them two months ago.

This was like them rubbing their achievement right on Sapporo Otani’s face, and coupled with how... Gaudy the banner was, Makino didn’t really want to get closer to the people there.

Truthfully, he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. No, the rest of the players even turned their heads around, not wanting to be associated with whatever that banner was. Unfortunately, they couldn’t run away from it forever, not when one of them suddenly stepped forward out of nowhere.

"Dad?! Can you hold back a little bit?! This is so embarrassing!" Usami’s voice was high-pitched as his face was so red, looking like he was about to die from embarrassment.

Yeah, among the group of people who carried that banner, a familiar person popped out of nowhere. He was Usami’s father, the team’s sugar daddy who often paid for the team’s expenses.

Even in such a cold winter, his face was sweaty with one button threatening to burst from getting pressured by his bloated stomach. Still, the man’s grin couldn’t be hidden here, as he came to Usami immediately to hug his son.

"Come on, my boy! You really make me proud out there!" The man’s laugh was boisterous as ever. "I mean, top eight of the country?! Are you kidding me?! You rock the whole Hakodate! Your name will forever be etched in Hokkaido’s history! Come on!"

The boys could only stare awkwardly as the man gave his son a bear hug. Poor boy, he was far thinner than his dad. It was as if he was getting crushed by this endearing hug. Still, the scene was so comical that some couldn’t help but choke, trying to hide their laughter behind a cough.

Fortunately, the awkwardness didn’t last long as another man suddenly stepped forward. He let the father-son duo just do whatever they wanted, and instead, approached Kumiko with a tired smile. It was clear that he got dragged into this mess by Usami’s father.

However, as the boys stared at the man for a moment, a clear image suddenly popped into their heads, and their eyes almost popped out of their sockets as they finally realized who the man in front of them was.

"The city mayor?!" Makino whispered in high-pitch, starting to panic.

Even though he was always calm, at the end of the day, the boy came from a humble, traditional family that always treated the leader with full respect. Now, seeing the man in such a casual setting caught him off guard, disabling all the cells inside his brain.

Fortunately, the man didn’t make it difficult for him.

"Don’t worry about me here. This is just an informal occasion, so just treat me as an ordinary old man." The mayor smiled warmly before letting out a deep sigh. "Honestly, I know that what we do is slightly inappropriate, and I want to do this tomorrow once you are back in town. However, Tanaka-san seems to have a different idea and insists on my joining him in greeting you guys..."

As he spoke that, the man couldn’t even hide the wryness in his tone. Hearing the last statement, some of the boys had a sweat drop on their face, glancing secretly at Usami’s father next to them.

’Yeah, this just cements the idea that Usami’s father is more powerful than even the city mayor himself. How scary...’

"Bah! What are you talking about?!" Usami’s father suddenly chimed in with a scoff. "They have done the whole town proud! No, not the whole town, the whole fucking island! They become the first-ever Hokkaido school to go to the top eight, for God’s sake! Everyone should be celebrating their arrival tonight!"

The mayor just let out another deep sigh. Based on his tired face, everyone could see that they had been arguing about this shit for so long, with the man ending up losing quite badly here.

"Anyway, let’s not wait for too long here. You boys must be tired from the journey, right?" The mayor offered another weak smile. "Come on! Let’s head back to our hometown first before thinking about anything else! Celebration can wait, but you boys need to catch up on your sleep first!"

That was when the boys realized that it was quite late at night, closer to midnight than ever. The journey really took a toll, as even if they were not sleepy, they felt like their whole body ached. The offer was too tempting, as the only thing they wanted to do right now was to enjoy their comforting bed back home.

After this, the next four hours were spent in another peaceful silence, with the only sound that could be heard being the bus engine humming and the snore from the boys inside. Usami’s father somehow rented a fucking luxurious bus that let everyone stretch their legs inside, allowing them to have a good sleep.

Once the bus stopped, though, a familiar scene greeted their eyes, one they had passed so many times in the past. It was the old, dilapidated school gate with a simple ’HAKODATE NISHI HIGH’ written on top of it.

Once Higo got out of the bus and saw this, he couldn’t help but sigh, inwardly muttering, ’I am finally back...’