The Golden Winged Of Football: Haruma Kusaka

Chapter 112 112: Where The Road Leads

The next day dawned bright and sunny over Hanaka High. The campus buzzed with life, classes were in session, a few students hurried through the corridors after arriving late, while others were waiting outside the classrooms.Inside one of the classrooms, the teacher was in the middle of a lecture, holding the students' full attention. Among them sat Masaru, Toru, and Rukia, all focused quietly on the lesson.

Just then, the door slid open and the principal stepped into the classroom, and the students immediately rose to their feet, greeting them respectfully.

The principal smiled warmly. "Good afternoon, everyone. Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing gently for them to settle down.

The students sat back in their chairs, their attention fixed on him as the room grew quiet.

Maintaining his pleasant smile, the principal continued, "As you all know, yesterday the youngsters of our city, the U17 Tokyo Wolves won the JFC for the second time in history."

He began clapping, and within seconds the entire classroom joined in. Applause filled the room, bright and enthusiastic. Faces lit up with pride and excitement. Masaru was grinning from ear to ear, while Toru and Rukia clapped with calm, proud smiles.

As the applause slowly faded, the principal lifted his hand and continued with a warm, proud tone.

"And more than that… the player who was crowned Prodigy of Japan 2042 is none other than a student from our very own school."

"The same student who first carried Hanaka High to All-School Cup glory… and then led our city of Tokyo to victory on the national stage."

"A player who has brought honor to Hanaka High and made every one of us proud."

His smile broadened as he announced,

"The one and only… Haruma Kusaka."

The classroom burst into applause once again, louder than before. Cheers rang out as the students clapped enthusiastically, pride written across their faces.

Masaru with a wide smile stretching across his face was clapping hard along with the others, his eyes glistening slightly as tears threatened to spill.

The principal gently raised his hand, signaling for the room to settle down before continuing.

"And for that reason," The principal continues with a proud smile, "Hanaka High will be organizing a special ceremony to honor and welcome Haruma Kusaka back to our school."

The announcement sparked another explosion of cheers and applause. Rukia's face lit up with excitement, her smile bright and genuine. Toru applauded with a faint, composed smile, while Masaru quickly wiped at his eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling as he continued clapping.

The principal continued, his tone warm and reflective.

"And as many of you may remember, Haruma was a very quiet student. He stayed away from the spotlight, and had only a few friends. But there is one student he shared a particularly strong friendship with."

Almost instinctively, the entire class turned their heads toward one person.

Masaru stiffened slightly as dozens of eyes suddenly landed on him.

"Masaru Ogwata, please join me," the principal said with a gentle smile.

For a moment, Masaru looked hesitant, clearly caught off guard. But then a small smile formed on his face. He stood up from his seat, and as he did, the classroom broke into soft applause.

Masaru wiped away a few tears before stepping forward, slowly making his way to the front and standing beside the principal.

The principal placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before turning back toward the class.

"Masaru here is Haruma's childhood friend," he said warmly. "The two of them have been playing football together since they were kids. And all of us here have seen the bond these two share."

Masaru's lips curved into a soft smile as his vision blurred with gathering tears. In his mind, flashbacks of Haruma from their early days began to surface.

The time when Haruma was struggling to score the simplest goals, training alone late into the night, running around the field serving drinks to the school team, sitting somewhere quiet, crying when no one was watching.

All of it passed through Masaru's mind, one memory after another, each one reminding him just how far his friend had come.

"And as his friend, Masaru will invite and bring Haruma to this ceremony."

The classroom erupted into applause once again. But amid the clapping, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Masaru's face. He slowly turned toward the principal, clearly confused, unable to recall when he had ever agreed to something like this.

The principal simply smiled and continued calmly.

"We don't know the exact date yet," he said, reassuringly. "But we do know this, it will happen very soon. Masaru will invite Haruma and let us know when he plans to return, so we can prepare the ceremony properly."

The principal began applauding once more, and the rest of the class quickly followed. The room filled with cheerful claps and bright smiles, students clearly excited about the news.

But amid the celebration, Masaru's expression was different, as a trace of anxiety was clear on his face. The weight of the responsibility had suddenly settled on his shoulders, bringing Haruma back to the school for the ceremony…

Later that evening, inside a room at the Tokyo Academy, a figure lifted an expensive watch and fastened it neatly around his wrist. Then stepped forward and slid his feet into a polished pair of Chelsea boots.

Moving toward the dresser, he picked up a bottle of perfume and lightly sprayed it along his neck. After that, he adjusted the collar of his suit and straightened it before looking up at the mirror.

It was Haruma Kusaka.

Dressed in a luxurious navy-blue suit, an elegant watch on his wrist and a ring resting on his finger, his hair perfectly styled, he looked refined, composed… like someone he once never imagined he could become.

Haruma studied his reflection for a moment and let out a slow breath, before turning away from the mirror, his eyes fell on the couch nearby, where his gleaming Prodigy trophy rested, almost as if waiting for him.

He walked over with steady confidence, his chest slightly raised.

Leaning down, he picked up the trophy and held it firmly in his hand. Then he stepped out of the room, locking the door behind him before making his way down the corridor.

His shoes clicked softly against the floor, the sound echoing through the quiet hallway. The faint light caught the shine of his watch and ring, while the trophy in his hand gleamed in the dimness. His neatly layered hair swayed slightly with each step as he moved forward with calm, composed confidence.

As he continued ahead, Haruma stepped out of the darkness and into the main hall.

There, Jiho, Kabuto, Makoto, Izaya, Raya, and the rest of the players were already gathered.

All of them were dressed in tailored suits, their hair carefully styled. A few wore sleek glasses, and together they carried the air of refined confidence, young athletes now moving with the presence of luxury and success.

Noticing Haruma, the group immediately broke into smiles. Kabuto raised his hand high, gesturing for him to come over.

Haruma walked toward them, and one by one he greeted everyone, exchanging quick daps, brief hugs, and friendly pats on the shoulder.

When he reached Jiho, the two clasped hands in a quick dap. Jiho looked him up and down, then shook his head with a grin.

"Just one word for you… damn." He said.

Haruma chuckled, and the others let out soft laughs at the compliment.

"Yeah," Raya added with an amused smile, "our boy is definitely going to make women fall hard for him." He glanced around the group before asking casually, "By the way… does anyone actually know where we're going?"

Izaya let out an exaggerated sigh. "Come on, Raya. Just look at us, man, we're definitely going partying."

"Hmm… maybe," another voice cut in,

drawing everyone's attention.

It was Nagisa. He tugged lightly at the collar of his suit as if trying to get some air.

"I think it's more like one of those big, formal dinner parties. You know… the gentleman type."

Raya nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, there has to be a reason we're all dressed like this."

"And don't forget the trophies," Haruma added calmly. "Minato sensei asked us to bring them too."

"Blaaah," Izaya groaned in an exaggerated tone. "Wherever we're going, let's at least hope there's some fun."

Haru nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And only the captain can tell us where we're actually going." He gestured forward, making everyone turn their attention ahead.

Approaching them was Kurogami.

He wore the same tailored suit as the rest, his hair neatly pushed back and tied into a small bun, with a few loose strands falling naturally around his face. In his hands, he carried the championship trophy with quiet pride and care.

Kurogami stepped up beside them. "So, does anyone know where we're going?" he asked casually.

For a moment there was silence, then the entire group broke into soft laughter.

Kurogami's brows furrowed slightly in confusion. "What? What's so funny?" he asked.

Still chuckling, Raya shook his head. "We all don't know, we thought you might know."

Kurogami simply shook his head in return.

"Nope. No idea."

The group stood there for a moment, still waiting, when a cheerful voice suddenly cut through the hall.

"Alright, guys, let's go!"

Everyone turned toward the voice and saw

Raon standing there with a wide grin, dressed in a casual coat, looking far more relaxed than the rest of them.

"Raon, where are we going?" Izaya asked again.

"Yeah, just tell us already," Jiho added.

Raon let out a soft giggle. "It's a surprise, guys. Come on, let's go. Minato-sensei and the van are waiting for us."

With that, he turned and started walking.

The players exchanged brief looks before falling in behind him, their footsteps echoing lightly as the group made their way toward the building's exit…

The van rolled quietly through the dark roads, its windows covered with thick curtains that kept the outside world hidden. Inside, the atmosphere had grown dull and heavy. Most of the players sat lazily in their seats, some scrolling through their phones, others resting with their eyes closed.

Haruma sat beside Jiho, who looked half asleep, his head tilted back against the seat.

Then suddenly the van slowed before coming to a complete stop. The small jolt made several players straighten in their seats.

Jiho stretched his arms lazily, letting out a long yawn. "What… we here?" he muttered.

Izaya rose from his seat, leaning forward to peek through the windshield at the front of the van. The others shifted as well, craning their necks and trying to see past the curtains, confusion spreading across their faces.

Up front, Minato-sensei turned around in his seat, a broad smile on his face. He looked at the players one by one before speaking in a calm, steady tone.

"Everyone… Welcome to the headquarters."

He paused for a moment, letting the words hang in the air.

"The Wolves Fortress."

A wave of shock swept through the van.

Eyes widened across the seats. Several players sat upright in disbelief.

Haruma remained completely still, frozen where he sat, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly parted in stunned silence.