Restricted Lovers [Complete] - 15

Episode 5, Chapter 5: Beach Volleyball Match

"Do you want some?" Ash asked.

I turned around and saw that his cup was empty, and the bread was nowhere to be found—it was probably already in his stomach!

"Is it okay?" Yin You said apologetically.

"It doesn't matter." Ash picked up the remaining food, swallowed the bread swiftly, then tilted his head back and gulped down the bitter tea in one go, as if it were plain water, without even frowning.

"Group 16 passes! Time: 4 minutes and 10 seconds!" the staff announced.

"We can't lose either!"

Seeing this, Fei Yue immediately poured the two cups of bitter tea into one, drank it down in one gulp with great bravado, then placed the empty cup stylishly on the table and raised her hand, saying, "This side is finished too!"

The brown-haired woman walked over and poured half a cup into the cup.

"It was fast, but a lot of it spilled out. Trying to cheat is not allowed!"

"What..." Fei Yue looked at the newly added liquid with a look of nausea.

"Please come this way."

The staff led Ash and Yin You to the beach.

"Smashing watermelons is simple and fun! One person is blindfolded and hits the watermelons with a baseball bat, while the other person points out the correct spot. Each watermelon broken earns fifty bonus points, and the hitter has five chances to miss; the watermelon must be split in at least two halves, surface cracks don't count!"

"One more thing," another staff member wearing a watermelon hat said, "because there are limited watermelons, each group can only hit a maximum of four watermelons, with a maximum bonus of two hundred points."

"Alright, so who will hit the watermelons now?"

the first staff member asked, then answered himself, "The boys should do it! Boys are stronger, so it's easier for them to break the watermelons. Girls are more meticulous, so they're perfect as guides. What do you think?"

"I'll do it!" Ash picked up the cloth strip, blindfolded himself, took the baseball bat from the staff member, walked to the center of the watermelon patch, touched the ground with the bat, and got into position.

"Alright, ready—" Two staff members pushed Ash's shoulders, making him spin around a few times to confuse his sense of direction, before saying, "Let's begin!"

"Five steps forward, two steps to the right, then to the right again..." Yin You began to instruct.

"According to your pace..." I whispered from inside the black gauze bag, "Two o'clock, three steps;

five o'clock, one step; six o'clock, two steps; eleven o'clock, four steps."

As soon as I finished speaking, a gust of wind immediately whistled up, and the baseball bat instantly turned into several afterimages. Ash followed the bat, spinning around rapidly, "Bang!", "Bang!", "Bang!", "Bang!" Four sounds rang out, and in an instant, watermelon flesh flew everywhere, and watermelon juice spilled out.

"Thank you." Ash took off his blindfold and looked at the broken watermelon flesh on the ground.

"Twenty-one seconds! Two hundred bonus points!" The staff member, having taken a watermelon bath, opened his mouth wide.

Ash threw down the baseball bat.

"Where's the next level?"

"This is the underground city abandoned by dragons."

In the artificial lake castle in the southwest, we were led to a bright basement.

Outside the transparent walls, many colorful tropical fish swam in the lake, making the tourists seem like amusing trinkets confined in gas cylinders for the aquatic creatures to observe.

The basement was full of jacuzzi, steam rooms, medicinal spa pools, and a rare underwater hot spring. Upstairs were a gym, a food court, and a souvenir shop.

"Each group is required to rest for at least two hours. If you get hungry, you can go upstairs to eat. Please relax and relieve your fatigue here!" the staff member said, leaving us behind and returning to their posts. There were

quite a few people in the basement—due to the competition, some facilities were closed and only available to participants, and this castle, where a few non-participants could also enjoy themselves, was frighteningly crowded.

This kind of beauty and health center was naturally geared towards catering to women. Ash, who wasn't very interested, arranged a meeting place with Yin Yu and then went their separate ways, finding a bench in a quiet corner and meditating with his eyes closed.

Not long after, Feng Hua and Fei Yue arrived together, and the three of them chatted in the medicinal bath.

Yin You's first concern was about their quiz today.

"Professor Vance fell seriously ill and hurriedly asked the school for leave, so the quiz was postponed for a week. But Friday's class is fine, the quiz will still be held as scheduled, and Fei Yue and I have to go back this evening,"

Feng Hua said. "We originally didn't plan to come to Liangyue Island, but we received news that the Extreme Sports Club members were also here, and we don't know what their conspiracy is. Xiao Cheng said she had a bad feeling, and Fei Yue and I were worried that you might run into trouble, so we rushed over to check on you. Fortunately, nothing serious happened."

"But there are quite a few strange things. I observed a lot along the way, that person..." Fei Yue's suspicious gaze shot towards us.

She really did realize Ash's identity, didn't she?

“Ah, he’s a good person,” Yin You quickly chimed in, “My original teammate sprained his ankle on Tsukimi Island, so he had to temporarily team up with me.”

“Then why is he wearing a mask?” Fei Yue asked again.

This time, Feng Hua explained, “Perhaps he’s afraid the staff will recognize him as not Yin You’s original partner! But doesn’t that just draw more attention?”

“I think he might be…”

“What does it matter? He’s here to help Yin You!”

The two of them focused on Ash, chatting back and forth. I was worried that Ash might be unhappy when suddenly someone came over and patted him on the shoulder.

“Are you feeling unwell?” It was a young woman with an identification badge pinned to her chest. She probably noticed Ash sitting motionless in the chair and came over to check on him. Ash

opened his eyes and said, “I’m fine, I just wanted to rest here for a bit.”

“Why don’t you use the facilities here to relax?” the young woman asked again.

“Sorry, I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

“Oh, I see. Come with me!” The young woman smiled and led him to the men’s changing room.

Opposite the shower room was a row of open wooden cabinets, each containing men's swim trunks and swim caps of different sizes.

"These are disposable items. The material might not be the best, but they're very convenient. You can choose the right size to wear, and then throw them in the trash can when you leave. Don't just stand there watching others have fun! The joy of life comes from interaction and sharing; you can't always be passive," the young woman said, smiling again.

After the woman left, Ash remained seated in his chair, eyes closed, meditating.

Well, that's more like him!

But I think maybe he was tired! He must have swum from somewhere to Tsukimi Island, and then back to Suzutsuki Island. Most people would have collapsed on the ground, unable to move, by now.

"Ash, there's a dryer here. Why don't you dry your clothes here?" I suggested discreetly when no one was around.

"Sure,"

he thought for a moment, took a pair of swim trunks from the cabinet, and put me in a private locker next to him.

It's actually safer to hide here, so I sat quietly inside the cabinet and waited.

Not long after he went into the shower, an idea suddenly popped into my head. While he was changing, I quietly reached up and grabbed a pair of swim trunks, secretly hiding them in a mesh bag.

After a while, Ash, having removed his wet clothes, let me out as promised. We sat together on a chair, quietly listening to the dryer's rumble, killing time in a daze.

"Hey, Ash."

He looked like he was about to fall asleep. If he really did fall asleep, I wouldn't be able to do anything after the clothes dried, so I randomly thought of topics to start a conversation with him.

"Why did you want to join the extreme sports club?"

"It's a place where I can use my talents." He opened his eyelids slightly and answered simply, looking like he was about to fall asleep again.

"But, why a messenger?"

"Don't worry, I won't really fall asleep." He saw right through me.

...Was my intention that obvious?

I lowered my head in shame, abandoning those pointless questions. I wanted to apologize for what seemed like looking down on him, but he closed his eyes again.

Seeing him resting quietly, I couldn't fall asleep at all.

People came and went in the locker room, some puzzled by Ash's behavior, others approaching to show concern; but just before their fingers touched Ash, he would always open his eyes first, startling them.

After this happened several times, no one disturbed his rest anymore.

Ash didn't make my worries come true. When the time came, he stood up again, took his dried clothes from the dryer, went into the shower to change, and went with me to keep our appointment with Yin You.

The final match, the beach volleyball game.

"Number 317." According to the current rankings, Yin You drew the first draw number.

"It's us!" Feng Hua raised her right hand and immediately went to register.

"Although it's two groups forming a team, since the number of people in each group may not be the same, the number of players will vary from four to six," Fei Yue pondered.

"What does it matter? The organizers are typical luck-based thinkers. As long as you're strong enough, the number of people doesn't matter at all. But over there..."

Feng Hua helplessly pointed to the next table.

"Number 44." The paparazzi waved the slip of paper in his hand and smiled, "Darling, this must be the so-called entanglement of fate!"

"Impossible!" Rose Girl glared and gritted her teeth, "You must have tampered with the slip!"

"I think it's due to a powerful will. The so-called 'where there's a will, there's a way' is exactly what this incredible situation is about, isn't it?"

...Don't just throw around any idiom!

"Stop trying to flatter yourself, I absolutely refuse to accept this result!" Rose Girl snatched the slip of paper and tore it into pieces.

Seeing this, the staff immediately stopped her, "Miss, you can't do that..."

"What will happen if I do that!" Rose Girl glared back, silencing the other person.

"It doesn't matter, anyway, they're both very strong, forming a team would be perfect... Ouch!"

Rose Girl immediately showed the staff the consequences of being talkative. The delinquent boy clutched his chest where he had been elbowed, bending over in pain.

“Those two groups are still the same as always, bickering wherever they go. It’s amazing they never get tired of it,” Feng Hua shook her head. “They’re like irritable cats being toyed with and losing their bearings!”

“Why don’t you draw a lot?” The paparazzi pushed the lottery box in front of Rose Girl.

“I’d do it even without you saying so!” Rose Girl, seeing the paparazzi’s confident smile, carefully mixed all the lottery papers before drawing one.

“Can I look with you?” The paparazzi’s shamelessness remained undiminished.

“It can’t be you,” Rose Girl said sarcastically, unconcernedly unfolding the lottery paper: “Number 43, that’s my real teammate. You can go cool off somewhere else! Number 43?”

The paparazzi was still smiling.

Rose Girl jumped up, the lottery paper almost touching her face. Deeply shocked, she stared at the number on the paper, her voice trembling as she said, "How could this be!"

"It's destiny. I told you, the red thread of fate has long bound us together." The paparazzi affectionately put his arm around her shoulder, seemingly lost in a melodramatic youth romance.

"Shut up! You're spreading bad luck everywhere, get lost!" The Rose Girl jumped back, angrily tearing the paper into pieces.

"Numbers 43 and 44, team one." But the staff had already grouped them together.

"I won't agree!" The Rose Girl slammed her fist on the table.

"This has nothing to do with the groups' wishes." The staff ignored her.

"Alright, Yingying, for the sake of victory, let's build some rapport first!" The paparazzi forcefully grabbed the Rose Girl's shoulders, dragging her aside to prevent her from hogging the seats in the back of the line.

"Sorry, I scared you." The delinquent bowed apologetically to the staff.

"Let go of me! Who's building rapport with you?!" The Rose Girl struggled.

“We’re all on the same side now. Since there’s no longer any conflict, why not put aside our differences for the time being, become allies, and work together?” said the paparazzi.

“I just don’t want to!” Rose Girl kept throwing punches backward, but the paparazzi dodged them with an air of knowing the way.

“There’s bound to be a good show to watch later.” Feng Hua shrugged helplessly. “Or should I say it’s damaging to the reputation of Saifeier Academy? I feel a little ashamed to be in the same school as them…”

Soon, everyone had drawn lots and been assigned to groups.

The competition adopted a single-elimination format. Generally speaking, beach volleyball should be a two-person team competition, which is more interesting.

However, due to time constraints and the large number of remaining teams, the rules were slightly modified, and the remaining sixty-odd teams were divided into thirty-odd teams to compete for the championship. After the competition, the organizers will distribute bonuses according to the rankings of each group.

Since the bonus rewards are distributed in a geometric progression, this can be said to be the last chance for the underdogs to turn the tide, and every team is full of fighting spirit.

There are four volleyball courts, which can accommodate sixteen teams at a time.

In this way, the round-robin tournament will proceed very quickly.

"Court 1, Team 56 vs. Team 21; Court 2, Team 17 vs. Team 32;

Court 3, Team 76 vs. Team 200; Court 4, Team 43 vs. Team 16."

The referees for each court were in place, and the staff called out the names.

"What a coincidence, I didn't expect to be drawn in the first match!" Fei Yue rubbed her hands together, eager for the game.

Each team's players needed to be numbered and put on their jerseys. Fei Yue was number one, Feng Hua was number two, and Yin You and Ashu were number three and four respectively. Entering Court 4, the Rose Girls and the Peeping Toms were already in position, but the atmosphere between the two groups, positioned to the left and right, was anything but normal.

"It's an honor to be your opponent!" The Peeping Toms walked to the net and extended his right hand in a friendly manner.

Fei Yue made no attempt to hide her dislike for him.

But Feng Hua, with a diplomatic smile, stepped forward and shook hands with the Peeping Toms: "...Likewise."

"Please don't hold back, even if you're eliminated, give it your all," the Peeping Toms said.

"Not at all, that's when we need you to show your strength. I hope that even if there's no next match, you won't leave any regrets," Feng Hua said with a smile.

The two of them were still smiling, but I felt a chill run down my spine.

After the greetings, it was time to toss a coin to decide who would serve. The captains of both teams stepped forward. Our team had Fei Yue, and the team with the paparazzi had sent out Rose Girl.

The referee flicked the ten-yuan coin upwards, and the moment it landed on the back of his left hand, he immediately covered it with his right hand.

Who had the first turn to toss the coin?

"Heads!" Rose Girl shouted.

"No, it's tails," Fei Yue said with absolute certainty.

Feng Hua, who had been deprived of her turn and was about to protest, stopped herself when she saw Fei Yue's reaction.

"Hmph, trying to outdo Fei Yue in dynamic vision?" she said softly but confidently.

"Really?" I asked Ashu quietly.

"That girl's eyes are amazing."

It seemed that Ashu could see very clearly as well.

"Team sixteen's ball."

Sure enough, Fei Yue's "guess" was correct, and the referee awarded the ball to our team.

"Serving order, you go first." Feng Hua handed the ball to Fei Yue.

Fei Yue tossed the ball straight up, her right palm raised high behind her, her body arching back in a beautiful bow shape.

"Bang!" The ball shot out, powerfully flying over the net, over the net, over the net, over the net…

after flying over the net four times, the ball finally fell and hit a player from Team 56 on the first court, striking him in the head.

"Idiot, too much force!" Feng Hua exclaimed.

"It's always hard to control the force on the first ball!" Fei Yue said, handing her the second ball with a hint of grievance. "Here, your turn."

"Let me show you what a proper serve looks like!" Feng Hua held the ball in her left hand, lowering her center of gravity, her right hand half-clenched into a fist, swinging her arm backward.

"Watch closely!" she said confidently.

"Whoosh!" The ball drew a beautiful arc, soaring high before falling!

"Bang!"

"Ouch... which idiot served that ball!" The tallest and strongest man from Team 76 turned around and roared.

Feng Hua's ball not only blocked his view instantly, but also deflected a smash that he could have received. Not only did his team lose a point, but the rebounding ball from Feng Hua hit him in the nose.

"Ah, sorry! I served that ball!"

Fei Yue, pushed in front of Feng Hua, quickly put on an apologetic smile and said, "It was a slip of the hand, I'm really sorry..."

Perhaps seeing that Fei Yue was a beauty, and that his teammates Feng Hua and Yin You were both pretty, "Hmph, never mind!" The burly man turned his head away easily, his huff softening considerably.

"Phew..." Feng Hua gently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "Practice makes perfect! Volleyball is such a difficult game..."

"Haven't you ever actually played it?" Fei Yue asked.

"Let bygones be bygones!" Feng Hua made the sign of the cross and passed the third ball to Yin You.

Go for it! This is the last chance!

I nervously watched Yin You, who conservatively served with a low hand, just like Feng Hua, tossing the ball over the net.

The ball hit the net weakly, and the serve failed.

"Team Sixteen failed to serve, change sides!" the referee announced.

"We have four people here, why are we only allowed three serving opportunities? How stingy!" Fei Yue protested.

"Never mind, that's how the rules are. Who told us our serves to either go out of bounds or not cross the line?"

Feng Hua was indeed a reasonable person. "It's just a pity to lose the right to serve for nothing."

Isn't that all thanks to you guys? If Ash had served, we would have succeeded long ago! I thought to myself.

"I accept your kindness!" After three consecutive errors, the Rose Girl took the ball and sneered.

Sigh, "friend" and "enemy" are two different words on paper, but writing them is not easy.

Before, during the fun competition, we were barely considered on the same side. Her anger, which was always in a state of explosion, seemed to have spirit and personality. But now that we are enemies, even her smile is a bit glaring.

What changed wasn't her, but people's sense of belonging. Just this small shift in perspective turned appreciation into prejudice; the changes in people's hearts are truly terrifying.

"Yingying, go for it! Let them see your strength! I believe in you!" The pervert shamelessly clung to her like a leech.

"Don't come near me!" the Rose Girl exploded. "Your defensive zone is on the left, Nengyuan and I are on the right. Don't cross the line, don't violate the boundaries, and don't touch me! Otherwise, I guarantee your head won't be on the same flight back home!"

"We're all on the same side, why be so fierce..."

"The last thing I want in my life is to be on your side!"

She kicked the pervert in the face. "I don't need your encouragement or belief, I can do it myself...

Where are you touching?" Her expression changed, stopping the pervert's hand that was roaming her thigh. She threw the ball heavily at the pervert's face with her right hand and stormed off to the sidelines in a rage.

The delinquent asked, bewildered, "Yingying, where are you going?"

"I don't want to play anymore! Being grouped with that mentally unstable freak was a huge mistake!"

"Vice President, couples should get along well. I'm really looking forward to this game!" A finally couldn't help but say.

"Who's his wife?!" A coconut came flying at him.

"Okay!" The paparazzi slapped his forehead, turning to soothe his manic-depressive "fiancée": "It's all my fault, please come back soon!" "

Don't use those TV drama lines where the husband bows to the wife to apologize!" Another roar.

"Alright, stop being so stubborn!"

"Who's being stubborn?!" The rose girl angrily pulled at her hair and clothes, "Who's to blame for me becoming like this?"

"You're beautiful!" The paparazzi looked fascinated.

"...Forget it! Talking to a humanoid creature with the intelligence of a worm, even if you talk until dawn, it won't have any effect!" The rose girl, overwhelmed with anger, gave up on responding and prepared to forfeit without hesitation.

"Are you just going to run away with your tail between your legs like this?"

This provocation made the footsteps, which hadn't intended to stop, react.

"What did you say!"

"How about another bet?" The paparazzi, like a devil setting a trap, said, "If you team up with me to defeat Team Sixteen, I'll let you punch me, how about that?"

"I remember hearing a saying," the Rose Girl turned and sneered, "There are no eternal enemies in the world, fine! You've manipulated me so many times, this time it's my turn to take advantage of you!"

The paparazzi laughed along, unsure whether he was laughing at being used or at the Rose Girl for using him on his behalf.

Returning to her original position, the Rose Girl picked up the ball again, tossed it high, and served!

"...A serious woman is the most beautiful, right, Awei?" The paparazzi continued his dazed look.

"Take it easy! Take it easy!" the delinquent shouted the moment the Rose Girl hit the ball.

"Feiyue, don't catch it! That ball is definitely out of bounds!" Fenghua pressed down on Feiyue's shoulder, preventing her from jumping.

The ball flew over the net, flying and flying, until it succumbed to gravity.

The landing point was far away!

"Beep—out of bounds!" the referee announced.

"Wh...what?" The rose girl herself seemed a little dumbfounded.

"Experts need to pay attention to their power when serving...didn't I just say to hold back?" the delinquent muttered, but the rose girl, like a tyrant who wouldn't listen to advice, shoved the second ball into his arms.

"Your turn next!"

"Oh...yes!"

"Great, going to serve the enemy team..." Just as the delinquent was about to serve, Fenghua suddenly crossed his arms and said sarcastically, "You, who failed to make a move on Xiaocheng, are really birds of a feather with those lustful perverts from the extreme sports club!"

"I never thought...about making a move on Xiaocheng!" the delinquent denied excitedly.

"You idiot, she's playing mind games! How could you be so easily swayed! Hurry up and serve!" Rose Girl commanded.

"Yes..."

It seems the dictator standing right next to you is quite terrifying. The delinquent dared not hesitate and immediately raised the ball, ready to serve.

"Sigh, if Xiao Cheng knew you'd sided with the extreme sports club she hates, she'd be heartbroken..." Feng Hua's timely sigh caused the delinquent to lose his grip, and a perfectly good shot ended up in the net.

"Heh, it's so easy to understand the hearts of young people!" Feng Hua laughed.

I looked down and, as if seeing things, saw a devil's tail swaying behind Feng Hua.

"Damn it, you despicable guy!" Rose Girl clenched her fist angrily.

But Feng Hua raised her index finger, pointing at the voyeur: "When it comes to being despicable, have I ever beaten him?"

Rose Girl was stunned, turning her head to look at the smiling werewolf beside her, then suddenly lowered her head and sighed heavily: "You're right, I misspoke!"

"Yingying! Why are you saying that too?" The voyeur looked heartbroken.

"Because it's the truth... But!" Rose Girl suddenly raised her head, her eyes blazing with anger: "I also have my reasons for winning, and I won't just hand over my chance to advance to you for nothing! And..."

She pointed, and it was at me... no, at Ashu!

"I don't think that masked man is a simple character either! He smells like a familiar sewer, is fighting fire with fire your strategy?"

Wow... impressive! As expected of a victim who hates the extreme sports club to the extreme, "long-term deception makes one a good detective," she actually saw through Ashu's identity!

Ashu, who was publicly humiliated and I was afraid he would turn around and leave, remained silent.

"Women and petty men are hard to deal with, Vice President, are you really planning to take care of 'her'?" A whispered to the voyeur, her voice so soft that everyone could hear, whether unintentionally or deliberately.

"You've quoted the wrong saying, Yingying is neither female nor tall..." Before the voyeur could finish, a volleyball hit him on the back of the head.

"Since you know my gender, stop doing these sexual harassing things to me!"

"Serve invalid!"

"Shut up!"

The referee's whistle seemed to snap Rose Girl's rational nerves. She put one hand on her hip and suddenly declared war: "The focus now is on the outcome of our two teams' match. No matter what kind of trash the players are, this is a beach volleyball match, so personal grudges have to be put aside for now!"

"The focus is?" Feng Hua was getting sleepy.

"Keeping the ball around won't get us anywhere, and it'll only make other teams look down on us!" Rose Girl said, "It's all because of this ball!"

...What did the ball do wrong?

"So?" Feng Hua yawned rather rudely.

"Hmph... volleyball is nothing!" Rose Girl suddenly had a green fruit in her hand. "How about we use coconuts as balls to decide the winner?"

The paparazzi and A blindly clapped in support.

"Okay! What's the problem?" Feng Hua and Fei Yue looked indifferent.

"Please don't ignore the rules and switch balls arbitrarily!" The referee blew his whistle loudly, but his authority was ignored.

"This is outrageous! Getting hit by a coconut could really kill someone!" I said.

Why does a perfectly good volleyball match have to end up with a life-or-death situation?!

"Both captains have agreed." I didn't expect Ash to say that.

"But, Yin You and Feng Hua are just ordinary people!"

"I'll keep an eye on them."

Okay... fine, since he said so, I can only believe in Ash's power.

"Then our side will serve first!" Rose Girl handed the "ball" to the paparazzi, which displeased Fei Yue.

"That won't do! You guys served three times too!"

"But I'm not number three. Serving only counts if the order is right, right?"

"That's a foul!" Feng Hua immediately countered with her sophistry, but then changed her tune, "Fine, I'll let you serve first, but only this once."

"Feng Hua!" Fei Yue called out.

"That's a coconut, it won't be that easy. I doubt they can beat it." Feng Hua said, seemingly calculating.

"But..."

"Listen carefully, when Ryan serves, you need to pay close attention to how much force he uses and how far the ball flies. When it's our turn, if the masked man can't beat the ball, you'll be the second hitter. You have to get the ball into the enemy's territory no matter what, understand?"

"Yes." Fei Yue finally gave in.

"You guys better prepare!" Rose Girl declared recklessly, but then the stalker tossed the coconut into the air. The coconut flew over the net and landed in our court, but no one reached out to stop it.

"Great, we scored a point!" the voyeur exclaimed boastfully.

"Foul," the referee said.

"You idiot!" Rose Girl angrily grabbed the voyeur's jersey. "Don't you even know you can't throw the ball?!"

"Oh, why?" the voyeur asked blankly.

"You..." Rose Girl, as if desperately suppressing the urge to bite the voyeur's carotid artery, said, word by word, "Because...this...is...the...rule!"

"There's always some reason behind rules, right?" the voyeur asked eagerly.

"..."

"Beep! Switch sides to serve." Seeing Rose Girl about to lose her temper, the referee, who had given up trying to persuade us to switch back to normal volleyball, quickly said.

"Fine, since you're still useful!" Rose Girl finally swallowed her anger.

Episode 5, Chapter 6: The Final Victory

. The ball finally fell into Ash's hands.

The coconut was heavy and inelastic, and Ash was sure he could launch it with his strength. However, the coconut wasn't perfectly round, so if he wasn't careful with his strength, it could easily veer off course. Thinking of this, I asked with some concern, "Ash, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation or wavering in his voice. As he answered, the coconut flew out beautifully.

Not only was the arc beautiful, but the power and direction were also flawless, just like the serving posture of international players in Olympic competitions—completely impeccable.

I watched the moment of the serve very closely.

Ash's arm didn't have any bulging muscles, not like he was hitting the ball with force, but the coconut definitely flew forward, light as if it were weightless, like just a green inflated balloon, yet carrying an undeniable sharpness.

The ball flew straight towards the delinquent, without any fancy moves, but it wasn't a real ball, it was a coconut.

Fear filled the delinquent's face, and just before the ball made contact, he suddenly pulled his hand back, taking a big step backward.

The coconut landed straight on the beach.

Our team finally broke the deadlock.

"What the hell are you doing!" Rose Girl grabbed the delinquent's jersey and yelled in his ear, her violence rivaling that of the pretty landlady. "Why didn't you catch such a simple straight ball? Have you ever played volleyball? Even if you haven't, you must have seen it!"

"I know, but..." The delinquent pointed tremblingly at the coconut half-buried in the sand, "That's a coconut! If you try to catch it, you'll break your arm!"

The rose girl coldly replied, "So what if you break your arm? Even if you break your arm, you still have to catch it! This is a competition. If you're not prepared to risk your life, do you even think you have a chance to win?"

"But...but..." The delinquent gasped for breath.

"Do you have any other objections?"

"No...I wouldn't dare..."

...The weaklings who succumb to tyranny are truly pitiful.

Next, it was Scarlet Moon's turn to serve. With Ash's "demonstration," she effortlessly blasted the coconut into the opponent's court, where the rose girl was responsible for defense on the right.

The rose girl fearlessly stepped forward, and the delinquent was momentarily stunned, failing to grab her in time.

"Yingying, this is too dangerous!"

"Dangerous my foot!" The rose girl snorted and jumped up, raising her hands to her forehead and gently lifting the coconut, sending it over the net.

"Hmph, different balls require different techniques, who says you have to go head-to-head..."

"Bang!"

Before she could finish speaking, a green streak flashed past her ear with the force of a thunderbolt, hurtling swiftly towards the left side of the court.

It turned out that Scarlet Moon had anticipated the attack, waiting at the net. As soon as Coconut cleared the net, she immediately countered with a smash.

"Quick, defend!" Rose Girl shouted, turning sharply in mid-air.

Unfortunately, her teammates' reactions seemed to make her want to vomit blood—the sneaky player saw the trajectory of the ball and dodged immediately;

A, relying on her strong arms, tried to receive the shot head-on, but being physically strong doesn't mean being brainless. After a moment's assessment, seemingly intimidated by the destructive power of the high-speed Coconut, she also withdrew in time and leaped towards safety.

Coconut landed without hindrance, and the second point was easily secured.

Rose Girl was furious, completely ignoring the ten pairs of eyes watching. She grabbed the photographer's jersey, dragged him in front of her, and yelled, "Tell me, what do you mean by this?"

The photographer, undeterred by the tyranny, argued, "The ball hit my face, I was afraid it would damage your future husband's reputation..."

"Stop rambling!" Rose Girl had no patience for his nonsense. "Even if you're disfigured, you have to catch it! Whether you're good-looking or bad-looking is none of my business. A game is a game, victory or defeat is everything!"

"Ugh, but the thought of getting beaten up after winning just doesn't motivate me..." the one who had initially proposed complained.

Rose Girl's face turned ashen.

"So, the bet on victory was just a trick to get me to team up with you?"

"Of course not, my feelings for you will always be genuine."

*Thump!*

"Score!"

The number on the scoreboard rose to three.

"Damn it, can't you let me finish speaking?!" Rose Girl finally snapped.

"There's no way around it, there's a time limit for serving!" Feng Hua, feigning a skilled serve but actually "pressing" the coconut

over the net, said innocently.

"..."

Perhaps lacking the energy to argue with both sides, the Rose Girl put the matter aside for now and went back to "coordinate" with the paparazzi.

"Okay, listen to me." She took a deep breath and said with a do-or-die attitude, "If we win this match, I'll treat you to a candlelight dinner."

"Really?" The paparazzi smiled, suddenly radiating an undeniably powerful aura.

"Only this once, if it weren't to make you stop looking so lifeless..."

"Thump!"

"Score!"

"Really... it worked!" Yin You looked at the coconut landing over the net, somewhat incredulous.

"Of course. Using this method, even people like us who aren't very strong can easily get the ball over the net; the only difficulty is overcoming the fear of being hit by the coconut." Having taught a "prodigy" who mastered the skill on the first try, Feng Hua, the "master teacher," couldn't help but feel proud.

"Hey you guys, can't you let someone finish speaking?!" The envious jealous one immediately protested loudly.

"We've been waiting so long we're almost asleep, who told you not to cut to the chase?" Feng Hua didn't take the accusations to heart at all and passed the ball to Ashu, who looked the most dangerous.

There was almost no doubt that the fifth point was in the bag, but Ashu's eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he was dissatisfied with something.

Was the coconut too hard, or was it too light for him, underestimating him?

I was about to ask when he leaped up, his chin above the net, before tossing the coconut into the air, gathering his strength in his palm, and launching it with full force towards the opponent's court.

The sneaky photographer's expression changed when he saw the coconut go over the net, and his legs immediately moved. He quickly lunged to the right, pushing the Rose Girl to the ground without hesitation. The two rolled a few times from the momentum of their sprint, just managing to avoid the deadly coconut.

The green ball crashed straight into the sand like a meteorite, creating a large crater and kicking up a misty rain of sand.

The depth of the sandpit sent chills down one's spine.

"Don't be so reckless, masked man." The voyeur, holding the Rose Girl, glared at us with predatory eyes. "You actually aimed the ball at a girl's face? Was that intentional? Don't you know a woman's face is her second life?"

Was it really intentional?

I looked at Ash uneasily. His eyes remained unchanged, devoid of any violent movement, still silent.

The difference was that his brow had relaxed.

"Who are you calling a woman!" The Rose Girl, who had been pinned beneath me, finally couldn't hold back any longer and bent her right knee, kicking the voyeur in the stomach with all her might.

No, she missed!

The voyeur, seemingly sent flying, had actually already cleverly leaped backward, avoiding the attack, and returned to his position.

"Five points, change sides!" the referee announced.

In the blink of an eye, five points had been scored from five serves, and a third of the match had been played. The first player to reach 15 points in a single game wins. Players switch sides every five points. After the two sides switched sides, Rose Girl seemed to realize she was far behind.

"We will never hold back again!"

... Such a shout sounded more like the mournful howl of a stray dog.

After two rounds, it was Scarlet Moon's turn to serve again. She served with her usual powerful serve over the net, but this time the reaction was different.

The voyeur and A, seemingly unfazed, reached out to catch the ball together; A, standing on the side, reacted slightly later than the voyeur, but he didn't mind giving him the chance.

When the coconut was halfway down, the voyeur's right wrist was already against the bottom of the shell, but the force seemed insufficient, and the coconut continued to fall.

Oh no, his hand!

I couldn't help but feel pain for him—such a hard coconut hitting him, even if it broke bones, would cause bruising.

However, something seemed off.

Feeling something was amiss, and not believing I was just being paranoid, I looked again and again.

Ah, that's it, his expression—he didn't look like he was in pain at all; his eyes even shone with confidence.

Could this be a pre-arranged scenario?

I looked more closely and realized that the perpetrator's right hand was only bracing against the bottom of the coconut. As the coconut sank, his hand gradually neutralized the force applied to it. The

coconut's falling speed slowed dramatically, and it was soon able to be lifted up. Ash anticipated this change and subtly altered his stance.

The one-sided situation was finally reversed, and the unilateral attack was about to break!

"Bang!"

An unexpected collision startled everyone.

Just as the perpetrator was about to turn the tables, he collided with the Rose Girl. This situation caught the perpetrator off guard, leaving his face filled with shock.

The Rose Girl deliberately bumped into the perpetrator? Was it retaliation for sexual harassment?

The Rose Girl also assumed a receiving stance, but her movement was a few seconds slower. However, she preemptively said, "Why are you taking my ball?"

I extended an imaginary line along the direction the coconut landed... Sure enough, the landing point was slightly to the right of the center; the perpetrator had crossed the line.

But since she had already received the ball, why fight over it?

In a fit of pique, Rose Girl stubbornly refused to back down, and the point she had been desperately trying to hold onto finally succumbed to their internal strife, leading her to jump off a cliff.

The scoreboard climbed to six-zero.

The serve was still firmly in their grasp, and Feng Hua seemed to have a wicked idea; her expression brightened. She served as usual, the ball moving slowly and gently, letting Coconut fall with the force of gravity.

Incredibly, Rose Girl and the paparazzi collided again—at the center line.

This…this was clearly a wicked scheme designed to turn them against each other!

But the devil's adaptability was not weak either; after two collisions, he became wary; the re-division of territory was incredibly precise, and finally, Yin You's serve was blocked by the paparazzi, allowing A to successfully counterattack.

The opposing team finally began to take it seriously; after losing the serve, Fei Yue and Feng Hua's morale instantly soared.

No matter what, Rose Girl was a strong contender, and the abilities of the Spying Man and A were extraordinary. Even with Ash and Scarlet Moon on our side, it was still quite difficult to fight back against the Avengers' all-out attack.

Before we knew it, the score was tied at 13-13, and the serve had changed hands several times.

Besides the huge cheering squad around us, some contestants who had finished their matches also gathered around. Perhaps because using a coconut as a ball was so novel, the number of spectators had only increased since the start of the match.

Due to the type of "ball," spectacular saves like diving were impossible, but the sheer force of the attacks still kept the audience on the edge of their seats, like we were filming an action movie.

"Ha!" At that moment, Scarlet Moon lifted the ball high, and Ash, perfectly timed, leaped up and delivered a precise kill.

14-13.

Rose Girl refused to give in, cooperating with the Spying Man to regain the serve.

"We won't give up easily!" Despite being drenched in sweat, Rose Girl remained fiercely determined.

"Yay, Miss! We're looking forward to your performance!" the men on the sidelines cheered.

"So noisy, a bunch of flies! Who's the woman here, you blind bastards!" Rose Girl said disdainfully.

"Don't be angry, we can't interfere with the audience's rights!" the paparazzi calmed her down, catching another ball. "But you, have you decided where to have your candlelight dinner?"

"Until victory is certain, everything is just talk." Rose Girl didn't want to make any premature pronouncements.

"I'll make it happen!"

"...They really have energy to spare." Scarlet Moon wiped her sweat.

"Yeah, they've been flirting all this time." After the offensive intensified, Feng Hua, who had pulled Yin You to the corner to play dodgeball and wait for the match to end, said.

"But we won't lose either. Just one more point, just one more point and we'll advance!"

Scarlet Moon was still full of energy.

“Be careful, we absolutely can’t let them tie the score again. If it’s 14 to 14, we’ll need to win by two more points to end the match,” Feng Hua said.

“Ah, Xiao Mo!”

Just as I stepped out the door, I ran into Yin You, and Feng Hua and Fei Yue also came out at the same time.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Fei Yue asked in surprise.

“You know him?” Feng Hua asked.

“Uh… didn’t we meet in the Central Garden last time? He’s also a student at Sefer Academy.” Fei Yue answered vaguely, seemingly avoiding mentioning the “accident” that led to our interaction.

“He’s my partner in the competition.” Yin You smiled, and then added, to make matters worse, “He’s also Xiao Cheng’s friend.”

“Friend?” Feng Hua looked at me with more suspicion.

“Yes, yes, we just haven’t seen each other much lately… haha.” I chuckled dryly.

Suddenly remembering that Ash was still in the restroom, and fearing he might hear something and come out to check, I quickly made up an excuse, saying, "I just got back from Tsukimi Island. What's all the commotion on the beach? There seem to be a few volleyball courts? Is that one of the checkpoints?"

"It's almost time for a break."

Prompted by my words, they indeed unconsciously moved towards the beach. Yin You, thinking I'd missed something, explained the rest of the process in detail.

"So you've made it to the finals?" Hearing her description, I feigned surprise, "In that case, considering the results of the previous rounds, first place is practically guaranteed!"

"But we don't know the actual points allocation yet; it might vary drastically," Yin You said. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "By the way, Mo, did you see the masked man?"

"Oh, him!" I said, using a pre-prepared excuse, "He said that since I'm back, his mission is complete, and besides, his team was already eliminated, so there's no point in him staying any longer, and he's going back."

The thought of Ash waiting unknowingly in the restroom made me feel incredibly guilty.

He helped me so much along the way, but in the end, it all ended in deception—my unexplained appearance on Tsukimi Island was already hard to explain, and now I've mysteriously disappeared; he's bound to be suspicious.

Actually, letting him take me back to Sefer Academy disguised as a massage stick was the best option; but if he visits other places along the way, there's no guarantee I can escape his side during the forced transformation.

Going with Oto might be more troublesome, but at least I can resolve this problem in a hotel or on a plane.

This constant deception and avoidance is truly exhausting.

I feel like I've spent half of my time on Earth lying. If my words and actions over these three months weren't detached from my past life, it's hard to say whether I'd be sentenced to Heaven or Hell.

"Aren't you going to stay and watch the match? It's the last match, and we owe our advancement to him. I haven't properly thanked him yet..." Yin You said regretfully.

"Yeah, it's a real shame we don't know his identity..." I looked away, taking the opportunity to indicate that I also didn't know the masked man's true face, and to subtly connect my fabricated experiences with Ash's lies.

"Back then, I saw him carrying an unconscious person on Tsukimi Island, so I casually asked him what trouble he was in. I learned that his partner was injured and couldn't continue the match. I also twisted my ankle, and I was afraid it would affect the match, so I shamelessly asked him to take my place. You must have been terrified when you woke up and saw that the person next to you wasn't me, right?"

"He said the same thing. And your ankle..."

"It's almost completely healed after a few hours of rest, and the swelling has gone down." I lifted my right ankle and twisted it a few times in front of her. "Look, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"That's great."

"It's most important that you're alright. It'll be our turn soon, everyone cheer up, we have to win this one too." Feng Hua encouraged us.

"Yes!"

After the penultimate match, the third and fourth place winners were determined, and finally, it was time for the grand finale. The referee announced that the sixteenth and twenty-first teams would enter the arena.

“With such a light standard ball, we won’t get tired even after playing many matches,”

Feiyue gently patted my shoulder. “And we have a new addition, a fresh addition. Compared to those exhausted opponents, our chances of winning are much higher!”

Beach volleyball is more physically demanding than regular volleyball due to the court conditions. Although the opposing team had six players, they had clearly expended a lot of energy after playing several matches.

On our side, Fenghua and Yinyou also looked tired, but Feiyue was still very energetic. While I couldn’t keep up with Ashu, I had at least had enough “rest” and was in good shape.

I had played volleyball a few times before, so I knew a bit about the rules and tactics, which could at least provide some help.

After the match started, Feiyue won the serve by flipping a coin and took the first point, and the offensive and defensive battle began. During the halftime break, several of my strategic plans worked well. Although they were a bit tough, the opposing team ultimately lost 15 to 9.

After nearly a full day of matches, the event finally came to an end.

After the results were tallied, my group, consisting of Yin You and me, jumped to first place with a total score of 1253. Feng Hua and Fei Yue's group, however, focused on speed and earned fewer bonus points, finishing in ninth place with only 865 points.

After the competition, I went back to the restroom, only to find that Ashu was nowhere to be found.

Perhaps I should come up with a few excuses to avoid seeing him again?

After the awards ceremony and the event concluded, Fei Yue suggested we go back to the hotel on Xian Yue Island for dinner.

I could tell she actually wanted to chat with me, but Feng Hua wouldn't give her much time to rest. After packing her luggage, she rushed her onto the last flight, heading back to school overnight.

Sigh, Fei Yue had a terrible time on the plane!

Feng Hua not only brought her own textbooks and practice problems for tomorrow's quiz. The return journey would be difficult to pass the time; Feng Hua would definitely keep a close eye on Fei Yue until she finished that entire workbook.

After seeing her off, Yin You and I took a boat back to the hotel on Xian Yue Island. As soon as we entered

, we were stopped by the concert hall director. "Miss Yin You, something terrible has happened!" The old man still looked anxious. "The cargo ship has broken down at sea. The coast guard has sent people to help, but there's no further news yet. The piano probably won't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest. The worst-case scenario is..."

"It's alright," Yin You comforted him. "Liang Yue Island will send a piano over soon." "

Liang Yue Island? Why..." The old man was momentarily speechless, but then immediately blamed himself, saying, "It's all my fault for not supervising properly, causing you so much trouble..."

Only after Yin You intervened did he bow and apologize profusely

before taking his leave. After everything calmed down, Yin You invited me to her room, which I gladly accepted.

"I finally understand why Xiao Cheng invited you here. Without your help, tomorrow's concert would have to be canceled, and that's what Xiao Cheng meant by 'bad premonition,' isn't it?" she said in the elevator.

"I'm not that amazing! In the end, it was fate that helped me!" I said, not daring to take credit. "Participating in the competition was your decision. Without Yotsuba's opening ticket and luck, we wouldn't always get good draws.

And then there's Hiizuki and Fuuka; thanks to them, we weren't slowed down on Tsukimi Island. The person we should thank most is the masked man who was willing to partner with you in my place. Because of his extraordinary abilities, we were able to pass the later stages so quickly. So, this isn't just due to my efforts alone, but the sweet result of everyone's contributions!" "

I'm embarrassed to say, but of everyone, I was the most reluctant to help.

Even though I fought tooth and nail to get through the challenges, without the beautiful landlady's scheme, I wouldn't be standing here.

Just imagining her cheering alone in her dorm makes me incredibly depressed.

The 'ding-dong' of the elevator doors pulled me back to reality. I followed Yin You towards the room.

'But I think the most important person is the one who always thinks of their teammates,' she said on the way.

My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly told myself not to overthink it.

'If it weren't for you, the championship would be nothing but an illusion. I know I don't have any athletic talent, and I've always been uneasy about participating in the competition; although I relied on you and the masked man's help along the way, you also made me rediscover the passion and joy of participating in the competition.' She suddenly turned around and gently kissed my cheek.

'Thank you so much.'

'N-no, not at all. '" I stood there dumbfounded, touching the spot she had kissed. She seemed embarrassed by her boldness, her cheeks flushed pink. After opening the door with her ID card, she kept her back to me, avoiding eye contact. "

I'll change out of my swimsuit first...you sit for a while."

"Oh...okay."

Seeing her go into the bathroom, I hurriedly crawled under the bed.

If she didn't see me and couldn't find my room number, she'd probably think I'd left without saying goodbye—I didn't want to keep hurting girls, but I couldn't resist the jokes of fate.

After showering, she came out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair, and saw the note I'd left in front of the vanity mirror, a note I'd finally felt guilty about.

"I'm glad I was able to help a little this time, but I'm sorry, I have other personal matters to attend to and must leave first. I wish you all the best for your concert tomorrow."

She picked up the note and stared at it silently for a long time.

Angry? Could it be?

"Ms. Yinyou, the piano has been delivered to Liangyue Island. Would you like to go downstairs and take a look?" "The director's voice came through the intercom.

"No, I'm not feeling well, I want to rest early tonight."

"Then I'll take over the signing and setup?"

"Thank you."

Without waiting for the director to leave, she turned off the lights and pressed the do-not-disturb button on the intercom.

The room instantly darkened, leaving only the bedside lamp and bathroom light, maintaining the bare minimum brightness.

She sat on the edge of the bed, picked up her phone, and made a call.

“Xiao Cheng…it’s Yin You.”

“…I saw him. Thanks to him, everything went smoothly today…no, I was a little startled, but he didn’t do anything strange, really.”

“Yeah, Feng Hua and the others have already gone back. I’m traveling alone…I was a little nervous, but don’t worry…I know, I’ll do my best tomorrow.”

Then, she suddenly fell silent for a while.

“Um…is Yotsuba there?”

“Oh…no, it’s nothing important. I’ll tell her when I get back!

It won’t…um…you too…okay, that’s all then.”

She hung up the phone, sighed softly, stood up, looked at her still-wet hair in the dressing mirror, and sighed again silently: “Am I too useless?”

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