The Rise of the Iron Wall!

Chapter 336: Video Call with Family

The news of him getting offered a trial to Schakle 04 spread among the team like wildfire. Before the night, everyone had already known about that, and their group chat exploded crazily.

Tomoaki Makino: Damn, Chibi! Is it true that you are getting offered a trial by a European team?!

Takaaki Morofushi: Well, Shishida-senpai has basically confirmed this matter, so I don’t think it is fake news.

Kenji Makabe: I am so jealous! Two goals and one assist, how could no one offer me a shit here?!

Denki Hotaru: Back off, Bastard! If Hiroshi-senpai hasn’t gotten one yet, you wait in the queue!

Denji Hotaru: Yeah, fucker! Hiroshi-senpai deserves more!

...

Higo felt the corner of his mouth twitching when he read all of the messages there. He turned around to see Kumiko, who had just sat next to him with her usual sweet smile, couldn’t help but complain, "Why would you spread the news so quickly like that? I haven’t even processed everything in my head, you know?!"

"Well, they asked what was going on earlier, so of course, I have to answer it," Kumiko answered as a matter of fact.

Higo groaned slightly, too speechless to answer that. In the end, he shook his head quickly, pulling his phone out of his pocket before making a call. "Anyway, I am going to video call Aya-nee and Mom; are you joining or not?"

Kumiko paused for a second, looking at him hesitantly. "Can I really join that?" While they were neighbors and she basically grew up being watched by Ayaka and Megumi, joining the family group call seemed to be a little bit too intimate here, as if stepping over all the lines between the two families.

Higo just scoffed lightly at the answer. "Bah! Why couldn’t you join? You are basically a family at this point! Come on, sit next to me!" He patted the spot next to him as an invitation.

Kumiko’s face flushed for a moment here, not expecting the blunt answer from the boy. However, her heart warmed immediately, feeling happy for how easy it was for Higo to admit that she was a family at this point.

The girl didn’t need to be invited twice. She jumped to the spot next to him, getting her body so close that it was enough to make Higo blush here. On the phone, their figure appeared together as they waited for the call to be accepted.

Soon, Megumi’s head popped up on the screen, as she was still trying to adjust her phone there. Kumiko’s eyes lit up instantly as she greeted, "Megumi-obaasan, it is nice to see you!"

"Ah, Kumiko-chan! I am good I am good! How are you doing there? Is everything okay? Ryukkun didn’t trouble you that much, right?"

Kumiko giggled when she heard that. "Don’t worry, Obaasan! We are doing great right now, and Ryukkun is well behaved!" She smiled at Higo mischievously.

Then, right after that, another face popped up, and it was Ayaka with her lazy eyes. "Sup, Kumiko-chan... Did my boy give you a problem?"

A laugh broke from Kumiko as Higo had the corner of his mouth twitching furiously. "What is this, a bully-Ryukkun day?" He complained exasperatedly.

Both Ayaka and Megumi also joined the giggle here before the former asked, "So, how is my new superstar doing there? I heard so many professional teams are chasing you, eh?" The big sister asked teasingly.

"Oh, yeah! I heard from Kumiko-chan that there are six professional teams, right? One of them is Consadole Sapporo, right? I am so proud of you!"

Both Kumiko and Higo paused, staring at each other for a moment before the latter said hesitantly, "Urgh... It is not just six anymore. One more offer came earlier, and this was the biggest one so far."

"Um?" Ayaka frowned for a moment; her demeanor changed back into a serious one. "Care to explain here?" Megumi also leaned forward, waiting eagerly for their story.

The next ten minutes were spent with Higo explaining this matter to his family, from the meeting with Marius Draxler and Toru Masaki to the invitation from the man for a three-day trial in Schalke. Kumiko also added a tidbit here and there, filling in the gaps that the boy missed in his story.

Both Ayaka and Megumi listened carefully until the end, and once Higo finished his story, the big sister couldn’t help but say, "Well, isn’t that great? I mean, Kumiko-chan is also getting offered a scholarship in German, right?" Her tone was full of teasing.

Higo’s face flushed red immediately when he heard that. Indeed, the moment he was invited by Marius Draxler earlier, he immediately thought about him and Kumiko going to Germany together. He played on the professional stage, and he also didn’t have to get separated from Kumiko. That was definitely the most ideal scenario in his mind.

"Anyway!" Higo coughed, trying to hide the blush on his cheek. "Any thought about it? Some opinion, please?"

This time, everyone straightened their back immediately, knowing that they had to be serious. "I don’t know that much about the football community, but just a question here. Do you really want to go?" Megumi asked.

Higo paused for a second before letting out a deep sigh. "Well, I would love to, but isn’t it a bit too hasty? I mean, should I normally... I don’t know; think about it first? I mean, Kumiko-chan has a point, you know? I should only think about it after I graduate, not right in the middle of a tournament like this..."

"Well, it is okay to plan ahead, and speaking of Kumiko-chan, she is also right about one thing here. Knowledge is power, so before accepting any offer, you have to do your own research about every single thing here, from who Marius Draxler is, his track record, the club that he works in, everything!" Ayaka said.

Somehow, Kumiko was already on her phone, taking a note on everything the older girl said. Megumi also wrote down this conversation on the other side of the call, wanting to check on her own later. In the end, though, she also added, "You don’t have to worry too much about this invitation; we all will tackle this issue once it is time for that. For now, though, just focus on what is in front of you first, because I have a feeling that this is not the only invitation that you will receive."