svetikya Chapter 46 Oshitari, where is your signature move?
Chapter 46 Oshitari, where is your signature move?
Shinobu's lips twitched a few times, as if he wanted to say something more.
But when he met Wang Yueling's "say one more word and you're dead" look, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He sighed helplessly, picked up his racket, and slowly walked into the court.
Seeing that he was still so nonchalant, Wang Yueling's anger surged. Without giving him time to think, she spoke in a deep voice.
"Serve."
Upon hearing the cold command, Shinobu tensed up, tossed the ball, and swung his racket. The ball wasn't slow, but it landed just outside the sideline. Mochizuki Ryo moved lightly, swung his racket cleanly, and blocked the ball back into Shinobu's backhand corner.
"15-0"
Shinobu's expression changed slightly, and he immediately adjusted his rhythm. Through skillful ball control, he changed different lines of movement, attempting to disrupt Mochizuki Ryo's rhythm.
Wang Yueling watched him running back and forth, then suddenly chuckled, though the laughter didn't reach her eyes.
"Keep hiding it." He swung his racket back, his voice light and deliberate. "Is this how you hide your genius?"
The player paused his wrist, causing a noticeable drop in the quality of his return shot.
Mochizuki Ryo showed no mercy, his movements fluid and powerful, deliberately assuming a smashing stance. Shinobu's eyes lit up; he stepped back and raised his wrist.
"Brown bear captured."
This is his signature counter-attack move, specifically designed to counter smashes. The ball spins on the racket face, gracefully gliding over the net and landing in Mochizuki Ryo's corner of the court.
People were already cheering on the sidelines.
As expected, Mochizuki Ryo stepped forward with light footwork, tapped the ball lightly with his racket, and the ball grazed the net, rolling almost flat on the ground to Shinobu's feet.
"30-0".
As Takiginosuke announced the score, Shinobu froze on the spot, his hand gripping the racket tightening slightly.
Wang Yueling walked to the net, looked down at him coldly, and spoke in a low voice, but every word was piercing.
"Is this all you've got up your sleeve?" He tapped the racket rim with his fingertip, his tone laced with undisguised disdain. "A move you only use when someone smashes it, what's the difference between you and a duck waiting to be fed?"
Shinobu pushed up his glasses but didn't say anything.
"Where are all your amazing skills? Why aren't you using them? Are you planning to let them rot in your brain?"
Wang Yueling raised an eyebrow, her voice suddenly becoming more serious, "True skill or false skill, we'll know once you show it off. Good iron will rust if left out for too long, and if you keep your secret tricks hidden for too long, you might even forget how to use them yourself."
Renji suddenly looked up, a struggle flashing in his eyes. He had indeed been hiding too much, not intentionally, but out of habit. He was used to not fighting at full strength, used to holding back, used to never showing his full power to anyone.
However, there's really no need to hide from today's opponent.
After serving, Shinobu immediately moved to the net. His movements at the net were very quick; his racket spun slightly at the moment of contact with the ball, tracing a short, sharp arc. The ball had almost no large trajectory in the air, landing less than half a meter from the net.
"Short half ball."
Mukahi exclaimed from the sidelines, "This is a move that Shinobu rarely uses. It is extremely concealed and difficult to predict."
Wang Yueling looked at the ball, his eyes narrowing slightly. He took a step forward, extended his racket, and scooped the ball up just as it was falling, returning a close-range high lob.
Seeing that his special move had been countered, Shinobu's eyes darkened, and he exerted force again, sending the ball flying past his racket and skimming over the net.
"Tidal Interception".
This is a secret technique he's kept hidden for a long time; the ball's trajectory is as unpredictable as the tide, and its landing point is completely impossible to foresee. It's the most difficult of his special moves to master, and also his favorite.
But even he himself felt something was off about the performance he played today.
The ball's fluctuations were much smaller than usual, and its landing point wasn't as tricky. Halfway through its flight, the ball's trajectory began to decline, as if it had run out of energy.
He froze for a moment.
This ball shouldn't be like this, right?
Looking at the childish ball, Mochizuki Ryo took two steps, met the ball head-on with his racket, and found the hitting point in the gap of the ball's undulation. With a "snap," the ball was returned and landed on the sideline of Shinobu's backhand side.
"game, Mochizuki Ryou".
Shinobu stood on the court, holding his racket, staring blankly at his hand, then looked at Mochizuki Ryo on the other side, his mind buzzing.
Half arc short ball.
Tidal interception.
These two special moves were the result of a year of practice, and at least they weren't this bad when used before. But today, against Mochizuki Ryo, these two special moves didn't even make a splash, and he could feel that the quality of the ball was much worse than usual.
What happened?!
Wang Yueling was amused by his bewildered expression, her laughter filled with anger.
"Hmph! I was right before." He looked at Shinobu, his tone sharp. "Look at the kind of ball you played today! You couldn't even draw the full arc of your short half-volley, and your volley ran out of power halfway through. Don't you feel ashamed? You practiced your signature moves for so long, and you played them like this? Do you think you've wasted all that time you spent practicing?"
"Your many skills are useless if you don't use them. Good iron will rust if left out for too long, and a secret technique will never become a secret technique if you don't show it."
"Then why are you practicing with it? Just to display it?!"
Wang Yueling grew angrier as she spoke, and her voice became louder.
"Your tennis is like an unfinished novel. It has a beautiful beginning and some highlights in the middle, but the ending is destined to be a disappointment."
"You clearly have the ability to play better, but you always lack the will to win in crucial moments. You feel that it's good enough and you don't need to take it too seriously."
"But have you ever considered that if you're not serious, your opponent won't play games with you?"
Shinobu's shoulders trembled, and his head drooped even lower. He knew that what Mochizuki Ryo said was true; those two shots were indeed very ugly.
He himself felt it was ugly.
Looking at his somber expression, Wang Yueling took a deep breath and lowered her voice a little, but it still carried a clear hint of anger.
"Go back and think it over carefully. How far you want to go in tennis is up to you. But if you continue to act so carelessly, you might as well quit and waste your time."
Shinobu stood on the court, silent for a long time. He looked at the racket in his hand, then at the spot where his tidal volley had landed, and felt a tightness in his chest.
He hasn't used these special moves in actual combat for a long time.
It's not that I can't use them, it's that I haven't encountered a worthy opponent. But today, when I finally did encounter one, I realized that those signature moves had become rusty.
It wasn't a lack of technical skill, but a lack of intuition. Even he himself felt something was off when he played it.
This was even more upsetting to him than not being able to win.
He lowered his head and walked off the stage. Xiang Ri, having mended his broken heart, came forward to say something, but Shinobu raised her hand to stop him, leaning against the corner where Xiang Ri had just been, her eyes closed, lost in thought.
The sidelines fell completely silent.
The only players who haven't played yet in the regular lineup are Atobe, Ootori, and Kabaji.
Standing in the queue, watching the people in front of him being scolded and unable to lift their heads, Feng Changtaro felt extremely flustered. His palms were sweaty as he gripped his racket, and his heart was pounding like a drum.
He wasn't afraid of losing; he was afraid of playing poorly and disappointing Senior Mochizuki.
Just then, Wang Yueling's gaze swept over and landed on Feng.
"Next."
Feng's back stiffened abruptly.
He walked out clutching his racket, his cheeks slightly flushed. He felt both nervous and admiring; Mochizuki Ryo's strength exceeded his expectations, and her sharp tongue made this honest boy a little intimidated.
Wang Yueling looked at him, the anger from her earlier scolding of Ren Zu still lingering, and a smile unconsciously curled at the corner of her lips. That smile looked particularly frightening in her phoenix eyes.
Feng swallowed hard, instinctively shrinking back, her voice weak.
"S-Senior, please stop laughing... I'm a little scared."
Wang Yueling was taken aback, and subconsciously stopped smiling. He looked at Feng, pondering how to discipline her. Feng's self-confidence was already lacking; scolding her too harshly would cause her to break down, while scolding her too gently would have no effect.
You have to find the right balance.
"Chōtarō." He cleared his throat, his face returning to its usual gentle expression, even his voice softening slightly. He lightly tapped the racket in his palm. "You shouldn't disappoint me; you should be able to execute your special move in one go, right?"
His tone was calm, but the pressure in his eyes made Feng straighten her back instantly.
he knows.
If he fails, he will definitely receive a merciless scolding.
Feng took a deep breath, suppressing all her tension, and her eyes hardened. She tossed the ball, leaned back, and concentrated all her strength in her wrist.
"One ball...enters the soul!"
The super-fast serve whistled through the air, heading straight for the corner. The ball speed was significantly faster than before, and the spin was more consistent, showing that the player had given it their all.
Wang Yueling's eyes softened slightly, and she moved her feet lightly, easily breaking the spell.
Feng's subsequent serves were successful, maintaining a good record, but her confidence clearly diminished each time her serve was broken.
Even so, Mochizuki Ryou did not hesitate to acknowledge it.
"It's not bad, it's more stable than before."
"But serving alone isn't enough." Mochizuki Ryo picked up the ball. "Your confidence is still too low. After that ball was returned, your reaction wasn't 'I need to play better on the next ball,' but 'Oh no, it got returned.'"
Feng's face turned even redder.
"Go back and practice. Build up your confidence, and you can take your skill level to the next level."
Feng lowered her head, bowed, and whispered, "Thank you, senior." She then turned and ran off the field, her ears still red, but she no longer showed the dejection she had shown before.
At least, he received the least criticism.
In comparison, I'm actually quite happy.