Chapter 13: Conversation, Falling into a Trap

After school.

Inside the Tennis Club activity room.

Takahashi is tidying up his things, preparing for the upcoming training.

"Creeeak!"

The door is pushed open.

Sanada Genichiro, wearing a black cap, stands imposingly at the doorway.

A powerful aura! He has come with aggressive intent!

"Good day, Vice Captain!"

The others greet him respectfully.

"Takahashi, I have something to say to you. Come out here!"

Sanada says in a stern tone.

"Understood!" Takahashi responds.

"That must be him. He didn't come to training this morning; he's going to get a harsh lesson from Vice Captain Sanada now!"

"He must be a newcomer who doesn't know the rules."

"Whether they are a freshman or a senior, have you ever seen the Vice Captain show leniency to anyone?"

"I can already imagine his miserable fate!"

"Moment of silence for him!"

"Pray for him!"

Low whispers of discussion arise all around, but every word reaches Takahashi's ears.

Takahashi's expression remains unchanged; he holds his head high and walks out with long strides, not a hint of timidity on his face.

"As Vice Captain of the Tennis Club, you were absent from training this morning without cause. You are punished with 20 laps of running and an extra half-hour of practice!"

"As Disciplinary Committee Chair of the school, you were late for school this morning. You are punished with a 1,000-word reflection paper, to be submitted to the Disciplinary Committee tomorrow morning."

Sanada's tone is severe, his expression extremely stern and humorless.

Sanada is already very dissatisfied with the fact that Takahashi frequently disappeared during training last month.

However, he was still in the assessment period at the time, and it was uncertain whether he could join the Tennis Club as an official member.

Even if Sanada wanted to discipline him, he lacked the proper standing, so he could only turn a blind eye and let him off.

But deep down, he is extremely dissatisfied with Takahashi's lax personality.

It is truly too lax!

Today is his first day as an official member of the Tennis Club, and he has already skipped training and arrived late; Sanada wants to take this opportunity to suppress him and help him break this bad habit.

"I wasn't late. School regulations state that school starts at 8:30. I walked in right on time, so it doesn't count as late."

"Besides, the security guard closes the school gate at 8:30. If I had really been late, the security guard definitely wouldn't have let me in."

Facing the aggressive Sanada, Takahashi Yan does not yield an inch; his expression is open and honest as he argues his case.

"..."

He did not expect Takahashi to answer like this; it was completely beyond his expectations.

For a moment, Sanada cannot even think of a suitable reply.

Takahashi continues to press his advantage, saying, "I think there is a problem with our Tennis Club's training."

"Hmm?"

Sanada becomes interested.

Takahashi continues, "Official members practicing for half an hour before school and two hours after school—the rules are too rigid and not at all human-centric."

"Feeling is very important in tennis practice. Once you find that feeling, you can improve rapidly; otherwise, it's just a waste of time."

"Forcing an extra half-hour of practice in the morning—not to mention that it's too early to wake up and people aren't even awake yet, but even in that half-hour, you get interrupted before you can even get into the zone. It's completely futile."

Listening to this rhetoric from Takahashi, Sanada very much wants to interrupt him.

This has been a tradition at Rikkai for years; he is simply spouting nonsense.

However, Takahashi does not give him the chance and continues:

"As for me, tennis practice requires attention to the right time, the right place, and the right people. Trapping me there at a fixed time and in a fixed place is just a waste of my time."

"Vice Captain, you also know that I have only been practicing for a month and had never touched a tennis racket before that, right!"

Sanada nods.

"The reason why I have improved so quickly and so significantly lies entirely in this: one must find that feeling of the tennis racket becoming one with me to hit the shots I want in my mind."

"The right time, the right place, and the right people—none can be missing."

"Otherwise, it is a waste of time and a waste of life!"

As Takahashi says this, his emotions gradually become impassioned.

"The right time, the right place, and the right people"—these words strike deep into Sanada's brain.

This is an ancient saying from the Dragon Kingdom; thinking back to his own Wind Forest Fire Mountain, it was also borrowed from the classics of the Dragon Kingdom. It is by virtue of developing these moves that he has been able to secure his position as Vice Captain of the Rikkaidai Tennis Club and earn the title of "Emperor."

Moreover, he has watched with his own eyes as Takahashi, standing right before him, has become so formidable in just one month.

Perhaps it really is effective.

Sanada's heart wavers somewhat.

"Then what do you want to do?"

With his train of thought being led by Takahashi, the momentum Sanada had originally built up gradually disappears completely.

Takahashi continues, "Using this traditional method of Rikkai, I won't improve in the slightest. Because I have my own unique practice methods and schedule."

"Please, Vice Captain, do not interfere with my practice."

Sanada realized what was happening and said, "After saying so much, you just don't want to come to training, right!"

"Of course not. Everyone has their own most suitable training method, and I have already found the one that fits me best."

"There is an ancient saying in the Dragon Kingdom about teaching according to a student's aptitude; have you heard of it, Vice Captain?"

Sanada fell silent again.

He also knew that everyone's training methods were different, and their tennis styles were different too.

Takahashi was not wrong at all, but he was very puzzled.

Takahashi went out to wander around during every training session; could he really be training seriously after going home?

Watching Sanada's gradually softening expression, Takahashi administered another strong dose of medicine.

"You saw my match against Senior Kirihara yesterday, didn't you?"

"The Tennis Club should let strength do the talking."

"In another month, I believe my level will have improved significantly, enough to reach the point of playing a match against you. At that time, let the two of us have a contest."

"If I can defeat you then, you must acknowledge that my practice method is correct. From then on, I will be responsible for my own training, and no one else shall interfere."

"If my strength has not improved by then, I will accept the Tennis Club's daily training."

He never expected the boy to be so arrogant, even harboring the delusion of defeating him.

Sanada agreed immediately and said, "Fine!"

Takahashi breathed a sigh of relief in his heart: finally succeeded, managed to muddle through this hurdle.

To achieve his goal, Takahashi had even specifically changed "you" to the honorific "you" (nin).

He had never been this polite or respectful to anyone else.

But for the sake of this month of freedom, he just had to endure it for now.

Sanada was indeed overly serious and rigid in character.

Targeting Sanada's personality, Takahashi's way of dealing with him worked immediately.

Takahashi returned to the activity room full of joy, ready to pack his bag and go home!

Since a preliminary consensus had been reached, there was no need to stay for today's training anymore.

Wouldn't it be better to go back and watch TV or play games?

Anyway, there was the Idle Character practicing twenty-four hours a day without interruption.

In terms of hard work and involution, who could compare to the Idle Character?

This was the true meaning of working oneself to death!

Forsaking the most basic conditions of living: no sleeping, no eating, no using the restroom.