Chapter 14: Differential Treatment? Takahashi Receives Preferential Treatment

After the conversation ended, Takahashi prepared to pack his things and go home with a face full of joy.

Watching Takahashi's retreating back, Sanada always felt something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

As Takahashi returned to the activity room, everyone who had been staying inside deliberately slowed down their movements, dawdling and stalling, wanting to see what Takahashi looked like after being lectured—miserable and pathetic.

Back when they first joined the Tennis Club, basically everyone had been lectured by Vice Captain Sanada.

Vice Captain Sanada's stern expression, furrowed brows, and deep, low voice were deeply imprinted in their minds, becoming an inescapable nightmare in their hearts.

Therefore, what they loved to see most was others also being reprimanded by Sanada, preferably with a severity far exceeding their own.

Most people at most slacked off during training or were late for practice.

It was rare for anyone to be like Takahashi Yanichi, who skipped the entire morning training session.

"Creak!"

The sound of the door being pushed open rang out.

Everyone couldn't help but stop what they were doing, turning their heads to look toward the door, craning their necks in anticipation...

They had assumed Takahashi would walk in with his head drooping, feeling low and dejected.

Then, as classmates, they would feign comfort, but in reality, they would fish for information to understand how Vice Captain Sanada had punished him.

This would both demonstrate the mutual friendship of being fellow Tennis Club members and satisfy their own inner desires.

Someone is more miserable than me.

The punishment I received is nothing!

It has always been this routine!

But they hadn't expected.

Takahashi was still holding his head high and chest out.

He strode right in!

His expression was relaxed and at ease, without a trace of dejection.

One could even describe him as glowing with health!

They saw him walk straight toward his backpack.

Everyone:???

This isn't following the routine.

How are they supposed to start the conversation!

Subsequently, they watched in surprise as Takahashi picked up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder with a flourish, and walked straight out the door.

Uh...

Everyone fell silent all at once.

"Could it be that he was kicked out by the Vice Captain?"

"Probably not. I heard he even beat Kirihara yesterday; the Vice Captain shouldn't expel him over such a small matter."

"Our Tennis Club isn't that rigid; as long as one's strength is strong enough, one can stay."

"If he isn't expelled, then why is he carrying his bag during training hours?"

"Could it be... he's going home?"

"Does the Vice Captain not care?"

Everyone hurriedly stepped forward a few paces to observe through the crack in the door.

Then they watched in astonishment.

Takahashi, with his bag on his back, passed right by Vice Captain Sanada.

He walked out swaggering.

Sanada's eyebrow twitched, his expression very stern, but he didn't say a word.

Everyone's mouths hung wide open, their eyeballs nearly falling to the floor.

"Am I blind? How did I see someone leave during training hours right in front of the Vice Captain?"

"Am I daydreaming?"

Everyone couldn't help but rub their eyes, wanting to confirm if what was before them was real.

"Is that still our stern Vice Captain Sanada?"

"Unbelievable!"

"Same here."

"Could it be that he's in a good mood today and has relaxed his control over us?"

"Then can we go home too? I also want to go home and lie down."

"I advise you to abandon this dangerous thought."

However.

One of them was truly bold; ignoring the dissuasion of those around him, he also learned from Takahashi, shouldered his bag, and walked out.

He likewise passed by Sanada.

Yet.

"Leaving without permission during training, run 50 laps!"

Sanada's deep, low voice rang out.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

This week, Takahashi Yanichi followed a good daily routine.

He woke up at eight in the morning, stepped into the school campus right on the dot at eight-twenty-nine, and went straight home after school ended at three-thirty in the afternoon.

Every day he played anime and games to his heart's content, enjoying himself so much he forgot to return home.

But before a week had passed, he felt a bit bored.

Grinding games for a day was full of fun.

By the second day, his enthusiasm hadn't waned.

Three days, four days, five days—the fun slowly diminished.

Sure enough, humans are social animals; one still has to return to the crowd.

Thinking this, Takahashi arrived at the Tennis Club after school, dragging his tennis bag.

"The atmosphere is truly lively!"

Looking at the members on the Court, all wearing yellow and white uniforms and training with full vitality, Takahashi couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Then he saw two familiar figures, not wearing uniforms but dressed in white t-shirts and shorts, picking up balls by the side of the Court.

They were none other than Yamamoto Taro and Kimura Kojiro.

"Takahashi, why did you come?"

Kimura Kojiro asked curiously.

"Hm? Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Takahashi raised an eyebrow and said.

His gaze pointed toward their clothes.

The meaning was that since they weren't wearing uniforms and weren't official members of the Tennis Club, why were they appearing here?

Instantly understanding the meaning in Takahashi's gaze, Kimura explained:

"Vice Captain Sanada was moved by the love Taro and I have for tennis, so he specially approved for us to help the seniors out, pick up balls, and tidy up during training hours."

"We will be evaluated again in the second semester, and if we succeed, we can smoothly join the Tennis Club."

As he spoke, Kimura felt proud; Vice Captain Sanada had actually been moved by his persistence.

The day he would become an official member of the Tennis Club was just around the corner.

"Uh..."

Takahashi really wanted to praise their persistent spirit, but he always felt that wasn't exactly a compliment.

Isn't this just treating you as free labor?

And you still have to undergo an evaluation next semester; it's not like you were exempted!

If you fail the evaluation again, will you have to work for free for another semester and continue into the next school year?

Takahashi didn't quite understand what Kojiro was so proud of.

If one truly had the ability, then standing out in the freshman evaluation last week would have been enough, and one could have joined smoothly without picking up balls or cleaning.

Just like him.

Even if one wanted to take a roundabout path to success, this was too circuitous!

"Why did you come?"

Kimura Kojiro steered the topic back to Takahashi.

"Vice Captain Sanada said that you have your own unique training method, and the Tennis Club accommodates and encourages various different practice methods, so he allowed you to make your own decisions and will test the results of this month through an evaluation next month."

"I thought you wouldn't come for this whole month."

He clearly treated Sanada as a savior; when mentioning him, his tone was as sycophantic as it could be.

Takahashi felt a slight sense of discomfort.

Seeing Takahashi's figure appear on the Court, Yamamoto Taro also hopped over and simultaneously expressed his own confusion.

"Observing others practice is also one of my training methods."

Takahashi explained calmly to the two of them.

"Oh, oh, I know, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle!"

Taro realized suddenly, looking like a little fanboy.

Unexpectedly, Kimura didn't give him any face, saying: "I think he's just bored and came to find some fun!"

"How is that possible? Takahashi is so amazing, and your strength is so weak; don't randomly guess the thoughts of an expert."

Taro was very dissatisfied and started bickering directly with Kojiro.

In a certain sense, Kojiro was actually right.