Three weeks later.
For middle schoolers who had just started the new term, their first priority was naturally getting their studies sorted out, followed by choosing the club they wanted to join.
Every vacation provided plenty of time to complete all kinds of tournaments and competitions.
This was when every club had the chance to show off its strength.
GOOGLE Search TWKAN
Would they bring glory to the school, or disgrace it?
It was lunchtime and the midday break. Saeki Muneyoshi strolled alone through the corridors, heading for the rooftop.
Muneyoshi stood atop the roof.
Beneath the gentle spring sunshine and mild breeze, he looked down over the Fudomine campus, surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms.
White and pink petals swayed in the breeze, making for a beautiful sight.
As he stared blankly at the scene, Muneyoshi's expression became difficult to describe.
A few weeks had passed since school began, yet he had not rushed to apply for any club.
Instead, like a student simply wandering around for fun, he had continually drifted among the various groups at Fudomine.
But most of the time, he remained an outsider, silently watching everything from beyond the courts.
After observing for a while, he sadly discovered that Fudomine's Tennis Club in this world was even worse than he had imagined—worse than what the original story had shown.
It was nothing more than a pile of sludge, a cesspit.
And that was not all. The Tennis Club was extremely unfriendly toward new members.
At Fudomine, only third-years could become Regulars. First-years could only pick up balls and clean the facilities and courts.
Second-years also had to pick up balls, though they had it slightly better since they did not have to clean.
But they had to serve as practice partners for the third-years and be available whenever called.
Within Fudomine's Tennis Club, third-years were the privileged year.
If you wanted to play tennis, you could only endure and wait, even if a second-year was stronger than the third-years.
Then what awaited you would not be congratulations or blessings, but beatings and insults.
"You actually dared to beat a third-year senior? Do you still want to survive here?"
"Today you dare beat a senior. Tomorrow, will you dare ignore the coach's authority?"
All of it was because of the nauseating seniority system enforced by the current Tennis Club coach, Tony Oki.
To consolidate power and control, and to embezzle club funds.
The policies and rules he imposed on the Tennis Club were the root cause of why Fudomine had remained half-dead for so long.
If everything was to change, there was only one option: get rid of him, then root out those rotten third-years as well.
Muneyoshi understood that clearly, which was why he had not rashly joined the Tennis Club.
Otherwise, what? Go in there and be their dog?
He needed to wait for an opportunity, and for someone.
That person was naturally not Tachibana Kippei. He would not come to Fudomine until his second year. If they waited for him to arrive before starting the changes, everything would be too late.
The person Muneyoshi was waiting for was someone who could restrain Tony Oki.
The Saeki family was not particularly wealthy or influential, but Muneyoshi's father happened to be an executive director at Lian'ao Corporation.
And Lian'ao Corporation happened to hold a seat on Fudomine's board of directors.
His father had told him yesterday that he had already arranged someone to handle Muneyoshi becoming a Tennis Club Regular, and that person would be sent over soon.
Therefore, he could afford to wait.
While Muneyoshi was keeping his claws sheathed and waiting for the right moment, Tezuka at Seigaku was doing the same thing.
But unlike Muneyoshi, he had not remained on the sidelines. He had joined the Tennis Club and was picking up balls and serving as a practice partner.
Yet Seigaku's Tennis Club atmosphere was somewhat unusual at the moment.
The second- and third-year upperclassmen stared in shock at the delinquent first-year in the middle of the court. It was Akutsu Jin.
Akutsu Jin radiated an extremely dangerous aura. Across from him—
The third-year who had previously kept insulting the first-years, a senior supposedly possessing Seigaku Regular-level strength, had already been beaten bloody and was sprawled on the ground.
"Heh heh heh... Is this the strength of Seigaku's Regulars?"
"It really is pathetic. What right does trash like this have to order me around?"
A trace of bloodlust flashed through Akutsu Jin's dark golden eyes as he spoke with utter contempt.
He then tossed aside his racket and headed out of the Tennis Club.
At the other end of the court, coach Ryūzaki Sumire's face had turned livid. She was so furious that she could not speak.
"Tezuka, if you want to keep staying in this garbage Tennis Club, I won't be keeping you company. You know what I came to Seigaku for..."
Halfway out, Akutsu Jin looked back at Tezuka.
Tezuka, dressed in his training uniform, stood silently, seemingly lost in thought.
Beside him, Fuji Shusuke asked with some concern, "Tezuka, will Akutsu be okay like this?"
Tezuka shook his head. He had not intended to speak, but after considering Fuji's strength, he said flatly, "Don't worry, Fuji. Jin will be fine."
Leaving aside their conversation, the rest of the training grounds had erupted.
"No way, Akutsu is actually that strong!"
"Oishi, Oishi, did you see that? Akutsu is incredible!"
The young Kikumaru clutched the equally young, egg-headed Oishi in utter shock.
Inui Sadaharu silently took out his notebook and began recording Akutsu's data.
After scribbling in the notebook for a while, Inui Sadaharu closed it and adjusted his glasses, then stated with complete certainty:
"The probability of the disturbance caused by Akutsu being resolved: 0%!"
"Akutsu..."
Elsewhere, Kawamura Takashi, who was picking up balls, watched Akutsu's departing figure with concern.
He had not expected Akutsu to attend the same school as him, but he knew Akutsu's temper well.
Then he looked toward Seigaku's coach, Ryūzaki Sumire, whose expression was utterly terrible. Even someone as insensitive to such things as him could feel that a storm was inevitable.
Seigaku's second- and third-years were even more furious, though their anger carried several hints of fear and bluster.
"Bastard, what does that first-year brat think he's doing?"
"He's trying to kill someone!"
"First-years are only fit to pick up balls, yet he actually dreams of playing matches? What a joke!"
"A violent thug like him should be expelled once the captain gets here..."
As everyone discussed it heatedly, the court gates were pushed open.
"What are you all gathered here for?"
A third-year walked in wearing fortune-teller glasses, with one hand in a cast and a Seigaku Regular jacket draped over his shoulders, looking like some kind of charlatan.
"Captain!"
"Captain Yamato!"
"Senior Yamato!"
The second- and third-year members immediately seemed to find their backbone. They all began talking at once, recounting Akutsu's violent behavior, but Yamato showed no reaction.
Instead, he waved his hand and barked sternly, "Everyone, run twenty laps around the track!"
"Ah! But, Senior, it was that first-year—"
"Fifty laps!"
"Yes..."
At that, everyone looked like wilted eggplants and began running around the track one after another.
The first-years hurried to follow suit.
But Akutsu paid them no attention and continued walking out of the grounds.
"That first-year brat, you need to run laps too." Yamato looked at Akutsu, ignoring his vicious glare as he spoke calmly yet firmly.
"(ˉ▽￣~) Tch~~ No one gets to order me around. If you want me to run laps, beat me first!"
Akutsu sneered and glanced at Yamato's plaster-covered wrist.
"But I don't play against disabled people... Even a disabled person like you can become captain? Seigaku really is nothing special!"
With that, he left the school without looking back.
Meanwhile, Tezuka silently ran his laps. Watching Akutsu disappear, something seemed to be brewing in his eyes.
P.S.: "First of all, thank you all for your support and suggestions. I do read everyone's comments after getting home from work. Danyang is a construction worker and has a lot of work every day. Usually, I set the release time for the day before heading out in the morning, so I often cannot reply to comments and messages promptly. By the time I get home from work, it is already nine at night, and I still have to write some of tomorrow's content. It's rough, o(╯□╰)o
"Back to this book. When developing the characters, especially the protagonist's personality, Danyang did take some inspiration from Akutsu's personality. If two people with the same personality are together, they either strive forward together or clash and fight each other. So I originally planned to have Akutsu come to Fudomine, but after thinking it over, I held back. The purpose of writing this story is to let everyone shine even more brilliantly, rather than make it a one-man invincibility show. That is why shaping the opponents is also important. And considering that Akutsu's personality is very suitable for Seigaku's reform, while Danyang also wanted to write a more distinctive plot, I reluctantly gave him up. As for the other arrangements for Fudomine, they will all be revealed one by one later."
Before you continue