Chapter 171 Tennis 59

Hyotei Academy, tennis court.

"Atobe." Oshitari Yuushi finished training and stepped forward to ask, "You look so disturbed, it's too obvious."

The Hyotei Tennis Club is undergoing intensive training before the national competition, but the captain, Keigo Atobe, looks unusually out of form.

Everyone else said that Atobe's abnormal behavior was because Hyotei was about to fight Seigaku again, but Oshitari Yuushi knew that there was more to it than just that.

Today was Monday, but Sana didn't come to school. Skipping classes without a reason wasn't her style, and even if she really wasn't coming back, she would have asked for leave.

Something had definitely happened.

Some time ago, Atobe has been gathering cardiology experts from home and abroad. There are not many people who can make Atobe behave so abnormally. It is not difficult for Yuushi Oshitani to infer that this is related to Sana.

The conclusion is that Kurikawa Sana is likely to suffer from a very serious heart disease.

When he came to this conclusion, Yuushi Ozuki himself was silent for a long time.

Her condition was probably quite serious, possibly even life-threatening. Otherwise, Atobe wouldn't be so flustered.

The Oshizuka family, a family with a long history of medical expertise, were naturally aware of the recent uproar caused by the eldest son of the Atobe family within Tokyo's medical community. After two days of debating, Oshizuka Yuushi couldn't resist asking his father through his connections, wanting to know what illness Atobe had been seeking to treat with his renowned doctors.

The father's answer was that the girl had four congenital heart defects: tricuspid atresia, right atrial hypoplasia, atrial septal defect with an excitation hole, and a subclavian ventricular septal defect. She also had severe pulmonary artery stenosis and pulmonary artery stenosis.

Yuuji Oshitari's father said that when they learned about this case, domestic and foreign experts were very interested and gathered in the conference room of the luxury hotel under the Atobe Group to discuss it vividly for a long time.

However, the enthusiasm of the renowned doctors gradually faded from their initial excitement. Every time they proposed a plan, their meticulous colleagues would find it unfeasible and refute it. The more they discussed, the more they realized that there was indeed no suitable surgical or treatment option.

Finally, the experts concluded that it was a miracle that the girl was still alive.

The only way to survive is a heart transplant, but the risks of heart transplantation are already staggering, and finding a suitable donor is even more difficult.

However, records from Kanagawa Tsuchiya General Hospital showed that the girl was allergic to immunosuppressants, and an overdose could cause shock and death. Heart transplant patients are required to take immunosuppressants for life to control rejection and prevent the immune system from attacking the new heart.

Therefore, there is no solution to this game.

Waiting for death or praying that the heart will continue to function as it does now day after day is the only thing patients of this rare case in the world can do.

It was difficult for Yuushi Oshitari to describe his feelings at that moment.

He only remembered that he ran to the balcony and enjoyed the breeze for a long time, but after a long time he still couldn't connect what his father had just said with Kurikawa Sana.

The scene of her enthusiastically playing tennis with Echizen Ryoma on the Atobe cruise ship was still vivid in her mind. How could she suddenly become someone who could die at any moment?!

Yuushi Oshitari could neither understand nor imagine it.

I remember when they were in Ginza, Atobe said to him: "Oshitari, you'd better make sure you are always just a spectator."

His answer at the time was, don't worry, he has always been the most rational one.

Yuuji Oshitari's reason and intuition told him that getting close to Sana Kurikawa would become troublesome.

But now, Yuushi Ozuki felt that it didn't matter whether she was slapped in the face or not, as long as she was safe.

"Oshitari, you're asking even though you already know the answer." Atobe Keigo twitched his lips. "You're so perceptive, and you come from a medical family. You know about her, right?"

Yuushi Oshitari clenched his fists and remained silent for a moment before finally answering, "Yes."

"I never expected that I would have to learn about her illness from Rikkai Daiyukimura. I can't understand why she kept it from me."

Yuushi Oshizuka: "Maybe she doesn't want to worry anyone."

Atobe Keigo paused, "Indeed, Yukimura said that she fainted in front of him that day, and he only found out after he sent Sana to the hospital."

"But if she does this, I will only worry more. Why do you think Yukimura suddenly told me such important information? It's because Yukimura doesn't want to see her quietly collapse in a corner where no one knows, never to get up again."

Atobe Keigo gritted his teeth, "Just like today, she suddenly disappeared and didn't come to class, her phone was unreachable, and no one was at home. I was really afraid that something had happened to her-"

"I've called her several times today, but no one answered." Oshitari Yuushi pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number he knew by heart. "I'll try again."

Atobe Keigo's brows were knitted tightly. "I just called a minute ago, but couldn't get through—"

The next second, he saw Ozuki Yuushi's expression suddenly change.

“…Her phone is turned off.”

Atobe Keigo suddenly had a very bad premonition, as if he was falling into an ice cellar.

In an instant, many images flashed through his mind. For example, she suddenly collapsed from a heart attack in a deserted place, her phone fell to the ground, and the screen stayed on until it ran out of battery and turned off automatically.

Otherwise it would be hard to explain. She is not a willful person. How could she disappear without a word and now even her cell phone is turned off?

"Damn it... I shouldn't have been so careless. I've been flying back and forth between Tokyo and the UK this weekend trying to find a treatment plan... Now that I think about it, I have no idea where she went this weekend...!"

But she is the one I should care about and accompany the most. If something really happens to her, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?!

"Senior Atobe, what happened?" Hou Chotaro walked over and asked with concern.

The captain's abnormal behavior attracted the attention of the entire Hyotei team. The others also came over. Mukaito poked Oshitari Yuushi on the shoulder and said, "Yuushi, what happened to Atobe?"

When he took a closer look, Mukai Taketo discovered that his partner Yuushi's expression was not much better than Atobe's.

Oshitari Yuushi took a deep breath and said in a calm tone, "Does anyone know where Sana is now?"

"Sana-senpai?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard about it... I just know that she didn't come to school today."

"Yes, everything she does is eye-catching."

Everyone looked at each other, and finally Shishido Ryo frowned and noticed something was wrong, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"We can't contact Sana. Her phone has been disconnected since last night, and it was just turned off. This is unlike her."

Yuushi Oshizuka felt a little cold sweat on his palm as he held the phone. "Can anyone think of any clues? Even a small clue that can lead to where she might have gone."

"this……"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Maybe ask Qingxue and the others? Sana is quite familiar with Qingxue and the others."

Everyone was talking one after another, with no direction. The most surprising thing was that the person who had been sleeping on the bench at the side of the field spoke.

"She must be traveling," Akutagawa Jiro yawned and sat up. "It seemed like last Friday. When I walked past her, I saw her making a weekend trip plan on her phone."

“……!!”

Atobe Keigo suddenly rushed over and grabbed Akutagawa Jiro's shoulders, "Where? Where did she go traveling?!"

Seeing his big reaction, Akutagawa Jiro was stunned for a moment, "I don't know... I just remember seeing a picture of a huge circular lake, and the surrounding terrain seemed to be relatively high..."

“Could it be…”

Everyone looked at each other subconsciously and gasped at the same time.

"Lake Suwa?!!"

“…Isn’t that in Nagano Prefecture?!!”

There are not many famous large circular lakes, and the surrounding terrain is high. As long as you have a little understanding of geography, you can immediately narrow down the scope to one target, which is the famous Lake Suwa.

But everyone knows what happened in the area where Lake Suwa is located yesterday evening.

——A major earthquake of magnitude 7.4.

Even Tokyo felt the tremors last night, but Tokyo was not the epicenter after all, and only experienced a brief shaking. Living in a country where earthquakes occur frequently, they have long been accustomed to this.

But now we know that Kurikawa Sana is very likely at the epicenter.

"She went on a trip to Nagano Prefecture?" Shishido Ryo's pupils constricted. "If she was near Lake Suwa, she might have been at the epicenter. That's why she ignored the call and eventually turned off her phone..."

Houchotaro also became nervous, "It's very likely that this is true... Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why Sana-senpai suddenly disappeared from school!"

Atobe Keigo's nerves were instantly stretched to the limit. He had just taken out his cell phone and was about to call for a helicopter and rescue team to arrive when another call came in.

It was Yukimura Seiichi calling.

Atobe Keigo answered the call without hesitation, and Yukimura Seiichi's voice came immediately: "Atobe, do you know where Sana is now?"

"—her heart rate has become very weak."

“……!”

The bad premonition turned out to be true. Atobe Keigo heard his own hoarse voice: "She might be in Nagano Prefecture."

On the other end of the phone, Yukimura Seiichi's breathing suddenly became heavy.

"I'll be right there now."

After saying this, Yukimura Seiichi quickly hung up the phone.

Ten minutes later, the Atobe Group's helicopter also landed at the helicopter pad on the top floor of Hyotei Academy.

When he got into the helicopter cabin, Keigo Atobe was in a trance for a moment.

The last time this helicopter stopped at the same place was the day he confessed to Kurikawa Sana.

That day, the flowers airlifted in filled the entire helicopter. The flowers meandered all the way to the ground of the Hyotei rooftop and extended straight to the entrance of the rooftop to welcome the girl's arrival.

And today, he boarded the same helicopter to look for her.

Atobe Keigo closed his eyes and prayed in his heart.

Sana...

Please, please be safe...

…

*

Nagano Prefecture.

Almost a day had passed since the earthquake.

Kurikawa Sana and Tezuka Kunimitsu were in a dark and narrow space. The air was thin and precious, and they could only hear each other's cautious breathing.

After the stone slabs fell down, a relatively stable triangular structure was formed. Kurikawa Sana no longer had to maintain the arched back posture. Tezuka Kunimitsu immediately reached out and hugged her, exchanged positions, and protected her under himself.

The subsequent waves of aftershocks did not hit them again, but all the light was blocked by the rubble, leaving only darkness.

In a dark and frightening environment, it is easy to have a suspension bridge effect, and the people around you are your only support.

"ha……"

Kurikawa Sana reached out and touched her back. It was sticky and cold, and the tingling sensation came slowly and belatedly.

It must have been quite a while, and I seem to have lost a lot of blood. I feel dizzy and my head is spinning.

At the moment when the stone wall fell down and there was no way to retreat, Kurikawa Sana felt her heart in her throat. Without any hesitation, she subconsciously rushed over and hugged Tezuka, protecting him with her body.

Just like when that sharp steel bar fell down, Tezuka used his body to protect her.

Before the darkness completely fell, Kurikawa Sana also saw the visible expression of shock on Tezuka's face for the first time.

She felt no pain as huge bricks and rubble fell on her.

Amidst the tremendous roar of the earth's wail, Kurikawa Sana heard other sounds.

[Tezuka Kunimitsu, Favorability +10. ]

…

[Tezuka Kunimitsu, Favorability +10. ]

…

"...Kurikawa, hold on, we'll be out soon."

Kurikawa Sana heard Tezuka Kunimitsu's voice, which was extremely hoarse.

Since being buried here, they have tacitly agreed not to speak in order to conserve precious air.

Rescue forces had already arrived outside. I could feel the accumulated stone slabs above my head being pried open one by one, and air rushing in through the gaps between the stones.

"good."

Kurikawa Sana responded softly, but felt more and more dizzy.

I've been here for too long, suffering from hypoglycemia, lack of oxygen, and excessive blood loss. It's a miracle that I haven't completely fainted yet.

I really want to sleep.

"…Why."

Um?

Are you asking her?

In the darkness, Kurikawa Sana could not see Tezuka Kunimitsu's expression. She tried hard to lift her heavy eyelids, but she only felt that the veins in the arms that were holding her seemed to be bulging.

Noticing that the girl in his arms was shivering from the cold, Tezuka Kunimitsu tightened his embrace a little and tried his best to warm her.

"Why risk your life to save me?"

"Because, Tezuka-kun's arm is very important...it can't be hurt again..."

After not drinking water or eating for dozens of hours, the girl's voice sounded a little hoarse, and her extremely weak condition due to the injury made her voice weak.

"Otherwise, you'll never be able to play again... Aunt Ayana said that was your dream..."

Tezuka Kunimitsu was stunned.

"Besides, didn't Tezuka-kun try his best to save me just now?" Kurikawa Sana whispered: "You just reacted completely subconsciously..."

"...Kurikawa."

His voice was also very soft.

"Hold on a little longer, we'll be able to get out soon."

[Tezuka Kunimitsu, Favorability +10. ]

…

[Tezuka Kunimitsu, Favorability +10. ]

…

[Tezuka Kunimitsu's current total favorability rating: 99.]

…

[Host health value -90.]

ah.

Tezuka's favorability is almost approaching the full value of 100 points.

Mr. Iceberg, who had the lowest favorability and was the most difficult to conquer, now has the same highest favorability as Bai Shi.

However, although this wave greatly increased her favorability, she was seriously injured and lost 90 health points at once, which was completely cleared at once. It was equivalent to working in vain.

But Kurikawa Sana has no regrets at all.

After the Double War, and after witnessing the sincere and deep love of these young people in the volleyball world and the tennis world for volleyball and tennis, she wanted to protect their dreams.

If she were to encounter the same scenario a hundred times, she would still save Tezuka.

Not just Tezuka, to be precise, she would save Tezuka or anyone else.

It's not that she is a saint. This is just a body created by the system. She thinks it is worth it to exchange it for their lives.

The system sighed silently and said to her: [Sana, even if this is your body in the real world, you will still save him.]

System: [I know you will save me.]

Because she had saved him in the same way a long time ago.

Kurikawa Sana blinked slightly.

Yeah?

If this was her body in the real world, would she save it?

Kurikawa Sana thought for a few seconds, and the answer seemed to be exactly the same as what the system said.

...that's all.

She didn't have the energy to think so much. Kurikawa Sana felt that she had lost a lot of blood. Even if O'Neal lost so much blood, he would probably faint.

Everything around was cold and sticky, so cold.

This is how it feels every time my health value is deducted.

Kurikawa Sana snuggled into the other person's arms, feeling more and more tired, and couldn't help closing her eyes.

"Kurikawa."

Tezuka Kunimitsu called her again, but this time there was no response.

The boy's pupils constricted, and he was rarely overwhelmed by a feeling of panic. His mind was in a mess, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed by a big hand, falling straight down.

“…Sana.”

He called out her name for the first time, but she still didn't answer.

Avoiding the bleeding wound, Tezuka Kunimitsu held the girl in his arms, his whole body tense, his lips almost bitten.

Until the light finally came on.

“…There are still people here!”

"Crane, come over here!"

"Two survivors found!"

…

*

Youth Academy, cafeteria.

"How strange..." Kikumaru Eiji held his chin, looking confused.

"Huh? What's weird about that?" Momoshiro Takeshi swallowed a big mouthful of croquette in one gulp.

Kikumaru Eiji: "Didn't Tezuka come back from Germany last Friday? Why didn't he come back to class today?"

Inui Sadaharu also adjusted his glasses. "Indeed, skipping classes without asking for leave is not like Tezuka at all."

"Oishi, did Tezuka tell you the reason?" asked Kawamura Takashi.

Oishi Shuichirou was also stunned for a moment. "No... The national competition is coming up soon, and Tezuka was discussing this week's training plan with me last Thursday."

During the meal after training, everyone in the Seigaku Tennis Club was discussing enthusiastically, except for Ryoma Echizen and Shusuke Fuji, who remained silent.

As the atmosphere quieted down, the sound of the TV on the cafeteria wall became particularly clear. The TV was playing the noon news.

"A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Nagano Prefecture, causing buildings to collapse and cracks in the ground to be tens of meters long. Water and power outages occurred in most areas, but no tsunami has been triggered yet. The number of casualties and missing persons is still being counted, and rescue operations are being organized..." said the news anchor on the TV screen.

"Speaking of which, did you feel the earthquake last night?"

"Yes, all the bookshelves at home fell over. This time the shaking was pretty severe. I don't usually feel that in Tokyo."

"After all, Nagano Prefecture is above level 7 this time."

Everyone's attention was drawn to the news on the TV screen. Even in Japan, earthquakes above magnitude 7 are not common, and the damage caused is quite serious.

"The following is a live video clip of the earthquake, captured in real time during the earthquake, which demonstrates the magnitude of the devastation. Furthermore, we noticed that in the moment of life and death when natural disaster struck, people instinctively protected each other, even willingly giving their own lives. This is particularly touching. With such resilience among the citizens, we believe that Nagano Prefecture, which was hardest hit by the disaster, will soon be able to successfully rebuild."

As the host finished speaking, the picture on the TV switched to a trembling surveillance video, which recorded the ground-shaking scene during the earthquake. The visual effect was shocking and the impact was extremely strong.

The students in the Qingxue cafeteria couldn't help but look up at the TV screen, their attention was drawn to it.

Until they saw a brown-haired boy with glasses and a black-haired girl appear in the picture.

The former held the latter's hand tightly, and the two of them ran in the shaking earth. Steel bars, wooden boards, and broken tiles kept falling on their heads. The scene was so thrilling that it made people sweat.

Until someone among the students of Qingxue finally couldn't help but say——

"Am I seeing things right? ...Is that Kunimitsu Tezuka?"

"It seems to be him! Tezuka, a third-year student in our school, the captain of the tennis club!"

“……!!”

Everyone in the Qingxue Tennis Club was stunned, and shock was written all over their faces.

Tezuka is in the epicenter area of ​​Nagano Prefecture? !

"Wait a minute, the girl Tezuka is holding hands with... is she Sana-senpai?!" Momoshiro Takeshi stood up in shock!

When they saw that the person in the news was Tezuka, Echizen Ryoma and Fuji Shusuke stood up with their pupils dizzy. When they realized who the black-haired girl was, just like Momoshiro Takeshi, they also clenched their fists nervously.

How could it be...

"It's really her! Kurikawa Sana from Hyotei!"

"Why is Tezuka and Kurikawa together?"

"Is this the main point?! The main point is whether their lives are in danger right now—"

Amidst a chorus of shock, everyone quickly saw the final scene on the surveillance video:

A large crack appeared on the ground, the building collapsed, and huge stone slabs fell towards Tezuka Kunimitsu and Kurikawa Sana.

Everyone gasped, and many students in the cafeteria covered their mouths tightly, almost unable to bear to watch any longer.

Next second.

The black-haired girl pounced on the boy without hesitation and protected him with her body. The huge stone slab buried the two of them, raising a cloud of dust.

The surveillance video also stopped at this moment.

“………”

Silence and stillness enveloped the normally bustling dining hall.

“…Tezuka!!!”