radicalducati Chapter 54 You're Just Yukimura Seiichi
Chapter 54 You're Just Yukimura Seiichi
Afraid that he would sink deeper into his thoughts, Wang Yueling immediately changed to a wronged tone, hoarsely complaining, looking like a large dog with drooping ears, which made people's hearts soften.
"They all laughed at me today. My voice cracked, it sounded like a duck quacking, it was awful."
He lowered his eyes slightly, deliberately drooping his handsome face, even his shoulders slumped down, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Yukimura's smile deepened, his gaze falling on the boy's cute hairband, as he softly comforted him in a gentle tone.
"The headband is cute." He paused, his eyes filled with warmth. "Your voice is also unique, not unpleasant."
Wang Yueling immediately looked up, her eyes brightening, like a child who had just received recognition, and most of her previous grievances instantly dissipated.
"How's it like being a coach?"
"I'm tired," he said honestly. "Much more tiring than playing ball. When you're playing ball, you just have to take care of yourself, but as a coach, you have to take care of everyone. And you can't play for them; you can only watch from the sidelines and get anxious."
Yukimura listened and nodded silently.
Do they listen to you?
"Of course." Wang Yueling smiled proudly as she thought of yesterday's crushing victory. "They had no choice but to listen. I spent the whole afternoon yesterday beating them into submission."
Yukimura looked at his proud "I'm the best in the world" expression and a gentle smile appeared in his eyes.
"Where are Rikkai and the others?"
Yukimura mentally processed each of his teammates, came to a conclusion, and chuckled, "Kirihara Akaya."
He only said one name, and Wang Yueling immediately understood when a corresponding seaweed head popped into her mind.
"Kirihara is giving you a headache?!"
"It's a real... headache." Yukimura's tone carried a helpless amusement. "But his talent in tennis is truly remarkable. Renji even said that if Akaya gets his rhythm, the national championship trophy next year will still belong to Rikkai."
"Then let's wait until he gets it."
"Um."
The two chatted about their daily experiences as coaches in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. From how to catch truants to daily reward measures to motivate team members, the conversation flowed naturally and the atmosphere was harmonious.
Yukimura's voice was relaxed. He leaned against the headboard, his fingers unconsciously fiddling with the corner of the blanket, sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning, sometimes tilting his head to think before answering. Just like any fifteen-year-old boy chatting with a friend about his favorite things.
Ryo Mochizuki really liked Yukimura at this time.
This is him now.
He wasn't the fearsome "son of the gods" standing on the national tournament stage, nor was he the Rikkai captain who hid all his anxieties after falling ill; he was simply Yukimura Seiichi.
A fifteen-year-old boy who loves tennis is about to have an important surgery tomorrow.
"Is what happened between Seigaku and St. Rudolf true?" Yukimura hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, his tone serious.
Wang Yueling turned around when she heard his question.
Yukimura was looking at him now, the smile gone from his earlier eyes, but not seriously either. It was the focused look one has when trying to understand someone.
"Regarding the Seigaku incident," Yukimura continued, seeing his silence. "When Renji told us about it, I thought he had made a mistake with the data."
Wang Yueling paused slightly, then nodded gently, her smile fading and her voice calm.
"It's true. I guessed it would spread, but it doesn't matter."
"Why did you step forward?" Yukimura stared into his eyes, his tone inquisitive. "Given your personality, you don't seem like someone who would easily get involved in conflict."
Wang Yueling gazed at the night view outside the window, remained silent for a few seconds, and spoke in a voice as soft as a sigh, yet each word was clear.
"Because I can't stand it."
He spoke slowly, each word carrying a subtle, inexplicable emotion.
"I was standing on the sidelines, watching the crowd. They didn't know Kanatsuki, didn't know what he had really done, and were unaware of his relationship with Fuji Yuuta. They only heard one side of the story from Seigaku, and they all believed it. Then they maliciously speculated and slandered a fifteen-year-old boy."
He lowered his head, his fingers interlaced, his thumb rubbing back and forth on the knuckles of his other hand.
"I watched as the entire St. Rudolf assembly stood there, their faces flushed, fists clenched, speechless. Not because they were in the wrong, but because there were too many voices, and they didn't know where to begin."
"Do you know Mizuki Hajime and Fuji Yuuta?" Yukimura looked at him hesitantly, his tone full of doubt.
"I don't know him." Wang Yueling shook her head gently, looking down at her hands, her voice calm, "I just couldn't stand by and watch."
"I know how much damage public opinion and misunderstandings can do to people."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I've seen that kind of scene before."
He didn't say where he had seen it or who had experienced it.
He simply said that he had seen it.
Yukimura noticed that his tone changed when he said that. It wasn't anger or excitement, but a very calm statement, as if he were recounting something he had experienced himself.
that's the truth.
Wang Yueling recalled those dark days in her past life.
After winning the Australian Open at the age of 21, he suddenly fell ill, falling from the top of the world. A deluge of public opinion, slander, and speculation suffocated him. At the time, a female medical student stepped forward to explain his illness, only to be falsely accused of being a whitewashing tool pushed out by his team. He was subjected to cyberbullying, forced to quit the internet, and his real life was also affected.
When he woke up and learned the truth, he was almost overwhelmed by guilt. He only managed to turn public opinion around by immediately disclosing all his medical records. Later, the girl said she had never regretted it, and he still remembers many of her words to this day.
But the hurt that girl suffered for no reason was already etched into her memory.
Mochizuki Ryo didn't mention that he was the protagonist; he simply calmly finished recounting the experience, then looked back at Yukimura's face, his tone composed.
"Most people only see a corner and think they know the whole story." His voice was soft but exceptionally clear. "Fuji Yuta is misunderstood, Mizuki Hajime has no way to defend himself, and the Seigaku people stand on high and make light judgments. It's very unfair."
"I didn't make the decision for them, I just laid out the truth. The choice... is always in their own hands."
Yukimura listened quietly, a surge of emotion welling up within him, and remained silent for a long time.
Through the boy's azure eyes, he saw a powerful yet gentle soul. It was clear-headed, resolute, and responsible, completely different from his languid and elegant appearance.
For a fleeting moment, Yukimura felt that this story was about Mochizuki Ryo himself.
However, since all the information didn't match up, it could only be attributed to the teenager's deep empathy.
"What that girl said?" A complex emotion flickered in Yukimura's eyes. He composed himself and asked softly, "Do you remember?"
Wang Yueling nodded slightly.
"When sincerity is maliciously misinterpreted and rumors are allowed to spread unchecked, enthusiasm will eventually fade away." He spoke slowly, word by word, as if he had kept these words in his heart for a long time. "Then we, as bystanders, should shoulder our responsibilities even more."
Yukimura looked at him quietly, a mixture of emotion and curiosity in his eyes. "Did that girl become a doctor later?"
"Of course." Wang Yueling smiled slightly, sincerely expressing her admiration, "Those rumors didn't stop her; instead, they made her even more determined to pursue her dreams."
Yukimura was touched by what he heard, but after a moment he fell silent, his thoughts drifting away.
He looked out the window, where moonlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a faint glow on the sliver of light on the floor.
"Last winter," Yukimura began, his voice calm, "the news of my hospitalization still got out. Some said Rikkai was hiding their true strength. Some said I wasn't sick at all, that I was avoiding battle. Others said the glory of the reigning champion Rikkai was over."
When Yukimura said these words, there was even a hint of self-deprecation in the corner of his mouth.
"Genichiro and Renji blocked all the conversations from me, but I still managed to see some of them."
He lowered his eyes slightly, his voice calm and even, "I didn't go to see it on purpose. One day, a stranger sent me a long message anonymously, saying that I was faking illness, that I was afraid of losing, and that I was not worthy of being Rikkai's minister."
His voice paused, his fingers curled up, then relaxed.
I read that passage all night.
Wang Yueling didn't speak, but simply moved her chair closer to him. The chair legs scraped against the floor with a short, sharp sound.
"I deleted it later." Yukimura's voice was devoid of any emotion, "but those words were never completely erased from my heart."
"I see."
He looked directly at Yukimura, and Yukimura looked back at him.
"Those people don't need the truth." Mochizuki Ryou's voice was hoarse, but every word was steady. "They just need a reason to prove themselves right. You get sick, they say you're faking it. You have surgery, they say you're just trying to gain sympathy. You go back to the court, they'll say you were acting all along. You lose, they say you're no good anymore. You win, they say you were faking it all along."
He paused for a moment.
"So just ignore them."
Yukimura's eyes twitched slightly.
"What they say has nothing to do with you. You are not the person they imagine. You are not the fallen son of God they speak of."
Mochizuki Ryou stared at him intently, her eyes serious and her tone firm, "You are just Yukimura Seiichi."
"You don't need to live up to other people's expectations."
No need to be an omnipotent son of God, no need to be an eternally strong minister, no need to carry everyone's expectations, just be that fifteen-year-old boy who feels uneasy, tired, and panicked.
Yukimura understood the deeper meaning in his words, and a gentle smile curved his lips. He didn't reply, but he kept this sentiment firmly in his heart.
He knew that this person truly understood him, understood his pride, and understood his vulnerability.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the ward door.
The nurse pushed open the door, holding a folder in her hand, with a "I knew this would happen" expression on her face.
"The patient needs to rest. Family members, please leave as soon as possible. The inpatient ward is about to be locked."
Wang Yueling nodded to the nurse, moved his chair back slightly, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes, and slowly stood up. Reaching the door, he suddenly turned back.
The movement was as fast as a gust of wind.
He pulled a small string of lilies of the valley from his pocket and quickly stuffed it into Yukimura's hand.
"See you tomorrow."
He turned and left after he finished speaking, his back view clean and neat, leaving only a faint scent of grass and trees.
The door closed gently, and the footsteps faded into the distance.
Yukimura sat on the bed, holding a bunch of lilies of the valley with a delicate fragrance in his palm.
The night outside the window was gentle, and the faint scent of the boy lingered in the ward, like sunshine, like a warm breeze, like a peace of mind that would never fade away.
He looked down at the lily of the valley in his palm, the smile on his lips lingering for a long time.