piratefiction Chapter 123 Are all blond heartthrobs short-lived?
Chapter 123 Are all blond heartthrobs short-lived?
Byodoin scoffed, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt, and stomped over the tennis ball on the ground, the rubber screeching against the surface.
"Those old guys in the Tennis Association are really getting more and more out of touch with reality."
"Expanding enrollment for junior high school students? What do they think this place is? Some kind of extracurricular activity center for teenagers? A place where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can just come in and coast along."
"What they mean is that talent knows no age."
Saito smiled, offering no rebuttal, his tone still gentle. "Currently, the overall level of junior high school students does not meet the entry standards for the training camp, but the gap is not as large as one might imagine."
"There are still some who can keep up with the pace of the training camp."
"Not much of a difference? Keep up?"
Byodoin snorted, his voice turning several degrees colder, "Are you trying to comfort yourself, or those laymen in the Tennis Association? A bunch of brats who haven't even been weaned yet. They can't even keep up with the training intensity for high school students, let alone other training."
"This is a waste of resources."
"They want to play tennis, so they should go back to their school's clubs."
"The U17 spots are earned through hard work and skill, not by the Tennis Association issuing a single order."
Saito stood to the side, a faint smile on his lips, his tone gentle, "The Tennis Association doesn't mean to cram in all junior high school students, but only to select the best of the best."
"top notch?"
Byodoin picked up a sports drink, took a sip, and tilted his head to look at him. "What defines top-tier? Being able to score points in the U17 World Cup is what makes someone top-tier. Can a junior high school student do that?"
Saito didn't answer directly, but his smile deepened. "Head Coach Mifune might not agree to this decision either. You know his temper; he hates it when laymen instruct professionals."
"What's the use of Coach Mifune's opposition? When have those people at the Tennis Association ever listened to our opinions?"
Byodoin raised his hand and threw the bottle on the table next to him with a dull thud.
"They only care about their own political achievements and whether they can rake in more money from sponsors. They don't care about the future of the training camp or whether the Japanese team can actually achieve results."
He paused, his tone softening slightly, but still clearly showing impatience.
"The current training intensity is already very high. Adding more people will only slow down the team's pace. Moreover, junior high school students simply cannot withstand the pressure here."
Saito nodded, his smile unchanged, his tone still gentle, with the deliberate slowness characteristic of a scholar.
"I also think it's too early to recruit junior high school students now."
"Junior high school students are indeed less mentally resilient than high school students who have undergone rigorous training. They are more prone to emotional breakdowns or mental imbalances when facing high-pressure competitions and intense training."
"Bringing them into the training camp now is indeed quite risky."
He raised his hand and gently stroked his chin, his tone softening:
However, everything has two sides.
"Outstanding junior high school students are highly malleable, like uncut jade that can shine with a little polishing, which is something that high school students cannot match."
Byodoin glanced at him and said, "You're speaking from the perspective of a psychologist."
"I'm speaking from the coach's perspective," Saito corrected him, his tone still gentle. "The pros and cons of expanding enrollment are both obvious. We can't just focus on the disadvantages."
Just then, a cheerful voice came from the side.
"Wow, what's all the commotion about? What are you talking about?"
Kanata Irie strolled over slowly.
He was wearing a red and white training uniform, his honey-brown curly hair softly clung to his forehead, and he had a sweet smile on his face, looking gentle and harmless, like a friendly older brother next door.
"Kanata," Saito greeted him with a smile, pointing to the empty chair next to him. "What brings you here? Is training finished at Field 3?"
"Okay, it's over."
Kanata Irie nodded, walked to Saito's side, tilted her head to look at Byodoin's expression, then at the record board in Kurobe's hand, her eyes flashing with cunning.
"I think I heard the words 'junior high school student'." He blinked. "Are they recruiting new people?"
"The meaning of the Tennis Association."
Kurobe briefly explained, "After the national tournament, a group of outstanding junior high school students will be selected from across the country to enter the training camp."
Kanata Irie's eyes lit up, and her smile widened.
"Oh my, I think this is a fantastic idea."
"What's so great about it?" Byodoin glanced at him coldly. "A bunch of brats, what use are they?"
"You can't say that, Byodoin."
Kanata Irie twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, her smile innocent, yet her eyes held a complex light.
"The psychology of junior high school students is so interesting. They have all sorts of personalities and reactions. I can observe their psychological changes and see their way of thinking."
"Maybe we can even learn new ways of expressing emotions from them."
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his eyes lit up.
"I can't wait to try it out."
"Watching them go from being full of vigor at the beginning, to feeling lost and confused after being defeated, and then to picking themselves up again, every subtle change in their expressions is the most precious material."
"It's going to be very interesting."
"boring."
Byodoin snorted and turned his head away. "All you do is research this useless stuff. Tennis is about skill, not acting."
Kanata Irie wasn't angry; she remained smiling.
"Psychological warfare is also part of tennis. Understanding your opponent's mindset is key to controlling the pace of the game, isn't it?"
As he spoke, he deliberately made a wronged expression.
"Besides, having more new faces will make the training camp less boring. I'm getting tired of seeing the same old faces every day."
"If you don't want to watch us, you can go back to Field 3 and stay there. Nobody's stopping you."
Byodoin said irritably.
"Oh dear, why is the boss so fierce?"
Kanata Irie feigned fear and shrank back, but a sly smile flashed in his eyes.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing."
Kurobe, his face expressionless, handed the tablet to Byodoin, the screen displaying an official document stamped with the Tennis Association's seal.
"This is not a suggestion, but a mandatory requirement. The Tennis Association has just issued the document, and the selection and enrollment of junior high school students must be completed after the National Tournament."
There is no room for negotiation.
Byodoin stared at the red official seal on the screen, his face instantly darkening, and the air pressure around him suddenly dropped.
"Forced enforcement? What gives the Tennis Association the right to tell us what to do? What do they know about tennis!"
"What else can it be based on?"
Saito chuckled softly, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.
"Of course, it's based on money and resources."
"The strategic cooperation reached between the Tennis Association and Mochizuki Group, Atobe Group, and Taneshima Group is aimed at long-term medical care and funding."
"Expanding enrollment of junior high school students would allow the three major conglomerates to allocate resources accordingly."
"Besides Shuji being in the training camp, the heirs of the other two groups happen to be junior high school tennis players. The Tennis Association might also want to take this opportunity to bring those two into the training camp to gain more benefits."
"After all, those two families could easily provide enough resources for our training camp to last for several years."
"Oh? So our training camp will soon be welcoming two big-spending patrons?"
Kanata Irie feigned surprise, covering his mouth and widening his eyes with exaggerated exclamation.
"So, will I be able to get better rackets and shoes in the future? Will I no longer have to live in such a cramped dorm? Will I no longer have to eat such terrible training meals?"
Byodoin's face turned completely dark, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. He clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles cracking.
"absurd!"
"The training camp is a tennis mecca, not a place to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. It doesn't need rich kids coming here to gild their resumes! If you want to play house, go home and play there! Don't come here to tarnish tennis!"
His roar echoed throughout the training ground.
The team members who were training were all startled and instinctively stopped what they were doing, turning to look at them in that direction.
The stadium fell silent instantly, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Hey hey hey, Boss Phoenix, who made you angry? Why are you so furious?"
A nonchalant Kansai accent broke the silence from the side.
Shuuji Taneshima strolled over, a tennis ball twirling in his hand. He was wearing a loose red and white tracksuit, the top two buttons of his shirt casually undone, his hair neatly styled, and a nonchalant smile on his face.
Behind him followed by Echi Tsukiko and Mori Jusaburo.
Yue Zhi remained as cold and aloof as ever. Her short, silvery-white hair gleamed in the sunlight, and her blue and white bangs obscured her eyes, making it impossible to discern her emotions.
Mori looked like he hadn't woken up yet, yawning widely. His long, red curly hair was piled messily on his head. When he saw the furious Byodoin, he instinctively shrank behind Echizuki.
"Shuji Taneshima, Jusaburo Mori, and Gekko Echi!"
Byodoin was already furious about the three of them going out without permission before the match, and now seeing their careless behavior, he finally snapped and reprimanded them sternly.
"Who gave you permission to go out without permission? Ignoring the training camp rules is utterly hopeless!"
"Don't get so angry, boss."
Shuji Taneshima walked up to him, waved his hand dismissively, and maintained his nonchalant expression.
"We went out to take care of some important business. Besides, I heard you just now, you're wrong this time."
He deliberately looked Byodoin up and down, then shook his head, saying jokingly, "Hey boss, you'd better not get angry. Otherwise you'll look older and older. You already look older than your age, and if you get angry, you'll be even more unsightly."
When Byodoin first joined the training camp, he was a handsome young man with sharp features.
How did he turn into a weathered middle-aged man in just two years?
Are all blond heartthrobs short-lived?
Gee tut.
Wait a minute... Mochizuki Ryo also has blond hair, and at first glance, he even looks somewhat similar to Byodoin when he was young.
A terrible thought suddenly popped into my head.
Will Mochizuki Ryo also become as weathered as Byodoin in two years?
An image immediately flashed into my mind:
Standing on the training camp's court, Mochizuki Ryo's blond hair had become dry and frizzy, her face had turned into the same kind of middle-aged man's face as Byodoin, covered in stubble, with fierce eyes, and she was wearing a wrinkled black tracksuit.
With the same "I'm the best" expression as Byodoin Temple on his face, he stood there with his hands in his pockets, roaring at his teammates.
Shuji Taneshima shuddered violently, goosebumps rising all over his body. He quickly shook his head, trying to banish the horrifying image from his mind.
too frightening.
If Mochizuki Ryou were to become like that, it would be the end of the world.
Byodoin looked at him, sighing and shaking his head, the veins on his forehead throbbing even more, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
"Shujima Taneshima! What are you doing?"
"Alright, alright, let's get down to business."
Seeing that things were going badly, Shuji Taneshima quickly changed the subject. His gaze swept over his companions who were eavesdropping, a half-smile playing on his lips, his tone tinged with mystery.
"They're not just some rich kids playing around; they're genuinely qualified to enter the training camp. This decision by the Tennis Association might actually inject some fresh blood into our training camp."
Just as Byodoin was about to speak, he was interrupted by Irie's wailing.
"Shuji, Gekko, Mori, you're finally back."
Kanata Irie suddenly strode over to Taneshima, instantly getting into character. Her eyes reddened slightly, and her voice trembled with a tearful ache as she tugged at Taneshima's sleeve.
"You guys went out to play without telling me! Leaving me all alone in the training camp, that's so mean!"
Shuji Taneshima glanced at him, his lips twitching slightly. "Irie, your acting this time was too fake."
"I wasn't acting!"
Kanata Irie lowered her hand, her expression genuinely aggrieved. "I'm really heartbroken. I eat alone, train alone, and have no one to talk to. You have no idea how lonely I've been these past three days."
"Oh right, I also have to deal with Byodoin's bad temper all by myself."
He glanced at Byodoin's expression, then looked away, muttering under his breath, "Look, I'm going to get glared at again."
Mori peeked out from behind Echi, met Irie Kanata's gaze, shrugged helplessly, and spread his hands, indicating that he couldn't do anything about it.
Kanata Irie glared at him, then turned to look at Taneshima, her eyes filled with a resentful look that seemed to say, "You owe me."
Just as Mori was about to say something, he was met with Byodoin's cold gaze, which frightened him so much that he immediately shrank back and clung tightly to Echi's back.
Kochi silently stepped forward, blocking Mori's path without making a sound, and glanced indifferently at Kanata Irie.
"Alright, Zou Duo, stop fooling around."
Saito's gaze shifted slightly, a hint of inquiry flashing in his slender eyes as he looked gently at Taneshima.
"Shuji, from what you're saying, you went to the meeting and met those two people? To expect such high praise from you...you seem like a very interesting kid."
"It's more than just interesting."
Shuji Taneshima smiled, reached into the inside pocket of his tracksuit and pulled out two brand-new sports medicine journals, handing one to Kurobe and the other to Saito.
"I know you've been busy preparing for the Asian qualifiers lately and haven't had time to investigate the medical platform. So I've brought you ready-made information this time."