The next day…
The afternoon was calm. The kind of quiet where life slows down for a moment. Jim wandered through a local supermarket, browsing the shelves without much interest. He reached for a display—when suddenly—
Thud!
He collided into someone from the other aisle. They both stumbled back and hit the ground with a dull thump.
Jim: "Ah! I'm so sorry!"
Stranger: "No, it's my fault—wait… Jim?!"
Jim looked up and blinked in surprise.
Jim: "Yo! Bro?! Minato?!"
Minato: "A-Ah! It really is you…!"
Jim grinned and stood up. "From the match yesterday… Yellow Storm's firebird. I didn't expect to run into you here!"
Minato chuckled awkwardly as he got up. "Neither did I. Crazy coincidence."
Jim: "You free right now? Wanna talk?"
Minato: "Yeah, sure. Why not?"
At a park nearby…
Jim returned from a vendor with two ice creams—handing one to Minato. The two sat on a bench, surrounded by kids playing in the distance.
Jim: "So, what were you doing at the supermarket?"
Minato: "Ah… I kind of ditched practice," he said with a sheepish laugh. "I needed some air. Things were getting a bit too tense, so I just wandered off and ended up there."
Jim: "Wow, bold move. I was there to buy new shoes for training."
Minato: "Ah, so Phantom Force is grinding hard for the semis, huh?"
Jim: "Not crazy hard, but yeah, we're putting in the work."
Minato took a thoughtful bite of his mango cone, then spoke more softly.
Minato:
"You're lucky, you know. Having a team like Phantom Force."
Jim tilted his head. "Why do you say that?"
Minato sighed, eyes focused on the kids playing in the park.
"At the start of my journey… I was a struggler. I had the skills, yeah—but no confidence. I'd do well in practice, but once the real match started, I'd freeze. The pressure crushed me. A few matches in, the management started treating me like a 'practice-only' player."
Jim stayed quiet, listening.
Minato continued:
"If it weren't for my captain, Zyro… I don't think I'd still be playing today. He always defended me. Said I had something special. If he hadn't believed in me, my career would've ended two years ago."
Jim looked at Minato seriously.
Jim:
"You're wrong about one thing."
Minato blinked. "Huh?"
Jim:
"I'm not lucky. I was on the bench for two years. People used to laugh at me because I didn't awaken my sprite even after 14. I barely got to play in practice games. Deep down, even I started believing I was sprite-less…"
Minato looked surprised. "Wait, seriously?"
Jim nodded.
"If it wasn't for Coach Tenjo and my two childhood friends… I would've quit long ago. They believed in me when no one else did. They told everyone I was worth something. That I just needed time."
Minato: "...Whoa."
Jim smiled. "So yeah. You're not the only one who struggled."
A moment of silence passed between them. It wasn't awkward—just… honest. Real.
Minato: "Guess we're more alike than I thought."
Just then, two familiar voices broke the calm.
Volt: "JIM! There you are!"
Alex: "Finally found you."
Volt's eyes lit up when he spotted Minato.
Volt: "Wait… isn't that Minato?! Yo, Minato! It's me, Volt—the most handsome dribbler alive! And this grumpy dude here is Mr. Arrogant—Alex."
Alex: "...Who are you calling arrogant?"
Jim: "Guys, stop."
Minato couldn't help but laugh.
Volt looked offended. "Oi, what's so funny? Is there a joke written on my face?"
Minato: "No, no—sorry! You guys just argue like little kids."
Alex (flatly): "He's got a point."
Volt: "Et tu, Alex?!"
Jim chuckled. "Alright, alright. Let's get back to practice."
Jim stood up and turned to Minato.
Jim: "I gotta go. See you around?"
Minato nodded with a warm smile. "Yeah. See you soon."
As Jim, Volt, and Alex walked off, Minato sat back down on the bench, watching the sky.
He muttered softly to himself:
"Thanks, Jim… I feel lighter now. Your story… it's inspiring. I'm glad we met."