The boys from Team Japan couldn't recover quickly from this defeat. After the game was done, they had just done everything like they were in autopilot mode. They bowed to the supporters to thank them for their support, and then they even stayed quiet during the painful ceremony process, watching Team Ukraine lift the trophy and celebrating their new title as the World Champion on the pitch.
In the end, the boys just left the locker room quietly, still with a silver medal hanging on their necks. It was a consolation prize, but never enough to fill the hole in their heart.
The journey back home was also filled with a jarring quietness. Some were still sobbing secretly while most of them, especially the main players, were too exhausted to even cry anymore. They had emptied their tank on the pitch, and now, only numbness and emptiness remained inside.
