Chapter 143 The second day of spring high school, although Sawada Tsunayoshi was somewhat worried...
Although Sawada Tsunayoshi was somewhat worried that Hyuga was overly excited, he still managed to win the match against Tsubakihara without much difficulty.
"Hyuga has once again proven to us that even a small player can become a key player on the field, leading the team to victory!"
On the court, Hinata once again broke through the opponent's block and snatched the last point from Tsubakihara. Ukai Keishin clenched his fist and cheered.
Tadashi Yamaguchi and Tsunayoshi Sawada couldn't help but laugh, dragging Kageyama onto the field to cheer with Hyuga and the others. Hyuga first hugged Tanaka Nishitani, then, seeing his childhood friend coming towards him, he acted nothing like a player who had just finished a match, jumping and leaping onto Tsunayoshi Sawada.
"Xiao Gang! Xiao Gang! Did you see that shot I just made? I dribbled past three blocks! Three!!!"
He was so excited he almost cracked his voice. Sawada Tsunayoshi held his opponent firmly to prevent him from falling off him with a big movement, which would mean Karasuno would lose a key player in the later matches.
"I saw it! I saw it! Xiao Xiang's play was amazing, they still haven't reacted."
The opposing team was clearly on guard against Hyuga, but the more nervous they were, the more likely their movements would become distorted. This was especially true at match point, since Hyuga is the kind of guy who becomes more rational in times of crisis.
They won the first round, but before they could celebrate, Shoichi Irie and the others called them aside. Post-match muscle relaxation was also essential.
The Tsubakihara Academy team members were dejected; no one wanted to lose.
They all went through so much to get to the Spring High School Championship, it's too cruel to be eliminated in the first round. But that's how the competition is, for every person who is happy, someone else is bound to shed tears.
Their coach didn't want to say much at that moment; the players were even more heartbroken than he was. In the end, the coach simply patted the captain on the shoulder.
"Pack your things, we'll talk about it when we get back."
There's not much to say, really. Nobody expected them to run into Karasuno, the dark horse, on their very first day. Hyuga alone exceeded their expectations by far too much, and everyone in Tsubakihara did their best.
The captain nodded silently, and the other team members bowed deeply in front of the stands for a long time.
When I looked up again, tears streamed down my cheeks.
Hinata lay on a mat, watching the Tsubakihara Academy players leave the arena. Sawada Tsunayoshi lay beside him, turning his head to ask,
"What's wrong?"
Perhaps he's forgotten something again; his heart can't take another scare with his childhood friend.
Watching that somber sadness disappear from his sight, Hinata turned his head back and stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Xiao Gang, I don't want to lose the match."
It was a very childish and immature tone.
During the iH tournament, just losing to Aoki made Hinata feel like he was going to die from sadness, resentment, regret, and pain. He could empathize with the feelings of the Tsubakihara Academy players, so he didn't want to experience losing the match again.
After saying that, he contradicted himself, "But no one can win every game. We've lost many practice matches before."
Sawada Tsunayoshi thought for a moment and replied, "Then let's keep winning during the Spring High School season."
Hinata stared blankly, then exclaimed, "That line was so cool!"
Before he could offer any further comment, a cry of pain rang out the next second.
"Ouch—! Xiao Zheng! That hurts!!"
Shoichi Irie pressed down on Hinata's taut muscles, his glasses reflecting a blinding white light under the overhead lamp. Unmoved by Hinata's whimpering pleas, he coldly said...
"Your muscles need to relax, or you'll get injured, Tsuna-kun, hold him down."
The two childhood friends worked together to catch Hinata and stretch him. After they finished, Hinata collapsed on the mat, his soul seemingly floating away.
Tanaka and Higashimine Asahi trembled, pointing at Hinata who appeared to have lost vital signs, "We're not going to end up like that, are we?"
Irie smiled at them and gave them a look that said, "What do you guys think?"
The two, already exhausted after the match, nearly collapsed to the ground, their legs giving way, their lives hanging in the balance!
However, Irie Shoichi stopped, saying, "Sho has the most exercise, running and jumping, which has a great impact on his muscles and joints. He needs to relax and stretch properly. With the continuous high school competitions, given his physical exertion, even if he has a lot of energy, his body will not be able to keep up."
Actually, if there were someone who could substitute for Hyuga, it doesn't necessarily mean that they would have the same strength as Hyuga. It would be good if they could just come on and take Hyuga off to rest. However, Karasuno has few players, and Hyuga will probably have to play in all the matches these few days. So, they must also make sure to take care of Hyuga's relaxation after the matches.
Finally, Hinata was helped back to the bus by Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsunayoshi and Kageyama, who had escaped elimination by only playing one match, felt sorry for the pitiful Hinata, because they figured that they probably wouldn't get a chance to rest in the later matches and would have to join the post-match massage army.
This listlessness didn't fade from Hinata's body until they returned to the hotel, took a shower, and went to the conference room for a meeting.
The other person was sprawled on Tsunayoshi's body. When they saw Irie Shoichi, who was explaining Inarizaki to them, they couldn't help but shrink back, clearly having just been traumatized by the other person.
Irie Shoichi spent far too much time worrying about his childhood friend's mental state; his expression was serious.
"Inarizaki was one of the top four teams last year; they're very strong,"
"And very young."
In Irie Shoichi's view, Inarizaki is a very young team, and they dare to compete and win.
"I actually ran into Inarisaki the very next day," Yamaguchi Tadashi remarked softly.
Despite his physical limitations, Hinata was still excited. "We'll meet again sooner or later, it's just a matter of time!"
Kageyama agreed with him, saying, "We want to win the championship, and the opponents we face will only get stronger."
Sawada Tsunayoshi looked at these two guys who seemed to have suddenly become incredibly energetic. They weren't afraid at all, but Xiao Xiang probably felt excited about running into someone he knew.
Shoichi Irie happened to tap Hyuga as well, and Tsunayoshi felt his childhood friend's muscles stiffen for a moment.
"Xiao Xiang should know Inarizaki quite well, right?"
He asked Hinata to talk to Miya Yu and Ooshiro Aran.
After the meeting, they were sent back to their rooms to rest after dinner. No one needed to remind them today; everyone went back to their rooms on their own. Hinata lay on the bed, intending to say something to Tsuna, but fell into a deep sleep in a second.
Sawada Tsunayoshi didn't get any further news. Seeing his childhood friend fall asleep, he found it amusing. He thought of his family who had come to cheer him on today, and then of his childhood friend who had shown his strength on the field. The expression on Tsubakihara's face when he left also flashed through his mind. He turned over, these thoughts passed through his mind for a moment, and then closed his eyes.
Wow! I feel so refreshed!
Hinata recovered to her full energy the next day, high-fiving Nishitani Yuu, which amazed Higashimine Asahi and Tanaka.
"There's nothing wrong with my body."
After playing two matches yesterday, I don't feel very tired, and it's not even a feeling of being excited.
"Kimi is amazing!" Hinata had completely forgotten yesterday's pain and her eyes were shining as she looked at Irie Shoichi.
Irie Shoichi waved his hand, "It's not that exaggerated. Your own recovery ability is very strong."
Sawada Tsunayoshi looked at Tsukishima's hand. "Did you apply the ointment I gave you yesterday?"
When Tsukishima blocks, he doesn't get his knuckles grazed by the ball too often. Tsuna also occasionally participates in blocking. Although being tense reduces the probability of injury, there are always times when you can't defend against everything.
Once, after a training match, Gokudera Hayato saw his boss's trotters in excruciating pain and then squeezed the members of the research department to research ointments to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
It's not some magic pill that can make your hand heal instantly, but it can relieve the redness and swelling. Before, Tsuna would be dragged away by the Guardians every day after training and have this applied to his hand.
It's cool and refreshing, which is quite comfortable. It's just been developed, so the quantity is limited. He gave Tsukishima a tube yesterday and told her to apply it.
Tsukishima remained silent, while Yamaguchi enthusiastically explained, "Tsukishima applied it; I watched him do it!"
Sawada Tsunayoshi felt relieved and turned to look for Hyuga.
Tsukishima rubbed his knuckles awkwardly, as if there were still traces of ointment on them.
Compared to yesterday, the support teams are even more irreconcilable today.
Inari Saki has a renowned brass band, and before the competition, they exude an aura of power. If it were a small team, they would probably be intimidated by their imposing presence.
How could the Vongola group tolerate someone being superior to their leader? Irie Shoichi did not restrain his sharp edge either, and commanded the group in front of him, his voice also ringing out in a defiant manner.
Kosato Enma had a trumpet hanging around his neck and blew along weakly, only putting in a little more effort when he saw Sawada Tsunayoshi appear on the field.
"Both teams are on fire today." The commentator could also see the tension in the stands.
"It's rare to see a group that can compete with that annoying Inarizaki band." Even passersby couldn't help but stop and watch the excitement.
Today, Karasuno is even more aggressive than yesterday. Not only the Vongola, but Tanaka's older sister, Saeko Tanaka, has also joined them with her taiko drumming enthusiasts.
Coach Wu and another old man joked, "Other schools have students coming to support them, but Wuye is different. Friends and relatives from all around come to support them."
The members of the Karasuno Town Association scratched their heads; they were just good friends.
As for his relatives and friends, the Vongola group and Tanaka Saeko and the others, they had completely settled their score with Inarisaki, their eyes fierce as they struck the instruments in front of them.
"As for Ayu, he is indeed the best setter I have ever seen in high school. His technique is top-notch and his awareness is the strongest. When I spike Ayu's ball, I feel like if I can't get the point, it's my fault."
Recalling Hinata's remarks about Miyazaki yesterday afternoon, the Karasuno members stared blankly at the handsome guy who was snuggling up to Hinata in a friendly manner.
Is this the setter the coach told them to guard tightly last night?
That seems so unreliable.
Unaware that his image has been somewhat ruined, Miya Yu is accusing his friend of sneaking off to Italy without him. Hinata, unable to escape Miya Yu's clutches, seeks help from Sawada Tsunayoshi.
Miyaji couldn't bear to watch. He stood next to Sawada Tsunayoshi, rubbing his forehead. "That idiot, doesn't he know the place?"
The junior leader agreed, saying, "But if Senior Yu knew how to read the occasion, she wouldn't be Senior Yu, would she?"
In the end, Zhi-senpai is exactly the same—he doesn't consider the situation at all!
Because they are twins, Tsuna and Hinata had always referred to them by their names.
Miyaji glanced at Sawada Tsunayoshi a few more times; this guy had changed so much.
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Author's Note: Everyone's first thought upon seeing Tsunayoshi is: How come this guy has changed so much?
However, even the author found it hard to imagine that the changes would be so drastic.
Since they didn't even show their faces, it's hard to imagine (just kidding).
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