Chapter 660: Kumiko’s Arrival at Germany!

Higo could feel his heart skip a beat when he heard that voice. It was none other than Kumiko, the girl he had been waiting for in the last couple of months. When he turned around, the boy could see the smile, the dimple, the kind eyes... Everything that he missed suddenly appeared in front of him, and he couldn’t help but have his eyes tear up.

Thud!

"I really... Really miss you..." Higo whispered softly, giving the girl the warmest hug he could muster.

"Uf!" Kumiko winced in surprise as she didn’t expect Higo to engulf her in a bear hug the first moment he saw her. Well... In hindsight, she should’ve expected this, as it was also the first thing she wanted to do after meeting him in this foreign land. "I am here... I am here... Don’t worry about it..." She whispered gently while also rubbing Higo’s hair fondly.

Yeah, this was the second week of September, and while it was still far from October, it was also the time when Kumiko would land here to start her university life. She would be studying at two places at the same time, at the German Sport University Cologne for sports science and at the Hennes-Weisweiler Academy for the coaching stuff.

It was so fortunate that she would be in Cologne, just one and a half hours from Gelsenkirchen where Higo was staying. That was why Higo was so ecstatic when he first learned the place of her study.

’Cough!’

Someone suddenly coughed from behind, disturbing their little sweet reunion in this Dusseldorf International Airport. When Higo finally let go of the hug—albeit reluctantly—his head turned around, just to find another familiar girl clicking her tongue in a mix of amusement and annoyance.

It was none other than Sakura Aizawa, the other girl who was getting selected for this scholarship program. She was also in the Young Samurai team for the World Cup U-20 last summer, so Higo was quite familiar with her here.

"I have never expected that I would be forced to eat dog food right after landing here, you know? You both sure are quite bold, not caring about the whispers around." She said with her eyes dancing playfully.

Kumiko widened her eyes instantly, realizing that they were in a public place right now. Even though most people didn’t care about their display of affection, some still couldn’t help but whisper at them.

"Are they Japanese or Chinese? I have never thought they would be bold like that!"

"I know, right?! I thought Asian would be more reserved when it comes to lovey-dovey stuff like this."

"Hey, the girl is so cute! Is she an artist or what?"

The girl could feel her face getting heated straight away, and Higo also couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly here. She yanked her body away from the hug abruptly, then couldn’t help but slap Higo straight on his chest.

"This is your fault! Now, people will gossip about us!" She hissed embarrassedly; her ears were so red like a boiled lobster.

"Oh, well, no one really cares about it. They don’t know us, and we don’t know them, so let’s ignore it and move on." Higo laughed sheepishly. "Anyway, it is good to see you here, Sakura-san. Please, take care of Kumiko-chan when I’m not around, okay?" He bowed politely, not showing the air of arrogance from a rising goalkeeper in this country at all.

Sakura Aizawa just shook her head amusedly, trying to hold back the laughter. "Three months living here, and you sure are getting bold, Higo-san. I remember you didn’t even dare to greet Kumiko-chan in the national camp, always treating her like a stranger, and yet here you are, being so lovey-dovey in front of me. If only Hiroki-kun could be like this..." She sighed in faux sadness.

"S—Sakura-chan, it is not like that!" Kumiko’s voice grew smaller as the embarrassment finally reached the top of her head.

Higo himself just shook his head as well, secretly remembering the message that Kawabe sent to him last night.

Kawabe: Oi, Ryusuke! Sakura is going to your place, and I am here, far away from her!

Kawabe: She often forgets to eat lunch, and she is clumsy with chores.

Kawabe: She is also not good at socializing, not knowing how to say no to others. I am afraid that some bastards will try to take advantage of her.

Kawabe: So, when I’m not around her... Can you please keep your eyes on her?

Kawabe: Don’t say anything to her as well, or she will make a fuss later. I don’t want to hear her nagging.

Kawabe: Thanks! I owe you one, Brother!

Yeah, Hiroki, who Sakura mentioned, was none other than Hiroki Kawabe, Shohei High’s former ace who was currently playing for Urawa Red Diamonds in the J-League. He and Higo were quite close during their time in the Young Samurai team, so Kawabe didn’t even hesitate when asking about this.

From one boy who won his childhood sweetheart’s heart to another who was about to win, of course, Higo respected Kawabe’s wish, not revealing this little secret to Sakura. Still, he could feel the corner of his lips twitching amusedly at the dynamic between those two.

’Who would’ve thought that a rough guy like Kawabe could be so caring secretly like this? I really cannot judge a person by his appearance, huh?’

After chatting for a while, Higo finally noticed their exhausted face, and he couldn’t help but ask, "How is the living arrangement for you both?"

"Don’t worry, we have already asked Fujita-san to help us with that." Kumiko smiled mischievously. "He got us a good flat that is quite cheap, and with us splitting the bill, it will not be that much of a burden for us."

Higo couldn’t help but have a sweat drop on his face. Fujita-san sure had a lot of free time, even helping Kumiko with this trivial matter. Still, he was grateful for his agent, and inwardly, the boy promised to say thank you later.

"Anyway, let’s not wait too long here." Higo coughed. "Send me the address; I will help you get there before the dark!"