Prince of Tennis: Shocking! Hyotei's Demon King is a Yukimura fangirl!

Chapter 154 Yukimura-kun, you'd better seize this opportunity!

[Author's Note: The previous chapter contained a lot more content; you can go back and review it!]

"You look just like your father when he was young."

Mr. Duke looked at him with the loving gaze of an elder looking at a younger generation, "Especially those eyes, so blue, just like your father's."

After sighing, he turned to his lover beside him, his tone excited: "Che, he's Felix Meyer's son. The one I told you about, that exceptionally smart little guy."

Irie Tetsu raised his head, glanced at Mochizuki Ryou, then nodded and gave a gentle smile.

"Just like in the photo. I didn't expect you to have grown so much. When I first met your father, he looked at me with those same eyes and said, 'Hello, my name is Meyer.'"

Kanata Irie glanced at the group of people chatting, then leaned close to Yukimura and whispered, "That's my uncle, and also Uncle Duke's lover. He used to be a professional tennis player."

Yukimura nodded, his gaze lingering on the Asian man for a moment.

Is it a couple consisting of a retired professional tennis player and a French painter?

He went through the information in his mind, and a slight smile curved his lips.

Kanata Irie noticed his expression and whispered, "They've been together for almost twenty years. They have a very good relationship."

Yukimura didn't reply, but glanced at Mochizuki Ryo.

The boy was chatting with two elders, speaking calmly and fluently in French. He used few gestures while speaking, but every word he uttered was to the point, and he would occasionally smile, revealing his small right canine tooth.

Duke recalled recent company news and asked softly, "I heard you're working on a medical platform in Japan and even collaborating with the Atobe family?"

"Yes, it's just the beginning." Wang Yueling nodded humbly, "There's still a lot to learn."

"Your father was still chasing girls when he was your age, and you're already doing business," Mr. Duke laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "You're quite the young man."

Wang Yueling stood there, feeling a little uncomfortable being praised so directly by her elders, but she still maintained a polite smile.

He returned the phone to Duke and seized the opportunity, saying, "You all know that I never leave empty-handed when I set my sights on something."

Duke and Irie were both stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter at the same time.

"You're even better at talking than your father was back then."

Duke turned to look at his lover beside him and said in Japanese, "This child looks like his father," then smiled and said to Mochizuki Ryo, "Which ones do you like? Let me hear them."

Wang Yueling gave the painting numbers.

After listening, Mr. Duke nodded. "Good taste. These are some of my favorites."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at his lover. Irie Tetsu walked over and whispered a few words to Mr. Duke.

Mr. Duke smiled and turned to Wang Yueling, saying, "I'm not selling these paintings."

Wang Yueling's heart sank, but she simply nodded silently and did not press the matter further.

"but……"

Duke glanced at him, then at Yukimura standing next to Kanata Irie, and a slight smile curved his lips. "If you really like it, I can consider it. But it's not a sale to you, it's a gift."

"Consider it repaying a favor to your father."

Wang Yueling paused for a moment, then immediately shook her head. "No, this is too valuable. I can't accept it for nothing."

"Don't thank me, thank your father."

Mr. Duke leaned back on the sofa, his hands crossed on his knees. "Consider this a thank you gift for what your father did for us back then. I've always wanted to repay that favor, but your father has everything he needs, and I didn't know what to give him. Now that you're here, it's perfect."

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept between Mochizuki Ryo and Yukimura once more.

"You two... are?"

Mochizuki Ryo glanced at Yukimura, then turned back, her azure eyes gentle. "A very important friend."

"Friends?" Mr. Duke glanced at him, a hint of mischief in his voice. "I said the same thing to your father when I was young."

"Besides, I guess you didn't just want these paintings for yourself."

Wang Yueling's ears turned slightly red, but her expression remained calm.

"You noticed."

"I've been there too," Mr. Duke chuckled, glancing sideways at his lover. "Back when I was pursuing him, I gave him paintings too. I painted them all myself."

Yukimura listened to these words with a blank expression, but the tips of his ears were already bright red.

He moved the camera closer to his chest to hide his burning face. He couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart; he was a little embarrassed, a little warm, and something else stuck in his throat.

How could Mochizuki Ryo even manage to get into trouble by buying paintings?

Duke smiled, pulled his lover to his feet, walked up to Yukimura, and shook his hand.

"Little one, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Me too." Yukimura cleared his throat and gave a slight bow. "Your painting is beautiful."

Mr. Duke's eyes lit up. "You know about painting too?"

"I know a little bit." Yukimura nodded, not choosing to mention his favorite, "I like your 'Presence and Absence' series the most. Especially the one about the church that was exhibited."

Mr. Duke looked at him, a hint of appreciation in his eyes. "Why do you like that painting?"

In Yukimura's mind, the image that Mochizuki Ryo had described earlier came to mind.

"Because it makes me feel that beautiful things don't disappear. People may leave, but those moments will remain."

Duke looked at him, remained silent for two seconds, and then chuckled softly, "You said something similar to what Che said back then."

The group chatted for a while longer, and Mr. Duke pulled them aside and told them a lot about Wang Yueling's father when he was young, which left Wang Yueling stunned.

He never imagined that his serious and rigid father had done so many outrageous things when he was young.

"Your father even helped us elope."

Mr. Duke sat up straight, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "My family doesn't approve of us being together and wants me to have a political marriage. So when they found out I was with Che, they froze my bank cards and wouldn't even let me into the art studio."

"Your father had just taken over the family business not long before, and when he heard about my situation, he rushed over to help. He booked our plane tickets to Japan and found us a place to stay in Tokyo."

"When my family came later, they found out we were already married. They were furious, but there was nothing they could do about it."

He chuckled as he said this, glancing at his lover.

"Your father told me back then that if I ever regretted it, I could go back to France and he would help me take back the family property. I told him I would never regret it."

Yukimura stood to the side listening, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the camera strap.

Mr. Duke became more and more excited as he spoke, and stood up to gesture, "Your father was very young back then, not much older than you. He did things just like you, clean and efficient, without any hesitation."

"I always remember him saying, 'If you want to leave, leave now. Don't wait until tomorrow. I have things to do tomorrow, and I can't leave.'"

"So much so that whenever I think of that sentence, I can't help but laugh and cry."

He sat back down on the sofa, picked up his teacup and took another sip. "Now that I think about it, we probably wouldn't be together if it weren't for your father."

Irie Tetsu had been listening quietly, and when he heard this, he reached out and patted his lover's knee. Duke took his hand, and their fingers intertwined.

Mochizuki Ryou stared at the two people's hands, remaining silent for two seconds. Yukimura saw it too.

The handshake was a natural gesture, not something done intentionally for anyone; it was just a habit.

They've been together for twenty years, and there are many more twenty years to come.

Kanata Irie stood to the side, his eyes already reddening at some point. He took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on, his voice trembling slightly.

"I cry every time I hear this story. You uncles are so touching."

Mr. Duke glanced at him and shook his head helplessly. "Zoudo, you always react like this."

"Because I was genuinely moved." Kanata Irie rubbed her eyes, smiled at Ryo Mochizuki and Yukimura, "Don't mind me, I'm just a sentimental person."

Yukimura watched him switch emotions in an instant and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Wang Yueling was already used to his dramatic antics, so she nodded without saying anything.

After finishing his own story, Mr. Duke began to expose his old friend's shortcomings, saying, "Your father... wasn't much better than me when he was young."

"When he was twenty, he fell in love with your mother at first sight. He rode his motorcycle all the way from Paris to Nice, a thousand kilometers, a whole day's drive. When he arrived at your mother's room, he was so weak he could barely stand, but he still managed to say while leaning against the doorframe... 'Miss, I've left my heart with you...'"

Hearing these words, Wang Yueling didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He decided to go back and ask his father if these things were true.

In the end, it was Mr. Duke's wife who pulled him back, saying that he "would never stop talking about his youth."

As Duke was being dragged away, he turned back and waved to Wang Yueling, saying, "I'll have someone send you the painting after today's graduation exhibition. Remember to tell your father that I've repaid the favor I owed him back then."

"And...you two are a perfect match."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

Yukimura's face turned completely red. He lowered his head and pretended to adjust the camera strap, his ear tips burning so hot they could fry an egg.

Mochizuki Ryou remained calm, waved at him, and said with a smile, "Thank you for the painting. I will cherish it." Then she watched as he was dragged away by Irie Tetsuya.

Kanata Irie stood to the side, watching the two walk away with a smile before speaking, "Oh dear, it seems your father has quite a bit of influence."

"It's not about my father's reputation." Wang Yueling adjusted her hair ribbon, her tone calm. "It's because my father helped him back then. He's repaying a favor."

"That's still amazing." Kanata Irie pushed up his glasses. "It's already very kind of Uncle Duke to be willing to pay it back."

The three people walked out of the lounge, through the side corridor, and back to the main exhibition hall.

Kanata Irie walked at the front, his steps light and quick. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Ryo Mochizuki.

"By the way, Mochizuki-kun, those paintings you mentioned wanting to buy, were they for Yukimura-kun?"

Wang Yueling glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"I guessed right, didn't I?" Kanata Irie tilted her head, a cryptic smile playing on her lips. "You really went all out. Finding a medical team, buying paintings—no wonder Yukimura-kun was willing to come to the art exhibition with you."

Yukimura stood next to Mochizuki Ryo. Upon hearing this, his expression remained unchanged, but he lightly tapped his finger on the camera.

Wang Yueling put her hands in her pockets, her posture languid.

"Irie-senpai, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Kanata Irie waved her hand and continued walking forward. "I was just remarking, are middle school students these days so good at pursuing people? Back in our day, we would just send flowers and write letters to pursue people. You've already taken it to the level of international medical cooperation and art collection."

He paused, then turned his head to glance at Yukimura.

"Yukimura-kun, you'd better seize this opportunity."

He left with this sarcastic remark, then quickly ran off.

Watching his frantic retreating figure, Mochizuki Ryou helplessly reached out and pulled Yukimura toward the side hall of the art exhibition.

"Let's go and have some food at a restaurant."

Yukimura walked beside him for a while, then asked, "What did he mean by what he said?"

Which sentence?

"It's that line, 'You're finding a medical team and buying paintings.'"

Wang Yueling paused for a moment.

Did you hear that?

"I'm not deaf."

The two remained silent for a few seconds.

Wang Yueling thought for a moment and said, "He might be trying to sow discord."

"Sowing discord?"

"Hmm. It turns our relationship into an exchange. It's like I'm nice to you only in order to get something in return."

After listening, Yukimura remained silent for a few seconds, then asked with great interest, "And what do you think?"

Wang Yueling tilted her head to look at him, her bright blue eyes shining under the light. "I think that being good to you doesn't need a reason. I just wanted to be good to you, so I did it."

Yukimura didn't reply, but instead twirled the camera strap around his finger again and again.

The corners of her mouth curved into a very small arc.

-

When the two finished dinner and left the art museum, it was already 6:30 p.m.

The sun had already dipped just below the horizon, turning the entire sky orange-red, with a ring of pale gold edging the edges of the clouds. The sea breeze carried a faint salty scent, ruffling Yukimura's blue-purple hair and Mochizuki Ryo's blonde hair.

"The scenery by the sea is beautiful."

Yukimura gazed at the distant sea, listening to the waves crashing against the beach, their gentle lapping mingling with the laughter of tourists in the distance—a truly delightful experience.

"yes."

Ryo Mochizuki put her hands in her pockets, looked towards the sea, and softened her tone towards Yukimura, "But... this is my first time at the Kanagawa beach, Seiichi~"

"In that case... let's go take a look."

The two walked along the trail toward the sea.

The resort area was crowded, with people in twos and threes. Some couples strolled hand in hand, some took photos of the sunset with their phones, and some squatted on the rocks collecting seashells...

Wang Yueling walked on the outside, taking small steps to match Yukimura's pace, giving him the side closest to the sea.

After walking a few steps, he reached out and took the camera from Yukimura's shoulder and hung it around his neck, then folded the light blue jacket and draped it over his arm.

Yukimura glanced at him and let him be.

The sea breeze was stronger than before, carrying a salty, fishy smell. Several children ran past them, holding cotton candy in their hands, their laughter carried away by the wind.

Mochizuki Ryo stepped aside to shield Yukimura from a child who hadn't been able to stop and was rushing towards them. The child's mother followed behind, apologizing repeatedly.

He waved his hand, indicating that it was okay.

"You always like to block my way when you walk." Yukimura looked at his profile.

"Is there?"

"have."

"Maybe I was just too nervous." Wang Yueling thought for a moment and then laughed. "You were only recently discharged from the hospital, and I was always worried that someone would bump into you. It wasn't intentional; my body just moved on its own."

Yukimura didn't reply, but the corners of his lips curved slightly.