Prince of Tennis: Shocking! Hyotei's Demon King is a Yukimura fangirl!

Chapter 19 Long Hair and Tennis, Ryo Shishido Gets Scolded 2

Hearing these words, Shishido's lips pressed into a thin line, and he trembled uncontrollably with anger, his face turning red and white in turns.

"You don't understand! I..."

He roared until the veins on his neck bulged, his voice hoarse and filled with extreme anger, like a wild beast that had been provoked.

"I don't understand?" Wang Yueling raised an eyebrow to interrupt him. Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "Then tell me, what don't I understand?"

Shishido glared at him, his chest heaving. After a long while, he finally managed to utter, "I will prove myself to Atobe. I will show him my determination. I will return to the starting lineup. I will win for Hyotei! I will fight for the team!"

"You said you wanted to prove yourself to Atobe and let him see your determination..." Halfway through her sentence, Mochizuki Ryo looked at his long hair, which he unconsciously stroked with his hand, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes.

He suddenly chuckled, his tone slightly mocking.

"You're not going to shave your head to show your resolve, are you?"

Shishido's hand froze.

Seeing his reaction, Wang Yueling's lips curved slightly, carrying a hint of a half-smile:

"Oh my, I was right?"

"None of your business, this is my own affair." Shishido didn't expect his thoughts to be seen through so easily, so he gritted his teeth and retorted, then turned his face away.

"You really cherish your long hair, don't you?" Mochizuki Ryo was somewhat speechless, her tone laced with a wry smile. "You usually take good care of it, maintaining it quite meticulously; it looks like you've put a lot of effort into it. What's wrong with it? Does shaving it make you beat Tachibana Yoshihira?"

"I didn't say I wanted to shave."

Shishido retorted, with a tone that suggested he was being unreasonable yet defiant.

"You didn't say it, but you want to do it."

Ryo Mochizuki's voice turned serious, no longer teasing, "If you think shaving your head will make you stronger, then tennis is too easy. You lost to Yoshihira Tachibana not because your long hair blocked your vision and slowed you down, but because your mentality collapsed and your skills were too poor."

"If shaving your head could overcome these weaknesses and make you stronger, then you might as well shave your head and challenge professional players directly."

"That's enough!" Shishido's voice was a little hoarse.

But Yue Ling felt it wasn't enough.

"You like your long hair, and you love your tennis." Mochizuki Ryo stared at him intently, continuing to tease, "Why give up one for the other? Be mature, don't be so childish."

"Your determination should never be written on your face or etched in your hair, but should be hidden in every swing of your racket and in every training session."

Wang Yueling's voice deepened, carrying a hint of seriousness and expectation.

"What you should do now is not to shave your head, but to try to overcome your weaknesses and prove to everyone with absolute strength that you don't need to change your appearance to stand up again, and that you can gain Atobe's approval and everyone's approval."

After saying that, Wang Yueling stopped and didn't continue.

The place fell silent immediately.

The wind blew across the abandoned sports field, swirling up a few withered leaves on the ground, rustling across the cement surface, and also bringing with it the sounds of whistles and students shouting from the distant playground.

Shishido lowered his head, his long hair hanging down and covering most of his face. He slowly loosened his grip on the racket, and the racket fell to the ground with a "thud".

He stood there, stunned, the wound on the back of his hand still throbbing, but his mind became increasingly clear.

He did indeed intend to change himself and prove himself by shaving his head as a gesture of resolve.

He thought that cutting his long hair would allow him to sever all ties with his past self who had lost the game and start afresh. But Wang Yueling's words awakened him—a true start is never about giving up what you love, but about facing your weaknesses and overcoming them.

The fierceness in Shishido's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a hint of clarity and determination; his voice was hoarse:

"...I understand. I will prove myself with my abilities and find my own path."

Seeing his awkward expression, Wang Yueling's smile deepened. She handed him the chilled sports drink again, her tone softening as she spoke like a gentle older brother:

"Have some drinks to cool down."

"That's a good way of thinking. A true strong person is someone with a complete personality, not someone who loses a part of themselves to gain power in another part."

Shishido stared at the drink that had reappeared before him, remaining silent for a long time.

Just when Mochizuki Ryo thought he was going to stand there until dark, Shishido reached out and took the drink.

"You have a really nasty way of speaking." His voice was still hoarse as he complained, and his expression was somewhat unnatural.

"Really?!" Mochizuki Ryou chuckled and touched her nose. "I think it's fine."

Shishido unscrewed the bottle cap and took a big gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing twice. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and let out a long breath.

After he finished drinking, Wang Yueling continued, "Watching you play ball just now, many of your movements were problematic."

Shishido paused for a moment as he twisted the bottle cap.

"Your point of force is too high, your wrists are turned outwards excessively, your footwork is unstable when you stop suddenly, and you are not using your body's strength. So you have to use more force to hit the speed you want with each shot."

"With this kind of high-intensity fighting, your wrist won't last three days... Oh... And even if you train like this for another ten years, you still won't be able to beat Tachibana Yoshihira."

Shishido felt somewhat helpless about his tendency to deliberately use Tachibana Kichihei to criticize him from time to time.

But I still honestly looked down at my sore wrist.

"Don't worry, there's still hope for your wrist."

Wang Yueling glanced at his little movements, smiled, picked up a ball from the ground, tossed it in her hand, and continued, "And your weight transfer is also problematic. Your hitting point is always too far back, and your preparation is half a beat too slow, so you always feel that the ball comes too fast..."

He explained it in great detail, breaking it down step by step from the angle of the grip and control of the racket face to footwork adjustments. He even went so far as to specify which movement, angle, and muscle was being used, without holding anything back.

Shishido held the cold drink, listening intently. The confusion in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a renewed light.

"How do you know so much?"

He couldn't help but ask.

"You'll get the hang of it after watching a lot," Mochizuki Ryou said casually, tossing the ball up and swinging it around. The ball hit the opposite side of the court, bounced twice, and rolled into a corner.

"If you want to improve, wait for me here after school, and I'll train you for a few days."

Shishido opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Wang Yueling dusted off her hands, her tone carrying a hint of meaning: "As for... whether you can learn anything, that depends on your own abilities."

He turned and took two steps toward the iron gate, then suddenly stopped and glanced at Shishido.

"By the way, your hair..." He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, "is quite nice. Don't shave it. Long hair doesn't clash with tennis; it clashes with someone who's not thinking straight."

Shishido subconsciously touched her hair again, her ears turning slightly red.

"Who said I was going to shave? I'm not shaving." He turned his face away again, his voice muffled.

Wang Yueling smiled, didn't expose him, and continued walking out.

After thinking for a moment, he added another sentence.

"If Feng has time, she can practice with you too."

Shishido asked, somewhat puzzled, "Chōtarō?"

"Aren't you two training partners? You can't learn anything by yourself; training together will be much more effective."

Shishido was silent for two seconds, her eyes slightly reddening, before finally saying only one word: "Okay."

Upon hearing this reply, Wang Yueling waved behind her and left.

The figure disappeared around the corner of the laboratory building.

Shishido stood on the abandoned sports field, looking in the direction Mochizuki Ryo had left, clutching the drink in his hand, his fingertips touching the slightly cool bottle, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

Ryo Shishido is someone who can afford to lose; even if he falls, he will definitely be able to get back up.

……

He put the racket back into his bag, took out a tissue to wipe the bloodstains from his hands, and then squatted down to pick up the tennis balls scattered around the court one by one.

When he picked up the last one, he heard footsteps.

"Shishido-senpai!"

Ootori Chōtarō rushed over, his face full of worry. When he reached the iron gate and saw the scratches on Shishido's hands, his expression changed immediately.

"Your hand..."

"It's nothing." Shishido turned his face away, awkwardly hiding his hand. "Just a minor scratch."

Feng didn't believe it.

She walked over, took his hand, and examined it. Her brows were furrowed. She took out a band-aid from her pocket, tore open the packaging, and carefully applied it to Shishido's deep wound on the back of his hand.

"Senior, why are you here all alone?"

"It's quiet here...perfect for practicing." Shishido's tone was a little softer than before. He withdrew his hand, zipped up the tennis bag, and said, "Let's go eat."

Feng looked at him and felt that something was different.

I can't explain it.

But the person standing in front of him now, though disheveled, had a different look in his eyes.

It's not the kind of stubborn, unyielding attitude that gets stuck on trivialities, but rather a kind of... down-to-earth, steadfast determination.

"Senior," Feng hesitated for a moment, "Are you really alright?"

"I said it's nothing." Shishido slung the tennis bag over his shoulder and walked towards the fenced gate. "By the way, are you free after school?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"Come here." Shishido glanced back at the abandoned sports field. "Someone wants to teach us how to play."

Feng was stunned for a moment.

"Who?"

"Looking at the Moon Rising".

-

Outside the iron fence.

At the corner of the corridor on the side of the laboratory building, Atobe and Shinobu stood side by side.

Neither of them spoke.

They had just come out of the student council office and were passing by when they heard the sound of the ball being hit, so they glanced over and then saw Wang Yueling go in and overheard those words.

To be precise...

Not a single word was missed from beginning to end.

Shinobu adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting light so his expression was obscured, but a slight smile played on his lips: "When are you planning to bring this guy into the tennis club?"

Atobe did not answer.

His gaze fell on the abandoned stadium, his icy blue eyes revealing no emotion.

After a few seconds, he finally spoke: "No rush."

"Not in a hurry?!" Shinobu tilted his head to look at him, his tone slightly teasing. "Kei, when did you become so patient?"

Atobe glared at him: "...Let's talk about it after this Shishido thing is over."

Shinobu pushed up his glasses, a smile playing on his lips, and teased, "Looks like we can put the invitation on hold for now. Let's make good use of that white paper first; the effect will be even more spectacular."

Atobe raised an eyebrow, looking at him with surprise: "How do you know about the white paper?"

Renji paused, coughed lightly, and glanced to the side: "After morning training this morning, when I was helping the coach tidy up his office, I accidentally peeked at him from behind..."

"careless?"

"I really didn't mean to." Shinobu shrugged, looking completely innocent. "I just happened to see it. The cover of the white paper is quite eye-catching, and it even has Mochizuki Ryo's name on it. It's hard not to notice it."

"Can't you just look openly?"

"How can I be completely natural sitting with the coach sitting there?"

"That's really not a glamorous thing to do."

Atobe glanced at him with disdain, but didn't say anything more. As he turned and walked away, the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

Shinobu shrugged and followed behind, the smile on his lips still playing on his lips:

"Fine, fine, I'm not flashy."

"To be honest, after reading a few pages, I really admire him; that proposal was incredibly well-written. How do you plan to win him over? You couldn't even get the coach to agree; I don't think it'll be easy!"

Atobe snorted softly, didn't answer, and after taking a few steps, said, "I have my own way."

Shinobu adjusted his glasses and didn't ask any more questions.

He knows Atobe too well.

When he says "I have a way," it means he hasn't really figured it out yet, but he doesn't want to admit it.

But it's okay.

Anyway, Mochizuki Ryou is already at this school, so she can't escape.

……

The sound of footsteps gradually filled the corridor, one after another, unhurriedly.

A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, scattering the boys' conversation in the sunlight.