The small ball rolls freely between the bamboo tubes. Each movement between the tubes tugs at the heartbeat, with every beat carrying a flicker of a chance at success.
Arranging and connecting the main boards is not difficult with logical thinking, but rushing forward immediately after passing the ball only disrupts the rhythm.
The brain loses its grip, and the racing heart drives the body to run frantically. I rushed toward the end in a panic, struggling to connect with the previous bamboo board, waiting helplessly for the ball to roll through.
That panicked state is like a herd of wild horses, bolting forward blindly and eventually colliding in chaos. In the confusion, seeing other teams gaining a lead, I instinctively sped up, only to make things even more disorganized.
Such chaos leads to only one outcome: defeat.
Pushing aside the brief sense of loss, enveloped by a rare moment of calm, my mind replayed the recent scenes. I began to examine my gains and losses, realizing that the failure seemed to stem from that very moment of panic.