Chapter 616: The Opening Match
In a short while, the bus disappeared from their sight. However, the street continued to buzz with excitement and anticipation. Even more than before, people could be seen with excited smiles.
While the crowd began to scatter, Hiro remained fixated on his spot, pondering about the short encounter with the legendary Portuguese.
Curling his lips into a smile, Hiro heaved a deep sigh, "Next time, we'll meet on the pitch."
After that, the four of them continued with their sightseeing.
********
On the street, a horde of people could be seen pacing. They appeared to be moving in the same direction and most of the people were also dressed identically.
Reporters and police officers could also be seen in huge numbers.
Hiro stood before the window railing of his hotel room and looked through the glass windows. The sight of jubilant supporters amazed him.
It was like a parade was taking place before him.
The street was bustling with people, the cacophony of cheers echoing in Hiro's ear. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"So, it's today, huh?" Hiro muttered while staring at the excited fans parading beneath.
Though he was used to seeing such scenes, he still couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of people rallying towards the venue.
Hiro kept his gaze fixed on the vibrant crowd below, lost in thought as he tried to steel himself for the game ahead. Just then, there was a knock on the door, snapping him back to reality. Opening it, he found Kein standing there with a cheerful expression.
"Aren't you coming down?" Kein said, his voice barely audible due to the ongoing noise outside.
With the opening match starting soon, the entire team was scheduled to meet. Although everyone didn't need to show up. After all, they were merely going to watch the opening match together and the match didn't have anything to do with them either.
So, they weren't required to show up if they didn't feel like showing up.
Hiro, however, didn't have any other plans. So, he decided to watch the match together with the rest of the team.
Hiro nodded, "Let's go."
As Hiro followed Kein down the corridor, he could already hear the excitement buzzing in the air. Just from the noise alone, he could tell that a lot of them had already gathered.
Pushing the door open, Hiro and Kein entered.
Decorated in vibrant colors and opulent decorations, the room was extremely spacious. Well, given their position, it wasn't something unexpected.
"Come over here," Naoto waved his hand, calling Hiro over.
Naoto and a few others had already found a spot and they were all gathered together. Responding to Naoto, Hiro and Kein walked over to them.
The opening ceremony was still minutes away, yet outside the stadium, a chaotic scene was unfolding, far exceeding anything Hiro could have imagined.
News cameras captured swarming crowds and frantic energy as thousands of eager fans converged on the venue, hoping to make their way inside. Lines were spilling over in every direction, fans jostling for position as tension and excitement mixed in the atmosphere.
Security staff, overwhelmed by the surge, struggled to maintain order as people pushed forward, desperate to reach the entrance. Small groups of fans called out to each other over the noise, while others waved flags and held banners aloft, adding bursts of color to the already vibrant crowd.
A few young fans clambered onto shoulders to catch a glimpse of the entrance, while loudspeakers crackled as officials tried to relay instructions that were mostly drowned out by the noise.
With chants rising sporadically from different parts of the crowd, the mood outside felt like a microcosm of anticipation, nerves, and sheer thrill, all intensifying as the clock ticked closer to the ceremony's start.
"Woah! Look at all those people. It's almost as if I'm watching a zombie apocalypse," Tatsuki paused to exclaim, clearly mesmerized by the riot outside the venue.
He was holding a glass of soft drink and so were most of the people in the room. Alcohol was prohibited. So, soft drinks were the only last resort they could resort to.
"Obviously, the scenario should be like this. After all, it's the match of their nation," Naoto chimed in, rolling his gaze to look at Tatsuki.
"But is football that popular in the USA?" Tatsuki asked with a rather dumbfounded expression.
Hearing him, many of them couldn't help but sigh. With their eyes widened in surprise and disappointment, they turned to look at him.
They couldn't tell if he was being real or not.
"Are you for real?" Kein asked.
"Did I say something wrong?
"Were you sleeping when Messi, Suarez, and others came to the MLS?"
Even Kein who rarely watched Major League Soccer had started to pay attention to the league after Messi transferred to Miami.
After that transfer, football as a sport had bloomed all over the USA.
Eventually, the Messi craze swept over the entire nation, vitalizing the once-declining sport. After that hype, even the average attendance for any Messi game easily exceeded the attendance for a major J-league game.
"I stopped following Messi and Ronaldo after they left Europe," Tatsuki explained.
No wonder, he wasn't aware of the boom after Messi's transfer. The others finally understood
why he wasn't aware of the rising popularity of the MLS.
"It's huge, my friend. Soccer is like one of the most popular sports here now," Kein said, putting his hands on Tatsuki's shoulder, staring at him with eyes full of pity.
The way Kein stared at Tatsuki felt as if he felt sorry for him.
Dumbfounded, Tatsuki couldn't tell what he meant. So, he simply thanked him for helping him, "Ah, Is that so? Thank you for telling me."
After that Kein turned to look at Hiro. Since he hadn't spoken anything, he assumed that Hiro was also unaware of the rising popularity of football in the USA.
"Don't you guys ever watch football?" Kein asked.
Clearly, he was hinting at Hiro and Tatsuki. He had heard that they lived together. So, he couldn't help but feel curious if they were the types to only focus on themselves.
"Quiet guys, the ceremony is about to start."
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