Chapter 18
In the afternoon, in front of the store, the sun shines on the two teams and a gentle breeze blows.
All the members of Rikkai University and Hyotei University gathered together.
Yanagi Renji stood up, notebook in hand. "This training camp is to strengthen communication between the two teams... I hope we can learn from each other and improve together."
Above, Renji Yanagi is reading the official event speech, with Sanada and Keigo Atobe standing on his left and right.
The contestants below had different attitudes and did not listen to the opening speech.
Hiroshi Yagyu was very considerate and put on a listening posture, while Hyotei relied entirely on Ikushi Ozuki to hold the fort.
When Jiro Akutagawa woke up, he wanted to communicate with his idol Bunta Marui.
Jackal Kuwahara didn't want his partner to be taken away by Hyotei's men, so he carefully diverted Marui Bunta's attention.
Niou Masaharu glanced here and there with his narrow eyes, enjoying the fun.
"We, Rikkai University, will definitely win this time." Kirihara Akaya's excitement about becoming a starter has not yet subsided.
Mukaito was unconvinced. "Of course it's Hyotei. Want to play a game?"
"Let's compete, who's afraid of who?" Kirihara Akaya simply forgot the tennis club's rule that forbids private matches and agreed immediately.
Yanagi Renji continued explaining the two-day schedule. "In addition to basic training, we've added some special exercises, like beach tennis. These will further hone your skills and improve your reaction time."
"Oh~ The props are in Sanada's bag?" Oshitari Ikushi grasped the key point.
Sanada nodded. "During the training camp, I think you guys won't need any help with daily physical training, serving and receiving, etc. to become regular players. This time, we'll use the outside environment to try out new training methods. We'll also have innovative training methods in the future."
"No matter what kind of training it is, I hope you can perform at your expected level." Atobe Keigo touched the teardrop mole with his hand.
Even though the contestants below were doing their own things, the atmosphere instantly became quiet when they talked about the key points. The two schools were staying together, and no one wanted to be the loser.
Mukaito was eager to try. "Beach tennis sounds interesting."
"Beach tennis is greatly restricted by the venue." Marui Bunta looked down at his feet.
Sanada took out the tennis net he had brought with him and placed it at the estimated distance.
Yanagi Renji used his racket to accurately draw deep marks on the beach, and the simple court was formed in a few seconds.
Sanada picked up the racket and demonstrated. "Don't let up."
Sanada had not practiced on the sand court beforehand, but he had the memory of the irregular court used for the U-17 training, and he had experienced various courts before, so Liu did not use his full strength, so it was not difficult to return the ball.
"At the beginning, the main thing is to adapt. The forces on the beach and flat ground are different, so you also need to pay attention to safety when smashing and chasing." Yanagi Renji finished explaining the serve.
Yanagi Renji, who is good at data analysis, quickly understood the changes in tennis even though it was his first time playing on a sand court. His years of data analysis and solid tennis foundation helped him understand the changes in tennis quickly.
Sanada caught up with the ball and hit it back before it hit the ground.
Yanagi Renji looked at the high and far lob and had enough time to react.
"Snap!" The ball was caught steadily and flew towards Sanada again.
In this case, Yanagi Renji also hit back before the ball landed. Knowing that there were venue factors, Yanagi Renji did not want to make a mistake during the demonstration phase.
The two teams watched, some as innocent as Takehito Mukai and Akagi Kirihara, who didn't notice anything amiss. Even the cunning Niou Masaharu and Oshitari Ikushi had already figured out the secrets of returning a ball on the beach course.
Atobe Keigo nodded without saying anything. It was just a matter of changing the rhythm of receiving the ball. It was not difficult.
Finding the perfect moment, Sanada swung his racket sideways, bringing the tennis ball to rest on the net. "Try it yourself, barefoot or in beach sandals. The exchange tournament will be held on the beach. Disbanded!"
The two teams spread out and started trying beach tennis.
There were two courts, and normally, each school would occupy one court. But there was something different here, so strange it was impossible to stop. Akutagawa Jiro heard the call to dismiss and followed the Rikkai University team to the court on the other side.
"Jiro you~" Taketo Mukai, who was not far away, slapped him in the face.
Houchotaro held out his hands, unsure what to do. Akutagawa Jiro was still his senior after all. "What should we do? Shishido-senpai."
"Don't worry about it, let's practice first." Shishido Ryo didn't get involved in these things. In this situation, no one could call back Akutagawa Jiro unless Karachi went.
Atobe Keigo exuded a low aura, and his sharp eyes glanced at Akutagawa Jiro who had already mixed into the Rikkai University group.
Akutagawa Jiro's eyes were full of Marui Bunta, and he didn't receive Atobe Keigo's gaze at all.
The stalemate still needed Ozuki Ikushi to break it. "Let's start practicing too. Atobe?"
"I will only demonstrate it once, so just indulge in my gorgeous skills." Atobe Keigo waited for Oshitari Ikushi to serve.
Ozuki Ikushi paused when serving, and had not yet experienced the difference in the venue. If he really hits the ball, it will be troublesome if Atobe makes a mistake on the spot.
Keigo Atobe saw everything. Although the fight between Sanada and Yanagi just now did not involve much effort, the technique was very clearly stated. The best way was to hit back before the ball landed.
Without stopping, Ikushi Oshizuka hit the tennis ball accurately with his racket. The tennis ball flew high into the air and then fell heavily.
After a few exchanges of balls, Atobe stopped and gave the court to the Hyotei players. "Come and try."
The players of Hyotei went on the court to try out their skills in an orderly manner, but the field practice at Rikkai University had not yet begun.
"Wow, the sand is so soft." Kirihara Akaya jumped barefoot on the beach, as if he had found a new world.
At this time, Niou Masaharu had secretly changed into beach shoes, ready to play a trick on his teammates. Silently, he reached out from Kirihara Akaya's side. "Kirhara, let's go first."
"Wow!" Kirihara Akaya was startled and fell backwards. Fortunately, there was a beach behind him, so he didn't get hurt.
Niou Masaharu shook the racket in his hand. "Hahahaha, poof! Kirihara, you don't have to react so strongly."
Kirihara Akaya pouted. "Niou-senpai, you are so mean!"
"Okay, okay, don't be angry. I'm not the first one I want to practice with you~" Niou Masaharu staggered to the other side of the field.
Kirihara Akaya picked up the racket. "Come on, Niou-senpai!"
"Then I'm here." Niou Masaharu knew that it was not just the speed that was affected on the beach, otherwise Sanada and the others would not have been able to play the ball so slowly when they demonstrated.
In the first ball, Masaharu Niou broke his usual habit and directly hit a short ball.
Kirihara Akaya ran after him, lowering his racket just enough to close the gap. "Huh~ Why didn't it bounce?"
An ordinary short ball has an effect similar to a zero-type slice. It does not bounce when it hits the ground, and the sand absorbs the ball's spin.
"There is indeed a problem. Under normal circumstances, Nioh would not be so active." Marui Bunta was not in a hurry to play. When Nioh Masaharu invited the younger generation to compete, Marui Bunta was waiting to see. How could Nioh be the first if there was no good thing?
Akutagawa Jiro praised. "As expected of you, Bunta, you saw through it."
"Bunta, let's start practicing too." Jackal Kuwahara was not willing to be outdone. Hyotei couldn't monopolize Bunta.
Hiroshi Yagyu ignored the movement on the court and experimented with the reaction of a tennis ball hitting the beach.
Although they were a little uncomfortable at first, the players from both schools quickly found their rhythm and became familiar with the playing style on the beach.
Xiangri Yueren couldn't wait to show his strength. "Come on, I'll go first, Yuefan."
The force exerted on the beach is different from that in normal ball games, and Mukaitsugi who tried to use his special moves failed.
The sand was struggling, and the strength of the jump was not as strong as usual. Mukaihi Taketo, who should have turned over, supported himself with his side hands and stood up. He was fine, but the ball hit the net in front of him and did not go through the net.
"It seems that the venue has a big impact. Chotaro, try your serve." Shishido Ryo tapped the beach with his racket.
Houchotaro responded and walked to the baseline. "One shot, one goal. How's that, Shishido-senpai?"
Shishido Ryo watched the ball's trajectory. Normally, at this speed, it wouldn't be possible to catch up to the ball, but now that the tennis ball had sunk into the sand, its trajectory was at least half as slow. "The serve has actually become easier to receive. I won't be using this ball in the match for now. But everyone should be on equal footing."
Elsewhere, the popular Marui Bunta observed the arenas on both sides and decided to try out his own moves. "Are you guys going to fight?"
"No more playing, no more playing, Marui-senpai." Kirihara Akaya stubbornly played ball with Niou Masaharu for most of the day. It took him a lot of effort to play three games, but he gradually got the knack of playing beach ball.
The speed of a tennis ball rolling on the sand will slow down and the bounce height of the ball will become lower, but conversely, the sand will also absorb some of the impact of the ball, slowing down the ball.
Akutagawa Jiro took out a tennis ball and handed it to Marui Bunta. "Here, I'm really looking forward to seeing Bunta's secret technique!"
"Secret technique - iron pillar collision." Marui took the tennis ball and found an angle to hit the ball, and the tennis ball flew towards the net.
Jackal Kuwabara applauded as the ball successfully landed on the court. "Bunta, it seems there's no problem. The move is still usable."
"Yeah." Marui Bunta measured the landing of the tennis ball. Although it was lower than usual, it was indeed within the bounds.
As night fell, the two teams ended their outdoor practice with reluctance and returned to the store to rest. Today was just a warm-up, and the official competition would be held soon.
Keigo Atobe ordered a cup of black tea and began to look at the documents that the student council president needed to deal with. Sanada and Renji Yanagi told each other to go out for a night run.
After the practice, the players returned to their own daily routines.
Jiro Akutagawa asked the store owner to ask for a lot of pillows so that he could sleep more comfortably.
"Yushi, over there." Mukai Taketo returned to the store and saw Jiro Akutagawa staggering as he walked with several pillows in his arms.
Following Mukai Taketo's finger, Oshizuka saw the stairs leading to Jiro Akutagawa's path. "Jiro, look down."
"Huh?!" Akutagawa Jiro fell into the pile of pillows with a thud.
Pillows flew everywhere, and as Sanada entered the sea corridor, a pillow flew towards him. With a flick of his hand, the nimble Sanada sent the pillow flying in the opposite direction.
Hiyoshiwaka, who heard the noise and went out to investigate, blocked the pillow with his hand. "The inferior is overthrowing the superior!"
The pillow thudded into Kirihara Akaya's face as he came around the corner a step too late. His anger, suppressed for half a day due to the venue, flared up, and Kirihara Akaya went into red-eye mode, throwing the pillow in his face. "I'll win the pillow fight too."
Kirihara Akaya's counterattack hit Mukaito's chest as he was helping Jiro up. Hearing Kirihara Akaya's words, Mukaito picked up a pillow and fought back. "Whoever threw it at me, watch out."
The chaos outside disturbed Yagyu Hiroshi who was reading a novel in the house. As soon as he opened the door, he was attacked by a pillow and joined the battlefield.
The person who took action was Niou Masaharu, who saw the situation becoming chaotic and mixed in.
Soon the two schools were in chaos, engaging in a pillow fight that lasted half the night.
The source of all this, Jiro Akutagawa, had already been sleeping soundly among the pillows and was not discovered until the morning.
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