The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 16: Conflict with the Retired Senpai?!

It was a common rule for any school in Japan to forbid their students from hanging out on the rooftop. Not only was it dangerous, but the suicide rate from jumping out of the building had been rising steadily in the last couple of years, which was a concern for all the people responsible for the country’s education.

However, while the rule stated that no students should go to the rooftop, reality often showed a different thing. Just like right now, Higo couldn’t help but frown as he got dragged there by Kumiko and Makino.

"Honestly, if Kumiko-chan didn’t reassure me that everything is going to be okay, I would think that you are here to bully me, Teme." He grumbled grumpily. "Also, what do you mean by your new goalkeeper? I told you that I am not interested in this shit!" He complained, sending a stinging glare at Kumiko.

The girl behind him could only smile sheepishly, knowing the exact reason Higo was here was just because of her. Of course, this little interaction couldn’t escape from the corner of Makino’s eyes, and the captain got burned by jealousy instantly.

"Stop whining like a little girl, Chibi!" Makino grabbed Higo’s shoulder quite violently, separating the boy from his dream girl in a not-so-subtle manner. "You don’t have a club to join anyway, right? This is your chance to get out of your shell! Come on, I am doing it for you!" He said with a faux-genuine tone, putting himself on high moral ground.

"Yes, Ryukkun. Minami-obaasan also asked me to encourage you for this. She is afraid that you will turn into a Hikikomori once you are an adult." Kumiko added, showing her concern for her best friend.

Higo could only have the corner of his mouth twitching madly, not knowing how to respond to that. In the end, he just accepted his fate, following those two to climb on top of the building. There, he saw three senior-year students chatting casually, as if waiting for something—or someone—to come.

"Hey, Senpai! It’s good to see you!" Makino greeted them all with his usual friendly tone.

The three older students perked up instantly, genuinely happy to see Makino here. "Tomo, it’s good to see you too!" The one with a bald head and slanted eyes hugged him enthusiastically. "Kumiko-chan, you as well!" He grinned lecherously, spreading his arms wide and asking for a huge from the girl.

Higo was alarmed for a moment, ready to interfere if that boy went overboard. Fortunately, he didn’t need to do that, as the other boy, a very tall one with a wavy hairstyle, just hit that bald one with a thick book.

"Ouch! What the hell, Miyashi?!" The bald boy complained.

"It should be me who asked that, right?" The one called Miyashi retorted. "Don’t you see our newcomer is about to pounce on you?" He nudged his head at Higo.

That was when the three senior-year students noticed Higo’s presence, and their eyes changed immediately. It was definitely not a comfortable feeling, as if he got scanned thoroughly to see whether he was worth for the club or not.

"So, this is who you get for Miyashi’s replacement?" The bald one squinted his eyes sharply. "He doesn’t look like a legit one for me."

"Why are you picking a short one for a goalkeeper?" The bun-haired boy groaned. "A sophomore student, nonetheless! Don’t you know that next year, after the inter-high is over, you guys will have to retire? Do you want to leave the team in shambles?"

"Also, he is so thin and weak, will he be able to stay on the pitch for 90 minutes full?" The tall one, Miyashi, added.

Higo felt blood rushing through his head for this. Right now, he was starting to question his choice of life. "First of all," He growled, glaring at the bald boy with the attitude of picking a fight. "I just get dragged here by Kumiko-chan as a temporary goalkeeper for your team, but that doesn’t mean I am willing to be in this shithole. Get that straight, Dipshit."

The bald boy choked at the provocation, while the other two boys burst out laughing at that. However, Higo was not done yet. Just because he lived an NPC life, that didn’t mean he didn’t have a temper, and the boy wanted to make sure that everyone here remembered that. So, he hit them all straight to where it hurt them the most.

"Also, don’t think that you can talk big as if you are the real deal. I have already researched this team, and I know that the last game you guys played last October resulted in a humiliating defeat against Sappotani 7-0, right? In a final, nonetheless! How embarrassing! And now, you dare to look down on me as if you are better?!"

This time, the insult was enough to trigger all the people here. Even Kumiko looked down, feeling pain from the memory of that game. After all, getting into the prefecture’s final was a huge achievement, but ending it with the score of 7-0 was not something they could use to brag.

"Why, you?!" The bald one had a thick vein pop on his forehead. It was clear at this point that he was the one with the shortest temper here. "You brat, don’t know anything about our struggle! You think we want to lose 7-0?!"

"Well, then, you think I want to be here and got insulted by you?!" Higo retorted with the same heat.

For a moment, tension rose to the peak, with both Higo and the bald-haired boy glaring as if they were trying to get into each other’s throats. Makino didn’t have any intention to stop that, even trying his best to hold back laughter. While the atmosphere was heavy, it wasn’t to the point where the physical conflict was about to break out, and with the other two senpai being here, he was sure that everything was under control.

’Also, I didn’t know that he has a very short temper. It seems the couple of times he got under my skin, he didn’t really try, or I would’ve punched him in the face already.’ He couldn’t help but think, seeing Higo in a different light.

In the end, though, before anyone could speak anything else, both Higo and the bald boy got hit straight to the head with a quite thick book, bringing the atmosphere back to earth.

"Ouch! What the hell?!"

"Who the fuck is brave enough to hit me?! Come on, is that you, Junya?!"

"No, it is me, Senpai." Kumiko smiled sweetly, yet the dark aura surrounding her was enough to make the two short-tempered boys swallow their words. "So... Don’t you think that you both are going too far here?"