Chapter 728: A Cruel End

Unfortunately, time couldn’t move back to the past, and Higo had to accept the bitter pill that it was he who sealed the team’s fate today. The moment the time was finally over...

FWEEE! FWEEE! FWEEE!

Higo just fell straight to the ground; all the exhaustion hit him hard instantly. The game he fought so hard to get something... In the end, it was also him who destroyed everything. This was the biggest irony of the day, and Higo couldn’t help but laugh, trying to mask the tears falling from the corners of his eyes.

"Hey, Wakabayashi, why so gloomy like that?!" Thomas Muller suddenly approached him with the biggest grin on his face. "You don’t really have an illusion that you can steal something from us, right?" He asked teasingly.

Normally, Higo would have the corner of his lips twitching in speechlessness at the man’s insensitivity. However, this time, he was quite unresponsive, just lying on the ground. Not a single one of his teammates approached him as they were also drowning in self-pity, leaving the boy alone with the opponent’s captain.

After spending some moments in silence, Thomas Muller finally spoke again.

"You know what? You are being too harsh here, demanding too much of yourself. You cannot even forgive yourself for losing against one of the best teams in the world, which is unrealistic. Even Barcelona and Real Madrid fear us, so what can you expect from your lackluster team?"

Higo heard everything, but the boy decided not to indulge himself in this conversation. No, if anything, his ears felt so hot as he thought it was Muller’s way to humiliate him right now.

Honestly, it was quite a strong sight, as when everyone was back in the locker room, the home team’s captain was still sitting together with the away team’s goalkeeper on the pitch, their small figures being the only main focus for the supporters who hadn’t gone yet.

"Still, I quite admire you. No, it is a little bit narcissistic, but your performance today really reminds me of my youth!" The man barked out a laugh, catching Higo off guard. "You know, I debuted in 2008, the worst year for Bayern Munich. At that time, we lost against Wolfsburg in the local league, and we got destroyed by Barcelona in the Champions League! Man, what a dark year, 2008 was..."

This time, Higo finally showed a little reaction, giving Thomas Muller a speechless glare. It was as if the man was just trying to brag here, having the worst year of his career, being second in the league. For Higo, who was playing for a team fighting to get out of the relegation zone, he couldn’t relate to the man at all.

Still, he just stayed quiet, letting the man ramble all he wanted until he got tired.

"At that time, I was just like you, fighting so hard every game to prove that I deserved to be in that position. Man, what a naïve young man I was." Thomas Muller laughed in a melancholic tone. "Still, that drive to push myself forward, the harsh demand to myself, and the lack of ability to forgive myself for every single mistake that I made... That was what brought me to where I am today, and I see that in you today." He patted Higo’s shoulder reassuringly, just like a veteran guiding his young teammate.

"...You sure sound like an old man, Muller-san," Higo mumbled lowly, wiping the dry tears on his face.

"Hah! Old man? I should already be at that stage, right?" Muller wasn’t angry or offended, just barking out a laugh. "Still, you will be facing more challenges in the future, but I hope you will not forget the fire that drove your crazy performance today. Don’t be like the other veteran players, losing their hunger when the money gets bigger."

After that, the man patted Higo’s shoulder once again before getting up, walking slowly to the tunnel and leaving the goalkeeper alone there.

Higo himself stayed for a moment, pondering over everything that Thomas Muller said. Even though he couldn’t fully understand the wisdom that the man tried to share, the boy still appreciated it, finding the man to be quite funny.

’Yeah, he should be the kind that would always joke around but come with the best wisdom for his kids, eh?’ He chuckled a little.

The little conversation with Bayern’s captain was at least enough to make his mood better, and as tears finally dried on his face, the boy got up immediately, greeting the supporters around. At least the away supporters, as most of them hadn’t left yet. They seemed to wait for his presence, knowing that he would greet them like always.

"I am so sorry, everyone! I disappointed you guys at the end!" He bowed deeply, not intending to shirk responsibility.

The reaction he got, though, was enough to startle the boy.

"What the hell are you talking about, Brat?! If your performance is a disappointment, what about the others- a fucking trash?!"

"Yeah, you have done your job, Higo! That’s just bad luck!"

"Come on! We don’t expect anything, anyway! Thank you for giving us a great game today!"

"Stay strong, Higo! We will await more amazing performances in the future!"

Higo’s mouth gaped for a moment, wanting to say something here. However, all words seemed to stick in his throat, failing to come out of his mouth. His eyes, which had already shed so many tears earlier, also went watery once again as he was so touched by the gesture shown by the supporters here.

Honestly, if this were just an ordinary private moment, Higo would burst into tears once again, guilt mixing with gratitude. Still, since the supporters had already shown their stance, of course, he couldn’t dwell too much on it.

"Thank you for your support for me, everyone!" He bowed once again. "Don’t worry, after this, I will come back stronger than ever! Just wait for me!"