The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 334: Article Report & Offers

"Ah... Ojiisan, your miso soup is top-notch! It is light, but still enough to fill my bottomless stomach! Your craftsmanship is awesome!" Higo gave the owner a big thumbs-up as he finished the food in front of him.

"Hahaha! That’s a family recipe that does to you!" The old man laughed boisterously.

Kumiko just shook her head amusedly as she watched her childhood friend’s antics. However, inwardly, she couldn’t help but feel happy when the girl saw him willing to socialize openly like this. Kumiko could still remember a year ago, Higo would never be willing to chat casually like this to a complete stranger, just sticking to the straight business like a robot.

’Yeah, I don’t know if it is because of football or not, but at least he is a little bit more outgoing right now, not sticking with his NPC persona anymore. That’s good...’ She muttered under her breath.

"Anyway, what do you want to talk about earlier, Kumiko-chan?" Higo suddenly asked, snapping her out of her thought. "Is it related to thousands of missed calls and new messages on my phone this morning?" His tone was curious.

"Wait, you haven’t checked your social media?" Kumiko was taken aback.

"Nah, too much to handle, quite overwhelming for me." Higo shook his head slightly. "I didn’t even know where to check first, and in the end, my stomach protested, so I went for breakfast and left this matter for later."

Kumiko felt the corner of her mouth twitching for a moment when she heard that. In the end, with a long sigh, she took her phone out of her pocket, accessing something quietly before sliding it to her friend.

"There, read it."

Higo frowned a little, taking the phone immediately. However, he was so dumbfounded by the exaggerated title there.

Underdogs Hakodate Nishi High Defy the Odds and Beat Shohei High in a Thrilling Match

In a surprising turn of events, Hakodate Nishi High from Hokkaido knocked out the ninth seed, Shohei High from Saitama, in the second round of the National Winter Tournament. The game was intense and went into extra time, ending in a 1-1 draw. Hiroshi Tsuburaya put Hakodate Nishi ahead in the 52nd minute, but Shohei High fought back and equalized in stoppage time through a penalty by Hiroki Kawabe. The match then moved to penalties, where Hakodate Nishi secured a 3-1 victory, making everyone talk about their unexpected win.

The biggest star of the day was Hakodate Nishi’s goalkeeper, Ryusuke Higo. Without him, the outcome might have been very different. Higo was simply unstoppable, making an astonishing 16 saves during regular time — breaking the previous record of 11 held by Eiji Kawashima, Japan’s national team goalkeeper. He also came up huge with a crucial save on a penalty shot from Kawabe before halftime. During the shootout, Higo saved two out of three penalties, playing a key role in sending his team to the next stage.

Higo’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary. His quick reflexes, strong shot-stopping skills, and leadership on the field kept Hakodate Nishi in the game and helped them overcome a tough opponent. Rumors are swirling that some J-League clubs are already watching him closely, although nothing has been confirmed. Fans are eager to see what the future holds for this talented young goalkeeper — one thing is certain: he’s a player to watch as he prepares for life after high school.

"Wait, how come I didn’t know I am this awesome?!" Higo asked, his tone half surprised, half smug.

"Urgh... If you want to brag, do it about other people. I know you are that awesome." Kumiko just rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Anyway, you miss the whole point here. Read the last paragraph again." She instructed.

This time, Higo paid more attention to the part that she pointed out, and the boy was bewildered at what he read. "Wait, some clubs are watching me closely? How come I don’t know that?" This time, it was full of confusion as this was the first time he heard this.

"Well, you would know once you check all of the unread messages on your phone," Kumiko answered, taking a sip of the orange juice on the table. "Most people there are scouts from professional teams, wanting to get in touch with you. They couldn’t get your reply last night, so some of them contacted me to inquire more about you."

Higo was so baffled that his jaws dropped unconsciously. His brain short-circuited, unable to come up with anything good to react here. The news was so sudden that he didn’t know what to do.

"Wait, is that related to Kawabe-san’s words to me yesterday? One where he said it would be son before we became teammates?" He asked for a confirmation.

Kumiko narrowed her eyes immediately. She had indeed heard about this event yesterday. While the girl was in the middle of her interview, Kawabe suddenly approached both Hiroshi and Higo, even saying to the latter that they were going to be teammates. However...

"No, it shouldn’t be the case here." Kumiko shook her head quickly. "It has already been confirmed that Kawabe-kun will be joining Urawa Reds Diamond after graduating from high school. That is his local team in Saitama, and also a powerhouse team in Japan. Coincidentally enough, out of six scouts that reached out to me last night, not a single one of them came from that team."

Higo nodded slightly, still getting overwhelmed by the news. "So, those six scouts... where do they come from?"

"Here, let me tell you." The girl snatched the phone from his hand immediately, showing a list of messages that she received yesterday. "Jubilo Iwata, Kashiwa Reysol, and Consadole Sapporo asked me casually here, showing that they are not that sure about you. Then, Kawasaki Frontale and Kashima Antlers invited you to a trial, wanting to test you against their standard. Lastly, this is the most serious one, as Albirex Niigata, the team that offered you a trial in the past, wants to sign you immediately after you graduate next April."

Once again, Higo was so dumbfounded by how much he attracted attention here. While the boy knew how talented he was, it seemed he hadn’t realized how valuable his performance here was so far. In the end, he could only ask weakly, "So... What do you think I should do?"