L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 102 Ryo Mochizuki VS Shu Tanegashima 2
Chapter 102 Ryo Mochizuki VS Shu Tanegashima 2
In the kitchen, the peanut milk was already cooked.
The rich aroma of milk and peanuts mingled together, filling the entire space. On a sweltering summer midday, Wang Yueling poured the peanut milk into a container and cooled it with ice.
There was still a lot left, so he found three more large disposable beverage cups, poured peanut milk into them, and added several large chunks of ice.
After everything was tidied up, Mochizuki Ryo carried three cups of peanut milk back to the tennis court and handed them to Taneshima, Mori, and Echi.
"You guys are really lucky to have found something so delicious. Try it."
Mori took the cup, took a big gulp, and his eyes lit up instantly, his face beaming with joy: "Wow! This is so delicious! What is it?"
"My specialty is peanut milk. It's made by cooking it with milk and rock sugar."
Mori took another big gulp, her cheeks puffed out, and her round eyes, filled with a longing for more, looked at him: "It's so delicious! Is there any more?"
Wang Yueling was completely helpless against the way he looked at this little animal, thinking that since the portion for Yukimura had already been separately packaged, it was more than enough.
Let's give the rest to this big cat.
"Yes. I'll pack you a separate pot to take with you later."
Mori's face lit up instantly, and he thanked her repeatedly, deliberately holding the cup up to Echi and waving it proudly: "Moonlight-san, you should try it, it's delicious. The little guy even said he'd fill an extra pot for me, hehe~"
Yuezhi took a small sip, her cool and aloof expression softening slightly. She didn't say a word, but it was clear that she found it quite delicious.
He glanced down at Mori again, said nothing, and reached out to ruffle his hair.
Maoli squinted as the cup was being rubbed, like a big cat being stroked. He clutched the cup to his chest and muttered, "Don't rub it, don't rub it, the peanut milk will spill," before moving away to the side.
Shuji Taneshima held up his cup, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Not bad. Not too sweet, very milky. With ice, it's not sticky even on this hot day."
After resting for a while, the four prepared to spar. Wang Yueling looked at the dazzling midday sun overhead, a subtle consideration flashing in his eyes.
"Let's go to the indoor court." He put down his cup and gestured with his chin toward a building on the side of the manor.
"Huh? Why go indoors? This is the sports field." Mori hugged his big cup, looked at the bright blue sky, and blinked. "Besides, the weather is pretty nice outside right now."
"I'm afraid of getting sunburned."
Wang Yueling casually answered and led the way.
Shuji Taneshima walked behind him, and when he heard the word "indoors," he paused almost imperceptibly.
His right eye had a visual acuity of only 0.7 and his left eye 0.5, making it difficult for him to see in the bright midday light. He hadn't told any outsiders about this detail, but the blond boy in front of him seemed to know it in advance, naturally choosing an indoor venue.
interesting.
He quickened his pace and walked side by side with Wang Yueling, the curve of his lips even deeper than before.
The indoor court is spacious and quiet, with even white light shining from the overhead lights, without any glaring sunlight or dazzling reflections.
Ryo Mochizuki walked to the edge of the court and turned to look at Shuji Taneshima.
"I have an appointment later, so I can't finish this match. Can we just play one game?"
Mori poked his head out from behind Echi, tilting it slightly, and asked in a playful yet curious tone, "Did you make an appointment with the junior manager?"
Wang Yueling did not deny it, but simply smiled with her eyes crinkling.
Shuji Taneshima looked at his confident expression and raised an eyebrow: "One game? You're so sure you can beat me in one game?"
"You'll know once you try." Wang Yueling smiled.
Mori was already seated in the referee's chair, excitedly announcing with his long arms raised, "Well~ I'll be the referee! I promise to be fair and impartial!"
"Tanegashima vs. Mochizuki, a single match to decide the winner!"
"We'll take turns serving. Taneshima is the senior, so how about letting the little guy serve first?"
Shuji Taneshima shrugged, speaking in a slow, easygoing Kansai accent: "Sure. I'm two years older than him, so it's only right to let the junior go first."
Wang Yueling did not refuse, and slowly walked to the service area, bouncing the ball twice in her hand.
Toss the ball, swing the racket.
The movements remained as simple as ever, without any fancy or superfluous actions.
The seemingly ordinary serve took an unexpectedly tricky trajectory as it flew out, landing precisely in the inner corner of the court, right in the most difficult spot for Shuji Taneshima to return.
Shuji Taneshima was wearing tight-fitting suit trousers, which made it difficult for him to move. He instinctively tried to turn to the side to adjust his position, but the tightness of the trousers slowed his movements down by half a beat.
The racket missed its target.
The tennis ball flew past him and bounced twice on the ground.
"15-0".
Mori immediately announced the score loudly, and didn't forget to secretly tug at Echi's sleeve, whispering his complaints.
"Even Taneshima-senpai makes mistakes sometimes."
Yuezhi glanced at him sideways and nodded slightly. The two were perfectly in sync, able to reach the same conclusion without saying a word.
Shuji Taneshima smiled with a hint of helplessness.
He glanced down at his suit pants, then at the spot where the ball landed on the opposite baseline, and his lips twitched.
When I watched this person play from the sidelines, I thought it looked so easy, but when I stood on the court myself, I realized it wasn't easy at all.
Wearing suit pants while playing ball is simply unbearable.
He coughed lightly, took another tennis ball out of his pocket, and walked to the service line.
It was his turn to serve.
He raised his hand and tossed the tennis ball, his signature sidespin serve flying out instantly, the ball carrying precise sidespin towards Mochizuki Ryo's backhand corner.
With light, nimble steps, Mochizuki Ryo caught the ball cleanly with her racket, flicked her wrist, and once again hit Tanejima Shuji's most uncomfortable corner with the return shot.
Shuji Taneshima was prepared this time, adjusting his position in advance to block the ball, which landed steadily in the middle of the field.
They were trying to slow down the pace of this shot.
His most comfortable playing style is "slow grinding".
Defend and counter-attack, dragging the opponent into your own rhythm.
But Mochizuki Ryou didn't give him a chance to slow down.
The high-intensity, fast-paced, multi-round exchanges required Shuji Taneshima to maintain a high level of concentration at all times. His original strengths in insightful analysis gradually fell behind, and his focus slowly declined.
The next shot was a powerful drive to the baseline at a wide angle, followed by a follow-up shot into the net, forcing Shuji Taneshima to hastily return the ball at the net. The shots were unpredictable, with varying speeds and patterns.
Every shot landed precisely in the most uncomfortable spot for Shuji Tanegashima, giving him no time to catch his breath.
Shuji Taneshima was overwhelmed and flustered.
He tried to unleash his ultimate move, "Nothing Will Be Gone," lowering his center of gravity to minimize his presence, but from Wang Yueling's perspective, his movements were still clearly discernible.
The fast-paced, continuous back-and-forth gave him no time to mentally adjust.
After a dozen or so shots, Shuji Taneshima's concentration began to wane, and his pace slowed. The stiffness from his suit trousers became increasingly noticeable, and his return shot went out of bounds.
"30-0".
After announcing the score, Mori added quietly, "Tsukiko-san, Taneshima-senpai seems to have gotten a pretty bad beating today."
Yuezhi Yueguang quietly watched the scene, or more precisely, looked at Wangyue Ling, and replied, "Tanegashima is in a stalemate; he has nowhere to hide from Wangyue Ling."
The third ball was served by Mochizuki Ryo.
He glanced at Shuji Taneshima, who was still somewhat nonchalant across from him, and gripped the tennis ball in his hand tighter.
That mischievous quirk in my heart, which never lasts more than three seconds, resurfaced.
Toss the ball, swing the racket.
A beam of yellow light shot out from the surface of his paddle.
"Disappeared without a trace."
The ball's shadow flashed briefly under the light before disappearing from everyone's sight.
Mori blinked on the sidelines, and then there was a muffled thud as the tennis ball hit the corner of the baseline behind Shuji Taneshima and bounced away.
"Huh?!" Mori sat up straight in the referee's chair, his mouth agape. "What happened with that last shot?! I didn't see the ball's trajectory at all!"
Shuji Taneshima stood still, looking back at the tennis ball that had rolled to the side of the court. His expression finally became completely serious, and his eyebrows lowered slightly.
Yue Zhi's voice came from the sidelines, still in that cold and calm tone, but those familiar with him could hear the underlying emotion: "The speed of that ball was about the same as my Mach serve."
Mori's mouth dropped open in shock; he never expected that Mochizuki Ryo's serve could rival Echi's signature move.
After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Senior Taneshima, are you alright?"
Shuji Taneshima took a deep breath, bent down to pick up the tennis ball from the ground, and walked back to the service line.
Sweat streamed down his chocolate-colored skin, but the corners of his lips curved into a smile. He hadn't felt this way in a long time.
The last time was at the Wado-in Temple.
He tossed the ball and swung his racket.
He served another topspin serve, aiming for the corner of the baseline with a tricky spin.
He used all his strength on that shot.
Ryo Mochizuki caught the ball steadily, returning it to the same spot that made Shuji Tanegashima uncomfortable. Tanegashima chased after it, only to be met with another baseline drive and a volley to the net.
The pace was so fast that Shuji Taneshima had almost no time to think; he could only rely on instinct to deflect each spin.
He attempted to launch "annihilation".
Concentrate on analyzing the ball's spin, use your naked eye to capture the subtle patterns on the ball's surface, then neutralize the spin's effect and return the ball accurately.
The first shot was indeed effective. Taneshima Shuji used "Destroyed Nothingness" to neutralize Mochizuki Ryo's forehand smash and then hit the open with his backhand.
But the ball came chasing after us again on the next shot.
The fast-paced back-and-forth gave him no mental focus, no time to recover.
Shuji Taneshima's fingers were slightly numb. "Destroyed Nothingness" was extremely taxing on his concentration, and the continuous high-intensity, fast-paced back-and-forth battles caused his concentration to drop rapidly.
On the seventeenth shot, his return was off by half an inch.
The ball landed in the center of the net and bounced back to his own half of the court.
"Game, Mochizuki Ryo".
After announcing the scores, Mori leaned out of the referee's chair, his eyes wide, "Tanegashima-senpai, you didn't get a single ball!"
Shuji Taneshima stood at the baseline, panting, and looked down at his palms. His palms were sweaty from gripping the racket continuously, leaving a small damp patch on the non-slip surface.
He put down his racket, walked to the net, and reached out his hand to Wang Yueling.
"Yes, I didn't get a single ball."
Ryo Mochizuki, holding a racket, walked up to Shuji Taneshima and shook his hand. After letting go, he habitually adopted a coach's posture, his eyes serious and his tone blunt and sarcastic.
"Your strength lies in defensive awareness, but unfortunately your weaknesses are too obvious."
He spoke slowly, each word hitting the nail on the head.
"If you rely too much on slow and steady progress, once you are forced to speed things up, your entire rhythm will collapse. It's like a tortoise that crawls slowly and steadily on the ground, but once you're thrown into a high-speed washing machine, it can only spin around aimlessly with the drum."
"Without powerful offensive moves, we can only play defensively. When faced with an opponent who takes the initiative to attack, we can only be led around. Our net play is also mediocre. When forced into close combat, we have countless openings."
His bright blue eyes blinked, and his mouth moved faster than his brain; his sharp tongue was unstoppable and continued to spew forth.
"Your returns at the net are weak and feeble, like you're just saying hello instead of playing. You only like to stay in the backcourt to defend, and once you get to the net, you're like a fish that's been pulled ashore, jumping around a couple of times before you're exhausted."
Shuji Taneshima's lips twitched.
He had just caught his breath after a crushing defeat when this person described him as a "turtle in a washing machine" and a "fish that has been pulled ashore."
But that aura was just too strong.
Faced with the sharp gaze of the blond boy in front of him, Shuji Taneshima almost instinctively straightened up, his spine tightening slightly.
This feeling was unfamiliar, like facing a strict coach who was much older than him and held absolute authority.
"Understood, Coach."
Shuji Taneshima automatically uttered this sentence, his voice more upright than usual.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Mori on the sidelines burst into laughter. He slid off the referee's chair, clutched his stomach, and squatted on the ground, his shoulders shaking violently, tears welling up in his eyes from laughing.
"Hahaha, Coach! Taneshima-senpai, you're calling this little guy 'Coach'!"
Mori laughed so hard he could barely breathe, his finger trembling as he pointed at Shuji Tanegashima. "Tsukiko-san, did you hear that! Tanegashima-senpai's name is Ryo, Coach!"
Standing on the sidelines, Yueguang's blue eyes glanced at Shuji Taneshima through his bangs. Then, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up. The movement was so subtle it was almost imperceptible, but it was definitely up.
Shuji Taneshima's ear tips turned red with embarrassment.
He awkwardly raised his hand to rub the back of his neck, his Kansai accent tinged with embarrassment: "Really... after you criticize me, my body just..."
Wang Yueling touched the tip of her nose somewhat embarrassedly, her previous sharp aura instantly dissipating.
"Sorry, it's just a professional habit."
"I've been coaching those kids for over a month, and I want to comment on everyone after they finish playing. Just pretend you didn't hear me."
"No."
Shuji Taneshima shook his head, his embarrassment fading as his expression turned serious.
"You're absolutely right. I'm afraid of fast-paced games, my net play is weak, and I rely too much on concentration. These are my weaknesses. I've vaguely noticed them in my training, but I haven't really taken them seriously. This is a good opportunity to recognize my shortcomings."
He paused, the corners of his lips returning to their usual casual smile, but with a touch more sincerity: "Thank you, Coach Ling. You gave me excellent guidance."
Wang Yueling shook her head helplessly.
He couldn't shake off the title of "coach" today. He glanced at the time on his phone screen.
"It's getting late, I really have to go."
Shuji Taneshima put his racket on the equipment rack, turned around, took out his phone and waved it, "Next time I definitely need to play a full match. Today's game was interesting enough, but not enough."
"Let's add each other on Line. We can play basketball sometime sometime. Don't wear a suit next time, okay?"
Mori also pulled out his phone: "I want to add them too! I want to add them too! It'll be really fun if you come to the training camp to hang out with us next time."
Yuezhi didn't take out his phone, but simply nodded slightly to Wangyue Ling and calmly said, "You can find me through Shouzaburo."
Mouri curiously approached Wangyue Ling, craning his neck to stare at his communication avatar. Upon seeing that it was a golden retriever cartoon avatar with its tongue sticking out, he immediately covered his mouth and burst out laughing.
"Wow! It's a picture of a golden retriever sticking out its tongue, how cute!"
Shuji Taneshima also peeked over, shrugged slightly, and said with a teasing laugh in his Kansai accent, "Tsk, as expected of you, even your taste as a coach is different from others."
He made a joke, but his eyes revealed his agreement, and he thought to himself: This profile picture really matches his personality perfectly.
Mori put his phone away, tilted his head, and looked at Mochizuki Ryo with curious eyes. "Then shall we just call him Coach Ryo from now on? Taneshima-senpai already calls him that so easily, it's so convenient."
Mochizuki Ryou rubbed her forehead, looking helpless, with a mischievous smile in her eyes. "If Mori-senpai keeps teasing me, I'll have to take back the peanut milk I just packed."
The big Maori cat instantly bristled, its round eyes widened, and it quickly raised one hand to cover its mouth, while its other hand kept gesturing left and right in the air.
He declared he would never make jokes again.
Shuji Taneshima watched with amusement, shaking his head with a smile, "Look how scared you are."
This remark successfully angered the big cat, who pounced on him.
Yuezhi Yueguang raised her hand and gently patted the back of Maoli's head. The gesture was filled with a helpless yet doting affection. She didn't say anything, but just quietly watched the two of them playfully bickering.
After having his fun, Mori patted Mochizuki Ryo on the shoulder, his tone becoming more serious: "Little guy, I'll definitely have a good fight with you next time. I also want to see for myself just how strong the number one on the Mysterious Ranking really is."
Wang Yueling smiled and replied "Okay," then waved to them and turned to walk towards the stadium entrance.
The silhouette of the man in the black suit was clearly defined under the indoor lights, and the ends of his blond hair swayed gently with his steps.
Mori climbed back onto the cat tree, watching the departing figure. The smile on his lips faded slightly, and his tone became more wistful.
"Moonlight-san. The team he leads is definitely not simple. This year's Hyotei will surely achieve results that will surprise everyone."
"It's just a pity for our Rikkai junior captains; it's probably not going to be so easy for them to win a three-peat this year."
He paused, then his eyes suddenly lit up as he played with the end of his partner's hair. "But just thinking about it makes me really excited. Let's sneak out to watch the national tournament! It'll definitely be a blast!"
"We're going on an expedition next week."
Yuezhi Yueguang's cold voice interrupted his reverie, "The boss won't allow anyone to leave the camp to watch the game without permission."
Mori pursed his lips, his expression momentarily falling, but then brightened up again.
"We escaped today, didn't we? Once we get Tanejima-senpai to organize another business conference, we can make it back to normal."
Shuji Taneshima spread his hands to either side and shook his head with a smile.
"There aren't that many business meetings to join in the fun."
"I was only able to skip training this time thanks to Coach Kurobe's tacit approval. Byodoin would kill me if he found out. I should cherish this precious time!"
He spun the ball on his index finger, glanced at the direction Wang Yueling had left, his eyes filled with deep thought, and his voice became more serious.
"But we did have a very fruitful day."
"It would be very interesting if those people at the training camp knew that such a person came from junior high school."
Mori nestled his face in Echi's shoulder and looked at Shuji Taneshima:
"I wonder how strong Ling really is, and where he ranks in our first team. In the game with the senior just now, my intuition tells me he can make it into the top ten."
"Well, maybe there's more than that."
"Top six." Yue Zhi uttered two words calmly, his blue eyes particularly deep in the sunlight, "I just don't know if I can break through the demon barrier."
Shuji Taneshima bent down and tossed the ball into the basket next to the court, his voice unusually serious: "I think he might be able to compete with Byodoin."
Upon hearing this, Mori and Echi both turned their heads in shock.
Shuji Taneshima is widely recognized as the No. 2 in the U-17 training camp, with his strength firmly at the top of the pyramid.
The fact that Shuji Taneshima gave such an evaluation is enough to show how important Mochizuki Ryo is to him.
Mori slid completely off his cat tree, stood up straight, and his playful expression was unusually absent. Kochi also turned his head, his icy blue eyes fixed on Taneshima Shuji from behind his bangs.
"Tanashima, are you serious?"
"In the last game, my 'nothing' series of special moves were completely useless against him. He could see my fatal weakness with just four balls."
Shuji Taneshima straightened his collar, his expression still casual and nonchalant, but the seriousness in his eyes hadn't faded. "At least, his strength is above mine."
"As for his feelings towards Byodoin, it's just intuition."
His voice held a knowing smile. "But you can't rely on intuition for these things. Once this little guy gets to the training camp, he'll know for sure. Byodoin's face will definitely be quite a sight then."
He pictured that scene and suddenly smiled. He glanced at his two companions, his Kansai accent drawn out longer than usual.
"We'll have to promote this properly when we get back."
"Especially when we go to Byodoin, say a few more words. And let the coaching staff know that a remarkable young talent has emerged in Japanese tennis. Let them know that something's up with them. And then..."
Mori leaned closer, his face full of anticipation: "And then?"
"Then, once Byodoin hears the news, given his volatile temper, he'll definitely come and test us himself."
Shuji Taneshima shrugged, speaking in a leisurely Kansai accent, "I'm just responsible for relaying the message. Stirring things up seems to be Coach Ling's forte. Let Byodoin discover this treasure on his own."
Mori laughed out loud: "Hey~ Taneshima-senpai, are you trying to push this little guy into a fire pit?"
"Don't say that~ I didn't dig the pit of fire." Shuji Taneshima blinked innocently. "I just put a sign next to it that says 'There's treasure here.' Whether Byodoin jumps in or not is his own business."
Yuezhi Yueguang glanced at him and said calmly, "Strategist."
As Mori listened, his eyes gradually brightened, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards: "Well, that must be very interesting."
Shuji Taneshima smiled and did not refute.
He turned his gaze back to the direction where Wang Yueling had left, and the excitement in his eyes slowly settled into a deeper anticipation.
There's bound to be plenty of excitement to watch from here on out.
Just as the three were about to leave, a kitchen worker from the manor came over carrying a gourd-shaped glass bottle, saying it was peanut milk that Young Master Wangyue had asked him to deliver.
Maoli took the bottle, held it up to the sunlight and looked at it again and again. The gourd-shaped glass bottle was crystal clear, and the milky white peanut milk inside was slightly shimmering.
He turned towards Echi and Taneshima, holding the bottle, his distinctive Kansai accent trailing off.
"Look, Moonlight-san! This bottle is so cute! Taneshima-senpai, you don't have one~"
Shuji Taneshima spread his hands to either side: "Okay, okay."
Maoli tucked the gourd bottle into his arms and held it like a precious treasure.
The three laughed and turned to leave the court, slowly walking towards the manor's meeting hall, still chatting about their earlier sparring match and the genius boy.
The wind swept across the grass of the court, taking away the summer heat and leaving only a faint scent of tennis that lingered in the air.
Wang Yueling had already gotten into the car, carrying chilled peanut milk and that super-sized peach, and headed towards the hospital.
She imagined Yukimura looking calm and collected when he saw the peanut milk, but his eyes were full of anticipation, and the smile on his lips never faded.
His eyes were full of gentle mischief as he slowly looked out the window at the passing forest scenery.
Today's chance encounter was unexpected and interesting, and it also gave him a few more like-minded friends in the world of Prince of Tennis.
The competition will surely become even more interesting in the future.