The Prince of Tennis - I'm Echizen Ryoma

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The narrator of this chapter is Taocheng-the protagonist-Taocheng, and the transition is marked with *.

"Ah, everyone is here~" Buer's soft voice came from outside the venue.

"Fuer, your game is over~" Kikumaru greeted him happily.

"En." Fuji squinted his eyes and smiled, "I think Tezuka should be here soon~ By the way, what's the situation here?"

"To be honest, it's really surprising." Kikumaru said frankly, "I didn't expect the game to be so one-sided."

"Compared to Taoshiro, who has been attacking with all his strength from the very beginning of the game, Echizen is too tired to defend and can't launch an offensive at all." Gan explained concisely.

"Hey~" Buer raised his eyebrows and made a long sound.

"In a tennis match, passive players are at a disadvantage both physically and psychologically. Echizen should be aware of this, but..." Seemingly aware of something, the dry whispers were quietly interrupted.

"Out of bounds."

Amidst the referee's announcement, on the opposite side, Echizen blinked his amber eyes, looked down at his red racket, with a dazed and cute expression.

Echizen couldn't attack?No, it's not.

Staring at him with a frown.The small figure flicked the racket casually, turned around and swayed back to his position.

How could Echizen be unable to attack, it was he who did not attack!

Suddenly recalling Haitang Snake's words, "You just believe what Echizen said. 』

"Do you think Echizen is really not planning to go to America?" 』

Jumping up to serve, accompanied by a shout, I hit the tennis ball together with anxiety and irritability.

*"Taocheng wins this round, and the number of rounds is 4-1!"

Immediately following the referee's announcement, Taocheng shouted, "Why don't you play seriously, Echizen!"

In the silence of everyone and my silence, Taocheng rushed to the net and roared again, "Answer me!"

With the racket down, the shadow of the brim of my hat covering my face, I whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm just too weak."

Ignoring everyone's surprised gasps, I walked to the edge of the tennis court, put down my racket and hat, and sat on the ground to take a rest.

I know my performance today is abnormal.Play weak tennis, speak weak words.Admitting that I am too weak or something, the previous me would not be able to tell if I was beaten to death.

"I'll take care of my own problems. 』The words that I said to Akutsu surfaced inappropriately—it seemed that I had broken my promise again.

Last night, besides Yukimura and Akutsu, another person also talked to me, but it was not a face-to-face meeting, but an overseas phone call.

"Yo, little thing~"

Picking up the phone at 10 o'clock in the evening, I heard this yuppie sound coming from inside, and the refreshment brought by just taking a shower disappeared. I had the urge to hang up the phone directly.

"Don't hang up the phone, Ryoma. ’ Guessing my silence, on the other end of the phone, there was a smile in the elegant and mellow voice, ‘we are old friends who have known each other for many years, let me finish my sentence. 』

Who is your old friend who has known you for many years?

"We don't seem to know each other that well. ’ I responded on the tablet, ‘Say something quickly. 』Quick fart.

"Then I'll skip a few congratulatory words and get straight to the point. ’Ed’s voice was gentle and polite, ‘When is your plane ticket?Steven wants to come with me to meet you at the airport. 』

Air ticket?Pick up?I'm a bit overwhelmed.Ed's words seemed to bring an incomparably clear reality closer to me, which caught me off guard for a moment.

"I, I haven't decided whether to participate in the U.S. Open..."

"Sure enough. ’My words were interrupted by Ed, his tone changed from serious to frivolous, but subtly oppressive, ‘Are you planning to break the appointment? 』

"I have no intention of breaking the appointment. ’ Frowning, I tried to explain, ‘I’m going back to America, but not now…’

"Why not now? Eddie joked, "Because this competition for professional masters from all over the world overlaps with a competition for junior high school students on a small island?"So you came to the hilarious conclusion of dropping the previous game? 』

I am silent.

There was no room for me to speak on the other end of the phone, "What else can you do if you stay on that small island?"In order to enjoy the thrill of being king without a tiger in the mountains?Or……"

"We have a proverb here: Difficult environments temper fighting spirit, and gentle villages wear down willpower." ”The elegant voice that had been venomous and mean suddenly paused, “Little thing, you won’t fall into the gentle village and you won’t be able to get out, right? 』

During my time in Qingxue, did I really fall into the land of tenderness?

"My body seems to be heavy and I can't move freely."

I was startled by the familiar voice behind me, and I recovered from my contemplation.Turning my head to look, there was a person standing straight outside the barbed wire fence, with his hands in his trouser pockets, and his sharp eyes behind the lens were looking at me.

"Minister." I felt a little guilty.

I myself understand the problem.Last night I tossed and turned and stayed up all night, and today's game against Taocheng was also absent-minded.But understanding the problem does not mean solving the problem.

"During the game, you can only think about the game." The minister stared at me, making me feel like I was pierced through again, "Taocheng is not an opponent you can beat when you are distracted by other things."

"You won't fall into the gentle village and you won't be able to get out, will you? Inexplicably, this sentence popped up in my mind.

Averting my eyes in a bit of embarrassment, I picked up the hat and put it on my head, covering my face, "I'm not distracted by anything else."

Then, as if running away, he grabbed his racket, stood up, and walked directly onto the field.After walking a long distance, I still felt a burning sensation on my back.

* "Attack!"

On the other side of the field, Echizen's condition was not improving at all, and I couldn't hold back again, "Come here, Echizen!"

Useless.Today he is sleepwalking.

"Slap!" A super smash hit the handle, and his red racket fell to the side of the court.

"Echizen," I glared at the opposite figure, I tried to bear it, and I couldn't hold back my anger, "I don't want to play this kind of game with you!"

The shadow of the brim of the hat covered his eyes, he went to pick up the racket, then turned to face me, "Senior Taocheng."

His unusually calm voice caught me by surprise, "Huh?"

"Sorry, I abstained from this game," he said.

He said he was going to abstain?I couldn't believe my ears.

Is it the one who says that he is too weak and that he is going to abstain here today, or that Echizen whose self-esteem is higher than the sky? !

After the silence, there was chaos all around.

"Abstain?" The referee member was at a loss, just in time to see a figure walking into the field, and asked for advice, "Minister, what should I do?"

"Is it possible? That way, Taocheng wins." Tezuka didn't look at the referee, but just stared at him.

"Yes, it's okay." The brim of the hat covered his eyes.

Suddenly, I felt that Echizen like this was far away from me, as if he was going to disappear in front of me like this.

"Hey, even if you agree, I don't agree!" Throwing the racket, over the net, I rushed to him, "What the hell is going on? Explain it to me!"

"There is no need to explain," he said expressionlessly under the shadow of the brim of his hat, "Even if the fight continues like this, I will still lose."

"What? You bastard!" Resisting the urge to punch him, I picked up the front of his tracksuit, "Is this how you compete with me?!"

"Wait!" "Pause!"

The seniors rushed in from outside the court, and Buer grabbed my wrist, "Taocheng, stop!"

Kikumaru pushed me away from behind, "Violent opposition!"

"Calm down, Taocheng." Gan persuaded.

"Let go of me, senior! I must make him tell the reason! I can't accept such a result!" I struggled desperately.

"Control your emotions, A Tao." Fuji's voice was cold, "I think Echizen's choice to abstain is right. This is a respect for you. Or do you want to carry the game to the end and get a false complete victory? "

That was not what I meant!I just want to know why he has no fighting spirit today, this is the main ranking competition for entering the country!What is he thinking about, is it...

The nameless irritability made me reluctant to think deeply, "Echizen! Answer me, Echizen!"

"Wow!" A basin of cold water poured me from head to toe.

"What are you doing!" After yelling, I suddenly realized that the surrounding area was surprisingly quiet.The gazes that gathered were either nervous or worried, but they did not agree.

In front of me, Haitang Snake Shi Shiran put down the bucket, "I tell you to calm down a little."

Surrounded by everyone, Echizen nodded slightly at me, "I'm taking my leave."

Holding the red racket, he walked towards the stadium gate, and everyone's eyes followed the figure until he disappeared at the gate.