"Yosen's up against Kachiyama, huh?"
Ogiwara mumbled, recalling the presence of one of the Generation of Miracles in Yosen High. He turned to Tsuna, who led the team with Nijimura and their coach by his side, asking, "...Captain, do you think Kachiyama has a shot against them?"
"I heard they've got an unbreakable defense with the Center from the Generation of Miracles on their team. So, I guess it'll be tough for Kachiyama to come out on top, right?"
Ishida added with a thoughtful expression, remembering how Yosen High dominated their region, leaving opponents unable to score a single point.
Nijimura also nodded at this as he spoke, "They're known as the Shield of Aegis, not just because of Murasakibara. Three of their players rank among the tallest in the Winter Cup, making it a real challenge for any team to score against such a lineup..."
These words garnered surprised expressions from everyone.
"Even without Atsushi in Yosen High, I don't think Kachiyama stands much of a chance. Having Atsushi is already a formidable advantage, so they should breeze through this match without much trouble..." Tsuna then opened his mouth and said, which made everyone nod in understanding.
"Wahaha! Didn't expect you to hold us in such high regard. Thanks, Fukuda Sogo's captain!"
Suddenly, laughter echoed, prompting every Fukuda Sogo player to turn and spot Yosen High strolling down the corridor.
All eyes were on the leader of Yosen, the source of the laughter. He has a robust figure with rough facial features, including a square head, a prominent jawbone, heavy sideburns, high cheekbones, a large nose, and thick eyebrows and lips. His black hair was short and spiky.
Tsuna observed him and smiled, saying, "Well, well, what a surprise..."
The individual then walked up to Tsuna as he extended a hand for a handshake, which Tsuna professionally accepted.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Kenichi Okamura, the captain of Yosen High!"
Okamura introduced himself, breaking into laughter once more. Tsuna reciprocated with a light smile, shaking his head.
"It's a pleasure on my end, too. I'm Tsunayoshi Kazama," Tsuna introduced himself in return.
Okamura praised Tsuna for their performance in the first round, saying, "You guys played an impressive game just now. Looking forward to meeting again in the next round!"
"The opening match should be like a walk in the park for you. Let's have a showdown in the upcoming round!"
Tsuna acknowledged Okamura's confidence with a nod and replied with a smile.
This time, Yosen High was up against Kachiyama High.
And if they managed to secure this victory, Fukuda Sogo would be their next challenge in the following round!
However, another tall guy strolled up to Tsuna and inquired, "Hey, Tsunachin, got any snacks on you?"
"You know I don't really eat snacks, don't you? Besides, I gotta stick to my diet," Tsuna replied as he shook his head.
Murasakibara, despite already holding a mountain of snacks in his arms, still seemed eager for more.
A sudden realization crossed Tsuna's mind, and he added, "Wait, my staff did restock my kitchen with snacks recently..."
"Really? Let's head to your place then," Murasakibara's eyes gleamed excitedly as he joined Tsuna's side.
"...I'm cool with it, but your buddies might have something to say," Tsuna said as he sighed in response to Murasakibara's request.
"Come on, Atsushi, we need to finish our first-round match before doing anything else," a calm voice intervened.
The speaker was a teen with a mole under his right eye. Murasakibara grumbled, "Why bother?"
The teen patiently explained the significance of the tournament, gradually pacifying Murasakibara. Tsuna observed the sulking giant from the sidelines, shaking his head at the scene.
"Hey, Tsuna, it's been a while..."
The greeting came unexpectedly from the teen, Tatsuya Himuro.
Tsuna offered a light smile, replying, "Yeah, Tatsuya. It has been a while. Your brother's game was impressive. I bet you were surprised, too, huh?"
Himuro's face briefly twisted in irritation at the mention of Kagami but swiftly reverted to his calm demeanor. Observing the subtle shift, Tsuna shook his head, thinking, "...Childish reactions."
Tsuna wasn't privy to the details of personal issues between them, but it was apparent that Himuro held some grudge against Kagami.
The Yosen High players, including Okamura, watched the scene with confusion, unaware of the connection between Fukuda Sogo's captain and Himuro. Their bewilderment intensified when a blond person unexpectedly embraced Himuro, nearly causing him to lose his balance.
Amidst the stares and whispers from the Yosen High team, Alexandra's excitement echoed, "Tatsuya! How have you been?"
Himuro, still maintaining his composure, responded with a plea for release, "Alex, could you please let me go..."
Himuro could only offer a helpless smile in response.
At the same time, the Yosen High players grew even more astonished by the unexpected arrival of a beautiful blonde foreigner who embraced one of their teammates.
"...Does he know our coach too?"
Mochizuki voiced his surprise, and the rest of Fukuda Sogo's team shared the same sentiment. While they were already taken aback by Tsuna's familiarity with one of Yosen High's players, the revelation of a connection with their coach added another layer of astonishment.
While Okamura scratched his head in confusion, he turned to Tsuna, expressing his surprise, "...I didn't know you were close with two of our players."
"Well, Atsushi and I were former classmates during my time studying in Teiko for a year..." Tsuna explained as he glanced at Alexandra, whose overly affectionate behavior made Himuro visibly uneasy.
He continued, "And Tatsuya used to be our coach's apprentice back in the US, so I got to know him through her..."
"...What?"
This time, not just Yosen High but Fukuda Sogo exclaimed in surprise upon learning that Alexandra was Himuro's mentor.
Okamura sighed at the information he had just received, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, we don't have all day since we have a match to catch. So why don't we walk together side by side while talking about stuff? You're going to leave the gymnasium, right?"
Tsuna nodded, "Sure..."
Okamura understood that meeting Fukuda Sogo here, out of all places, meant they were leaving the gymnasium.
Although it was disappointing that Fukuda Sogo didn't stay long enough to watch their match, considering Tsuna's high opinion of his team, Okamura felt good knowing that.
As they strolled through the corridor, the atmosphere among the Fukuda Sogo players shifted.
Conversations bubbled up, creating a lively environment, with Haizaki standing out due to his noticeable silence and a distinct air of annoyance surrounding him.
Kensuke Fukui, who was the shortest member of the Yosen High team, with ash-blond hair that loosely framed his face, observed Haizaki with a puzzled expression.
His thoughts echoed his confusion, wondering, "...This guy is a psycho or what?"
Ogiwara sensed Fukui's perplexity as he took the initiative to offer an explanation.
"Ahh, Haizaki is kind of an introvert. Don't mind him," he chuckled, attempting to downplay the Haizaki's peculiarity.
Fukui's gaze shifted between Haizaki and Ogiwara, skepticism etched on his features.
His conclusion lingered on a different interpretation, thinking, "...Introvert? More like antisocial, right?"
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