Disciples are good, dolls are bad

Seeing this tennis ball is like seeing me... Echizen Ryoma, maybe... I like you..."

The relieved smile gradually became clear, and the answer deep in my heart gradually became clear, and I finally understood the reason for the loss and emptiness deep in my heart and the pain.

"Ryoma, have you...have you ever thought about...a life without dolls..." Nanjiro's voice echoed in his ears.

Ryoma clenched the tennis ball with a familiar smiley face on it, and his eyes began to blur...

——————————————— Occasionally a gorgeous dividing line——————————————

"New York, USA"

Kaibin found the hotel where Ryoma was staying, but found that Ryoma was not there, so he finally found Ryoma resting on the lawn at the street court.

"I've been looking for you, Echizen Ryoma." Kebin walked up to him.

"Uh." Ryoma opened his eyes, "Kabin?"

The two sat on the lawn and began to talk without saying a word. Kebin turned his head to look at Ryoma's weak expression, and found that he was a little listless.

"Echizen, are you still thinking about those seniors from Seigaku in Japan?"

"Eh? No, no, why do you ask?" Ryoma recovered and turned to look at him.

"Because your expression looks weird and you can't cheer up. What happened?"

"...No." Ryoma looked down thoughtfully at the ordinary tennis ball with no picture drawn at his feet.

"Ah, that's right. I met your girlfriend during the Japan-US friendly match. Where is she now? Didn't she come to New York with you?" Kebin suddenly remembered.

"..." Long Ma was stunned, raised his head in astonishment, then lowered his head in disappointment: "...No, she won't come."

Ryoma stood up, and Kebin looked at him suspiciously.

"What's the matter? You two broke up? Ah, it must be because of the relationship between siblings? Didn't get along well?"

"..." Speechless.

"However, having said that, it's really unexpected that you would like that type of girl. Although she looks cute, her personality is completely opposite." When he thought of the previous encounter, he couldn't compliment her.

"...I like her." Ryoma suddenly lowered his head and said something nonchalantly.

"what?"

"...I think... I should... like her very much, right?" Ryoma turned his head, looked at Kaibin quietly and asked, as if reminding himself.

"Earlier?"

In the end, Ryoma decided to return to Japan to complete the unfinished agreement, that is, to compete with Tezuka.

"Echizen, I lost." Tezuka stretched out his hand to Ryoma with a relieved expression: "In the United States, let's keep working hard."

"Minister..." Ryoma also reached out his hand, and Tezuka pulled him up.

"Between us, Echizen, you are also there. No matter where you are, you are the pillar of Qing Xue."

"...Yes." Ryoma turned to look at the others standing outside the court.

"Come on, Echizen, come on!"

Ryoma's eyes swept over the players in the front row, then slowly slid over several people, and finally passed the crowd, and finally saw the familiar bright smiling face standing behind the crowd...

"... Echizen Ryoma, you want to win for the whole world to see." It was still that bright and pure smile, as if she had never left.

...you've always been there too, haven't you?

The smiling figure disappeared under his gaze again, and Ryoma looked up at the distant sky under the setting sun, and her last relieved smile appeared before his eyes:

"... Echizen Ryoma, maybe... I like you..."

Finally, she understood why she had been unwilling to compete with him. It was because she knew a long time ago that she had already left at this time.

Ryoma raised a smile and looked at the sunset in the distance, his eyes began to blur, and finally, tears flowed down his face.

"...Madamadadane."

Prince101. A prince is still a prince

"The XX National Middle School Tennis Championship National Competition Group Draw"

Representatives from all the schools that entered the national competition list came to draw lots, and the representatives of each school sat scattered in the seats in the lottery room and waited.

"Youth Academy. Tokyo represents Youth Academy!" A voice came from above the podium, while Oishi was still sitting in his seat thinking.

"Youth Academy! Didn't you come?"

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry!" Dashi came back to his senses and got up in a panic.

"Haha~ Look at that guy, he's so ugly, he's nervous!" Two students from Aichi Liuliqiu turned around and laughed.

"Oishi." A voice suddenly came from the door, turning around, it was Tezuka.Representatives from other schools present all looked back.

"Can I draw this lottery?" Tezuka pushed the door with one hand.

"Tezuka!" Oishi rejoiced.

Tezuka stepped in, and Shiraishi looked at him with his chin propped on one hand, with a smile on his face.

"Tezuka is more imposing than last year." His expression became serious in an instant: "This year's Qing Xue, maybe he will come to the front."

"Baishi, didn't the assistant say that? Qingxue is very strong, and we can't beat Qingxue." Chitose Qianli, who came along with him, turned sideways.

"Yes, that's what the assistant coach said. It seems that our chances of victory are indeed very small."

"But don't you think it's strange? As the assistant coach of our team, he usually trains us like hell, but in the end he said such words that hurt others' ambitions and destroy our own prestige. Don't you think it's suspicious?"

"It's not unreasonable for her to say such a thing. Because she is the person who understands Qingxue the most, the one who understands the most." Shiraishi smiled meaningfully, and then glanced at Tezuka who walked up to the podium to draw lots: "Qingxue Tezuka Kunimitsu, the reunion after a long absence, it seems that Qing Xue is doing well. If the assistant teacher knows, he will be very pleased."

"Relaxed? What is the relationship between teaching assistants and Qingxue?" Chitose was puzzled.

"..." Baishi smiled meaningfully, but didn't answer directly: "Hurry up and go back after the lottery is drawn. The teaching assistant doesn't like us having too many negotiations with people from Qingxue."

"learn."

"The lottery is complete. We look forward to seeing many of your great games at the Nationals!"

"Next, the national competition will officially start, please enter the arena!"

At this time, Ryoma was sitting in the taxi, looking sideways at the window under the fierce sun.

Finally returned to this land where she used to exist, but at this time, her heart was completely cold as opposed to the scorching heat.

"...Just being held by you for a lifetime, maybe...it's not bad..." A still clear voice echoed in Ryoma's mind, and Ryoma clenched the tennis ball in his hand.

It was him, he let go of her hand, and now, he would never find her again.All that remains in my heart is the regret that I can never turn back.Why is there such deep regret?

Maybe... maybe his liking for her has completely exceeded his imagination.

The driver sitting in the driver's seat saw the tennis bag beside Ryoma from the rearview mirror:

"Have you played tennis?"

"Uh, yes." Ryoma came back to his senses.

"Speaking of which, I heard that there was a Japanese middle school student who made his mark at the U.S. Open, so you have to work hard."

"... Oh." To him, that didn't matter anymore.Perhaps, that kind of thing doesn't matter anymore.

——————————————— Occasionally a gorgeous dividing line——————————————

Kintaro Toyama walked towards the station under the leadership of his friends. Looking at the bustling crowd and the tall buildings in front of him, Kintaro was a little confused.

"What? They're all tall buildings. I haven't even seen a tennis court."

"No, you have to take that car to go to ARENA Forest Park." He pointed to the bus parked in front of the station: "Because starting from here, the road will be difficult to recognize."

"I'm excited! The thought of finally being able to fight the little monster (Note: Kintaro mispronounced 'Echizen')..." Kintaro clenched his fists and trembled with excitement.

"little monster?"

"En! I heard that guy is super strong, can spray venom from his fingers, has three eyes, and is a powerful person who came back from the United States!"

"There is no such person." -_-|||

"In short! Since there is such a powerful person, it is normal to want to compete with him! I came to him without telling the teaching assistant. If the teaching assistant finds out, she will be angry, so I have to leave quickly. Brother, thank you for taking me here, there will be a period later!" Kintaro waved and ran away.

"Ah, I ran away. Come on, Xiaojin. But, little monster...couldn't it be... Satoshi said Echima, right?"

"ARENA Forest Park"

Ryoma pushed open the door of the final venue and looked at the empty stadium in front of him:

"...here. The finals will be held here."

"Huh? No one is playing tennis." A voice came from the opposite entrance, Ryoma raised his head, and Kintaro was standing there.

"It's so strange, I obviously heard that the national competition is held here." Kintaro.

Ryoma on the opposite side looked at him, then sighed:

"Of course it's impossible for someone to be there, because this is the venue for the finals."

"Huh? Is the venue of the finals different from other competitions? I don't know. Ah, so you are also participating in the national competition? I will also appear! My name is Kintaro Toyama, please take care of me Take care!" Kintaro bounced around like a monkey.

"... Strange guy." Ryoma turned around and was about to leave.

"What, what, what a gloomy guy." Kintaro looked at him depressed.

"Oh? Isn't this Kintaro?"