Yukinoshita's Correction Method

The anger subsided, and the strength dissipated.

I almost got hit by the ball, but I missed.

I almost fell, but I didn't.

Tension itself consumes physical energy, and double the tension results in double the energy depletion.

The moment of double relaxation is followed by a double dose of fatigue.

In this situation, will Yukino Yukinoshita still be able to stand firm...?

The answer is no.

Yukino Yukinoshita's body went limp, and she didn't even have the strength to hold onto her tennis racket.

With quick reflexes, Dong Yunshan released the tennis ball and racket, supported Yukino Yukinoshita, and gently lowered her to the ground.

Seeing Yukino Yukinoshita nestled against Dong Yunshan, looking so delicate and vulnerable, Yumiko Miura glanced at Hayama Hayato and clicked her tongue in displeasure.

She wasn't Dong Yunshan, and didn't know Yukino Yukinoshita that well. She only felt that Yukino Yukinoshita, who was originally very aggressive, suddenly became weak and powerless after making a mistake, and kept leaning on Dong Yunshan.

Damn it, there's actually such a method. How could I possibly...? Yumiko Miura glanced at Hayama Hayato again. She would never resort to such a pointless, feigning-weak tactic.

"No..." Yukino Yukinoshita's voice was weak, "Don't put me down."

Yukino Yukinoshita knew that if she sat down now, she would never have the strength to stand up again.

Dong Yunshan stopped her gentle movements.

"I can lose..." Yukino Yukinoshita gazed at his face, "But I don't want to back down."

Dong Yunshan sighed softly, "Then, can you still walk?"

Yukino Yukinoshita pursed her cherry lips and tried to push him away. "... Yes."

"Since you can walk..." Dong Yunshan took her arm and picked up two rackets, "Then hold onto me a little, they're shouting so loudly, I can't walk anymore."

"... I'm always worried about him." Yukino Yukinoshita took Dong Yunshan's arm, held the racket in her other hand, and moved slowly with him.

Strands of her hair fluttered in the wind, reflecting the sunlight and creating a hazy, veil-like glow.

Witnessed by many students from Sobu High School, Dong Yunshan and Yukino Yukinoshita walked hand in hand into... the receiving area.

Stopping in her tracks, Yukino Yukinoshita realized that she had grabbed the wrong racket.

In front of many students from Sobu High School, Dong Yunshan and Yukino Yukinoshita exchanged... rackets.

Volume 5, May Holiday: Chapter 172, The Shinonome Cedar

"Eh...?" Yui Yuigahama held up her phone to take pictures. "I'm suddenly so moved. I finally saw them... Wait! This isn't a church, is it?"

"I wanted to say that too..." Komachi Hikigaya's big eyes sparkled, "Although nothing has happened, it feels like something has already occurred!"

"I think I hear the sound of many hearts breaking..." Yui Yuigahama looked around, then turned her attention back to the field. "They're still together."

"In doubles, the receiver must stand within the receiving court, while their partner's position is flexible." Although Komachi Hikigaya doesn't play tennis, she's a member of the Film Research Club and is familiar with the rules of many sports, "So standing together is fine."

Yui Yuigahama saw the two people's arms linked together in the room. "Is physical contact okay?"

"This is not against the rules either."

"Next up is Yumiko's serve," Yui Yuigahama. "Little Yukino can't receive the ball..."

In doubles, the two players on the receiving side must determine the order of receiving the serve in advance and maintain this order throughout the service game.

If the two players arbitrarily switch the order of receiving serves, the referee will immediately award a point.

Therefore, following the previous order, Yumiko Miura's serve can only be received by Yukino Yukinoshita.

If Dong Yunshan receives the ball, he will be declared the loser.

Yukino Yukinoshita was exhausted and unable to catch the ball.

Bang!

Yumiko Miura serve.

2:

According to the order determined before the start of the match, it was Yukino Yukinoshita serve.

Given her current form, it will be difficult for her to successfully serve.

It's better to take this time to rest and recover your strength.

"Serving time exceeded," Saika Totsuka dutifully announced. "First warning."

25 seconds later.

"Timeout again, one point penalized, the opponent scores."

2:

"Timeout again, one point penalized, the opponent scores."

2:

The score has reached a very dangerous point; if Miura Hayato Hayama scores just two more points, they will secure the victory.

It's Hayama Hayato's turn to serve.

Dong Yunshan felt the force on her arm disappear.

Yukino Yukinoshita stood still, gripping her racket, her eyes closed, her body swaying slightly, as if... she were dozing off.

Dong Yunshan walked alone to the receiving area, spun his racket twice, and fixed his gaze on Hayama Hayato.

Hayama Hayato tightened his grip on the tennis ball, then tossed it high into the air, jumped, and swung his racket—bang!

Dong Yunshan swung her racket to return the ball, but before it even touched the ground, Yumiko Miura hit it back.

The shot was extremely well-placed, heading straight for the sideline furthest from Dong Yunshan.

The sideline area is a narrow strip of land located between the singles and doubles sidelines. It is the valid court area in doubles matches, but is considered out of bounds in singles matches.

Yukino Yukinoshita's stamina has not yet recovered, so Dong Yunshan needs to defend an area that requires two people to handle alone.

Such a long distance, of course... I can make it.

Bang!

After swinging his racket to hit the ball, Dong Yunshan decisively moved to the net.

A terrifying aura swept over her, and a flash of panic crossed Yumiko Miura's eyes. She gripped her racket with both hands and hit a high lob shot straight to the baseline.

To receive this ball, Dong Yunshan, who has already moved to the net, needs to run a distance close to the diagonal length of the doubles court before the tennis ball lands.

As he stepped forward with his right foot, Dong Yunshan's body leaned backward.

Then, with a twist of his waist, he tilted and rotated 180 degrees using his right foot as a fulcrum, his left foot touching the ground before his body completely fell to the ground.

The moment he straightened his left leg, he shot off like an arrow, almost skimming the ground as he hurtled towards the baseline, and to the gasps of the crowd, he hit the tennis ball back!

"Are you kidding me?" "They actually managed to fight back?" "That was incredibly fast!" Cheers were mixed with incredulous exclamations. Someone remembered something, "Wait, this kind of movement? Could it be...?" "I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

"The Shinonome of Nagoya!" A student who had followed the national tournament confirmed the identity of the person on the court, "The Sky Tree that's said to tower above the court."

"Is it that impressive?" someone questioned. "I haven't heard of any achievements..."

"There's nothing we can do," someone sighed. "Our first match is against Kanagawa."

Hearing the faint whispers, Yui Yuigahama turned to Komachi Hikigaya and asked, "Is Kanagawa very strong?"

"Dominating the national tournament for two consecutive years..." Komachi Hikigaya checked the information on her phone, "Her strength is extraordinary."

Dong Yunshan Yui Yuigahama Sugi, who was moving across the field at an incredibly terrifying speed. "Even Shinonome can't win?"

"Actually..." Komachi Hikigaya showed her the match records, "In the matches against Kanagawa, Nagoya lost four in a row, only winning the last match against Shinonome."

Bang!

3:

"What a joke..." Yumiko Miura's hand holding the racket trembled slightly. The Dong Yunshan reflected in her eyes seemed to have swelled into a towering tree, its thick roots covering every corner of the court.

No matter how tricky the ball was, no matter how far she and Hayama Hayato hit it, the Dong Yunshan could easily swing its roots and return the ball.

What I thought would be an easy win, I actually lost?

Hayama Hayato composed himself and served again.

The familiar scene played out again: using that almost bizarre way of moving, Dong Yunshan could complete a 180-degree turn with almost no deceleration.

Let alone using the same method, just seeing that method made Hayama Hayato feel a dull ache in his lower back.

The key is that even with such high-speed and high-frequency movement, the Dong Yunshan can still deliver accurate and powerful shots.

At first, Hayama Hayato and Yumiko Miura deliberately avoided the area where Yukino Yukinoshita was, but they soon realized that this was unnecessary.

No matter where the ball is hit, the Dong Yunshan can always return it.

Under the Yukino Yukinoshita seems to be sleeping soundly in the shade of the trees.

The name of Dong Yunshan resounded throughout the court, Hayama Hayato gripped his racket tightly.

Is this your true ability?

So...

Hayama Hayato adjusted his angle and swung his racket.

The tennis ball flew out at a slower speed than before, tracing an eerie arc in the air before turning to the left.

"Magic Ball!!!" someone shouted, only to be immediately drowned out by even louder cheers, "Shinonome Sugi!" "Shinonome Sugi!" "Shinonome Sugi!"

Bang!

Hayama Hayato's side-spin shot landed at his feet again in the blink of an eye.

4:

Volume 5, May Holiday: Chapter 173 Winning Means Losing

Like watching a televised professional sports competition, the audience roared and screamed wildly.

Although I was away from the court, my heart was captivated by the tennis balls dancing on it.

The tense and exciting atmosphere engulfed everyone, turning into sighs of regret and cheers of excitement.

This is one of the reasons why the ace of the sports department can occupy the top of the social ranking.

When a person carries the expectations of others and has the ability to respond to those expectations, they will naturally become the focus of attention in the crowd.

For example, if an awl is placed in a bag, its tip will immediately become visible.

The more stunning Hayama Hayato's sidespin shots are, the more they showcase Dong Yunshan's strength.

When it was Dong Yunshan's turn to serve, Hayama Hayato, recalling the speed of the previous serve, was on high alert and dared not relax in the slightest.

Bang!

The tennis ball hurtled towards him rapidly. Hayama Hayato's eyes widened as he adjusted his position and swung his racket.

You can catch it!

For a moment after successfully counterattacking, Hayama Hayato even somewhat dazed.

He actually caught it...

It didn't happen as fast as expected, nor as heavily as expected.

Thinking about it, that makes sense. The high-speed, high-frequency movement they used to experience must have been a huge burden for the Dong Yunshan.

No matter what, it's still too much of a stretch for a single person to defend a doubles court.

There's still a chance to win.

Hayama Hayato fully utilized his strength as the ace of the soccer club, running and receiving the ball quickly on the field.

Yumiko Miura hit the ball to tricky spots, forcing Dong Yunshan to run back and forth.

Just a little bit more... just a little bit more!

Seeing a glimmer of victory, Yumiko Miura swung her racket with all her might and hit the ball towards the baseline—oh no!

Although it wasn't obvious, based on her past experience, Yumiko Miura realized the ball would go out of bounds the moment she completed her return.

Bang!