Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 1 Rebirth After Time Travel

After finishing his practice, Gu Cheng packed up his racket, wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, and rode his bike home.

The tennis park was bustling at night. Even though it was almost 10 p.m., there were still many tennis enthusiasts on the courts. The spectators around the courts exclaimed in surprise after seeing a brilliant shot.

"Acheng, you're back so early today?"

In the distance, the young man who was about to serve saw Gu Cheng get on his bicycle, shouted and swung his racket.

Gu Cheng waved goodbye, then turned and rode away on his bicycle.

While admiring the night view, I pondered how to proceed after opening the final door to the state of selflessness.

Suddenly, a cell phone rang urgently.

Gu Cheng stopped the car and glanced at the lit screen. It was Coach Ryuzaki Sumire calling: "Coach Ryuzaki."

"Acheng, I'm so sorry to bother you so late."

"I didn't sleep either."

Gu Cheng, holding onto the handlebars and bracing one foot on the road, asked, "Coach Ryuzaki, is there something you need?"

There's something I'd like to discuss with you.

"You say."

There was a silence for two or three seconds before a voice came through: "I've discussed it with everyone, and since Tezuka isn't here, I'm thinking of having you attend the National Tournament draw ceremony. I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"I'll just be myself."

"Then trouble you."

"No trouble."

Gu Cheng was silent for a moment, then, thinking of Tezuka who had gone to Germany for treatment, he couldn't help but ask again, "By the way, Coach Ryuzaki, will Tezuka be able to make it to the National Tournament?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be fine."

Ryuzaki Sumire pondered for a moment, then said, "Hmm... Makoto, the task of ensuring Seigaku's victory in the National Tournament is entrusted to you."

"I try my best."

"I'm relieved to hear that." Ryuzaki Sumire smiled.

Gu Cheng, who fought his way to the Kanto Tournament undefeated in the regional and metropolitan tournaments and overpowered Sanada with an absolute advantage, is so strong that even Ryuzaki Sumire doesn't know exactly how strong he is, because no one has been able to force Gu Cheng to use his full strength.

Even Tezuka Kunimitsu at his peak couldn't do it.

With him around, Seigaku has a huge advantage, like having a win.

The key point is that Gu Cheng's appearance was like a catalyst for Seigaku, having a huge impact on everyone at Seigaku.

Seigaku is very strong now.

“Acheng…” Ryuzaki Sumire paused for a few seconds before asking again, “Do you… plan to go back and take a look?”

"That ancient Eastern country."

Should we go back?
Gu Cheng's eyes suddenly darkened.

There's no going back!
Thinking of his family in that world and the loneliness in this world, Gu Cheng felt a tightness in his chest.

As a fan of The Prince of Tennis, being transported to the world of The Prince of Tennis was an incredibly exciting experience, especially after he discovered that he could also learn the tennis skills of those characters in The Prince of Tennis and master the ultimate technique of perfect harmony. This made him so happy that he almost went crazy.

Even the most turbulent emotions eventually calm down. Six years have passed, and he is already familiar with everything here. The novelty of his arrival is long gone. Every time the night is quiet, he thinks, "If only this were all a dream."

When I woke up, I was still in the same world.

But he knew very well that this was not a dream; he had really traveled to the world of Prince of Tennis and could never go back.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have thought about the possibility of being transported to the world of Prince of Tennis. Who knew I would actually be transported?"

"ε=(ο｀*)))Alas!"

Gu Cheng sighed inwardly. He didn't say much. After hanging up the phone with Long Qijin, he got on his bike and continued forward. However, his thoughts had already started to wander because of Long Qijin's words. When he was crossing a traffic light, a sharp screech of brakes suddenly came.

Before Gu Cheng could react, he felt his body fly into the air and lost consciousness in the blink of an eye.

……

"Acheng, wake up! It's PE class!"

Just as Gu Cheng felt his hands getting a little sore, someone gently pushed him to the ground, and he heard a familiar shout in his ear.

"Fuck!"

"Can you believe it..."

"The sun must have risen in the west! Our teacher has taken pity on us this time and actually gave us two extra PE classes! My goodness, I can't believe it! How come Old Wei didn't catch a cold this time? He's always getting colds!"

Gu Cheng rubbed his sore arms, and when he looked up, he was completely stunned.

Didn't I get hit by a truck while crossing a traffic light? How did I end up in a classroom?
Before me lay a mountain of books.

Are these things becoming popular at Seigaku now?

Gu Cheng's eyes showed some surprise, but the next moment they revealed a deep sense of nostalgia.

Besides youth and the friendships formed during my high school years, the most memorable thing is probably this mountain of books in front of me.

I like those who get good grades, and I also like those who don't.

The reason for this is clear to students who have gone through high school.

Especially for students with poor academic performance, these books are simply the perfect tool for slacking off.

With his view obstructed, Gu Cheng instinctively sat up straight.
Aside from a few girls, almost all the students around were cheering and running outside, afraid that if they were too slow, this hard-won physical education class would be taken back.

"Physical education class?"

It was only then that Gu Cheng came to his senses. The other person hadn't used Japanese or English, but... Chinese?
Following the sound in his ear, he suddenly turned his head and saw his good friend whom he hadn't seen for more than ten years, who had lost both legs in a car accident when he traveled to the world of Prince of Tennis.

"Li Yang?"

He looked down at the other person's perfectly intact legs and asked in surprise, "Your legs aren't broken?"

"Your leg is the one that's broken!" Li Yang immediately retorted.

"No, you..."

Gu Cheng had too many questions in his mind, but before he could speak, Li Yang interrupted him: "Stop talking nonsense. The next two classes are replaced with PE. Hurry up and leave, or the teacher will change his mind."

As the number of people in the classroom dwindled, Li Yang grew anxious.

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng began to carefully observe the classroom. The windows were almost fully open, and the overhead fan was slowly rotating. The blackboard displayed vectors, a topic to be learned in the first semester of the first year of high school.

"Your classroom from your first year of high school?"

Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar scene, Gu Cheng couldn't help but swallow, as if he had thought of something.

I... I'm really back?
From the world of Prince of Tennis, have I returned to my original world?

Looking out the window, I saw our homeroom teacher, Zhang Xiantu, holding his thermos, which he had used for who knows how many years, watching with a smile as the students left the classroom and rushed towards the playground.

They're really back!

Not only did he come back, but he also returned to the time when he was a freshman in high school.

Although his head was still a little dizzy, his return was definitely a great thing for Gu Cheng.

"Cheng, stop spacing out! Hurry up! All the balls we can play with will be taken by other people." Li Yang, who had run to the classroom door, saw Gu Cheng still sitting at his desk in a daze and shouted speechlessly, "We're having PE class with Class 1."

In high school, physical education classes are rarely conducted by individual classes. Usually, two or even three classes are taught together, so even if there is only one physical education teacher, it can basically cover the entire high school grade.

With more classes participating, even excluding some girls and boys who don't like sports, there are still about a hundred people.

The school provides a limited number of balls, so if you arrive late, you'll basically only be able to watch others play.

Basketball is okay, it's usually only boys who play it. But girls also play badminton or other similar sports. And often boys are too shy to compete with girls, so those who can't play basketball can only watch helplessly.

Li Yang is a typical example of someone who can't play basketball or soccer, and can only play badminton.

Li Yang's eagerness is not without reason.

"Ah...it's here, it's here!"

Gu Cheng waved to Li Yang, forcing himself to calm down, and then, urged by Li Yang, got up and followed him, slowly arriving at the playground.

The students in their school uniforms were like birds released from their cages, and the huge playground was filled with the joyful laughter of youth.

Looking up, the sky was so blue, and the glaring sunlight couldn't dampen everyone's enthusiasm for physical education class.

Looking at the familiar yet slightly immature faces on the playground, Gu Cheng felt a mix of emotions. What he once thought was the most painful time of his student days had now become the moment he longed for the most.

"Zhou Xiao, I used to always complain that you were terrible at basketball, but now I realize that was called being full of energy; Wang Xiaoming, the way you were the first one to arrive at the classroom to clean every day was the purest and most beautiful thing; and Li Yang, your dream that you always talked about, I don't know when reality wore down its edges..."

"And everyone..."

Gu Cheng took a deep breath, a slight smile playing on his lips, as a refreshing and invigorating feeling swept over his entire body.

Those days of laughter and tears we shared become incredibly precious in this moment.

"Acheng, wanna play badminton?"

Li Yang somehow managed to snag a pair of rackets.

Gu Cheng sat on the grass and shook his head.

Li Yang put down his racket and ran over, looking puzzled. "I noticed you seemed distracted the whole time. What's wrong? Did you not do well on the midterm exam last week? That doesn't make sense. I didn't even feel like I was at the bottom, but you're almost in the top ten."

Gu Cheng didn't know what to say, and he couldn't tell anyone about it. He chuckled and was about to make up an excuse to get rid of Li Yang when he noticed that Li Yang wasn't looking at him, but was staring in a certain direction.

"Ah Cheng!"

Li Yang nudged Gu Cheng with his hand: "It's Xia Zhitong, who transferred to Class 1 from another school last week. I heard Zhou Xiao say before that she was incredibly beautiful, and I scoffed at it. Now I realize... damn, I was so naive."

"This is so beautiful!"

"How can there be such an ethereal girl! I'm so damn envious of those bastards in Class 1."

Li Yang muttered curses under his breath, his teeth itching with hatred when he mentioned the boys in Class One.

Gu Cheng followed Li Yang's gaze and saw a girl standing not far away. Unlike many students, she was not wearing the blue and white school uniform, but a light blue thin jacket. Her long, smooth, black hair fell over her shoulders, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating her delicate profile and creating an almost unreal beauty.

She was engrossed in reading a book, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise.

"It is indeed quite beautiful." Gu Cheng withdrew his gaze and commented in a flat tone.

Having seen the extremely cute girls in the world of Prince of Tennis, he was more resistant to beauty than he had imagined. Xia Zhitong's beauty was indeed stunning, but he wasn't as excited as Li Yang.

"Pretty good-looking?!" Li Yang's eyes widened. "Your reaction is too indifferent! That's Xia Zhitong! The white moonlight recognized by all the boys in our school! You're just going to brush it off with 'pretty good-looking'?"

"And I heard she has exceptionally good grades, ranking first in her grade at her previous school. A girl with both beauty and talent like that is definitely a high-class beauty!"

"Do you dare say you've ever seen a girl prettier than her?"

Gu Cheng smiled but didn't reply.

With her long, straight, purplish-black hair, slender figure, fair skin, mature appearance, great figure, and a warm smile, Nanako is also very beautiful!
At least in Gu Cheng's mind, Echizen Nanako's looks are definitely no less than Xia Zhitong's.

As for her personality, Xia Zhitong didn't know her, but Nanako's gentleness was definitely a powerful weapon that could affect any boy.

Gu Cheng's thoughts drifted away.

"Huh... that guy looks like a second-year high school student, is he going to deliver a love letter?"

"Oh dear... Xia Zhitong rejected me."

"Xia Zhitong didn't even glance at him. With so many people watching, Tai She is dead. If it were me, I would dig a hole and crawl into it."

"But she's so aloof!"

"Eh~"

"Acheng, can't you at least give me some kind of response?"

At Li Yang's prompting, Gu Cheng couldn't help but glance at the girl again, and had to admit that she did indeed have a captivating charm.

She has a delicate oval face, a small, delicate nose, and a head of jet-black hair that gently sways over her shoulders. Underneath her light blue coat is a pleated skirt that goes past her knees, revealing a glimpse of her leg lines, instantly giving her a gentle and lively appearance.

How many teenage boys can suppress the surge of hormones that come from within when they see a girl like this?

"Didn't you say you weren't interested? How come you're watching more intently than I am now!" Li Yang joked. "Why don't you go and confess to her? Seriously, when it comes to looks, there aren't many guys at No. 1 High School who are more handsome than you."

"Those with better-looking faces than you can't compare to your height, and for the taller ones, your looks completely outshine them."

"Others confessed their feelings and got rejected, but if you do, it might actually work out."

"Not interested." Gu Cheng shook his head.

Li Yang paused for a moment, then patted his shoulder: "If you're not interested, that's fine. I'm a little hungry. How about we go to the convenience store and get a cup of instant noodles?"

"can."

Gu Cheng nodded. To be honest, he was indeed a little hungry.

Not physically, but mentally.

The two went to the school store and each got a cup of instant noodles. After they finished eating, as they passed the basketball court, they suddenly heard someone shout. They turned around and saw Zhou Xiao playing basketball.

"Acheng, come quick, come quick! It's an emergency!"

When Gu Cheng saw that there were still students from Class 1 on the court, he immediately guessed what had happened. It was probably that Zhou Xiao and his friends had challenged Class 1 to a full-court game, and then got crushed.

Gu Cheng's basketball skills are quite good, at least the best in Class 2. Plus, with his height of over 1.8 meters, he has virtually no rivals when it comes to dribbling past opponents or grabbing rebounds.

Several students in Class One also had some skills. It was already quite good that Zhou Xiao and his group hadn't been completely overwhelmed since Gu Cheng wasn't playing. However, by this time, Class One was probably already far ahead, otherwise Zhou Xiao wouldn't be in such a hurry.

(End of this chapter)