N-A-A Chapter 89 Training Camp or Vacation? It's Hard to Tell the Difference
Chapter 89 Training Camp or Vacation? It's Hard to Tell the Difference
The students from Hyotei and Rikkai all took a step back in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Shinobu pushed up his glasses and muttered, "Just as I expected."
Niou huddled behind Yagyu, his braid twirling around his fingertip: "Puri~ I knew this would happen."
Kirihara held the peach, his eyes wide open, but he also swallowed hard.
Wang Yueling watched them instinctively back away, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Want to win the Peach King title? Trade it with your skills. But this coach's patience is limited... You probably don't want to know the consequences when it runs out, do you?"
Kirihara clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with excitement, but his body betrayed him by taking another half-step back. The others nodded in agreement and followed suit, taking a step back as well.
But their eyes held no fear, only burning fighting spirit. Whether for that giant peach or the possibility of defeating the person before them, it was worth fighting with all their might.
Seeing the synchronized retreating movements reappear, Wang Yueling couldn't help but laugh out loud and wave at them.
"Good, that's all for this morning. Go back to your dorms and rest for lunch."
"Bonne appétit. (Enjoy your meal.)"
As soon as the order to disperse was given, the crowd instantly scattered.
Niou, holding the large peach, moved closer to Yagyu, his fox-like eyes curving into crescents: "Hiroshi, what do you think the training schedule will be this afternoon, given Ryo's usual habits?"
Yagyu smiled helplessly: "That's hard to guess. It's probably targeted strength training."
Feng Wen gently discussed serving techniques with Shishido, who, despite his firm tone, patiently offered guidance.
Kirihara squeezed out of the line, still clutching the half-eaten golden peach in his arms, his black curly hair swaying in the wind.
He ran up to Wang Yueling, tilted his head back, and his eyes shone brightly. "Senior, I'll train hard this afternoon. Could you add me to the challenge list?!"
Wang Yueling looked down at the spirited little seaweed, reached out and ruffled its head, making its curly hair even more messy.
"It depends on how you perform this afternoon. If you do well..."
He smiled slightly, his palm moving very gently, with obvious indulgence, "It's not like I can't give you a back door."
Kirihara was so proud of himself after getting a positive response that he practically shrugged off. He hopped a couple of steps while holding Momo, then turned and ran towards Rikkai University's team.
He stormed up to Sanada, chin held high, his voice so loud everyone around could hear, "Vice-Captain! Senior said if I perform well this afternoon, he'll give me a chance to challenge him!"
Sanada was packing his tennis bag, looking at his face, which was practically bubbling with excitement. He was about to scold him for being "too lax," but swallowed the words back.
He adjusted the brim of his hat, and a rare slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Okay. Got it. Keep it up."
Kirihara blinked, thinking the vice minister would scold him as usual.
He was taken aback by the unexpected encouragement, then grinned happily. He nodded vigorously, then skipped and hopped away, his seaweed-like hair swaying in the sunlight.
Wang Yueling watched his retreating figure, and the corners of her mouth curled up.
He turned and waved to the video editor waiting beside him. The editor was a staff member of the Mochizuki Foundation's publicity department, specifically responsible for recording the footage of this training camp.
"Edit the videos of the matches at each stadium this morning carefully."
"Yes, young master."
"besides……"
Wang Yueling deliberately lowered her voice, moved closer to the editor, and her expression became very serious. "Cut out all the parts where I swear. Don't leave a single line, do you hear me?"
He raised his hand to smooth his blond hair, but a hint of nervousness lingered in his eyes. His tone shifted from serious to muttering, "I can't ruin my image in front of Seishi."
"I always maintain an elegant, proper, gentle and considerate image in front of him. If he heard me swearing... Mon dieu, that image is too terrible."
The editor's lips twitched, and he looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Young master, are you sure you have that kind of image?"
"Young Master, the previous scenes have already been edited."
The editor flipped open his tablet, pulled up several clips that had already been edited that morning, and looked troubled. "But when we were recording the audio, your voice was recorded simultaneously with the sound of the ball hitting the court. Your voice is mixed in too densely, and if we cut it out too forcefully, it will disrupt the rhythm of the game."
"Then turn the volume down a bit," Mochizuki Ling persisted.
"Even when it's turned down, it's still audible. There's a part where you criticize Sanada-kun, a full ten minutes long, and almost every sentence contains..."
The editor carefully considered his words. "They all included rather personal commentary. If we cut that part out, the match would only have the opening and closing sequences."
Wang Yueling's smile vanished instantly, and her blond hair wilted slightly.
"Unless... a silent version is made."
"But before the match, Mr. Yukimura specifically sent me a message saying he wanted the original version. He said a match with the audio muted has no soul."
The editor turned the tablet around to show him the message Yukimura had sent, his tone carrying a sense of "good luck, young master."
Wang Yueling stared at that message for several seconds.
Jingshi wants the original sound.
Seiichi asked for it himself.
It's impossible to refuse; it's something I could never refuse in this lifetime.
"Cut as much as you can, and send the rest to me for review." He rubbed his temples, trying to make a last-ditch effort.
The editor nodded, picked up the tablet, and left.
Wang Yueling stood still, took out her phone, and opened her chat with Yukimura. Her finger hovered above the screen, pondering for several seconds.
I can't say that I'm being really harsh, because Seishi will worry. But I have to give them a heads-up beforehand, so that if a few harsh words that weren't properly edited out are missed in the video, at least there will be some background.
[Ling]: Seiichi, the matches this morning were all quite exciting, and your teammates performed well. Kirihara's new special move was very interesting, and the doubles match between Niou and Yagyu was also worth watching.
[Ling]: By the way, I criticized a few people a little, and my tone might have been a bit harsh, but don't worry, I did it all for their own good. (Golden Retriever sitting obediently.jpg)
The message has been sent.
Wang Yueling stared at the screen for a moment, but there was no reply from the other end. She figured the other person was probably doing rehabilitation training.
He sighed heavily, put his phone back in his pocket, and tried to appear calm as he straightened his coat, but inside he was in a panic.
Meanwhile, the butler led the students from Hyotei and Rikkai towards the dormitory area.
The long corridor is flanked by wooden lattice windows. Outside the windows, there are neat rows of low pines and stone lanterns in the courtyard. Sunlight shines through the lattice windows and falls on the floor, breaking into patches of golden light.
The old-fashioned manor has a simple and dignified appearance, with blue tiles and white walls, and a wooden structure that exudes the charm of the Edo period.
As they walked through the corridor, several first-graders couldn't help but look around curiously.
Mukahi followed beside Oshitari, her short red hair swaying with each step: "The houses here all look so old. I wonder if the dorm will be one of those tatami rooms too? I've never stayed in one before."
"Judging by the luxury of this estate, even the Japanese-style rooms will not disappoint you."
Looking around, Shinobu said seriously, "With the financial resources to build six grass fields in two weeks, the dormitories won't be bad, and besides..."
The housekeeper pushed open the dormitory building door, and Shinobu's words stopped halfway through.
"This is the dorm?" Kirihara stood at the door, his grip on Momo loosened slightly, almost dropping her. He quickly tightened his hold on her again. "This is bigger than my house!"
The corridor was spacious and bright, with wooden floors polished so smooth they reflected your image. A row of rooms stretched along the corridor, their walls made of warm-toned wood, and each door bore the name of its occupant.
The butler pushed open one of the doors and turned to let everyone look inside.
The room was much larger than they had imagined.
Two beds were placed side by side against the wall, with thick, soft mattresses and neatly folded light gray quilts.
Fresh flowers adorn the bedside table, the desk is clean and tidy, and the storage cabinet is crammed with all kinds of snacks, fresh fruits, and exquisite pastries.
Moreover, the windows of each room face the lake in the manor, where several swans are slowly gliding across the surface, and the sunlight is scattered on the water, creating a golden hue.
"Wow! Every single room has a lake view!" Xiang Ri stood by the window, her short red hair swaying slightly in the lake breeze. "This is just too much!"
"And this too." Hiyoshi picked up a brand-new spare racket from the bedside, flipped it over to examine the face, and said, "A custom Wilson model, with the rubber, strings, and sweatband all included. This one would cost at least..."
"Stop calculating the price." Shishido took the racket from his hand and put it back in its place, his expression calm. "It's meaningless to calculate the price of Ling family items."
Shinobu pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping from the snacks in the cabinet to the rackets and then to the lake view outside the window. His lips twitched slightly: "This doesn't feel like a training camp; it feels more like a vacation."
"We're here for vacation."
Niou had already thrown himself onto the sofa by the window, his braids loose, and he sank into the soft cushions, lazily drawing out his words, "Puri~ This level of accommodation is the first time I've ever experienced anything like this in my life."
Kuwabara stood in the doorway, looking at everything in the room, and subconsciously touched the back of his bald head. Then he turned to Marui and said seriously, "Bunta, those places where we used to stay during our training camps..."
"Don't even mention it." Marui chewed gum, his expression a mix of emotion and tears. "Those dormitories, those hard beds, those gymnasiums without air conditioning... don't even mention them."
"And mosquitoes."
"Yes! Mosquitoes!"
……
Rooms were assigned by lottery in advance, and contestants from both schools shared rooms to promote exchange and learning.
Liu Sheng stood in the corridor, looking at his name on the doorplate. His roommate was Xiang Ri. He pushed up his glasses and said in a steady voice, "Even the room assignments were done by drawing lots in advance. It's definitely Ling's usual meticulous style."
Kirihara ran down the corridor clutching his half-eaten golden peach, his cheeks bulging with fruit in his mouth: "Senpai is amazing! I want to stay with them for a long stay from now on!"
"Swallow what's in your mouth before you speak," Sanada said in a deep voice behind him, but his tone lacked its usual sternness and instead carried a hint of helplessness.
The corridor was in complete chaos.
The boys dashed from room to room, comparing whose lake view was better, whose fruit platter had more strawberries, and whose spare racket had a nicer color.