MC Bookstore Chapter 42 The Arrogant Substitute Coach 1
Chapter 42 The Arrogant Substitute Coach 1
At 3:30 p.m., the Hyotei Tennis Club's training session began on time.
More than two hundred members of the tennis club were already lined up, a dense, orderly mass.
The front row featured Hyotei's formidable starting lineup, the second row held the semi-starters, and behind them were the regular members. Their grey and white team uniforms stood neatly arranged in the sunlight, tennis rackets resting at their feet, awaiting today's training schedule.
Sakaki Taro stood at the front, his posture impeccable, wearing his signature three-piece suit. Atobe, standing next to him, slightly stepped aside to make room for him.
Wang Yueling walked forward slowly.
He was wearing the regular uniform of the Hyotei tennis team.
The gray-white jacket was zipped up to his chest, revealing a gray-white and black polo shirt underneath, with a neatly trimmed collar. His blond hair gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, and his azure eyes were half-closed. His posture was languid and casual, yet he exuded an air of composed authority.
Instead of joining the regular lineup, Mochizuki Ryo stood directly between Sakaki Taro and Atobe.
More than two hundred eyes in the room suddenly focused on him.
The news has spread throughout the official group chat today that Mochizuki Ryo has joined the tennis club. Most of the ordinary members also know the news, but they just assume that the new rich kid is just going through the motions and getting a spot in the club through connections, and no one cares.
But... not everyone can wear the starting team uniform.
Hyotei University has very strict rules; only those who win the school's ranking tournament or successfully challenge a regular player can wear this uniform.
Wang Yueling clearly did neither.
The questioning gazes were like needles piercing their hearts, and the members in the back row began to whisper among themselves.
"Why is he wearing the starting team uniform? Didn't he just join the tennis club?"
"I don't know, maybe they're very strong?"
"Even the best players have to play in ranking tournaments, that's the rule."
"He got in through family connections, right? Isn't Manager Atobe going to do anything about it?"
……
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of those in the front row.
Mukahi Gakuto frowned, about to turn around and scold him, when Oshitari gently pressed his arm down.
Shinobu pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over Mochizuki Ryo. He had vaguely guessed yesterday that Atobe was going to give him a special position; it seemed he was going to directly give him a regular spot?!
Cilang, who was in a daze, instantly woke up. His round eyes stared at Wangyue Ling, his curly hair stood on end, and his face was full of curiosity.
Everyone in the first row heard it, and Wang Yueling naturally heard it too, but he didn't show any expression. He just put his hands in his pockets and stood there with a nonchalant air.
Atobe stood next to him, his expression not looking good.
He wasn't displeased by the whispers among his subordinates, but rather by the kind of impatience that comes with "you're questioning my decision." He took half a step forward, his gaze sweeping across the room, his voice not loud, but everyone could hear him clearly.
"Quiet."
The moment those two words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.
Atobe's authority at Hyotei didn't need to be based on shouting; his mere presence was enough to command respect.
Sakaki Taro took a step forward and raised his signature two fingers.
"Starting today, Mochizuki Ryo joins the tennis club. He is not a regular player, but an acting coach."
In short, it was like a missile hitting the field.
The entire room fell silent for two seconds.
Then things completely exploded.
Even the regulars in the front row were suddenly stunned.
Jiro's mouth gaped open enough to fit a tennis ball, his eyes widened, and he stared blankly at Mochizuki Ryo, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time: "Acting...acting coach?! Ryo, you're not a player...you're a coach?!"
Mukahi turned around and looked to the left and then to the right, with a look on his face that said, "Did I hear that right?"
Ootori Chotaro was also startled, his eyes widening as he whispered, "Machizuki-senpai, it's the substitute coach..."
Hiyoshi Wakashi tensed his jaw, the thought of "subordinates overthrowing superiors" flashing through his mind before he forcibly suppressed it.
Kabaji Takahiro stared blankly at Mochizuki Ryo, then honestly repeated, "Coach..."
Upon hearing this information, Shishido Ryo's pupils contracted, and his fingers tightened around his racket. When he was kicked off the starting lineup and desperately retraining, it was Mochizuki Ryo who enlightened him on the abandoned court. He respected Ryo's skill, but he never expected that Ryo would stand directly on the coach's bench.
Shinobu's eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses, his fingers hovering over the frame. He guessed that Mochizuki Ryo's strength was unfathomable, and he also knew that the white paper was extremely important. He thought that Ryo would appear as a regular or a potential regular.
But he never expected that Atobe and Sakaki Taro would directly offer him the position of acting coach.
He glanced at Atobe, then at Mochizuki Ryo, his feelings a mix of emotions. It wasn't that he was dissatisfied, but rather that the arrangement felt too sudden. Someone who had only been a transfer student for less than two weeks, with no official competition record, was suddenly appointed as a coach?
Even with immense strength, this is still...
He didn't think about it any further and decided to wait and see.
The reactions from ordinary staff members were even more direct.
"A substitute coach?! He's the same age as us! What's so special about that?"
"Are you kidding me? How can a middle school student be a coach?"
"Exactly! If the starting players can still challenge for a spot, how will the coach decide?"
……
The criticism was even louder than before, almost enough to overturn the entire school.
Wang Yueling lowered her eyes and chuckled softly, twirling a black marker she had pulled out from somewhere with her fingertips. Her posture was casual, but a hint of amusement flashed in her eyes.
Having lived two lives, I've seen everything from the Olympic Games and the Australian Open finals to the cheers of thousands and the media frenzy... What kind of grand scene haven't I witnessed?
The mere two hundred or so questioning gazes before him were hardly a warm-up for him.
Mon dieu. (Oh God!)
These young masters really have no patience at all.
Taro Sakaki raised his hand to signal for silence. His voice was deep and penetrating.
"I am responsible for daily training and tournament coordination, while Coach Mochizuki Ryodai is responsible for technical guidance, tactical arrangements, and training plan development. When I am not present, he is in full charge of all affairs of the tennis club."
Every sentence reinforces Wang Yueling's privileges.
The ordinary staff members turned pale upon hearing this.
This is no substitute coach, he's clearly the second head coach.
"Why should I?!"
A tall third-grade boy couldn't help but step out of the line, his face flushed, his tone full of indignation: "He has no competition results, no ranking, not even a single official match, so what makes him our coach?!"
Once someone takes the lead, others immediately follow suit.
"Exactly! When did Hyotei's coach become so casual?!"
"We refuse to accept this!"
Protests echoed throughout the stadium.
The faces of the regulars darkened slightly.
Atobe's eyes turned cold, and he was about to speak up in defense when Mochizuki Ryou gently raised her hand to stop him.
He stood there, relaxed, shoulders relaxed, a stark contrast to Atobe standing ramrod straight beside him. He didn't look like he was about to give a lecture; he looked more like he was sunbathing in his own backyard.
"It seems everyone has a lot of opinions."
A faint smile curved his lips, his emerald eyes devoid of any warmth as he slowly swept his gaze across the more than two hundred faces in the room.
"I know what you're thinking. You're the same age, have no competition record, and haven't gone through the proper procedures. What gives you the right to stand here and give me orders?"
He paused, his voice not loud, but every word was clear.
"There are many reasons, but it's a waste of time to explain them. Hyotei is a tennis club, not a high-society tea party. Let's settle tennis matters with tennis."
The room fell silent, and all eyes were on him.
Wang Yueling paused, her gaze sweeping across the entire room from left to right, unhurriedly.
"I heard that when Atobe was in first grade, he single-handedly defeated the entire tennis club to secure his position as captain."
He turned to look at Atobe, who had no expression, but proudly raised his chin slightly.
Wang Yueling looked away, amused, and continued speaking.
"I'm not that particular."
"Anyone who disagrees can come up and challenge me."
"Today, everyone... is welcome to challenge me."
"No time limit! No number of times! No number of participants!"
He paused, raised his chin, and with a lazy posture, the corners of his mouth curved into an extremely arrogant and dazzling smile.
"Given your skill level, it wouldn't make a difference if three of you came at once."
After he finished speaking, the stadium fell silent for two seconds.
Then, like a hornet's nest that had been poked, it exploded with a "buzzing" sound.
"That's outrageous!"
"Both of them at once? Who does he think he is?"
"Even a coach shouldn't talk like that!"
The members' faces were increasingly grim.
Most of the students at Hyotei University come from wealthy families and have been pampered since childhood, making them very arrogant. Now, being publicly provoked by their peers, their anger flared up instantly.
"I'll do it!"
The tall boy who had just led the shouting "Why?" was the first to grip his racket and step out of the line. He walked up to Wang Yueling and slung his racket over his shoulder.
"I'll see just how good you are."
Wang Yueling glanced at him, her expression unchanged, and simply nodded, casually pointing to the nearest court in a nonchalant tone.
"Alright. One game to decide the winner. If you can get one point from me, you win."
Even the regulars frowned when they heard this.
A small point? Not a game, not a point, but a small point.
This isn't just being arrogant; it's completely disregarding everyone.