Little did she know that the video was published immediately by Erika Sawada’s personal account on YouTube. Even though it didn’t come from big media, she still had around 300k followers there, so her voice would be echoed throughout the community quickly.

It didn’t go viral in a blink, but some prominent figures in the community also started to talk about this.

Matsuda_J: Damn, that media is so vicious! To attack an 18-year-old girl like a mad dog like this, who do they think they are?!

Sayuri_Kana13: They are starting to maliciously attack her, and if they didn’t want a greater consequence, they have to take care of this matter!

Kazuya_K: Damn! The Daily Sports, huh? I will remember that one!

Those names, while not many people knew them, were quite prominent in this country’s football community. The first one was a former national player, while the last two were famous influencers who uploaded so much football content on their social media account. Not just them, but several big names in the industry also shared the story, all siding with Hakodate Nishi.

Well, it was not strange to see them taking sides like this. After all, the act of targeting a personal was quite vicious from a big media platform, and they did it against a young, promising girl whose name had just started to climb. This was a disgusting act that could leave a big scar on that girl, and no one could accept this attack at all.

Kumiko herself hadn’t read those supports from strangers yet. No, she still listened to the video for the third time in a row, and if any people saw tears falling from the corner of her eyes, the girl would deny it at all costs. Still, her boys’ support meant way more to the girl than anything else in the world.

"So, they didn’t think this was my bad, huh?" She let out a relieved sigh unconsciously. Right after that, the girl checked the message attached by Erika Sawada to this video, and she couldn’t help but snort, for the first time showing a little smile this noon.

Erika Sawada: Your boys suddenly come and invade my place! Help!

Erika Sawada: So, how is the video, Luv? It is well edited, right?

Erika Sawada: You don’t know how fierce your boys were when they asked me to do this! They only gave me two hours to finish all the shooting and editing! (╥﹏╥)

Erika Sawada: Tch! I swear, they want to impress you here! You cannot be sold by this cheap act, Luv!

With a smile tugging unconsciously on the corner of her lips, Kumiko’s finger danced on the screen quickly, answering the barrage of messages that her new friend had sent earlier.

You: How did they know about you?

Within a few seconds, she got the answer.

Erika Sawada: Your childhood sweetheart said that he heard it from you. So, you have been telling about me to your sweetheart, Luv? (˶˃ᆺ˂˶)

Erika Sawada: Still, your boys are so protective of you! They even dared to pay me to share the video and asked the others in the circle to bite that Daily Sports back!

Erika Sawada: They are so willing to fight against the whole media for you, Luv! This big sister approves! ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ♡

’So, this is Ryukkun’s idea? No wonder...’ She laughed secretly while also wiping the traces of tears on the corners of her eyes. ’No one really said anything to me, huh? So, they want to keep it a secret? Well, I wonder, how would they reveal it to me?’ The more she thought about their reaction later, the more the girl felt her mood improve.

She glanced at the cold croissants and cup of latte in front of her, and without thinking too much, the girl finished them within a minute. She paid everything immediately before going back to the hotel, just to find that some of the players were finally back from their escapade.

With a single cough, she managed to attract the boys’ attention, enough to make them stutter on the spot.

"Um-Ah! This is Makino-senpai’s idea!" Kenji, like a good kouhai that he was, threw the blame to his senpai immediately.

"No! That’s Higo-senpai’s idea!" Jun interrupted, somehow feeling that everything would be forgivable by Kumiko if it came from Higo.

The girl just narrowed her eyes slightly, a mischievous smile curling on her face. "Oh, what idea? What have you done earlier? How could I not see you at all?" She asked, feigning innocence.

Those two poor boys froze instantly, realizing the mistake they had just committed. They were doing everything in secret, but one stupid sentence from them was enough to unfold all of their hidden agenda here.

"Um... Senpai, you see..." Kenji stuttered, racking his brain to find any excuse here.

Under Kumiko’s intense gaze, the boy finally wilted, revealing everything he knew. Poor boy, he looked like he lost all of his spines, sitting lifelessly in the lobby after the quiet ’interrogation’ from Kumiko. In the end, she just turned to Jun, enough to make the boy flinch.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Call the others, we have a meeting to be held!"

"Yes, Senpai!"

Soon enough, they all finally gathered in the meeting room, with all the boys glaring at Jun and Kenji fiercely. Well, they only dared to do so secretly, as Kumiko just stood in silence on the front, her blank gaze as she crossed her arms in front of her chest was enough to give the boys a nightmare here.

"So, any of you care to explain what is going on here?" She asked flatly. Inwardly, though, the girl was laughing her ass off their nervousness.

"Ah, well... You see..."

The boys just stared at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Hell, they didn’t even know what their mistake was, for God’s sake! They just assumed that since Kumiko was calling them in a foul mood, there must be something wrong here.

In the end, the girl finally took a deep breath, brushing aside her playfulness before bowing deeply at them.

"I cannot express my gratitude right now besides this bow, but... Thank you, everyone."