Airport drop-off
The airport's departure hall was bustling with activity, filled with announcements and farewells.
In a relatively quiet corner, the atmosphere was subtly still. Da Shi, who had come to see him off, looked left and right before silently retreating to a pillar.
“Melodia, this is my mother.” Tezuka spoke first, standing next to Kazuna. He introduced her in a steady voice, “Mother, this is Yagyu Kazuna.”
Looking at the beautiful woman in front of him who was looking at him excitedly, He Zou felt unusually nervous and didn't know how to address her properly.
Before her son could even speak, Ayana Tezuka instantly discerned the other person's identity from the way he looked at him. Knowing she would have the chance to see this child today, she had specially dressed up, hoping to leave a good impression.
This child is so beautiful, and his smile is so heartwarming.
Ayana had an excellent first impression of Kanade. When she saw him looking at her son with a nervous and pleading expression, Ayana couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Seeing that the other person stiffened for a moment because of her laughter, she immediately put on a gentle smile and greeted the three Yagyu siblings opposite her: "Hello, I am Kunimitsu's mother, Tezuka Ayana."
Seeing his sister acting foolishly for once, Yagyu Hiroshi sighed silently and stepped forward first. He adjusted his glasses and replied with impeccable manners, "Good day, Mrs. Tezuka. I am Yagyu Hiroshi, Wasabi's cousin. This is my sister, Mirai."
Wazou then realized that she seemed to have been a little impolite. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled, "Auntie, hello, you can call me Wazou."
Yagyu Mirai's eyes darted around, noticing something amiss. She suppressed her lively demeanor and bowed along with her older siblings, saying, "Greetings, Mrs. Tezuka!"
"Oh, sweetie! Just call me Auntie like you do with Kazuna." Ayana said, stepping forward and taking Kazuna's hand affectionately. "This meeting was too rushed. Next time, let Hikaru take you home for a visit."
The delicate touch and gentle pressure on his hands made Hezai feel no discomfort, and the sincerity and happiness in the other person's eyes were also very clear.
It's true that Guoguang said his mother liked her very much.
Amidst such enthusiasm, the initial nervousness gradually subsided, and she smiled and nodded.
Ayana liked Kanade more and more as she looked at him, and in just a short while, she took out her phone and added Kanade on LINE.
Seeing that his mother wanted to say something more, Tezuka could only stop her enthusiasm for Kaname at the right time. He stepped forward, took Kaname's hand and said, "Mom, Yagyu-kun, it's almost time. Melodia and I will go check in first."
Mirai, who had been secretly observing from the side, immediately widened her eyes, staring at the two's clasped hands, her face filled with the excitement of "I knew it." Hiroshi's glasses reflected the light, his expression unchanged, but his gaze became even sharper.
Tezuka nodded to his friend, who had been silently retreating to the corner, and said, "Oishi, please take care of Mom for a while."
"Okay, don't worry." Oishi then came out, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "Yagyu-kun, we meet again."
Yagyu nodded: "Oishi-kun."
Ayana looked at the two of them in surprise: "Oh my, do Shuichiro and Hiroshi know each other?"
Oishi honestly replied, "Yagyu-kun is on Rikkai University's varsity team. We've played together before, and I've even met him during the Davis Cup training camp."
The colorful vegetables are obvious.
So it turns out he and his future brother-in-law were once rivals; no wonder the other man looked at Hikaru with such a sharp gaze. And looking at how suddenly enlightened this kid looked just now, the Yagyu family probably doesn't know about Hikaru's existence yet. There might be some trouble to come.
Ayana's eyes lit up at the thought of her son being humiliated later.
Tezuka, who was checking in at the dedicated check-in counter, inexplicably felt a chill down his spine.
"Guoguang".
"Hmm?" Tezuka looked down at the person standing beside him, and seeing that she seemed hesitant to speak, he asked softly, "What's wrong? Did Mom's attitude scare you?"
"How could that be? I'm not that easily scared." Kanade chuckled, glancing at Tezuka Ayana who was talking to her sister, and said, "Auntie is very nice."
When the two of them booked their return tickets for the same day, she knew that they would meet like this. She had even practiced her conversation in her mind and imagined how she should introduce Guoguang if her father were to come. Unfortunately, she didn't have to use it.
Tezuka gently squeezed her fingertips and asked in a low voice, "So, what do you want to say?"
“I mean…” Kazusa sighed softly, glancing at the occasional glances around her, then at her oblivious boyfriend, and pulled an unopened mask from her bag. “Tezuka, wearing just a hat doesn’t seem enough; you need to add a mask.”
Tezuka glanced at her following her gaze and then noticed that some eyes were indeed on him.
After the Davis Cup, his next schedule wasn't announced, so there shouldn't have been many reporters at the airport, and he didn't pay much attention. Moreover, he's usually so used to this kind of attention that he almost ignores it, and only now did he realize that it might be causing Melodia some trouble.
"Ah." He looked at the mask in Kazusa's hand and responded softly, bending down slightly and bringing his face closer to hers, appearing submissive.
He Zou's heart skipped a beat at his sudden action. After she came to her senses, she glanced at him with amusement.
But she still deftly unpacked the mask, unfolded the straps of the black mask, and put it on him. After adjusting the seams behind his ears, she carefully adjusted the metal strip at the top of the mask to make it fit his high nose bridge.
After putting on the mask, most of his face was covered, only revealing his calm phoenix eyes and clearly defined forehead.
But this only makes it seem like a cover-up, and the attention it attracts seems to be... increasing rather than decreasing?
This discovery made Hezou want to facepalm.
She reached out and gently adjusted the brim of his baseball cap, muttering softly, "It doesn't seem to be helping much?"
Tezuka watched as she frowned slightly, her expression a mixture of helplessness and complaint, her phoenix eyes drooping slightly at the corners. He reached out and gently took her hand, which she hadn't yet let go of, and whispered, "It's working. It's much quieter now."
The fans who recognized him saw that he was wearing a mask and realized that this was his private trip and they did not want to be disturbed, so they gave up the idea of going up to him.
But the silence only lasted a moment; a mask couldn't suppress the hushed whispers around them.
"It really is Tezuka Kunimitsu!"
"But does Tezuka Kunimitsu have a girlfriend? There's no news that he has one..."
"She's helping him put on a mask; she's definitely his girlfriend."
"His eyes seem so gentle, completely different from how he looks on the court."
The whispers reached Kazusa's ears clearly. In an instant, she felt she should also wear a mask to cover up the bewildered expression on her face.
Even so, she did not pull her hand away from his grasp, but instead gently squeezed it back.
She looked up and met his smiling gaze behind his glasses, and said solemnly, "Tezuka, please wear sunglasses next time."
Tezuka's smile deepened. He squeezed her hand, his deep voice coming through his mask, tinged with a muffled laugh: "Okay, whatever you say."
—
Time always flies when you're seeing someone off.
Looking at his smiling sister, Yagyu Hiroshi, used to being the siblings of the opposing forces, couldn't bring himself to say anything too sentimental. He simply said, "Keep in touch." After saying that, he hesitated for a moment and added, "Be careful."
Upon hearing this, He Zou raised an eyebrow. If anyone in the family understood her best, it was her older brother; it seemed he had already guessed what she was about to do.
A warm feeling rose in her heart, and she smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will make all the necessary preparations."
Hilus was clearly dissatisfied with this statement, frowning as he said, "There's no such thing as perfect; you should listen to your uncle..."
Before he could finish speaking, He Zou turned and patted his sister's head: "Be good at home and don't cause trouble."
In the future, he followed suit and ignored her words, instead whispering in her ear, "Sis, Tezuka-senpai... is quite handsome!"
He Zou chuckled and gently patted her again.
Unfortunately, Tezuka was focused on his mother's words and didn't hear this first affirmation from a member of the Yagyu family.
Ayana gave her son a final message: "Remember to let me know when you arrive safely. Hikaru, take good care of yourself and Kanade too."
"Okay." Tezuka agreed earnestly, putting his mother at ease.
Oishi patted Tezuka's shoulder forcefully: "Everything went smoothly!"
Looking at his still sentimental friend, Tezuka said solemnly, "Oishi, thank you for everything."
That short sentence left Da Shi's eyes still red as he watched them walk through the security checkpoint.
He wiped his eyes and looked at the fast passage ahead. Tezuka lowered his head slightly, listening to Yagyu and Kanade speaking beside him. His expression on his profile was focused and gentle.
The same farewell reminded Daishi of the U-17 from that year.
That day, the snow was just as heavy. On the mountain path of the U-17 training camp, Tezuka, carrying his luggage, walked alone, step by step, resolutely heading down the mountain, heading to Germany with the courage to never turn back.
On the quiet winter mountain path, his figure stood out so alone that they didn't even have the courage to watch him go.
For the first two years, they never took the initiative to inquire about the German team. Apart from showing concern for his personal life, they almost never asked about Tezuka's training progress.
The professional tennis world has never been a place where respect can be earned solely through passion and willpower.
Over the years, every time I saw Tezuka, his expression became more serious, his back was always straight, and his aura became more and more aloof as his world ranking rose year by year.
Until this year, he had another person by his side.
Although he still looks serious and unsmiling, Oishi vaguely sees the Tezuka from back then, with a calm and peaceful demeanor amidst his aloofness.
Oishi lowered his head to wipe the corner of his eye again. When he looked up again, Yagyu and Kanade reached out to help Tezuka straighten the ends of his hair that were pressed down by the brim of his hat. She always had a bright smile on her lips, while Tezuka, although his expression did not change much, carefully gathered the scarf that was about to slip off her shoulders, his movements were familiar and natural.
It is these many ordinary details that make up the essence of companionship.
Watching the two wave goodbye to them one last time and walk away hand in hand, Daishi suddenly smiled with relief.
Tezuka has been like this since they met; he says he will go forward without hesitation, and he does so with pure and unwavering determination.
Fortunately, as people go through life, they will eventually meet someone who understands them.
On the road to a wider world, their minister was no longer alone.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
