Chapter 528: Professional or Unfilial?


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    After a while, Hiro stepped inside as well. The moment his gazended on his father, he felt a bittersweet mix of emotions.


    Now that he had learned the truth, he couldn''t help but feel his heartache.


    Then he trod to the bed where his fathery and stood beside him. For a while, he could only stare at him nkly with differentplicated emotions swelling inside his heart.


    The man who was the epitome of positivity to him right nowy before him motionless, and covered in bandages. Upon closer inspection, the texture of his skin seemed sickly pale almost as if he was terminally ill.


    Even before heading inside to face him, Hiro had prepared himself mentally. But when he stood by his side, he couldn''t help but feel hollow from inside.


    Moisture began to umte in his eyes making it seem like he was on the verge of tearing. The frown on his face didn''t go unnoticed as his mother who was right by his side noticed it. She could tell that he was suffering inside.


    Seeing such an expression, she wanted tofort him.


    But as she was about to speak, her gazended on his hand clenched into a fist. It appeared that he was struggling to keep himself from breaking apart.


    It seemed like her son was a lot stronger than she had imagined initially.


    If she acted now, she might do more harm than good. So, she refrained from acting out even though it pained her to see him like that.


    She pursed her lips as she swallowed the pity she felt toward her son.


    Hiro then slowly reached out to his father. Holding his hand, he gently caressed. But he couldn''t feel much warmth from it.


    Though he could feel some warmth, it was a lot colder.


    The coldness in his hand made his heart shudder and the knot in his brows deepened further.


    At this time, Akashi who had been watching his gestures left the room. The nurse did the same as well.


    With the two gone, now Hiro was left with his mother and father.


    An eerie silence descended upon the room. Apart from the beeping sound of the medical equipment, nothing else could be heard in the room.


    Then after a while, Hiro''s mother broke the silence as she said gently, "Hiro... I''ve been hiding something from you. Your father hasn''t awakened since the day of the ident"


    She said with a heavy heart.


    A moment ago, she was trying so hard to hide the truth. But now, she was revealing the truth on her own ord.


    But it didn''t surprise Hiro. After all, he had already figured that something was amiss. So, he didn''t react when he heard the truth.


    Without any change in his expression, he listened to her reveal more terrible news. Yet still, even upon learning the truth, he remained unfazed, making it seem almost as if he was a stone-hearted person whocked emotions.


    The calm on Hiro''s face although it frightened her at first. But a part of her felt grateful that the news didn''t break him.


    She was relieved to see that her son had matured.


    She didn''t know how she would react if he couldn''t take the news.


    For some reason after telling him the truth, she felt relieved as well. Before, the feeling of guilt was gnawing at her. But now, she felt as if she had emptied her heart.


    "I''m sure, you must have had a really tough time. But now that I''m here, you don''t have to bear the burden alone, Mom," Hiro said, his toneced with concern.


    It wasn''t only his father who seemed pale. After spending the entire week in the hospital, his mother also appeared somewhat sickly.


    Though she found his words assuring, she couldn''t help but ask, "But what about your club? Have you thought about it?"


    In the heat of the moment, he had spoken without thinking. But now that she mentioned the club, what was he supposed to say?


    He hadn''t even asked for permission from the club.


    So, he couldn''t bring himself to respond immediately.


    Hiro''s mother could see that he hadn''t thought about it thoroughly. Theck of response and


    the hesitation on his face was a testament to his irresponsive attitude.


    "Tell me honestly..., You haven''t asked permission from the club yet, right?" she narrowed her eyes as she probed.


    Hiro might have matured drastically. However, there were a few things that wouldn''t change that easily.


    "I''m sure...., they''ll understand once I tell them," he responded haphazardly as if he was unsure of his ims.


    A few days wouldn''t be troublesome. But from what she could tell, he wanted to be here for a long period. And this she couldn''t allow.


    She might have been more than happy to have him here if he wasn''t needed in the club. But from what she could tell, he was an important yer in the club.


    Just because of his personal problems the entire team shouldn''t suffer.


    And she wasn''t willing to let that happen.


    So, she rose from her seat and stared at him deeply. Then she ced her hands atop his shoulder as she said, "I know that you are worried about your Dad. But your father would want you to keep ying. This is what you''ve worked so hard for. We''ll be fine here."


    "But-"


    "No buts," she interrupted, her tone firm. "You''ve done what you can. Now, focus on your training. We''ll be here when you need us."


    Reluctantly, Hiro nodded.


    For some reason, he couldn''t bring himself to deny her. There was something in her eyes that made him unable to go against her.


    Sumbing to her, he said, "Then I''ll do as you say. But if something happens, please...,


    don''t hesitate to call me, Mom"


    Now that he had agreed, she responded with a calm, "Don''t worry. I''ll let you know if something happens. Just give your best, your teammates need you"


    He kissed his mother''s cheek, squeezed his father''s hand onest time, and left the hospital. As he walked down the sterile hallway, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was leaving something important behind.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unbeknownst to him, the nurse who had been attending to his father had taken a discreet photo of Hiro during his visit.


    She was struck by the young man''s quiet intensity and his unwavering dedication to both his


    family and his career. The image, captioned with a simple "Dedication in the face of adversity," was soon posted to her social media ount, where it quickly began to gain


    traction.


    The post didn''t take long to attract the attention of reporters always hungry for a story, especially one involving a rising football star.


    As the image circted online, spection began to mount.


    What was Hiro doing at the hospital?


    After he had stormed away from the airport without even showing his face, people were curious where about his whereabouts. For the past few days, they had repeatedly visited the club training ground in hopes of seeing him.


    But despite their efforts, they were unable to find him.


    However, now that someone had posted him, it was only natural for them to feel curious


    about the reason for his sudden disappearance.


    "Did he injure himself?"


    "Is he there to visit someone?"


    "I contacted the hospital and it seems like he was there to visit hisatose father"


    "So, he stormed away from the airport in a rush to see his father?"


    "I hope his father recovers soon"


    "We''re with you, Hiro"


    Differentments floated around the inte.


    Soon, a full-blown investigation was underway. Reporters dug into Hiro''s background,


    eventually uncovering the truth about his father''s critical condition. The revtion hit the


    news like a bombshell.


    At first, the story was sympathetic. Many praised Hiro for his professionalism, and for continuing to train and y even while his fathery in a hospital bed.


    Headlines described him as a "young athlete with unshakable dedication," a "son who honors his father by pursuing his dreams."


    But as the story spread, the narrative began to shift. Some critics emerged, questioning Hiro''s


    decision to leave his father''s side for the sake of football. "How could he abandon his family


    in such a time of need?" they asked. "What kind of son chooses his career over his dying


    father?"


    The public''s reaction was split. On one hand, there were those who admired Hiro''s focus and dedication, who believed that he was doing what any professional would do in his situation.


    On the other hand, there were those who viewed his actions as heartless, as the behavior of someone who had lost sight of what really mattered.


    Social media was flooded with conflicting opinions. Some users posted messages of support,mending Hiro for his resolve. Others condemned him, calling him selfish and ungrateful. The debate raged on, with Hiro caught in the eye of the storm.


    At the club, Hiro''s teammates were quick to rally around him, but the tension was palpable. The media frenzy had brought an unwanted spotlight to their training sessions, with reporters constantly hounding Hiro for a statement.