And, who in their right mind would willingly give up the available spot?
However, it beca clear to many that they'd benefit more from cooperating with him than colliding against him. Well, it was inevitable for a faction to be created. After all, human beings are selfish creatures. And in the face of peril, they tend to care more about their benefit than the glory. But now that he had so ally by his side, it'd get much easier for him to operate. So, Hiro was all grateful for their change of heart. As the ga progressed, he began to play more offensively than before. Even so, due to the ongoing clashes between the players, he couldn't generate many chances. He played as a pivot who connected his defense and offense. However, he couldn't display his full potential because of his teammate's uncooperative behavior. In many situations where they had to play quick one-two passes his teammates would leave him hanging after receiving the ball from him. Instead of returning the pass, they'd often choose to advance by themselves. While in other cases, they lacked the timing to execute plays. Running all over the field, one may wonder if he had an extra pair of lungs. He had been running tirelessly without any stop. While doing so, he did intercept a few of the passes. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was holding the entire midfield of his team all by himself. A minute before the end of the first half, they conceded yet another goal from open play making the score 2-1. Beep!
The first half ca to an end as they failed to equalize in the remaining minutes. Exhausted, they ceased their movents. Many appeared quite frustrated. But all in all, they didn't seem devastated by the loss.
The expression of the veteran players, however, remained unchanged. They were still as cheerful as they appeared in the beginning. Laughing and chatting among themselves they walked out of the pitch. Sweeping his gaze across their face, Hiro still couldn't help but feel a bit unsatisfied. Does it not bother them? How could they act as if nothing happened? They should lead by example. But here they were acting as if they were not responsible for the loss. Exactly being the players with most experience they should be leading as an example. But let alone leading as an example they were influencing the players in a wrong way. Just what's wrong with them? Hiro couldn't help but wonder. Well, they still had another half to play. So, he had all the ti he needed to figure out what was wrong with them. However, more than the matter regarding the veteran players, he had to figure out how to fix the core problem of his team. Sothing had to be done. If only they were a little more cooperative and organized, he would have been able to generate more chances. It'd benefit them equally. But how was he going to convey it? Persuasion wasn't his forte. When thinking about it, he couldn't help but glance at the veteran players. It'd have been a lot easier with their cooperation. If they helped him out, it'd have been a lot easier. It's not that he lacked leadership qualities. But right now, he was in an entirely different environnt, surrounded by strangers. And, he wasn't the extroverted type. So, unless others approached him first, he had no ans to convey his heart. "Huff!" Thinking about it only strained his head. So, he exhaled deeply. "Okay everyone, gather up," Nanami stepped forward. Everyone?
The players appeared rather confused. Why would he want all of them to gather? Did he have so kind of instructions? Or was he going to make so changes? Or perhaps, he was going to point out their flaws in the open?
The players couldn't help guessing. It wasn't just one particular side, but he wanted the players of both sides to gather. As they heard him, they began to scramble around him. "You've all played well. But the match ends here," he announced. "Huh!"
"What about the second half?"
"Is he for real?"
The players appeared dumbfounded by his sudden announcent. The announcent ca in as a shock leaving them utterly surprised and panicked. The end of the match ant the end of the evaluation. For many, their first-half performance had been nothing but a disaster. And those who were unsatisfied with their first-half performance were the most devastated. They had been thinking of improving their performance in the second half. But when they heard that there was no second half, they couldn't help but panic. After all, if the evaluation was done based on the performance of the first half, it was almost guaranteed that they wouldn't make it. So many couldn't help but complain, calling his decision unfair. Nanami however, remained adamant about his decision. It was as if nothing they said would change his mind. Just like many, Hiro appeared rather shocked as well. He wasn't expecting it to end so soon. Until a mont ago, he had been planning his plays in the second half. But now, he was told that there was no second half. Just how was he supposed to take the announcent?
'Why didn't he ntion it before the start of the ga?' If he had done that he'd have given his all. He wouldn't have held back. But as he thought about it, realization dawned on him. 'Wait! What if his motive was to see our performance when we were lax? If he had ntioned the twist, for sure, we would have played even more energetically. But since he didn't ntion it, we played reservedly.' Now that he thought about it, everything made sense to him. 'Just because a match has 90 minutes doesn't an that the first half isn't important. Right from the kickoff, one needs to be prepared, one needs to give their all.' To differentiate a great player from the ordinary, you need to observe him when he's off the pitch. Similarly, if the players aren't serious about the match from the very beginning, you can't expect much from them.
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