The god might have deprived him of talent. But that didn’t stop him from advancing. He had made it this far with sheer determination alone and he’d continue to do the same.

But if only he were to be aware that he wasn’t entirely talentless, what kind of expression would he make? Would his perception of players with talent change? He possessed dormant potential which he could only unlock through determination and efforts.

‘I’ll show them,’ he thought, a spark of defiance igniting in his chest. ‘I’ll outwork everyone. I’ll train harder, longer, until my body breaks if I have to. Talent isn’t everything.’

As he thought so, he stood up abruptly, startling a nearby teammate.

Is he still bothered about the game? Or is it too much for him to handle? Well, he did provoke their player, and now he has made a fool out of himself. If I were him, I’d have probably died of humiliation. Don’t fret it, Tominaga. You’ve played well.

His teammates gave him a complacent look as he stood up abruptly. But none stepped in front to confront him.

Tominaga then squared his shoulders, adopting the tough exterior he wore like armor.

“We’ll get them next time,” he declared, his voice carrying a bravado he didn’t entirely feel. “This is just a setback. We’ll come back stronger.”

His words left his teammates utterly stunned. It wasn’t what they were expecting of him. They had expected him to lampoon, or lash out. Instead, he accepted his defeat graciously. Was he the same Tominaga they knew? Or was he an imposter?

Perhaps the defeat was so shocking that it affected his mind.

They couldn’t help but look at him with a mixture of surprise and hope. Some even felt sympathetic.

Tominaga however didn’t flinch. It didn’t matter to him how they looked at him. He swept his gaze as he met eyes with his teammates, channeling every ounce of confidence he had mustered. Inside, doubt gnawed him, but he refused to let it show.

He was the ace, and he couldn’t afford to let his teammates down.

“It’s just as he said,” Kenji nodded. “We can’t let it bother us. This is just a setback and the season is far from over. We’ll reclaim our spot,” he added as he tried to rally his teammate.

“I agree,” Ryuji stood up.

Soon everybody joined as they all rallied together. As they all rallied together, the previous bleak atmosphere of the locker room transformed. The defeat no longer bothered them and they gained a new purpose.

Then as they began to fill out of the locker room to face the waiting media, Kenji stopped Tominaga.

“Thank you, Tominaga. I’m grateful for what you did earlier,” Kenji thanked Tominaga for stepping up during their time of peril. “It was supposed to be my responsibility, but after what happened in the pitch…,” his face darkened and his tone became heavy as he paused to breathe.

There was guilt laced in his voice, and Tominaga could feel it.

The indomitable defender, the unyielding wall, had crumbled before Hiro today. It’s no wonder, he was having difficulty facing his teammates.

“I understand, Kenji-san,” Tominaga said in an understanding manner.

The feeling of shame, regret, and helplessness gnawing on Kenji, he knew it better than anyone else in the room. He could resonate with it. After all, he was going through the same **. So, who else but he would understand his feelings?

However, he couldn’t allow it to bother him. He had to overcome it to be able to conquer it. And only by conquering his setbacks would he grow. Even so, he shouldn’t forget the bitter taste it left in his mouth.

Every failure is the seed of an equivalent success.

He had made it this far because he had failed a lot. But after every failure he had stood up. And he’d continue to do the same. No matter how many times he gets knocked down, he’ll continue to rise until he finally reaches the top.

That was the mindset of Tominaga.

As he heard Tominaga, his lips curled into a subtle smile. He knew that he didn’t have to explain himself any further. This was the side of Tominaga he had never seen. And if not for today’s setback, he might have never experienced it too.

So, he started to feel a little grateful for the setback. It wasn’t right of him to think so, but he couldn’t help it.

That arrogant lad had suddenly matured a lot today. Who knew that there was such a side of him? And, Kenji couldn’t help but see him in a different light.

Kenji nodded as he turned to leave. Just before he left, he said, “Might I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?” Tominaga repeated.

“Take the interview today,” Kenji said straightforwardly.

The way he put it in words, it didn’t sound like he was asking for a favor. But rather it sounded like he was leaving it to him whether he liked it or not.

“But.., how can I?” Tominaga refuted.

But Kenji couldn’t care less about his refusal. He simply waved his hand as he dumped the matter to him and left the room without responding.

Now, Tominaga had no option but to accept it. So, he inhaled deeply as he tried to steel his heart to face the media.

“Just what kind of captain are you? You take all the winning interviews and bail out when you face a troublesome one?” Tominaga complained.

Despite his attempt to calm himself, he got irritated when thinking about the loss. For sure, the reporters would bombard him with unreasonable questions. He wasn’t even trained. So, how was he supposed to answer their questions?

What if he messes it up?

That’d probably tarnish the reputation of the club.

It wasn’t because Kenji didn’t want to take the interview. Or he was bailing out because of the loss. But today, he had seen something different in Tominaga. So, he had faith in him that he’d do well. That’s why he left the interview to him.