Chapter Eight

Even before the inter-county tennis tournament officially began, the tennis club of Rikkai University Affiliated Junior High School was already enveloped in a heated training atmosphere.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated when the crisp sound of rackets hitting the ball echoed from the tennis court. The evening glow lengthened the shadows, and the sweat-soaked team uniforms still fluttered on the court.

Yukimura Seiichi was always present, and as the team captain, he set an example by working from dawn till dusk every day, devoting all his energy to the preparation of this tournament that was about honor.

Meanwhile, preparations for the school sports meet in the class were in full swing. The class monitor's sharp gaze swept across the classroom, finally settling on the drowsy Yuzuru.

Under that silent "accusation," Yuzuru reluctantly signed up for the sprint event, hoping to "participate" and get by. But fate played a trick on her; the sprint slots were already full, and her event was automatically changed to the 800 meters.

Upon seeing the words "800 meters" on the notification slip, Yuzuru felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and he inwardly groaned, "Life is bleak, life is unpredictable, it's like a big intestine wrapped around a small intestine!"

Yuzuru, who used to sleep until she naturally woke up, was now facing a "nightmare"—Yukimura Seiichi personally took charge, dragging her for a morning run every day without fail. In the cool breeze, one's steps were light and steady, while the other struggled, panting and out of breath.

The days slipped by quietly amidst the swinging of rackets and the sound of running footsteps. On this day in PE class, Yuzuru Hanyu and Yuko Sato went to the equipment room together to pick up their sports equipment. The two chatted away as they talked about the interesting things happening at school, but a scene at the corner made them both stop in their tracks.

A pretty girl with black pigtails clutched a pink envelope tightly in her hand, her cheeks flushed red, and stammered to Yukimura in front of her, "I...I...like you!"

Yukimura's face still wore his usual gentle smile, but his tone was very firm: "I'm sorry, I can't accept it."

"Why?" the girl asked urgently, her eyes reddening. "Do you have someone you like? Is it Momozawa from Group D?"

Upon hearing the name "Momozawa," Yukimura's smile froze, and his eyes darkened slightly: "This is my private matter."

"I'm not lying!" The girl became even more agitated, her voice trembling with tears. "I saw you two holding hands over the weekend!"

The next second, the air pressure around Yukimura instantly dropped, his gentle aura vanished, replaced by an almost icy sharpness. His eyes were sharp as knives, and his words carried an undeniable warning: "I hope you can be careful with your words."

The girl trembled at the sudden aura, tears welling up in her eyes. She covered her face, turned, and ran away crying. Yukimura slowly turned around, his gaze meeting that of Yuzuru not far away. His eyes were deep and unfathomable. In just a moment, he looked away and walked straight towards the classroom.

Sato Yuko, who was standing next to him, cast an inquiring glance at him. Yuzuru's heart tightened, and he quickly chuckled awkwardly, "Ha...haha, you must have seen wrong. I don't know that girl."

Yuko Sato raised an eyebrow, her eyes holding a hint of something ambiguous, but she didn't ask any further questions.

Under Yukimura's rigorous training, which was like that of a "demon king," Yuzuru's 800-meter performance improved by leaps and bounds, and he eventually achieved a very respectable ranking.

The moment she crossed the finish line, Yuzuru almost cried tears of joy—she could finally end her morning runs and embrace the blissful life of waking up naturally again!

As the tennis tournament progressed, news of Yukimura Seiichi's marriage spread from nowhere and rapidly throughout the campus.

There are all sorts of speculations about "Yukimura's wife," and various versions of rumors circulate among the students.

Whenever Yuko Sato and Yuzuru discussed these topics, there was always an inexplicable curiosity in their eyes.

Yuzuru poured out his grievances to Mina Miyamoto on the other end of the phone: "The pressure is immense! I'm on edge every day now, and I'm really afraid that one day when the truth is revealed, I'll be drowned in the spittle of Yukimura's fans!"

After hanging up the phone, Yuzuru turned around and met Yukimura's smiling gaze. She immediately gave him an accusing look. Yukimura, however, simply smiled faintly, using actions to dispel all her unease.

The tennis tournament has officially begun, with the prefectural tournament, metropolitan tournament, Kanto tournament, and national tournament all following in quick succession. Rikkai University's tennis team, as in previous years, is unstoppable, advancing relentlessly towards their goal of a "three-peat."

On the day of the national championship finals, Yuzuru Hanyu made a special trip to watch the match. From the stands, shouts of "Rikkai will always win! Rikkai will always win!" echoed throughout the stadium, the electrifying atmosphere infectious. When Yukimura swung the final ball, the score was set, and the entire arena erupted! He turned without hesitation, his eyes sharp, his aura commanding, a triumphant smile playing on his lips: "Rikkai is the champion!"

The team members cheered and embraced each other, tears and smiles mingling as they celebrated this hard-won glory.

That evening, the tennis club's victory celebration was held at a barbecue restaurant, and Yuzuru went along as well. Before leaving, she deliberately brought along Yuko Sato—since Yuko already had a feeling about it, deliberately hiding it would only seem distant, so it was better to just get along tacitly like this.

Faced with Sato Yuko's knowing look, Yuzuru scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and gave a shy smile.

In the midst of a peaceful day, an unexpected surprise quietly arrived. Yuzuru Hanyu received an email from Big Goose Group, the company behind the "Ears app".

"Ears" is a new voice platform that integrates functions such as chat, reading, and radio.

Influenced by his love of radio dramas in his previous life, Yuzuru discovered this "treasure app" early on. In his spare time, he would post his own composed songs, share short stories, and occasionally host a radio show to interact with fans.

For this hobby, she gritted her teeth and spent a lot of money to buy a set of professional equipment, and she couldn't help but feel heartache every time she thought about the cost.

Fortunately, her hard work paid off. Last week, one of her niche songs suddenly went viral on the platform, garnering a massive number of plays and attracting a large number of fans. Now she's a popular influencer on the platform with hundreds of thousands of followers!

Looking at the signing invitation in the email, Yuzuru pondered for a long time. She told Yukimura the news, and unexpectedly, Yukimura gave her his full support.

That night, the two sat side by side on the sofa and talked about their future development. Yukimura said seriously, "Yu, you have a lot of talent in voice. You can consider further study in the field of broadcasting."

Under the warm light, he embraced Yuzuru, his voice gentle yet firm: "Whatever decision you make, I will support you."

Ultimately, accompanied by his parents, Yuzuru took leave from school and traveled to China to complete the signing with the Big Goose Group.

One leisurely afternoon, Yuzuru was rummaging through an old notebook in the storage room, with Yukimura helping him. "Is it purple? What size is it?" Yukimura asked as he searched. Yuzuru frowned. "It's light purple, about the size of a palm. I remember putting it here, how come it's gone? That's strange."

While rummaging through the items, Yukimura spotted a small, off-white storage box. Inside, neatly arranged, was a stack of drawings. He picked one up at random and was instantly stunned—the drawings were all chibi-style portraits of the Seigaku tennis club members, each accompanied by a friendly note.

For example, next to Ryoma Echizen's portrait is written "The little boy is so cute," while next to Kunimitsu Tezuka's portrait is written "The captain is as handsome and composed as ever."

Yuzuru noticed the silence around him and leaned closer to check: "Found it? Oichi."

“You’ve found something different, Yu.” Yukimura waved the sketch in his hand, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

The moment Yuzuru saw the drawing, he froze, his scalp tingling. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Oh dear, this is Mina's stuff! How could she leave it lying around like this? She didn't take it! Haha... I'll definitely make her take it next time!" He then turned and tried to slip away.

Yukimura strode forward, and before Yuzuru could have any chance to escape, he had already wrapped his arms firmly around her waist and lifted her up in his arms with a little force.

His movements carried an irresistible force, his steps steady yet rapid as he strode toward the bedroom, his sketches scattered on the floor beside him, unnoticed by anyone.

The bedroom door was closed behind them, the dull sound shutting out everything from the outside world.

Yuzuru felt her body lighten, and the next second she sank into the soft bedding. Before she could react, Yukimura's figure covered her, trapping her firmly between his arms and the bed.

His aura carried a familiar coolness, yet it was mixed with an unprecedented heat, enveloping him completely.

"Ayu thinks Tezuka is very handsome?"

A clear, crisp voice rang in his ears, tinged with a deliberately lowered hue, the last syllable trailing off gently, like a feather brushing against the heart, yet concealing an unmistakable possessiveness. Yuzuru's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up in a fluster, meeting the unfathomable depths of the voice—gone was the gentle smile of the past, replaced by an intense, unyielding obsession and burning passion, like a hunter locking onto its prey, leaving no room for retreat.

She opened her mouth, about to plead and beg for mercy, but her lips were suddenly sealed by a kiss. Unlike his usual gentle and tender kisses, this one carried a strong sense of punishment, forceful and domineering, as if it wanted to devour her completely. His kissing technique was skillful yet carried a hint of uncontrolled madness; in its lingering and caressing, every inch conveyed a declaration of ownership, plundering every breath from her mouth, leaving her no room for resistance.

Yuzuru was almost breathless from the kiss, her fingertips instinctively clutching the hem of his clothes, her body trembling slightly. Yukimura, however, seemed insatiable, his kisses growing deeper and deeper, lingering with a persistent, lingering intensity, as if trying to completely erase the words "Tezuka is handsome" from her memory, leaving only his scent, his warmth, and his imprint.

The air was thick with heat, mingling with their rapid breaths. Every touch was filled with intense tension. All tenderness had vanished, leaving only a wild, possessive entanglement that was uniquely his, a culmination of punishment and control.