Prince of Tennis: Shocking! Hyotei's Demon King is a Yukimura fangirl!

Chapter 57 First Encounter with Rikkai University Tennis Club

The sixth floor of the inpatient department of Jinjing General Hospital.

The moment the door opened, all sound in the ward fell silent.

Sanada sat in a chair by the window, his back ramrod straight, his hat pulled low. Liu stood at the foot of the bed, flipping through a notebook, his brown bangs obscuring most of his face.

Niou and Yagyu leaned against the wall side by side, one leaning to one side with his arm around his partner's shoulder, the other standing straight with his arm crossed. Marui sat on a stool at the foot of the bed, a piece of chewing gum in his hand, not yet having put it in his mouth. Kuwabara stood next to him, Marui's coat draped over his arm.

Hearing the commotion, everyone's eyes turned to the doorway.

Wang Yueling stepped aside to let the driver carrying the dessert box go in, then straightened the collar of her trench coat, and walked in slowly, carrying two paper bags in her hand.

The warm yellow sunlight fell on his slightly curly blond hair, reflecting a soft sheen. His azure eyes were like the sea under a clear sky, and the corners of his lips were slightly upturned, his posture relaxed and natural.

Even though he was just standing there, he gave off an indescribable feeling.

It wasn't a sense of oppression, but a special kind of composure.

It's as if the rhythm of the room is unconsciously being led by him.

He stood at the doorway, smiled in Yukimura's direction, and the dessert box he was carrying swayed slightly with the movement.

Then he stepped in, put his things on the bedside table, and moved as naturally as if he were entering his own living room.

Behind him followed a man named Kirihara Akaya, who was holding a strawberry daifuku and keeping his head down, avoiding eye contact.

Liu Lian'er opened his eyes almost imperceptibly, his fingertips tapping rapidly on the notebook, the data already being refreshed in his mind at lightning speed.

Ryo Mochizuki, 15 years old, is a transfer student at Hyotei Academy and currently serves as the acting coach of the tennis club. The day before yesterday, she crushed more than 200 members of Hyotei with a perfect record, and her overall strength assessment, predictive ability, and mental fortitude all exceeded the normal threshold.

When he received the internal data from the ice field yesterday, he filled three full pages of his notebook with analysis, but only wrote one line in the conclusion section:

The biggest variable in the Kanto Tournament.

This person is now standing three meters away from him.

It was a little higher than he had imagined.

His shoulder width is well-proportioned, a result of long-term systematic training. He walks with a stable center of gravity, his steps light yet firm. His gaze doesn't move quickly, but he scans every direction, taking in the position and posture of everyone in the room within three seconds of entering.

He had only ever seen this kind of observational habit in professional players.

"Sorry to bother you."

Wang Yueling nodded slightly to everyone, speaking in a gentle and polite manner. Then she placed the paper bag on the table, took out a food box, and said, "I passed by a dessert shop and bought some pastries. Let's share them as a small gift."

"Wow, it's a canelé!"

Marui's eyes lit up. He leaned forward, opened the box, picked one up, took a bite, and found the outer shell slightly crisp, the inside soft and moist, the honeycomb texture melting on his tongue, with a faint aroma of rice wine and the sweetness of vanilla.

"This is so delicious!"

He chewed a couple of times, his eyes instantly lighting up. He held the remaining half up to the light to examine the inside. "Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and with a hint of alcohol. Did they add vanilla pods? No, this sweetness suggests they added honey too."

Mochizuki Ryou raised an eyebrow. "You seem to know a lot."

"Of course, I'm a genius."

Marui stuffed the remaining half into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, and mumbled to Kuwabara, "Jack, you have one too. This is just as delicious as that Napoleon pastry from last time."

Kuwabara smiled憨厚ly, took one, took a bite, nodded, and said in a low, gentle voice, "It is indeed delicious. Thank you, Mochizuki-kun."

Niou leaned against the wall without moving, his gaze lingering on the dessert box for a moment before he reached out and took one.

He first smelled it, then took a bite, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Puri~ This level of baking isn't something a home oven can achieve." He popped the remaining half into his mouth, licking the caramel crumbs off his fingertips. "Does Mochizuki-kun have a professional oven at home?"

"I brought it back from France, and I'm used to using it," Mochizuki Ryou said casually.

Liu Sheng took one properly, bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your hospitality," and then took a bite.

He chewed very politely, wiped his fingers with a tissue after finishing, pushed up his round glasses, and gave his evaluation.

"Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, that's the kind of flavor Ya-Chi would like."

Niou glanced at his partner, his lips twitched, but he didn't refute.

Liu also took one. First, she held it in her palm to examine the browning of the outer shell and the bottom, then took a bite and chewed it slowly.

Marui looked at him expectantly: "How was it?"

After swallowing, Liu calmly said, "The data is very good."

"The crust's caramelization is controlled within the peak range of the Maillard reaction, while the interior has a high moisture content, so the puff pastry and fermentation times should be extended."

Marui nodded in agreement and turned back to continue eating.

After finishing his meal, Liu's gaze remained fixed on Wang Yueling, pen in hand, his data recording never ceasing. He wasn't recording polite words, but data—stride length, stance, direction of gaze movement, the milliseconds of pause before speaking, and the frequency of eye contact with Yukimura.

Sanada straightened up the moment Mochizuki Ryo entered. He touched the brim of his hat and nodded slightly, his voice deep and steady: "Thank you for bringing Kirihara back."

His voice was as serious as ever, but his tone was filled with genuine gratitude, without a trace of perfunctoriness.

Kirihara had been huddled in a corner eating his strawberry daifuku ever since he entered, avoiding Sanada's eyes.

He could feel the vice minister's gaze linger on him twice, and each time it lingered, the murderous aura almost materialized. He shrank back and quietly took half a step towards Wang Yueling.

"It was just on the way." Mochizuki Ryou noticed his little action, chuckled, and reached out to pat Kirihara's head. "Kirihara was very good and didn't cause any trouble."

Sanada nodded and sat back down in his chair, his back still ramrod straight. His gaze lingered on Mochizuki Ryo for a couple more seconds, and he tapped his fingers lightly on his knee.

He is skilled in swordsmanship.

It's still very strong.

Although Liu had guessed that this person was very skilled in swordsmanship when he said that this person used a zither string to split a tennis ball, he only realized that there really was someone who could integrate sword intent into himself when this person actually stood in front of him.

He recalled the intelligence Liu Nian had given him the day before yesterday.

They say the new acting coach at Hyotei High School single-handedly defeated the entire tennis club. He thought the data might be exaggerated at the time, but now... he's starting to believe it.

Wang Yueling watched as Xiao Haidai curled up beside him with her neck hunched over. There was a streak of white dust on her shoulder, probably from when she was squatting in the alley earlier, where she had rubbed against the wall.

He reached out his hand, said nothing, and patted the ash off with his fingertips.

Kirihara was a little embarrassed by being praised for being well-behaved, and felt a light pat on his shoulder twice.

Looking up, he saw that Mochizuki Ryou had already withdrawn her hand and was talking to Yagyu, as if her action just now was only subconscious. He pursed his lips and moved two inches closer to Mochizuki Ryou.

Wang Yueling opened the other boxes of strawberry daifuku and pushed them to the foot of the bed for everyone to take.

He walked to Yukimura's bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed, in a position that would not touch Yukimura's hand that was receiving an IV drip.

Yukimura watched as Marui and the others each had a canelé, and Kirihara was holding a box of strawberry daifuku, while he himself had nothing.

He glanced at Wang Yueling, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Ling is so thoughtful, she brought gifts for everyone."

There was a hint of softness in his tone, and a touch of jealousy.

Kirihara was engrossed in eating daifuku when he heard the department head's words. He puffed out his cheeks and looked up. He glanced at the box in his hand, then at the department head, and hesitated for half a second before deciding whether to take out the middle piece that he was reluctant to eat.

But Marui had already come closer, his eyes fixed on the strawberry daifuku sprinkled with gold dust in his box.

"Akaya, why is yours different from everyone else's? It has gold dust on it!" Marui reached out to grab it. "Let me try it!"

"No!"

Kirihara jerked back, clutching the box to his chest, his cheeks puffed out. "This was bought for me by my senpai! There was only one left!"

"You're so stingy, I'll just have one bite."

"Not even one bite! You can take the rest, but not this one in the middle!" Kirihara turned his body to the side, using his shoulder to block Marui's claws, his guarded posture resembling that of a small animal with its fur standing on end.

Marui reached out again, but Kuwabara grabbed his sleeve.

Watching the two lovable clowns scrambling for food, Mochizuki Ryou couldn't help but chuckle. Turning to Yukimura, she shrugged with a playful smile, "Seiichi, you're having surgery today, so you have to abstain from food and drink. Even if I brought some, you can't eat it."

Finally, he leaned down and whispered in Yukimura's ear, "When you recover, I'll make something just for you."

When he spoke, his eyebrows curved, and his azure eyes seemed to hold starlight, so gentle they could drown you.

Yukimura's ears felt slightly warm, and he nodded gently, his smile deepening: "Alright, I'll be waiting."

This unintentional intimate interaction was witnessed by everyone at Rikkai.

The group exchanged glances, a knowing look flashing in their eyes.

No wonder the minister treated this Hyotei coach so differently; their relationship had become so close.

Liu wrote another line in the notebook.

He had never seen Yukimura speak to anyone in such a tone. It wasn't a joke between teammates, nor was it politeness towards an elder; it was a relaxed, unguarded intimacy.

This closeness is difficult to quantify in data, but it is immediately apparent in front of a real person.

Niou leaned close to Yagyu's ear and whispered something. After hearing it, Yagyu adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting light, and a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

Yukimura noticed the gossipy looks from his teammates and felt a little uncomfortable. He asked softly, "How did your teammate's checkup go?"

"It went very smoothly."

Wang Yueling straightened up, her tone relaxed, "The doctor said that Cilang is just overworked and will be fine after some treatment. He even had acupuncture. He's been very well-behaved and hasn't thrown a tantrum."

"Acupuncture?" Marui's ears twitched, and he looked up, his mouth still full of snacks. "Jiro wants acupuncture? Isn't he afraid of the pain?"

"He's scared, but it doesn't hurt. It's just a sleep problem, nothing serious."

Mochizuki Ryo explained softly, then turned to look at Kirihara, who was huddled in the corner, her tone teasing, "But one of your little ones was squatting in the corner, almost crying, and was almost taken to the Metropolitan Police Department by a passerby."

Kirihara suddenly looked up, half a strawberry still in his mouth, his cheeks puffed out, and hurriedly said, "I didn't! I just got lost!"

"Oh?" Wang Yueling raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes brimming with undisguised mockery. "Who's squatting in the corner, their head practically buried in their knees?"

Kirihara was speechless with choking. He angrily took a bite of daifuku, but dared not shout loudly in Yukimura's hospital room. He could only puff out his cheeks in grievance.

Everyone in the ward was stunned.

Kirihara was always arrogant in the team. Even when scolded by Sanada, he would only blush and be defiant, rarely showing such submissiveness to outsiders. But in front of Mochizuki Ryo, although he was clearly bristling, his body honestly leaned closer, and this dependence was particularly obvious.

Marui leaned close to Kuwabara's ear and whispered, "Akaya's been won over, hasn't he?"

Kuwabara nodded in deep agreement.

Ryo Mochizuki chatted with the group, covering a wide range of topics from tennis to everyday life. He could talk about anything, from Marui's favorite sweets to Sanada's kendo and Yagyu's preferred literature.

Liu's notes flew by, recording everything from Wang Yueling's words and actions to her tactical concepts, with the data constantly being updated.

He also noticed a detail.

While chatting with everyone, Mochizuki Ryo's gaze would unconsciously drift towards Yukimura every now and then. It wasn't intentional, but subconscious; she would look over and then look back, as if to confirm that the person was still there.

Yukimura probably didn't notice that every time Mochizuki Ryo looked over, he was either talking to someone else or looking down at his phone.

Liu noted down the frequency and wrote a percentage in the probability column.

The boys were all around the same age and loved tennis, so after a few words, they became much closer.

Everyone at Rikkai knew that it was the medical team that Mochizuki Ryo had brought that had helped their captain, and they remembered this kindness. Not to mention, the other party's strength was unfathomable, and their gazes towards him were filled not only with gratitude but also with intense fighting spirit.

Sanada's gaze remained fixed on Mochizuki Ryo, burning with the intensity of a warrior's yearning for the strong. He took a step forward, his voice steady and powerful: "Mochizuki-kun, I hope to have the opportunity to spar with you."

Wang Yueling turned to look at him.

Sanada stood, while he sat, but neither of them overpowered the other in terms of presence. Sanada's eyes were serious; it was a formal invitation from someone who had the principle of "courtesy before force" ingrained in the very bones of swordsmanship.

A cryptic smile curved at the corners of Wang Yueling's lips.

That curve wasn't a smile; it was a very subtle angle, as if someone had remembered something unpleasant, or as if they were suppressing some anger.

He looked at Sanada for two seconds, then that smile turned into a grin, but the grin didn't reach his eyes. "I remember, Rikkai University's tennis club seems to have a rule that they're not allowed to hold off-campus matches without permission."

Sanada paused, then clenched his fist, his eyes resolute: "...There will always be a chance."

"Um."

Wang Yueling's posture was relaxed, and her voice sounded somewhat nonchalant, "But there will definitely be opportunities."

Sanada nodded and was about to sit back down.

"If I don't have the opportunity, I will look for one."

Everyone in the room paused for a moment.

Sanada's movements froze in mid-air; his expression beneath the brim of his hat was obscured, but his fingers visibly stiffened for a moment.

"I've wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time."

Mochizuki Ling paused for a moment, then added with a smile, "Oh... I misspoke, I meant to play a game of ball with you."

The air in the ward was silent for about a second and a half.

Niou stuffed the remaining canelé into his mouth, his eyes darting between Mochizuki Ryo and Sanada, a slow smile playing on his lips. Yagyu's glasses reflected the light. Marui, mouth agape, unsure how to respond, looked blankly at Kuwabara. Kuwabara, equally bewildered, looked on as well.

Sanada frowned, looking at Mochizuki Ryo, his lips moving slightly.

He didn't recall having any conflict with this Hyotei coach; this was their first meeting. But although the coach was smiling when he said this, his tone didn't sound like he was joking.

I was just about to ask him to find out.

Kirihara peeked out from behind him, still holding the box of strawberry daifuku in his hands.

"Senior! You've already agreed to fight me first! Vice Minister, you'll have to wait your turn!"

Kirihara's voice was loud and clear, shattering the delicate atmosphere that had just been there.

Sanada's face darkened upon hearing this, especially when he saw the man's face smeared with cream. He immediately remembered the man getting lost, and a surge of anger rose within him.

"Akaiya."

Sanada's voice was deep and rumbling like thunder, "You got lost at the station today, and the whole team searched for you for over an hour. You didn't take your phone or any money with you. What if something happened to you? You're always so careless during training, and you never stay close to the team when you're out. How many times have I told you this!"

Kirihara was berated harshly. Seeing the raised fist, he shrank back and instinctively hid behind Mochizuki Ryo.

Seeing that things weren't going well, Mochizuki Ryo reached out and pulled Xiao Hai behind her, then looked up at Sanada and said, "Alright, we've found him. A few words of scolding are enough."

Sanada's fist stopped in mid-air.

"Do you usually hit his head like this?" Mochizuki Ryo looked at Sanada's fist, then at the seaweed-headed boy hiding behind her, her tone clearly showing disdain. "He's already confused enough, if you keep hitting him, he'll get even dumber. Maybe his brain is ruined by you hitting him like this."

Kirihara hid behind Mochizuki Ryo, peeking out half his head from his side to peek at Sanada's expression, his whole body huddled into a small ball.

Sanada's lips tightened.

He wanted to argue, but then he looked at his fist raised in mid-air, and at Wang Yueling's matter-of-fact posture. In the end, he lowered his hand, pressed down the brim of his hat, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"You spoil him too much."

"What's wrong with spoiling him a little? It's not like he's disobedient." Mochizuki Ryou glanced at Kirihara behind her, her voice softening. "Right?"

Kirihara nodded frantically, his curly hair swaying as he nodded.

He wasn't really sure why Mochizuki Ryo was protecting him so much; he just felt that the man's shoulders were broad, and having him in front of him made him feel inexplicably safe. He had found him in the alley, bought him ramen and strawberry daifuku, taken him back to the hospital, and was still protecting him from the vice minister's punch.

Kirihara pursed his lips, his fingers tightening their grip on his clothes slightly.

Marui, seeing Kirihara's silly expression, chuckled softly while eating. Kuwabara, listening to Mochizuki Ryo's words, nodded silently, clearly agreeing that his junior's brain was likely damaged by Sanada's hammer.

Seeing that Sanada had withdrawn his fist and stopped dwelling on the topic, Mochizuki Ryo breathed a sigh of relief.

He protected Kirihara because he really liked this talented junior in tennis.

This child is simple and straightforward. He laughs when he's happy and gets angry when he's upset. His mind is as blank as a sheet of paper. Like Kabaji, he's the kind of person that makes you want to take care of him.

But there is another reason.

That is... Kirihara's high blood pressure.