My system allows me to copy talents

Chapter 660: Shattered Dreams



With England equalizing the score in the last moment, the match went into extra time.

However, the extra time didn't go as they wished. The lack of a master operator in the center of the field became evident with their faltering momentum.

With them struggling to operate in the extra time, it became evident they lacked Hiro.

Before, Hiro helped them operate smoothly, organizing passes, and making interception. However, now Japan struggled to gain control of the midfield.

Though they managed to solidify their defense, it was at the cost of their offense.

Now, Japan had turned nothing but a team that depended on their defense. Though this change had its perks, its cons outweighed its perks.

Every strike of the opponent posed a great threat to them, putting their stability in danger. Japanese fans now on their toes couldn't even bear themselves to watch this onslaught any further.

Hiro and the others in the Japanese box were growing equally anxious.

In the end, however, despite missing a lot of shots, England put another past their net in the final moment of the game, ending their dream.

Beep!

The game came to an end as the additional thirty minutes elapsed.

A huge roar erupted forth from the stand. Hugging and cheering, the English fans celebrated their hard-earned victory. Jubilation was etched on their faces, they exchanged glances and their excitement.

No doubt it was a difficult match.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

At one point, the thought of defeat had already crossed their mind. If it weren't for Harry Maguire's last-second goal, they wouldn't have been able to witness this outcome.

It would have been them who would be leaving the pitch with broken hearts.

However, the outcome was different and they had won.

Now that they had won the match, nothing mattered to them. The only thing that mattered was the fact that they were through to the semi-finals.

With this, they were one step closer to the glory. The thought of this filled their heart with unimaginable joy and they couldn't stop smiling.

Meanwhile, the Japanese fans had a defeated look on their faces. Even now, the feeling of their victory getting snatched at the final moment left a bitter taste in their mouth.

It had been more than thirty minutes since they had conceded that equalizing goal. Yet still, they were haunted by the moment.

Having led the match until the final minute of the game, they had woven a wonderful dream of them making it to the semi-finals. However, their dream was short-lived as Harry Maguire burnt their dream at the last second.

Now, with the lingering aftertaste of the defeat, they stood motionless in their seat.

On the field, Hiro glanced at the field dazedly, the English players running wild on the field, celebrating. His teammates, now, almost listless wandered around the pitch with a seemingly devastated expression.

Their eyes were dull and their mouths were shut.

None of them seemed capable of holding a conversation. It looked as if they weren't in their right mind.

The others around him were in the same state as the ones inside the pitch. Hiro, however, felt followed inside. Rather than feeling devastated, he felt hollow.

It was as if a hole had been carved inside his heart.

Where did things go wrong? Why did they lose?

His team had lost. However, strangely enough, he didn't feel sad about it. Even Hiro was baffled by this change. However, he couldn't figure out why he felt this way either.

Hiro contemplated the strange emotions swirling inside him.

'What's this sensation I'm feeling?' He looked at his smooth hand roughened by the weights he lifted.

The palm of his hand was covered in visible callouses and a few bruises as if it were scratched against some rough surface could also be seen.

If people looked at his hand, they might mistake him for someone involved in hard labor. It wasn't the hand of a flower boy but the hand of a man toughened by hardship.

Hiro then averted his gaze from his hand and turned to look at Nanami. Just like him, Nanami had gone silent as well.

With his brows knitted, he was silently observing the field.

Like a battlefield after the battle, the Japanese substitution box was filled with grief and pain. The silent wails of pain, the defeated look on the faces of players and staff alike, and the atmosphere filled with gloom, they looked devastated.

Hiro could resonate with the inner turmoil of Nanami.

"Winning and losing is part of the game," Hiro whispered softly and locked his hands, his fingers crossed into a prayer.

Then like the dropping raindrops, a bead of tears fell from his moist eyes. Hiro, however, was unaware of the falling tears.

The teardrop fell on his crossed hand, atop his hand.

"Winning and losing is part...," Hiro's voice cracked and he couldn't complete the sentence. He was trying to comfort himself.

But before long, like a monsoon downpour, tears fell down his eyes without any pause. The falling tears moistened the grass, his boot, and his hand.

Even though he wanted to deny the loss, Hiro failed to do so.

One of the cameramen who was wandering through the pitch caught sight of Hiro tearing and pointed his camera at Hiro.

There were a lot of people tearing up. However, Hiro seemed like an unusual case. Even

though tears were falling from his eyes, he wasn't wailing.

You could see the pain of defeat in his eyes. Yet still, he stood like a person unaffected by the pain. It was almost like his mind and heart were in a conflict.

Back in Hiro's home, both of Hiro's parents couldn't control their emotions watching their son's tearing figure on the screen.

The world might be unaware but they could tell that Hiro was under a lot of pain. He was hurt and he was broken. However, he was still trying to remain tough. Even though his tears were saying otherwise, his sharp eyes told a different untold story.

"Hiro.., my son...," Hiro's mother wept, her voice filled with pain. "I know... you're suffering my child... but you don't have to hold it inside you..."

Takashi couldn't hold back his feelings either. However, he couldn't bring himself to cry openly like his wife either. He was hurt. Watching his son's sorry state made his heart bleed.

The more he looked at Hiro, the more he felt sorry for him.

He wanted to be there and tell his son that it was alright. He wanted to be there and tell him

that it was okay to cry.

However, even though he wanted to, he couldn't.

He felt helpless and hated this feeling of helplessness. Shrieking and weeping softly, he tried

to hold back his tears.

This scene was extremely painful for him to watch.

If he was pained to this extent then what about his son who was suffering this moment

firsthand? Wouldn't he be in a lot of pain?

Even thinking about this made his heart palpitate.

The scene around most of Japan was the same. Watching Hiro tearing silently, they felt pity

for him. It wasn't his fault, to begin with, that they had lost the game.

Yet still, he was suffering greatly.

Seeing Hiro's pitiful state, they couldn't help but feel emotional as well.

This young man had given his best, this young man had stood when they sought a hero. Yet

now, the very young man who had rekindled the spark of hope inside them was looking

devastated.

Even so, they could see the resolve in his eyes.

Though tears fell from it, they could tell that this young man was strong.

"You don't have to shoulder the blame, Hiro," someone from the crowd roared inside a pub,

his voice was shaky and filled with grief and encouragement.

"Yeah, Hiro. You've given your best. Stay strong, Hiro." another cried out.

Soon, the entire bar filled with people, drunk and sober were tearing up and shouting words of encouragement almost as if their voices could be heard over there.

Perhaps, they wanted to convey that they were proud of him.

While the others in his team couldn't even bring themselves to comfort him, the people who

were watching him were desperately yelling words of comfort as if they could resonate with

his pain.

At this instant, it wasn't a matter of their shattered dreams but the emotions tied to Hiro they

were more concerned about.

They felt even more connected to Hiro and wanted to support this guy even more.

They were heartbroken to see him crying.

This feeling of anguish and heartbreak, they couldn't soothe even if they wished to.

At this moment, almost the whole of Japan was weeping.

"You have to stay strong, Hiro..... I know you can do it," Sumire chanted softly with her eyes

full of tears. Like others, she also couldn't hold back herself from weeping.

This scene of Hiro tearing up made her heart heavy.