"Wait, what’s happening?"

"Yeah, why did all the players come off the pitch?"

"Don’t tell me Hakodate Nishi cannot accept the decision and walk out?!"

’Idiot! If so, there is no need for Hannan’s players to join!"

While the weather wasn’t as bad as at the beginning of the game, as they were already close to noon, the temperature was still quite low, making some people tighten their jackets. This definitely affected the mood slightly on the stand. Now that everyone saw the players coming off the pitch, they started to get restless, wondering what was going on here.

Well, the players themselves didn’t know that their actions caused commotion. Right now, they just wanted to go back to the locker room quickly, enjoying the warmth of the heater there. Hannan University High players, especially, let out a relieved sigh as this allowed them to stop Hakodate Nishi’s building momentum.

"At least, this would be enough to cool down their head." Kei Murakami sighed as he leaned his body back against the bench.

Meanwhile, on Hakodate Nishi’s side, the atmosphere was quite lively, what with them grumbling and complaining about the last decision.

"What the fuck is going on?! Being stopped by the snow, what can I do with that?!" Yuji threw his hands in a tantrum.

"Being denied an amazing debut goal in the national tournament by the snow must be suck, eh?" Kenji snickered secretly in the corner of the room.

"That’s not about my goal! That’s about our lead!" Yuji retorted heatedly. However, the guilty expression flashing on his face told everyone what was inside his mind, and some couldn’t help but laugh their asses off here.

"Okay, that’s enough!" Kumiko coughed, attracting everyone’s attention. "Main players, don’t just sit there. Keep moving, keep your body warm! Your blood needs to flow, or when we are back again, some of you would potentially suffer from an injury!" She instructed the players immediately.

The boys groaned, yet they still did what the girl asked for. After all, she was the one who knew the sports the best, so it was always better to trust the professional here.

"The denied goal is indeed a pity, but this is indeed something that could happen in a snowy game." The girl explained. "Some of you might remember an incident in the Bundesliga German, where the ball stopped straight a meter away from the goal. At that time, the referee didn’t give the goal to the player, so I think that was the game that the referee used as a reference."

Some of them nodded as they recalled such a ridiculous play on the Internet. Still, knowing was one thing, accepting was another. Yuji, especially, was still grumbling while he kept jogging around the locker room.

"Tch! We are so getting robbed, I tell you that!"

Kumiko didn’t have the energy to respond to the complaint here, so she just went to the next topic. "Even though the snow is about to be cleared, the pitch will still be slippery, so be careful when you have to fight in an aerial duel. Always make sure that your feet find the firm ground, and don’t act recklessly in this weather. I know you guys are confident, but that is what worries me the most here."

The boys just stared at each other sheepishly, some of whom were getting overconfident, even lowering their heads in embarrassment.

"Also... Denki-kun, after the game continues, you are off. Hori-kun, get ready to replace him."

The announcement stunned the players here, and Denki’s face was so pale as if blood had drained from his body. Denji, his twin, stepped forward immediately, asking, "Is this about the own goal? If so, this is a bit harsh, Senpai! Everyone can make a mistake!" The boy argued.

However, Kumiko shook her head here. "No, I wouldn’t be cruel to take off one of my players due to one mistake. However, can you see that your brother is not in the right state right now?" She asked back.

This...

Of course, Denji noticed it. After the own goal happened, he always kept an eye on his brother on the other side of the flank, and the boy had to admit that he didn’t like what he saw. Denki was so lost, running around aimlessly while also having the dullest eyes in the world, not being able to concentrate even for a second. They were lucky that the opponent didn’t notice that, or that side would’ve been exploited already.

"This is not a punishment, I can tell you that," Kumiko explained. "However, Denki-kun is not in his right mind, and not to mention him being the biggest target on the pitch, this could lead him to get injured easily. What do you think will happen if a fifty-fifty ball went in his direction?"

Denji shuddered at the thought of his brother having to clash with someone when the boy was still in a dazed state like this. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, and yet, all the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"I... Understand." In the end, it was Denki who spoke, as the boy slumped lifelessly on the bench.

Kumiko just sighed helplessly when she saw him like this. Out of the twins, Denki was indeed the more handful one to deal with. His mood was like a firecracker. When he was exploding, he could be the best right back in the country, but once his mood was killed like this, let alone playing properly, he wouldn’t even be able to see a ball straight in front of his face. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Hori-kun, just... Get ready. You are going to play after this." She turned toward Hori, deciding to deal with Denki later.

"Sure, Senpai." Hori nodded silently, taking off his jacket before starting his warm-up.

They spent the next ten minutes listening to Kumiko’s instructions, as the girl explained some important points that they often missed in the game today. Fifteen minutes was a long time, though, and it couldn’t be helped that the players started to get bored.

Fortunately, soon enough, the fourth referee knocked on the door, peeking inside before saying, "Hakodate Nishi High, get ready; we are about to continue the game!"