nownovels Chapter 128 Immovable Peak, Turmoil in the Great Hall
Chapter 128 Immovable Peak, Turmoil in the Great Hall
Kentaro Minami finally couldn't stand it anymore. He reached out and pulled Sengoku away from Mochizuki Ryou, giving her an awkward and apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, Mochizuki-kun, Sengoku just loves listening to this kind of gossip and he takes it all seriously. Please don't mind him."
"I don't mind." Wang Yueling shook her head with a smile, a mischievous glint in her azure eyes. "He's quite interesting."
"What do you mean 'truthfully'? Mochizuki-kun already admitted it!" Sengoku muttered discontentedly, then leaned closer, muttering, "Lucky lucky, my luck is so good today. Mochizuki-kun, teach me cat language!"
"Let's talk about it another time."
Wang Yueling put her hands back in her pockets, shifting her gaze from Qian Shi to two people walking towards them in the distance.
The boy walking in front was tall and strong, with a black buzz cut and a mole on his forehead. His eyes were resolute and deep, exuding an air of authority without anger. His facial features were strong, making him look much more mature than his peers.
The boy following behind him was short, with short red hair covering his left eye. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he looked a bit fierce.
His shirt collar was turned up, giving him an air of unruly arrogance.
It is Tachibana Yoshihira and Kamio Akira of Fudomine.
With all four teams gathered at the entrance, the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly became somewhat awkward.
Hyotei lost to Fudomine in the tournament, and it was a crushing 3-0 defeat. The entire junior high tennis world knew about it.
This is undoubtedly a great humiliation for the ever-proud Hyotei.
When Kamio saw Atobe and Mochizuki Ryo, his eyes immediately turned disdainful. He crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and spoke with a provocative tone.
"Yo, isn't this Captain Atobe from Hyotei? I didn't expect to see you here. What, after losing the tournament, are you here for revenge in this Kanto Tournament?"
Atobe's expression darkened, and he was about to speak when Mochizuki Ryo grabbed his arm.
Mochizuki Ryo still wore a polite smile. He elegantly raised his hand to loosen his tie and calmly swept his gaze over Kamio.
"Kamio-kun." His tone was flat, devoid of any emotion. "We remember what happened at the Metropolitan Tournament. But this time, the outcome of the Kanto Tournament will be different."
"Is that so?" Kamio scoffed. "I'd like to see what improvements Hyotei can make this time. Let's not let them repeat what they did at the Metropolitan Tournament..."
"Kamio," Tachibana Kichihei interrupted him, his tone calm, "Don't talk nonsense."
Akira Kamio pouted and turned his head away unwillingly, but the provocation in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Tachibana Yoshihira looked at Atobe and Mochizuki Ryo, and nodded slightly.
"Atobe-kun, it's been a long time."
His voice was deep and powerful, "In this Kanto Tournament, our Fudo Summit will go all out. We also hope that Hyotei can show their true strength and give us a great match."
"Ah, of course." Atobe raised his chin, his tone arrogant. "I'll show you that Hyotei's true strength is far beyond what the Metropolitan Tournament is like."
Sengoku, seeing the tense atmosphere, immediately jumped in to smooth things over.
"Hey everyone, don't be so serious."
He waved his hand with a smile, "The draw hasn't even started yet, we might not even be in the same group. We can just compete properly during the match."
"I'm really looking forward to playing against everyone, whether it's Hyotei, Seigaku, or Fudomine, I want to have a match with them all."
As he spoke, he patted Mochizuki Ryo on the shoulder.
"Especially Mochizuki-kun, I must play a match with you to see just how amazing your magic tennis really is."
Wang Yueling smiled and straightened his tie.
"I'm just the coach, I won't participate. Let's wait for another opportunity to compete."
Sunlight streamed through the glass doors of the auditorium, casting a golden glow on the boys' white shirts. A subtle tension, along with the youthful passion and energy, filled the air.
Atobe glanced at the watch on his wrist and turned to walk into the auditorium first.
"Let's go, the lottery ceremony is about to begin."
The crowd followed him into the auditorium.
The auditorium was already filled with groups from other schools, making a lot of noise. When Hyotei and Seigaku entered, the noise paused for a few seconds, then resumed with hushed chatter.
"Look, the people from Seigaku and Hyotei are here."
"That must be Keigo Atobe, the captain of Hyotei Academy, right? He's really quite dashing."
"What's the use of being flashy? They were eliminated by Fudomine in the quarterfinals of the tournament, and it was a crushing 3-0 defeat. It's too embarrassing."
"That's exactly right. Hyotei is built on money, isn't it? Those rich kids don't know how to play tennis."
"I heard that Hyotei changed their substitute coach this time, and he's a foreigner. He looks very young, I wonder what he can teach well."
"They're probably just here to have fun. Hyotei has money, so they can do whatever they want."
"And Seigaku, they actually won the championship in this tournament, that's a real upset."
"Seigaku was just lucky; they only ran into weak teams. They definitely won't go far in this Kanto tournament."
"And Fudomine, I really didn't expect that such an unknown school could beat Hyotei."
"What do you mean by unknown? It's all thanks to Tachibana Yoshihira alone. Without Tachibana Yoshihira, Fudomine wouldn't even have made it into the tournament."
"Exactly, a one-person team can't go far."
……
The murmurs weren't loud, but they were loud enough for Atobe, who was walking ahead, to hear clearly.
His face grew increasingly grim, and his clenched fist trembled slightly. But he didn't turn around or say anything; he simply straightened his back and continued walking towards the front row.
Kamio, who already had a fiery temper, instantly flew into a rage upon hearing these words. He abruptly stood up and retorted angrily, "We won through teamwork! Say that again if you dare!"
The two people who spoke just now were representatives from Meishi-Kari Junior High School. When they saw Kamio get angry, they were not afraid at all; instead, they sneered.
"Team strength?" One of the tall, thin boys crossed his arms and said dismissively, "Didn't Fudomine only get into the Kanto Tournament because of Tachibana Yoshihira? If it weren't for Tachibana Yoshihira, you wouldn't even have made it out of the metropolitan tournament."
"You're talking nonsense!" Kamio's eyes turned red with anger, and he rushed forward to argue with him.
"Kamio, come back." Tachibana Kichihei grabbed his arm, his tone calm. "Don't be impulsive."
"Minister! They've gone too far!" Kamio struggled and shouted in frustration.
"I'll get back to the point." Tachibana Yoshihira's tone became more forceful.
Kamio gritted his teeth, but finally stopped, unwilling to give up. He glared fiercely at the two representatives from Meishi-Kari Middle School, then followed Tachibana Yoshihira to his seat.
The two boys smiled smugly and continued whispering among themselves.
"What? Did I say something wrong? Fudomine has always relied on Tachibana Yoshihira alone."
"Exactly, if you're so capable, don't rely on Kichihei Tachibana, fight us instead."
"I think the Kanto Tournament isn't a big tournament. If Fudomine runs into us this time, they'll only be eliminated in the first round."
……
The mockery from those around me continued unabated; those malicious words pierced my ears like needles.
Atobe sat in the front row, his back to them, and remained silent. His fingers tightened around the armrest. He slightly turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping over the men who had been the most aggressive earlier.
Those whose eyes he swept over immediately shut their mouths, not daring to speak again. But when Atobe turned back, they began to whisper among themselves again, their tone full of disdain.
"What are you pretending for? You've already lost, why are you still putting on airs?"
"That's right, that's how people in elite schools are, they're so concerned with saving face that they suffer for it."
The auditorium doors were half-open, and sunlight streamed in from outside, casting a long strip of light across the floor of the lecture hall.
Wang Yueling was the last to enter the auditorium.
He saw Kirihara and Marui at the door and stopped to chat with them for a few minutes.
Kirihara, sporting a head of fluffy black curly hair, excitedly told him that he had been training hard every day since the training camp ended, and his raging serve was becoming more and more proficient. Marui, on the other hand, complained that Sanada had increased the training load again, and he didn't even have time to eat dessert.
Mochizuki Ryou smiled and ruffled Kirihara's hair, promising them that after drawing lots, they would go to the rooftop together to see the flowers and plants Yukimura had planted.
As he entered the auditorium, he overheard someone slandering Atobe and Hyotei.
"Hyotei is definitely doomed this time. They lost to Fudomine in the Metropolitan Tournament, and they probably won't even make it into the top eight in the Kanto Tournament."
"Those young noblemen, how could they possibly play tennis? All they do is eat, drink, and have fun all day long, no wonder they can't win."
"I think Hyotei is just here to make up the numbers."
Wang Yueling paused in her steps.
He stood at the top of the lecture hall, his azure eyes coldly sweeping over everyone in the auditorium.
"Oh!"
A crisp sneer rang out in the noisy auditorium, like a cold knife instantly slicing through the clamor.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of laughter, and they all turned to look at the entrance of the auditorium.