As dinner wrapped up, Neuro's father stood from the table and spoke firmly, "Neuro, after dinner, come to the horses."
Neuro nodded obediently. "Yes, Papa."
With that, his father turned and walked back toward the stables behind their home. His mother, Diana, glanced at him curiously, her brow slightly furrowed. She leaned toward Neuro and said, "Neuro, finish your dinner quickly. Your father might have called you because he needs help feeding the horses."
Neuro looked up, surprised. "Me? Helping? Well, sure! Then I'll finish fast and go help Papa!"
Diana smiled warmly at her son. "Good boy, Neuro. You really are the kind of child we can be proud of."
Neuro blushed slightly and looked away, mumbling, "Mama, don't say things like that… it's embarrassing, you know."
Diana laughed softly and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I'm not exaggerating, Neuro. We really are proud of the kind of person you're becoming, so kind and helpful."
But despite her kind words, Neuro couldn't accept the praise. In his heart, he thought, No, Mama… I'm not like that. I'm just someone who hides behind excuses to cover his mistakes…
His thoughts were interrupted when Diana suddenly stood up with a sharp voice, "Oh my, I almost forgot!. Tell your father I'll be back in an hour, I have something to take care of."
She hurried to the door, slipping on her shoes and rushing outside. But just as quickly, she paused and stepped back inside.
Seeing her return, Neuro tilted his head. Maybe she forgot something, he thought.
"Mama, did you forget anything? Tell me, I'll get it for you," he offered.
Diana smiled, bent down slowly toward him, and kissed him gently on the forehead. "This is what I forgot to do," she said sweetly. "I'll be back in an hour. Take care of your father for me, okay?"
Neuro beamed with happiness and replied with a bright smile, "Yes, I will, Mama!"
She left the house, and a quiet stillness settled in. Neuro stood up, brushing crumbs off his clothes. Let's see what Dad needs help with, he thought, making his way to the back of the house.
There, he found his father already tending to the horses, feeding them and checking their hooves.
"Papa," Neuro called out. "You asked for me?"
His father glanced over his shoulder. "Ah, you're here. What's your mother doing?"
"She said she'll be back in an hour. She went somewhere."
"I see. And did you finish your dinner, Neuro?"
"Yes, Papa. I'm here because you told me to come."
His father paused his work and turned to face him, his expression shifting into something more serious.
"Neuro," he said carefully, "can you explain what happened with your friend today?"
Caught off guard by the question and his father's sudden tone, for a moment he couldn't answer his father's question.
Neuro hesitated. "It's just… he was cheating, and he wasn't admitting it, so... I got angry and pushed him."
His father's gaze didn't soften. "Neuro, I'll ask you again. What happened today?"
Neuro felt a knot form in his chest. His voice wavered. "I… I couldn't catch him…"
His father leaned in slightly. "What was that? Speak up, Neuro."
Unable to hold it in any longer, Neuro burst out, "It was my fault! I blamed him for my own shortcomings. I know I was wrong but… but…"
His father placed a firm, reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle smile. "There it is. Now you're being honest with yourself. Now we can really talk."
Still confused by his father's sudden shift in mood, Neuro asked, "Papa… you already knew I was lying? How did you know?"
His father chuckled softly. "Because you're my son, Neuro. And I know exactly how you felt. I was in the same place once, when I was an adventurer."
Neuro's eyes widened. "You were in the same place as me? What do you mean, Papa?"
His father waved the question off. "Let's not talk about me just yet. Tell me, why do you think you blamed him for your shortcomings?"
Neuro looked down at the ground, unable to meet his father's eyes.
"Lift your head, Neuro," his father said gently but firmly.
He obeyed, slowly raising his gaze.
"Now tell me—why?" his father asked again.
Neuro took a deep breath. "I've always given everything I have to learning magic, to sword training, everything. But my friends… they always talk about Iris. They admire him so much. Even though I try so hard, even though I might not be the best, I'm still one of the strongest in class. But he… he's good at everything magic, swordplay, athletics. And even though he's my friend, he never says, 'You did well today.' He just smiles and casts higher-level spells and gets all the attention."
His father burst into laughter.
"Oyeee, for real?! Hahahahaha!"
Neuro's face turned red with frustration. "Papa, why?! Why are you laughing at me?"
Tears welled up in his eyes. "You think I'm pathetic too, don't you? That's why you're laughing, right?"
His father wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head. "No, no, I'm not laughing at you because I think you're pathetic. I'm laughing because you reminded me so much of my younger self… and how far I used to be from him in skill."
He stepped forward and spoke more seriously. "Listen carefully, Neuro. What I'm about to tell you is important. People see only the victors—not the ones who worked hard. No one cares how much effort you put in. The world only asks: did you win or did you lose? If you don't like it, then become a victor. Don't say, 'I'll work hard.' Say, 'I will win.'"
"And somewhere out there in this world," his father said, his voice softening as he looked toward the night sky, "there will be someone who sees your efforts, someone who truly acknowledges your hard work. When you meet that person… don't forget to cherish them, alright?"
His eyes locked with Neuro's. "And as for your friend… you're more than just friends. You're his rival."
Neuro blinked. "Rival?"
"Yes. A rival. If he always wants to compete with you, if he wants to prove he's better than you, and only does that with you, that means you're more than a friend. You're his rival. People have friends all the time, but only a few are lucky enough to have rivals."
Hearing those words, something stirred inside Neuro.
"I don't know exactly what 'rival' means," he said with excitement, "but it sounds so cool! Papa, Papa—do you have a rival?"
His father smiled softly. "A rival? Yes… there was one."
Neuro tilted his head. There was?
Just then, his father straightened up and called out, "Neuro, I think it's time I showed you something. Get up early in the morning and be ready. We're going somewhere."
As his father turned to walk away, Neuro called out after him, confused. "Where? Where are we going tomorrow morning?"
His father paused mid-step, glanced back with a knowing smile, and said, "You'll find out when we get there."