<h4>Chapter 435 Kawasaki vs Kobe X</h4>


    After the end of the match, the yers, exhausted and ted, gathered in the locker room. They had fought valiantly, dethroning the current league leaders to assume the throne. Almost every single one of them had yed the entirety of the match, leaving them utterly exhausted.


    Even so, despite the evident exhaustion, noneined about the difficulty of the match.


    The air around the locker room was thick with the scent of sweat and the sound of the jubnt chatter. Everybody was talking about the match.


    Then Coach Tatsuya entered the room, wearing a proud smile on his face.


    "You did it," he said simply, his eyes shining with pride. "You yed like champions."


    The yers roared in unison as they heard his praise, cheering on their effort. Indeed as mentioned by their coach, they had yed like champions today. Especially in the game''s final moments, the match''s difficulty had soared to another level.


    Desperate for the goal, the opposing yerspletely discarded their philosophy of counter-attacking football and went into full assault mode. Launching a full-fledged assault with their entire yers, they initiated countless fearsome charges.


    "Huff! It truly felt like an eternity when they went all out," Naoto sighed as he recalled the final event of the game. His voice carried the weight of the tension he had felt, the pressure of defending against relentless attacks.


    "Exactly," Tatsuki nodded in agreement. "But we still won. So, let''s forget about it and celebrate," he added, urging his teammates to celebrate. There was a sparkle in his eyes, a mix of relief and triumph.


    As everyone reveled in their victory, Hiro felt his phone buzz in his bag. He was reaching out for some bandages, but the buzz caught his attention. Curious, he pulled out his phone and saw a message from Ayumi.


    "Check your email. You''ve been called up by the national team for the uing preparation camp."


    As he went through the content of the message, his heart skipped a beat. He was going to represent his nation. The Asia Cup was right around the corner, and he had been called up for preparatory matches.


    While the entire room continued their celebration, Hiro stood frozen in ce with his eyes wide. He could hardly believe the contents of the message. For a moment, it even felt like he was dreaming.


    Then he swept his gaze around him to look at his teammates. Everybody seemed absorbed in the moment, so none took notice of him.


    He rechecked the contents of the message. It wasn''t a dream. He really had been called up by the national team.


    Noticing his silence, Tatsuki couldn''t help but wonder if something was wrong with him. So, he walked over and asked, "Is something wrong?"


    Engrossed in the content of the message, he could barely hear him. So, Hiro remained silent. But hisck of response only aroused the curiosity of Tatsuki.


    Since he wasn''t replying and was only staring at his phone, he figured out that his reaction must be rted to his phone. So, he took a peek. Just as his eyesnded on the screen, and witnessed the content of the message, his eyes widened in surprise.


    "Hiro! You''ve been called up to the national team!" Tatsuki announced, his voice echoing through the locker room.


    As his loud voice resonated in the locker room, everybody fell silent for a moment before erupting into cheers and apuse. Immediately his teammates crowded around him as they began to congratte him for making it into the national team.


    "Well done, Hiro!"


    "You deserve it!"


    "That''s amazing news!"


    "I knew that you''d make it."


    "Obviously if not him then who? They''d have to be blind if they failed to recognize his talents."


    "This is just the beginning, Hiro," Asahi said, cing a hand on his shoulder. "Stay humble, work hard, and always give your best. The national team is a great honor, but also a huge responsibility."


    Hiro, overwhelmed with emotion, nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Asahi-san. I''ll do my best."


    The entire team rallied around him as they celebrated the news. Though not many of them had been called up, and almost every single one of them wished to represent the national team one day, most of them appeared genuinely happy for him.


    But that didn''t mean that everybody was happy for him. Few were envious of him as well. Only sixteen years of age and he was already representing the national team. Not only that he was already an important yer of the club as well.


    With feats as such, how could people not envy him?


    Though none showed it on the outside. They pretended to be happy while they envied him deeply. People are so adept at pretending that it''s extremely difficult to identify the pretender.


    Unbothered by the envious gazes, Hiro continued to celebrate this brilliant piece of news with his teammates. Then after a moment of celebration, the locker room went silent as yers slowly exited the locker room.


    Hiro however stayed put. His mind raced with thoughts as he thought about his journey ahead. He had been called up, but he still had to earn his ce if he were to represent his nation in the Asia Cup. For sure, it wouldn''t be an easy feat.


    A senior call-up at the tender age of sixteen was a huge achievement. And, as stated by Asahi, it was a huge responsibility too.


    If he failed to deliver, he might get criticized a lot. But there was some perk to being young; the bacshes he''d received if he were to fail somehow wouldn''t be as huge.


    But he had other ns. To him, this opportunity was once in a lifetime opportunity. And, even if people were to go easy on him, he wasn''t willing to go easy on himself. He was determined to show his true potential and prove the national team coaches right for their decision to call him.


    However, right now, he wanted nothing more than to share this brilliant piece of news with his parents and friends.