Prince of Tennis: Shocking! Hyotei's Demon King is a Yukimura fangirl!

The figures of Kawamura and his son disappeared at the entrance of the passage for a long time, and there was no further commotion in the stands.

A faint smell of rust wafted through the fence.

The scene from just now, like a piece of cotton soaked in water, drifted down lightly, yet still left one feeling suffocated. No one spoke, only the rustling of leaves in the distance and the faint, fading footsteps echoing from the entrance of the passage.

Fudomine's spectator area was squeezed into the middle of the stands, a perfect spot to see the entire argument that had just taken place.

Yoshihira Tachibana's eyes were downcast, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the straps of his racket. The rough rubber bits brushed against his fingertips, bringing a slightly itchy sensation.

He stared at the direction of the passageway, and the days of playing violent tennis in Kansai floated up like old photographs.

The opponents he injured and forced to withdraw from the match, the family members with red eyes on the sidelines, and the elders who blocked the club's entrance after the match demanding an explanation... He thought he had long forgotten those scenes, but they were exceptionally clear at this moment.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he didn't speak.

"Brother," Tachibana An stood beside him, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her school uniform skirt, her voice soft, "Do you think Kawamura-kun will be able to recover to his previous appearance after the surgery?"

Yoshihira Tachibana regained his composure, composed himself, and said in a steady tone, "With proper surgery and diligent post-operative rehabilitation, you should be able to retain basic functions. However, returning to your previous exertion level will be difficult."

Ju Xing pursed her lips, her eyes slightly red.

Kamio leaned against the wall and kicked an empty water bottle at his feet. The bottle rolled a few times on the ground before hitting the railing and stopping. "Anzu, don't worry too much. The Mochizuki family has the medical resources they need; they've brought in top-notch doctors. As long as Kawamura cooperates with the treatment and doesn't cause any more trouble, there's still hope."

"Yeah!" Ishida Tetsu touched the headscarf on his head, his honest face full of sighs. "When I saw him appear in a hospital gown before, I thought his hand was a miracle. What kind of steel wrist was that, able to withstand an entire game of volleyballs like nothing happened?"

He shook his head and then said, "Now it seems, it wasn't a miracle, it was utter madness."

Ibu stood beside him, his lips moving, muttering in a low voice, "Cause and effect, cause and effect. The fiercer the fight, the heavier the backlash. No wonder he fought so hard against Echizen last time. He even injured his eye, had to bandage it, and was almost bleeding dry, but he still insisted on fighting me. At the time, I just thought it was hot-bloodedness and admired him for a while, but it turns out it's a tradition at his school. They bleed and sweat, but not shed tears. Luckily, I didn't enroll in Seigaku back then. It's not that I didn't want to go, but what can I do? My dad..." My parents work here, and there's only one obscure school, Fudomine, right next door. There was nothing I could do; I had to enroll in this school. Actually, it wasn't that I didn't want to go to Seigaku. Seigaku had a pretty good reputation back then, after all, it was Echizen Nanjiro's alma mater. I really wanted to go. It's just fate playing tricks on me. Now I feel like God has been very kind to me; otherwise, I'd be the one sweating and bleeding on the field without shedding a tear, since I'm pretty good… But I still really like my eyes, my hands, my arms and legs…”

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed Tachibana Yoshihira's increasingly dark profile, immediately fell silent, and awkwardly touched his nose.

Tachibana Yoshihira didn't turn around, but just stared at the net in the center of the court and gently exhaled.

Some debts must be repaid sooner or later.

The atmosphere wasn't much better at the Chengcheng Xiangnan seats, which were two rows away.

If a person leans back in their chair, hat askew, a lollipop given to them by their fan club dangling from their mouth, and looks toward the exit, they click their tongue.

"Oh my god, thank goodness we didn't draw Seigaku first."

He twirled the lollipop in his hand, a hint of lingering fear on his face. "Fighting these reckless bastards, even if I win, I'll be badly injured. What if they get involved and cripple my arm? How am I supposed to make a living then?"

Kajimoto's gaze fell on the direction of Seigaku's stands, where the group of boys were still standing, huddled together in twos and threes, looking dejected.

"Indeed." His voice was steady, but with a hint of seriousness. "The strategy of trading injury for points may be effective in the short term, but it has too many long-term consequences. It is not good for either the individual players or the long-term development of the entire team."

Huacun Kui tapped lightly on her phone screen, looking towards the medical building with a hint of regret and an indescribable emotion in her eyes.

"They're all just fifteen or sixteen-year-old kids." Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself. "They clearly have a long way to go, yet they insist on exhausting themselves in these qualifiers. The coach didn't stop them, and their teammates just acquiesced... Is the competition more important, or are they more important?"

As she spoke, she turned to look at her teammates, her tone becoming more forceful.

"Remember this, all of you. From now on, no matter what the competition is, your health will always come first. Anyone who tries to force themselves to stay healthy like the students from Qingxue will be kicked out of the team immediately, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Coach!" the group responded in unison.

On the Yamabuki Middle School side, Sengoku rested his chin on his hand, gazing in the direction of Seigaku. He shook his head and sighed, "They're so unlucky. Kawamura got injured, then Tezuka got injured, and a perfectly good match turned into this. But... Tezuka is the most pitiful one, being carried away all by himself, without even a teammate following him..."

Bantian waved a palm-leaf fan, his eyes half-closed, his voice sounding as if steeped in the weight of time.

"Coach...the most important thing is never teaching kids how to win."

He tapped the railing lightly with his palm-leaf fan as he spoke, "We need to draw a clear line for their health, to ensure their athletic lifespan. They need to know what they can compete for and what they can't. Winning is important, but life is even more important. If they can't even grasp this basic principle, they won't go far."

"That little guy named Mochizuki, on the other hand, is very clear-headed about this."

Sengoku nodded, deeply agreeing. Then, as if remembering something, he leaned closer and whispered, "Coach, what do you think about the next singles match?!"

The old man didn't answer directly, but simply shook his palm-leaf fan and said, "When geniuses clash, it all comes down to who can keep their composure longer."

Just as Sengoku was about to reply, Akutsu Jin walked back from the passageway, his expression still somber. He went straight to the back row, leaned against the railing, ignored everyone, and stared intently in the direction of Seigaku, his jawline taut.

Sengoku wisely kept quiet.

It was obvious to everyone that Akutsu was truly angry.

The atmosphere was most subtle among the group sitting close together in St. Rudolph.

Yuta stood at the front, staring in the direction of Seigaku, his brows furrowed.

During his year at Seigaku, he always felt that his older brother, Fuji Syusuke, was always in complete control, and Captain Tezuka was always as steady as a mountain, making the entire tennis club as bright as the sun. But today, seeing Tezuka being carried away without anyone caring, and seeing Kawamura still stubbornly shouting "burning" despite his injuries, he suddenly couldn't understand it.

He couldn't say for sure whether his insistence on transferring schools stemmed from resentment towards his brother or from a subconscious inability to tolerate the atmosphere.

"How could this happen?" he muttered to himself, his mind a jumble of thoughts. "...Why didn't anyone go to check on us after the game?"

"What's so strange about that?" Yanagi leaned against the side, his mouth running fast without thinking. "That's just how Seigaku is. They seem all friendly all the time, but when something really happens, everyone looks out for themselves. How did Kawamura hurt his hand? If he really had any humanity, he wouldn't have let someone risk their life to the point of ruptured tendons."

"Isn't it because you couldn't stand this kind of thing that you transferred here? But it's a good thing you transferred, otherwise if you had stayed, you might have been the one lying on a stretcher one day."

"Liu Ze." Guan Yuechu closed her fan, gently tapped his arm, and glanced at him.

Liu Ze awkwardly shut his mouth.

Yuta's face paled, and he pursed his lips without refuting.

Mizuki waved his fan, glanced at Seigaku's lineup, and a complex smile appeared on his lips.

"It's just team culture."

He spoke in a light, arrogant tone, "From top to bottom, everyone tacitly accepts sacrificing aesthetics, so naturally no one sees a problem. The captain leads the way by stubbornly resisting, the juniors follow suit, and the coach gives it a push. In the end, they can always turn the tide by luck. Over time, it's no wonder things get hurt."

He paused, looking thoughtfully at Fuji Syusuke's retreating figure.

"I just wonder... if this genius from Seigaku will follow this path too."

The stands at Rikkai University were quiet for even longer periods.

Kirihara squatted on the steps, his fingers digging into the grout lines of the floor tiles, his messy, seaweed-like hair hanging down, obscuring his eyes. He didn't speak for a long time, his shoulders slumped slightly, a stark contrast to his usual irritable self.

"Actually, when I saw the look in Kawamura's father's eyes just now, I suddenly remembered what happened last month."

His voice was muffled, unlike his usual loud and boisterous tone. "It was the time when Senior Liu took me to Dr. Zhang and found out I had hereditary hypertension. My parents and sister sat around the dining table, their eyes red. After that, they started following Senior Liu and the deputy minister every day, forcing me to eat bland food and accompanying me to the hospital for check-ups and injections every week. At that time, I found it annoying and thought they were making a fuss over nothing."

He scratched his head and lowered his voice.

"When I saw how disappointed and heartbroken Kawamura's dad was just now... I suddenly realized that if I were to recklessly engage in dangerous activities and ruin my health one day, my parents would probably be just as upset and would ignore me too."

"That look...it was terrifying." Kirihara muttered under his breath, then buried his head in his knees.

"Aka, don't overthink it." Liu opened her eyes and looked at her junior who was squatting on the ground. Her voice was steady but reassuring. "As long as you follow the doctor's orders, have regular check-ups, and avoid high-oil and high-salt foods, the probability of this happening is less than 3%."

He was afraid his simple-minded son hadn't understood, so he squatted down beside him, rubbed the back of his neck, and presented the data: "Your current blood pressure control rate is above 92%. As long as you don't increase your training without permission or force a demonic outburst, you're no different from a normal person. So just behave yourself, understand?"

Sanada, standing on the other side, turned his head upon hearing this, glanced at Kirihara, and said in a deeper voice than usual, "Put away those thoughts of slacking off as soon as possible. The team knows your physical condition better than you do yourself. If you dare to slack off, your training volume will be doubled."

The words were harsh, but there was a hidden concern in the tone.

Kirihara shrank back, afraid of being scolded, his eyes reddening slightly, and whispered, "I know."

Niou leaned back in his chair, exchanged a glance with Yagyu, and deliberately stretched, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

"Oh, Genichiro, don't scare Akaya like that. Look, his head's practically buried in the ground." He reached out and ruffled Kirihara's curly hair, grinning mischievously, deliberately avoiding mentioning what had just happened. "You're usually as well-behaved as a kitten, always going along with Renji's wishes, so there's no need to worry about this. If you really want to upset your family, it'll be because you got lost and wandered off to another prefecture, making your sister look for you for ages."

A faint smile flickered in Yagyu's eyes as he reached out and tugged at Niou's arm, signaling him not to tease him too much.

Niou shrugged, but his fingertips secretly hooked onto Yagyu's sleeve and gently shook it. Yagyu didn't pull away, letting him hold it, and turned his head to exchange a very faint glance with him.

Marui nodded in agreement with Niou's words and took out a green apple-flavored chewing gum from his bag and handed it over.

"Exactly! And next time you skip training and get lost to sneak out for food, don't take me with you. I don't want to get punished by the vice minister with you. But seriously, your mom's light bento boxes are pretty good. I ate most of them last time, much better than the cafeteria ones."

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Kirihara instantly bristled, raising his head to glare at them. "Last time I missed my stop on the bus! I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Oh?" Niou raised an eyebrow, drawing out his words, "Who was it that said they were going to buy a cake the time before last, but ended up in a dead end and had to call Kuwabara to pick them up?"

"That...that's a wrong road sign!"

Marui chewed on his bubble gum and chuckled, adding insult to injury: "I remember another time, you said you were going to the convenience store to buy water, but you ended up at the next station, and by the time you came back, training was over. The vice-captain made you run twenty laps as punishment, remember?"

"Those were all accidents!" Kirihara's face turned red. He stood up to refute, but he lost his footing and wobbled, quickly grabbing the railing for support.

"Wait...did someone just say they stole my lunchbox?! My mom made it especially for me! You bastard!"

"Just one bite? You're so stingy."

Marui chewed his gum and blew a small bubble, which popped with a "pop." "Sigh... never mind, after the competition I'll take you to that new dessert shop. They have a limited-edition strawberry mousse, it's super delicious. Consider it compensation for stealing your lunch. How about it? Eating something sweet will make you forget all this nonsense. Right, Jack? You'll pay me then."

Kuwabara smiled and ruffled Kirihara's hair, nodding somewhat helplessly.

Kirihara looked up at them, his eyes brightening slightly before quickly drooping again. "But the vice-captain doesn't allow sweets..."

"It's okay to do it once in a while," Yukimura's voice came from the side.

Everyone turned to look over there.

Yukimura had a half-open cat carrier on his lap, his fingertips resting on the edge of the carrier, his expression slightly indifferent than before. His gaze was fixed on the distant entrance to the passageway, somewhat unfocused.

He was more moved than anyone else by what he just witnessed.

Last year, when he was first diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, the atmosphere at home was similar. While he was in the hospital, he could hear his mother sobbing quietly in the hallway through the ward door. His father stood silently by the window all night, his usually straight back seeming to slump slightly. His younger sister stood at the ward door, clutching her doll, too afraid to come in, only peeking at him through the doorframe, her eyes red. Even his usually stern grandfather softened his tone, telling him not to push himself.

At that time, he was lying in bed, feeling weak all over, but he still smiled and said that he was fine and that everyone should not worry.

But when he woke up at night, the thought that he might never be able to play tennis again, and the way his family forced smiles to comfort him, made him feel uneasy.

He was used to standing in front, shielding everyone, and being everyone's support. But during his illness, he truly realized that he could also worry those around him and keep his family up at night.

"Meow..."

The cat carrier in my arms stirred.

As if sensing his emotions, Luna struggled to emerge from her cat carrier, rubbing her little paws against his arm, and finally crouched in the crook of his shoulder, her soft body pressed against his neck.

The kitten tilted its head back, its round, heterochromatic eyes looking at him, and let out a soft meow. Seeing that he didn't react, it moved closer, rubbing its cool, wet nose against his cheek, its pink tongue gently licking his chin, and then nuzzling his earlobe.

It meowed continuously, like it was singing to soothe people.

Yukimura snapped out of his reverie, looked down at the little black cat in his arms, and the melancholy in his eyes eased slightly. He reached out and gently stroked the kitten's back.

"Baby," he whispered, his voice soft, "I'm fine."

Luna responded, nuzzling even harder, its little tail swaying gently, and its purring grew louder, like a little motor.

As Yukimura held the soft kitten, the gloom in his heart gradually dissipated. He subconsciously looked up and glanced in the direction of Hyotei.

Then it came into Wangyue Ling's line of sight.

The boy stood on the coach's bench, his blond hair slightly ruffled by the wind, his azure eyes filled with undisguised worry. He had clearly noticed Yukimura's absent-mindedness earlier, and from a short distance, he quietly watched him, his brows slightly furrowed.

Seeing him look over, Wang Yueling raised an eyebrow slightly and mouthed, "Are you alright?"

Yukimura's fingertips paused for a moment.

It's because I'm worried about myself.

Feeling a little awkward, he turned his face away, but the kitten in his arms tilted its head back and meowed, as if trying to sabotage him. Yukimura simply lowered his head and gently buried his face in Luna's soft little belly. The kitten's fur tickled his cheeks, carrying a faint milky scent, which just covered his slightly hot ear tips.

Really.

How old are you? You still panic like this because of a single glance.

Wang Yueling stood below, witnessing the entire scene clearly. The worry in her eyes slowly faded, her eyes crinkling into a smile, and she almost burst out laughing.

"Petit malin. (Little rascal.)"

He chuckled inwardly, his gaze falling on the top of Yukimura's head, which was buried in cat hair, and thought the man was incredibly adorable.

She looked up again at the little black cat nestled obediently in Yukimura's arms, and the smile in her eyes deepened.

"What a fine son Luna is," he murmured softly, a hint of amusement in his voice, as he casually uttered in French, "Bravo." (Well done)

When we get back, I'll return the confiscated kitten milk can to it and reward it with a plate of tuna and minced meat kitten rice. Next time, try to appease your Yukimura dad more.

In the Rikkai Grandstand, Yukimura buried his face in his hands for a while, waiting for the heat in his ears to subside before slowly raising his head. Seeing that Mochizuki Ryo had already turned her gaze away to talk to her teammates, he gently poked Luna's head with his fingertip, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"It's all your fault, you made me a laughingstock."

Luna tilted her head, meowed, and rubbed against his palm.

Yukimura smiled, held the kitten more securely, and turned his gaze back to Hyotei.

That person could accurately capture the subtle changes in his emotions at any time.

This feeling is great.

……

Wang Yueling withdrew her gaze, glanced at her own teammates, and the smile on her face slowly faded.

The group remained silent, standing scattered on the sidelines, the excitement of their earlier victory gone, each lost in their own thoughts.

Mukahi leaned against Kabaji, lacking his usual energetic self, his eyes fixed on the direction of the passageway, somewhat lost in thought. Kawamura's father's gaze had been so heavy, it had made him feel suffocated. When he secretly ran away from the hospital, all he could think about was seeing Atobe Win; he hadn't considered how his family would react if something had really happened.

Looking back now, it's definitely a bit scary.

Kaba stood straight, letting him lean on her, his eyes blank, seemingly lost in thought. He subconsciously helped Mukahi up, afraid that he might lose his balance.

Shishido stood at the front, arms crossed, his brows furrowed. His usually taut jawline was slightly relaxed, and his eyes were unusually deep, whether from lingering fear or something else, it was hard to tell. Feng stood beside him, her fingers unconsciously twisting a towel, even her usual bright smile gone.

Cilang clung to the fence, his usually bright eyes dull, and he didn't even have the energy to yawn. His curly hair was a mess from the wind, but he didn't bother to straighten it.

Shinobu leaned against the other pillar, slowly twirling his racket. His glasses reflected the light, obscuring his eyes. However, the racket was spinning slower than usual, clearly indicating he was also distracted.

Atobe stood in the center, chin still held high, maintaining his usual arrogant demeanor. Only his fingertips rested on the netting, tapping lightly, the rhythm slightly off-key than usual.

No one made a fuss, and no one joked around. The scene from just now was like a nail, driven into everyone's heart.

After all, they were just fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys, and every one of them had parents and elders at home. Everyone knew that if they were really injured like that, their families would be even more worried than Kawamura's father.

Wang Yueling cleared her throat; her voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear it.

Everyone snapped out of their daze and turned to look at him.

"I don't want to see a scene like that happen to any of you."

Mochizuki Ryou spoke slowly and evenly, yet with an undeniable force. Her azure eyes slowly swept over everyone present, from Atobe to Ootori, from Jirou to Oshitari, finally pausing for two seconds on Kabaji's bandaged wrist before settling on Mukahi's bandaged head.

He continued, softening his tone.

"You are the regulars for Hyotei, the team I coach, and the people I care about."

"Winning or losing is normal. If you don't play well, you can practice; if your tactics are wrong, you can change them. But to push yourself to the limit, to gamble with your body... I don't want that to happen at Hyotei. Hyotei doesn't do that kind of thing."