The travelling bus rolled through the streets, carrying the entire squad toward the next stage of their journey.
Inside, different emotions filled the atmosphere, so players buzzed with excitent, chatting, while others sat quietly with earphones on, lost in their own thoughts.
Haruma Kusaka sat by the window, eyes following the city passing outside in blurred motion.
His heartbeat was racing when he let out a quiet sigh, then leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes.
But even now, his heartbeat refused to slow completely.
"You okay?"
The voice pulled Haruma out instantly, as he turned slightly to the left, finding Takezu seated beside him, watching with a small, knowing smile.
Haruma Kusaka gave a small smile back. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Takezu's smile widened slightly and he pulled one earbud out, turning more toward Haruma.
"Nervous?" he asked.
Haruma kept a faint smile and nodded once. "Yeah, a little. Aren't you feeling any pressure?" he asked.
Nodding in agreent, Takezu replied, "Yeah, I am. But of course, you're the one carrying the bigger pressure. After all, everyone has big expectations from you."
Haruma lowered his gaze quietly, the faint smile on his face dimming slightly as the weight behind those words settled deeper into him.
Takezu smiled warmly. "Just relax and play with a light heart. I'm sure you'll live up to everyone's expectations."
Haruma nodded slowly. "I will, it's just that this is our first ti playing internationally. Outside Japan."
Takezu nodded in agreent. "Yeah, it is. I'm nervous too."
A small grin appeared on his face.
"But honestly? I'm more excited than scared. I can't wait to play with all of you."
Haruma looked up at him with a straight face before speaking again.
"What if we lose?"
Takezu's warm smile faded just a little, before he smiled again. "That's fine too," he replied calmly. "Losing is part of a ga."
He leaned back slightly in his seat.
"Just make sure you enjoy being out there on the field."
Haruma stared at him silently with his expression unreadable.
"Losing will be fine…? Enjoy?" The words echoed in his mind as he kept his eyes fixed on Takezu.
Then, flatly, he asked, "What's your dream?"
Takezu blinked once, caught slightly off guard by the sudden question.
"Hm, interesting question." He thought for a mont, eyes drifting ahead before answering. "Maybe doing sothing for Japan. Being a cause of sothing historic for Japanese football."
Haruma didn't flinch, his gaze stayed locked, "Would you sacrifice yourself for that?"
The question was blunt, direct, heavy.
Takezu's eyes were slightly wide, as he looked back at Haruma, caught off guard by the seriousness in his tone.
Takezu gave an awkward, uncertain smile. "…What do you an?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.
Haruma's expressions didn't soften. His gaze stayed steady.
"You said it's your dream," he said flatly. "So can you sacrifice yourself for your dream?"
Takezu fell quiet again, the question settling in heavier this ti. His expression shifted as he searched for an answer, but nothing ca imdiately.
Still staring at him, Haruma added, "I an, people do everything to achieve their dream… and your dream is to be a cause of sothing historic for Japan."
"So can you sacrifice yourself for that?"
Takezu gave an awkward smile, "You're making it a little intense," He tried to ease the tension.
But the atmosphere didn't soften, as Haruma kept his stare locked in, before speaking in a steady voice and unshaken.
"I'm ready to sacrifice my life, my body, and even my soul to achieve my dream."
The words landed like a weight in the air.
Takezu's eyes were wide, as he watched Haruma, clearly noticing the raw passion and burning intensity behind his stare.
"Umm, yeah, I can," Takezu replied, though his voice carried less confidence than before, as if the weight of the question had unsettled him.
Watching his unconvincing answer, Haruma Kusaka let out a small smile.
"That's good to hear," he said. "By the way, how did you start playing football?"
Takezu's face instantly lit up instantly, and the tension from monts ago vanished as he leaned in slightly, excitent spilling into his voice while he began talking about his past, how he first got into football, what sparked it, and how it slowly beca everything to him.
Haruma listened quietly, a faint smile forming as he watched Takezu speak with such energy…
The bus had settled in, as Haruma and a few others were retrieving their luggage and bags, while the door of the bus was already open and several players had already stepped out ahead of them.
Taking a quiet breath, Haruma Kusaka steps forward and the mont he exits the bus, his eyes widen slightly.
A sharp wave of nerves runs through him.
The route from the bus to the airport entrance is tightly lined with dia, held back only by a thin line of bodyguards forming a controlled passage.
Cara shutters fire in rapid succession, microphones push forward into the gap. Voices overlap, calling his na, throwing questions into the air all at once, turning the space into controlled chaos.
Taking a deep breath, Haruma then stepped down and began walking toward the airport with his eyes lowered.
Cara flashes burst rapidly from every direction as reporters flooded the path, throwing countless questions at him.
But Haruma ignored them all, continuing to walk forward without slowing down.
After entering the airport, Haruma finally let out a quiet sigh of relief before joining the rest of his gathered teammates.
With the entire squad now together, they moved through the airport as one group, handling the procedures and preparations for departure.
Soon after, the team was settled into the lounge area to wait for their flight.
So players were casually chatting and laughing among themselves, while others remained focused on their phones, passing the ti in silence.
Amid the noise around him, Haruma sat quietly with a calm, unreadable expression, his eyes lowered slightly as if lost deep within his own thoughts.
Just then, Kento-sensei stepped into the lounge area, imdiately drawing everyone's attention toward him.
"Alright everyone, the flight will be ready in half an hour, so make sure nobody wanders off and everyone stays close."
A ripple of excitent instantly spread through the team, the atmosphere filling with chatter, laughs, and restless anticipation.
Scanning across the players, Kento then added, "And everyone… I have an important announcent to make."
Those words imdiately pulled everyone's attention back onto him once again.
Keeping his expression straight, Kento continued, "On the orders of the President of Japan Football, a ntor will be joining us for this campaign."
His announcent sparked mixed reactions across the team. So looked confused, so instantly excited, while others remained silent, waiting to hear more.
Kento then stepped slightly aside. "To bring the Tokyo Wolves flair into this squad… please welco your ntor, Mr. Raon."
Haruma's eyes widened instantly.
Kurogami and Nagisa remained composed, though their focus sharpened noticeably.
Raya broke into a bright smile, Kabuto wore a joyous grin, while Izaya and Jiho's faces imdiately lit up with excitent and anticipation.
Then from behind Kento, Raon stepped forward, his face brightened by a broad smile as he wore the sa travel suit with Japan's badge proudly displayed on his chest.
Maintaining his cheerful grin, Raon greeted them warmly. "Hey, everyone."
"Raaaaaon!"
Izaya and Jiho yelled in sheer excitent before instantly launching themselves onto him.
Raon laughed heartily as he caught them both, the three bursting into lively laughter together.
Nearby, Kento watched the scene with a faintly raised brow, while several others on the squad watched with subtle looks of disbelief and secondhand embarrassnt.
Giggling excitedly, Jiho and Izaya stepped back, repeatedly chanting, "Welco! Welco back!" together.
Just then, Raya approached with a bright smile, dapping Raon up before the two shared a quick hug.
"Welco Sensei." Raya said warmly.
Right after, Kabuto stepped forward with his arms already open wide. Raon let out an amused laugh before the two exchanged a brief hug, both giggling during the interaction.
And as Kabuto stepped back, Nagisa calmly walked forward, exchanging a firm fist bump with Raon.
"I'm feeling more confident now," Nagisa remarked casually.
Raon smiled and patted Nagisa's shoulder before Kurogami stepped forward.
The two dapped up before exchanging a firm shoulder-to-shoulder hug.
Pulling back, Kurogami said in his usual steady tone, "Welco, Raon."
Raon nodded with a grin. "Thanks. Can't wait to join you guys."
Then Haruma stepped forward with a smile resting on his face.
The mont Raon saw him, his smile widened instantly, and he quickly moved in and pulled Haruma into a big hug.
Haruma returned it without hesitation, smiling softly as Raon laughed lightly, patting him on the back.
Pulling back from the hug, Raon held Haruma's shoulder, his face carrying a smile filled with pride.
"Welco," Haruma said with a genuine smile.
Still smiling warmly, Raon nodded. "Thank you. I'm really happy to be joining you guys again."
Watching the interaction, Kento cleared his throat pointedly, as if signaling Raon about sothing.
Raon blinked slightly before quickly turning toward the rest of the players.
"Hey everyone," Raon began with a confident smile and steady voice. "I know I'm still new to so of you, so let properly introduce myself. I'm Raon, and just call Raon, no formalities."
He glanced around the squad before continuing warmly,
"I'm here to help you guys, guide you guys, not as good as Kento sensei but I promise you this, whatever I give to Tokyo, I'll give a hundred tis more for Japan."
His smile sharpened with determination. "So together, let's stay focused on our mission, and bring that trophy ho."
"Yeahhhhh!"
The entire squad erupted in unison, clapping loudly before quickly gathering around him, introducing themselves and greeting him one after another.
With his easygoing smile and friendly energy, Raon blended into the team almost instantly, joining them not as an outsider, but as one of them.
The Wolves stood side by side from a short distance away, quietly watching the scene unfold with faint smiles on their faces.
Among them, Haruma stood with his arms folded, a subtle smile resting on his face as he observed the team.
Just then, a hand landed on his shoulder.
Haruma turned slightly and saw Kento standing beside him.
A little confused, Haruma kept his eyes on him, while Kento silently looked back before subtly signaling him to look behind.
Haruma slowly turned and his eyes widened instantly.
Standing near the entrance of the lounge were the families of the players.
Among them, at the very corner, stood Haruma's mother, with Ryusei having a warm smile on his face standing quietly behind her.
Haruma was shocked, his eyes wide locked onto his mother, who was looking at him with a trembling smile and tears gathering in her eyes, as though she was desperately holding herself back from breaking down into sobs.
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