The month passed quickly, and without them noticing, those three teenagers were finally on the board again, going to Chiba for the first time in their lives. This time, they couldn’t hide their nervousness.

Hell, even Higo himself, who only got hooked to the football world this year, knew the gravity of the situation, and that was why his legs were trembling right now. Then, there was Makino, who tried to play it cool while also trying to hide his sweaty palm secretly.

Seeing the two boys who looked like they were about to go to war, Kumiko could only shake her head in amusement. "For all the bravado that you said yesterday, your courage sure disappears instantly once we are here. Come on, guys. At least, show some characters!"

"What do you know, Kumiko-chan? How could I not be nervous here?!" Makino snorted a little. "Also, this is just a normal sweat, you know? Don’t you notice that the temperature here is already high?"

Kumiko just smiled secretly without exposing the boy here. Still, she also noticed that the weather was quite nice, and the girl took off her jacket immediately.

It was around 17:30 at Mihama Station, Chiba, and unlike Hakodate, whose ground was still covered with snow, here, in April, the smell of spring had already come. People also started to take off their thick winter coats, replacing them with a slightly thinner jacket.

As they all walked out of the station, Higo groaned a little; his legs were still weak. "So, where is the one who picks us up? Let’s get over it as quickly as possible, or this nervousness will kill me first."

In return, Kumiko took the phone out of her pocket and texted someone for a moment. "Wait... Ah, Kusakabe-san has already waited for us in the eastern gate. Come on, pick up your luggage!"

True enough, the familiar man who introduced them to the national team, Seichiro Kusakabe, was waiting outside with a large car behind. He also carried a sign with the words ’HAKODATE NISHI’ written in a big and bold font, making it easier for people to watch from afar.

"Kusakabe-san, we are here!" Kumiko waved as she got closer.

"Shishida-san! Makino-san! Higo-san! You have finally arrived! I have been waiting for you for so long!" Kusakabe greeted back, his eyes shining as brightly as ever. "Come on, take your luggage to the trunk! We have dinner to attend!"

The three perked up immediately. After a long journey, they could feel their stomachs grumbling, complaining of the lack of supply. After taking the luggage to the trunk, they took a seat inside the car quickly, with Kumiko taking the seat next to the driver while the boys chatted in the back seat.

"So, has anyone else other than us arrived already?" Kumiko asked while fixing the seatbelt on her body.

They had arrived on April 4, two days before the camp began. This decision was made so that they could adjust to their surroundings first, not wanting to get blindsided by the environment and just embarrass themselves.

Unsurprisingly, they were not the only ones who thought so.

"Yup! Several players have already arrived! You will be happy to hear that Aizawa-san has already been there as well, Shishida-san." Kusakabe nodded happily as he started the car. "She and Kawabe-san are the first ones to arrive."

Aizawa here referred to Sakura Aizawa, the other girl who was invited to this camp. She was Shohei High’s manager, coming into the camp with the recommendation from their head coach. Kumiko herself didn’t think too much, but she felt relieved, as in the foreign environment, later, she would have another girl next to her.

"So, Kawabe-san is already there? What about the others?" Higo chimed in.

"Yes, he is not the only one! Some of the boys whose team has given them permission have already been there! You will meet the team’s captain, Ito-san, and his teammate, Sugawara-san, from Nagoya Grampus. You will also see—"

More names were thrown, and this only gave Higo a headache. After all, besides Kawabe, he didn’t know any of them. Still, out of politeness, he listened with a big smile, enough to make Kumiko giggle from the front seat.

Makino himself hadn’t said anything yet since he entered the car. He sat so stiffly with his spine straight and both hands on his lap, unable to put his mind at ease. Hell, if anyone looked carefully, they would find his palm still sweating from the nervousness.

Both teenagers saw this, but no one dared to make fun of it. No, if anything, one person being so nervous like this affected the whole mood, as it spread so quickly like a plague. Soon enough, the trip became dead silent, and Kusakabe didn’t really say anything as he mistook it as the teens getting tired from their journey.

It didn’t take long before they finally arrived at their destination. It was the Prince Takamado Memorial JFA Yume Field in Mihama ward, the northwest part of Chiba, close to the sea. This had been the national team’s basecamp for so long, a place where all legends were born.

Looking at the majestic gate in front of them, the teens couldn’t help but have their jaws drop, finding themselves once again in disbelief.

"Damn, I know I have said it so many times, but I cannot believe I am here," Makino muttered, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Even if I failed at my career, this will become the highlight of my life, the memory that I would tell my grandkids in the future..."

Higo couldn’t help but snort when he heard that. His brain took over once again as he said, "You sure know how to be dramatic and optimistic at the same time, Teme. Stop being too melancholy. This is just the camp, not the real deal. If you want something to brag about, let’s get into the real team first!"

Makino gulped for a moment before nodding firmly. "Yeah, let’s do that."

As they were still in front of the gate, though, a voice suddenly snapped them from their foolish daydreaming.

"Oi, Higo-san! Here!"

When Higo turned around, he found a familiar face greeting him. That was Hiroki Kawabe, Shohei High’s captain and also someone whom he beat in the second round of the National Tournament two months ago.