Burden

"Hey, why are you just standing there? Get in."

"Ugh, yeah."

Akira hesitated a bit before getting into the car. But since he was in a public space with people watching, he got in anyway.

As he entered, Hana shifted over, making room for Akira. Her smile was the same as ever—fake and full of deceit. But there was a slight difference in the vibe she gave off this time.

"You're heading to the office, right?" Hana asked.

"Yeah."

"Good. We're headed the same way. I also want to see my son at his new job."

Akira squinted. Calling his two-story shop a workplace was a bit of a stretch. But it wasn't entirely wrong.

The car cruised at a steady pace. The luxury vehicle insulated them from outside noise, leaving only silence. The driver occasionally glanced at the two passengers in the back through the rearview mirror. Neither Akira nor Hana had spoken a word yet.

But that wasn't surprising. Their last meeting hadn't ended well.

In his mind, Akira was somewhat anxious about the current situation. There was no way he could forget what had happened and just pretend everything was fine. But still, he had to start a conversation before the awkwardness killed him.

"Nice weather today, huh," Akira said.

"That's the most lame way to start a conversation."

He hissed, regretting his words. It was more embarrassment than regret, actually.

"How about we start with you apologizing?" Hana continued, her eyes fixed forward.

Of course, Akira squinted again. "For what?"

"For saying bad things about my son, calling him untalented and saying he had no chance of becoming an esports athlete. And now, my son's joining your small team."

Realizing where this conversation was headed, Akira took a deep breath. He didn't need to hold back anymore.

"I don't think I need to apologize for something that's not my fault. I just stated the facts. And even though I recruited Haruki, it doesn't mean he's cut out to be an esports athlete. He's got raw skill that needs sharpening, and he's got a lot of shortcomings. He's still below the qualifications to be a pro player."

Akira finally caught Hana's attention. She turned her eyes to him, her expression showing she was surprised by his response.

"Hoo, interesting. I thought you'd apologize. You've got some guts. 10 points for you."

Raising an eyebrow, Akira wasn't sure what she meant by that, but he just nodded. Rich people always had weird thoughts.

Hana leaned in close, staring at Akira from up close. Her sudden move made him a little nervous. Even though she had a child, she still had a pretty face. And the driver seemed curious too, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

"You're too close," Akira muttered.

But Hana ignored him and said, "Then why'd you take my son in?"

Akira quickly realized that Hana was the type who wouldn't be satisfied until she got the answer she wanted. But his gut told him to be honest with her.

Taking a deep breath, Akira thought about the most fitting answer. The most genuine one from the bottom of his heart.

"Because I see myself in Haruki," he replied.

Hana squinted.

"He's like me when I was young, stubborn and a little foolish. Well, technically I'm still young. He doesn't think about the consequences and just does whatever he wants. If I crushed his hopes, it'd be like crushing my own. And more importantly, I don't want to waste the potential he has."

The woman continued to stare at Akira from up close. So close, in fact, that Akira could hear and feel her breath on his face. Slowly, Akira started to get flustered. It had been a while since he'd been this close to a woman.

"You're saying the truth," Hana murmured.

After staring at Akira for what felt like a long time, Hana finally sat back as normal. It made Akira sigh in relief for some reason.

"You're right," she said.

As Akira listened, he noticed Hana's mood had changed. She seemed softer than before. The intimidating aura and her defenses crumbled as if she was starting to open up.

"Once he sets his mind on something, he won't let it go, no matter what. Nothing can stop him. If he fails once, he tries again and again until he succeeds. He's always been like that since he was a kid. He's a stubborn boy who doesn't know when to give up, though he's not as foolish as you said."

Akira nodded. From the way she spoke, he could tell Hana really loved her son. No wonder she tried so hard to get him through that first test during their first meeting.

"But you know what," Hana continued, her eyes locked onto Akira's. "I'm relieved you didn't recruit Haruki just for the money, considering your financial situation. Honestly, I thought you were desperate enough to exploit my son's eagerness. But instead, I got an answer that put me at ease, even if it wasn't what I expected."

Akira raised an eyebrow. For a moment, the thought of taking Haruki in and using his family's wealth to save Quantum Esports had crossed his mind. But he quickly pushed that idea far away.

A bribe was tempting, but the heavy consequences that would follow weren't worth it.

Then, Hana pulled out a smartphone from her bag and started typing something. Not long after, Akira felt a vibration in his pocket.

"Check your phone. You've got a message," Hana said, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

Akira frowned in response. Was Hana sending him something? And how did she even get his number? He couldn't recall ever sharing his private contact information publicly.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. Akira was stunned to see a notification from his banking app showing money had been deposited into his account.

"One... one hundred... one hundred million..."

Naturally, Akira's jaw dropped. He didn't know what to say; his mind went blank. Never in his life had he received such a large sum of money. How was he going to explain this to the tax authorities?

Meanwhile, Hana smiled mischievously, as if this was nothing.

"Wait... wait a minute... What is this?"

"Of course, it's for your team's fund," Hana replied casually. "Is it still not enough?"

"No! It is more than enough. I mean, why? This is too much."

"Just take it. You're wearing that sharp suit to find sponsors, aren't you? Consider it sponsorship money from our company. You really need it."

"Still…"

At that moment, Akira didn't know how to react. His feelings were mixed. Shock, happiness, gratitude, relief. He hadn't expected anything from Haruki's family, but his mother gave him exactly what he needed. It felt like the heavens were opening a path for him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ito. I don't know how I can repay you."

"You don't need to repay me. Besides, you haven't made an employment contract for Haruki yet, have you? With that money, you won't have to worry about paying Haruki's salary. And stop calling me 'Mrs.' I'm still single, got it?"

"Okay, Miss Ito." Akira nodded.

Akira couldn't lie to himself. He was relieved to receive the sudden injection of funds. One of his biggest problems was now solved. Now he could focus on other issues. In his mind, he reevaluated his opinion of Hana.

"At first, I thought you recruited my son because you wanted to take advantage of him. If you had, I planned to enslave you for life. But it turns out you didn't. So you don't have to worry about it."

Hearing that, Akira swallowed hard. He changed his mind again. Hana Ito was scarier than he imagined.

After spending an hour and a half in the luxury car, they arrived in the district where Akira lived, about 100 meters from his office. Hana Ito dropped Akira off there.

"Aren't you getting out? I thought you wanted to see your son."

Hana shook her head. "No. That was just my excuse. Haruki doesn't like it when I mingle with his new friends. Teenage stuff, you know."

"Ah, I see."

Before parting ways, Akira asked her one last thing.

"Why me? Why choose my team? There are plenty of other teams better than Quantum Esports."

Hana chuckled. "That, you'll have to ask Haruki. He's the one who chose your team, not me."

The car window rolled up, and the black limousine drove off.

Akira remained standing there. Her answer still lingering in his mind. He still didn't understand why she was willing to follow her son's wishes. A mother's love, perhaps? Who knows. The rich really are different from the rest.

But more importantly, a burden on his shoulders had been lifted. He could now focus on rebuilding the team.

Before heading home, Akira stopped by the office for a bit. The condition inside was still the same as it was that morning. Messy, with dirty water stains on the floor.

"I have two employees. And neither of them wants to clean up. Lazy bums."

As Akira climbed the stairs, he heard a commotion coming from the upper floor. Just from the sound of it, he knew Daiki and Haruki were arguing. 

And as expected, Akira found Haruki and Daiki yelling in each other's faces when he opened the door.

"You're intentionally making this practice difficult, aren't you? You don't want to train me, you just want to mess with me!" Haruki yelled.

"Huh? What did you say?" Daiki snapped back. "Stop complaining and do what I tell you. Don't make excuses just because you suck!"

"You suck!"

The two were still yelling at each other even though Akira was standing there. Whether they didn't notice his presence or were ignoring him, it irritated Akira.

Without saying much, Akira immediately landed a punch on both of them.

POW!

"I told you to practice, not fight!"

Rubbing their heads where the bumps were forming, Daiki and Haruki were shocked to see Akira standing before them.

"I thought you'd be gone for a while, Akira? Why are you back already?" Daiki asked, confused.

"Maxfit... I mean... Akira. I didn't know you'd be back so soon," Haruki said.

"Is that how you greet me when I come?" Akira sighed, sounding disappointed.

"Never mind," Akira continued. "Anyway, I've got some good news for you."

Daiki and Haruki widened their eyes, curious about what good news Akira could bring.

"First. Quantum Esports has a sponsor. We're saved."

"You're serious, boss?" Daiki asked, shocked.

Akira nodded.

Naturally, Daiki jumped for joy. Among the three of them, Daiki relied the most on Quantum Esports. He'd staked his career on staying here.

Akira turned his gaze to Haruki.

"And, Haruki. I'll be drafting up a contract for you soon. Since you're still underage, make sure you get approval from your guardian."

"I understand."

Unlike Daiki, who was celebrating with euphoria, Haruki seemed serious. 

With the financial issue resolved, Akira now had to tackle another pressing matter.

"Daiki. Make sure you rest up today. Next week, we're heading to Welga Net." Akira then turned his attention to Haruki. "And you too."

The boy nodded.

Daiki frowned. "Welga Net? Why are we going there?"

"We'll be scouting players for our new member."