Byōdōin Hōō, Tokugawa Kazuya's Doubles Partner

"Hey! Irie, it's amazing that working with you has actually made me feel relaxed one day!"

Tanegashima slung the racket over his shoulder and chuckled softly.

"What? Does Tanegashima- kun think I didn't work hard enough in the past?"

Do you think I don't know whether you're trying or not?

Seeing that Irie had reverted to her weak demeanor, Tanegashima said irritably.

"This time is an exception. They've already come knocking on our door; how can we, as the hosts, not give them some hospitality?"

The two chatted all the way back to the players' bench. Tanegashima grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck, then leaned back lazily in his seat.

"How about it, my two captains? We did a great job, didn't we?"

Having won the match, Tanegashima had the leisure to chat and joke with Muneyoshi and the serious-looking Oni Jūjirō standing to the side.

The cold-faced but kind-hearted Oni Jūjirō was already used to Tanegashima's personality, and he nodded expressionlessly.

Tanegashima then looked at Muneyoshi, Muneyoshi eyes darted around before he said calmly.

"I think Tanegashima -senpai's performance today was just so-so, nothing special. Irie- senpai's performance was much more outstanding!"

Muneyoshi wasn't just making things up. Apart from Tanegashima holding off the opponent's attacks at the very beginning, Irie almost completely controlled the rest of the match.

"Hmph, what kind of eyes do you have? I played so well and you didn't praise me, but you praised this guy who finally showed some backbone today!"

Tanegashima was quite indignant. He admitted that Irie had played exceptionally well today and hadn't been unfairly targeted, but...

"Tanegashima- kun, I think Muneyoshi has great taste!"

Irie Kanata interrupted Tanegashima Shūji before he could continue speaking, a bright smile spreading across her round, delicate face. Muneyoshi's straightforward praise clearly pleased her greatly.

Then, Tanegashima and Irie started arguing about who had performed better.

"Those two guys!!!"

Although he was quite familiar with the two's bickering, a few black lines still appeared on Oni Jūjirō's forehead in this situation.

If it weren't for the inappropriate setting and the fear of being laughed at by the South Korea U17 team members, he would definitely have taught those two guys a lesson.

However, upon seeing Tokugawa Kazuya approaching with a tennis racket, Oni Jūjirō suppressed his anger.

"Tokugawa, are you ready to see the cruelty of the world?"

Oni Jūjirō's deep voice rang in Tokugawa's ears. These words and this moment seemed to remind Tokugawa of the scene after facing Byōdōin.

"Senior Ghost, I'm ready. I will uphold my principles in tennis!"

Seeing the determination in Tokugawa's eyes, Oni Jūjirō nodded and said, "Alright, in that case, let's go!"

"The doubles match will now begin, with Japan's Japan Oni Jūjirō Tokugawa Kazuya facing off against South Korea's Kim Du-hwan Doo-hwan and Lee Sang-hyuk."

"Please bring your players to the stage!"

The referee's voice had barely faded when it caused an uproar throughout the stadium.

"Haha, these coaches are leaving South Korea no chance! They actually put their star player in the doubles first position?!"

"The one partnered with the demon is none other than Tokugawa Kazuya, the one who was defeated by Byōdōin. Has he actually returned?"

"Ha! Facing a lineup like that, I think the opposing team should really prepare an ambulance in advance!"

Most of the people who come here to watch the matches have witnessed the several matches between Oni Jūjirō and Byōdōin Hōō after the World Tournament. Their strength and level are unimaginable to ordinary people.

Because Muneyoshi had to go through an extra changing process compared to the others, he was unaware of the lineup arranged by the coaches.

Therefore, he was somewhat surprised when he heard that the doubles match was actually arranged between Oni Jūjirō and Tokugawa Kazuya.

However, for Coach Kurobe, who was aiming for a quick victory, this arrangement was reasonable.

Moreover, the moment Muneyoshi heard the name Oni Jūjirō, he knew that the outcome of the match was already decided.

So the position the coaches have assigned him is singles third?

"So, Muneyoshi, if Ghost and his team win this match, no matter who the opposing team's original singles player was, their captain will definitely exercise his power and let him play."

Now you're facing the opponent's star player again. It's been so long since you've had a high-intensity match, you must be feeling a lot of pressure, right?

Seeing the surprised look on Muneyoshi's face, Irie and Tanegashima exchanged a smile. Tanegashima, without arguing with Irie, walked to his side and teased him.

"Pressure? Tanegashima- senpai, is this the first time we've met? I'm overjoyed to have the opportunity to personally send off the enemy's commander!"

Muneyoshi glanced at the South Korea rest area across the street, and when he saw the figure being fawned over like a star, a glint flashed in his eyes.

The people on both sides of the net stood still. Kim Du-hwan glanced at Oni Jūjirō and Tokugawa Kazuya, and then glanced at Oni Jūjirō again.

"Hey, I'm saying your Japan Team isn't lying about their ages, are you sure your teammate is a high school student?"

Looking at Tokugawa Kazuya's enviable face, Kim Du-hwan felt a pang of jealousy. He then teased Tokugawa about Oni Jūjirō's face.

Upon hearing this provocation, Tokugawa frowned, about to lash out.

Oni Jūjirō was being teased, remained silent and didn't even glance at her.

When Tokugawa saw that Oni Jūjirō ignored him, he also made no response, not even reciprocating the other's feigned friendly handshake.

"Two rude bastards!"

Kim Du-hwan's anger surged instantly. Oni Jūjirō's eyes reminded him of the way those who looked down on him looked when he faced those strong European teams in last year's World Tournament.

But those are all strong European teams with a solid foundation. What gives your Japan Team the right to be so arrogant and cold-hearted?

"Heh, should we say they're bold, or ignorant? How dare they provoke Senior Ghost's sore spot?"

Turning his gaze away from the opposing team's star player, Muneyoshi looked towards the field and discovered this scene.

"Perhaps it's a combination of both. There's a saying in China, 'Ignorance is bliss,' which probably describes this kind of person!"

Irie looked surprised and smiled as he spoke.

The match began with the South Korea team serving first.

Kim Du-hwan and Lee Sang-hyuk are the No. 3 and No. 2 respectively on the South Korea U17 national team.

South Korea's head coach, like Kurobe Yukio, also placed all his bets on the first three games.

Their goal was simple: to take advantage of this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Japan Team's base.

However, Kurobe's plan was even simpler: he simply wanted to resolve the first three matches and then have Muneyoshi lead the expedition to Siam.

After all, besides the tight deadline for applying for the Siam Points Tournament, Muneyoshi himself was also under a lot of pressure.

And so, both sides had very pure ideas, which just happened to collide.

Who can you blame for this?

P. S.: "Requesting monthly votes"