Acquaintance in the Stands

The next day.

After the first day of matches, the U-17 World Cup has become even more exciting today.

The bus drove through the streets of Paris, but after yesterday's ordeal, the crowd had lost the same excitement.

On the way to the tennis center, many people leaned their heads against the windows, gazing at the beautiful scenery.

Because of the tournament, the streets of Paris seem to have become even more lively.

Leaning against the car window, Muneyoshi felt that his palms seemed a little hot today.

"One against three..."

"Ghost, you're the commander-in-chief. Remember to exercise your right to change participants at any time."

"Tōno Atsukyō, you'll be on the bench for this match."

Upon arriving at the arena, Mifune Nyudo disliked the noisy scene.

He simply gave instructions to Oni and Irie, then entered the Japan Team's lounge inside the stadium, leaving everything on the field to the players and Kurobe Yukio.

At that moment, spotlights on both sides of the venue suddenly turned on, and the previously noisy venue fell silent in an instant, with everyone's attention turning to the dark entrance to the tunnel.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"The knockout stage of the second day of the group stage of the U-17 World Cup!"

"The match between Croatia and Japan Team is about to begin!"

"Please welcome both teams to the stage!"

As the announcer's voice came over the loudspeaker, Muneyoshi and the others, dressed in the uniforms of the Japan national team, walked out of the passageway.

Opposite them was a group of white athletes wearing green and white uniforms.

Although neither team is ranked high in the world, spectators who have seen high-level matches and truly love tennis in this atmosphere will not mind watching a match from a lower-ranked country.

However, compared to other matches, their audience was only a sparse crowd.

Moreover, the Japan Team's performance yesterday wasn't bad.

The audience gave both teams a round of applause, and there were three familiar Muneyoshi in the stands.

They were far apart and did not know each other.

"Keith, I didn't expect that Saeki Muneyoshi would be selected for Japan's U-17 team. He even invited us to watch the Japan Team's game. Do you think he'll be able to play today?"

"Since he invited us, he must be confident in playing. Let's watch the match. Saeki said Japan isn't a tennis wasteland; let's see if that's true."

These two were none other than Kislin. Although Munehiko had fought with them before and had a falling out, he had even taught them a lesson.

However, considering their abilities and the potential benefits to the Fudomine Tennis Club next year, Muneyoshi extended an invitation to them.

They neither refused nor agreed, so Muneyoshi had no choice but to invite them to watch this U-17 World Cup.

The main purpose was definitely to show them the strength and capabilities of the Japan Team.

Muneyoshi also sent this invitation to another person.

She was sitting gracefully in the stands, her wine-red medium-length hair and frameless glasses giving her an air of sophistication.

"Hmm, Saeki- kun, you've already stepped onto this stage so early...?"

"Is this what a world-class competition is like?!"

Arriving at the passageway of the contestants' area, Muneyoshi squinted, taking in all of this. Being in this environment, being watched by so many people, even he couldn't help but feel a little pressure.

However, after the pressure subsided, Muneyoshi felt his palms growing increasingly hot, and his blood seemed to be burning.

"This stage, where everyone is in the spotlight, isn't this the place I've always longed for...?"

"Ochi, Mitsuya! Let's get this off to a good start for today's match!"

Seeing the opposing players enter the arena, the Kurobe members exchanged glances and looked at the two who were ready to warm up.

"The doubles match between Japan Team and Croatia will now begin!"

"Japan Team's Ochi Gekko and Mitsuya Akito vs. Croatia's Yuranovich and Gvardiol."

"Please bring your players to the stage!"

As the sound from the loudspeaker rang out, Ochi Gekko, with a cold expression, and Mitsuya Akito, with a smile on his lips, slowly walked onto the court from the players' area, their height difference obvious.

Ochi Gekko is 226cm tall, and Mitsuya Akito is 184cm tall.

They were all handsome men, and their appearance instantly attracted the attention of most people.

Wow, he's so tall and handsome!

"The other blond guy is pretty good too, hopefully their match will be exciting."

"The match begins, best of three sets, with Japan Team serving first!"

Ochi Gekko gently held the tennis ball in his hand, his bangs hanging high over his forehead obscuring his eyes, making it impossible to see his gaze.

"Hey! Hey you tall guy over there, you should probably give up..."

Yuranovich and Gvardiol on the other side didn't take Ochi Gekko at all, and laughed as they spoke.

But he hadn't finished speaking.

Bang!

"Wh... what!"

A crisp sound of the ball hitting the ground rang in Yuranovich's ears, while Ochi Gekko, opposite him, lowered his arm and walked towards the other half of the service area.

The two turned around somewhat blankly, and behind them lay a mustard-yellow tennis ball lying quietly.

"Woo woo woo!!!"

The powerful serve that started the game immediately set the entire audience on the edge of their seats.

Ochi Gekko changed the atmosphere of the entire stadium with just one shot.

As the former captain of the Hyotei Academy, he may not be as flamboyant as Atobe, but his control over his emotions and his command of the game are far superior.

"What a fast Mach Serve!"

Even if Muneyoshi had prepared beforehand and knew Ochi Ochi's serve was powerful.

When he saw Ochi Gekko unleash his full potential with his Mach Serve, he was still deeply impressed.

Even now, he only felt a flash of yellow light before the serve was over.

The body didn't even have time to react.

"His Speed Extreme... coupled with his terrifying mental strength, I'm afraid that once Ochi- senpai's foundation is fully developed, his strength will reach an even more terrifying level."

Muneyoshi always knew that those who could occupy the top ten positions in the First String in the original work must have one or more statistics that truly reached a world-class level.

As Muneyoshi lamented for Ochi Gekko, the rewind footage of that ball from just moments ago was shown on the big screen.

By slowing down the playback several times, it can be clearly seen that the ball landed precisely within the opponent's bounds.

"ACE, Japan Team, 15:0."

From his high chair, the professional referee loudly announced the score.

"What an amazing serve! I never knew the Japan Team had a player like that."

"That ball speed is probably faster than most professional players. I never imagined that such an incredible player could emerge from Japan, a tennis wasteland!"

The audience at the scene were all knowledgeable about football. Ochi's serve immediately showed them that he was no ordinary player, and the audience kept giving Ochi Gekko applause for his appreciation.

The game continues.

Ochi Gekko threw another ball, then raised his arm high above his head.

With a height of 226cm and a long reach, it's not easy to clearly see the point of contact of Ochi Gekko's racket.

Suddenly, Gvardiol felt a gust of wind pass by, and only then did the crisp sound of the ball being struck arrive.

"ACE, Japan Team, 30:0."

"ACE, Japan Team, 1-0."

Ochi Gekko easily won her service game by hitting consecutive aces with her Mach Serve.

Ochi Gekko became a blockbuster!

Meanwhile, in the stands, a France Team wearing red, blue, and white jerseys was also embroiled in discussion.

"It seems that tennis in Japan isn't entirely barren after all!"

France's current captain Ronard Teuton, watched Ochi Gekko on the field with great interest.

A player like that would deserve a place even on their France Team.

"Hmph! His serve is passable, but his other skills are probably awful. After all, he's trash from that desert..."

However, Ronard Teuton's statement did not gain widespread acceptance.

One of the senior high school students scoffed at this, glancing at Duke Watanabe, who looked like a smiling Buddha, as he spoke.

"Alright, shut up!"

Seeing that the other party's words were becoming increasingly outrageous and that they were even targeting Duke, Ronard Teuton had no choice but to stop the situation from escalating.

There are many internal conflicts within the France team now, especially after Ronard Teuton relinquished his starting position to Duke Watanabe and planned to entrust his future to Camus.

Perhaps due to their natural xenophobic tendencies, they are very particular about their Duke heritage.

Moreover, even with Ronard Teutonic's suppression, this contradiction was quickly becoming uncontrollable.

This also troubled him greatly. Ronard Teuton was well aware that as long as Duke and Camus were there, he wouldn't need to worry about the future of the France team.

However, not everyone has the mindset of a leader.

"Hmph, Ronard, one day you'll regret this..." the third-year student continued to grumble.

"Watch your words, Cornell!"

Camus glanced at them indifferently and said coldly that he had no prejudice against Duke.

In his view, tennis has no borders.

After Camus spoke, the third-year student named Cornell dared not say anything more.

Throughout, Duke's expression remained unchanged, always with a smile on his face; he was already used to the discriminatory atmosphere within the team.

His reason for joining the France Team was simply to repay the kindness of captain Ronard.

As for the rest, we'll talk about it after his match.

P. S.: "Requesting monthly votes"