Rise - Pursuing a Dream - Inglês version

Phoenix part I

After the defeat the night before, Force decided to give the members of the Warriors Of Night the day off.

Pond woke up late that day, with the sun's rays shining brightly through the window. However, the morning's brightness didn't reflect in his mood. A sense of sadness and discouragement engulfed him, and the memories of the previous night came back to haunt him relentlessly.

He vividly remembered not only the defeat but also how he had cried in Phuwin's arms, his vulnerability fully exposed at that moment. A feeling of shame washed over him, making him feel weak and inadequate. Pond wasn't someone who liked to openly display his moments of weakness as he had done the previous night.

As Pond sat on the bed, he felt a momentary relief at not finding Dunk in the room. Silence and solitude seemed to offer some comfort that morning. He then picked up his phone, noticing two missed calls from his friend Joong. With a tired sigh, he decided to return the call, knowing that Joong was undoubtedly worried about him.

The call was answered, and Joong's voice sounded on the other end, filled with concern. "Hey, Pond, how are you feeling?"

Pond hesitated for a moment before responding. "Well, Joong, I was a bit upset about last night's situation, but it's a new day, isn't it? You don't have to worry."

Joong's voice sounded gentle, and he said, "You know, Pond, you don't have to hide when you're sad. We're friends, and friends take care of each other."

Pond was touched by Joong's words. "Thank you, Bro, I'm really grateful to have a friend like you. I am feeling better now than yesterday, you can rest assured."

Apprehensively, Pond asked, "And Fourth? Did he go to class today? How is he?"

Joong replied, "Yes, he was a bit worried about you, but I assured him that you are strong and will be okay."

Joong's words brought comforting warmth to Pond's heart. Before ending the conversation, Joong suddenly asked, "Have you thanked your little prince today?"

Pond was surprised by the question. "What are you talking about, Joong?"

Joong's excited voice continued from the other end of the line, "Don't tell me you haven't seen your little prince's messages on your social media? I think he must have spent a good part of last night clapping back at those unbearable trolls on the Internet. There are so many comments from him..."

Pond was surprised by the news. "What? No, I haven't seen that."

Joong chuckled softly. "Take a look, man. Your little prince is doing an amazing job defending you."

Pond thanked Joong for the information with gratitude. "I'll check it out right away, Joong. Thanks for letting me know."

After the conversation, Pond ended the call and quickly grabbed his phone. He was curious and touched to see the messages of support from his little prince.

Pond began to read the messages. The forum thread was full of mean comments and doubts about his skills. "He's a disappointment," "He doesn't deserve to be on the team," "He was a burden in the match." Just as he was about to start feeling down again reading those words, Pond spotted the first comment from his little prince.

"Hello, everyone," began The Little Prince, his writing calm and respectful. "I think we all have our opinions about the match, but let's remember that Pond is a real human being, not just a virtual character. He works hard and strives, just like all of us in our lives."

A user posted: "Pond is just another pretty face, no surprise he doesn't measure up."

The Little Prince replied: "Judging someone solely by their appearance isn't fair. Pond has shown dedication and effort. Everyone deserves a chance to grow."