Chapter 129 Tennis 17
The setting sun shone onto the tennis courts of Hyotei Academy, its golden light filtering through the wire mesh and casting fine shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth.
The leaves rustled, and the girl's light footsteps came through, coming from far away.
"Y-It's Kurikawa Sana! What is she doing in the boys' tennis club?"
"Do I need to ask? He must be here to see Oshina-senpai and Atobe-senpai!"
Hearing the familiar name, Shishido Ryo stopped practicing swinging his racket and looked in the direction of everyone's gaze.
Unlike the gorgeous dress she wore on the day of the ball, the black-haired girl today wore a tennis skirt and carried a tennis bag on her back. Her plain face was still incredibly beautiful, and she caught everyone's attention as soon as she stepped onto the tennis court.
Shishido Ryo tightened his grip on the racket.
Suddenly, he remembered what he said that day, "People like her who only have Atobe and Oshitari in their minds," and the girl's surprised and hurt expression after she opened the door.
He thought, "Maybe I'm being disliked." Even Chotaro didn't deny this possibility.
This is the time to say something nice, he thought.
However, his straightforward tone and personality made him show his usual temper right from the start. Shishido Ryo asked directly, "What are you doing here?"
His brows and expression were as furrowed as ever, and his tone was as cold and hard as ever.
As soon as he asked the question, Shishido Ryo was stunned for a moment.
…that’s really lame.
I failed to control my tone and feel gentle, which is lame.
...and then obsessing over it after failing to do it is even more lame.
Unlike the boy's tangled thoughts, the black-haired girl in front of him simply blinked and spoke bluntly.
"I want to challenge your men's tennis club."
The girl's sweet and gentle voice resounded loudly in the 200-member men's tennis club of Hyotei.
Immediately, a huge uproar was set off.
"What? Does she know what she's talking about?!"
"Challenging our men's tennis team, does she know how many people we have?"
"And he's too arrogant, isn't he? He's saying he wants to challenge me out of nowhere..."
Before the regular players of Hyotei could say anything, the ordinary players outside the regular players started to explode and started talking.
Kurikawa Sana tilted her head in confusion. "But I heard that your captain, Atobe-kun, said in first grade that Hyotei values strength above all else and welcomes anyone with the strength to challenge them at any time."
"Yes, that's right..."
"Indeed, when Atobe-senpai first entered school as a freshman, he defeated all the regular seniors in the tennis club..."
When it comes to arrogance, the current minister, Keigo Atobe, is number one, and no one dares to claim second place.
The ordinary team members looked at each other, unsure of what to do for a moment.
"Yushi, is that what that guy is like?" Third-year regular player Takehito Mukai frowned. He had a delicate appearance, even handsome, with a striking red bob hairstyle. However, his personality was sharp, in stark contrast to his appearance. "He suddenly came up and said he wanted to challenge the entire men's tennis club. How arrogant!"
Even when Atobe challenged all the seniors upon entering school, Mukai Taketo and Shishido Ryo also frowned and disagreed with Atobe's approach. It was not until Atobe conquered everything with his strength that they were convinced.
Unexpectedly, three years later, there was another equally arrogant guy, and it was a girl.
Unlike her elegant and beautiful appearance like a Yamato Nadeshiko, is she such a flamboyant character inside?
Ozuki Yuushi was also a little surprised. He smiled helplessly and said, "Why are you asking me? I don't really know her that well."
"Hasn't she confessed to both you and Atobe? Don't you even know her personality?" Mukai Taketo suddenly remembered something and frowned even deeper. "I have no problem with brave courtship, but if this guy is trying to use tennis to attract attention and show off in order to pursue you and Atobe, then that's a different matter."
Upon hearing this, the other first-year students in Hyotei's selection were all stunned, and even the soft-hearted Houchotaro became serious.
It's true that Kurikawa-senpai is very beautiful, so beautiful that people will blush and be at a loss when facing her, but tennis is different.
Everyone in Hyotei's starting lineup has immense respect and love for tennis. If someone were to use tennis solely as a means to attract attention and achieve a certain goal...it's unimaginable and unacceptable.
"Tsk, you guys don't dare to say anything harsh to her? Then I'll go." Mukai Taketo stepped forward and said to the black-haired girl, "It's true that Hyotei's rules welcome strong players to compete, but even if you want to challenge someone, why not challenge the women's tennis club first?"
Kurikawa Sana continued blinking: "The challenge is over."
Xiang Riyueren: "?"
At the same time, the excited and crisp voices of other girls were heard outside the field.
"That's right! Ms. Sana already coached our women's tennis club this afternoon! We have a perfect record, not a single point lost!"
"I heard that Ms. Sana hit an albatross on the golf course this morning... a hole-in-one from 500 yards. Who else is there?!"
"Kurikawa-senpai is definitely qualified to challenge the men's tennis club. Maybe we'll sweep them all!"
As if it was a slap in the face, the regular female tennis players from the next door rushed into the court to watch. Their expressions did not show humiliation or unwillingness of being defeated, but only unprecedented excitement and admiration for the strong.
Xiangri Yueren couldn't help but be stunned, "Is this true? We haven't conceded a single goal?"
"So, Kurikawa-senpai really plays tennis too..." Hou Chotaro looked at her in surprise.
Only Shishido Ryo twitched his lips. "Don't be ridiculous. Isn't Usami, the women's tennis team's captain, the president of that guy's fan club? Are you really willing to use all your strength to compete with her? Are you deliberately making yourself and the other team members lose just to pamper her?"
Feng Changtaro: “…”
No, Shishido-senpai.
You are so understanding. You even remember who the president of her fan club is so clearly.
A short-haired girl named Usami, tall and handsome, was watching from the sidelines. Shishido Ryo was right; she was both the captain of the Hyotei Women's Tennis Club and the president of the Kurikawa Supporters Association.
Hearing such doubts, Usami folded her arms and snorted softly, "I admit that I like Miss Sana very much, but I also love tennis and respect the spirit of sports competition. Why would I deliberately lose a game to appease Miss Sana? She conquered us with her strength!"
"Minister Usami is right. You'll know once you have a fight with Kurikawa-senpai!"
"The reason you're so opposed to Sana-sama's challenge is because you honestly believe a girl can't possibly defeat a male contestant?!"
"Huh? No way! When Atobe challenged for the tennis club's regular season, everyone was just as disgusted!"
"Hmph, please defeat them! Ms. Sana, let these guys see the power of girls!"
The noise continued to rise and fall. The Hyotei women's tennis players and the men's tennis team's regular players were crowded outside the court. The conflict was intensifying, and it was about to escalate into a conflict between the women's and men's tennis teams.
At this moment, a crisp snap of fingers pierced the sky, and as if by magic, the quarrel in the audience magically stopped.
Kurikawa Sana, who had been silent all this time, also lit up her eyes and looked at the other party.
The young man with purple-gray short hair parted in the middle has a handsome face and sparkling teardrop moles under his eyes. The snap of his fingers with the hand raised high seems to have a built-in loudspeaker effect.
"victory--"
What would Atobe say?
Everyone looked at the "king" who reigned over Hyotei Academy.
Should we continue to say, "Victory belongs to Hyotei"? But both the men's and women's tennis teams are part of Hyotei.
"—Belongs to the stronger side."
Atobe Keigo raised his chin and smiled arrogantly, "You are not mistaken, the rule of Hyotei is to welcome any challenger who comes, and the strong will be the king."
"Since you have already defeated all the main players in the women's tennis, including the minister, then this side will naturally compete as the main players as well."
Atobe Keigo looked behind him, "Who goes first?"
"I'll do it." Xiangri Yueren was already standing in the field, performing his signature tiptoe jump to warm up, with a hint of excitement in his eyes, "Let me see your strength."
No one present at the scene would doubt Kurikawa Sana's strength anymore. After all, it was impossible for anyone to pull the entire Hyotei Women's Network to put on a show, and there was no need to tell lies that would be exposed in actual combat.
Everyone present was clearly aware of one fact: Kurikawa Sana must be quite powerful, but no one expected that they still underestimated her.
Kurikawa Sana served the first ball.
The girl gently tossed the ball upwards, then turned and swung the racket, all in one smooth and crisp movement.
The moment the pink racket made contact with the yellow-green tennis ball, the ball shot off like an arrow, carrying a strong topspin, and then—
There was a loud bang!!!
The ball hit the field belonging to Takehi Mukai at the speed of a sonic boom, leaving a dark mark and raising a cloud of dust.
Then there was another "bang" sound, and the ball bounced back and quickly hit the wire fence beside the tennis court, making a terrifying sound.
The amazing power and speed of the ball made the tennis ball spin, drill, and rub against the wire mesh continuously, causing the men's tennis team's regular players behind the wire mesh to change their expressions and step back subconsciously.
Until the ball landed, it announced that Kurikawa Sana's serve directly scored.
“………”
The silencing effect brought by this ball is even better than that of Keigo Atobe's finger snap.
"Referee, score."
It wasn't until Keigo Atobe reminded him that the referee finally came to his senses, as if waking from a dream. "1, 15 to 0!"
The pink tennis racket swung, and another ball was hit!
“30-0!”
The girl leaped high, pirouetted on her toes, her black hair tied in a high ponytail fluttering in the wind.
“40-0!”
"GAME KURIKAWA! 1-0!"
The referee's voice echoed throughout the Hyotei campus in the evening. Inside and outside the crowded tennis court, there was no other sound.
A total of 4 aces, unparalleled and amazing strength.
From the first ball to the fourth ball, it took only 7 seconds - only 7 seconds to win the game.
The whole audience fell into a dead silence.
What on earth is going on?!
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