APTnovel Chapter 116 U17, Paparazzo Cilang is Online
Chapter 116 U17, Paparazzo Cilang is Online
Yukimura pulled the cashmere blanket around himself closer, his purplish-blue eyes reflecting the stadium lights, and shook his head.
"Never heard of it. What is it?"
"The reserve base for the Japanese national team."
Ryo Mochizuki turned her head to look at Yukimura, her azure eyes shining like shattered stars under the light. "The ultimate goal there is to select players who can represent Japan in the World Cup, thereby breaking the weak position of Japanese tennis on the international stage."
He paused, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the ends of his blond hair.
"A senior from the training camp I know has also confirmed this news. That is to say, outstanding junior high school students will receive invitations after the national competition."
Yukimura's eyes flickered as he looked at Niou, who was celebrating a point on the field.
"Will Rikkai University also receive an invitation?"
"Of course."
Mochizuki Ryo raised her chin, her tone filled with self-righteous pride, "If Rikkai University, as the top team in junior high school tennis, can't even get an invitation from you, then there's no point in holding this training camp."
He moved his chair forward, getting closer to Yukimura.
"Although the Japanese team's international performance is average, this opportunity is extremely rare for junior high school students. No one would refuse to train with the best players in all of Japan and compete in international tournaments."
Yukimura raised his hand to tuck the wind-blown bangs behind his ear and nodded.
His gaze swept over the two groups competing on the field, and his expression became more serious.
"Indeed. If we receive an invitation, we will definitely go."
"They only recognize hard power there."
Wang Yueling's tone carried a hint of seniority and insight: "In team competitions, doubles can compensate for skill differences through division of labor, but singles cannot rely on division of labor."
"The gap in tennis is like a snowball. At first, it's just a little bit, but as soon as one snowball stops, another snowball keeps rolling, and the gap will get bigger and bigger."
He watched as Marui scored with a beautiful volley at the net, and Niou calmly caught Yagyu's counterattack from the baseline, letting out a soft sigh.
"No strong person would slow down for the sake of friendship. They would deliberately suppress their growth rate, give up a higher stage, and stay in place to wait for their companions who can't keep up."
Yukimura's fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the blanket, his purplish-blue eyes fixed on the court, without saying a word.
Looking at his pensive profile, Wang Yueling suddenly smiled and gently touched his arm. "I'm not saying they're bad, I just happened to think of them and mentioned them to you casually."
Yukimura turned his head and met his smiling eyes.
He knew that Wang Yueling hadn't just mentioned it casually.
This person is always like this, thinking everything through in advance, and then telling him in the most casual tone, afraid of putting pressure on him.
"I know," Yukimura said gently. "You're worried that I'll feel bad seeing my teammates fall behind."
Wang Yueling scratched her head and smiled a little embarrassedly, "You understand me best."
"If it were you, how would you change it?" Yukimura looked at him, his eyes serious.
Wang Yueling sat up straight, tapping her chin with her finger, and stared intently at the two groups of people on the field, her tone becoming serious.
"I will make the two weaker ones train like crazy in terms of raw skills."
"Kuwabara needs to work on his speed, basic technique, and tactical awareness. He can't just rely on having four lungs to be a moving wall. Tennis isn't a marathon; what's the use of just being able to run?"
He paused, then gestured with his chin towards Yagyu.
"Yagyu needs to come up with his own unique technique."
"His laser beam is cool, but it's just one move. Once someone figures it out, he's done for. He can't always rely on solid defense and play a supporting role; he needs a killer move that can decide the game."
"He also has mental strength and aggression. He plays too gentlemanly, but he has to be ruthless when necessary."
He gestured with his hand, his tone becoming more serious.
"You also need to adjust your mindset."
"To put it bluntly, Kuwabara and Yagyu's current doubles style is somewhat like 'relying on the big man to carry them.' They're used to Marui finishing at the frontcourt and Niou controlling the court at the net."
He withdrew his hand and looked at Yukimura.
"They need to understand that no one will always be there to cover for them. They need to get rid of the idea of 'winning by relying on their partner' and replace it with 'being able to stand on their own.' That way, they won't be left behind halfway down the mountain by their teammates who are growing faster."
"Of course, we can't let anyone else go besides these two groups."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Yukimura with bright, sparkling eyes, like a big dog waiting to be praised.
"How was it? Wasn't my plan perfect?"
Seeing his smug look, Yukimura's eyes crinkled with amusement. "That makes a lot of sense. When we get back, I'll adjust everyone's training schedule."
"As expected of our Rikkai University's legendary captain." Mochizuki Ryo smiled and gave him a thumbs up, her tone full of undisguised praise. "His sense of responsibility is off the charts; he's practically a model for junior high school captains."
Yukimura was amused by him and gently flicked his forehead.
"You're so good at talking."
"I'm telling the truth."
Mochizuki Ryo covered her forehead, leaned closer, and lowered her voice, which carried a hint of boasting, "I only got the accurate information this morning. I didn't even tell Atobe. I told you first."
He immediately climbed up the pole, squatted down next to Yukimura's rattan chair, looked up at him, his bright blue eyes full of expectation.
The light fell on his blond hair, giving it a warm golden edge, making him look soft and fluffy, more like a big golden retriever wagging its tail and begging for a pat.
Yukimura's heart softened, and he gently touched the top of Yukimura's head. His fingertips ran through the soft golden hair, the touch so wonderful that he didn't want to let go.
"Okay, I understand."
Yukimura's voice was gentle, "Thank you, Ryo."
Wang Yueling thoroughly enjoyed this intimate interaction, and her tail was practically wagging wildly behind her.
During halftime, Ren Wang came off the field to get a drink of water and happened to see this scene, almost dropping his water bottle.
"Puri..." he muttered to himself, then turned and walked away quickly.
Marui, who was following behind, saw it too, and almost swallowed the gum in his mouth. He didn't say anything, just grabbed Kuwabara and ran.
In the shadows of the trees not far away, Jiro was furtively taking pictures in this direction, camera in hand. His reddish-brown curly hair peeked out from behind the tree, his eyes were wide open, and his fingers were moving like lightning as he pressed the shutter button.
"Click."
Another soft sound.
Jiro looked at the photos on the camera screen with satisfaction. Yukimura smiled and patted Mochizuki Ryo's head. Mochizuki Ryo tilted her head back, her eyes curving into crescents.
The composition is perfect, the lighting is perfect.
It could practically be used as a poster.
Cilang blinked, thinking that this photo was really good.
He raised his camera again and secretly pressed the shutter a few times, taking several pictures in a row.
He was about to move to another location to continue filming when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.
"Ci Lang".
A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Cilang was so startled that his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the camera. He slowly turned around and saw Liu Zheng standing behind him, holding a notebook in his hand, his brown eyes calmly looking at him, his face expressionless.
He hid the camera behind his back, opened his round eyes, and gave Liu a fawning smile, trying to launch an offensive of cuteness.
Liu didn't say anything, she just quietly looked at him.
Cilang's smile gradually faded, and he drooped his head like a little hamster caught stealing food.
"Liu, Liu..."
"I'm taking pictures... pictures of the clouds in the sky! Yes, the clouds are especially beautiful today!"
Liu looked up at the dark night sky, where there were only a few stars and not a single cloud.
Her gaze then fell on the camera he had hidden behind his back. "Do you need to hide behind a tree to take pictures of clouds?"
Cilang's face flushed red. He bit his lip, his eyes darted around, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead.
"I really didn't take a picture of Captain Yukimura and Ryo together, I really didn't..."
Liu's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Jiro realized he had let something slip and froze.
He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but couldn't utter a single word. Then he took a deep breath, swallowed resignedly, grabbed Liu's arm, and dragged him to a corner.
"Alright, alright, I'll confess, okay?"
"Liu, I'm telling you the truth, but don't tell anyone else."
Liu looked at him without saying a word.
Cilang felt uneasy under his gaze, so he lowered his voice, took out his camera from behind his back, and showed him the photos.
"Ling asked me to take these photos. He said his photography skills were terrible, and every time he took a picture of Yukimura, it was blurry, so he asked me to be a paparazzi and take more good pictures for him."
"He promised me that after this training camp ends, he will arrange another training camp at Rikkai University, and he will let me and Bunta share a room again."
He paused, then added in a low voice, "There's also lots of delicious food: macarons, canelés, strawberry Napoleons, as much as you want."
"I...I agreed."
Liu took the camera and looked through the photos she had just taken. The two people in the photos were smiling gently, and the atmosphere was incredibly pleasant.
Liu tapped the screen lightly with her fingertip, then handed the camera back to Cilang.
"So you traded your opportunity to stay at the training camp and share a room with Marui in exchange for the task of helping Mochizuki Ryo secretly photograph Yukimura."
Cilang nodded vigorously.
That's it.
Liu was silent for a few seconds, then took out a notebook from his pocket, opened it, and wrote a line on the character profile page of "Wang Yueling".
[His photography skills are extremely poor, so in order to obtain high-quality photos, he hired Jiro Akutagawa as his personal photographer.]
[Using training camp resources for private transactions. Transaction terms: One additional training camp session; Akutagawa Jiro and Marui Bunta sharing a room; unlimited French desserts provided.]
[Additional character relationships: Mochizuki Ryo has an extremely strong possessive streak towards Yukimura and enjoys collecting his photos.]
After finishing writing, he closed the notebook and nodded to Cilang.
"Okay. You can go now."
Cilang was stunned for a moment, looking at him in disbelief.
"Huh? Aren't you going to tell Minister Yukimura?"
Liu glanced at him and said calmly, "You were just taking pictures; you didn't inquire about Rikkai University's tactical secrets. It's not within my jurisdiction."
Cilang breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest.
"Great! Just to be on the safe side, I'll go shoot the video today..."
He grabbed his camera and dashed off to Marui's location.
Liu watched his retreating figure, then reopened her notebook and added a few strokes to the "Akutagawa Jiro" file page.
[Easy to bribe; can be traded using snacks and Marui Bunta merchandise.]
[A big mouth, unable to keep secrets, can be a reliable source of information.]
He closed his notebook, turned around, and walked back to the tennis court.
-
The inter-school competitions quickly came to an end.
Small groups of people gathered on the field, wiping away sweat and discussing the game they had just played.
"The game is over."
Wang Yueling stood up, stretched, and her bones cracked. "Dinner should be ready by now. Let's go eat."
The boys were already starving, and as soon as they heard it was time to eat, they cheered and ran towards the dormitory. Kirihara ran the fastest, his ribbon bouncing with each step, which made everyone burst into laughter.
After returning to their dormitories and washing up, the students from both schools walked together to the cafeteria.
The journey was noisy, with laughter and conversation mixed together.
The restaurant was brightly lit.
The dinner on the last day of the training camp was more luxurious than the first day.
The long table was laden with all sorts of delicious food.
Grilled meat, sushi, sashimi, desserts... everything you could want. The air was filled with the aroma of food, making your mouth water.
The boys, carrying plates, pounced on it like hungry wolves.
Kirihara specifically picked out the grilled meat tongs, Marui and Jiro headed straight for the dessert section, Mukahi used tongs to pick and choose from the sushi plates, while Sanada and Atobe leisurely took their food, maintaining their composure.
Wang Yueling specially asked the kitchen to prepare a separate medicinal meal for Yukimura.
The dish features black-boned chicken soup with medicinal herbs, steamed sea bass, boiled shrimp, and stir-fried fresh vegetables—a light yet nutritious meal.
He pulled Yukimura to sit by the window and pushed the bowl of chicken soup in front of him.
"Drink slowly, it's freshly stewed and a little hot."
Yukimura picked up a spoon and gently scooped up a spoonful of chicken soup. The warm broth slid down his throat, carrying a faint aroma of herbs, making him feel comforted all over.
"It tastes great."
"Of course." Wang Yueling proudly raised her chin. "This is a prescription that Professor Zhang specially prepared for you. It will be good for your recovery."
Yukimura slowly sipped his soup, watching the noisy crowd around him, his eyes full of smiles. He really enjoyed this atmosphere.
It was lively, warm, and full of youthful energy.
He glanced at Wang Yueling again.
Wang Yueling sat next to him, serving him food. She put a piece of fish into his bowl, then a few greens, and then a piece of chicken.
Yukimura watched him bustling around, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he didn't say anything.
The phone on the table had its screen lighting up intermittently.
"Buzzing..."