Chapter 572: Different Person

Soon, the inevitable came. Hiro was gently pulled aside for an interview, the camera lights shining brightly on his face. The journalist smiled, though Hiro could already tell that her questions would probe deeper than simple match reflections.

“You scored 27 goals this season, and despite your injury, you’ve taken home the top scorer award. How does it feel to know that you’ve left such a massive impact?”

Hiro was relieved. At least, it wasn’t anything related to his personal life. So, he felt glad at the reporter’s decision to uphold his professionalism.

Hiro took a deep breath, keeping his tone measured. “It feels great. It’s always an honor to contribute to the team’s success, and I’m grateful to have played a part in securing the title.” Hiro answered with utmost modesty. He could have hogged the spotlight all alone. But he decided to share the credit with the rest of his teammates.

Although they struggled later in the season, he couldn’t help but commend their effort.

The reporter nodded but quickly followed up. “Many people are in awe of your decision to play on despite your father’s situation. Can you tell us more about why you made that choice?”

Hiro felt disgusted by the question. Just when he had believed that the reporter before him was different, he showed his true colors.

Even so, he couldn’t show the annoyance in his face. So, he maintained his composure.

However, his smile faltered and his mood dampened. He had expected it to happen, “My father has always supported me and my career,” he began slowly. “I did what I thought was best for both my family and my team. Even now, he tells me that I’ve made the correct decision.”

“But,” the reporter pressed, “there are critics who say that you should have taken time away from the game, that perhaps it was a selfish choice to continue.”

Just why the hell are they probing on this matter? Do they lack other topics?

The more he heard them, the more his irritation grew. Didn’t he say that he had already talked things out with his father?

So, why the hell are they hell-bent on discussing the matter?

The tension in the air grew palpable, but Hiro didn’t flinch. “Everyone has an opinion, and I respect that,” he replied firmly. “But I know my father, and I know what he would want. My decision wasn’t made lightly. And how many times do I have to tell you that I’ve already discussed the matter with him?”

All along, he had been suppressing his desire to scoff. But they were fixated on the matter as if it was their life goal. Their attitude was growing on his nerves.

Finally, he snapped, “Why are you so fixated on this matter? Being a sports reporter shouldn’t you be asking questions related to sports? Or do you find someone else’s personal matters interesting?”

Hiro blatantly criticized the reporters without holding back. Neither was he afraid of the aftermaths nor was he afraid of their retaliation. He had enough of their shit.

The more he refrained from talking about the matter, the more they picked on it. So, if they weren’t going to stop then he held no courtesy towards them either.

Surely, the media personnel would antagonize him. They’d even make things difficult for him. But it was better than enduring.

The reporter paused, realizing he wouldn’t get more from him on the topic, and moved on to safer ground. Sure, he had lashed out previously as well but it wasn’t this severe.

For a moment, he stood there in shock, unable to utter a single word. He hadn’t expected Hiro to lose his cool.

‘If I continue, it won’t end well,’ a thought popped into his head as he analyzed the situation. However, just as he was about to retreat, someone from his team urged him to continue the matter, “What are you doing? We need to spice up the coverage,” whispered an individual.

The reporter seemed hesitant as he shook his head, “Let’s stop here or else it won’t end well.” While they were discussing, Hiro was being interrogated by other reporters. They weren’t the only ones present there.

After retaliating a little, others had stopped pestering him about the matter. But Hiro still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

So, he turned to find the reporter who was instigating him.

Unable to refuse, the reporter from before was about to continue the personal assaults. However, just as he turned to find Hiro, he was met with a cold glare.

Hiro was intently glaring at him.

A cold shudder ran through his spine as he lost all his courage. Facing those pair of intimidating eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to carry out the task.

It was as if Hiro was threatening him.

Afraid of the silent threat, he immediately dropped the proposal, ‘What’s with those eyes? Are those the eyes of a kid?’

At that moment, Hiro seemed like an entirely different person.

As Hiro finished the interview, he returned to his teammates, more certain than ever that, no matter what the media said, he had made the right choice for himself, for his team, and his

family.

The celebration lasted for a while.

People thoroughly enjoyed the moment they shared with their team. Players took turns clicking photos with the trophy, reliving the moment.

Hiro also participated as he took a handful of pictures with the trophy and his teammates. While the celebration was taking place inside the stadium, social media was buzzing with the moment taking place in the venue.

#Jleaguewinner2025 #Youngesttopscoreroftheleague and many more topics were trending on the internet.

Amidst this moment of celebration, Hiro, however, was pondering over an important matter – whether he should take up the offer of Eric or not.

The memories from his past life had started to become unreliable. So, he couldn’t make his decision solely based on it. With his intervention, the future had already started to change.

So, even if he were to rely on his memories of his previous self, it might not guarantee success. With that being said, he would need to meticulously plan his decision.