area51novel Chapter 68: I agreed to the training camp.
Chapter 68: I agreed to the training camp.
Yukimura looked up at him.
This time, the unexpected turn of events was more pronounced than his previous criticism of Sanada.
Last time in the hospital room, he guessed that Mochizuki Ryo harbored some kind of inexplicable hostility towards Sanada, and what she just said confirmed his suspicions.
Therefore, his sharp comments were to be expected.
When did Renji get added to his list of problems?
"What's wrong with him?"
"He's talented, smart, and plays data-driven tennis beautifully."
As Mochizuki Ryou spoke, she casually flicked her fingers in the air, her tone flat, "But they're already in their third year of high school, and their playing style is still stuck at the level of basic tennis statistics, without any breakthrough progress. Do you know why?"
Yukimura looked at him, waiting for an answer.
Wang Yueling picked up a piece of pemgrand from the food box, not rushing to take a bite, but holding it level between the two of them. The pastry gleamed with a pale golden light under the lamp, its edges clearly defined.
"Your staff officer is just like this pastry."
He gently bent the pastry with his thumb and forefinger, and the pastry made a crisp "crack" sound, with crumbs falling into his hand, revealing the soft, yellow filling inside. "It looks whole, but it breaks as soon as you break it, and it leaves crumbs all over your hand."
He held his palm up so that Yukimura could see the debris.
"He devoted the vast majority of his time and energy to data collection, training plans, and match analysis. While it may seem like he was working tirelessly for the team, he was actually voluntarily giving up his own technical development."
"He transformed himself from a top-tier combatant into a 'personal database,' and felt that this was his greatest contribution to the team."
Wang Yueling stuffed half a piece of Pemgeler into her mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it before slowly and deliberately uttering her final conclusion.
"The priorities have been completely reversed."
"As a regular player and one of the three giants of Rikkai University, he should be the sharpest weapon. But he ignores his own dull knife and spends all his time sharpening other knives."
"What a waste of his talent."
Wang Yueling poured the last crumbs of pastry from her palm into her mouth, her tone light but her words sharp, "As one of the three giants, having strong combat power and being able to win the game steadily is the greatest responsibility to the team."
"Can simply collecting data guarantee that you and your teammates will win every game?"
Outside.
Liu Lian'er's fingers tightened around the notebook.
The pressure was almost synchronized with his pulse, pressing down on the cover in waves, causing the edges of the pages to dent slightly. His expression remained calm and composed, but his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Blunt knife.
Wang Yueling defined him as a blunt knife.
Sanada glanced at him sideways, his voice almost squeezed out through clenched teeth: "Let go."
The willow has no pine.
His palm was still pressed against Sanada's forearm, the touch of his five fingers seeping through the fabric, his hand as steady as it had been at the beginning.
In the ward.
A deathly silence fell, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the wind outside the window.
Yukimura did not defend Yanagi this time. This assessment surprised him even more than his previous criticisms of Sanada, but it was also harder to refute.
He had vaguely sensed Sanada's problem, but he had never really thought about Yanagi's problem from this perspective.
Liu spends too much time on team data work, and his personal training volume is the lowest among the main players. His competitive state has not made a qualitative leap compared to his first and second years.
He used to think that Liu was only contributing to the team.
Now, after being told from a different perspective by Mochizuki Ryou, I realized that this kind of effort might have a hidden cost.
The price was that Liu made "serving the team" his sole responsibility, and his own brilliance as the core of the fighting force faded in the same way.
Seeing that Yukimura remained silent, Mochizuki Ryo didn't urge him. She lowered her head, gathered up the crumbs of pastry in the food box, and then picked up a piece of pudding and took a bite.
He was given enough time to process it.
After a while, once he had swallowed the last bite of pudding, he put the spoon on the side of the tray and took out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers.
Then he turned his head to look in the direction of the door, and a very subtle smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"Hey you two outside, aren't your legs sore from standing there for so long?"
His voice suddenly rose, carrying a clear hint of mockery.
"After hearing so many of my unspeakable remarks, it's time for you to come in and give your own opinion. If you don't speak now, you'll have insomnia on the way back."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two people outside the door were both stunned.
So... Wang Yueling already knew they were outside.
Sanada could no longer hold back and pushed open the ward door.
His hat brim was pulled down very low, but it couldn't hide the taut lines of his jaw or the slightly flushed skin on his neck. It wasn't the red of embarrassment, but the kind of red that comes from suppressing a strong impulse, temporarily restrained by reason.
Upon entering, he didn't face Yukimura directly, but instead looked at Mochizuki Ryo first. His mouth opened and then closed again, his brows furrowing into a deep ravine.
Yanagi followed Sanada in.
He was much more composed than Sanada, his steps unhurried. After stopping, he first glanced at Yukimura, then turned to Mochizuki Ryo and nodded slightly, as if to greet him.
There was no anger or defensiveness in his open brown eyes.
But if you look closely, you'll notice that he didn't open his notebook or take out a pen today.
Wang Yueling leaned back in her chair, showing no fear whatsoever. She even swayed her legs lazily, her languid posture completely at odds with the atmosphere in the room.
He raised an eyebrow at the two of them, his tone smug:
"So? What suggestions do you two have for improving the points I just made? It's okay, feel free to speak your mind."
He was very open and honest, without the slightest sense of shame about being caught talking badly about others behind their backs.
Upon seeing this, Yukimura's heart tightened. He gave Yukimura a light pinch on the lower back, twisting a small piece of skin through the clothes with precise force.
It hurts, but I won't make a sound.
Mochizuki Ryou's waist tightened. She almost couldn't keep her expression in check, and glanced at Yukimura, protesting in a low voice that only the two of them could hear, "Seiichi, why are you pulling me? I'm just telling the truth."
Yukimura ignored him, withdrew his hand, sat up straight, and quietly draped his shawl over his shoulders, his face as gentle as if nothing had happened.
He turned slightly to the side, his gaze sweeping over Sanada and Yanagi, and calmly gestured for his teammates to sit down.
"Genichiro, Renji, you're here to deliver the training plan, right? Thank you for your hard work, please have a seat."
But... no one is sitting here.
Sanada took half a step forward, standing ramrod straight, his eyes beneath the brim of his hat fixed on Mochizuki Ryo. When he spoke, his voice was deep and resonant, each word seeming to be ground out from between his teeth.
"Wang Yueling, I heard everything you just said."
He finally spoke, enunciating each word with utmost clarity, "You said that I would be arrogant and underestimate my opponents in crucial matches, and that I would lose to those less skilled than me because of overconfidence."
You're wrong.
His voice wasn't raised, but it was deep and resonant, the rise and fall of his chest suppressing even stronger emotions.
"I give my all in every official match against Rikkai. I don't overlook any of their strengths, playing styles, or weaknesses. You might say I don't do targeted pre-match training, but Rikkai's training system itself is the most comprehensive and targeted preparation."
"I will not lose to a player whose skill level is below mine, simply because I underestimate them."
Wang Yueling tilted her head and listened attentively without interrupting.
"You said I only care about my personal pride, you said I didn't carry the team for Yukimura..."
Sanada paused here, his Adam's apple bobbing, his gaze shifting slightly towards Yukimura before returning to Mochizuki Ryo's face.
I don't think so.
"No matter how difficult the situation, I have never run away from it. Winning the game is the best way for me to be responsible to the team and the minister."
"I won't argue with you saying I'm strict. I did hit Akaya, and that was my fault."
He didn't yell or slam his fist on the table.
Every word is a promise.
After waiting for Sanada to finish speaking, Mochizuki Ryo patted non-existent dust off his fingers. His tone was no longer the playful one from before, but rather a calm and almost emotionless seriousness.
"Genichiro, the way you need to prove yourself to me isn't by standing here and refuting me now." He addressed Sanada by his name for the first time, "but by waiting until the moment when you realize I'm right and make all my words meaningless through your actions."
Sanada stared straight at him without flinching, but said nothing more.
Liu has remained silent since she entered the room.
His eyes had returned to their usual half-open state, neither agreeing with nor refuting any viewpoint.
Yukimura then took over the conversation at the opportune moment.
He glanced at Sanada, then at Yanagi, and finally fixed his gaze on the two of them, his voice steady and resolute.
"I've agreed to the group training camp."
One sentence left everyone stunned.
Sanada's other words were stuck in his throat as he looked at Yukimura in disbelief: "Seiichi!"
He actually agreed to a training camp with Hyotei and accepted Mochizuki Ryo's provocation against Rikkai!
Yukimura met his gaze, his violet-blue eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"Genichiro, Renji."
"Rikkai really needs a test. Whatever the reason, it's better to see ourselves clearly before the Kanto Tournament than to be seen clearly by others on the field."
Sanada suddenly turned his head, and his lips moved slightly.
He wanted to say that the training camp was unnecessary, that Rikkai University didn't need to prove itself in this way, but Yukimura's gaze fell on his face, gentle yet unquestionable.
He swallowed the words that were about to come out, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, and when he opened them again, only four words remained: "I understand."
If you stay together, stay together.
He will prove himself.
It's not Xiang Wangyueling.
It is Xiang Yukimura, Xiang Rikkai.
As the vice-captain of the tennis club, Genichiro Sanada is capable of shouldering the responsibility for the team's victory.
Liu Lian'er was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly, a very small but clear gesture.
Seeing him nod, Yukimura didn't say anything more, just leaned gently against the headboard. The shawl slipped down his shoulders a little, and he raised his hand to gather it up, the movement slow, as if using this action to filter out the remaining tension in the room.
Wang Yueling sat in the chair, watching this scene and trying not to laugh out loud, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.
He achieved all the goals he had for coming to the hospital today.
I've said what I wanted to say, and the group training camp is settled.
I'm in a very good mood.