[124] Laughter Before the Game

Chapter 124: Laughter Before the Game

Time passed quickly for the young men.

During the tournament, the days seemed to fly by, and with the passage of time, a growing sense of urgency crept into their hearts.

On the morning of July 29th, at 5:40 a.m., the alarm clock in Seishin Dormitory went off right on time. Eijun slowly opened his sleepy eyes, stretched lazily, and then gradually got up.

After putting on his team uniform, he grabbed his toiletries and headed toward the washroom.

However, just as Eijun was about to push open the door to the washroom, a loud, piercing scream suddenly echoed, instantly dispelling all traces of sleep from his body. He jolted, feeling as though he had been scared awake.

Blinking in confusion, Eijun pondered what could have happened. Suddenly, a comedic scene from the original story flashed through his mind.

No way…

With a half-amused, half-embarrassed expression, Eijun slowly pushed open the washroom door.

What met his eyes was a rather unfortunate scene.

He saw a familiar, honest figure, just setting something down. That large, shiny bald head—exactly as he had imagined—sparkled brilliantly.

Eijun's lips twitched slightly at the sight, his face momentarily turning to stone.

Then, as his eyes met the figure's, Eijun's lips curved, his cheeks puffed up, and the next second, he burst into exaggerated laughter.

His laugh filled the room as the broad-shouldered figure looked back at him with a resentful expression.

Seeing it in person is so different from seeing it on the screen!

And so, time rewinds to ten minutes earlier.

As Eijun was just getting dressed, in the washroom, Masuko, with his large frame, stood before the mirror. Yawning with his eyes closed, he slowly picked up his hair clipper.

"Bzzz…"

The next second, Masuko seemed to sense something amiss.

He slowly opened his eyes, and his hands froze as he stared at the sad scene in the mirror.

His face went blank for a moment, and then his eyes widened, his complexion turning from red to pale, and then green.

"Uwaaaah!!!!"

Within a ten-kilometer radius, the scream echoed from the heavens to the depths of the earth. Yes, what a beautiful morning.

Masuko definitely has potential as a comedy performer.

Thus, the legend of the "Seidou High School Bald Egg" was born in grand style.

At the Seishin Dormitory dining hall.

At this moment, almost all the Seidou players had gathered for breakfast. According to the schedule, the first semi-final match was Seido High against Sensen High.

The game was set for 10:00 a.m. on the 29th, and according to their plan, the Seidou team would depart for Jingu Stadium around 7:00 a.m. The drive to the stadium, plus the pre-game preparations, meant they needed to leave enough time.

Furuya, Haruichi, and Eijun, the three first-years, sat together at a table, eating their breakfast in big mouthfuls.

Even at breakfast, it was three full bowls of rice.

Among them, Furuya struggled a bit, but the other two were used to it.

In fact, Eijun sometimes ate four bowls or more.

It was clear to see that in the past four months, his body had become visibly stronger.

When wearing short sleeves, his biceps were clearly defined, and his muscular physique spoke of his strength.

Having always had decent stamina, Eijun had further developed his physical condition thanks to the training at Seidou High over the past few months.

The increased training volume and his bigger appetite had boosted Eijun's endurance, stamina, and overall performance. Currently, in terms of appetite, aside from the monster Masuko, Eijun could easily compete with the third-year seniors at the top of the list.

As Eijun ate, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of Masuko's gleaming bald head he had just seen in the washroom.

He could hardly wait—he was so excited to see how the rest of the team would react when they saw Masuko's huge, bald head.

It's going to be a great scene.

What a pity, though. In this lifetime, there's one less bald head, Eijun thought as he glanced over at Tanba, who was focused on his breakfast.

A small sense of regret welled up inside him.

Meanwhile, as Eijun was deep in thought and the second- and third-years were chatting happily, a heavy footstep echoed.

A towering figure appeared at the entrance of the dining hall.

Some players instinctively turned their heads to look, and the sound of chopsticks and spoons clattering to the floor soon followed.

Noticing their reactions, others curiously glanced toward the entrance.

As a result, everyone in the dining hall stared at Masuko standing at the entrance, frozen in place, looking awkward and unsure of what to do. Or more accurately, they were all fixated on his huge, gleaming bald head.

The dining hall instantly fell into a dead silence, a strange stillness enveloping the room.

Seeing this sudden silence, Eijun mentally snapped his fingers.

"Bingo!"

This was exactly the impact he had hoped for.

Masuko had somewhat expected this reaction, but seeing the stony expressions on his teammates' faces made him feel even more embarrassed. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

But as the saying goes, bad luck never comes alone.

Just as Masuko was stuck in this awkward situation, the ultimate blow arrived.

At the entrance, Coach Kataoka and Rei Takashima, who had been discussing the team's departure plans, walked into the dining hall mid-conversation.

The next moment, they both froze, staring at the dazzling bald head less than half a meter away, the reflection shining in Kataoka's sunglasses.

Masuko: "..."

Coach Kataoka: "..."

"So, Masuko... What exactly are you trying to express here?" Coach Kataoka asked, his expression unchanged, speaking in his usual calm tone.

However, the words only deepened Masuko's embarrassment. His face was a picture of confusion, unsure how to react.

Coach Kataoka's remark was like a stone tossed into a still pond, instantly breaking the silence and triggering a wave of laughter from everyone present.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

"I can't... I can't handle this... Coach, you're too much!"

"Haha, Masuko, have you renounced worldly desires or something?"

"Masuko-senpai, it really suits you! The intimidation factor just skyrocketed!" Kuramochi said, clutching his stomach with laughter, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Yeah, it looks great on you, Masuko," Ryousuke chuckled softly, smiling nearby.

Jun Isashiki immediately ran over, ignoring Masuko's embarrassed and helpless expression, and patted his shiny bald head.

He even clicked his tongue in amazement.

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