Time is like a song

When I came to Hakone, teacher Kobayakawa said that soaking in hot springs is a must.Our group didn't want to compete with others, so we went for a dip first night on the first day.The hotel we stayed in had a hot spring. Although it is not very famous, we didn't pick it up, so we just took a dip here.

"Yukimura-san, I want hot spring eggs." Sitting by the pool, I said to Yukimura in the pool.

We have a mixed bath here.At night, many hot springs will remove the barriers between men's and women's baths and become mixed baths. Due to the small scale and long history of our hotel, mixed baths are available 24 hours a day.

Please don't think wrongly. In Japan, mixed bathing is also a kind of culture. If you have a correct attitude, naturally there will be no major problems.What's more, Yukimura and the others naturally wouldn't let me watch anything.Others' bath towels are not transparent.I thought it was troublesome to change clothes, so I simply sat by the pool in a bathrobe and didn't go into the water, just eating hot spring eggs one by one.

However, today is not what it used to be, and there are still many people who think wrongly, so it is no wonder that Yukimura and the others choose to come when there is no one else.

"...Senior," Kirihara called my senior in a rare and serious manner, "You...can you go out for a while?" He held the towel in one hand, as if he wanted to get out of the bath.

I slowly poured the egg yolk into my mouth, wiped my mouth, and then glanced at him, "You are actually shy."

Kirihara slapped the surface of the water violently, "I didn't!"

"Okay, Brother Weed Head." Seeing his face was about to congeal, I stopped teasing him and got up to avoid it for a while.

When he came out, Sanada came out with Kirihara.It turned out that Kirihara was not the only one who was shy.

It is the wisdom of our ancestors that people should not be judged by their appearance.

When I went in again, Yukimura smiled and handed me a hot spring egg.

"If you are not used to it, you can go to other baths with soup." Among the four, I am probably the only one who does not want to go to a bath that is a little further away because of laziness.

"In other baths, there are likely to be female students from our class. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to bathe with them alone?"

It turned out to be because of me.

It made me think that the traditional culture of mixed bathing is still widely preserved among young people in Japan.

"Eat it." I gave half of the hot spring eggs in my hand to Yukimura—I only had this one left from the basket of hot spring eggs.

He accepted it with a smile, "Thank you. Do you want to go into the water? I can avoid it. And I heard that many people in our class went to watch the fireworks tonight, and no one will come again by now."

"No need," I waved my hand, "It's very troublesome to change clothes and flush the water again."

"The trouble that Hiraso identified is really special. Shouldn't ordinary people feel that bathing in hot springs is very comfortable?"

After eating the hot spring eggs in one bite, I lay directly on the stone slab by the pool, resting my head on my arms, "Ordinary people, special people, this boundary is not set by some self-righteous people. Everyone is a unique individual , it’s just gradually being ground into the shell of an “ordinary person” by reality.”

"Then, does Hira think that he belongs to the group that hasn't been polished yet?" Yukimura put the towel on his forehead and leaned against the edge of the pool.

"Who said that?" After living for so many years, I'm not an idiot, naturally I have experienced the wear and tear of reality.

"Then what are you stubborn about now?"

I turned my head and looked at the back of Yukimura's head, "I'm not being stubborn. Yukimura, there is something wrong with your logic. It is because you have seen the reality and you are no longer stubborn that you stop paying attention to things. The truly stubborn people are right. You are so dedicated to tennis." I turned my head back and looked at the small starry sky in the open-air bathing area, "Not everyone has the opportunity to enter the professional tennis. I don't understand why you are working so hard now."

"Sanada is right," Yukimura said with a smile, "Ping, since you haven't done anything well yet, you have no right to criticize those who are working hard. After you have worked hard, it's okay to look back and think about it. Late."

"How do you know I haven't tried hard enough?"

"You can say this now, at least it proves that your efforts have not been exhausted. After working hard with all your heart, you will understand the meaning of hard work."

"Yukimura, don't pretend to be an old man. You are only 14 years old this year."

Yukimura smiled and shook his head, "Yes~"

Suddenly, a woman as beautiful as ever and an ordinary-looking man walked in.

"Oh," the beautiful woman half-covered her mouth and smiled to her male companion, "So there is already a young couple here."

The man smiled kindly at us, and then the two politely went into the water with their backs turned to us, and gently pulled the towel away after their bodies were completely covered by the water.It seems that although this man does not seem to be from a wealthy family, his upbringing is also top-notch.No wonder he would become her male companion.

I thought about it, and went out to take a shower, and then went back into the water.

Yukimura looked at me and said nothing.

"Little sister, did you come by yourself?" the beautiful woman asked me.

I shook my head, "No, our school is here for a school trip. Where's Auntie? Are you traveling with Uncle?"

"Yes," she looked at the man beside her happily, "We are traveling to celebrate our first wedding anniversary."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you." She winked at me, "You and your little boyfriend look very happy, and I wish you both."

"……thanks."

After chatting like this for a while, they went out first.

"Ping?" Yukimura handed me a cold wet towel──It is very hard to soak too much in the hot spring. Yukimura, who had been soaked for a long time, did not throw me away when I talked to her, but just used a wet towel Cool down.

"She is my mother, the real one." The woman who is smiling happily now is my mother in this world.

Yukimura left the hot spring for a while, and sat by the pool with a towel in his arms.

"Since she divorced her father, she hasn't come back to see us. Children become faster than adults, and it's normal for her not to recognize me. It's good now, and I finally don't see her nervous look. Unexpectedly, her Happiness is not only a father who is regarded as a prince charming by the outside world, but an ordinary man whose hair can be seen to be trimmed by himself. His family must be in a bad situation. It is hard for his mother, who is a daughter, to accompany him to travel to these small places .”

"Do you really feel happy when you say mean things when you are unhappy, Ping?"

"I'm not unhappy, and I didn't say mean words on purpose." I stretched, "Isn't she smiling pretty now? I mean, it doesn't matter if she doesn't recognize our fifth sibling in the future, it's best Forget all of us in the past and that stud man Papa, then she can get a new life. Looking at her now, you can't imagine how hysterical she was before."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," I turned to look at him, "I mean it. If I still can't get the peace of mind to accept these things after I've let go of everything for so long, then I'm really hopeless gone."

"Really?" Yukimura looked at me with a smile, "So Hira is so kind~"

I glanced at him, and then got a bath towel to fill with water, "First, this has nothing to do with kindness; second, your "original" is superfluous. Let's go, you will faint from heat if you stay any longer."

Yukimura, who had turned away just now, turned back, "It turns out that Ping also cares about people."

I glanced at him again, "I said that the 'original' is redundant." I paused, and when I opened the shower curtain and went out, I said to him, "Thank you." If I hadn't been accompanied by someone, I might not have stayed. Next, talk to mom a few more words.

Behind him took my hand and held up the shower curtain, "As a teammate, your "thank you" is superfluous."

I look at him.It was not easy to be recognized as a teammate by Yukimura after half a year.

"Go and play," he held the rattan basket of clothes, "if you want to thank me."

Me, fight with Yukimura Seiichi?

After we changed our clothes, we walked to the nearby street tennis court with the rackets we always carry with us.

15 minute later.

Completely defeated.

I knelt down on the ground, sweat dripping non-stop, and my eyes were still a little sore.Don't say it's a round, in the hands of Yukimura, I can't even win a ball.This is true genius.

"Ping, you still have a lot to work on."

I looked up and looked up at Yukimura who was walking towards me.

He held out his hand to me, "Shall we work together?"

I took his hand and stood up.

"Yes, Minister."

A male voice cut in: "Going back." Sanada stood on the sidelines, "We have to do morning training before the class activities tomorrow, and if we don't go back, we won't have enough time to rest."

"Yes, Deputy Minister." I put the racket on my shoulder and shrugged.

I am a man from the men's net, and my position is handyman. The minister who bullied me was Seiichi Yukimura, and the vice minister who beat me was Genichiro Sanada. It was Yanagi Renji who took me to dinner to comfort my weak heart. The one who was bullied by me was Kirihara. Chi also.I'm a player in men's tennis.

After returning to school, I soon ushered in the semi-finals of the women's tennis against Tokyo Liyuan Middle School.Although the strength of the opponent is very good, several of their main candidates have been injured recently, and the only main player left is Yamana Aki who came to Lihai to block me last time.It should be because I know that I have no hope of advancing this year, so Yamana Aki came to see me before handing over the list.

"Ping, I'm waiting for you in singles." She said and left.

I pressed my hat, and then said to Nitta-senpai, "I want a singles three."

"Do you think you are the minister?" Utsunomiya Mirai said, "You are not allowed to change the order of appearances due to personal reasons."

"In the future, it's understandable that she wants to meet the challenge." Aoi Matsutani, who is also in the third grade and serves as one of the doubles, advised.

Aoi Matsutani's partner Ayaka Oguchi also said: "I agree to change the show."

Two doubles players in the second grade, Yui Tamada and Sayuri Imagawa looked at each other, Sayuri Imagawa said: "We have no objection."

I turned to Mirai Utsunomiya, "The opponents are already disabled, and you still don't have the confidence to win a match."

Utsunomiya Mirai shouted, "I didn't!"

"Then there's no need to put me in the singles one all the time. It's more like using me as a gunner." I put my tennis bag on my back, put my hands in my trouser pockets, and walked straight to the player area. "It doesn't matter if you lose two games. Anyway, if you still have the mentality of playing singles, then you will never have the aura of male tennis kings."

Just like the estimates of our two schools before the game, Lihai University won the first two doubles games.If Yamana Aki hadn't become the third in singles, we probably wouldn't have had a chance to face each other.

"Tokyo Liyuan Junior High School, Yamana Aki, second grader, To Kanagawa Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School, second grader, Mayumi Hira."

I lifted my hat slightly, "Good morning, Yamana."

She also stood behind the bottom line, "Good morning, Ping."

"Game start!"

Strength, speed, and moves, Aki Yamana and I are doing the most head-on confrontation one after another. The hot sun and the tight schedule make it impossible for us to even think about too many strategies.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

For each ball, we hit the sweet spot of the racket accurately, making the most beautiful hitting sound, and we do not allow a slight miss.In this way, we played until six to six, entering the tie-break.

"Game! Seven to six, Yamana Aki wins!"

I looked at the yellow ball that had fallen on my side and shrugged.I still have a lot to work on.Some nonsense can indeed be said later.

"As I said," Yamana Aki tossed her short hair as they shook hands at the net, "I won't lose to you again."

"Whatever you want," I slung the racket over my shoulder, "but please at least stop shaking your head. Your sweat is on my side."

"... Hira Mayumi!"

Back in the player area, Mirai Utsunomiya said disdainfully, "I told you not to change the number of rounds. Look, did you lose?"

"Future!" Nitta-senpai snarled rarely, "When can our club talk like this? Ping, don't mind, you played very well today."

I took off my hat to Nitta-senpai, then sat on the bench, glanced at Mirai Utsunomiya, "You can win the next game and come back."

Utsunomiya Mirai was taken aback, then turned his head and walked out with the racket.

"Of course." She said loudly.

Lihai women's tennis team advanced to the final with a score of [-] to [-].At the same time, Lihai Men's Tennis also successfully advanced to the final with [-]-[-].Of course, I know that the men's tennis will be the champion of this year's Kanto tournament, and the women's tennis is going to be the expected failure.

"Game! Six to two, Monobe Akiha wins! The champion of this year's Kanto competition is Tokyo Private Apple Orchard Middle School, the second runner-up is Kanagawa Ritsukai University Affiliated Middle School, and the third runner-up is Saitama Joanne Middle School."

I returned to the player area with the racket in hand, and glanced at Akiba Monobe who had cut me six to two.There is no one under the prestige, and Akiba, the apple orchard mobu, who has been mentioned by Aki Yamana, Sanae Nitta, and even Renji, is indeed very strong.I heard Nitta-senpai say that Akiba Monobe has another bad idea, that is, regardless of the strength of the opponent, the score is [-] to [-].

I pouted.Red-haired Akiba Monobe, if you have the ability, learn from Yukimura. It's the momentum of his opponent who scores [-]-[-] regardless of the strength of the opponent.

After all the participating schools in the Kanto competition saluted, I went back to the contestant area to stretch and relax my muscles in order to cope with the next punishment.

"I'm sorry." I walked up to the auditorium and bowed to Yukimura.

Next to him, Sanada was holding the championship pennant of the Kanto Competition in his hand; Lianji was also holding the championship trophy of the Kanto Competition in his hand.Seeing how they stood here, they must have easily won again.Li Haida's Big Three monsters.

"Ping," Yukimura said calmly, wearing a jacket and crossing his arms, "too weak."

I know, so I don't bother you to point it out again.

"Go and run seventy laps."

"Yes." Seventy, it seems that I really pissed off Yukimura this time.Or if I didn't lose [-]-[-], but [-]-[-] or [-]-[-], he wouldn't be so angry.

Forget it, it's useless to say anything now.

I handed the bag to Lianji, stretched my arms and started running.

Senior Nitta in the arena yelled, "Let's go too! Lihai University, come on!" Then, the Lihai University women's tennis team put down their bags and ran behind me.

I paused, and then started running after they followed.

From the useless at the beginning of the semester to the runner-up of the Kanto competition, they have also worked hard during this period.After all, the team competition depends on not just an unreliable single player.To make up three victories, you must have teammates.

"You win, Rikai University! You win, Rikai University! You win, Rikai University!" Nitta and the others ran while shouting slogans, ignoring the lunatic stares from the other participating schools.

These idiots finally know how to reflect.

The author has something to say: