Special Training in Progress
When Horio said they could rest for another hour, the group showed neither joy nor sorrow.
Now, no matter what Horio says, it doesn't elicit any reaction from the crowd, because they dare not show any reaction.
If Horio shows any excessive expression on his face or in his emotions, he might come up with some kind of training plan.
This morning's training session has already shown everyone Horio's cruel side, and those who haven't fully accepted it don't want to endure any more.
The afternoon passed quickly, and the training officially ended after everyone completed the sixteenth round of practice.
However, instead of letting everyone rest, they immediately took them down the mountain after the training ended.
As the sun slowly sets behind the mountains, a line of people can be seen running through the forest.
"I've never been more tired today. All I want to do now is sleep."
"Yeah, I never expected that just dodgeball would be so tough."
At the manor, the returning Seigaku members put the tennis ball back in the storage room.
The two most miserable people today, Oishi and Kikumaru, were crying to each other. Although they were hit by tennis all day, they only suffered some superficial injuries.
Hearing the two complaining to each other, the others were too exhausted to say a word.
On the very first day of formal special training, Horio had already worn them down so much that they couldn't imagine how they would get through the next five or six days.
So the staff at the manor saw a group of listless teenagers walking toward the restaurant like zombies, looking almost exactly the same as when they left that morning, with no resemblance whatsoever.
Fortunately, the restaurant prepared nutritious meals for everyone every day, so after a long day, everyone's bodies were able to recover well.
Tezuka looked at the people wolfing down their food at the table, then stood up and said.
"Thank you all for your hard work today. Everyone trained very hard. After dinner, you can all get some rest. We'll meet at the gym promptly at 8 PM."
Upon hearing Tezuka's words, everyone paused in their actions, as if they had remembered something.
The group, who had initially been wolfing down their food due to exhaustion, now felt resentment.
It wasn't resentment towards Tezuka, nor resentment towards what Tezuka said.
It was not so much resentment towards Horio, but rather his resentment towards Horio, because Horio had said at the beginning of the day that those who didn't meet the standard would have to practice extra tonight.
After a day of training, I was completely exhausted, and I still had to do extra training when I got home in the evening.
Even though it was agreed upon beforehand, I still felt very resistant when faced with this situation.
"Ahem, let me summarize for everyone. In today's training, neither Oishi nor Kikumaru Senpai the standard even once. "Senpai
Gan Senpai attempted to meet the target seventeen times, but failed each time.
Kawamura Senpai failed to qualify for the prize fifteen times.
Kaitou Senpai tried to reach the target sixteen times, but failed each time.
"Fuji..."
"Shut up!!"
Horio was about to add something after Tezuka finished speaking.
Before he could even finish speaking, the group, who were wolfing down their food, all looked up and yelled at Horio until he was questioning his existence.
After each round of training, Horio would announce the results, and everyone knew who needed extra practice.
Already annoyed with Horio, the group finally snapped when he provokes them during a meal.
Although Horio was frightened by the resentment of the crowd, he was not unhappy.
Seeing everyone so energetic, I was overjoyed, especially since we had extra practice to do that evening.
So, in the gym of the manor, bursts of groans echoed for an hour.
The days of special training passed quickly. Everyone went from complaining on the first day to persevering on the second day, and then adapting on the third day.
By the fourth and fifth days, I was completely able to handle things with ease, of course, following Horio's rules.
No matter how well they practice, someone will always be deemed a failure and have to go back for extra practice.
Today is the fifth day, and the pace of training is getting faster and faster.
In just one morning, twenty rounds of practice can be completed.
Oishi and Kikumaru have a more than 50% success rate in dodging the ball, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they should be able to meet the training standard today.
As for the others, they naturally found it increasingly difficult to compete against the increasingly well-coordinated Golden Pair.
The haphazard approach they used to take is no longer viable; they've become increasingly sophisticated in their methods.
Everyone is making progress at a visible pace, and Tezuka, as the Captain, sees it all and keeps it in mind.
"Alright, that concludes the morning training session."
Oishi -Senpai and Kikumaru -Senpai both achieved the goal ten times, as did Kane- Senpai, Fuji- Senpai, and Ryoma.
Kawamura Senpai the highest score nine times, while Kaitou Senpai the lowest score eight times.
There's still hope everyone can meet the standards in this afternoon's training; let's rest now.
The group had basically completed half of their tasks by morning, and at their current pace, they should be able to complete about thirty rounds of practice by afternoon.
Therefore, it is highly likely that after four days of hard practice, everyone passed on the fifth day.
As Horio predicted, the afternoon training session went on for thirty-five rounds.
The Golden Pair surprisingly reached the target of fourteen rounds, and others also broke through the twenty mark one after another.
"Congratulations to everyone for passing today! Tomorrow is our last day of training, and we will conduct a test to assess the results of our practice over the past few days."
Everyone, get a good rest tonight and try to be in the best condition for the upcoming event.
That evening, at the dinner table, Tezuka told everyone about the arrangements for the next day, and Horio added to them.
"Let's finish the test as soon as possible tomorrow morning, and then go up the mountain again."
Upon hearing the words "going up the mountain again," everyone immediately glared at them with hostility.
Sensing the Killing Intent gazes of the crowd, Horio immediately offered an explanation.
"Since tomorrow is the last day, we'll go picnicking and camping in the mountains after the tests are over."
I've already spoken with the estate manager, and they'll provide us with camping tents and everything we need for a picnic, all free of charge.
I found a great spot in the mountains, perfect for relaxing. Let's use it as a perfect ending to this special training session.
Upon hearing Horio's words, everyone's anger turned to joy.
Seeing how sensitive the people in front of him had become, Horio himself was a little scared.
Unexpectedly, a small-scale outdoor training exercise actually triggered everyone's rebellious spirit.
The next day, at the tennis courts of the manor.
"How have you been doing with your Senpai? Have your stats changed?"
Horio walked towards Miki, who was analyzing data. Miki, upon hearing Horio's question, adjusted his glasses and said...
"Very good. Not only have Oishi and Kikumaru improved in all their physical functions, but most importantly, their teamwork has suddenly become terrifying."
This is exactly what Horio wanted to hear, because the training plan for the past few days was mainly designed to improve the chemistry between the Golden Pair.