Chapter 217: If You Can Do It, Then You Go!
Chapter 217: If You Can Do It, Then You Go!
The first half ended, 0-11!
This disappointed all of Hayama’s fans.
Hayama did not manage to save the team at all.
Even though Hayama fought so hard and so desperately, he was never once behind in his one-on-one battles with the Meiwa High School players.
But football is a team sport; it’s a game with eleven players on each side. The losing situation just couldn’t be turned around by Hayama alone.
So-called heroes, game-changers, and last-minute winners only come to life when both sides are equally strong and the game is stuck in a tight battle.
…
“Even Hayato can’t do it now?”
“What are they all doing! Everyone except Hayato seems to be sleepwalking out there!”
“The whole field, we only saw Hayato running, fighting for the ball, defending, and attacking alone!”
Hayama’s fans were all furious!
Hayama was rushing around on the field, looking all messy while he played. Seeing this, the fans felt pain and stress while watching from the sidelines!
If only the other members of the Toyosaki soccer club had the same skill and fighting spirit as Hayama, there’s no way those outsiders from Meiwa could show off like that!
All those lazy and useless weaklings are to blame—they dragged down their idol!
That’s what Hayama’s little fangirls were angrily thinking to themselves.
But right in the middle of all this shared excitement and unity, when everyone was wisely blaming everyone in the soccer club except Hayama, an unfriendly voice suddenly broke in—
“That just proves Hayato is nothing special after all.”
Himekoji squinted his eyes and coldly cut in.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t read the room—it was just that—
Himekoji was really ticked off right now!
He already saw Yukinoshita standing right in front of him, wearing a look that said she had victory in the bag.
So cute…
Yuck, no!
So annoying!
He had foolishly expected Hayato’s performance earlier, just like those little fangirls!
In the end, all he saw was Hayato dribbling the ball helplessly straight into enemy lines, surrounded by several players, forced to give the ball away—he saw nothing else!
Hayato, you really let me down!
Sure, there was one really beautiful long shot, but sadly, it just skimmed over the crossbar…
He couldn’t even score a single goal against Meiwa High School!
“Nothing special?”
As soon as Himekoji said it, he instantly stirred up anger and chaos.
Almost everyone at the game was there for Hayama!
“It’s easy to talk when you’re not the one playing!”
“Hayato is fighting 1 against 11 out there! Just managing to threaten the goal a few times is tough, you know!”
“I wondered who that was—it’s our famous pervert, huh? If you can do it, then you go! If you can’t, don’t babble!”
“Gross—not just a pervert, but also loves making pointless comments!”
“Even if we really lose this way, Hayato isn’t someone someone like you can judge!”
“You can you up, no can no bb!”
True to form, Himekoji who said this got bombarded with harsh words from all the “Hayama fangirls” around him.
“You can’t do anything yourself, but you spout so much nonsense!”
“I can’t?”
Himekoji was not happy at all.
For a man, being told he can’t do something is just the worst shame!
“I might disappoint you, but I’m probably better than you think—just a bit.”
After tossing that out, Himekoji ignored the little fangirls still shouting at him and pointing fingers. He pushed through the crowd alone and headed toward the Toyosaki substitute bench.
…
Half-time break.
The Toyosaki field didn’t have a proper, professional locker room like the pro leagues. So Hayama and the others just sat on the fieldside bench.
Drinking water, catching breath, and silence.
The bench felt lifeless.
Someone should say something.
Hayama glanced at the stunned group still bewildered after getting trashed. He cleared his throat lightly, getting everyone’s attention—
“Really, everyone, you don’t need to feel so pressured. They’re this year’s likely champions; we’re just playing a friendly game to learn and bond. Okay! For the second half, forget about winning or losing. Let’s just work up a sweat and enjoy the game!”
“Aah, yes, Hayato is right! Isn’t youth only perfect with failures like this?”
Hearing Hayama’s comforting words, Tobe instantly perked up, stood, and agreed.
Honestly, “youth” is such a handy excuse, isn’t it?
“Yes, yes, winning or losing doesn’t matter—it’s all about enjoying the journey of the game! What matters is the youth we’re living!”
“That makes sense! In the second half, just push up and attack all out! I’ll handle the goal all by myself!”
After having eleven goals slammed in, the goalkeeper was dazed and confused, starting to enjoy this strange mix of shame and twisted fun…
With just Hayama’s one sentence, the bench immediately filled with a light and cheerful mood again.
Everyone smiled, lying to themselves.
All except one person—
“Darn it! It’s all my fault!”
Shun Kaito angrily punched the ground, fist after fist,
“If only my power wasn’t sealed… If only… Ugh! I’m awful! It’s all my mistake!”
…
“Excuse me.”
Himekoji casually pushed aside some odd classmate—one with his right hand wrapped in bandages, like he had a grudge against the turf.
Walking into the bench area, he happened to hear Tobe and others yelling things like “failure makes youth perfect” and “youth should have failures”—stuff that could’ve made Himekoji burst with anger.
Good grief, aren’t you ashamed?
After being crushed so badly, how can you just ignore scoring at least one goal to save face?!
Instead, you’re all praising youth as a group?
Just drop out, you guys!
This is so embarrassing. Toyosaki can’t have a soccer club like this—so low on ambition!
And if you really lose, what will Himekoji do?
Don’t tell me we’re supposed to let that horrible Yukinoshita woman step all over us?
Unacceptable!
…
“We play to win!”
Himekoji barged into the substitute bench and delivered a sharp wake-up call right in front of the whole soccer club.
“Mihara-kun… y-you’re here?” Hayama stood up to greet him, his cheeks slightly flushed – perhaps from the shame of being way behind, or maybe just from the intense exercise.
“If I didn’t come, I’d just have to watch you guys lose even your pants down there?”
Himekoji couldn’t muster a friendly tone for these guys who usually just enjoyed teasing him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
It’s clear he came looking for trouble.
Hearing the uninvited Pervert speak so harshly, Tobe immediately jumped up, annoyed.
“Shut up! You’re just garbage barking from the sidelines! Where was this energy on the field?”
Himekoji remembered Tobe’s performance in the first half all too clearly – mostly just strolling around, wasn’t it?
“And you actually had the nerve to say something as sickening as ‘True youth is perfected by experiencing failure.’ Let me tell you, losers don’t get to talk to me about youth!”
“If we’re losers? Could you win if we swapped you in?”
“Yeah, yeah! Do you think we want to lose?”
The soccer club members immediately erupted, united as one against the outsider.
Do you think we want to lose?
Listening to that, so they’re actually implying they don’t want to lose?
Hah! Honestly, besides Hayama and that guy with the bandage, I didn’t see any of you act like you wanted to win at all!
“Swap me in, and of course I’d win!”
Too lazy to argue further, Himekoji gave a firm, direct nod.
[Ding!]
[Skill — Soccer · Dribbling Master, equipped successfully!]
[Skill — Soccer · Dazzling Dribbler, equipped successfully!]
[Skill — Soccer · Striker’s Instinct, equipped successfully!]
These soccer skills, won in a lottery over a month ago, were things Himekoji thought he’d never use.
Who would’ve thought the System had this setup all along, just waiting for this very moment.
“Swap you in and win? Quit joking! Who do you think you are? Messi? Ronaldo? Soccer is a game for eleven players!”
Oh? So they actually remember soccer requires eleven players?
How impressive!
Watching the first half, Himekoji almost thought only Hayama was playing for the entire Toyosaki side!
“Sorry, but for me, in the second half? Soccer is my personal game.”
“You all just watch!”
“Youth isn’t about accepting failure calmly – what a load of nonsense! Youth is about pursuing victory!”
We cannot lose!
…
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