Chapter 218: A One-Man Game!

The second half has begun!

Toyosaki made a lineup change first.

Tobe off, Himekoji on.

Himekoji entered as a substitute.

…

“Huh? Why did they take Tobe off?”

The spectators outside the field were puzzled.

Tobe was, after Hayama, the only player on the Toyosaki team who could actually play decent football!

“Wait! Is that who I think it is? The one replacing him… is Himekoji?”

“That… pervert?”

“Can he even play football?”

“I’ve never seen him play!”

“Is he just going to act perverted on the field?”

“It’s over. Nothing to see in the second half either…”

“Forget it, let’s go. Can’t watch anymore. I don’t want to see our school team get thrashed by Meiwa anymore.”

“Sigh, heading home!”

Disappointed, some students started leaving early in twos and threes.

They hadn’t even walked a few steps.

When suddenly, the dreaded whistle blew yet again behind them.

“Peeep—Peeep!”

“Damn it, another goal already?”

“The second half just started!”

“Lucky we’re leaving early!”

The students hurrying away with heads down couldn’t bear to look back at the field.

They didn’t want to see Hayama like this—dejected, powerless.

Their idol and hero should stay shining bright forever.

…

Yet, against all expectations—

“Toyosaki scores!”

“Current score: 1-11!”

The announcement echoed across the stadium.

For a split second, the whole place was dead quiet.

Then, seconds later, conversations, noise, and uproar exploded almost instantly—

“Sc… scored?”

“We scored?”

“And it’s not Meiwa who scored, but us?!”

“What happened?!”

“That was so fast! I didn’t even see!”

…

The students about to leave paused mid-step, halting almost as one.

Stiffly, they turned back towards the field, unable to believe it.

In the first half, no matter how hard Hayama tried, how desperately he fought, scoring seemed impossible for Toyosaki.

Now, in the second half, just after it started—even the opening whistle still seemed to hang in the air—Toyosaki’s first goal had arrived! Unthinkable! Catch everyone off-guard!

Who?

Who’s the hero that scored?!

Those who hadn’t been paying attention and didn’t know what happened instinctively looked towards Hayama first.

“Was it Hayato?”

“I knew it! Hayato could do it!”

“Hayato, come on Hayato! Score another one!”

“Umm… the person who scored… I don’t think it was Hayama…”

Finally, someone who knew the truth spoke up.

“If I saw right, the scorer… should be Himekoji… the one who just came on…”

As soon as the words faded, this guy felt dozens of sharp stares piercing him from all sides.

So scary!

His legs nearly buckled.

“Ahem… no no! I must be mistaken! For sure, mistaken! That guy’s just a pervert anyway, how… how could he score such a beautiful world-class goal?…”

…

Himekoji was the one who scored, yet most people cheered only Hayato’s name.

Regardless of what was happening off-field, Himekoji didn’t care.

Once on the pitch, his whole focus was only on the game!

It took just seven seconds to pull one goal back!

Kickoff for the second half. Hayama passed the ball sideways to Himekoji. Himekoji dribbled forward a couple of steps. He noticed not a single Meiwa High player was even looking at him properly. The goalkeeper was lazily sitting cross-legged on the goal line, head bowed, engrossed in a Bunko edition novel…

Unbelievable! Against such a lazy, slack attitude, Toyosaki still got walloped eleven times in the first half without fighting back?!

Anyway, for Himekoji right now, Meiwa High’s goal looked like it was practically spreading its pale, welcoming legs open for him.

No hesitation. He accelerated quickly, pushed the ball forward with a large stride!

In a blink, Himekoji had carried the ball within thirty meters of the opponents’ goal.

Thirty meters. That meant the goal was within Himekoji’s effective striking range!

Before any opponent could react and block him, Himekoji unleashed a vicious shot!

He didn’t bother much about precise angle. Speed and raw power were enough!

That opposing keeper, still absorbed in his novel, neglecting his job, was basically just a decoration for Himekoji.

The guy only scrambled to his feet after teammates shouted warnings. Struggling even to stand firmly, let alone make any kind of decent save.

…

The ball hit the net!

A stunning world-class goal from thirty meters out!

No celebration after scoring. Himekoji didn’t even pause. He ran straight toward the opponents’ goal, grabbed the ball out of the net, turned around, and sprinted back toward the halfway line by himself.

Still ten more to go!

Of course, that was assuming Meiwa High didn’t score any more goals!

Himekoji glanced behind him at his teammates and immediately rejected the “ten.”

Impossible! Those useless teammates would definitely let the opponents keep scoring!

He estimated conservatively: he needed at least twenty more goals himself!

So now, for Himekoji, every second was crucial! Time was precious!

By the time Himekoji ran back to the center circle, Hayama was coming forward to meet him.

Seemingly stunned by Himekoji’s efficiency, Hayama fumbled for words. Yet before any sound came out, Himekoji waved him off—

“All ten of you go park the bus right in front of our goal. I’ll handle the rest by myself.”

Himekoji finished speaking and ignored Hayama. He turned towards the opponents’ goal, gaze locked, eyes fixed straight ahead. Looked extremely cool!

…

Wait, he seriously planned to do it all alone?

Hayama thought he was just talking big before.

He couldn’t help frowning. He tried to reason:

“Um… I admit, Himekoji, you are strong, very strong. But no matter how strong you are, football is a team sport. Winning isn’t something one person can achieve alone. I think… we should make a new plan! With you as a powerful addition, we might actually be able to challenge Meiwa! Besides, I already have a Plan D!’

Shut up!

Nobody remembered Plan C, and nobody wanted to hear about Plan D either!

…

Was football truly a team sport?

No!

For Himekoji, ever since starting high school, football became his solitary game!

Because he was a pervert!

No one passed the ball to him. No one needed him to pass the ball. Sometimes on the field, he felt downright irrelevant.

While others laughed and played together, ran together, enjoyed the game as a team, Himekoji was alone.

Being alone meant no chance to practice passing and receiving. Tactics like positioning, needing teamwork, remained stuck. No games to play. His once-proud dribbling and control skills gradually grew rusty.

Even the passion he once held for football seemed to fade, little by little.

Whenever he felt like playing, the only thing Himekoji could do was face a silent goal mouth. No response. No warmth. No feeling. And kick. Again and again and again. The only thing he did, repetitively, tirelessly was—

Put the ball in the net!

So.

That stunning world-class goal earlier? Had nothing to do with any System!

It was simply a solitary person perfecting the art of isolation! The ultimate peak of loneliness he’d honed alone!

…