Chapter 19: Regional Preliminaries, Meeting the Cannon Fodder Duo Again

The next day, Tokyo.

Shiji Forest Sports Park.

The Regional Preliminaries for the National Tournament are being held here today.

The winning team will successfully advance to the Metropolitan Tournament, then pass through the Kanto Tournament, all the way to compete in the National Tournament.

"Clatter!"

A bottle of cola rolled out from the vending machine.

Takahashi unscrewed the cap and took a drink.

Still the same taste, so refreshing!

His gaze caught a girl wearing a green skirt with her hair in twin tails, standing in front of a road sign looking around.

Isn't that Ryuzaki Sakuno?

Lost again?

"Are you looking for the Seigaku match venue? It's over there!"

Takahashi walked up and took the initiative to point the way for her.

"Thank you!"

Ryuzaki bowed to him and said.

When she looked up, she could clearly see the person in front of her.

A blush slowly rose on her face.

So handsome!

Ryuzaki sighed inwardly, then quickly ran away.

"Why is it you again!" a voice came from behind.

Takahashi turned his head to look.

It was Tachibana An!

Tachibana An looked Takahashi up and down.

Takahashi was wearing a plain white T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants.

The entire outfit did not feature any school logo.

"Which school are you from?"

Tachibana An asked, very puzzled.

With Takahashi appearing here at this time, she guessed he must be from one of the teams in the Regional Preliminaries.

His strength was not weak, and Tachibana An was also worried for her older brother.

This was likely a formidable rival.

Tachibana An wanted to fish for some information for her brother as soon as possible, so that her brother could be prepared.

"..."

However, Takahashi did not want to pay her any mind.

"Which school are you actually from?"

Tachibana An continued to press him.

Takahashi was a bit annoyed and said, "Guess."

Shaking the drink in his hand, he continued, "Fudomine has a match today too, right? Aren't you going to cheer for your brother?"

Tachibana An frowned.

Here it was again, that same feeling.

It was as if he knew everything like the back of his hand; not only did he know who her brother was, he even had some understanding of Fudomine.

Even though he knew a lot about them, he didn't take them seriously, as if their existence had no impact on him at all.

Recalling the last words he said last night.

"Even if your brother were here, it wouldn't change the outcome."

"It will still be me who achieves the final victory!"

These two sentences, added to Takahashi's casual attitude today, made Tachibana An feel a tightness in her chest, and she hurried away.

That's right, hurry off to cheer for your brother; chasing after someone to ask about their school—what kind of behavior is that?

Takahashi thought to himself.

Several people wearing blue and white team uniforms appeared.

They were all carrying tennis bags, and as they stood there, they immediately exuded a strong sense of presence.

The people around them stopped what they were doing one after another, pausing to look at them.

"It's the Seigaku team members!"

"Such a powerful aura, so confident!"

"They are the number one seeded team for the Regional Preliminaries."

"They qualify every single year!"

"So amazing!"

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Takahashi also turned his head to look.

At a glance, he saw someone a head shorter than the rest in the middle of a bunch of tall people.

Echizen Ryoma.

Such a difference in height!

Without comparison, there is no harm!

Not far from Takahashi, two people with "Yulin" written on their clothes were discussing something.

"Buchuan, look at those two!"

"They are the ones who lost to us yesterday."

"I didn't expect them to actually be from Seigaku."

"The match is in the bag now."

"I could beat them with my eyes closed!"

"Defeated opponents!"

"I didn't expect Seigaku to have declined to this point, that even people like them can play doubles."

"Victory is going to be too easy!"

"This is a rhythm of winning without even trying!"

It was exactly Izumi and Buchuan who appeared last night.

They were spouting nonsense on the side.

Takahashi was speechless; it was those two again.

They lost last night and still didn't learn their lesson, blabbering away here again today—how lacking in character!

It would be one thing if villains were talkative, but for two cannon fodder characters to talk so much, they really know how to steal the spotlight.

Takahashi coughed a few times on purpose.

Their conversation was intentionally interrupted, and they turned their heads at the same time, fierce glares in their eyes.

"Ugh!"

Izumi and Buchuan saw Takahashi's face clearly.

The fierce momentum they originally had vanished instantly.

Their faces were immediately plastered with fake smiles.

This speed of changing faces is truly faster than flipping a book!

Then the two of them left, looking crestfallen.

"Why is he here!"

"Could it be that he is also one of the teams today?"

"It's possible!"

"Did you see his team uniform clearly? Next time we run into him, we'll just say we have a stomachache and forfeit the match directly, so we don't make a fool of ourselves."

"You're right, but I didn't see his clothes clearly!"

"Why don't you look back one more time?"

"I don't dare! You look back?"

"I don't dare either!"

"Then forget it, let's go, let's go!"

The two discussed as they walked.

On the match court.

Seigaku versus Yulin.

At this moment, it was the Doubles 2 match.

Seigaku's Momoshiro Takeshi and Echizen Ryoma vs. Yulin's Izumi and Buchuan.

Momoshiro Takeshi shouted, "A!"

Immediately swinging his racket, he successfully hit a Return.

"0-15!"

"Seigaku scores!"

Echizen Ryoma shouted loudly, "Un!"

He swung his racket.

"0-30!"

Takahashi, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ah-Un Strategy!"

They really managed to come up with that.

Whoever is preparing to Return shouts first.

The other person defaults to letting the one who shouted take the ball.

It's just that this secret signal is far too embarrassing!

Yet Momoshiro and Echizen were immersed in the match and didn't feel embarrassed at all.

As the saying goes: as long as you aren't embarrassed, the ones who are embarrassed are others!

That is the situation right now; the two on the court don't feel ashamed, but the people watching from the sidelines are all feeling embarrassed!

This kind of doubles style is truly something else!

The method is simple and crude.

But it actually has results!

……

However, as the opponents, Yurin.

At this moment, they also changed their tactics.

They deliberately hit the tennis ball behind Momoshiro, luring Echizen to change his position to receive the ball.

The second ball was deliberately hit toward the undefended half of the court.

Successfully scored!

"15-0!"

"Yurin scores!"

……

"30-0!"

……

"40-0!"

……

"Game score 1-0!"

"Yurin wins the first game!"

……

Beside the court.

The crowd from Seigaku watching the match was very worried.

They failed in the very first game.

An unfavorable start!

"It seems Seigaku's strength is nothing more than this; Yurin will definitely win this match!"

A familiar voice reached Takahashi's ears.

It was Tachibana An again!

He didn't expect her to be so focused on Seigaku's match.

Takahashi looked closely and saw that the person she was talking to was actually Ryuzaki Sakuno, who had just been lost.

Hearing Tachibana An's confident tone, Ryuzaki's face was full of disappointment, and her originally bright, sparkling eyes dimmed.

"Seigaku will win this match."

Takahashi said indifferently.

He really couldn't stand the way Tachibana An pretended to know things she didn't.

Because her older brother plays tennis, she, as his younger sister, has been influenced by it.

But she only knows the basics of tennis, yet thinks she is very impressive, casually critiquing people whose tennis skills are superior to her own.

Such an arrogant and conceited appearance!

In reality, she understands nothing!

Everything she says is wrong!

"It's you again!"

Tachibana An saw Takahashi, and her voice rose.