My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 609

"Um, Hayama-san! What should we do?!"

“…………”

Ye Shan fell into deep thought and closed his eyes.

Soon after, she quietly and slowly opened her eyes.

There was a strange light shining in his eyes.

"...I think we should try high-level pressure again."

"Hayama".

"Isn't that right? High-pressure tactics are theoretically the strongest! Attack is the best defense, even a child understands that, right? You understand it too, right?"

An excited Hayama, with an expression that clearly indicated he had lost his temper, asked the children sitting behind him for their permission.

The child was terrified. I thought so too.

"Calm down, Hayama-kun!"

"Yeah, Hayama! This isn't like something you would do—"

"Not something I would do? And what do you know about me?"

Hayama gave a cold laugh, then continued enthusiastically:

"So what if we mess around? No matter how much others disagree, we will never give up the challenge. That's Chiba's pride, isn't it? Isn't that the spirit that Osim (Note 8) passed down to us?"

You said Osim's name...

Hayato Hayama has everything he needs.

Although I disagree, both the athletes and the frontline staff should be able to achieve results above average.

It's not impossible for Chiba to win the championship again. Hayato Hayama is just that outstanding.

But he did not do that.

The man who could be the protagonist... the man who didn't refuse to take on this responsibility, chose to remain a mere passerby in the stadium. Even when simply assisting with the game, he insisted on not interfering.

That's why they're so fervent. That's why they crave it so much.

It is precisely because he encountered something that he was powerless to do on his own that Hayama was able to take it so seriously.

Having a partner like that... I'm even starting to envy him.

"No...that's not right. It's not just Hayama..."

"Hachiman...?"

I muttered to myself unconsciously. Totsuka, sitting next to me, looked at me worriedly. I felt his gaze lingering near my cheek. It felt like someone was poking my cheek, and it felt so good…

Have expectations of people other than yourself.

There are people in the world who wholeheartedly support others without expecting anything in return.

I'm somewhat looking forward to this space called the stadium, hoping it will help me refute the conclusions I've drawn from my past life experiences.

wrong.

This was my selfish delusion, coming to the stadium for the first time. It was merely a wishful thinking. It's wrong to impose my own desires on others. The people cheering right now, if they lost, would definitely yell at the athletes. Just like the crowd gathered at the Shibuya intersection, they're chasing the thrill of victory and getting carried away, completely disregarding the athletes' feelings, irresponsibly shouting "You have to win!"

At the very moment that thought came to my mind.

"Hmm? This song is...?"

The cheering song chosen by Chiba fans, who are facing their biggest crisis, is neither a passionate song nor a catchy one.

The song, transformed into a calm melody, entered my ears.

I learned its name on my way to the stadium.

"amazing Grace……"

It was not a battle—but a song of prayer.

No matter how difficult the road ahead or how painful the time, we must move forward together.

No matter what situation we are in now, we will not take our eyes off it.

Perhaps all the strength and tactics they had accumulated have collapsed, and they have lost their advantage.

Perhaps they've even lost a lot of money in the second division.

even so.

There is still something that will never disappear.

It's... a memory and a glory that I will never forget.

People who sing out their determination to fight with passion and dignity through calm melodies.

That existence itself is a miracle.

It created another miracle on the field.

"⁉Hachiman... Look! Hachiman! ‼"

"Th-that's...⁉ Hey Hayama! What's going on?!"

"The defensive line... is pushing forward...?"

Hayama stared wide-eyed, as if witnessing an unbelievable scene, and stood up unsteadily.

The other audience members also stood up one by one, and Totsuka and I stood up as well.

To witness the "miracle" on the field firsthand.

"Hachiman... This is... This is...!!"

"Hmm. This is probably what—oppression from above!"

Can't go wrong.

I am witnessing a miracle. The sealed dream tactic.

Like a dragon emerging in broad daylight, the defense relentlessly advanced across the field, its movements seemingly imbued with life and its own will.

Even the goalkeeper left his assigned spot and advanced a considerable distance.

They crossed the penalty area and moved to a position near the center line.

It's way too far ahead of its time.

Behind the goalkeeper was a vast expanse of green grass. An empty space.

"Is...this really a football...?"

Totsuka couldn't believe what she was seeing and nervously clutched my clothes. I couldn't believe it either… that such a cute person was a boy…

"WIN BY ALL‼WIN BY ALL‼"

The person leading the chanting gripped the megaphone, hyping up the atmosphere in the stands behind, causing the entire stadium to tremble violently, with him at the epicenter.

It was then that I realized that human voices could produce such intense vibrations.

The fans' voices shook the space.

And... people's hearts.

"This is Chiba! Our pride!"

Let's fight together! Fear nothing!

The surrounding audience was also visibly agitated.

They stood up, holding towels high above their heads, and joined the chorus of "Amazing Grace."

Totsuka was also singing the cheering song he had just learned.

Ye Shan sang while crying.

The crowd's singing transformed into power, giving the Chiba contestants a pair of wings!

"Wow...! Hachiman, you're amazing! You're a completely different team compared to the first half!"

"Yes! Chiba has completely suppressed Gifu!"

Is this Chiba's true power?

Despite having fewer players than their opponents, they appeared to have more people playing. They completely dominated Gifu.

Hayama reveals the method of this magic trick.

"By having the goalkeepers participate in passing and receiving the ball, they can compensate for the lack of numbers. That's the value of high pressing."

"Oh, I see... that's why the goalkeeper ran so far ahead."

Until now, I always thought that goalkeepers just stood in front of the goal. No need to move, it was the easiest position.

So when we played soccer in PE class, I always volunteered to be the goalkeeper... But when I saw the goalkeeper for the Chiba team, my preconceived notions were shattered.

His position is far beyond the penalty area, preventing him from handling the ball, so he heads it. During corner kicks, he rushes to the opponent's goal to create scoring opportunities, simultaneously acting as both goalkeeper and striker. He's busier than anyone else on the field.

Hayama, watching me intently as the goalkeeper's actions drew my attention, said:

"Before the match, you thought it was strange that I even bought a goalkeeper's jersey, right?"

"Uh, that's..."

"In modern football, the goalkeeper is undoubtedly the most technically skilled player. It is because of that goalkeeper that Chiba was able to choose the high-pressing tactic."

Seeing him, wearing a jersey of a different color from everyone else, running freely on the field more than anyone else, I could really understand Hayama's desire for a goalkeeper jersey. If I had to choose a jersey, I'd probably choose a goalkeeper's jersey too.

On the other hand, Gifu's foreign goalkeeper roared and kept blocking the ball like a demon, but he was already doing his best just to bounce the ball away, and he didn't have the strength to catch it.

Every blocked ball was received by the Chiba team, who launched another attack. This process was repeated.

However, Chiba team still failed to score.

Around the twentieth shot was blocked, and Totsuka covered his head and yelled:

"Ugh! We've taken so many shots, why can't we score?!"

Hayama gave an unbelievable answer in a low voice.

"During the Gifu match, Mr. Maric (Note 9), who is from Gifu Prefecture, will definitely send his thoughts from somewhere in Japan, so the goalkeeper can perform at an extraordinary level..."

Telekinesis?

"But that's just superstition! As long as we maintain this rhythm, we'll win!"

Hearing Hayama's confident speech, Totsuka and I both nodded.

Ninety minutes into the game, even in stoppage time (which now seems to be called extra time), we still believed Chiba would win and continued to cheer. We believed that everyone's voice could, to some extent, convey the fans' feelings to the stadium. This impulse was almost like being in love.

When I had a chance to score, I unconsciously grabbed the towel Hayama lent me and swung it around my head, feeling an indescribable sense of unity. I didn't understand the point of making a scene in Shibuya, but now I understand the feeling of clapping and cheering in a stadium.

Chiba's relentless attack never stopped until the very last moment! Repeated attacks! The ball bounced off its own end and then surged back and forth in waves! The ball kept bouncing back and forth in front of Gifu's goal!

Forced into a corner, the opponent launched a long pass that arced across the field like a rainbow, soaring over the goalkeeper's head as he ran to the halfway line and into the net. This goal proved decisive; Chiba lost. Hayama slumped into his chair like a puppet with its strings cut, unable to stand up immediately after the match ended.

The defenses are as fragile as plastic. The high-level pressure strategy was clearly a mistake.

Finish

Note 1 refers to the theme song of the FIFA World Cup, "Ole ole ole ole we are the champion." "Ole" is the Japanese word for "I."

Two common phone scam tactics involve starting with "It's me, it's me!"

Three German footballers joined Chiba in 3.

4. This means waiting for the idol to appear or enter.

The Japanese professional football league is divided into three divisions: Division 1, Division 2, and Division 3, with a promotion and relegation system between each division.

Six well-known musicians, local artists, and businessmen from Chiba.

Note 7: Former AKB48 member Mariko Shinoda and her husband both grew up eating brown rice.

8 Japanese magic masters.

Ivica Osim, who was invited to coach JEF United Chiba in 2003, led the team to their first-ever Japan League Cup title in 2005.

Short Story Collection 2: Onparade - Yoshiteru's Ambition (National Edition)

Author: Ida Yasushi / Illustration: Akio