Chapter 41: High-Level Pleasures

Morning.

The air is fresh, and the sky is clear.

A group of students wearing yellow and white school uniforms are running laps; they are members of the Tennis Club.

"Vice Captain Takahashi is actually so strict! He watches us train every single day."

"Yeah, his level of severity is no lower than the former Vice Captain Sanada."

"I used to see him looking free and easy, so I thought it would be much easier with him as Vice Captain. I didn't expect our days to still be so difficult!"

"Sigh, and I even had expectations! I thought it would be fine to come to training a bit late, and maybe the Vice Captain himself would be late too."

"I didn't expect him to show up right on time every day!"

"The good days I was looking forward to never even arrived for a single day!"

"Look at how fast Vice Captain Takahashi improved his strength in just one month; he must have put in a massive amount of effort behind the scenes. How could he be as leisurely as he appears? You shouldn't look at things on the surface; you have to see the essence of things through the surface."

"Maybe his own training volume is even higher than Sanada's; otherwise, how could he easily defeat Sanada?"

"Strict requirements are not wrong; without effort, where would the results come from!"

"That makes sense."

"Quiet!"

"If you chat again, everyone will be punished with an extra 10 laps."

Takahashi said indifferently.

After these few days, Takahashi has successfully adapted to waking up half an hour early.

After all, the pain of waking up half an hour early is far less than the joy of watching the members practice for half an hour!

This is true happiness!

Forgive Takahashi; as a corporate slave in his past life, he could never experience the joy of being a boss.

Others train, I lie flat!

This is only the lowest level of pleasure.

Takahashi used to be satisfied with such shallow pleasures.

But now,

He has discovered a more advanced pleasure.

Others train, and not only do I lie flat, but I can also scold them!

The training volume of others is also entirely within his own whim.

If he is in a good mood, he can let them practice a little longer.

If he is in a bad mood, he can also let them practice a little longer.

This feeling of having the fate of others in his own hands.

It is truly wonderful!

Especially watching them look angry but not daring to speak!

Life has instantly reached its peak!

A few days later.

The Kanagawa Regional Tournament venue.

Several players wearing yellow and white team uniforms are standing in one place with their bags on their backs.

People around them are whispering.

"That must be Rikkai!"

"Yeah, they are the number one seed of the Regional Tournament!"

"It's not just that; they are almost the champions every single year!"

"Yeah, I remember when I was in elementary school, they were already the ones who monopolized the first place in the Regional Tournament every year."

"You have too little experience; it's not just the Regional Tournament, they have won first place in the Kanto Tournament so many times. When I was in kindergarten, they were already first, and last year they were still first."

"That is a really long time."

"It's even longer than that; when my brother, who is three years older than me, was in kindergarten, they were already the overlords of the Kanto Tournament, and now that I'm in middle school, they are still the overlords. And last year and the year before, they even won the National Tournament championship."

"Are they really that amazing?"

"In today's Regional Tournament, they will definitely be first again. In the Kanagawa region, no school can compare to Rikkai; they are the well-deserved first place!"

"Yes, today they are just here to go through the motions; their strength is in a different league from other teams, it's simply a dimensionality-reduction strike!"

"But why haven't they gone in yet? The time is almost up."

"Yeah, other teams have already entered, but they are still here; could it be some special ritual?"

"It's possible; I heard that such a perennial winning team goes to burn incense and pray to Buddha before the match; this might be their secret ritual!"

"That makes sense!"

"Only a pious team can win!"

Hearing the discussions of others, Sanada frowned, and the wrinkles on his forehead were almost wrinkled into the shape of the character "river".

If you ask why they haven't gone to report!

The answer is very simple!

Their Vice Captain, Takahashi, is late!

And the list of participants is in his hands.

If he doesn't come, the whole team can't register!

Everyone could only stand in place, waiting for Takahashi's arrival.

"Sanada, they said we would burn incense and pray to Buddha, hahaha, that's too funny!"

Kirihara, who couldn't read the room, was suddenly amused.

"Shut up!" Sanada responded angrily.

……

Finally, just as everyone was waiting anxiously.

"Yo, everyone is here!"

With 1 minute left before the registration time, Takahashi walked in front of the group with a relaxed pace.

"Everyone is here, so let's go register!"

The voice was very light and cheerful.

Sanada's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said: "Today is the day of the Regional Tournament, to arrive so late, how slack!"

Takahashi raised his hand, looked at his watch, and said: "Not late, there is still one minute left, going to register now is just right!"

Sanada still kept his brows tightly locked, expressing great dissatisfaction.

"When we are out and about, we represent Rikkai; what is the Rikkaidai Tennis Club?"

"Be humble, even if we don't say we are the strongest in the country, we are one of the top powerhouses."

"The strong always appear last; our status cannot drop, and our aura cannot be weak!"

"Understand?"

"Those who arrive first must be the weak; the strong must be the finale."

"We must have this self-awareness!"

Takahashi said indifferently.

"The Vice Captain makes a lot of sense!"

"We who arrive last are the most conspicuous; the weak dare not be conspicuous, only the strong do not fear everyone's gaze!"

Upon hearing Takahashi's explanation, everyone suddenly realized!

But Sanada always felt something was not quite right.

"Brothers, let's go!" Takahashi waved his hand and led everyone away.

……

Inside the tennis court.

As the number one seed of the Regional Tournament, Rikkai only had one match today.

Before the match had even started, quite a few unfamiliar faces walked toward Sanada.

"Vice Captain Sanada, long time no see! You look younger and younger! Please go easy on us on the tennis court later!"

The person who came had yellow hair, a slightly chubby build, and greeted Sanada very familiarly.

Sanada glanced at him from the corner of his eye and said: "Our Tennis Club has changed Vice Captains this year; the one next to me is the one!"

"Ah?"

"This..."

The yellow-haired man looked shocked!

Soon, he followed the flow and greeted Takahashi.

"Vice Captain, hello, let me introduce myself, I am the one who will be playing against you..."

Takahashi couldn't be bothered to listen to him and said indifferently: "See you on the court."

He then turned and left.

Sanada followed him away.

The yellow-haired man fell into deep thought.

At this critical juncture, Rikkai had actually changed its Vice Captain!

Sanada Genichiro was still on the team, which meant he didn't leave because he was being pushed out.

According to Rikkai's custom of the winner taking all, I'm afraid this newly appointed Vice Captain's strength is even above Sanada's!

Sanada's strength was already terrifying.

Then this person's strength..., I dare not imagine!

But why is this face so unfamiliar!

I have never seen him before.

Is he a freshman?

The most eye-catching freshman last year was Kirihara Akaya!

Could this be a freshman from this year?