Olivia leaned on her knees, panting heavily. She had lost again. This time, instead of feeling sad, frustrated, or confused, she felt a sense of relief. The glory of the past was inevitably fading, and her once-proud abilities now seemed vulnerable. The seemingly unremarkable Karl had effortlessly defeated her. A sudden regret washed over Olivia; she felt she shouldn’t judge others by their appearance, which had led to a series of mistakes. But then again, it didn’t seem to matter much anymore.
“It’s all over,” Olivia murmured, turning to walk off the field.
“Wait!” Karl called out, as if sensing her thoughts.
Olivia glanced back, half-turning her face, and said nonchalantly, “What do you want? Feel free to laugh at me; I don’t mind.”
Karl suddenly looked serious, as if he had transformed. “Olivia, are you thinking of giving up on sports?” Hearing his words, Olivia turned fully, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Karl sighed, “I’m sorry, I lied about something. I’ve been aware of you since you started competing and winning. Until recently…” He hesitated, and Olivia lowered her gaze.
“I understand your feelings because I’ve been through something similar,” he said softly. Olivia, intrigued, asked about Karl's past, but he shook his head and replied, “What matters now is your situation.”
“First, I’m not your competitor; you don’t need to feel disheartened by your loss. Second, you’re placing too much weight on winning and losing, making it hard to adjust. Most importantly, you always focus on others, neglecting yourself.” After expressing his concern, Karl bid her farewell, saying, “I have other matters to attend to.” As he walked away, he turned back and added, “If you’re not afraid of losing your dignity, why worry about losing a match?”
Olivia stood frozen for a long moment before slowly making her way home, Karl’s words echoing in her mind.
Donna noticed Olivia sluggishly open the door and walk in without closing it, looking as though her soul had been drained. Confused and worried, she went to Olivia's house, calling her name while peering inside.
Olivia lay rigid on the floor, motionless. Seeing this, Donna panicked and screamed. She rushed to Olivia’s side, shaking her desperately. At first, Olivia didn’t respond, and Donna began to cry. Hearing the sobs seemed to awaken Olivia from a dream; looking at Donna’s face, she suddenly felt clarity and began to laugh joyfully. “Why have I been so concerned about others? I should conquer myself, conquer myself…” Donna, bewildered by her nonsensical words, thought Olivia must be unwell and cried even louder.
The ringing phone inside interrupted their sounds. Olivia jumped up and answered it, but upon hearing the news, her face turned pale, and she collapsed onto the floor. Donna, terrified again, rushed to help Olivia, nearly crying once more.
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