Chapter 873: The Girls’ Departure

"So, have you packed everything?"

"Yes, Ryukkun."

"Your personal medicines? Snacks for your friends and advisor?"

"In the luggage, don’t worry about it."

"You promise that you will call me later?"

"Sure."

"And you will visit when you have free time?"

"Only if you do the same."

"Then, what about—"

"Oh, for fuck’s sake! Tone it down, will you?!" Sakura sighed in exasperation as she watched her two friends being so lovey-dovey like this. "Ryusuke, you treat everything as if she is about to go to war! We are just four hours away from this town, you know?! Don’t be so ridiculous like that!"

Both Higo and Kumiko blushed instantly, somehow forgetting that they were alone. Well, they also rubbed the back of their heads with a sheepish expression, finding themselves to be like the cringey couples that they always found ridiculous on social media.

"Well, you cannot blame me for being a little bit worried, okay?" Higo tried to defend himself. "Also, don’t forget how disgustingly sweet your tone was when you called Kawabe-san earlier! Don’t think I cannot hear you!" He launched a personal attack at the girl, enough to make her cough instantly.

"W—What do you mean by that?! Also, why are you eavesdropping on that?!" She shrieked; her tone was high.

"It is not eavesdropping when you are saying it out loud! Ha! You don’t have anything to complain about here!" Higo smiled smugly.

Kumiko just shook her head in exasperation once they were in their bickering mode again. Still, the girl also smiled here, enjoying every little interaction that they could have before she and Sakura had to be gone.

Right now, they were in the train station that would bring them back to Cologne, the city where they had to chase the dream. Higo also came—much to Sakura’s surprise, she said—to accompany them, wanting to make sure that they got into the train safe and sound.

Once the alarm rang, signaling that the train that would carry them back would be here, Higo’s expression softened immediately, as he offered a handshake out of nowhere.

"W—What?! What is this?" Sakura stepped back, looking at the boy with a wary expression.

"Don’t overthink it." Higo snorted. "Just wanting to say that I am grateful to have you in my house. Thank you as well for your expertise during my rehabilitation time. Without you being there, I would definitely go crazy in my first week."

Sakura’s expression softened as well, knowing that it was his heart that was talking right now. "Oh, well, I have to thank you as well for letting me live at your place freely. When you get injured again, don’t forget to call me, okay?" She asked teasingly while also accepting the handshake.

"Hah! Dream on!" This time, the boy barked out a laugh. "When you have time, bring Kawabe-san here as well! Let him see what it means to play for one of the biggest teams in the country!" He added; his tone was full of bragging.

"Tch! Don’t be so smug like that!" Kumiko looked at him in disdain. "Just wait! Soon enough, he will also be there, challenging you and Morita-san! When that happens, don’t cry to me for losing, okay?!"

"Ha! Never!"

After another round of bickering, Higo’s attention was finally back on his lovely girlfriend. She was still there, giving him her brightest smile while also having tears starting to form behind her glasses. Without hesitation, the boy stepped forward, engulfing her in the warmest hug he could muster.

"Oph!" Kumiko was taken aback for a moment before accepting the hug, having her hands on Higo’s back right now.

"Thank you for always supporting me here," Higo mumbled while leaning his head on her shoulder, letting the girl rub his head affectionately. "Just... Go, chase your dream and fly as high as possible! I will always be there, waiting for you to come back home."

Home...

Kumiko trembled lightly at that word, feeling tears starting to roll down her face. She tightened the hug as well, whispering in her gentle voice, "Thank you, Ryukkun. You will also have a home waiting whenever you want..."

Right after that, the train finally arrived, and they had to go inside as quickly as possible. Higo just waved at them with a weak smile, and once they were finally gone, what he felt right at that moment was... Emptiness.

Yeah, it was as if something was missing inside his heart, and it would be a lie if he said that he didn’t know what it was.

Hell, the feeling lasted for a while, even when he was back at the flat. Well, if anything, the feeling only got stronger when he found that no familiar sound could be heard inside, and everything seemed to be cold and empty. All the warmness that the building always had seemed to be gone at this point, getting replaced by a sense of loneliness that slipped inside his heart.

’Yeah, it will take time to get used to this quietness...’ Higo sighed helplessly.

Fortunately, he himself had to join the training session again, and this, at least, was enough to occupy his mind.

The boy trained hard like crazy, and even his teammates could see it as well.

"Damn, Higo! What happened? Having trouble with your girlfriend?" Omar Mascarell greeted him at the end of the training session. "Still, whatever it is, don’t try to force yourself, okay? Your health is our biggest advantage in this moment, and losing you will definitely kill us." He said in a joking tone.

Higo felt the corner of his lips twitching a little here. "You sure know how to be realistic, huh, Captain?"

Still, Higo did exactly what the man asked, not trying to force himself too much here. He had already experienced how inconvenient getting injured was, and now that the boy didn’t have Kumiko and Sakura to help him, he didn’t want to fall into that pit hole again.

’Yeah, without them being close enough to me like before, I have to take care of myself better, right?’