Episode 117: The Station God of Urawa Station

The Keihin-Tohoku, Utsunomiya, and Takasaki lines intersect here, and the area in front of the station is overflowing with soccer-related flags and people wearing red uniforms. Urawa Station is truly worthy of being called the 'Holy Land of the Reds'.
The station god who protects Urawa Station is a hot-blooded man wearing a red cape. He holds a soccer ball in his hands and watches over the flow of people with a play-by-play commentary style.
'Whoa! The supporter army has just stormed the ticket gates! It's a Herculean task to hold a Suica in one hand while waving a flag with the other! But here comes the Station God with a brilliant through pass!'
When the god mimicked kicking a ball, the automatic ticket gate happened to open smoothly for a split second, and the supporters passed through the gate perfectly.
'Goooal! What incredible breakthrough power! Another successful advance toward Saitama Stadium today!'
In the morning, a middle school student was arguing with a friend on the platform.
'Urawa-Misono bound? Wait, is that the wrong train?'
'Huh, Higashi-Urawa? What's that?'
The god held his head in his hands.
'Does the route map look like a soccer tactical board to you? Don't worry, I'll explain it!'
When he snapped his fingers, a kind lady nearby told them, 'If you're going to Saitama Stadium, you should take the train bound for Urawa-Misono.' The middle school student smiled and said, 'That saved us!'
'Alright, another assist successful! You can't play soccer alone!'
At lunchtime, a line of salarymen formed at the soba shop inside the station. For those struggling to decide between tempura soba or curry udon, the god grinned and flicked his ball. Suddenly, freshly fried kakiage appeared from the kitchen with a sizzling sound, and the entire line leaned toward the tempura soba.
'A tactical victory! Scoring the first point with a food-porn attack!'
By the afternoon, children wearing red replica uniforms were playing soccer in the shopping district in front of the station. The god couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
'That's great... future striker candidates. Urawa is good at generational change, too.'
However, in the evening, tourists caught in the rush hour were in total chaos, asking, 'Wait, aren't there too many Urawa stations? Kita-Urawa? Minami-Urawa? Naka-Urawa?' The god almost fell over.
'That's right! There are too many Urawas! Who made so many of them?!'
In the end, a local high school student quickly told them, 'If you're going to Saitama Stadium, it's Urawa-Misono,' and the tourists managed to board the correct train. The god sighed in relief and muttered, 'I feel like I just won a penalty shootout.'
At night, supporters returning from the stadium came back to the station, waving their red scarves. Watching them return while singing, whether they won or lost, the god spread his cape and shouted.
'Alright! Urawa was hot again today! I'll be cheering for all the people and trains tomorrow, too!'
That voice didn't reach the people. But on the backs of those leaving the station, the heat of the stadium somehow remained.