Chapter 440: Underwhelming Camp
The next few days turned into a normal, even arduous routine that Higo had never expected. Honestly, he always thought that a national camp like this would be more overwhelming, and yet, all he found was a similar training menu as he did in Hakodate Nishi, some even probably with a lesser intensity.
Oh, don’t get him wrong. He would never think that the situation here was worse than in Hakodate. After all, the facilities in this camp were top-notch, and Norio-sensei’s guidance was something that even Kumiko herself would never be able to provide.
So, yeah, he wasn’t that arrogant and ignorant to think so.
The problem, though, was that the training session was far from being sweaty. The intensity was so low that Higo himself didn’t really sweat that much since the sparring match on the first day, and the boy could even say that he was disappointed.
He expected more, but so far, the training session was quite underwhelming. Based on the others’ reaction, this was how it had always been, and the boy couldn’t help but ask, ’Will this be enough to help the coach pick the best 23 players in the country?’
It also didn’t help that Wakahara came here with a poisonous mentality, and he tried to spread it among the other goalkeepers. Well, just him and Zion, but it was still a big deal.
"Listen, the goalkeeper spots have basically been locking in, so no need to try that hard." The man said after one of the training sessions with Norio-sensei, after watching how hard Higo tried in almost everything here.
Higo frowned instantly, while Zion ignored him completely. "What do you mean by locking in?" He asked, curious.
"You might not know this, but for the final squad, the standard configuration for a goalkeeper is that a team always brings at least three of them. One for the main one, the second for the backup, and the third one is usually for moral support. It could also work if the first two goalkeepers are out, but that is a rare occasion, not something that would happen in every game. You get the gist, right?"
Higo nodded slowly. Everything started to fall into place like a puzzle.
"Yeah, you are a smart dude, Higo, so you should’ve guessed what I am about to say." Wakahara nodded in satisfaction. "If it were four or five goalkeepers in this camp, you can train as hard as you want, but with only three? The coaching team should have already determined that we are the three to go, so no matter how hard you try, you will not get anything here. So, calm down a little and let the others win something, okay?"
Higo hated to admit it, but the words really affected him. He knew that Wakahara just wanted to balance things up, not letting the same result happen over and over again. After all, the punishment for each loss in a training session was quite harsh; having to join the staff in washing the dishes after dinner was over.
This would help the team’s internal atmosphere, and somehow, Higo accepted the suggestion even just for one training session.
Fortunately, Norio-sensei caught this offhandedly, and after some hesitations—more like he didn’t want to be the rat at that time—the boy finally confessed everything that Wakahara said to him a few days ago.
As a result, though, Norio-sensei just rubbed his forehead gently, looking like he was getting older ten years in a heartbeat.
"That boy... He is always a good vibe and can be the veteran that the team needs, but why would he do something so stupid like that?" He mumbled weakly. Unfortunately, Higo could hear it completely.
"So, what he said is true?" He asked. Well, the boy didn’t need any answer, because the hesitation on the man’s face basically answered all of his confusion.
"Just... Ignore what he said and try to do your best in every training. You have never received guidance from a professional like me, right? Don’t waste your time with that kind of an unnecessary thought." Norio-sensei finally said, trying his best to change the conversation.
It was a poor attempt, but the man was fortunate enough to bring Higo back on the right track. Indeed, rather than getting entangled with this trivial thing, it was better to try sucking all the knowledge from Norio-sensei’s head.
Still, it was so frustrating to see some players slacking off, as if treating this camp like it was not a big deal. Honestly, for all the talk that Kageyama-sensei did before everything began, he sure didn’t set a high standard of discipline for the team.
Telling about everything to Kumiko—more like venting it out—Higo just wanted to have an answer. "What is going on here?"
Fortunately, just like how things usually unfolded, Kumiko would always have a proper answer for his confusion. This time was not different, since she could understand the root of the problem.
"Unfortunately, you have to get used to it, Ryukkun." Kumiko smiled sadly. "The problem is that they didn’t get paid for the national team call, and any injury incident would’ve been borne by their team, so each team would try to pressure the national team to not push too far. That’s why Kageyama-sensei couldn’t do it."
Well, this was definitely new knowledge for Higo. Still, it was hard to accept the reason. "Just for that?" Words seemed to escape so hard from his throat.
"Don’t underestimate the pressure from the team." Kumiko snorted. "If not treated carefully, no one would want to send their player to the national team. This is a common thing in the community. I mean, who would want to lose money for nothing? The players also know that, and some might’ve been instructed by their team to hold back. That’s why you will see most of the veterans here treating the camp casually."
Higo swallowed hard, not being able to utter any words here. The reason was so pragmatic that he couldn’t complain about it anymore. In the end, he just let out a sigh of defeat, asking, "So, what should I do now?"
Comments