บท 229: Chapter 229: Disinterest in the Limelight
As Tsuna led his team through the entrance of the gymnasium, a pair of adults swiftly approached them. Nijimura sensed something amiss and promptly positioned himself in the middle, blocking their path.
"Whoa, hold up. What brings you here?"
Nijimura's voice held a stern edge as he scrutinized the newcomers.
The two men, clearly taken aback by Nijimura's imposing presence, exchanged nervous glances.
One of them cleared his throat, fumbling to retrieve a business card from his pocket.
"I-I'm Sakamoto, representing Sports Week, and this is my colleague, Tanaka. We were hoping for a moment of your time."
"Sports Week?"
Nijimura arched an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the name.
As the realization dawned on the others in Fukuda Sogo, a ripple of excitement coursed through the group.
After all, who wasn't familiar with Sports Week in Japan?
They were the vanguard of journalism, specializing in comprehensive coverage of sports news across the country.
The prospect of their attention was met with eager anticipation.
"We're journalists, and we'd like to interview Fukuda Sogo for a special feature. It's a fantastic opportunity, and we promise it'll make the front page!"
Nijimura who was registering the request exchanged a quick look with Tsuna, who subtly shook his head. Comprehending the situation, Nijimura narrowed his eyes at the two gentlemen.
"Sorry, but that's not possible," he asserted.
"Please reconsider. It's a fantastic chance to promote your team, and our readers would love to know more about Fukuda Sogo."
Sakamoto was completely undeterred and wasn't ready to accept defeat as he persisted in his plea.
"I said no. We're here to play basketball, not to be part of some media circus," Nijimura asserted, furrowing his brow.
Sakamoto frowned at Nijimura's resolute response, falling into an uneasy silence. His gaze locked with Nijimura's, who remained steadfast without even the slightest hint of hesitation.
"Come on, guys. Take it easy..." Tanaka sensed the tension and interjected.
He tried to defuse the situation.
Observing Sakamoto's slightly softened expression, Tanaka sighed and turned to Nijimura. "We understand if it's an inconvenience, but we just thought—"
"Enough. We're not interested. Now, if you'll excuse us," Nijimura's stern tone brooked no negotiation.
Satisfied with how Nijimura handled it, Tsuna led the way, followed by the disappointed team members who had hoped for a chance at an interview.
Realizing they had hit a dead end, the journalists exchanged glances and reluctantly began to retreat.
Observing the Fukuda Sogo players continuing on their path, Sakamoto sighed and made one last attempt, "Well, if you change your mind—"
"We won't."
Nijimura's voice cut in, shutting him down. With that, Nijimura turned on his heel and swiftly caught up with the team, leaving the bewildered journalists behind.
Sakamoto sighed deeply seeing Fukuda Sogo walk away.
"They refused any interview back during the Interhigh as well. It seems like they still don't want any publicity this time, huh?"
When the team attempted to request an interview, a foreign butler was the one who turned them away. Complicating matters, the butler didn't speak Japanese, making it challenging for the team to communicate their request.
Given the imposing presence of the butler, the team hesitated to approach the others, intimidated by the language barrier and the formidable aura surrounding the staff member.
Though they managed to publicize some news about the team with their unique perspective, if given the chance, they would certainly want an exclusive interview with the team.
This time, Sakamoto considered it a golden opportunity since there was no discernible butler around when he spotted them. However, even the young teenager who rebuffed them seemed extraordinary himself.
"...Yeah, I wonder why they did that though? Isn't it great to be famous?" Sakamoto pondered, puzzled by the team's hesitation to embrace fame.
Tanaka shook his head, finding it difficult to understand their point of view. It seemed like they strongly disliked being in the public spotlight.
"Forget it if they don't want it," Sakamoto commented, then turned to Tanaka, asking, "Have you been in contact with Seirin's coach?"
Tanaka nodded, saying, "Yes, she mentioned her team would be up for an interview..."
"Well, at least the rest of the teams agreed for an interview."
Sakamoto smiled at these words. Besides Fukuda Sogo, the other three teams would be joining them for an interview later.
Contacting their coach was easy. However, when they tried to reach out to Fukuda Sogo's coach, she didn't respond. Sakamoto figured Alexandra must be pretty busy, given that she coached such a strong team.
As Sakamoto considered Fukuda Sogo's coach, he suddenly realized, "...Wait, Tanaka, did you see Fukuda Sogo's coach earlier?"
"Hmmm, no? I don't think I've seen her around..." Tanaka replied, making an effort to recall if he had missed any faces around Fukuda Sogo's team earlier.
"I see, seems like she's a busy person..."
Sakamoto sighed, shaking his head disappointedly.
Meanwhile...
In a five-star hotel room belonging to Kazama's Group, a beautiful foreigner with flowing blonde hair lay sprawled amidst a chaotic scene of sake bottles.
Despite the room's luxurious decor, the disarray suggested she had reveled in the night before.
Her phone interrupted the tranquility with insistent ringing, prompting the slumbering beauty to furrow her eyebrows as she slowly roused from her sleep.
However, the aftermath of last night's revelry hit her with a vengeance.
"Urghh, my head..."
She hissed in pain, a formidable headache assaulting her senses as she gingerly attempted to make sense of her surroundings.
"Hmm?" she mumbled, realizing her phone was ringing loudly.
She reached for the phone, accepted the call, and squinted as she fumbled for her glasses, eventually putting them on.
"...You finally woke up?"
A tired voice came from the other side.
In response, the blonde figure let out a loud yawn, effectively answering the question and momentarily silencing the person on the other end of the call.
"..."
"Why didn't you wake me up earlier, Tsuna?"
She asked while calmly massaging her temple to ease the headache, addressing the person on the other end.
"You think I didn't try?"
"...Oh? You tried?"
"..."
Tsuna hung up abruptly, leaving Alexandra to puff her cheeks in frustration. Glancing at the watch on top of the cupboard, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"...Is it 10 am already?"
The room was shrouded in darkness with the curtains drawn.
As she fumbled for a button to let in the light, she quickly shut her eyes when the sun nearly blinded her. Hastily, she pressed the button again, closing the curtain.
Realizing the sun was already high in the sky, she couldn't help but curse, "Shit, I drank too much last night..."
---
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