dhibooks Chapter 37 Welcome to Hyotei Tennis Club
Chapter 37 Welcome to Hyotei Tennis Club
Atobe stood on the court, slightly bent over, his hands on his knees, panting, sweat dripping down his face onto the court.
He had long guessed that Wang Yueling was strong, but he never imagined that she would be this strong.
I used all my special moves and tried my best to make up for my weaknesses, but I only won one game.
Even... the other party's breathing didn't seem disturbed at all.
He closed his eyes, stood there motionless, racket hanging at his side, and slowly calmed his breathing.
From the night he saw the white paper, he knew that Wang Yueling's strength was no less than his own, and he was mentally prepared for that.
I just didn't expect their tennis skills to be so different.
I gave it my all, while my opponent barely broke a sweat.
Not to mention their special moves.
Although this person was already so strong that he didn't need to rely on special moves to win, Atobe's intuition told him that Mochizuki Ryo definitely had one.
However, my current strength is not enough to force him to use it.
This thought left Atobe somewhat frustrated.
But it also made him more determined.
Someone like that definitely needs to be recruited into the tennis club.
Ryo Mochizuki walked to the net and looked at Atobe with genuine admiration in her eyes: "You've improved very quickly. In just a few days, you've overcome your weaknesses to this extent. You truly deserve to be the captain of Hyotei."
He was genuinely surprised, not just flattering.
Atobe's potential, comprehension, and perseverance far exceeded Mochizuki Ryo's expectations. His inexhaustible vitality and tennis energy on the court were even more astonishing.
In that last game, he just wanted to test Atobe's resilience under pressure and see if he would make mistakes when he had the upper hand.
But Atobe not only didn't make any mistakes, he even played a line change that Atobe hadn't anticipated at all.
A backhand straight shot, the angle was tricky, and the landing point was unexpected.
He was stunned.
All I can say is that he truly lives up to his reputation as Keigo Atobe.
Atobe straightened up, wiped the sweat from his chin, and looked up at Mochizuki Ryo. His face showed no sign of defeat, and he still maintained the elegance and pride that belonged to Atobe Keigo.
The butler and servants waited quietly by, offering towels and drinks as needed.
Atobe took a towel and draped it over his head, then picked up another and casually handed it to Mochizuki Ryo, his tone frank and without the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.
"You are very strong, so strong that they are unfathomable."
He admitted it readily and accepted his defeat with composure.
Wang Yueling took the towel, wiped the light sweat from her palms, and smiled gently.
Atobe took a deep breath, his previously arrogant aura gradually subsiding, leaving only sincerity. He stood in front of the net, looking directly into Mochizuki Ryo's eyes, without pride, command, or condescension.
"Ryo Mochizuki, I formally invite you to join the Hyotei Tennis Club."
The night breeze swept through the rose garden, filling the air with fragrance. The lamplight fell on the boy's earnest face, making him look especially touching.
"This year... is our last chance as third-year students to make it to the national tournament... I don't want to give up any effort."
Atobe's voice was slightly low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible earnestness.
"I just want everyone in the tennis club to be satisfied with their tennis performance. It's not about winning championships, but about ensuring that no one has any regrets in junior high school."
He paused for a moment.
"To satisfy myself. To leave no regrets."
Standing at the other end of the court, Mochizuki Ryo listened to the solemn invitation and quietly looked into Atobe's eyes.
Those icy blue eyes held neither the authority of a minister nor the aloofness of a wealthy heir. They held only the earnestness of a young man towards tennis, his teammates, and his dreams.
He thought of Cilang again.
Yesterday after school, Jiro looked at him with sparkling eyes and said his dream of "making it to the national tournament with everyone".
He didn't reply at that time, but just patted Cilang's head encouragingly.
Even now, those words still linger in my heart.
To achieve this goal, Jiro forced himself to practice new techniques, reduced his sleep time, and endured immense pressure. Atobe, for the same purpose, set aside his captaincy pride and stood on the tennis court, sincerely inviting someone who had repeatedly refused to join the tennis club…
At this moment, Mochizuki Ryo's original firm resolve not to join the tennis club wavered.
He seemed to see his former self in them.
That version of myself who walked out of the sanatorium, reborn from the ashes, only wanted to play basketball well and leave no regrets.
Only then did he realize that he had been putting an invisible shackle on himself all this time.
His experiences in two lifetimes led him to deliberately separate tennis from his current responsibilities, to avoid the team, and to avoid taking on any burdens. But he forgot that tennis was never a burden, and companionship was never a drag.
Some things are ingrained in one's bones.
It's not a question of "whether I want to" or "whether I can let go."
Now it seems...
He can't let it go.
And I've never let go of it.
I haven't put it down since I wrote the first word of the white paper.
He never let go of Shishido from the moment he stood on the abandoned stadium and reminded him.
I haven't let go of the promise I made to Jiro to watch the losers' bracket revival match.
He just doesn't want to admit it.
That's why they put a shackle on themselves, telling themselves, "My tennis experience in my past life is enough."
But... there's no such thing as "enough".
As long as I can still pick up a racket, there is no "enough".
……
Wang Yueling thought about it for a long time, and then, looking at the boy staring at him from not far away, he suddenly smiled.
Perhaps he could become a hero who saves lost youths, leads Hyotei to break free from its shackles, and defeats the protagonist's halo.
...That's not bad either.
As soon as the idea came to him, he felt it was a bit like a case of adolescent delusions.
But then I thought about it again, and realized that Wang Yueling was just that kind of person.
In her previous life, she was willing to drive into terrorists' cars to save children on a school bus. In this life, she's willing to write a white paper of over fifty pages to help the boys at Hyotei University.
It seems like this really is an illness.
It's the kind that can't be cured.
This is so frustrating!
Wang Yueling coughed lightly, deliberately adopting a nonchalant yet slightly arrogant demeanor, and elegantly twirled the racket in her hand.
"Keigo, you need to understand that my level is not on the same level as yours." He raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of mockery in his azure eyes. "For me to compete in a middle school tournament is no different from bullying a child."
"..."
The elegant expression on Atobe's face instantly crumbled.
In his fifteen years of life, this was the first time he had lost so badly on the court, and people even said he was playing like a child.
"You..." Atobe gritted his teeth and spat out, "You're really not glamorous."
Wang Yueling shrugged, exuding an arrogant air of "I'm telling the truth, but I know it's annoying."
Atobe was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed, and he could no longer maintain the glamorous image he cared about most. In front of the servants, he rolled his eyes in a very unglamorous way without any attempt to hide it.
If he could beat them, he would really like to start another game right now.
But he also knew that what Mochizuki Ryo said was true.
Atobe took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to punch someone, regained his composure, and said firmly, "Coach Sakaki and I have already discussed this."
Wang Yueling was slightly taken aback: "?!"
"This doesn't mean you're joining as a regular member."
Atobe spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly: "The coach will become the head coach, and you will join the tennis club as the acting coach."
"When the head coach is absent or busy, you will lead the team in training, provide tactical guidance, and arrange matches."
"Whether or not you play in the next match is entirely up to you; no one is forcing you."
After hearing this, Wang Yueling was stunned for two seconds.
He never imagined that Atobe and his cousin would give him such an identity.
He's not a player, not a foreign aid, but a substitute coach.
It satisfied Hyotei's need for his guidance while giving him absolute freedom, not forcing him to bear the pressure of the competition, and not interfering with his choices.
This thoughtfulness and consideration warmed his heart.
Wait……
Something feels off.
Oh! It was planned long ago?!
He glanced at Atobe, then at the butler by the court, then back at Atobe.
"Keigo, did you and your cousin plan this all along to trap me?" He raised an eyebrow, flipped over the net, and walked to Atobe's side, staring at him with a look that said, "I misjudged you."
"I don't have any."
Atobe answered quite frankly, because there really wasn't one; he and the coach hadn't even come up with a plan yet, and this was a success.
The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.
Mochizuki Ryo was both annoyed and amused by his confident answer, but she still firmly stated her thoughts because she knew that Atobe was waiting for her reply.
"Okay. I'll join."
Caught off guard by his reply, Atobe paused for a moment, then a magnificent and relieved smile appeared on his lips: "Ah, that's magnificent enough."
"Welcome to Hyotei Tennis Club."
-
When Wang Yueling got home, it was already past midnight.
The living room lights were still on, and the TV was playing a late-night talk show at a very low volume. My grandmother sat on the sofa, covered with a thin blanket, her head gently tilted against the cushions, her eyes closed, and her breathing very soft.
It seems she's already asleep.
Wang Yueling stood in the entrance hall, looking at her, and her heart softened. Her grandmother was still like she was when she was a child, always waiting for her to come home no matter how long it took.
He changed his shoes, walked over, squatted down beside his grandmother, and gently tucked the blanket that had slipped off her.
Grandmother was awakened by the slight noise. She opened her eyes groggily and saw him. Her expression changed from confusion to relief. She immediately smiled gently and reached out to touch his hair.
"You're back?"
Grandmother's voice was hoarse from just waking up, but exceptionally gentle, "What time is it?"
"Hurry up."
"It's so late." She sat up abruptly, the thin blanket sliding down her back, and looked at Wang Yueling with concern. "Have you eaten?"
"I ate at a classmate's house."
Which student?
"Keigo Atobe. Captain of the tennis club."
His grandmother glanced at him, but didn't ask why he was still at his classmate's house so late. She just reached out and patted his head again.
"Did you have fun? Are you tired?"
"happy."
Wang Yueling leaned against her grandmother's shoulder like a child, and said softly, "I'm not tired, we just talked for a little too long."
"That's good." His grandmother patted his shoulder, didn't ask any more questions, stood up, folded the thin blanket and put it aside. "Go take a shower and rest, don't stay up late."
"grandmother."
"Um?!"
Wang Yueling gently hugged her grandmother, the faint scent of soap lingering in her nostrils, and felt a sense of peace in her heart. "Grandma, go to sleep early too."
Seeing her grandson hug her like he did when he was a child, the grandmother paused for a moment, then smiled and patted his back.
"How old are you to still act like a child?"
"I wasn't being coquettish," Mochizuki Ryou released her hand. "I just wanted to say thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Wait for me to come home."
His grandmother looked at him with a smile in her eyes, but didn't say anything and turned to go upstairs.
Wang Yueling stood in the living room, listening to her grandmother's footsteps going upstairs, the sound of the upstairs room door closing, and the chirping of insects outside the window.
The living room was quiet.
The lush gardenia on the coffee table gleamed under the lamplight.
He leaned back on the sofa and took out the Yukimura doll that had always been with him from his coat pocket.
Gently stroke its little head.
I went through the events of the day in my mind one by one.
Jiro wins the Hyotei loser's bracket revival tournament, securing a spot in the Kanto Tournament preliminary rounds; Jiro falls into a coma, Atobe carries him to the hospital...
And then there's his own statement, "I'm joining."
He is now the acting coach of the Hyotei tennis team.
He had never considered this identity before today.
He thought he would always be an observer in the world of Prince of Tennis.
He doesn't join any tennis club, doesn't play any official matches, he just accompanies Yukimura step by step back to the court, and just gives pointers to the young players of Hyotei.
He always wanted to be someone who stood on the sidelines, but today, he suddenly realized something.
What exactly does tennis mean to him?
In his past life, tennis was his everything.
He gave up a lot for tennis and gained a lot in return. Later, he was forced to leave the court due to a genetic disease. During those six years, he wondered if he would choose the same path if he could do it all over again.
The answer is yes.
If he sees that DVD at the orphanage and sees Yukimura Seiichi's tennis, he will definitely take up the path of tennis again.
The feeling of standing on the court, the satisfaction of hearing the racket hit the ball, and the passion of competing on the world stage—these are things that no other profession can provide.
In this life, he thought he could let go.
They thought that treating tennis as a hobby was enough, that they didn't need to take it seriously, invest in it, or care about winning or losing.
But he... couldn't do it.
He didn't want to see these kids lose for reasons they shouldn't have. He didn't want to see them repeat the mistakes he had made. He didn't want them to look back years later and think, "If only someone had told me back then."
He is the heir to the Felix family and the Mochizuki Group, and he will shoulder all family responsibilities and business affairs.
Tennis is the warmest and most vibrant part of his life.
The two are not in conflict.
He can strike a good balance between the two.
At that moment, he finally understood, and all the confusion, hesitation, and worries in his heart vanished.
Holding the doll, Mochizuki Ryo took out her phone from her pocket, opened her chat with Yukimura Seiichi, and typed a line of text in the input box.
[Seiichi, I've become the acting coach of the Hyotei Tennis Club.]
Suddenly remembering the current time, I gently deleted it again.
It's too late now, Seiichi should already be asleep, we shouldn't disturb his rest.
Anyway, he's going to the hospital to see him first thing tomorrow morning.
It would be better to say it in person tomorrow.
Wang Yueling put her phone back in her pocket, turned off the living room light, and went upstairs.
He pushed open the door and smiled knowingly as he saw his grandmother neatly tidying up the messy documents and notes on the desk. Just as he was about to put the little doll back in the drawer, he saw the top document—a note he had written long ago, before his memories of his past life had awakened; he had simply written it instinctively:
"Tennis is never just about winning."
He stood in front of the desk for a few seconds, then went to wash up with a smile.
In this life, he is no longer fighting alone.
I have family, friends, passion, and faith.
Seiichi, the tennis prodigies...
He will accompany them, walking together towards a future without regrets.