The Golden Winged Of Football: Haruma Kusaka

Chapter 116 116: New Path, New Hopes.

The sun shone brightly over Hanaka High School. Some students were entering the building, while others stood outside in groups, chatting and laughing among themselves. The atmosphere was lively with activity.On the school grounds, just outside the building, Toru and Rukia stood among their friends, all talking and laughing together.

With a small giggle, Toru spoke up, "Yeah, definitely. A hundred percent, Haruma's going to be in the squad… probably as one of the main striking options."

One of the boys spoke eagerly, "Yeah, man, that would be crazy… imagine watching Haruma live on TV, representing Japan on the national stage."

A few of them smiled at the thought, picturing it in their minds. Rukia remained quiet, a soft smile resting on her lips.

Another boy let out a quiet, almost careless smirk. "I mean… yeah, it's possible, but…"

The shift was immediate as all the eyes turned to him, confusion flickering across their faces.

Toru's gaze sharpened slightly. "But, what?"

Keeping that smirk, the boy let out a short puff of breath before starting, "I mean, Ha—"

"Hey, everyone."

The voice cut in cleanly causing all the heads to turn, where they found Masaru walking toward them with a soft and easy smile resting on his face.

The mood shifted almost instantly, smiles spreading across the group as he approached. Toru stepped forward without hesitation, dapping him up before bumping

shoulders.

"Hey, man, you're late," he said.

Masaru gave a small nod, his smile still there, though a little restrained. "Yeah… I just, umm… woke up late."

Noticing the slight hesitation, Toru's brows drew together. "What happened? You okay?" he asked

Masaru nodded a bit quickly. "Yeah, of course." He rubbed the back of his head, a small smile still on his face.

Before the moment could settle, one of the boys stepped in close to him, barely holding in his excitement.

"Hey, did you hear the news?" he said, his voice buzzing with energy. "The U19 Asian Cup is in three months!"

That was enough to lift the mood again, smiles spreading wider across the group as the excitement kicked in.

Masaru smiled along with them, though there was still a hint of hesitation or nervousness that hadn't quite left his face.

"Yeaah… I heard. It's going to be fun, I mean," Masaru said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Rukia's expression shifted almost immediately. "Hey, Masaru… are you sure everything's okay? You can tell us."

Masaru's gaze dropped, uncertainty flickering across his face.

Toru stepped closer and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, man… What is it? You can tell us."

Masaru let out a long breath before lifting his gaze to them.

"Haruma…" he began, his voice quieter now. "I can't get in contact with him."

A ripple of concern passed through the group, confusion settling in as they exchanged looks. Toru's brows tightened slightly as he focused on Masaru.

Noticing their reactions, Masaru continued,

"As you know… it's my responsibility to bring him to that event, but… I can't even reach him. I've been trying since last night. I tried again this morning, but…" he hesitated, his voice trailing for a moment, "…he's just not picking up. I don't even know if I'll be able to convince him."

Toru gave Masaru's shoulder a reassuring pat. "It's okay… don't worry. We'll figure something out. Maybe we can try contacting his mother… or go to his academy again, like we did before."

Masaru and the others listened closely, holding onto the suggestion, Then Rukia let out a sharp breath, shaking her head.

"No." Her voice cut through cleanly, drawing every eye toward her.

She continued, "Toru? What are you saying? Haruma would never, and could never ignore Masaru."

Her words softened Masaru's expression, a flicker of relief appearing in his eyes.

Rukia then turned to Masaru.

"Masaru," she said gently, "he must be busy. Think about it, he's played an entire tournament. Not just played… he won it. There must be events, celebrations going on, and moreover, he needs rest too. How could you expect him to answer a call?"

"Exactly," another friend chimed in, her expression serious. "He's officially a star now. How could you expect him to pick up?"

Masaru seemed to understand, his gaze dropping as he nodded slowly.

"Yeah!" Toru said, beaming. "Let's give him some time. I'm sure he'll call you back. And if he doesn't… Well, we'll find plenty of ways to reach him. Just relax." He patted Masaru's shoulder again.

Masaru returned a soft, understanding smile. And as his friends around him immersed themselves in the banter, a faint shadow of uncertainty flickered remained across his face…

From another high school, Ayane steps out with her circle of friends, their laughter bubbling through the air while a soft, knowing smile was curved across Ayane's face.

They moved to their bicycles, motions precise and purposeful, preparing to depart.

As one of the girls settled onto her bike, she spun her head toward Ayane, eyes sharp with sudden urgency.

"Hey, Ayane!" she called, her voice cutting through the chatter and drawing everyone's attention.

"About those exams, when are you talking to the principal to change the dates?"

Ayane's brows knitted in confusion. "Huh? Why would I do that?"

The girl's smile turned dreamy, almost conspiratorial. "Girl… the U19 Asian Cup is

coming up next!"

The eyes of the remaining friends widened instantly, shock and excitement flashing across their faces.

"Oh, right!" another friend burst out, urgency lacing her voice. "The exams and the Cup are in the same month! No, no, no, that's not happening!"

The other girl spun toward Ayane, eyes wide and determined. "Nuh-uh! Ayane, as our student council president, you're talking to the principal and postponing the dates of those exams!"

Ayane's face went pale, the spark of excitement drained. "Since when did you all start putting football above studies?"

One of the girls let out a dreamy sigh, a smile lighting her face. "The day we saw Harumaaa."

"Exactly," another chimed in, matching the same radiant grin. "Haruma… he's so talented, so handsome… I can't wait to see him again."

Ayane's face remained pale and serious, a mask of composure hiding everything beneath.

She shook her head in mild frustration before saying, "Alright… alright. I'll talk to the principal."

A unified cheer erupted from her friends, their faces glowing with excitement, while a soft, almost secretive smile tugged at Ayane's lips…

Shiori moved briskly through the ice cream parlor, setting a tray of empty cups on the counter before letting out a soft sigh.

A man approached, placing the cash on the counter.

Shiori smiled, taking the cash as she worked through the billings. The man waited patiently, while his son, nearly nine years old, was bouncing with excitement, clad in Japan's football jersey, eyes bright with anticipation.

Shiori smiled as she watched the boy, before she turned and handed the bill to his father, who accepted it with a nod and began to walk away.

As the little boy turned, Shiori's eyes widened slightly. Haruma. Number 22, emblazoned on the back of his jersey.

Her heart melted. A warm smile spread across her face as she watched him bound away, bouncing on his feet, radiating pure, unrestrained excitement.

Once the kid left, Shiori took out her phone and checked Haruma's inbox where the last message from him was a week ago.

Once the boy had left, Shiori pulled out her phone and opened Haruma's inbox. The last message from him had arrived a week ago.

Keeping her smile, she typed carefully:

"I hope you're doing well. I know you must be resting, but I was wondering if we could have ice cream together?"

Her thumb hovered over send for a few seconds before finally tapping. She exhaled softly, watching the message linger, undelivered, on the screen, a small smile still playing on her lips.

Shaking her head, she slipped the phone back into her pocket, letting the moment settle…

Night had fallen, and inside the karaoke room there was Toru, Rukia, Masaru, and the rest of their friends sprawled across a round couch, laughing and chatting, drinks and snacks scattered across the table before them.

But Masaru remained silent, seemed elsewhere, lost in his own thoughts.

Just then, Masaru's phone began vibrating an incoming call in his pocket. On instinct, he pulled it out,and his heart seemed to skip a beat.

Haruma. It was Haruma calling.

Frozen in disbelief, Masaru's eyes went wide, locked on the screen as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

Toru noticed Masaru and asked casually, "Hey, Masaru, who's calling?"

His voice drew everyone's attention. All eyes shifted toward Masaru, who sat frozen for a moment before slowly turning his head toward Toru.

There was a brief pause, then, in a steady yet shaken tone, he answered,

"It's Haruma."

The words landed instantly causing Toru's eyes to snap open in shock, while the others mirrored the same stunned reaction. Rukia's eyes widened as well, though a soft, quiet smile began to form on her lips.

The room fell still, suspended in disbelief.