At the beginning of the new school term, Yada-kun seemed gloomy, but now he’s completely back to normal… Well, it’s not like Yada-kun is usually cheerful, so I can’t really tell the before and after changes.
If I had to describe it, it’s like the height of the wall Yada-kun had built around himself has been lowered a bit. I can tell… sort of. Actually, it’s probably the girls in the class who are more sensitive to Yada-kun’s subtle changes. After all, Yada-kun tends to attract attention from girls in one way or another. And when that happens, girls tend to be quite proactive, not letting any chance slip away. On the other hand, boys become nervous and cautious.
Christmas season is coming soon, followed by New Year’s and then Valentine’s Day. Some universities are already announcing the successful applicants for recommendation-based admissions, and even though entrance exams are in full swing, and graduation and parting await, nobody wants to miss their last chance to create memorable moments of their student days.
I think the types like Yada-kun have an advantage since they’re usually indifferent. I don’t really know him well, but Tamaki Reika’s boyfriend, Tachibana Kyouhei-senpai, has a similar image. He has a mean look and a tough, old-fashioned delinquent image, and apparently he used to get into fights a lot.
But just by taking his studies seriously, people’s perceptions of him changed, and he even became well-liked for things like his love for stray cats and getting accepted into a national university after intense studying. I guess the contrast in his personality is what’s good about him. Hmm, I wonder if I should have shown more of my good traits? But what exactly would that be?
In that sense, it’s a shame that the four members of FLAT4 are like that. Yes, Yada-kun and Tachibana-senpai are like a counterpart to FLAT4.
Really, all four of them have good looks, exceptional soccer skills, and each of them has their own strengths, so they should be more popular. They even have a butler cafe, and apparently they have more customers than MAHO-do, so all four of them are popular. But when you get to know them better and talk to them, you start noticing only their flaws.
That’s what my friend, Niwa Hinako-san, said. From Niwa-san’s perspective, all four of them probably look like children. Even if they say they like her, it’s not like having a boyfriend or girlfriend; it’s more like a child saying they like candy.
“The more you say ‘like’, the more meaningless it becomes. The impact lies in saying it at the right moment. They’re all pure and cute, but I still can’t accept them.”
That’s what she said. Niwa-san can be quite harsh sometimes. But she hit the mark.
“Even though they all said they liked me, they never tried to get to know the real me. They just wanted to walk with me and be noticed.”
Ahhhh, that’s how it is. Niwa-san is a beautiful girl with an idol-like appearance who easily captures people’s hearts at first sight. It’s no surprise she says it herself, as she never neglects efforts to maintain her figure, and her name is gradually becoming known among reader models. She’s so cute that you might do a double take, and her fashion sense is also excellent. While she rejects casual approaches, she always politely accepts when someone confesses to her. However, ultimately, the relationships never last.
She has a mischievous character, but I’m worried that she’s really hurting inside. Even though we’re in different classes now, Niwa-san is still an important friend to us. Really, FLAT4 should read the atmosphere better.
Contrasts are good if they turn negatives into positives, but I think it’s absolutely bad to turn positives into negatives.
Why don’t they learn a lesson? Sigh…
“Doremi-chaan ♥.”
That voice was Akatsuki-kun’s. He appears using magic at MAHO-do, so he’s always coming and going unexpectedly. Even Hana-chan, whose magical power is overwhelmingly high, doesn’t notice him unless it’s just before. It’s really troublesome.
Lately, they have been coming one by one instead of all of them together. They have been appearing not only in Misora City, but also in Tokyo. I wonder if it’s for university or J-League scouting, considering the timing.
“Ah, Doremi-chaaan. You’re in the store today. I’m so lucky!”
Although I let out a big sigh, he didn’t hear it.
“Akatsuki-kun, is it okay if you slack off here? The prefectural qualifiers have already started, right?”
By the prefectural qualifiers, I mean the National High School Soccer Championship. The keyword “National” has come up many times among us. Of course, the qualifiers have already started on our side too. Misora High School is the top seed, so we start from the third round of qualifiers, but we’ve finally made it to the best 16. It wasn’t an easy fight, but it’s going to be even harder from now on.
After Ai-chan went to replenish the sweets in the back and returned, it seemed like she had been listening to my conversation. She asked Akatsuki-kun,
“I heard that everyone in FLAT4 is being scouted by the J-League. What are your plans?”
“Ai-chaan, long time no see. How have you been?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve been great. But that doesn’t matter.”
Akatsuki-kun smiled broadly and said to Ai-chan, who remained unfazed,
“Actually, this weekend is the finals for the prefectural qualifiers. It’s going to be an easy win, of course. If we win, there’s still a month until the main tournament, so I think I can come here more often.”
He winked playfully. He ignored Ai-chan’s question, though.
“It’s not guaranteed that you’ll win in the finals. You were under the radar during the Inter-High, but your opponents should have researched you this time as well,” Ai-chan said.
“Well, no problem. Don’t you know how good our coordination and abilities are?”
“That kind of complacency will trip you up. You should be careful.”
Even when Ai-chan gave him a sharp warning,
“Thanks, Ai-chan. It means a lot that you’re worried about us.”
It was the expected reaction, a thank you kind of feeling. Ai-chan let out a deep sigh, just like me. After all, it was her advice as an athlete. I guess he didn’t get it.
Previously, Misora High School lost to Kokuryu Minami High School in Fukui Prefecture, where Akatsuki-kun and his friends attend, in the Inter-High finals. Sometimes I think it would be better if they lost in the finals next week, but you never know which way the victory will go. Soccer is a sport where the outcome is decided by just one goal. You can’t let your guard down until the whistle blows at the end of the game.
“It’s okay, Doremi-chan. We don’t feel like losing. It’s really fun.”
Akatsuki-kun suddenly answered with a serious face. The four of them on the pitch are really enjoying playing soccer. They must have relaxed in a good way. But…
“At the National Stadium, Misora High School will win the championship.”
When I said that, Akatsuki-kun gave a big thumbs up.
“Okay, I’m looking forward to it. Doremi-chan and the others, do your best not to lose in the prefectural qualifiers.”
Immediately, Ai-chan retorted,
“You said more than necessary.”
There was a sense of customers outside the MAHO-do, and Akatsuki-kun disappeared in a hurry. Oh, I forgot to ask him about their future plans…
“I wonder if all four of them will go to the J-League or overseas leagues.”
When I asked Ai-chan while cleaning up the store before closing,
“I wonder… None of them seem to want to be professional players that much. They didn’t come to the human world to become professional soccer players in the first place.”
“Well, it seems like a waste, but…”
They may be rivals, but it doesn’t matter after graduating from high school. If you take away everything like school and FLAT4, they’re really good players to the point that even Kashiwagi Chinami-chan and Seto Kosuke-kun, the junior managers, said they wanted them on our team.
“Well, it doesn’t concern us at the moment, but since they are elite individuals carrying the responsibility of the wizard world, I wish they would act with a greater consideration for their future.”
After Ai-chan’s relaxed remark because she has already secured a recommendation for Waseda University, I wondered about what Yamaki-sensei, also known as Leon, told me about my current grades and the schools I’m applying to,
“If you forcefully pry open and squeeze through the iron gate that seems to be closing soon, you might be able to get in.”
Isn’t that a bit harsh? Well, he used to say that recommending me was a reckless move and that passing the entrance exam was harder than calling for a miracle, so maybe things have improved a bit. Yes! Let’s just go with that! Stay positive, positive.
After finishing the cleaning, I returned to the kitchen where Hana-chan and Momo-chan were preparing for tomorrow. And then, Tooru-kun, the confident member of FLAT4, was making tea with a nonchalant expression while chatting cheerfully with Momo-chan.
“Wow! Won’t everyone become professional soccer players?”
“The only one I’d like to see go pro is Leon-kun. We’re planning to go to universities in Kanto, so going overseas might be impossible.”
He said while elegantly arranging the cups, still wearing his butler cafe uniform.
“Hey, why are you here? Since when?”
I asked, and Tooru-kun answered with a special smile.
“Hey there, Doremi-chan, Ai-chan. You guys seem energetic. I have some great tea leaves, so I thought I’d let everyone try them.”
His handsome smile was shining brightly, but it had no effect on us.
“Akatsuki-kun was here about an hour ago.”
Ai-chan said, also surprised by him. To which Tooru-kun responded with his charming smile,
“That’s right. If all of us come together, it will affect the business of our cafe. So, we decided to come one by one.”
“Our availability doesn’t matter, huh?”
Ai-chan showed a dejected face. I made a sarcastic comment,
“You’re quite relaxed, Tooru-kun. While balancing soccer and working at the cafe, aren’t the other team members busy practicing?”
Even though Kotake and the others are doing morning practice. There’s no room for slackness.
“We are definitely practicing. But you know, it’s not just about practicing for a long time, Doremi-chan. The communication between us and the team members is the best.”
Whether it’s true or not, the handsome guy has quite the persuasive power.
“I actually wanted to stay until Onpu-chan came, but I’ll leave soon.”
He would have been harshly kicked out if Onpu-chan was here. Tooru-kun quickly handed the tea to Ai-chan and me and said,
“Adieu ♥.”
He winked and disappeared. So, that kind of behavior didn’t impress us. Even Majorika and Lala were here, but they drank tea silently.
“FLAT4 is just a bunch of harmless troublemakers. But this tea is delicious, Doremi.”
Lala drank her tea with a composed expression. I took a sip as well. While I’m not well-versed in tea brands, it did indeed taste delicious.
Momo-chan also seemed to agree,
“Tooru-kun is really efficient. He probably practiced a lot before working at the cafe.”
“Are the other two coming one by one?”
While I thought that everyone was being too lenient with FLAT4, I asked Hana-chan, who was working, and she replied,
“Leon-kun might come, but Tooru-kun said it might be difficult because it’s a busy time for the cafe. Fujio-kun is busy collecting data on the opponent and doesn’t seem to be able to come easily.”
“I thought I hadn’t seen much of them lately, but it turned out it was the prefectural qualifiers. Of course, that’s how it goes,” I said.
Although I still have my position as a manager, I’ve only been able to participate in Monday meetings and before or after the games.
“Oh, come on, Doremi-chan. You know that Misora High School has qualifiers every week, right?”
“That’s right, Doremi. Starting next week, Hana and her friends will go cheer for them.”
Momo-chan and Hana-chan said and I added,
“Yeah, everyone is doing their best. It’s going to be tough from now on. Cheer us on!”
Our goal is to advance in the prefectural qualifiers. We’ll be facing strong opponents, so I thought I should do some research as well.
I have been busy with my own affairs and those of my friends from the summer until the fall. My friends can switch their priorities depending on the situation, but I can’t seem to prioritize. I get too engrossed in what’s in front of me.
“By the way, which school is our next opponent?”
When I murmured,
“Oh, Doremi-chan, if we win this time, we’ll be in the best 8.”
“Come on, Doremi, get it together. You’re the manager, right?”
Momo-chan and Hana-chan scolded me. It’s not the time to complain about FLAT4. Because of Kotake and the soccer team, I tend to view them as enemies. Well, FLAT4 is basically a group of cheerful and friendly boys, but they can still be annoying.
“Doremi-chan, well, calm down. It’s tea time.”
Ai-chan offered me tea as if she could see through my feelings. I sat on the chair, took a cup, and decided to savor the tea slowly. Although it had cooled down a bit, the aroma was still strong. I also understood the tea was brewed with the finest ingredients. Momo-chan nodded as she looked at me and said,
“You know, FLAT4 is a rival for you guys in the soccer team. They might have their flaws individually, but they can brew delicious tea in such a short time, and their afternoon tea sets with sweets are well-made.”
“I admit that too. I wonder if their concentration is different, Hana-chan?”
When Ai-chan asked, Hana-chan nodded and replied,
“It’s not like magic, but when you concentrate hard, your mind becomes clear. You know, Doremi and anyone can do it if they really want to.”
Hana-chan’s words reminded me of her figure studying diligently after transferring to high school in the middle of the year.
“It’s like my rocket start. I concentrate on the sound of the pistol so I can make a good start. The injury was unexpected though,” Ai-chan said.
“I think Hazuki-chan’s performance is also amazing,” Momo-chan added.
I recalled all the hard work my best friends had put in. In the case of Ai-chan and Hazuki-chan, they can exert their full power in crucial moments precisely because they practice every day. I think Momo-chan and Onpu-chan are the same. I’m aware that my concentration tends to wander.
“I see… concentration.”
It’s easy to say, but I feel like I’m lacking in it.
“Doremi can concentrate properly too. FLAT4 and Hana are not special because they can use magic. Rather than just pushing yourself to the limit, try to find a good balance between effort and rest.”
“Good luck, Doremi-chan. Concentration is also important for exam preparation,” Momo-chan said.
Everyone was looking at me with a smile. They noticed that my feelings have been all over the place since the soccer qualifiers started, and I’ve been even more scattered than before. I’m sure Akatsuki-kun and the others are working hard behind the scenes too. They’re focused even though the club activities practice is shorter than usual. I realize I have a narrow perspective. I need to reflect on that.
“In the end, Leon-kun didn’t show up.”
After we finished the preparations for tomorrow, it was time for us to just go home. When I said this, Hana-chan suddenly said,
“There’s no way he won’t come, Doremi.”
We all braced ourselves at Hana-chan’s voice.
“Everyone, did you call me──?”
“…Don’t be ridiculous. We didn’t call you. But you’ll show up anyway,” Ai-chan retorted.
Leon-kun appeared, as if standing to block the back door. Although Ai-chan made a sarcastic remark, he gave her a wink as she looked fatigued.
“Hey Ai-chaan, how have you been? The prefectural soccer qualifiers started, so I couldn’t come for a while. Were you lonely?”
Leon-kun spoke to Ai-chan in a familiar way, but she waved her hand dismissively.
“Why would I be lonely!”
“Oh, Ai-chan is shy,” Leon-kun joked.
I didn’t think we would get anywhere with this conversation. When Ai-chan looked at me with a fed-up expression, Leon-kun said,
“Oh, Doremi-chaan, your soccer team is doing well in the preliminaries. We’ll be waiting for you at the National Stadium.”
“We’ll go to the National Stadium too. Definitely.”
Leon-kun’s words made me lose my composure. Maybe I’m the one who hasn’t learned anything.
When Momo-chan asked,
“By the way, are all the FLAT4 members going to the J-League or overseas leagues?”
Leon-kun suddenly became serious and said,
“I’ve been offered a position in the J-League, so I’m thinking about accepting it. But everyone else has a different path.”
I asked a question that had been on my mind.
“I think everyone can make it in the professional soccer world, so why not?”
Neither Akatsuki-kun nor Tooru-kun clearly said anything about it.
“Isn’t it troublesome to become famous? I think Hana-chan and Majorika-san might understand that.”
Leon-kun said, not to me who asked the question, but to Hana-chan.
“I see. Right, Hana and the FLAT4 members are witch and wizard.”
I was surprised.
“When I was in England last year, I visited various stores run by witches for reference, but they all blended in with the town and were inconspicuous. Well, for us who stand out just by being here, it’s an impossible story.”
Leon-kun always had to add something more, but I understood what he meant.
“That’s right. I think you can easily become part of the Japanese national team, but a lot of troublesome things are likely to happen,” Ai-chan said.
“If you’re a student or an office worker, you probably won’t be investigated that thoroughly, but it’s tough when you become a celebrity,” Momo-chan added.
I remembered how Sakura Mirai-san was hounded by the media.
“After winning the Inter-High, we’ve had a lot of interviews. They even asked about our childhood. Fujio-kun managed to handle it somehow, but creating the past for all four of us is not something that can be easily done even with magic.”
Leon-kun struck a “surrender” pose. Manipulating and deceiving the memories of a large number of people is undoubtedly difficult. Although they were only in Japan for a short time as elementary school students, it must be challenging to create four individuals who didn’t exist in the human world.
“Well, I guess I can shine in soccer for about ten years or so. I’ll make a fortune and then dramatically retire. After that, I plan to support Akatsuki-kun as he diligently builds the foundation of the wizard world.”
“…I see. You’re thinking ahead.”
“Hey, hey, Doremi-chaan. Don’t misunderstand us, okay?”
I used to think that anything could be solved with magic. However, in order to live in the human world, you need to follow certain procedures and rules. We didn’t have the words to express our thoughts, but Leon-kun spoke up,
“Well, let’s get back to work. If we become prefectural representatives, we can come and see you guys then!”
After looking at the clock on the wall, Leon-kun turned to me and said,
“This is our last chance for all four of us to play at the National Stadium. We’ll light up the sky with fireworks! Everyone, please cheer us on!”
With a beaming smile, he disappeared.
“…Of course we’ll cheer for Misora High School…”
Despite Leon-kun’s cheerful voice, my thoughts were still swirling. My opinion of FLAT4 hadn’t changed 180 degrees, but I realized that they were going through a tough time, and I wanted to support them where I could. Maybe I’m too simple-minded.
“Alright, Doremi-chan, Momo-chan, let’s go home.”
Ai-chan cheerfully declared on purpose and patted our backs vigorously. At Ai-chan’s urging, Momo-chan and I opened the back door.
“Well then, goodnight everyone,” Ai-chan said.
We waved goodbye to Hana-chan, Majorika and the others before leaving MAHO-do. The wind was getting cold. As the sun set, the feeling of winter became more intense.
On Sunday, I went to cheer for the soccer team’s match. Every school is strong. Rather, only strong high schools remain. I started to get nervous. Akatsuki-kun and the others had the finals on Saturday and apparently won overwhelmingly, according to the email I received. They became the prefectural representatives faster than us. Finally, the word “National” is becoming a reality.
“It’s been a week, Doremi-senpai.”
Chinami-chan saw me and ran over, waving her hand.
“Sorry, I couldn’t come to the club activities for a long time. So, how is everyone doing? The opponent is a school that also made it to the best 8 last year, right?”
As I watched the opposing team practice on the pitch and asked,
“They’re strong, of course. But we’ve studied them enough, so it’s okay. Harukaze-senpai, please believe in everyone and cheer for us.”
Seto-kun said something reliable. Yamaki-sensei, also known as Leon, was standing behind the bench where the coach was, looking cold. He was still wearing his trench coat, and he looked like an outsider. I started to help with confidence in what the two had said.
In the first half, both sides attacked, but couldn’t score a goal, and the game ended 0-0 at halftime.
“All right, the second half is the real deal.”
The club members nodded at my words.
Halfway through the second half, neither side had scored a single goal.
“Come on, how can we not score a goal?”
We tried to launch an attack, but their defense was solid. It was difficult to pass the ball all the way to Kotake, our forward. I couldn’t help but complain.
“Well, the opponent is marking strictly.”
Seto-kun was calm in this situation too. I wonder why he’s always like that.
“But if they keep packing their own half with players like this, the opponent won’t be able to attack either.”
Chinami-chan occasionally wrote something in her notebook, and the two of them continued to have a calm conversation like this. Occasionally, they raised their voices at critical moments, but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“This is the time when we start to feel mentally exhausted too,” Chinami-chan continued.
“The opponent is also getting stuck. It’s time, Harukaze-senpai.”
When Seto-kun looked at me, the coach called in the players who were warming up.
“A player substitution, huh? Yeah, it makes sense. They look tired.”
It seemed like a substitution to break the stalemate. Even I could see that two visibly tired midfielders were being substituted at once. During the brief substitution period, the coach was shouting instructions in a loud voice, and the players nodded as they returned to the pitch. We waved our hands and cheered, saying “Ganbare” with smiles.
The two substitutes who came on to the pitch conveyed the coach’s instructions to Kotake and the others and immediately took their positions. The two players who were substituted were first and second-year attacking midfielders, and although I didn’t know them well, according to Chinami-chan and Seto-kun, they were really fast.
“It seems like good players are being developed here.”
The backs of the two players going into position looked reliable to me.
The coach’s decision was spot-on. The substitute players stole the ball from the fatigued opposition defense and built up our attack. They passed the ball around to confound the opponent, and Kotake volleyed the ball directly into the goal with only 10 minutes left in the game. Both Seto-kun and Chinami-chan stood up, and the three of us high-fived.
The coach announced the final player substitution, and a second-year defense player entered the pitch, strengthening our defense to prevent the opponent from having the ball. Then, Kotake scored a direct free-kick from outside the penalty area, leading us to a 2-0 victory.
“Phew, everyone did their best.”
After exchanging high-fives with all the players and finishing the cleanup, we all returned to the school.
After a brief meeting, the club members went home.
Only the three managers remained, and Seto-kun spoke to me.
“Harukaze-senpai, the regular players have been doing well lately. And their career paths are mostly decided, so I think they are mentally calm.”
Chinami-chan also followed him,
“It’s not just Kotake-senpai, but five people are aiming for the J-League. It’s the most we’ve ever had since Misora High School started.”
She suddenly spread her hands and said it. That’s what it means to produce results. Whether five people are a lot or a little, it’s certainly tough to balance studying for exams while competing in the qualifiers. Although good juniors are being developed, I still want the third-year students to do their best.
I don’t think FLAT4 had an easy time becoming prefectural representatives, but I wish we had that kind of leeway.
“I want to win the championship at National Stadium after quickly advancing through the prefectural qualifiers.”
When I said that, Chinami-chan and Seto-kun, who were getting ready to go home, turned around at the same time.
“Doremi-senpai… do you know? Momoe Academy has completely changed its system since the fall.”
Chinami-chan approached me with a horror movie-like expression.
“…Y-Yeah… They got a new coach and a really talented rookie defender. You two mentioned it before.”
As I stepped back and answered, Seto-kun approached me, and I was scared.
“Harukaze-senpai~, did you watch Momoe Academy’s preliminary match?”
“U-Um, no. I only saw the results on the local news and in the newspaper…”
I shook my head vigorously.
“Senpai, I would like to ask if you could make time after tomorrow’s meeting. We really need your help.”
Chinami-chan squeezed my hand tightly. As someone whose university entrance exams were still uncertain, there wasn’t much I could do, and the two junior managers were working really hard. There were also a lot of new club members, so there was less work to do during practice. I thought I didn’t have a role to play, but I should have talked to them more.
On Monday, after the club meeting ended, the club members, who were tired from yesterday’s game, left the clubroom after confirming their schedule for the week. I thought we were going to break up, but it turned out that we were going to watch Momoe Academy High School’s game, which was held at a different venue on the same day, on a big screen.
The two junior managers and I stayed behind in the clubroom and were going to watch a DVD edited by Seto-kun.
“This is Momoe Academy’s new coach, and this is…”
Chinami-chan pointed to an image on the computer screen, and I was surprised.
“W-Whaaat, so the foreign coach thing was true──? And he even has experience coaching in the Brazilian league!”
“The coach is a Japanese-Brazilian from what I heard, Doremi-senpai. And this is their new player…”
“Whaaat, is this person really a high school student with a face like that?”
My reaction was apparently too fresh, and Seto-kun let out a deep sigh.
“Harukaze-senpai, you really haven’t watched the game, have you?”
He sounded really disappointed. Well, I’m really sorry.
“Momoe Academy is in a serious mode. The new addition to the team is a second-year high school student brought in by the coach, and he’s a half-Japanese, half-Brazilian. His name is Diego Yamaguchi. It seems that they couldn’t complete the procedures in time for the Inter-High, so both of them were watching from the spectator seats.”
It was a topic of conversation, but once the qualifiers started, I didn’t pay much attention to anything other than our opponents. The game that was covered in the local news was only shown in a digest, so I knew there was a great player joining their team, but I didn’t have much information.
“Oh, I heard that the Brazilian league is called the Campeonato Brasileiro.”
“Seto-kun, enough with these trivial facts. Let’s keep watching the rest of the game.”
I urged Seto-kun to continue, despite telling him to stop earlier.
“Uh, well, in the practice games before the qualifiers, his team coordination wasn’t quite there yet, but in the last two games, Diego-senshu has gotten used to it and is doing a really good job. He plays defense, but he can also take free kicks, and above all, his instincts are remarkable, with quick reactions and movements that are hard to counter.”
As Seto-kun said, the opposing team looked helpless and completely overpowered by Diego-senshu alone.
“Doremi-senpai, please watch his movements. Momoe Academy has been holding the opponents scoreless since the qualifiers started, and I think it’s all thanks to Diego-senshu’s intuition and speed.”
Chinami-chan gets really excited when she sees a good player, regardless of whether they’re on the opposing team or not. Maybe that’s the difference between long-time soccer fans and casual fans. While the two of them were explaining, I nodded while watching the DVD. It’s true that he has a good instinct.
Unlike FLAT4, who dominated the game with Fujio-kun’s calculations and foresight and Akatsuki-kun and Tooru-kun’s combination, Diego-senshu seems to have a wild instinct or something like that, which comes out in his movements.
“His movements give a sense that he’s been closely familiar with soccer since he was a kid.”
When I said that, the two of them nodded firmly.
“He also desires to obtain Japanese citizenship and play for the Japanese national team, since he can’t make it to the Brazilian national team because of the high level of soccer there.”
Even Chinami-chan added a bit of trivia. As expected from Brazil, it’s too high-level.
“But still, soccer is a sport played by eleven people, right? There must be opportunities to break through somewhere. That’s why the club members and the coach are all analyzing together, right?”
When I said that, Chinami-chan squeezed my hand tightly.
“Of course, Doremi-senpai. It’s true that Momoe Academy has drastically changed their tactics since the new coach came, and the previous data is no longer useful, and Diego-senshu is strong. But Misora High School is not losing either.”
“I’m counting on Harukaze-senpai’s competitive spirit and ability to bring out the motivation of the club members.”
“…Is that so?”
I was being appealed to like a stereo from both sides, and while I didn’t feel bad,
“Of course we want to win, but should we rely on something like willpower?”
I’m not sure if willpower is the only thing that matters in the end, but people often say that. After seeing Ai-chan’s Naniwa spirit, it’s hard to say.
“Doremi-senpai, I want to make it to the National Stadium with you this year.”
Chinami-chan said with a red face while still squeezing my hand. Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes.
I remembered how the charismatic senior manager had taught me strictly, my hesitation since Chinami-chan aspired to be a manager, Seto-kun’s plea to stay in the club even after he couldn’t keep up with the tough practice, and Midorimachi-kun aka Midorin, who was a regular in defense, quitting the club activities to study for exams.
“Harukaze-senpai, Kashiwagi-san, let’s all make it to the National Stadium together.”
“Yeah… yeah, let’s get started.”
The DVD showed the players of Momoe Academy High School making good moves, but that’s not the point. What we are looking at is the National Stadium and beyond.
“Misora High School is strong. We will definitely not lose,” I said.
We shared the same feeling that we must not cry. It was still too early to shed tears.
“Instead of tears of regret, let’s shed tears of joy this time. Until then, let’s suppress our tears, okay?”
When I said that, Chinami-chan and Seto-kun nodded vigorously.
If we win this week, we’ll be in the best four, and then it’s the semi-finals. We’re not neglecting to study the opposing team, but there’s no doubt that Momoe Academy High School is waiting for us in the end. We absolutely cannot lose.
This year, due to the impact of the typhoon, the two semi-final matches were postponed by one week, and the usual schedule for the first Sunday of November became the second Sunday. Consequently, the prefectural qualifying final was set to take place on the third Sunday, and it was decided that the representative of our prefecture would be the last to be determined among the participating schools in the National High School Soccer Championship.
For the Misora High School soccer team, which advanced to the semi-finals after an overtime game in the quarter-finals with a score of 2-1, I think this postponement was lucky. The other three schools that advanced to the quarterfinals won their matches in a straightforward manner within 90 minutes, and especially Momoe Academy overwhelmed its opponent with a score of 5-0, showing the luxury of substituting three main members, including Diego-senshu, in the second half.
Even the private Enoshima Minami High School, whom we would face in the semi-finals, had an easy victory with a score of 3-0. I think we would have struggled considerably if it weren’t for the typhoon. The pressure to reach the National Stadium had been weighing heavily on Misora High School, and we couldn’t play our usual style of soccer.
However, in the match against Enoshima Minami High School that day, we were like a completely different team. We displayed a fast-paced passing game, and our ace striker, Kotake, scored multiple goals in crucial moments, resulting in a 4-0 victory. Thanks to the delay caused by the typhoon, we were able to rest our bodies sufficiently and thoroughly analyze and reflect on our previous performances.
After finishing the first semi-final match, we were able to thoroughly watch the second match between Momoe Academy and Kouhoku Academy at the venue, Todoroki Athletics Stadium, starting at 3:00 pm.
Perhaps due to the relief of advancing to the finals, the expressions of Kotake and the other members were bright.
However, as soon as the second match began, everyone’s smiles disappeared.
As soon as the whistle blew to start the match, Momoe Academy dominated the ball and attacked the Kouhoku’s territory, dribbling into the penalty area. However, a Kouhoku defender fouled Momoe’s number 10 player inside the penalty area, resulting in a free kick. Naturally, I thought that the number 10 player would take the free kick, but to my surprise, it was the center-back, Diego-senshu, wearing jersey number 4, who set up the ball.
“I thought the ace number 10 would take it?”
When I said that, Chinami-chan next to me told me,
“Diego-senshu takes all the free kicks.”
But I still couldn’t accept it and asked,
“Isn’t Diego-senshu a second-year student?”
Then, Seto-kun behind us leaned forward and said,
“Diego-senshu seems to be respected and trusted by all the regular members, and he takes all the free kicks near the penalty area in the qualifiers.”
“Is, is that so…!?”
When I exclaimed in surprise, the sound of the referee’s whistle echoed, and we shifted our gaze to the pitch.
Diego-senshu kicked the ball with his left foot from a light step.
A sound like a swung axe, “Dosun!” echoed, and the ball that passed over the heads of the Kouhoku players shook the Kouhoku goal net as it wobbled and quickly dropped.
The goalkeeper couldn’t move at all.
Even from the stands, the ball didn’t seem to be spinning. It was a so-called knuckleball shot.
After a moment of silence, applause and cheers erupted from the Momoe’s cheering section.
Diego-senshu placed his right index and middle fingers on his lips and raised them to the sky. Then, as he made a cross in front of his chest, his teammates gathered to congratulate him.
During this time, the members of Misora High School, including myself, were holding our breath in silence.
Everyone had a surprised expression on their face.
As the game progressed, the surprised expressions disappeared and were replaced by fearful expressions.
Momoe, with a ball possession rate of over 80%, showed a fierce attack and shook Kouhoku’s goal net one after another, resulting in a crushing victory of 6-0.
Of Momoe’s six goals, Diego-senshu scored two goals with a header from a corner kick in addition to the first free kick, achieving a hat trick.
Furthermore, his defense was also outstanding. He blocked every Kouhoku player who invaded Momoe’s penalty area without committing a foul to get the ball, and continued to send accurate and arrow-like passes to his teammates. Diego-senshu dominated this game and showed an overwhelming presence.
Kouhoku’s only chance seemed to be a single corner kick, which was easily cleared by Diego-senshu’s incredible jumping ability with a head.
Even after the game was over, none of the members of Misora High School tried to stand up. Even I could tell that they were completely overwhelmed by Diego-senshu’s performance.
“What are you guys waiting for! Let’s go home!”
Finally, the members stood up and moved to the aisle with their belongings, but I felt like even Kotake’s voice was trembling.
When I tried to carry the ball and other baggage with Chinami-chan and Seto-kun, Yamaki-sensei, also known as Leon, who had stayed behind until the end, muttered to himself without saying to anyone else,
“The key to the final match seems to be the fight between our ace and that number 4.”
Although Leon always publicly declares that he is a total soccer amateur, he occasionally makes insightful remarks that hit the mark. The one sentence Leon said now stuck in my heart like a thorn.
On the following Monday, the team took a break from practice to recover from the fatigue of the game, and Kotake and the others discussed their strategy for the upcoming game against Momoe Academy while watching a video of the semi-final second match with the coach.
The video was a compilation of two videos taken by two first-year members and edited by the coach. We carefully checked the scoring scenes and studied how to handle Diego-senshu. We established certain rules: never commit a foul near their own penalty area because there was no way to stop his knuckleball shot, and when facing the enemy’s free kicks, two defenders should mark Diego-senshu intensively.
Furthermore, we noticed that when Diego-senshu successfully stole the ball, he would pass it to a player running along the sidelines without looking. Based on this observation, we devised a strategy to stop the enemy’s side attacks and counterattack swiftly.
From the next day on, we practiced these three strategies thoroughly.
However, except for Kotake, the other players seemed to have watched the video of Diego-senshu’s scoring scenes too many times, resulting in lackluster performance and many boring mistakes.
Every time this happened, the coach or Kotake would stop the practice and encourage the team.
“Don’t you want to beat Momoe and make it to the National Stadium!”
“Don’t let the phantom of that number 4 player haunt you! He’s just another high school student like you! Put more spirit into your practice!”
Everyone nodded silently, but their expressions lacked fighting spirit.
Even I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I leapt up from the bench and yelled at the top of my lungs.
“Kotake and the third-year members might have their last game next Sunday! Don’t you want to play with them even after the New Year! If I have to watch this uninspiring practice anymore, I’ll quit as a manager!”
All the members looked at me.
“Hey, what’s wrong!?”
I stared back at all of them.
At that moment, Kotake burst into laughter and said,
“Good one, Harukaze! You were too busy studying for the entrance exam to do any manager work, so you wanted to leave everything to Kashiwagi and Seto!”
Suddenly, everyone started laughing too.
I guess I let go of some tension because everyone focused on the rest of the practice.
As I sat back down on the bench, Chinami-chan and Seto-kun sidled up to me and said,
“Truly amazing, Doremi-senpai. With just a few words, you dispelled the phantom of Diego-senshu from everyone’s minds.”
“You pulled a calculated bluff. It’s quite inspiring as a manager.”
Um… I didn’t calculate anything at all. I just blurted out what I was thinking. Well, whatever. The result turned out fine.
Finally, everyone’s enthusiasm returned, and the flames of defeating Momoe reignited in everyone’s hearts. The day before the final became fulfilling as well. After practice, the managers and lower-grade members joined in, forming a large circle. We all pumped ourselves up, and the coach instructed us to rest well for tomorrow, then we were dismissed.
Even after everyone had gone home, Kotake stayed behind and continued to practice shooting alone.
As Chinami-chan and Seto-kun seemed hesitant to leave, I said to them,
“You two, it’s okay. Leave the rest to me and prepare for the decisive match tomorrow.”
They both nodded and bowed before leaving.
Kotake continued to practice shooting even after they both left. Understanding his determination, I said, considering Kotake’s fatigue,
“Kotake, that’s enough for now. I understand how you feel, but tomorrow’s match isn’t just about you and… it’s the culmination of my high school days too. Let’s face Momoe at our best condition.”
“Yeah…”
Kotake still seemed reluctant to stop, so I suggested,
“Let’s go pray for victory at the Misora Shrine on our way back.”
“…Sounds good.”
Finally satisfied, Kotake began to put away the ball, and I helped him.
As we climbed the long stairs and arrived at the precincts of Misora Shrine, it had already become dark, even though it was just past 5:30 in the afternoon.
We stood side by side, threw coins into the offering box, rang the bell, and prayed earnestly to God for victory in tomorrow’s match.
“You prayed for a long time even though you only put in 10 yen.”
When I opened my closed eyes, Kotake had already finished praying.
“The amount doesn’t matter. It’s the thought that counts… or rather, didn’t you put in a 50 yen coin too!”
Kotake grinned, but soon his expression turned serious as he looked at my face.
Huh!? What!? Kotake, your eyes are getting serious…
“Hey, Doremi…”
Wow, did he just call me by my name! C-Could it be… My heart started beating faster. Kotake hesitated for a moment, but then spoke with determination.
“Can I… hold you?”
“Eh… Whaaat!?”
S-Such a bold request. H-He hasn’t even properly confessed to me yet.
“W-Why so sudden? I’m not… you know, mentally prepared and all…”
As I was flustered, Kotake had a bewildered expression and said,
“H-Hey, don’t get the wrong idea. I meant… by hold I didn’t mean that… umm… I was asking if I could hug you.”
“Oh, a hug. If that’s all… then you should have made that clear… Ah!”
Before I could finish my sentence, Kotake tightly embraced me.
“Huh?”
I could feel Kotake’s body trembling slightly, and I wondered if he was okay.
“K-Kotake, are you shaking?”
“No! It’s just… a warrior’s trembling. I’ve been thinking about tomorrow’s match and got so pumped up that I can’t stop the trembling…”
I stayed still as Kotake embraced me. It’s kind of strange, but Kotake is becoming more and more endearing to me… or rather, I’m starting to feel a deep affection for him. Kotake’s trembling gradually subsided.
“Thank you, Doremi.”
Kotake blushed and then let go of me.
“I’ll definitely score a goal and take you to the National Stadium.”
“…Okay. And you’ll properly confess to me, right?”
“Yeah.”
Kotake nodded firmly and turned his gaze back to the shrine, clasping his hands in prayer once again.
“You’re praying again? You can’t get a rollover for the 50 yen you already spent!”
I joked, and Kotake poked my head.
“I’m apologizing for my rudeness in front of the shrine.”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away.
“Hey, wait up! Let me pray for a certain victory one more time too.”
I quickly bowed twice, clapped twice, and then bowed again before hurrying after Kotake.
The fateful day had finally arrived.
The Mitsuzawa Stadium, where the final match was held, was packed with students from Misora High School and Momoe Academy, their parents, alumni, and soccer fans from the prefecture and local area.
On our bench behind the stands, the Misora High School ōenbu, the baton twirling club, and the cheerleading society led by Hana-chan and Momo-chan, were stationed, engaging in an intense cheer battle with the Momoe Academy cheering team. Of course, I could also see the faces of my friends, Yamauchi-kun, Taniyama-kun, and the other Misora Elementary School graduates, as well as Seki-sensei and Nishizawa-sensei.
The game began at exactly 1:00 pm with Misora High School’s kickoff.
Both teams started cautiously, with no unnecessary fouls, and a quiet game of attack and defense continued.
Misora’s formation was the same as in the semifinals, with Kotake as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. However, Momoe changed their usual 3-5-2 formation to a 5-3-2 formation. Momoe had been proud of their zero-goal defense record, but both our coach and Leon were surprised to see them adopt a 5-back system.
I thought they had changed to a more defensive system because they feared our attack. Seto-kun and Chinami-chan, who were in charge of keeping score, agreed with me.
However, the Misora Eleven, determined to defeat Momoe, gradually increased their ball possession rate after 5 minutes of the game. In the 10th minute, the midfielders executed a series of precise one-two passes, ultimately delivering the ball to Kotake in the penalty area.
Kotake tried to shoot while turning around, but Momoe’s number 4 defender, Diego-senshu, stood in his way. Although Diego-senshu was only five centimeters taller than Kotake, his upper body was so muscular that he didn’t look like a second-year high school student at all.
He didn’t flinch at Kotake’s feint and instead tried to steal the ball. Kotake had no choice but to pass it back with a heel pass, and Kubo-kun, a remarkably promising second-year midfielder, sprinted in and unleashed a forceful mid-range shot. However, the ball just barely went over the goalpost.
Sighs could be heard from Misora’s supporters.
We on the bench, who had involuntarily stood up, also sat back down with a heavy sigh.
At that moment, I saw Diego-senshu say a few words to Kotake as he retreated to his side.
From there, we noticed a change in Kotake’s movements.
We realized that we were wrong in thinking that Momoe’s 5-back was a defensive system.
Momoe intentionally let Misora keep the ball and attack, hoping to steal the ball with their numerical advantage with their 5-back system and aim for a quick counterattack.
Misora’s attacking force, unable to break through the enemy’s encirclement, tried to create chances by passing the ball to Kotake and running into space. However, the pivotal player Kotake challenged Diego-senshu to a one-on-one fight and was completely blocked, leaving us vulnerable to a counterattack.
However, Misora’s defense had already anticipated Momoe’s left and right side attacks, which were initiated by Diego-senshu, due to our practice, and snuffed out any attacking opportunities.
The attack and defense continued to go back and forth, but after 30 minutes, Kotake tried to dribble past Diego-senshu again. He tried to use his rarely practiced Marseille Roulette (a technique of turning your body around while holding onto the ball and dribbling past your opponent), a skill that former French national team player Zidane was good at, to get past Diego-senshu, but his long legs were able to hook the ball and take it away easily.
Diego-senshu, taking advantage of Momoe’s signature sideline attack being blocked, tried to dribble his way through the midfield instead of making a no-look pass.
Misora’s midfielders rushed over in panic, but Diego-senshu easily got past them with just a feint, approaching the penalty area and preparing to shoot. Unable to bear it, Morimoto-kun, a defender and vice-captain, made a sliding tackle that knocked Diego-senshu down. The whistle blew, and the referee gave Morimoto-kun a yellow card.
Reluctantly, the entire Misora Eleven returned to the penalty area and formed a wall.
Diego-senshu set the ball and waited for the referee’s whistle with a relaxed expression.
At that moment, both the Misora Eleven on the pitch and us on the bench were prepared for Diego-senshu’s knuckleball shot, which he had shown in the match against Enoshima Minami.
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Diego-senshu jumped lightly, took a light step, and kicked the ball with the inside of his left cleat toes, as if scraping it.
It’s not a knuckleball shot! I screamed in my head.
The sharply spinning ball flew outside the wall of Misora’s players and rapidly arced.
The goalkeeper quickly moved to the right of the goal and jumped sideways, trying to punch the curving ball. However, the ball seemed to mock the goalkeeper as it was sucked into the corner of the goalpost and crossbar.
The stadium was briefly silent, and sighs leaked out of Misora’s stand, while cheers and applause erupted from Momoe’s stand.
In the end, Momoe’s defense held strong and they ended the first half with a lead.
During the half-time break, we managers distributed towels and drinks to the Misora’s players who had retreated to the bench.
The coach scolded Kotake, who had been consistently trying to break through Diego-senshu one-on-one since midway through the game.
Kotake remained silent and looked down. So, I asked Kotake.
“Kotake, you exchanged words with Diego-senshu during the game. What did he say?”
Kotake hesitated a little and then muttered.
“That guy said, ‘No one has ever gotten past me with the ball, whether in a game or during practice,’ and ‘It’s useless to try to get past me.’”
“That’s why you were so desperate to break through?”
“Yeah…”
Suddenly, the coach shouted.
“Are you stupid! What’s the point of the captain falling for such provocation! Listen, in the second half, Kotake, stick to hold-up play! If you draw the enemy defenders to you and dribble the ball, it’ll definitely create space for our midfielders. Then they can follow and shoot for a goal!”
All the players nodded except for Kotake.
Hold-up play is something we practice a lot, and it’s not a play that Kotake can’t do either. But Kotake looked dissatisfied. No, there was another dissatisfied expression on someone else’s face. It was Yamaki-sensei.
“I wonder if that’s really the case. Momoe’s number 4 is their key player. I don’t think we can score unless we dampen his pride.”
However, the coach said,
“I am the coach. Please do not say unnecessary things.”
He asked Leon not to challenge his authority.
Leon remained silent after that.
After a 10-minute break, the second half began with Momoe’s kickoff.
Momoe immediately changed their formation. They returned to the attack-oriented 3-5-2 they had used before.
Isn’t this the “offense is the best defense” thing?
Well, I don’t really understand ancient military tactics, but that was exactly Momoe’s strategy.
Momoe started playing compact soccer by increasing ball possession and shortening the distance between their defenders and forwards.
The game was mostly played in the Misora half. The Misora’s players were desperately trying to steal the ball, but the Momoe’s players, who were leading with ease, were always forming small triangles to block them and threaten the Misora’s goal.
The goalkeeper made fine saves, and the goalpost bar rebounded the shots like the twelfth player.
Sometimes, we stole the ball from the opponent’s mistake and launched a counterattack, sending a long ball to Kotake in front of the goal, but Diego-senshu competed with Kotake and cleared it.
Even if Kotake did hold-up play, Diego-senshu was man-marking him, so the other defenders didn’t move, leaving no space for Misora’s attackers.
Tiredness gradually appeared on the faces of the Misora Eleven as we were forced to defend in our own half. Even small mistakes began to stand out.
Meanwhile, time was passing quickly, and when there were five minutes left, the ball went over the touchline due to a missed kick by our teammate.
Unconsciously, I jumped out of the bench and shouted at the top of my voice.
“Kotake! Didn’t you promise to take me to the National Stadium? Didn’t you promise to confess to me there? What are you doing with hold-up play! Take the goal by force!”
The Momoe player who was trying to do a throw-in was stunned and looked at me. The players from both teams on the pitch also stopped moving and focused on me.
Then the referee immediately rushed over and blew the whistle.
“What are you doing? Go back to the bench.”
I finally realized what I had done. My face turned red in an instant, and I reluctantly went back to the bench.
Then Seto-kun said with a surprised look,
“Harukaze-senpai! Were you dating the captain?”
The coach and Leon also looked surprised because it had been a secret except for Chinami-chan.
I blushed even more and said,
“Well, we were kind of dating and kind of not…”
I couldn’t say anything more.
At that moment, Vice-captain Morimoto-kun shouted at the Misora Eleven.
“Let’s make Kotake a man here! And while we’re at it, let’s make Harukaze a woman too!”
The other players except Kotake nodded with a smile.
Ah, no, it doesn’t matter to me… But if possible, please make me a woman. Yes.
I was laughing so hard that I was beyond the point of embarrassment.
But the mood of the Misora Eleven, which had been overshadowed by the prospect of defeat, changed.
Despite their evident exhaustion, everyone put in their best effort to gain control of the ball, and then collectively started to build up an attack towards the Momoe half.
After a quick pass, midfielder Kubo-kun made a grounded pass to Kotake. It was a pass filled with everyone’s feelings.
Kotake trapped it with his right foot and began dribbling.
But Diego-senshu stood in his way again. Kotake tried the Marseille Roulette once more.
It was the moment when Diego-senshu’s pride was dampened.
In the middle of the Roulette, Kotake kicked the ball slightly with his right heel. The ball passed through Diego-senshu’s groin, who was caught off guard and rolled away.
At that moment, Kotake swiftly turned around like an arrow, leaving Diego-senshu behind and chasing after the ball.
As soon as he faced the goalkeeper one-on-one, Kotake’s right leg sprung up behind him, and he kicked the ball with all his might.
The enemy goalkeeper couldn’t do anything as the ball shook the net.
There was a loud cheer and applause from the Misora’s cheering stand, and I hugged Chinami-chan and Seto-kun in delight on the bench.
But Kotake immediately went to pick up the ball in the goal and took it to the center circle, without paying any attention to the Misora Eleven who had gathered to congratulate him.
Kotake’s behavior became a silent command to the Misora Eleven, “Let’s turn this around.”
The game resumed immediately with a kick-off by Momoe.
Diego-senshu’s face no longer had a relaxed smile. The expression on the Momoe Eleven’s faces clearly showed a sense of panic.
No one expected Diego-senshu to be beaten by Kotake.
No matter how much the Brazilian coach of Momoe encouraged them, their play was different from earlier.
It wasn’t unreasonable to be tied up when victory was within reach. Their once flawless triangle passes now lacked precision.
When Morimoto-kun stole the ball with a sliding tackle, everyone stormed into the Momoe half.
The enemy made desperate defenses, trying to clear the ball and avoid danger as Kotake brought it closer.
But the momentum of the Misora Eleven didn’t stop. Even if it was cleared, we launched wave-like attacks, and the ball returned to Kotake’s feet.
Once again, Kotake faced Diego-senshu one-on-one and started another Marseille Roulette. But this time, when Kotake turned, Kubo-kun ran in and made eye contact, and Kotake passed the ball to the side with his heel. Kubo-kun swung his right foot powerfully at the perfect timing.
The ball hit the tip of the goalkeeper’s glove slightly and rebounded off the goalpost. Momoe’s defense and Kotake both approached the ball at the same time.
Kotake shouted,
“Uoooooooh!!”
And dove towards the ball, heading it before the defenders could reach it.
With a powerful header like slamming into the ground, the goalkeeper remained motionless as the ball shook the net of Momoe’s goal.
The referee blew the whistle for the goal, then looked at his watch and blew a long whistle, signaling the end of the match.
“We did it──────!”
One by one, we rushed to Kotake, who was lying face down in front of the goal, and jumped on his back.
That was the moment we broke through Momoe’s seemingly insurmountable wall.
Even on the bench, we hugged and rejoiced with each other, regardless of who it was, our faces wrinkled with joy. It was the same in the Misora’s cheering section.
When I looked back, I saw Hana-chan, Momo-chan, Tamaki, and Mutsumi-chan hugging each other with joy. When I looked to the side, my best friends were also hugging each other and shedding tears.
After the post-match greetings, the Misora Eleven shook hands with the crestfallen Momoe Eleven and praised each other for a well-played game. All of their faces showed the look of men who had accomplished their mission.
Kotake spoke to Diego-senshu, who was breaking down in tears, and came back to the bench with his teammates.
We also rushed off the bench to share in the joy. The coach was immediately lifted up in celebration.
I joined the circle and called to Kotake beside me.
“We did it Kotake! What did you say to Diego-senshu?”
Kotake rubbed his nose with his right hand and replied,
“I think you wouldn’t understand, being raised in Brazil, but I have something called Yamato Damashii in me, and I told him that.”
“That sounds pretty cool.”
I smiled, and at that moment, Morimoto-kun shouted with laughter.
“Let’s lift up the manly Kotake!”
Kotake flew in the air four or five times. I chanted “banzai” three times with Chinami-chan and Seto-kun outside the circle.
When the lifting of Kotake was over, Morimoto-kun looked at me and said,
“Our manager who changed the atmosphere of the game, also deserves to be lifted up!”
“Oh, no, I’m fine!”
I tried to step back, but Chinami-chan and Seto-kun pushed me forward, and I ended up in the circle. The next moment my body flew in the air.
Tears overflowed uncontrollably.
I’m glad I lived these eighteen years. I shouted that in my heart.
Thank you so much that you translate the next chapters. I was so happy that I found out that i can continue to read the light novels.
Thank you so much to translate the next chapters. I was so happy that I found out that the light novels gets a translation.
good 🥰😇😇
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