The Prince of Tennis: From Data-Driven Tennis to the Pinnacle of His Career

Chapter 199 Meeting an Acquaintance

The next day at 5:30 a.m., the U17 training camp.

The alarm clock on my phone rang, shattering the tranquility of the room.

Kagura Ichijin suddenly opened his eyes, decisively threw off the covers, got out of bed, and went straight to the bathroom to wash up.

"Brother Koizumi, it's time to get up."

Not long after, Kagura Ichijin, having finished washing up, walked to another bed while wiping his face with a towel and nudged Koizumi Shizuka, who was still fast asleep.

It's getting late. As usual, Coach Tuo Zhilong will assign today's tasks at the studio at 6:00. If they don't want to get scolded, they'd better not be late.

"ha!"

Koizumi Shizuka rubbed her messy hair, yawned deeply, and then quickly got up and went into the bathroom.

After a quick wash, he hurriedly put on his work clothes and followed Kagura Ichijin towards the studio.

Fifteen minutes later, the two pushed open the studio door and immediately saw Takumi Ryuji already sitting in a chair. They simply nodded slightly and then went straight to their seats.

"Now that everyone's here, let me explain today's tasks. A new batch of first-year high school students will be arriving soon. You'll be doing the same thing as last year, okay?"

Not long after, as all four teaching assistants arrived at the studio, Takuya Ryuji didn't waste any time. He immediately opened a drawer, took out a thick stack of lists, and skillfully divided them into five parts.

The number of first-year high school students entering the U17 training camp this year is similar to that of last year. It's quite a lot of work to arrange for these hundred or so people.

Fortunately, these teaching assistants have prior experience, so they should be able to complete these tasks smoothly.

"no problem."

The teaching assistants nodded in unison, then stood up one by one, took the list handed over by Takuya Ryuji, and carefully looked through it.

Upon discovering that they had been assigned to twenty freshmen, the teaching assistants all frowned in unison.

This number may not seem like much, but collecting all the data on these first-year high school students and tailoring training programs for them within just one week is still quite challenging.

"what?"

Kagura Ichijin, who had just returned to his seat, had only flipped through a few pages of the list when he saw a familiar face. This made him raise an eyebrow slightly, and a nostalgic smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Guji Muxin, 15 years old, first year of high school, graduated from Yamabuki Junior High School, former national champion —

Upon discovering that his former senior was also coming to the U17 training camp, Kagura Ichijin immediately became interested and quickly flipped through the list at the back.

Kanto Ishimaru, 15 years old, first year of high school —

Mitsuya Akuto, 15 years old, first year of high school —

Kazuki Sekine, 15 years old, first year of high school —

Yuta Yamato, 15 years old, first year of high school —

After seeing several familiar faces, Kagura Ichijin flipped to the last page of the list. When he found that Tokugawa Kazuya was not on the list, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

Among this group of first-year high school students, the only one he was interested in was Tokugawa Kazuya, who was studying abroad, but unfortunately, he was not assigned to that class.

"Kagura, look! The first-year high school students are here!"

After an unknown amount of time, several buses suddenly drove into the studio's surveillance screen, which immediately caught Koizumi Shizuka's eye.

Today, the teaching assistants' task was simply to settle the freshmen in and answer some questions, which was much easier than usual.

"Um."

Kagura Ichijin nodded slightly as he watched the first-year high school students, dressed in various school uniforms and full of hope for the future, step off the bus on the surveillance screen.

These first-year high school students will not participate in the positional battles or any training programs today.

However, things will be completely different starting tomorrow. Freshmen who can't adapt will only have one fate: being kicked out of the U17 training camp.

"Ahem—Welcome everyone to the U17 training camp. Professionals will be in charge of arranging your accommodations. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them."

Takuya Ryuji turned on the microphone, and his voice instantly reached the ears of the first-year high school students through the loudspeaker.

He then turned off the microphone, opened a drawer, took out a pre-prepared room key, casually tossed it on the table, and strode out of the studio.

"Let's go, Koizumi-san."

Kagura Ichijin picked up his list, walked straight to Takumi Ryuji's desk, grabbed five room cards, waved to Koizumi Seiichi, and quickly walked out of the studio.

Not long after, Kagura Ichijin, who had followed Takumi Ryuji to the gathering place for first-year high school students, picked up the list and started reading it quickly.

In no time at all, the twenty first-year high school students assigned to him had gathered around him.

""

Looking at Kagura Ichijin in front of them, the first-year high school students who had been whispering to each other suddenly looked at each other in astonishment.

They knew about Kagura Ichijin when they were still in junior high school. He was a famous person who led Yamabuki Junior High School to win the national championship and was their former rival.

"Hey seniors, don't just stand there, come with me, I'll take you to your accommodations."

Kagura Ichijin nodded to the group of first-year high school students, then smiled and turned to lead the way.

Faced with this group of senior students, most of whom knew him and had even crossed paths with him on the field, he simply couldn't maintain his usual stern demeanor.

"Kagura, what are you doing here?"

Ishimaru Kanto quickly walked to Kagura Ichijin's side and asked with a puzzled look on his face.

He hadn't seen Kagura Yiren for a long time since he graduated, and he never expected to meet him again in this training camp. It was too much of a coincidence.

"Since it's summer vacation, I'm going out to work and earn some pocket money."

Kagura Ichijin continued walking, casually shrugging his shoulders.

Working at the U17 training camp was the best option for him; he wouldn't have earned such a high salary anywhere else.

"It's that simple?"

Ishimaru Kanjin stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

Is recruiting for the U17 training camp really that casual? That's unbelievable.

He noticed as soon as he entered that the facilities here were very advanced, completely professional-grade, several levels higher than those prestigious schools in terms of both hardware and software.

"Yes, as long as you pass the assessment, you can apply, but it seems like they're not hiring anymore."

Sensing that other teaching assistants and their teams were closing in behind him, Kagura Ichijin decisively quickened his pace.

The U17 training camp is now on the right track; all that's missing is a standout result to repay the investment.

Unfortunately, this is difficult to achieve. Without enough top players, it would be a pipe dream for Japan to win honors in the U17 World Cup, where there are many strong teams.

"Kagura, what's going on with those two? It's one thing to not play properly, but why are they attacking each other?"

As the group passed a basketball court, Gu Jimin, who was walking in front, turned his head and frowned as he looked at the two high school students who were already fighting fiercely.

The competition here is so strange. Not only are the referees indifferent, but even the high school students watching around them are completely unmoved, letting the players do whatever they want.

"They are engaging in a positional battle."

Kagura Ichijin glanced indifferently at the court and spoke calmly.

The rotation battles at the U17 training camp never stop; unless you become a member of the expeditionary force, you will always face challenges.

"It's just a match, is it really necessary to make it like this?"

Guji Muxin tightened his grip on the tennis bag and looked at Kagura Yiren with a puzzled expression.

The most intense competition he had ever experienced was the National Tournament, but compared to this bloody match, it was far inferior.

"Rankings determine your voice here, Senior Guji. If you can't secure a spot, you'll really be kicked out of this training camp."

Kagura Ichijin stopped and looked at Tani Yoshiki Shin with a serious expression, then decisively spoke up to remind him.

The U17 training camp is no joke; every year, a large number of high school students are expelled from here.

Whether you're a freshman or a sophomore or senior, if you can't get a spot, you're out; there's no room for negotiation.

"Captain Kagura, what do you mean by this? Isn't this our training ground? Why are you telling us to leave?"

""

Yamato Yuta walked directly up to Kagura Ichijin and asked with a puzzled look on his face.

The U17 training camp is so strange. They finally managed to gather so many high school students together, but now they don't care about them anymore.

"We don't need weaklings here, Yamato-senpai, you must seize this opportunity."

Kagura Ichijin shook his head slightly, then turned and walked towards the dormitory building in the distance.

All first-year high school students will face this situation. If you really can't adapt to the rules here, it's better to leave as soon as possible to avoid suffering here.

"How many people will be eliminated? Department Head Kagura, you should know, right?"

Looking at Kagura Ichijin leading the way, Mitsuya Akuto, who had been silently observing from the crowd, adjusted his glasses and suddenly asked.

There are at least a hundred freshmen who came to the U17 training camp this time. Although the difference in strength is obvious, no one can guarantee that they will not be eliminated.

"About a few dozen people."

Without turning his head, Kagura Ichijin casually uttered a chilling number.

There are still quite a few open spots in the U17 training camp. As long as you're not too bad, it's not difficult to stay. However, it's much harder to gain recognition.

The closer to the front of the field, the stronger the players are, not to mention the expeditionary force that can represent Japan.

"Close to half?"

Mitsuya Akuto frowned, his mind racing as he calculated the probability of staying.

The U17 training camp is really brutal. No wonder Kagura Ichiren told them to take it seriously. Such a high elimination rate means that at least half of the freshmen present will leave.

"Mitsutani-senpai, this shouldn't be difficult for you."

Kagura Ichijin turned his head slightly and gave Mitsuya Akuto a meaningful look.

As a player who excels in data-driven tennis, the more data he knows, the stronger he becomes. Compared to others, Mitsuya Akuto has a much higher chance of reaching the front of the court.

"Perhaps."

Mitsuya Akutō smiled slightly and turned to look around.

Here, all high school students are potential competitors, and he doesn't want to stand out too much, lest he be deliberately targeted.

Those two high school students "attacking" each other on the court are the best example; he doesn't want to get injured because of it.

""

Seeing Mitsuya Akutsu's cautious demeanor, Kagura Ichijin smiled but didn't say anything more.

After walking silently for about ten minutes in a slightly oppressive atmosphere, Kagura Ichijin finally led this group of first-year high school students, each with their own thoughts, to the dormitory building.

He stopped, took out his room key from his pocket, and arranged for the twenty first-year high school students to go into their dormitories one by one.

After doing all this, Kagura Ichijin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around and greeted Tani Yoshiki Shin and Ishimaru Kanto, then walked straight out of the dormitory building.