BXBX NOVEL Chapter 485: World Class Player
Chapter 485: World Class Player
The hotel was a beautiful blend of classic European design and modern luxury. The lobby was spacious, with high ceilings and grand chandeliers that gave it an air of sophistication.
Players were then escorted to their rooms.
As for Hiro, he had to share the room with an adult since he was still a minor.
Hiro\'s room offered a stunning view of the city. He stood by the window, taking in the panorama of rooftops and spires. The excitement of being in a new country mingled with the anticipation of the upcoming match was creating a whirlwind of emotions within him.
"They really know how to build a city," standing by the window, Hiro said with a hint of excitement.
"Indeed Europe has birthed some great architects in the past"
Kenji said while unpacking his luggage. He had volunteered to share the room with him. Well, Naoto was more than ready to share the room with him. But since Kenji offered, Nanami appointed him as his acting guardian.
After all, he was the one with the most experience on the squad. So, it\'d benefit Hiro a lot if he were to be under his guidance.
For a while, those two kept on conversing about the architecture and places in Europe. Since Kenji had been to a lot of places in Europe, he knew a lot about its architecture and history.
The stories he heard from him further piqued his interest in Europe.
"But I must say as a player though liked the enthusiasm of the fans but there are some stadiums that I don\'t wanna visit as an opponent."
"Are they that scary?" Hiro asked curiously.
"It feels like a battlefield. Their jeers are so oppressive that you could barely think. Just how do I put it in words... It\'s just too intimidating"
All of a sudden while reminiscing his memories, he started becoming a little dreadful. It was as if he could still vividly portray those moments of nightmares.
Hearing him, Hiro got even more curious. After all, he had heard about some of the famous stadiums that got its fame due to its home crowd.
Without even Hiro needing to ask, Kenji could tell that he was curious about the stadium he was mentioning right now.
"You\'ve heard about the Yellow Wall of Borussia Dortmund?"
It wasn\'t an unfamiliar term to Hiro. So, he readily nodded his head.
The enthusiasm with which he was focusing on him, Kenji found it rather satisfying. So, he became even more enthusiastic to share his story.
"We were playing against them on their turf. From the moment we stepped onto the field, we were bombarded with the cheers of the fans. Though it wasn\'t a cheer meant for us. Every time we got the ball, we were booed until we lost possession of the ball. The onslaught lasted almost for the entirety of the game." Kenji spoke, his tone full of dread.
Then he turned to look at Hiro. He could tell that he had grabbed his attention.
A thought entered his head as he looked at him, \'How would you fare if you were in my spot?\'
More than talent, what one required in such a situation was mental toughness. And he could tell that Hiro was rather resilient. So, he couldn\'t help but wonder if he would have easily fended off the invisible pressure from the home fans.
The two spent their time talking with each other. Kenji shared his experiences while Hiro ardently listened to him. It was much better to hear from the person who had experienced the scene firsthand than through TV or any other media.
However, contrary to Kenji\'s attempt of trying to scare him, it only made him more interested. Seeing such interest, Kenji couldn\'t help but look forward to the future of Hiro.
\'The day this guy makes his debut, I\'d like to see it firsthand\'
While they spent their time conversing, other players spent their time resting due to the jet lag. Even so, they were given a day off to recover.
Arriving at the venue, Hiro slightly lifted the curtain, sneakily glancing at the venue.
The venue was filled with fans clad in white and red. Even though it was a friendly match, a lot of fans showed up for the match.
It might be due to their recent performances in the Euro but those fans seemed unusually enthusiastic. Most were clad in the number 7 jersey.
But the reason for their arrival could mainly be linked to a sole individual.
Their national hero was partaking in the match. Hence despite it being a friendly match, a large number of the audience had showed up for the match.
Hiro who was aware of the reason wasn\'t surprised by the marching fans clad in white and red. Fans of Japan were rather rare. You could hardly spot any fans dressed in the blues.
Going up against a world-class player nominated for the Ballon d\'Or multiple times, Hiro was rather excited about the match.
Even now when seeing the flock of marching fans clad in the opposing jersey, he wasn\'t terrified the least. Contrary, he was excited to feel the so-called atmosphere of the home
fans.
Previously, he had heard from Kenji about his experience and it had got him thinking if it\'d be any different than the experience he had faced before.
How would it feel to play in a stadium filled with opposing fans to its brim?
Would it be as intimidating as Kenji had said?
While Hiro was eagerly looking forward to the match, Kaoru appeared unusually silent. Though he didn\'t reveal any emotions on his face, one could tell from his clenched fist that he was rather nervous.
Sensing his unease, Kenji whispered, "It will be alright"
As for most of the other players, they were pretty lax. Well, why would they worry? For many,
it wasn\'t their first international game.
They had already experienced such matches before.
Rather they were confident.
As for their confidence, it was mainly because they believed they were the superior side.