Chapter 16 Coming to You

It rained in the evening, and the fragrance of the earth mixed with the lingering heat of summer hit my face, and the dark clouds weighed heavily on my heart.

"You want to take tomorrow off?"

Coach Ryuzaki, who was sitting behind the desk, looked surprised. "Is it because of family matters?"

Kazama lowered his head and said, "Yes, I'm very sorry for making this inappropriate request when the Kanto Tournament begins tomorrow."

On an ordinary day, she returned home, but what greeted her was not the warm yellow light, the aroma of food floating in the air, and the figure sitting behind the counter doing the accounts, but a cold phone call.

Fortunately, a customer in the store discovered Sister Ling who had fainted and quickly called the police.

The roar of thunder turned into raindrops falling, hitting the windows, with a dull sound like the sound of hitting a ball.

Coach Ryuzaki nodded and sighed softly, "I understand. I will explain the situation to Tezuka tomorrow."

"Thank you, coach."

Lightning flashed across the sky, briefly illuminating the figure bending over in the house.

The Kanto competition arrived as scheduled, but some of the contestants were absent.

"Hey, what happened to Daishi? Why hasn't he arrived yet, meow?"

"Maybe he was delayed on the way."

After Tezuka finished the call, he looked at his teammates waiting in front of him, his voice devoid of any emotion, "Oishi has taken a pregnant woman who is about to give birth to the hospital."

"Puchi..." A mischievous laugh rang out at an inopportune moment. Momoshiro lowered his voice and started gossiping with Echizen, "Is Oishi-senpai late and using the same excuse as Echizen last time? That trick is already outdated."

"Peach City."

Momoshiro immediately fell silent, "President Tezuka."

Echizen lowered the brim of his hat and said, "We're still a long way off."

"Where's Kazama?"

"The child asked for leave from me last night because someone at home was sick and needed to be taken care of."

"Ah... I'm really not used to seeing two people missing all of a sudden."

"Although it's a bit regrettable that I can't be there in person, I'll just bring the victory back to her."

"That's right! Victory, victory~~"

"Keep your attention on the ground!"

The sky above the stadium was vast and blue, without a single cloud. The cheers of the Hyotei cheerleaders almost overturned the stadium. Even though Tomoka covered her ears, the sound still penetrated.

"Tezuka, I will personally defeat you in the Kanto Tournament. Hyotei will definitely belong to our Hyotei."

"Looking forward to fighting with you."

The boy on the court smiled brightly. After his arrogant speech, he glanced at the Qingxue game stands from the corner of his eyes, and the tear mole at the corner of his eye raised slightly, "Such an important day, your Qingxue recorder was absent. He is really derelict in his duty."

"What a shame! She'll surely regret not being able to see this match. Ozuki, don't forget to use your camera to record my magnificent ball skills."

"Well... he's really a gorgeous guy from beginning to end." The young Oshitari boy on the sidelines shrugged with a smile, and the raised camera froze on the moment when the teammates from both sides shook hands.

——

"Are you sure you don't want to go and see it in person?"

The sudden sound brought Feng Jian back to her senses. She had already peeled the apple in her hand and lowered her head. "No, I trust my teammates, and Sister Ling also needs someone to take care of her."

"It's just hypoglycemia. The doctor just said it. You don't need anyone to take care of you." Sister Ling waved her hand. "It's you who was staring at your phone for a long time. It must be a message from a friend. They might really need you..."

Before he finished speaking, Fengjian stood up and said, "I'll go get some hot water first." Sister Ling sighed softly behind him.

The sound of running water was particularly clear in the empty hot water room. Fengjian stood against the wall, staring at the message sent to her by Taocheng on her phone:

With two wins, one loss and one draw, the highly anticipated first doubles match between Seigaku and Hyotei, the doubles battle between Tezuka Kunimitsu and Atobe Keigo, is about to begin.

His fist clenched slightly at his side, and Kazama snapped back to his senses at the sound of someone else's exclamation. The water had already overflowed the bottle. On the way back, the light from the cherry trees outside the window fell first, casting a dense, mottled reflection.

She recalled that in her previous life, when Sister Ling was hospitalized, it was also a sunny day with the same sunshine, but it was the darkest day in her sixteen years of life.

This time, she would never let that happen again.

"I'm back......."

Feng Jian just pushed open the door of the ward and saw Sister Ling staring intently at the TV screen. "Your friend seems to have encountered some difficulties."

Following her gaze, she saw Tezuka on the screen, kneeling on the azure court. Sweat dripped from the tips of his chestnut-colored hair onto his white wristband, creating a small, dark stain. His left shoulder slumped slightly, like rain-soaked canvas, and even his right hand, gripping the racket, trembled.

Fengjian opened her eyes wide, her fingertips sinking deeply into her palm. The red and swollen elbow was exactly the same as the inflamed wound on Sister Ling that she saw in the hospital corridor in her previous life.

Sister Ling suddenly patted her on the back and handed her the thermos cup. "Why are you standing there like an idiot? You're crying here while he's shaking in pain on the court. Are you both suffering together?"

Feng Jian looked up and met Sister Ling's understanding eyes. "Don't worry, I have a nurse here with me. Besides," Sister Ling raised her chin and tapped the screen, "that child is very stubborn. Maybe he's waiting for you to come over and say, 'Don't hold on.'"

She clenched the thermos tightly. The temperature of the cup wall was as hot as the touch Sister Ling had just given her on her shoulder. When she pushed open the door, the sunlight penetrated the thick clouds and hit the ground, creating spots of light, just like the landing point on the court.