Chapter 115: Team Meeting
Kim wasn't sure what to expect from the meeting. Of course they needed to discuss a few things, but mostly it wasn't clear what Jonas had in mind. He'd been rather closed mouthed since they had woken up after the portal had been closed. She couldn't be sure what was going through his mind.
"Now that we have something to eat in front of us, we can begin," Jonas said as he started eating his soup.
That's what the delay was about? Kim thought to herself in annoyance. If that's what he was waiting for, then we could have started and paused when the soup got here.
"Now while we nearly were wiped out, in that last battle, the fact that we survived is what's most important," Jonas started. Kim thought it wasn't that bad of an opening. "However, that said, it's come to my attention that there are some of us who feel that the situation got that bad because of something they did or didn't do."
Kim noticed Elin suddenly look down at her soup, which she hadn't yet started eating, and even tried pulling her hand out of Kim's. Kim kept her from doing that by gripping her hand securely, drawing a quizzical look from Elin. Which Kim merely squeezed her hand reassuringly in response, earning a weak smile from Elin.
"So, I won't say who I've learned has felt that way, but I will say that even if that's true, the responsibility is on all of us, regardless of who falls short. If we're to be a team, then we have to accept that we're not going to do our best all of the time.
"So, if you want to leave the team because you felt that your performance was lacking or that you should have done something different or more, then that's your choice, but remember this: If you leave because of that, then it's tantamount to running away. Also, if we hold things like that against each other, then it's only going to hurt the group."
Kim nodded along, mostly to show she was listening to Jonas' speech, though it felt a little long winded to her. Especially the parts about them being a team and how it was everyone's responsibility. While it's a nice sentiment, it doesn't change the fact that they're only a team because they're in the same boat and have decided to trust each other, for the most part, of those who had been pulled into this competition without warning.
"You know, you probably shouldn't take up a career as a motivational speaker," Kim advised Jonas as she stirred her soup.