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

Chapter 171 Let's revel in Hyotei's exquisite skills!

The field, baked by the sun, had a faint rubbery smell, mixed with the sweet aroma of soda and popcorn wafting from the stands.

The wind swept across the netting with a whooshing sound.

The Hyotei group entered through the passageway.

The gray and white team uniforms stood in neat rows under the sunlight, their steps were steady, and even the way the hem of their uniforms fluttered exuded an air of disciplined pride.

Hyotei's support area occupied most of the eastern stands, with camel-colored suit jackets and gray-white sportswear forming a neat block of color.

Someone was holding up a banner with blue lettering on a white background that read "Hyotei will win," and the Hyotei school emblem was stamped on the corner.

The girls in the fan club held uniform support fans, with the silhouettes of the tennis team's regulars printed on the fan surface. They opened and closed the fans in rhythm with the direction given by the person in front.

With synchronized movements, as the fan flipped over, sunlight shone brightly on the gold-embossed school badge.

When the Hyotei team walked out of the players' tunnel, the noise in the stands paused for a moment, then suddenly rose.

"Hyotei!"

Someone shouted first, and then the entire stands echoed. The sound surged over, its echo reverberating above the stadium.

Wang Yueling was two steps behind Atobe when she was so shocked by the scene that she slowed down by a step.

The sound was so powerful that you could feel the ground beneath your feet vibrating slightly. The low-frequency hum emanated from the concrete structure of the stands, traveling up through your shoes to your knees.

He glanced at the Hyotei support area, his gaze sweeping over the waving support fans and banners before looking away.

Atobe stopped at the entrance, turned around, and faced the stands. He elegantly and gracefully snapped his fingers, the movement crisp and clean, the sound of his fingertips touching standing out sharply amidst the noise.

"Snapped!"

The support fans in the stands flipped over simultaneously, revealing the gold-embossed school emblem on the back. Sunlight was instantly reflected in a neat arc, as if someone had shone a spotlight on the stands.

Atobe slightly raised his chin, a few strands of his purplish-gray hair fluttering in the wind. He spoke softly, but the stands fell silent for a moment, as if everyone was waiting for him to speak.

"Immerse yourself in Hyotei's exquisite techniques!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the stands erupted in cheers.

The rhythmic thumping of light sticks, whistles, and girls' screams blended together into a powerful sonic wave that seemed capable of overturning everything.

"Hyotei is the winner!!!"

Standing beside him, Wang Yueling felt his eardrums tingling from the noise. He glanced down at the cat carrier slung across his shoulder. Luna had her face pressed against the wire mesh window, looking out with her ears perked up and her tail swishing gently inside the carrier.

"Sweetie, look carefully."

Wang Yueling reached out and gently patted its back through the cloth covering. "You have to cheer for me like this from now on."

Luna tilted her head and flicked her tail.

The spectators outside the enclosure were also drawn to the spectacle, stopping to watch and discussing it with their companions.

"Hyotei always makes such a big fuss when they appear."

"They have the confidence to back it up; they were the runner-up in the Kanto region last year."

"But they got a new coach this year, have you heard?"

"I've heard of her, the blonde one, right? She looks younger than me."

……

In the audience seats next to them, several reporters who were setting up cameras were talking in hushed tones.

"Hyotei's support team is almost on par with a professional match."

"It wasn't this complete last year; this year they have a support group coordinating everything. I heard the Hyotei student council specifically allocated funds to make the support materials."

"Does this mean that support for junior high school competitions requires a special fund? Is this the kind of thing elite schools do?"

"No way! That blond guy is their new coach, right? He's the new head of the Mochizuki Group. He's only 15, and I heard he's incredibly good at tennis; even Atobe from Hyotei High School lost to him."

"A fifteen-year-old coach?"

……

Reporters pointed their cameras at Atobe and Mochizuki Ryo, snapping several photos.

The Hyotei team continued forward.

Their rest area is located on the left, with several rows of benches arranged along the fenced steps, covered with Hyotei grey-blue cloth as cushions.

Sakaki Taro was already sitting in the innermost seat, wearing a dark gray three-piece suit with the collar buttoned up neatly.

He heard approaching footsteps, looked up, his gaze lingered on them for a moment, and he nodded slightly. Finally, his eyes fell on the cute light gray cat carrier on his shoulder, and then he looked away.

Atobe walked over, took out a registration form from his coat pocket and handed it to him, "Coach, registration is complete."

"Cousin."

Wang Yueling also called out, quickly walked over, bent down and placed the cat carrier on the seat in the stands, and casually unzipped the cat carrier a crack to let the little guy breathe.

Luna peeked her little head out from the crack, looked around, and then withdrew.

Only two pointed black ears were visible.

"Why did you bring a cat to the competition?" Sakaki Taro's voice was calm and emotionless as he took the registration form.

Wang Yueling shrugged, poking at the exposed cat ears with her fingertip: "The little guy is too clingy, always acting spoiled and wanting to be with me. There's nothing I can do."

As he spoke, he bent down, reached into his bag with both hands, took Luna out, held her in his palms, and raised her to eye level with Sakaki Taro.

The kitten tilted its head and looked at the other.

The bread roll around its neck made its face look round and chubby, its little straw hat was askew, and its mini Hyotei team uniform was a bit wrinkled, but it didn't seem to care at all.

"Hello, Uncle!" Wang Yueling playfully provided the voiceover, holding the cat forward slightly. "Let's buy a can of food for our nephew!"

He then gently touched Luna's "Doritos" with his index finger.

Luna received the signal and, quite obligingly, raised her healthy little paw, waved it at Sakaki Taro, and meowed in a sweet, childish voice, "Meow~"

Sakaki Taro looked at the man and the cat, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

His cousin, aside from being a bit of a chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur) in front of acquaintances, is otherwise a model heir who is "elegant, well-mannered, and articulate."

How come you've become so childish and unruly since you got a cat?

He didn't reply, but instead reached out and gently touched the kitten's head with his fingertip. The soft fur brushed against his fingertip, feeling warm and cozy. His gaze lingered for half a second on the gold lock engraved with a four-leaf clover pattern before returning to Wang Yueling's face.

"Did your great-aunt give this to you?"

"Hmm." Wang Yueling put Luna back in her arms, stroking her fur with her fingers. "The straw hat was knitted by Hua Di, and Grandma was in charge of the lock, the bed, the scarf, the bib, the little clothes... She's been obsessed with making crafts for the cat lately, and she's already collected more than a dozen in the closet."

Sakaki Taro hummed in agreement, his gaze returning to the registration form in his hand.

He was somewhat surprised by the changes, but quickly returned to normal, tapped the paper, and glanced at Wang Yueling.

"Xiao Ling, you'll be sitting on the coach's bench during the match."

Wang Yueling leaned against the bench, her fingertips casually twirling the tip of Luna's tail. She paused upon hearing this, "Me?! And you?"

"I'll sit in the back."

Taro Sakaki tilted his head slightly towards the audience. "This is your first time leading a team in an official match, and you changed the lineup at the last minute. You must have a clear tactical plan. It's good to sit there and give instructions."

Wang Yueling looked at him for a few seconds, then a slow smile curved her lips: "Oh, you trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I'll give bad advice and cause us to lose the game?"

"If you lose, it's on you."

Sakaki Taro's tone was calm, revealing little emotion, yet carrying a sense of certainty: "However, I believe you know what you're doing."

Wang Yueling smiled, revealing her right canine tooth, and gave an OK sign, no longer declining.

Don't worry, cousin, I'll definitely bring you a great start.

As he spoke, he moved closer to Sakaki Taro, nudging the other's arm lightly with his elbow, his voice low and sly.

"Look, our kid just greeted you. This is the second time you've met as 'uncle and nephew,' shouldn't the uncle give you a little something?"

"How about this, I'll buy cat food for your kitten nephew for a few years. We can't just call him 'uncle' for nothing."

He poked Luna's little bottom in his arms: "Quick, ask your uncle for some more canned food."

Luna obediently tilted its head back and meowed softly at Sakaki Taro, its tail tip hooking around Mochizuki Ryo's wrist and swaying gently.

Oshitari, who was adjusting his wristbands, heard this, suppressed a laugh, turned his face away, and his shoulders twitched slightly. Mukahi, who was squatting by the bench tying his shoelaces, looked up and exchanged a glance with Jiro beside him; both of them simultaneously pursed their lips…

Sakaki Taro watched the man and cat singing in unison, sighed helplessly, reached into his suit's inner pocket, pulled out a small paper packet about the size of his palm, and handed it over.

"Alright. Stop joking."

Wang Yueling took it, opened it, and glanced at it.

Inside are kitten biscuits, shaped like small bones, light brown in color, and with a faint chicken smell.

His eyes lit up, and he looked up at Sakaki Taro with a hint of surprise, "Cousin, you still carry this with you?"

I bought it by chance when I passed by a pet store.

Sakaki Taro's gaze fell on Luna's bandaged right front paw, and his tone became slightly indifferent, "Is your paw feeling better?"

Wang Yueling took a small packet from the cookie bag, tore it open, and held it to Luna's mouth. The kitten sniffed it, took it, and began to chew on it.

"Much better."

He stuffed the remaining cookies into his tracksuit pocket, and gently touched the gauze on the kitten's paw with his fingertips. "Uncle Yuanye said the gauze can be removed tomorrow. It's recovering quite well."

He paused, then added with a smile, "By the way, these cookies don't count as a gift. And don't try to back out of the jar thing."

Sakaki Taro glanced at him for two seconds, then said calmly, "We'll talk about it after you lead your team to victory. If you lose, you and your son will have to do extra training."

As he said this, his gaze shifted slightly towards Luna.

After finishing the biscuit, the kitten found a good angle to lie on Mochizuki Ryo's lap and began licking its bandaged paws. Hearing the words "extra training," its ears twitched, it looked up at Sakaki Taro, then lowered its head again to continue licking.

Wang Yueling blinked, feigning grievance, and pulled Luna closer to her. "Cousin, you're so heartless. The kitten is so cute, how could you bear to punish her?"

Mukahi, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, but Shinobu nudged him with his elbow and made him suppress his laughter again.

Wang Yueling glanced back at them, her voice rising slightly, tinged with amusement, "Did you all hear that? Play well later. Luna's waiting to eat the canned food you win back."

Shinobu adjusted his glasses, his tone unhurried, "Leave the canning matter to me."

Xiang Ri jumped up and shouted, "I'll make some too!"

Cilang sat up from the bench, rubbed his eyes, and yawned: "I...I'll wrap some too."

Kabaji stood to the side, saying nothing, only nodding. The others echoed him, their voices filled with confidence.

Wang Yueling smiled and nodded, then sat down on the coach's bench with Luna in her arms.

Luna lay on his lap, her left paw resting on his wrist, the brim of her straw hat slightly obscuring half her face. She squinted, her purring soft, like a small engine running slowly.

Just then, a commotion came from the west entrance of the venue.

The Seigaku members walked in.

Tezuka, as captain, walked at the front with steady steps, his expression revealing no emotion. Fuji followed half a step behind him, carrying his racket bag, his eyes still crinkling with a smile.

Inui and Kawamura walked in the middle of the group, with Kawamura carrying a racket bag on his shoulder, his left hand unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

Kikumaru walked beside Inui, taking two steps and then tiptoeing to look ahead, his red curly hair swaying in the wind. Momoshiro followed closely behind him, walking half a beat faster than usual.

Kaidou walked behind the group, his headscarf tightly tied. His eyes swept over Hyotei's rest area, and he hissed. Echizen, wearing a hat pulled low, followed behind Kaidou. As they passed Hyotei, he glanced at the coaches' bench for a moment before looking away.

The referee's voice came over the loudspeaker: "Please bring in the players from Seigaku and Hyotei for the pre-match handshake ceremony."

Atobe took the lead and walked forward, his purplish-gray hair billowing in a neat arc.

The regular members of Hyotei followed behind him, lined up in a neat row, their steps even, and even the sound of their landings was almost identical.

The Seigaku members also came over from across the street.

The two teams stood in front of the net, their auras clashing.

The silent confrontation begins.

Ryo Mochizuki remained seated on the coach's bench, his gaze sweeping over the line of people and landing on Tezuka across from him.

The referee stood next to the net post and gestured for both sides to come forward and shake hands.

When Atobe shook hands with Tezuka, his gaze lingered for a moment on Tezuka's left elbow.

That glance was very brief, as if it were an unintentional sweep, but Tezuka sensed it and his knuckles tightened slightly.

Atobe gently traced the beauty mark at the corner of his eye with his fingertips, then his gaze fell on Tezuka's face, lingering for two seconds before he asked in a slightly nonchalant tone, "Tezuka, is your hand alright?"

Tezuka's expression remained unchanged, his voice as calm as still water, "He's fully recovered."

Atobe's gaze remained fixed on his right arm, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It's good that you're fully recovered. I don't want anyone saying I won unfairly then."

Tezuka looked up, his gaze meeting his, and replied, "Ah, don't be careless, go ahead."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, the tension in the air almost freezing. The sound of camera shutters clicking incessantly filled the air as many spectators and reporters rushed to capture the two team leaders together.

After shaking hands, the two released their hands simultaneously and waited in the team for their teammates to shake hands with them.

Oishi wasn't there; Fuji was standing next to Tezuka.

He noticed Atobe's brief lingering gaze, his smile remained unchanged, his fingers hanging at his sides gently curled and then relaxed, and his eyes opened for a very brief moment.

Qian also noticed it.

He stood next to Fuji, without a data book in his hand. His lips moved a few times, as if he was muttering something, and then he looked up at the direction of Hyotei's coaching bench.

The other person was leaning back in their chair, looking down and stroking the little black cat in their arms. Sensing the gaze, they looked up and glanced in the direction of Seigaku before looking down again to continue tying their clothes.

Others from both schools also began shaking hands.

Fuji and Shinobu shook hands, both smiling and appearing amicable, but their eyes held a hint of testing and competition.

"It's been a long time, Fuji-kun," Oshitari said with a slightly lazy smile.

"Yes, the last time we met was at last year's National Tournament." Fuji's eyes curved into crescents as he sighed softly, his emotions unreadable. "I look forward to meeting you at Hyotei later."

"Same to you."

Shinobu raised an eyebrow, a glint of light flashing in his glasses.

To the side, Mukahi and Kikumaru shook hands, both glaring at each other like two cats with their fur standing on end, neither willing to yield.

Both Kabaji and Momoshiro are power players, and their handshakes were quite firm, creating a tense atmosphere.

Kaoru Kaidou's voice came from the side, tinged with a hint of gritted teeth: "Hiss... those guys from Hyotei, just looking at them makes me angry."

Shishido, standing opposite him, frowned but didn't say anything. He just gave him a cold glance with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

Feng stood beside Shishido, smiled gently, and shook hands warmly with Kawamura across from him. Kawamura was taken aback by his friendliness, paused for a moment, and then quickly nodded, a little awkwardly.

Sadaharu Inui and Oginosuke Taki are both data tennis players. The atmosphere is alright, but they are both calculating each other's every move.

When it was Ryoma Echizen's turn to shake hands with Wakashi Hiyoshi, both of them tilted their chins back, each more arrogant than the other.

"You still have a long way to go!"

"Inferiority overthrows superiors!"

After the handshake ceremony, the two pairs returned to their respective rest areas to await the start of the competition.

The referee stood in the center of the field and raised his hand to confirm the starting lineup. The announcer's voice, amplified through the loudspeakers, resonated throughout the stadium:

"Now we begin the first round of the Kanto Tournament, Seishun Academy vs. Hyotei Academy, Doubles Match #2. Players, please enter the arena and prepare."

As soon as the broadcast stopped, the spectacular Hyotei cheering squad in the stands began shouting again.

"Hyotei! Hyotei!! Hyotei!!!"

It was as if they had rehearsed countless times, with every beat perfectly timed, echoing and swirling above the court.

The few scattered shouts of "Go Seigaku!" from the first-year students in the Seigaku stands were quickly drowned out by the Hyotei support area. The stands began to swirle their support fans again, and shouts surged from there with an overwhelming momentum.

On the Seigaku side.

Eiji Kikumaru and Takeshi Momoshiro walked onto the court with their rackets.

Kikumaru walked ahead with light steps, humming a tune as he twirled his racket in his hand. Momoshiro followed behind, his steps more steady, his shoulders slightly tense, and his hand holding the racket moved slightly at his side.

The two walked to the referee's box on the sidelines and stood there. Kikumaru turned his head and said something to Momoshiro, who nodded with a serious expression.

A murmur of discussion arose from the surrounding audience seats.

"Huh? Why are Kikumaru and Momoshiro the second doubles pair for Seigaku? Shouldn't it be the 'Golden Duo' Oishi and Kikumaru?"

"Yeah, where's Oishi from Seigaku? I haven't seen him."

"I don't know... Could they have changed their formation at the last minute?"

"That guy named Momoshiro played doubles at the Metropolitan Tournament, and he was absolutely awful. How can someone with that level compete against Hyotei's top doubles pair, Oshitari and Mukahi? Is Seigaku planning a surprise attack to catch Hyotei off guard?"

"Heh, Seigaku breaking up their 'golden duo' at this critical juncture is either a sign of confidence or madness."

"Exactly. Doubles relies heavily on teamwork and coordination. A hastily put-together team like this doesn't have a high chance of winning, does it?"