540 World Cup Qualifiers II
Amidst the intimidating re, Hiro walked out of the tunnel like a king unbothered by the stares of the peasant. Seeing such calmposure, Naoto couldn''t help but develop feelings of admiration toward Hiro. Just how was he able to maintain such calm against such pressure?
At once as they walked out of the tunnel, they were met with excited cheers from the supporters. They were chanting all sorts of cheerful chants. With a demeanor unlike any other, Hiro followed the queue. "Can you believe, we''ve got a yer who''s only sixteen here with us today?"
"Are you talking about the Japanese number 19?"
Previously, Hiro yed under jersey number ten due to the absence of Yamada. But since he had returned, Hiro couldn''t get the number. So, he chose the number 19. "Takahashi Hiro, I wonder what kind of magic this little magician will show us today? I''m looking forward to his performance, and I''m sure the people in the stadium can agree with me..."
"What were you doing when you were sixteen?"
Thementators were full of praise. Well, it was to be expected. After all, he was the youngest on the field today. And people always liked to hype the young talents. The rise of a young sensation was always sought after in the world of football. Be it in the past, present, or future, football fans always get excited about the prospect of a future superstar in the making. As yers lined up for the national anthem, Hiro wandered his gaze. It was as if he was searching for something. Then he lowered his gaze as he frowned, ''Dad, I''m moving one step closer to my dream.'' If he had been well, he''d probably be present in the stadium. But even at the moment, he was still bedridden in a vegetative state. There wouldn''t be any yer in the world who wouldn''t wish to y in the World Cup and win it one day. And, Hiro wasn''t an exception either. He had always longed to y in the World Cup. Although winning the World Cup was a far-fetched dream, Hiro hadn''t ruled out the possibility. But to win the World Cup, you have to y in the World Cup first and foremost. So, right now, he was moving a step closer to his dream. Hiro wanted his father to witness this moment. But sadly, he hadn''t awakened yet. So, thinking about his absence, he couldn''t help but feel a pang of grief. **** ****
"Look— it''s Hiro," a young teen said excitedly while pointing at the screen. At the moment, a bunch of teenagers were gathered in a local cafe. Excitement could be seen on their faces. Among those teenager was a young girl dressed in white and blue. Her jet-ck hair cascaded down her shoulder like a waterfall, and her innocent willow-like eyes that seemed to hold the mystery of the night sky exuded an innocent yet alluring charm. Though she didn''t show it on her face, you could see a subtle anxiousness hidden beneath her deep eyes. Beneath the table, her hands were clenched into fists, ''You can do it, Hiro'' "Sumire, doesn''t he look even more charming on the screen?" A friend of hers whispered in an enchanted tone as she appeared to be charmed by Hiro''s appearance. Sumire, however, was aware that she was merely teasing her. The girl who said those words to her was aware of her feelings toward Hiro. But, she had been hesitating to speak her heart. So, she wouldn''t leave a single moment to tease her whenever she got one. A subtle blush adorned Sumire''s jade-like white cheeks as she said, "You might upset Akashi if you say so. Look he seems to have already heard you."
They turned to look at Akashi, who seemed to be in a distressful state. His brows were knotted into a frown, making it seem as if he was dissatisfied with something. "Seems like he''s quite pissed about what you said," Sumire added. **** ****
Beep!
Just as the shrill sound of the referee''s whistle echoed, the matchmenced. Immediately yers of both sides sprung into action. It almost appeared as if he was their mortal nemesis. 17:29
With fluid calcted movement, the Japanese yers moved the ball forward. However, almost from the start, many opposing yers flocked over Hiro. Their eyes were burning with determination. It was as if they had vowed to stop any ball from finding him. From the get-go, it became evident that the main target of the opposing squad was Hiro. Just what had he done for them to be so invested in him?
It almost appeared as if he was their mortal nemesis. "How could they be so cheap to deploy so many yers on a young boy?"
Japanese supporters were enraged by the tactics of the opposing squad. Many hade to witness his brilliance. But it seemed like, they wouldn''t be able to see much from him today. Hiro, however, wasn''t concerned by their strategy. After all, it wasn''t his first time being targeted. Also, the more they focus on him, the more it''ll generate opportunities for his teammates. Although it pained him that he wouldn''t be involved in the goal contributions. Nheless, he wasn''t a selfish yer who only cared about his personal achievement. As long as the team wins, he will be satisfied. For a while, Hiro struggled to break free from the entrapment of the opposing yers. But with his talent, "Shadow Tactician" in motion, he maintained constant pressure on those yers who stuck to him. Just the pressure alone was draining the opposing yers. Hiro knew that he''d get his opportunity if he persevered. So, he didn''t panic despite being targeted by the opposing squad. Like a predator biding its time to hunt the prey, he awaited his moment in the dark while sharpening his fangs. Due to them being so vested in Hiro, it didn''t take Japan that long to take the lead. Just within fifteen minutes, Japan took the lead with Minamino''s goal. Then again, in the 29th minute, he doubled the lead for Japan. By now, it became clear to the opposing squad that they couldn''t solely focus on Hiro. Sure, they had managed to neutralize him until now, but at what cost?
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