People in Tokyo, the world is clear

Chapter 117 Childish Happiness

The Tokyo Summer Table Tennis Championships is a table tennis tournament held in Tokyo, sponsored by the renowned sports brand Yasaka and organized by the Japan Table Tennis Association. Including this year's edition, it has a four-season history.

As an event that is not broadcast on television and will most likely not be recorded in later generations, the only thing worth mentioning is probably the decent prize pool.

However, due to the failure of local players in international competitions in recent years, the loss of audiences and the continued decline in the popularity of table tennis, the sponsorship motivation of financial sponsors has been greatly reduced.

According to insider rumors, the Yasaka Club's event management department has been disbanded, leaving only a part-time position responsible for coordination. It's likely that they'll wait and see for another year or two before concluding the event.

This is certainly not good news for the table tennis world.

But for the Japanese table tennis team, which is on the decline, this one blow of damage doesn't seem to matter.

The Table Tennis Association, which was so frustrated by the loss, no longer had the time to care about and coordinate these trivial commercial sponsorships.

At present, they are already using their traditional skills to gamble on the country's destiny, and are planning to place their bets on the upcoming Peninsula Olympics.

Under such pressure, this year is the most chaotic year for the association in recent years - internal transfers are frequent, and even a lot of data and information from that year have not been recorded in time.

The operation of many smaller summer tournaments was even more perfunctory. In previous years, the venues were at least carefully selected and announced early, but this year, the venues were not confirmed until a month before the start of the tournament.

This also resulted in the number of registrations for this tournament being the lowest in nearly a decade.

Maybe it means being able to break into the money rankings and pick up the prize money?

In fact, it is not that easy.

First, there's a metaphysical explanation. That is, in recent years, the players who have won this summer tournament have always finished either first or second in the next national tournament, the All Japan Championship.

Driven by this "rule", several top players have swallowed their pride and come to share the prize money with lower-level players - however, given the good relationship within the table tennis circle, the second and third-tier players do not have too many complaints.

Because there's an unwritten rule that's been in place since the very first competition: if the winning contestant is a recognized top-tier player, then after winning, they'll take out their prize money and treat everyone to a sumptuous farewell dinner nearby.

Even if it is a celebration party, we should also take care of the contestants who are struggling at the bottom.

People in the industry have jokingly called it a "relief meal," which is considered a recognition of this humanitarian concern.

But in Lin Sen's opinion, one of his juniors who signed up for the competition might not like the feeling of being "cared for".

First of all, he wasn't a sociable person—although he gained admirers in the Butterfly Youth Training Team, he made no friends at all. So much so that after leaving the team, he lost contact with the girls there.

Secondly, Ko Niwa is quite competitive.

I have the impression that sometimes the first reaction after losing a game is not to follow etiquette and run to shake hands, but to stand still and unconsciously review the game.

This was once severely criticized by coach Ms. Matsuzaki - the long-standing tradition in the international table tennis community is to show respect to opponents, and it is considered one of the best circles that puts friendship first.

As a young athlete, Matsuzaki was one of the athletes who best embodied this spirit. Regardless of victory or defeat, cheers or boos, she always wore a smile, conveying her love for the sport to everyone.

Therefore, the coach believed that carrying that refusal to admit defeat into the aftermath of the match, whether intentional or not, was impolite. For this reason, she often frowned and harshly reprimanded the high school girl she was coaching.

It's not that Niwa doesn't understand these social conventions. It's just that she gets so caught up in the competition that she often doesn't react quickly enough.

You have to take it slow, everything.

Thinking of this, Lin Sen, who was sitting by the window of the cafe, put down the latest issue of the sports magazine that he had flipped to the last page, and frowned at the full-length photo of an athlete on it.

"But I'm not that pessimistic. At least, this is probably the toughest opponent in the entire tournament. I feel like everyone else has a chance."

The person in question is a female table tennis player who has been in very good form recently and is one of the favorites to win the next All Japan Championships.

To borrow the comments from the magazine, he is a master of loop balls, with solid basic skills, excellent techniques, tactics and physical strength, and a very stable mentality.

There's also a hexagram diagram on the side as an intuitive auxiliary explanation - I have to say, this kind of somewhat childish attribute panel is a traditional art in Japanese culture.

I can't help but think of the classic Stand User Hexagonal Cutscene in the later Jojo comics, and the Empire Destroyer Dragon who was evaluated on the spot on a TV show as a flawless hexagonal warrior.

I suddenly became interested and took out a piece of white paper from my bag and started doodling.

If you want to equip your own little Niwa with a panel...

Basic skills...this is very difficult, I give it a C.

In terms of skills and tactics, it is average, with quite a few cool little tricks, so I give it an A.

The experience is quite insufficient, and C is just a forced acceptance.

The speed is actually quite good, with twists and pulls on the stage and big steps outside the stage. It is not an exaggeration to give it an A.

The strength column is a bit bad when physical strength is included, and it can't be more than B.

As for the final defense...it should also be around B?

After analyzing each point one by one and comparing it with the one in the magazine, I couldn't help but frown.

Does that mean we are completely surrounded by them?

Suddenly I felt a little unwilling to accept it, like an older brother who was unwilling to let his younger sister fall behind others.

In his reluctance, he came up with a quick idea, and suddenly he had a flash of inspiration. He scribbled out a new dimension:

Growth potential: Absolute!

Now, it’s the low-end Platinum Star.

Isn’t it here?

He immediately smiled happily and followed the magazine to draw a cartoon version of a short-haired high school girl and drew a heart on it.

Feeling something was wrong again, he quickly added a thumbs-up next to the pattern.

I nodded in satisfaction, then I heard a sullen voice coming from the side:

"How old?"

"Twenty-year-old."

The childish behavior was exposed on the spot, but it was not embarrassing.

The man, whose face could go head-to-head with Diamond Joz, raised his head and stared at the girl sitting opposite him, adjusting her glasses.

"You're a bit like the stupid boy in my class when I was in junior high school."

She was merciless in her remarks, "She scribbled all over the textbooks every day, painting mustaches on the characters without beards and giving full beards to the characters with beards, and then she shouted and gloated about it."

“It’s all a process.”

"So Mr. Itsuki still hasn't fully grown his hair? My classmates in first year high school weren't that immature. The things we wrote and drew in class have become love letters."

"I feel like, for Ms. Yukiko, it's probably better to watch people entertain themselves than to watch them write love letters to her."

"I don't deny that."

Yukiko sighed. "I've tried my best to be less noticeable. I wear glasses and maintain my shy persona, but those boys are still incredibly eager. Every time after gym class, my desk is stuffed with cheap snacks from who knows where. Even throwing them in the trash doesn't help."

"That's what teenage boys are like."

"Can't you release your overflowing hormones on other more outgoing girls?"

"You don't understand. At this stage in high school, boys like the shy glasses girl you pretend to be, who blushes when teased. It gives them the greatest sense of protection and accomplishment. The tigress who chases people with gnashing teeth is actually unpopular."

"Indeed, people have to change with their environment."

Yukiko pushed her glasses up again. "Middle school kids love to flirt with girls who explode at the slightest touch. They chase each other around, and even touch the bra straps on the backs of their school uniforms every day during class."

"Have you ever been harassed like this?" Lin Sen was a little curious.

"Thanks to this disguise I've been wearing since elementary school, not yet. It's a shame when I think about it. I also wanted to know if the delinquent junior high school students who got stopped by the Yakuza on their way home from school would actually wet their pants."

"That's a statement that really suits your style."

Yukiko is quite talkative to acquaintances who can tear off her mask.

After a few words, the topic even veered into a personal direction:

"Come to think of it, men with a bit of a social air are definitely more interesting. My peers in the class all look like subhumans with underdeveloped brains."

"It's not a good thing to mature too early. You will lose a lot of happiness like you are doing now."

"I don't think being young and naive is that great. I actually prefer a more mature state, including when it comes to choosing a future partner. From what I've heard from some college students I've met, I'm a bit of a "middle-aged man" type."

"Wow." Lin Sen glanced at a thin, middle-aged male customer next to him and said with his eyes, "This kind? You look a bit scary."

"Not really. If I had to say, it's you."

"Huh? Bro, can this be considered an uncle?"

"I'm sixteen years old. My current life plan is to fall in love and have children around the age of twenty-three. By then, someone like Itsuki would be in his thirties. If I were to speculate based on how things would play out by then, I would definitely be into older men."

"Can you still prepare for a rainy day like this?"

"I'm curious what you'll look like when you're thirty." Yukiko lifted her chin and looked over. "First of all, your eyes will probably be calmer, not as bright and lively as they are now. You might even grow a little beard... but not too long, or I'll find it dirty."

"The show is here. It's made to look like the real thing."

"If Mr. Goki is worried that my skin won't be as good as it is now, or that I won't be as cute as I am now, you can ask me to get on the bus early."

"I have no interest in minors."

"The current legal age for women to marry is sixteen. I'm already an adult."

"I'm sorry, I'm married."

"Given Sasagawa Rio's timid nature, she probably wouldn't dare to resist me. If the time comes, I'll just need to threaten her with something like 'You don't want your husband either,' and she'll probably give in."

"?"

"When the time comes, there will be some more humiliating ways to play. For example, call her aside and praise you at the same time... I'm sure her expression will be very interesting then."

"You're really a bit perverted."

"Would you like to try what I say? Who knows, you might like the sight of your lovely wife crying and cleaning up the mess for us afterwards."

"If I agree, then when the time comes, those guys will show up and take me down."

Lin Sen pointed out the window at a black luxury car at the far end of the road.

Then the girl's eyes under the glasses were stunned:

"This time, you actually discovered it."

"People can improve. Also, don't make jokes about my wife next time."

Lin Sen's face turned stern. "She's a good woman. It's not for Miss Yukiko to judge."

"That's true. Even that quirky literary award my elders used to give me when I was little received a letter of recommendation from her this year. The writing is neat and beautiful, and the wording is much more serious than all the self-recommendations from all the other contributors combined. I have to say, this woman really loves you."

"..."

"That's the expression... I finally saw it."

Yukiko's lips suddenly curled up like a little devil, and she looked over, holding her face. "It's really interesting to see how ordinary people fall for vulgar love. It seems that even writers who never write about adult content in their books are not immune."

"You are so detached."

"Are you anxious? Are you anxious, anxious, anxious?"

"That's so classic. I've made you laugh and won."

"But if you ask me, women like her generally don't have a good ending. Human nature is evil. If you put too much heart into someone, there's a high probability that they'll be played with and discarded."

"."

Lin Sen closed his eyes and did not respond to the comment someone had made about the flamingo again, leaving only a slight annoyance on his face.

Then, the kid laughed softly:

"But I can only say the old saying: Foolish people have good fortune."

"."

"What a shame! I'm kind of looking forward to seeing this silly woman get abandoned. I wonder if she'll just silently endure it, not only never hating you in her heart, but even trying to make amends for you... It's an interesting experiment in human nature."

"."

"..."

"."

"I'm sorry." The bespectacled girl, sensing something was amiss, quickly slid to her knees. "Children speak without restraint. As an immature teenager, I made inappropriate comments about your wife... I hope Mr. Itsuki will be magnanimous and not make a fuss about a child."

"Are you admitting now that you're still a brat?"

Lin Sen opened his eyes. "Where is the maturity and foresight that you are so proud of?"

"Sorry. It's probably just a girl's jealous nature. Is it really envy and hatred that you're picking on her like this?"