rewards and punishments
Did you wash your hair today?
Tezuka looked at Kanade's fluffy low bun on the screen, his phoenix eyes filled with a smile.
"Huh? Kunimitsu actually noticed." Kanade touched her carefully styled, casually lazy low bun and said proudly, "I really went all out. I washed my hair especially to support my boyfriend's final."
Tezuka covered his smile with his left fist and replied seriously, "Ah, thank you, girlfriend. I can feel that you value me."
Seeing that he was talking more than usual today, He Zou observed his expression for a while and asked with a smile, "Are you nervous?"
Tezuka clenched his slightly damp hands and readily admitted, "A little."
This wasn't his first time reaching the French Open final, but today he was not just playing in a French Open final, but also in the "gateway" of his professional career.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. He didn't need to hide anything from Melodia.
"I see~ Is there anything you want me to do?" Kanade rested her chin on her hand, tapping her cheek with her slender fingers, pretending to be deep in thought. "For example, setting up some rewards for Kunimitsu."
"A reward?" Tezuka asked, his expression revealing just the right amount of anticipation.
With nimble fingers mimicking walking, Hezou said, "If we win, how about we go hiking? Fichteer Peak is said to have an excellent view."
"Sounds great." Tezuka liked the reward, but it seemed a little insufficient. He leaned forward, his gaze fixed on her from behind his glasses. "But is there only a reward, and no punishment?"
"Hmm~" He imitated him, leaning closer to the camera and looking at him with a smile, "Kunimitsu wants me to punish you?"
The two stared at each other in silence, until finally Tezuka lowered his eyes first.
"...Well, I just think that combining rewards and punishments is more motivating."
"For example, punishing someone by making them run laps?"
"..."
“But running laps seems too easy for Guoguang, so how about—” Hezou picked up his Pad, found a picture, and showed it to the camera, “How about making Guoguang wear this for me to see!”
"..." Tezuka looked at the picture, then at her overly bright smile, and used his long fingers to cover his eyes as if he were rubbing his forehead, reminding her with a hint of embarrassment, "Melodia, the caption, wasn't cropped."
"This is truly one of the sluttiest things a man can wear"
Upon seeing this sentence, he found it difficult to remain calm under her expectant gaze.
He Zou turned the Pad around and glanced at the line of English text, saying nonchalantly, "Well, I just wanted to show it to you."
Tezuka was completely at a loss for words.
Seeing her boyfriend's ears turn bright red, He Zou couldn't help but tease him again: "Guoguang, what do you think of this punishment?"
“Very…effective.” Tezuka took a deep breath and gave up resisting.
"Pfft—" Kazusa couldn't help but burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking. "Then we'd better do our best today."
"Okay." Tezuka adjusted his glasses, then looked away and said softly, "If we win... I'll wear it too."
!
"I'm telling you, Tezuka-kun," Kanade said, covering her face as if she couldn't take it anymore, revealing her ears that had turned bright red, and letting out a wail, "Don't tempt me at a time like this."
When she had no other way to deal with him, she would call him "Tezuka-kun".
Then, a soft laugh escaped from Tezuka's throat.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Kobel's voice rang out from outside: "Kunimitsu, get ready to begin."
He Zou heard it too. She looked up, blushing, and waved to him: "Go on, let's go hiking together."
"good."
Tezuka put away his phone, which had gone dark, and got up to walk towards the people waiting outside the door.
The only sound in the players' tunnel leading to the Roland Garros center stadium was the dull, rhythmic sound of footsteps.
Tezuka's hands, which had been gripping the tennis bag strap, had dried, and there was still a lingering smile in his eyes.
Kerber and her team followed him breathlessly. Although she had experienced similar situations before, for some reason, she was more nervous than when she played a decisive point.
The apprentice was still able to laugh, which means he made good adjustments during the crucial ten minutes before the match.
The light grew brighter and brighter.
When he was only a hair's breadth away from sunlight, Tezuka resolutely took the final step—
Instantly, a torrent of enthusiasm surged toward him.
The intense light made Tezuka instinctively close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he was already the calm and collected emperor on the tennis court.
He walked to his seat, put down his tennis bag, and looked up at the table above him.
In the row of seats reserved for the contestant's family and friends, the mother happily waved to him, while the father silently nodded.
Moving the gaze further to the right, there was a middle-aged man with purple hair, dressed in a suit, who was looking at him with a stern expression, his arms crossed.
Tezuka had never met him, but the Yagyu family's signature purple hair made it easy for him to recognize the other person.
That was Melodia's father.
Unlike nodding to his parents, Tezuka bowed slightly to Eiji Yagyu under his indifferent gaze, without being overly formal.
Eiji Yagyu noticed this, frowned slightly, then sat up straight and nodded to Tezuka in a respectful manner, as if in response.
Tezuka Ayana leaned her head on the shoulder of the young man beside her, struggling to suppress her laughter.
"Auntie, it's visible on the big screen," Atobe said helplessly, propping his head up with his hand.
"Oh dear, why didn't you say so earlier, Kei!" Tezuka Ayana calmly sat up, smiled and waved at the big screen, her lips slightly moving as she complained to him.
Atobe glanced at the Yagyu family's master of mental surgery and muttered somewhat childishly, "It's really not flashy."
As the camera cut to the other people, Ayana reminded him, "Behave well and don't cause trouble."
"I—" Under Ayana's gentle gaze, Atobe swallowed his arrogant self-proclaimed title, "I even arranged their schedule. Besides, I'm not a member of the Tezuka family, so what's the point of behaving well?"
Ayana was pleased: "Sweetie, you're sitting in the family and friends section now."
Atobe's lips twitched as he heard this, and he felt once again that the Tezuka family was his nemesis.
Yagyu Eishi sat there calmly, though he was actually a little embarrassed inside.
He was really worried about his daughter and wanted to go to Massabit to check on Kazusa's situation. Since he happened to be transiting through Paris and his schedule matched up, he thought he'd take the opportunity to see Tezuka Kunimitsu, the man his daughter had abandoned her principles to date, to see if he was really as reliable as Hiro and Mirai had described.
Perhaps, it also carries other emotions.
So he had Hiroki book tickets for the French Open, but when he couldn't find his seat and asked a staff member for help, he was unexpectedly led to the family and friends section.
Seeing the Tezuka couple greet him warmly without any surprise, Eishi Yagyu immediately wanted to call them and scold his nephew who had tricked him.
However, he didn't hold a grudge against Tezuka Kunimitsu. He had come of his own accord; tickets for the French Open finals were extremely hard to come by, and he was indebted to Tezuka Kunimitsu for being able to sit here.
Having figured things out, Eiji Yagyu calmly observed the young man sitting on the sidelines, meticulously adjusting his racket lines.
Facing countless eyes and cameras, he remained frighteningly calm, as if he had focused all his mental energy on the present moment.
"Yagyu-kun, thank you for coming to watch the match." Perhaps to avoid making him feel awkward, Tezuka Kuniharu, who was sitting next to him, spoke to him politely.
Eishi Yagyu felt there was something off about what he said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Out of politeness, he replied, "Your son seems quite composed." However, his tone was flat, revealing neither praise nor criticism.
Tezuka Kuniharu didn't mind his coldness; instead, a smile appeared on his stern face, a face inherited from the Tezuka family: "Kunimitsu has always been like this."
At this point, the referee signaled that time was up.
Tezuka Kunimitsu neatly folded the towel and slowly stood up.
When he stood up again, his face remained calm, but his eyes now held an undeniable ambition.
Seeing this look in his eyes through the screen, Eiji Yagyu couldn't help but nod.
Staying calm is important, but in a competition, if you don't want to win, you've already lost.
Clearly, the other viewers thought the same way.
When that face appeared simultaneously on all the huge screens in the venue, the entire place erupted in cheers.
Unlike the seasoned veteran opposite him, that handsome face, while possessing maturity and composure, also retained a youthful charm. When these two qualities blended perfectly within him, they created a unique vitality and attraction that made it impossible to look away from him.
Eishi Yagyu had to admit that his daughter had a good eye for talent.
Courage, perseverance, wisdom, composure, and ambition—Tezuka Kunimitsu possesses all the qualities to become a champion.
All that's left is this one game.
Eiji Yagyu's attitude gradually shifted from initially scrutinizing Tezuka to anticipating the match.
—
The emotions of the fans at the stadium were actually quite complex regarding this match.
When Tezuka Kunimitsu stood on the field, they suddenly realized that his future had arrived.
Everyone wants him to win.
We look forward to a new king ascending to the throne, and to a changing of the guard.
But looking at his opponent, David Ferrer, a veteran known for his amazing stamina, his fifteen years of perseverance and passion from his early days to his crowning glory are moving to every fan who knows his career.
Ferrer's perseverance is the best interpretation of the spirit of tennis.
Everyone was afraid he would lose.
I fear the fading of heroes, the end of legends.
So whichever ending happens, it means the breakdown of another good story.
The emotions in the audience's hearts were fragmented until the moment the match began.
The match began in this suffocating atmosphere.
Ferrer's experience and resilience were on full display in the first set; his attack and defense were flawless, making him the undisputed world number one.
The first point was a rally that lasted more than twenty shots. In the end, amidst the tense breaths of the audience, Tezuka turned the tide with a perfect "Tezuka Zone," forcing Ferrer to return the ball out of bounds.
Breakthrough successful!
Atobe snapped his fingers in satisfaction from the stands—when it comes to patience and resilience, Tezuka has no chance of losing.
That's the charm of tennis.
Winning is winning, and losing is losing. It doesn't coax or deceive you; it's brutally honest. But competition will not let down every drop of sweat.
The match lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes, and every goal was absolutely spectacular.
Match point.
After adjusting his white wristband, which was stained with red clay, Tezuka Kunimitsu took a deep breath, tossed the ball, drew back his racket, and swung!
The green ball flashed into the opponent's half of the court at a speed invisible to the naked eye, hit the baseline precisely, bounced up, and then sped outwards.
Many viewers began rubbing their eyes.
It's already the end of the game, how can he still have such quality ball control and such terrifying ball speed!?
Exhausted, Ferrer gave it his all, barely managing to touch the ball with his racket, but it was too late to turn the tide.
The ball landed out of bounds.
"Game, set and match! Tezuka!"
As the familiar closing remarks rang out, Tezuka's name echoed in the silent Garros stadium.
In the silence that followed the dust settling, he stepped forward and shook hands with Ferrer.
Ferrer laughed and patted his shoulder with his red-soil-covered hands, raising his hands high together.
It was like thanking the audience, or like a solemn handover.
Ferrer generously announced to the fans who felt sorry for him—
Our new world number one has been born!
After the audience came to their senses, huge cheers erupted wave after wave, almost lifting the stadium off its feet!
The commentator, his voice hoarse, offered his congratulations to the audience: "Let's congratulate Tezuka Kunimitsu on his first Grand Slam title! Congratulations on winning his first Musketeers' Cup! Congratulations on reaching the world number one ranking this week!"
At the age of 20, Tezuka Kunimitsu finally reached the place he was meant to be.
His era had begun.
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