Fk, those last panels hit so freaking hard. I know how hard it is to work so much for something you know you don't have a talent for. You'll have no idea how better you've gotten nor if you really did get better. You'll watch people who have talents and you'll witness their success. You'll stand there wondering whether you'll get there eventually, and if its even worth it when at the time you get there, others would've been worlds apart from you. You'll question yourself if you would've been happier if you pursued the path where your talents lie instead of that passion of yourself thinking if you work hard, it will all work out.
That's why Dai is amazing. He has been working very hard from the very start to improve himself, without others seeing him and giving him validation. There was no old man who tells him "You've gotten better!" He's just that committed. Talent department? Yeah, he might have the talent but he also worked so freaking hard.
Based on my experiences, Dai is a "dream shatterer." There are people like him irl, geniuses who work real hard. It's talent + plus hard work, and I think people often makes mistakes by comparing themselves to these geniuses. It's easy to say "just don't," but normal people like me just can't avoid comparing ourselves to masters and others of our age. We look at them, and we look at ourselves. "How can they do that when I was also working hard like them?" So these geniuses, who are levels of their own even when they're our age is just a solid right hook to our confidence and self-esteem. Most of the time, people just quit.
For the record, I'm not talking bad about Dai. He's fuckin great. People like him are great. I'm just saying that they exist, and we can't do anything about that. For people like me, It's important to realize that we're responsible if we keep going or quit. People like Dai are not responsible for our choices. If we quit, that's on us. If we keep going and fail, that's also on us. Unless others personally make an effort to make us quit, it is entirely our choice whether to keep going or quit. That's just my two cents. But man, talent is talent. I'm freakin' jealous. It can set someone worlds apart from everyone else.
I don't know man, that old man saying "I've been watching for some time now, and I'm glad to see you've improved this much" is just so beautiful man. Makes me wanna express some of my feelings a little bit. Those words for someone who works hard on anything can mean the world to them.