19.
[ Tezuka. How could he have improved so much in such a short period of time? That was nothing like playing his protégé in Nationals - everything about Tezuka is controlled, deliberate, natural. Even Tezuka Phantom is not the dangerous double-edged sword it was when he played Genichirou back then. No matter how many times I review each play in my mind, I cannot find a single error in his play. He truly, fully had me beat from the very first point.
His final point was simply embarrassing. I had pushed so hard to match his pace only to somehow forget that he still had his usual trump card up his sleeve. It's a bitter thing, zero-shiki.
Tezuka has always been a man to fear on the court, but what of myself? Have I not grown over the past year? Have I not improved just as vastly as the next person in the circuit? He has had strong opponents and personal trainers as a professional, but what is keeping me from breaking through and reaching that level?
And to think that Genichirou witnessed the whole thing; not even to mention the rest of the team. I don't care what sacrifices it requires, I must take on a more challenging training regimen. The rest of the team will join me in doing so - all of us are capable of reaching that level. Just like Tezuka... it's impossible to play a match against him and leave feeling triumphant rather than like you have much to improve upon and a great deal to learn.
This match has left me nothing but dissatisfied. I've got nothing and no one to be frustrated with but myself. ]
[ You worked hard at practice, today. That is the standard I am setting for this year. I am chasing something much greater than a championship title in Nationals, and we will get there if all of us work toward a common goal - becoming something great and something to be feared. All of you have made it this far by training your bodies and your minds; by inventing various tricks to give yourself an edge; by pouring your heart and soul into matches and winning by sheer determination alone. I'm asking all of you to take the next step, whatever it may be.
We'll take a break for Golden Week, but when practice resumes, the new training schedule will be implemented. I suggest all of you double your efforts to stay in shape or get in shape over the next week. Stragglers will be left to the wolves. ]
All my kingdom for a long bath.
His final point was simply embarrassing. I had pushed so hard to match his pace only to somehow forget that he still had his usual trump card up his sleeve. It's a bitter thing, zero-shiki.
Tezuka has always been a man to fear on the court, but what of myself? Have I not grown over the past year? Have I not improved just as vastly as the next person in the circuit? He has had strong opponents and personal trainers as a professional, but what is keeping me from breaking through and reaching that level?
And to think that Genichirou witnessed the whole thing; not even to mention the rest of the team. I don't care what sacrifices it requires, I must take on a more challenging training regimen. The rest of the team will join me in doing so - all of us are capable of reaching that level. Just like Tezuka... it's impossible to play a match against him and leave feeling triumphant rather than like you have much to improve upon and a great deal to learn.
This match has left me nothing but dissatisfied. I've got nothing and no one to be frustrated with but myself. ]
[ You worked hard at practice, today. That is the standard I am setting for this year. I am chasing something much greater than a championship title in Nationals, and we will get there if all of us work toward a common goal - becoming something great and something to be feared. All of you have made it this far by training your bodies and your minds; by inventing various tricks to give yourself an edge; by pouring your heart and soul into matches and winning by sheer determination alone. I'm asking all of you to take the next step, whatever it may be.
We'll take a break for Golden Week, but when practice resumes, the new training schedule will be implemented. I suggest all of you double your efforts to stay in shape or get in shape over the next week. Stragglers will be left to the wolves. ]
All my kingdom for a long bath.