?


    Slowly, Shun tilted his head to look at the person. As he rolled his eyes, he was met with a gigantic silhouette of a person who stood tall before him, casting an overwhelming shadow over him.


    Shrouded in darkness, the face of the person before him appeared quite obscure.


    But without even needing to look at it, he could identify the person.


    "Is it okay for you to be here? Shouldn''t you be celebrating instead?" Shun asked albeit sounding a bit discouraged.


    "Just here to check on you- thought you might be crying"


    The response of the person irked him slightly.


    His face flushed as he answered in a flustered tone, "Dream on-"


    Hiro revealed a subtle satiated smirk as he heard his response. He was delighted to find that he hadn''t changed a lot. Then he stretched his hand to help him stand, "Then why don''t you stand up for now"


    "Yeah, it''s far from over," saying so, Shun grabbed Hiro''s hand and propelled himself up.


    However, it didn''t go as Shun had hoped. Let alone put on a fight, many of the opposing yers couldn''t even defend properly in those remaining minutes.


    Coupled with their dwindling morale and exhaustion from tirelessly defending until now, it became overwhelming for the opposing yers, and in the remaining few minutes, they failed miserably.


    Hiro took advantage of their declining performance and scored another goal to secure the win.


    Just like this, the game came to an end.


    The final score of the match was Kawasaki: 3 vs Yokohama: 1


    ''When did it all go wrong?''


    Many opposing yers couldn''t help but ponder. After all, they were in the lead for quite a substantial time. Yet, the result wasn''t in their favor.


    Wearing a gloomy expression, they looked at the scoreboard.


    Then they shifted their gaze to Hiro, ''It was when he subbed in''


    They automatically concluded that it was Hiro who had caused their downfall singlehandedly. If not for him, they would be smiling instead.


    But the reality was right in front of their eyes, so, they couldn''t even deny it even if they didn''t want to believe it.


    "Good game"


    Shun walked to Hiro, extending his hand.


    Although he also felt disappointed by their loss, he couldn''t bring himself to ignore Hiro and the others. After all, he would have done the same if he had lost.


    The defeat was disheartening but he didn''t have any regrets.


    He had given his best. So, he couldn''t even bring himself to whine.


    "You too-" Hiro grabbed his hand as he said, "You have improved a lot"


    Shun let out a self-deprecating smile as he said, "Yeah- enough to be under your shadows, I guess"


    Previously, he had thought that he could at least follow him. But after witnessing him perform, he felt like he had already vanished from his sight.


    It felt like he had to climb over the gate of heaven to be able to reach him.


    Hiro felt so close and so distant at the same time.


    Though he was saying so with a smile, Hiro could tell that he thought otherwise. But even so, what was he supposed to say at such times?


    Hiro wasn''t the best at consoling others.


    So, rather than saying something superficial to cheer him, he spoke his heart instead, "You''re already doing great for someone your age Shun. It hasn''t been that long yet you''ve already developed so much."


    Hiro''s choice of words did more harm than good as Shun couldn''t stop thinking about one particr line he said, "Someone your age"


    What did he mean by that? Did he mean that he was only good for someone his age? Knowing him, he probably didn''t mean it as an insult, but it stung nheless. He let out a soft sigh as he said in a serious tone, "I understand what you mean, but you should probably refrain from consoling others. You''re quite terrible at it."


    The two chatted for a while before Hiro was taken away by the reporters. This time, he couldn''t avoid the interview even if he wished.


    After all, he was the MVP of the match.


    Well, considering how he had flipped the game, it wasn''t much of a surprise that he had been selected as the yer of the match.


    The post-match interview was intense, the atmosphere charged with excitement and tension. Hiro had scored two goals and assisted in another, earning him the MVP of the match. Cameras shed as reporters pushed forward, eager to ask their questions.


    "Congrattions on your performance, Hiro! Two goals and one assist-how does it feel to turn the game around like that?"


    Hiro kept his tone measured, despite the rush of adrenaline still coursing through him. "It was a team effort. We capitalized on the opportunities we had, and I''m d I could contribute."


    But as the questions came, they quickly turned personal. "Hiro, some people are questioning your decision to prioritize football over your father''s health. What do you say to those


    critics?"


    The crowd fell silent, the intensity of the question hanging in the air. Hiro''s jaw tightened slightly, but he remainedposed. "I''m doing what I believe is best. My family understands that, and I don''t feel the need to justify my choices to anyone."


    Another reporter chimed in, "Your father''s condition is serious. Do you think bncing


    football and family is the right call?"


    Hearing him, he couldn''t help but assume that they had pried really deep into the matter so much so that they might even know about the details of which he wasn''t aware.


    Hiro''s eyes shed with frustration, though he kept his response calm. "It''s not an easy situation, but I''m focused on both my career and supporting my family in the best way I can. People will have their opinions, but I know what I''m doing."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The tension grew as the questions persisted. Some reporters pushed harder, while others backed off, sensing the difort. Yet amidst the criticism, a few praised his


    professionalism.


    "You showed incredibleposure on the field today despite everything going on in your personal life," one reporter noted. "How do you stay focused?"


    Hiro paused for a moment before answering. "Football has always been my escape. It''s where


    I can clear my mind. Right now, it''s about keeping that focus and giving everything I''ve got when I''m on the pitch."


    Although Hiro maintained his calm, he was in turmoil. There were instances where he straight wanted to throw the microphone on some of their faces.


    As he walked out of the interview, he snapped, "Those bastards! If you''re that curious then investigate who had put him in such a state"