Training Camp

Mitsuya helped Muneyoshi make the bed, at which point Muneyoshi noticed another closed room.

"Mitsuya- senpai, besides you and me, is there anyone else in this room?"

Following Muneyoshi's gaze, Mitsuya smiled slightly, "Of course, there's an even more formidable guy, but he's gone to training and hasn't returned yet..."

At that moment, the door to the room opened again, and a tall figure came into Muneyoshi's view.

"Hey, he's back!"

After a brief silence, the man instantly realized that his new roommate had arrived.

"Ochi Gekko!"

The man who had just entered the room, with white and blue hair and an unusually tall stature, spoke coldly.

"Hello, senior. My name is Saeki Muneyoshi!"

Muneyoshi certainly recognized him; he was the first person to bring Hyotei Academy to the national stage, and Hyotei Academy's previous legendary captain, Ochi Gekko!

With Ochi Gekko's return, the three people in the room were finally reunited.

Muneyoshi knew Ochi Gekko's personality very well; he wouldn't speak unless Munehiko approached him first.

In order to learn about the training camp, Muneyoshi took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Ochi Gekko.

Of course, they didn't forget about Mitsuya Akito was standing to the side.

Since the three of them are roommates, it wouldn't hurt to get along well with them.

During their conversation, Ochi Gekko shared a lot of inside information and details about the training camp with Muneyoshi.

Muneyoshi verified these reports with the intelligence he already knew, and his understanding of the entire training camp became more comprehensive.

"By the way, Mitsuya- senpai, I heard you were invited here before the Kanto Tournament?"

Muneyoshi had always been puzzled as to why Mitsuya had suddenly appeared here.

He remembered that in the original work, Mitsuya entered the training camp after graduating and entering high school.

According to the original timeline, Mitsuya did indeed leave Rikkai Dai after giving Yanagi Renji his final instruction, but he didn't come here.

Instead, they moved to Rokurigaoka in Aichi Prefecture.

"Muneyoshi, don't be surprised, I'm confused too. My family was already planning to transfer me to a school in Aichi Prefecture, but then I received an invitation to the training camp. To be honest, I still don't really know the reason..."

Mitsuya, sitting at the other end of the sofa, shook his head, looking confused, when the conversation returned to him.

At this moment, Ochi Gekko, who rarely spoke, suddenly said, "This training camp has never invited junior high school students before. You are the first junior high school students recruited for this training camp."

Muneyoshi and Mitsuya exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

Muneyoshi was a little better off, since he knew that a large number of junior high school students would be coming here in two years, but Mitsuya sensed something unusual.

Little did they know, the reason for the invitation was not complicated at all.

It was simply that Mifune Nyudo, after seeing Saeki Muneyoshi in Osaka, arranged for someone to investigate him.

Since most schools have surveillance cameras, after obtaining videos of Muneyoshi's previous challenges at other schools, they also discovered Mitsuya Akito.

The seasoned Mifune Nyudo immediately recognized Mitsuya's strength; he had no chance of improvement in the junior high school level.

There was no point in wasting time going to Aichi Prefecture, since he was about to enter high school anyway, so when I sent the invitation to Muneyoshi, I also sent him one.

However, because Muneyoshi was in Spain at the time, Mitsuya arrived a month or so earlier than expected after receiving the invitations sent out at the same time...

The two thought about it for a long time but still couldn't figure out why they had been invited, so they simply stopped thinking about it.

Since they had to practice tomorrow, they said goodbye to each other and went back to their rooms to rest.

And so, Muneyoshi spent his first night in U-17.

Early morning.

Before dawn, Saeki Muneyoshi got up to get ready and wash up.

By the time they changed into the uniforms issued by the U-17 training camp, Ochi Gekko and Mitsuya Akito had also finished getting ready.

In the U-17 training camp, sleeping in is completely forbidden; every morning at six o'clock, a new day's Shuffle Match begins on time.

It can be initiated by the players on the field, or it can be arranged by the coach, but more often it is arranged by the head coaches in charge.

Today is Muneyoshi's first day here, so there are no matches scheduled for him.

However, he has the opportunity to watch the game.

This is a rare opportunity for him to understand the strength of the team on the field, and he can't miss it.

The three met in the living room, nodded to each other, and then, amidst the stunned and incredulous gazes of the group, Muneyoshi followed Ochi Gekko and Mitsuya Akito toward the training ground.

After yesterday's conversation, he finally understood why his place was so luxurious.

This place was originally the accommodation area for the First String.

Most of the dormitories for the First String soldiers and the reserve army had already been assigned, except for Ochi Gekko, who had recently defeated the former No. 12 of the First String and occupied a room.

Meanwhile, Mitsuya's ranking steadily rose during his month here, and finally, the day before Muneyoshi arrived, he defeated the First String.

I earned the right to live here through my own efforts, and I just moved in.

Unexpectedly, Muneyoshi was assigned to this place as soon as he arrived.

No wonder he thought the dormitory was so nice; it had everything: a three-person deluxe room, an internal study, a private bathroom, and a large living room.

Now that he knew the reason, Muneyoshi was no longer surprised by the way these people looked at him when he came out of there.

This dormitory represents status and prestige.

Moreover, Muneyoshi understood better than anyone else that the purpose of this training camp was to select national team members to represent Japan in the U-17 World Cup.

This spot is very limited, with only twenty available in total.

The twenty players selected for the First String are undoubtedly key figures in this training camp.

Therefore, this position will be coveted by everyone.

He was assigned to this dormitory as soon as he arrived. Did the coaches at this training camp believe he had the ability?

Or do you want to put him on the hot seat?

Muneyoshi didn't know the specific reason either, but he didn't dislike the arrangement.

Since they gave it to him, he could naturally accept it.

"By the way, Ochi- senpai, why haven't we seen any other First String players along the way?"

After leaving the dormitory, Muneyoshi encountered many unfriendly stares along the way, but he didn't pay any attention to them.

Instead, they inquired about the situation of the other First String.

"Some of them went on overseas qualifying expeditions, but they should be back soon!"

"Then you?"

"I only became a Regular in the First String a month ago, by which time they had already left."

"That's the reason for Mitsuya as well."

"I see!"

Upon arriving at the training center, Muneyoshi looked around and recognized some familiar faces.

Not only does it include Ochi Gekko's former teammate Hakamada Izō, but also Date Otori Akitomo Kōyō, Ban Rikiya, the Mutsu Brothers, and others.

These original members of the First String Expeditionary Force have not yet received their badges.

It's not that they lack strength; after all, Mitsuya Akito earned his badge after only a month in the business.

Among them Hakamada Izō, Date Otori, Ban Rikiya were stronger than Mitsuya, but they did not actively seek to win him over.

One reason is that most of the First String badge holders in the training camp have already gone on expeditions, and the few remaining badges with higher serial numbers have been obtained by people they know.

Another reason is that they want to get badges with higher numbers.

This is also why the badge with serial number 19 ended up in Mitsuya's hands.

At this point, most of them were on the first three courts, waiting for their chance.

"Hey, Ochi, is this the new genius?"

At that moment, a handsome figure walked up to Muneyoshi and Ochi, and said with a smile.

Ochi Gekko nodded without speaking, while Kimijima Ikuto looked at Muneyoshi with a strange glint in his eyes.

"Hello, my name is Kimijima Ikuto. It's nice to meet you. You did a great job yesterday."

Kimijima Ikuto was very talkative, and he smiled as he spoke to Muneyoshi.

"Yesterday? Oh! Thank you."

Muneyoshi was somewhat surprised. Knowing Kimijima Ikuto's personality, he didn't understand why he was being so polite to him, but since one doesn't hit a smiling face, he introduced himself as well.

"Hello, senior. My name is Saeki Muneyoshi. I'm new to this training camp, so please take care of me from now on."

Just then, a ray of sunlight shone down, illuminating Kimijima Ikuto's collar, and a gold badge numbered 10 caught his eye.

Seeing that the opponent had already secured First String, Muneyoshi's smile became even brighter.

P. S.: "Please vote with monthly tickets!"