<h4>Chapter 436 Tominaga''s resolve</h4>


    "I can do this," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I have to."


    He said to himself as he tried to encourage himself.


    Then with trembling fingers, he reached for his phone. He had to share this moment with his parents. After all, they had sacrificed so much for his dream. So, they should be the people to get to know about it before anybody else.


    For sure, they''d be overjoyed to hear it.


    Ring! Ring!


    The phone in Hiro''s house kept on ringing. Yet none picked it.


    "Why aren''t they picking?" Hiro mumbled, sounding a little impatient.


    They were taking way too long to pick up his call. Usually, he''d have been considerate. But right now, he desperately wanted to share this wonderful piece of news with them.


    Ring after ring echoed in his ear, sending a pang of disappointment through his chest. Where were they? He couldn''t help but feel a bit anxious.


    But little did he know, a very different scene was unfolding in his house. His father was slumped before the TV with an empty beer can at his feet. Meanwhile, his mother was in the kitchen doing her dishes.


    The loud sound of the television only muffled the ring.


    "Maybe they''re not home," he thought as the call failed to connect.


    As the call failed to connect even after several tries, he thought of giving up. After all, he had all the time he needed to inform them.


    Then he lifted his bag and exited the locker room. It''d be a little troublesome for him if he were to keep the team waiting. So with that thought in mind, he headed straight to the shower.


    As he entered the shower, he noticed that most of his teammates had already left. So, he hurriedly took a shower and left the shower to catch up with his teammates.


    "What took you so long?" Asahi questioned.


    The team had been waiting for him. And, he was thest to arrive. So, it was only natural for them to question him.


    "It must be the excitement. If it was me, I''d have done the same as well. Hahaha,"


    One of his teammates teased, sounding rather cheerful, leaving him no opportunity to exin. Others chimed in as well. For a moment, everybody forgot their exhaustion as they cheerfully talked about him.


    Then as everybody got seated, the bus driver stepped on the gas pedal.


    Later that day, he finally got the opportunity to share this piece of news with his parents. As he broke the news, it left them utterly stunned for a while. Though they had pretty much expected him to make it someday.


    They were still shocked to find that he had been called up at such a tender age.


    In the locker room of Vissel Kobe, Tominaga sat with his face buried in his hand. The room was eerily silent, a stark contrast to the thunderous roars of the stadium just moments ago.


    His mind reyed the match in excruciating detail, each moment etched with the burning rity of regret. But one moment stood out above all others— the moment when Hiro took on their entire team all by himself, effortlessly gliding past defenders as if they were mere training cones and managing to score.


    That moment was so vivid that he couldn''t forget it even if he wished to forget it. Like how was he supposed topete against such a yer?


    Remembering this scene, his fists clenched involuntarily. Along with the memories, he saw his helpless figure on the pitch that had turned into a mere spectator to Hiro''s brilliance. His nails dug deep in his palm as he recalled his helpless figure.


    The ease with which he controlled the game, his lightning-fast reflexes, and his uncanny ability to read the flow of y - it all seemed so unfair. Nijichi''s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath the skin as he fought to maintain hisposure.


    "Damn it," he muttered under his breath, careful not to let his teammates see his frustration. He had a reputation to uphold, 17:56


    after all. Tominaga Nijichi, the absolute ace, the goal machine, the cyborg. But today, that cyborg had crumbled before Hiro''s onught.


    He had failed to deliver. It was an absolute disgrace. To make matters even worse, the person whom he considered his rival had not only scored a goal but also delivered the game-


    winning assist to win them the game.


    Hiro''s talent was undeniable, a fact that gnawed him.


    Why was he not granted such talent? What did heck? Why wasn''t he chosen?


    Tominaga''s mind raced as he thought about Hiro''s talent.


    He was aware of hisck of talent. He hadn''t been the brightest of the yers during his early years. From an early age, he was well aware of his weaknesses.


    But what hecked in raw ability, he made up for in sheer determination and grit as he poured all his energy into training.


    Later as his efforts bore fruit, people attributed his performance to talent. If only they knew, he wasn''t the kind of talent they thought, what kind of reaction would they make?


    Lacking talent, he envied those who were gifted. That''s why, he didn''t have a favorable impression of Hiro because every time he looked at him, he reminded him of the person whom he could only wish to be.


    Sure, having the opportunity to y alongside him, he had seen him train equally hard. But even so, why could he get everything easily while he had to spend months and years perfecting it?


    Indeed, he didn''t have any ulterior motive. He might not even be aware of it. But every time, Hiro was around him, he felt inferior.


    The way he mastered new techniques easily was like looking down on his efforts.


    Maybe it might only be him who was obsessed with surpassing Hiro. And maybe they might even call him pathetic for being stuck on such a childish thing. But even so, he would rather struggle than admit defeat like the rest.