The Rise of the Iron Wall!-Chapter 66: A Peaceful Ending...

"Ojiisan, thank you for your patronage!"

"Old man, don’t look at us like that!"

"Thank you for the food, Old Man!"

"Sure! Thank you again for coming! Come back when you are about to celebrate something again!"

After filling—overfilling—their stomach until it couldn’t bear any food anymore, they finally left, ending the day with a satisfied smile on their face. Well, not everyone, because Makino eyed Higo with full jealousy, especially since he knew that those two were going back home together... Alone. Just two of them.

"Are you sure you don’t need me to accompany you, Kumiko-chan?" He asked reluctantly.

As a result, the girl just sighed helplessly. "How many times do I have to tell you, Makino-kun, that I am fine walking back alone! Ryukkun is just here since our home is on the same way, nothing more and nothing else!"

Higo looked at the captain gloatingly, inwardly punching the air in celebration. ’And you think that childhood friend would lose? Bah! Those anime creators don’t know that we have the biggest advantage here, and that’s how close our homes are to each other! He cannot do anything about it!’

Makino also seemed to notice his gesture, as his gaze darkened and he made a threatening gesture of slitting his neck with his own thumb. However, Higo just sneered mockingly, knowing full well that it was an empty threat.

Noticing the strong smell of gunpowder between them and not wanting a fight to break out here, Kumiko finally dragged Higo and said, "Okay, we are going to leave first! See you again tomorrow, Makino-kun!"

The girl dragged her best friend away instantly, leaving Makino dumbfounded and alone in front of the restaurant. Once they were far enough from the captain, Higo finally couldn’t hold back anymore, and laughter escaped from his mouth.

"Hahaha! Don’t you see how funny his face is?! Damn, if only I had a chance to take a picture of that!"

Kumiko just shook her head exasperatedly, having already expected the childishness coming from her friend. "Why are you always antagonizing him like that?"

"Bah! That’s not my fault, you know?! It is always him who did it first, bragging about being closer to you than me! He doesn’t know anything at all!" Higo grumbled, not noticing a blush had crept on the girl’s cheeks. "Anyway, let’s go back quickly! I am sure Mom and Oneechan are preparing something for us!"

Even though Higo ate a lot, there was always a special room in his stomach for his sister’s cooking, and Kumiko, who also knew how good Ayaka’s food was, also walked faster than before. The moment they arrived, those two were greeted by the strong and heavenly smell straight to the nostrils.

The smell alone was enough to make them drool again, even after all the Yakiniku they gobbled before.

"We are home!" Higo shouted, announcing his presence.

"Oh, Okaeri!" His sister’s voice could be heard from inside, and when Higo took a peek, there he saw his sister and mother helping each other prepare the food. "Come on, wash your feet first! We have sukiyaki tonight! Oh, you bring Kumiko-chan as well, right?"

"I am here, Aya-nee... Sorry for the intrusion..." The girl greeted politely.

"Bah! No need to be polite, girl! You have been watching our boy for so long, it should be us who are thankful here!" Ayaka waved the concern nonchalantly. Her eyes then narrowed dangerously at her brother, who was about to sneak a slice of beef into his mouth.

Plak!

"What did I say, Brat?! Go wash your feet first! Hell, no! Go take a shower first! You stink!" She scolded, much to Kumiko and Minami’s amusement.

"Ouch... No need to be so violent, you know..." Higo winced, rubbing the back of his hand that had just been hit with a chopstick. Still, he followed the instruction, disappeared from sight, leaving the three women alone in the living room.

"So, it is you whom I have to thank for dragging my lazy brother out of his comfort zone?" Ayaka smiled, this time more genuinely.

"Ah... Minami-obaasan also helped..." Kumiko rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Also, it is not my initial intention to drag him this far. It is just that he has a great talent, and I think it is a pity to get buried like that..." She added with a mumble.

"Good enough for me." Ayaka nodded gratefully at the girl. "Still not expecting that the brat will have it in himself to go outside and play football, though."

After that, they chatted quite animatedly, what with Minami and Ayaka asking a lot of things about the football club while Kumiko provided the answers for them. Once Higo arrived, he was so dumbfounded to hear Kumiko talking about his dark history here.

"...And you know what Ryukkun did?! He accepted their challenges and went to beat them all mercilessly!"

"Ha! That is what I want to see from him. He might be lazy, but he has the gut to fight for himself!"

"Still... Are you not afraid that a fight could break out among them? They are a bunch of hot-headed teenagers, you know?"

"Oh, no! I know them all, and I know that while they have nasty tempers, they have never thrown the first punch! Ryukkun is also the same, so there is no way a fight could break out!"

Higo could feel the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he said, "So, enough talking about me?" While also taking a big chunk of meat from the table.

Ayaka frowned immediately, shaking her head in disapproval. "You have just had a yakiniku party, and here you are, ready to gobble a portion of sukiyaki? What are you, a pig?"

Honestly, sukiyaki after yakiniku was indeed a bit too much. However, who was Higo to refuse a huge chunk of meat in front of him?

"No, I am just a grown teenager here. You know, the one who needs food worth a whole farm?" He retorted easily.

Kumiko just giggled silently, always finding the interaction between the two siblings to be quite interesting. It didn’t help that she was an only child in her family, and sometimes, she could only watch them with envy.

Minami also shook her head, but in this case, she was siding with Higo quickly. "Don’t worry, Ryukkun, just eat them all. I heard that protein is good for athletes’ recovery, right?"

"Yup! You are correct, Minami-obaasan!" Kumiko chirped. "It provides a concentrated source of high-quality, complete protein, essential amino acids, and crucial minerals that directly support muscle repair, reduce soreness, and replenish energy stores." She recited it like a lesson in a classroom.

"Damn, girl! You sure know your things here." Ayaka nodded in admiration.

"Yeah, Kumiko-chan! You are so smart!" Minami also smiled in approval, gushing over the girl fondly.

"Ehehe... It is nothing..."

Looking at the harmonious atmosphere in the living room, Higo felt his gaze soften, his eyes wandering far into the future. This was the scene that he had dreamed of in his life, his family members gathering, Kumiko next to his side, and they all were enjoying food while also chatting so warmly with each other like this.

As his thoughts went back to reality, he couldn’t help but clap his hands, offering a silent prayer, ’Kami-sama... I don’t care what I would become in the future, but please, let this scene always be like this forever...’

Then, with a quick move to take the chopstick on the table, he shouted, "Ittadakimasu!"