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

Chapter 29 The Tennis Club's Gratitude, Jiro's Special Incident

The bus rolled over the golden-red road paved by the setting sun, and the carriage was filled with a faint smell of sports drinks mixed with the sweat of teenagers.

Inside the car, some people were talking about Hibiki's exaggerated jumps in the doubles match, while others were complaining that Oshitari was too ruthless when dealing with Mizuki.

The conversation then turned to potential rivals for the Kanto Tournament.

Just as they were about to mention another team that had performed brilliantly in the tournament, they all paused in unison.

She gently changed the subject.

No one uttered Shishido Ryo's name.

It's not forgetting.

It's precisely because I remember it too clearly.

Everyone knew that Shishido was no longer on the starting roster and spent every day after school practicing on that abandoned basketball court until dark; they also knew that Ootori would take a long detour every day to bring his lunch to the court and sit with him on the ground to eat it silently.

I remember even more clearly that crushing 3-0 defeat.

It was like a heavy stone weighing on the hearts of everyone in the Hyotei Tennis Club.

So everyone tacitly avoided the topic, as if the embarrassment and regret would be lessened if they didn't mention it.

Ootori Chotaro sat by the window, holding his phone. The screen showed his chat history with Shishido. He hadn't replied to the message he had just sent. The last message from Shishido was dated 3 PM.

[Ryo Shishido]: Play well, don't embarrass yourself.

He listened to the lively conversation around him, stared at the message for a few seconds, and then suddenly spoke softly, his voice not loud, but clearly penetrating the noise in the carriage.

"Shishido-senpai... seems to be doing very well lately."

The noise seemed to have been paused, and the carriage suddenly fell silent.

"He practices until very late every day." Feng raised his head, his eyes serious and determined, his voice carrying the sincerity unique to a young man: "He's working even harder than before... I think he's already overcome his past struggles and will be back soon."

Atobe turned a page of his book, his gaze not leaving the page, but his finger paused for a moment.

Xiang Ri leaned back in his chair and sighed, "That guy is just stubborn. He's clearly quite capable, but his mentality just collapsed."

"Speaking of which, Ling always accompanies him to practice basketball on that court after school, right?" Renzu took off one of his earphones and suddenly spoke up, bluntly stating what he knew.

Wang Yueling was looking out the window when she heard this. She turned her head and glanced at him, but did not deny it.

"You're very observant... really observant."

"That's right, I have four eyes." Shinobu adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, laughed, and said in a serious but playful tone, "What's the difference between doing a good deed and not letting people know? So I'm helping you spread the word. You're welcome."

Wang Yueling: "..."

With just one sentence, he drew everyone's attention.

Actually, everyone had already guessed it.

Shishido's subtle adjustments to his movements, more stable footwork, and calm and determined mindset during his club activities these past few days could not possibly be achieved by one person practicing alone.

No one pointed it out, and no one knew how to express their gratitude.

Ryo Mochizuki was just a new transfer student who hadn't even joined the tennis club yet. She had no obligations, but she was concerned about the disappointment and struggles of the club members.

Dozens of eyes fell on him, filled with gratitude, warmth, and embarrassment, all mixed together, heavy yet exceptionally sincere.

Mukahi Gakuto, however, leaned out from the back row and said earnestly, "Thanks."

Wang Yueling felt helpless under Xiang Ri's gaze, and as she listened to Xiang Ri's thanks, she gently rubbed her nose with her fingertips. A faint smile appeared in her azure eyes, and her voice was lazy and natural: "A Liang is very resilient, he just needs a guide."

He paused, looked at everyone, and said in a gentle but clear voice, "We're all friends. It was just a small favor, nothing to take to heart."

The word "friend" was like a warm breeze, dispelling the last trace of the deliberately suppressed heaviness in the carriage.

The previously somewhat reserved atmosphere completely warmed up. Mukahi immediately sidled up to Ootori and chattered about how Shishido was already very strong and would definitely be back in the team soon. Hiyoshi also nodded slightly and whispered a word of agreement. Kabaji sat next to Atobe and uttered two words in a low voice: "He will be back."

After finishing speaking, Wang Yueling leaned back in her chair, still smiling.

Shishido's progress was indeed much greater than he had expected. That stubborn guy, once he figured things out and saw through it all, practiced more ruthlessly than anyone else.

The noise inside the car grew louder. Cilang pouted in annoyance, hummed a few times, tilted his head back on the seat, and went back to sleep.

Wang Yueling glanced at him, then softened her movements and turned off the volume on her phone.

……

The setting sun outside the car window was almost gone, leaving only a sliver of orange-red light on the horizon, while a gray-purple twilight slowly crept in.

One by one, the streetlights lit up.

Wang Yueling leaned back in her chair, watching the night view flash by outside the window, her fingertips lightly tapping her knee. The hustle and bustle and glory of her past life, and the peace and warmth of this life, slowly blended together at this moment.

He closed his eyes slightly, his fingertips unconsciously touching the small cotton doll in his pocket. The soft fabric pressed against his palm, bringing him a sense of peace.

When the car reached a large intersection very close to the school, Wang Yueling suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder.

He turned his head and saw Cilang's head resting on his shoulder, his eyes closed, his breathing even, and a slight smile on his lips, as if he were having a sweet dream and was fast asleep.

Wang Yueling chuckled slightly, wanting to gently adjust his position to make him more comfortable, and reached out to gently support Cilang's forehead.

The next second, his smile froze on his face.

wrong.

Even when he was sleeping soundly, Jiro would usually toss and turn slightly or mumble, but now... he was sleeping so deeply that it seemed as if he had lost consciousness.

Wang Yueling's heart skipped a beat.

Dark memories from her past life flooded back: the image of herself collapsing on the sidelines, her consciousness fading; the pale, weak figure of Yukimura in the anime, lying in a hospital bed after surgery; the smell of disinfectant, the cold instruments, the stark white walls of the hospital…

All the physiological fears associated with illness and hospitals climb up the spine.

"Ci Lang?" Wang Yueling's heart suddenly raced. She gently nudged him, her voice trembling without her even realizing it. "Ci Lang, wake up."

Nothing happens.

The boy was still fast asleep, his curly hair rubbing against his sleeve, his face looking much paler than before, and his breathing barely perceptible.

Mochizuki Ryo's heart jumped, and she unconsciously tightened her grip: "Akutagawa Jirou, wake up."

Still no response.

His eyes remained closed, and he slept soundly, completely unaware of anything.

"What's wrong?"

Oshitari, who was sitting on the side in the same row, noticed the commotion and immediately came over. He reached out and touched Jiro's forehead. The temperature was normal; he didn't have a fever.

He frowned and gently shook Cilang's arm: "Cilang? Wake up, we're almost at school."

There was still no movement.

"He's sleeping too soundly, I can't wake him up no matter what I do." Wang Yueling's fingertips were slightly cold as she reached out and gently checked Cilang's pulse. It was relatively steady, but she couldn't suppress the panic in her heart.

"Atobe!"

He looked up and shouted towards the front row, his voice unusually urgent, "Something's wrong with Cilang!"

His shout broke the silence of the carriage.

Atobe, who was resting with his eyes closed in the front row, immediately opened his eyes upon hearing this unusual call, shedding all his laziness and revealing only his sharpness.

He strode to the back row, looked at Cilang who was leaning unconsciously on Wangyue Ling's shoulder, his brows furrowed instantly, and he gently patted Cilang's cheek: "Cilang! Wake up!"

No matter how many times he was patted, Cilang kept his eyes tightly closed and was fast asleep.