"Good job." Higo smiled as he patted Kumiko’s head fondly. "I know you are tired right now, so you don’t have to look strong in front of me, okay?"

Right after that, Kumiko felt her shoulder sag, and within a second, she was already falling into a bear hug from the boy of her life. "Thank you..." She whispered, her voice muffled with the scarf she wore.

It was after the announcement session was over, and right now, those two teenagers were the only students left in the club, what with the others leaving immediately to prepare for tomorrow’s game. After the girl locked the room, they both left the school, walking side by side in a tranquil silence.

Higo himself felt his heart clench. He knew that while the players were exhausted, the most knackered one on the team was definitely Kumiko. The girl might not run the same distance as the others, but mentally, she was the one who thought the most out of everyone else here.

From having to take care of a team with 16 teenage boys in it alone, maintaining her studies for her future, preparing the logistics and administration work to get the permission from the school to play on the pitch, to the point of calling the organizers and the referees for the game, she had done everything like a lunatic, never complaining even for once.

Hell, Higo could still remember how Kumiko was so close to collapse during Hori’s drama a few weeks ago, and that was also the first time he saw her snapping at the people around her like that. Only when he watched everything behind the scenes did Higo understand how big Kumiko sacrificed for the team here.

"Don’t overthink it." Kumiko’s gentle voice suddenly lured him back to the living plane.

"Um?" Higo blinked confusedly.

"I said, don’t overthink it," Kumiko repeated her words with a smile on her face. "I know that you are worried sick about me, but I swear I am okay. It is tiring, but I also have a lot of fun, and this is quite fulfilling as well. I am doing well, so don’t worry about me."

Higo blinked one more time before sighing helplessly. "Of course, I am worried about you. If not, who else is going to think of you?" He rubbed her head fondly.

Kumiko blushed a little, but she enjoyed this feeling a lot. While yes, she had a lot of admirers, and she also received so many presents, at the end of the day, nothing really beat the silent day-to-day care that Higo had always done since their childhood.

"Anyway, what is on your mind?" She suddenly asked while they were out of the market district and were about to reach their home. "I see you getting bothered by something in the last couple of days, so spill. Is there anything you want to tell?"

"Of course, I couldn’t hide it from you, huh?" Higo sighed helplessly. At Kumiko’s silent inquiry, he continued, "Just having another conversation with Mom about my future, and if I really want to go for the tryout in Niigata."

"Ah... So that’s the case..." Kumiko nodded in understanding. Then, she frowned before asking, "Did Minami-baasan disagree with your choice? Shall I chat with her about this?" Her tone was full of concern.

Higo felt his heart warm for a moment before shaking his head quickly. "No need to do that. It is not like she disapproved of my choice, but more like I still didn’t know what to choose right now. I still feel that this is a big thing related to my future, and I don’t want to have a miserable adult life just because of a wrong choice here. Is that reasonable?"

Yeah, this was also a big dilemma here. As for why Higo didn’t go for the football tryout immediately, he himself still didn’t know whether football was something he loved or not. The boy could say that he enjoyed it for now because Kumiko was always here, but he knew that once he went pro, the girl wouldn’t always be on his side.

"Don’t worry, it is quite reasonable enough in my book." Kumiko consoled him. "Just walk at your own pace, and when things click in, you will know what you really want for your future."

Higo nodded silently as they continued their journey back home. It didn’t take too long before they arrived, and yet, in such a peaceful moment like this, a thought flashed in Higo’s head out of nowhere.

"Kumiko-chan." He called out the girl.

"Yes?" Kumiko turned back at him, still with the same pretty smile that could melt his heart.

"I don’t know what would happen in the future, but I will try my best to bring you to the National Tournament you have been dreaming of since we entered high school, so..." He swallowed for a moment, words seemed to stick in his throat.

However, the courage was still there, giving him a gentle push to say what he wanted. "So... If we can go to the National Tournament, do you think we can have a date in the future?" He blurted out what was on his mind without even realizing it.

Right after that, silence fell among them, with Kumiko having her jaw dropped from the shock here. While they had been so close to each other for so long, no one really had ever crossed the line, and this was definitely Higo’s first attempt to do that. She had been expecting this to come, but when it was really in front of her face, her brain short-circuited, not knowing what to say.

The girl’s silence made Higo think the worst, though, as he started to rack his brain in panic. "You know what, let’s just treat it as hanging out together! It doesn’t have to be a date, okay? I mean—Uf!"

Before he could finish whatever he wanted to say, though, the girl leaped into his embrace, pecking his cheek gently. It was just a simple one, but for Higo, who had been imagining this for so long, this was enough to stun him to death.

The girl herself also had her face flushed red, probably not expecting herself to be this bold as well. However, more than anything else, the smile shining brightly on her face as she whispered softly, "Since you say it like that, it is a pinky promise, Ryukkun. Please, bring me to the National Tournament. Let’s stand together and watch the scene on top of the country, okay?"