HLnovel Chapter 178 Rikkai and Hyotei have a good personal relationship.
Chapter 178 Rikkai and Hyotei have a good personal relationship.
Rikkai's match ended early.
Just after signing in and getting ready to enter the field in the morning, Yinhua's captain came over with a long face and told the referee that the whole team had eaten at a roadside stall last night and had stomach problems so they couldn't play.
Abstain directly.
In less than ten minutes, without even taking out their rackets, they advanced directly.
Sanada originally wanted to go straight back to training, but Yukimura said he wanted to come and watch Hyotei's match, so everyone came over together.
As soon as I reached the entrance to the stands, I heard deafening cheers from inside the stadium.
Marui peeked inside on tiptoe, and the sound around him suddenly stopped. He whistled in surprise.
"Wow, Hyotei's showing this year is impressive. So many cheering squad members?"
His gaze swept across the entire arena, finally landing on the court. He paused, then exclaimed, "Wait a minute? Why is Hyotei's doubles team Mukahi and Taki? Where's Oshitari?"
Niou stroked his chin, a playful smile on his face. "Puri~ It seems Mochizuki Ryo has come up with some new tricks again. There must be a reason why he's replacing Oshitari with Takitaka instead of Oshitari.
Liu held his notebook, his eyes quickly scanning the scoreboard on the field, collecting data.
"Is it still doubles match 2? This is going to take forever. Hyotei is leading 2-0 so far. The third game... um... should have just started."
"The team over there is a temporary combination of Kikumaru and Momoshiro. According to rumors, Oishi from Seigaku is injured and didn't play. The probability that Hyotei's team is a last-minute change by Mochizuki Ryo is 100%."
Sanada frowned as he listened, his gaze falling on the positions of the two Hyotei players on the field, his expression serious.
"This formation...I've never seen it before."
"It's not a conventional doubles formation. One player is in front of the other, with a huge gap in the middle. In reality, the positioning is very flexible, and there are no obvious weaknesses."
Yukimura stood at the front, his purplish-blue eyes slightly curved. His gaze first fell on Mochizuki Ryo on the coach's bench. Seeing the other person leaning lazily against the back of the chair, the smile on his lips deepened.
His gaze then turned to the arena, looking at Mukahi and Taki's positions with a hint of appreciation in his eyes, as he quietly explained the situation to his teammates.
"It is a dual-mobility gradient offensive and defensive formation."
"Ling mentioned it to me once before. It's specifically designed for agile players to pair with data-driven players. It can attack or defend, has no obvious positioning weaknesses, and can maximize the strengths of both players."
Wow! That's amazing?
Kirihara tidied his fluffy curly hair, blinking his big eyes in surprise, "Senpai is amazing! You could even come up with such a brilliant formation?"
"He's naturally good at this." Yukimura smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. "Tactical design is his forte."
……
The referee had just finished announcing the start of the third game when the appearance of Rikkai University caused quite a stir in the stands.
The first to notice were several girls from the Hyotei support group in the back row of the stands. When they saw the team in khaki uniforms, their voices rose several octaves.
"Rikkai University! Someone from Rikkai University!"
As soon as they finished speaking, the surrounding audience started discussing it.
"It really is Rikkai University! They got here so quickly?"
"Weren't they playing Yinhua in the first match in Zone C? Their doubles match here isn't even finished yet, and it's already over?"
"Yinhua is too weak. The whole team couldn't even last two hours against the king, Rikkai?"
"What do you know? I just saw the news that the entire Yinhua Middle School team had stomach problems before the match and directly announced their withdrawal. Rikkai won without a fight."
"What?! Forfeit? Yinhua is such a coward! They give up without even fighting?"
"What else? Go up there and get shaved bald by Rikkai? That would be even more humiliating."
"That's Rikkai, the two-time champions! It's not surprising that Ginka and the others conceded defeat so easily, is it?"
……
The commotion spread like waves, and more and more people peered toward the entrance of the passage.
The group from Rikkai University's tennis club remained completely unaffected and walked along the passageway leading into the stands.
Yukimura walked at the very front.
He was wearing a tennis team regular jacket, his collar neatly trimmed, his blue-purple hair fluttering in the wind, and a faint smile on his face. Wherever he went, he seemed to have a built-in soft-focus filter.
Next to it is Sanada.
His black hat was pulled low, his face was serious, his back was straight, and he exuded an aura that said "keep away."
Liu walked behind them, holding a notebook, the pen occasionally scribbling on the paper. Niou casually leaned against Liu, one hand on Marui's shoulder, muttering something that made Marui glare at him.
Kuwabara followed closely beside them, protecting them from falling if they started arguing. Kirihara walked at the back, clutching a small bag in his hand, looking around with bright eyes.
The group, dressed in matching team uniforms, walked with ease and were quite eye-catching.
"So boring."
Marui chewed on green apple-flavored gum while complaining about his day, "I was hoping to stretch my muscles, but Ginka withdrew, so it was a wasted trip."
"Wouldn't it be better to end it sooner?"
Yagyu pushed up his glasses and put his hands back in his pockets. "It's a waste of time to fight those guys who have aches and pains all over their bodies."
Niou hooked his arm around Yagyu's shoulder and whistled a flirtatious tune.
"Puri~ That's right, that's right! Didn't they say Ling's legendary little black cat has appeared? Isn't this even more exciting than fighting Yin Hua~"
Kirihara didn't participate in their conversation, holding the bag and muttering to himself, "Kitten, kitten..."
Sanada looked at their listless appearance and said in a deep voice, "You guys are too lax! The match is still going on, so don't make a fuss."
Niou shrugged and said nothing more. Kirihara instinctively hid behind Yanagi.
Yukimura's gaze remained fixed on the blond boy on the Hyotei coaching bench. His lips curved into a beautiful smile, and his steps unconsciously quickened by half a step.
On Hyotei's side, besides Atobe, Jiro was the first to react.
He had been rubbing his eyes and yawning when he heard Luna meowing, but when he caught a glimpse of that familiar red hair out of the corner of his eye, all his sleepiness vanished instantly.
His eyes were wide open, like saucers, even more excited than when he saw a limited-edition dessert.
"Bunta!"
Jiro waved his hand, wanting to shout, but then remembered that he was in a match, so he covered his mouth and called out softly, his tone filled with barely concealed joy.
Before the words were even finished, the person had already jumped up from the chair and run towards the entrance.
"Here! This is a seat for you!"
Marui had just entered the venue, chewing bubble gum and looking around, when he heard someone call his name. Looking up, a tuft of reddish-brown curly hair rushed towards him like a cannonball, and before he could react, he was pounced on.
"Ci Lang?"
Marui was knocked back half a step by the tackle, quickly reaching out to steady the person on top of him, and smiled helplessly, "Slow down, you're so reckless."
"Why did you get here so quickly?" Cilang clung to his shoulder, his eyes sparkling. "I thought I'd be waiting for you for ages."
"Yinhua forfeited, so we came early." Marui ruffled his curly hair, which was soft and felt great to the touch.
Kuwabara walked over and reached out to pull Jiro's arm, trying to pull him off Marui. His tone was a little helpless, "Hey, hey, stop clinging to Bunta. His shoulder is still sore from yesterday's practice."
"don't want."
Jiro hugged Marui even tighter, burying his face in Marui's neck and rubbing against him like a clingy koala. "I want to sit with Bunta and watch the game."
Niou leaned against the railing and whistled. His silver braid slipped down a little, and his words were full of teasing.
"Oh, Hyotei's little lamb is so clingy to our Bunta. Be careful when you get back to your magnificent captain, he might make you run laps as punishment."
Jiro looked up and glared at him, his cheeks puffing out slightly, before quickly pulling back to hug Marui, clearly indicating that he didn't want to talk to him.
Atobe, holding the kitten, looked up and met Yukimura's gaze. The two nodded to each other from a few meters apart.
When the other members of Hyotei saw the Rikkai team coming over, they all greeted them.
"Hey, Rikkai!" Mukahi shouted loudly, waving his racket on the court, his face beaming with a bright smile.
Taki, standing behind him, also gently raised his hand to signal to them.
Oshitari waved playfully with a smile; Shishido nodded to them; Ootori bowed slightly obediently; Hiyoshi crossed his arms and remained expressionless; Kabaji stood behind Atobe, his eyes brightening slightly when he saw his good friend Kirihara.
Hearing the noise, Mochizuki Ryo turned to look at them, her gaze meeting Yukimura's.
He playfully raised an eyebrow at Yukimura, a bright smile spreading across his face, revealing his goofy little canine tooth. Yukimura returned a slight smile, his eyes slightly upturned, carrying a gentle warmth.
The two didn't speak, just stared at each other for a second before looking away.
Kirihara, standing behind Yukimura, spotted Mochizuki Ryo on the sidelines and quickly waved loudly.
"Senior! We're here!"
After shouting, he remembered the spectator rules, so he covered his mouth and skipped over to Kabaji, happily greeting him.
Hua nodded, her face expressionless, but her eyes softened, and she stepped aside to make room for him.
Atobe, watching the innocent lamb vying with Kuwabara for someone again, stood up and coughed lightly. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a powerful, intimidating force.
"Ci Lang. Sit properly, don't embarrass yourself."
Jiro pouted and reluctantly got off Marui, but his hand still clung tightly to Marui's sleeve, his fingers clenched tightly.
……
The Seigaku members naturally noticed Rikkai's team, and their expressions changed.
"Rikkai? Why are they here?" Momoshiro paused his serve when he heard the commotion and looked up toward the stands.
Kikumaru looked over curiously, his eyes wide open: "Wow, it really is Rikkai! They finished their match so quickly?"
In the stands, Inui Sadaharu adjusted his glasses, quickly pulled out his phone, tapped a few buttons, and then looked up and said:
"According to the latest information, Rikkai University's opponent, Ginka Junior High School, forfeited the entire team as soon as they saw the lineup before the match, saying that they all had food poisoning and could not play. Therefore, Rikkai University advanced directly and the game was over in advance."
"They all got food poisoning?" Kawamura's eyes widened. "What a coincidence!"
"Who knows?" Echizen Ryoma turned his gaze away from the ice field, pulled down his hat brim, looked in the direction of Rikkai, and said with a smirk, "Maybe they're afraid of Rikkai and are just making excuses."
"Even the King of Kings came to watch the game... It seems there are a lot of people paying attention to this match." Fuji squinted as he watched the Rikkai group interacting with Hyotei, a hint of interest in his eyes deepening.
As Inui mentioned before, Hyotei and Rikkai had a joint training camp for a week two weeks ago and had a good personal relationship.
It seems they're much closer than outsiders thought. And the relationship between Coach Mochizuki and the Rikkai University captain is anything but simple.
Tezuka's expression also became more serious. His gaze swept over the group from Rikkai University and finally landed on Yukimura Seiichi.
Rikkai is their strongest opponent in the Kanto Tournament, and now Hyotei has emerged as a dark horse, so it seems this year will be much tougher than in previous years.
……
Just as Atobe turned around to return to his seat, Luna in his arms wrinkled her little nose, her heterochromatic eyes darted around, and quickly locked onto Yukimura not far away.
The kitten immediately became restless.
The little paws clung to Atobe's arm, trying to pull themselves down, its short legs kicking and its paws hooking onto the fabric of his uniform, stretching towards Yukimura.
Its little tail swished rapidly behind it, and it kept meowing softly with a hint of urgency.
Atobe was caught off guard and almost let it fall.
"Hey! Luna, behave yourself." He quickly reached out and scooped up the kitten's small body, his brows furrowing. He lightly slapped its bottom, annoyed. "Why don't you recognize me when you see someone else?"
Luna didn't care that she had been spanked. She wiggled her little body and tried to go towards Yukimura, her tail wagging excitedly.
The little legs kicked around with considerable force.
Having no other choice, Atobe could only carry it a couple of steps toward Yukimura, muttering complaints under his breath.
"Useless."
He spoke with disdain, but moved with unusual gentleness, afraid of dropping the little thing in his arms. "Just like your master, you can't walk past Yukimura."
Oshitari walked over to Atobe's side, and upon hearing this, he laughed out loud, his shoulders shaking slightly, his eyes full of amusement.
"Xiao Jing, the way you're talking makes it sound like it's always clinging to you."
"Who was just complaining to me that the kitten only recognizes food and not people, and falls asleep after being fed? Or are you jealous of Yukimura? Try to be more understanding; Luna is, after all, Ling's cat son, and sons take after their fathers..."
Atobe turned and glared at him, his eyes icy, then interrupted him with a cold snort, "Shut up, Shinobu. Do you think I'd bother arguing with a cat?"
Shinobu shrugged, knowingly stopping his smile, but the corners of his mouth were still upturned.
Yukimura had already walked over, looking down at the kitten in Atobe's arms, his smile deepening, like melted honey.
"Luna".
He called softly, his voice gentle, and reached out to lightly touch the kitten's head with his fingertips. "You still remember me."
The kitten meowed even louder, rubbing its head against his fingertips and stretching its paws toward Yukimura, as if it wanted to pounce on him.
Its little tail swished rapidly behind it, like a tiny propeller.
Helpless, Atobe could only carefully hand the kitten over. He moved very slowly, afraid of bumping or hurting it.
Yukimura took the kitten and carefully picked it up.
He moved very gently, deliberately avoiding the gauze on Luna's right paw, supporting its rump and back, and holding it in his arms.
As soon as Luna was in his arms, she immediately calmed down.
It nuzzled Yukimura's chin with its little head, then stuck out its pink little tongue and licked his fingers.
Its tail curled around his wrist, its little body rolled up in his arms, nestled comfortably with its eyes half-closed, and it made soft purring sounds in its throat.
It's incredibly clingy, a stark contrast to how it was in Atobe's arms just now.