Just as Hyotei Academy and Rikkai Dai Affiliated Middle School completed their transformations,
Saeki Muneyoshi was still playing the role of a "good student" at Fudomine.
But no matter how composed Muneyoshi was, the whispers circulating among his classmates still gave him a sense of urgency.
"Koji, have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"The Tennis Club's transformation!"
"Huh? Is Fudomine's Tennis Club starting a transformation?"
"What are you talking about? I mean Hyotei! With the state of our school's Tennis Club, how could it possibly transform..." An unnamed Student A spoke with a tone of frustrated indignation.
"Hyotei? What happened to Hyotei?"
At that moment, another student, Student B, gathered around.
Seeing more and more people gathering nearby, Student A said smugly,
"I heard that Hyotei Academy's Tennis Club is now controlled by first-years. Even their captain is a first-year!"
"What? A first-year? How is that possible?" Koji asked incredulously.
"My neighbor's older sister's best friend's younger sister goes to that school. How could they not know?"
Student A rolled his eyes, clearly displeased by Koji's doubts.
"And this only happened a few days ago!"
"It's not just Hyotei Academy. I heard Rikkai Dai Affiliated Middle School also has a first-year captain now, and there are plenty of first-years on the team too." Student B picked up where Student A left off.
The news quickly spread among Fudomine's first-years. In a school where the seniority system was extremely strict,
for freshmen to overthrow their seniors was simply the most unacceptable thing imaginable.
Still, no matter how wildly rumors flew around the school, they had nothing to do with the Tennis Club.
As long as their coach, Tony Oki, and the third-year Regulars shared the same interests,
no matter how turbulent things became outside, it would never reach them.
On the rooftop, Saeki Muneyoshi thought about what he had just heard from his classmates. His initially indifferent gaze gradually sharpened.
"Hyotei... Atobe, huh?"
Thinking of that boy from the original story, whose personal charisma was unparalleled, he should indeed have reached the pinnacle of Hyotei by now.
As for Rikkai Dai, Muneyoshi was not surprised. Yukimura and Sanada had dominated from their first year onward.
Still, the news stirred something within Muneyoshi.
"I can't keep waiting around like this..."
After saying that, Muneyoshi jumped down from the rooftop and headed for the vice principal's office.
His father's message had arrived yesterday, and this vice principal was the temporary placeholder promoted after discussing matters with the person his father had arranged, all to support Muneyoshi's efforts.
Saeki Muneyoshi had actually prepared the materials for reforming Fudomine's Tennis Club long ago.
During these past few weeks since enrolling, he had not simply been wasting his days.
From his first day at the school, he had been observing every club on campus, with the Tennis Club naturally being his top priority.
Through his observations and visits, he had already discovered something.
It was not only the Tennis Club's first-years; students from other school clubs, such as the basketball club, volleyball club, soccer club, and baseball club...
all of those other clubs were dissatisfied with the Tennis Club.
For years, Fudomine's Tennis Club had failed even to pass the regional preliminaries and had achieved nothing.
Yet because of tennis's special status and the entire world's favoritism toward the sport, Fudomine's Tennis Club received no less funding despite having no results—if anything, it received even more.
That left the other clubs deeply dissatisfied.
Moreover, Muneyoshi learned from the vice principal that many of the school's administrators also had considerable complaints about Fudomine Tennis Club's complete lack of accomplishments.
If Muneyoshi could persuade the principal, things would become much easier.
After learning this, the vice principal brought Saeki Muneyoshi to the principal's office.
Muneyoshi presented the materials he had prepared in advance.
They covered tennis's prestige in this world, the various honors it could bring, and how it could contribute to the school's development and attract outstanding future students.
But to achieve that, Fudomine's Tennis Club had to produce results. At the very least, it needed to reach the Kanto Tournament, or even the National Tournament.
And that only highlighted the Tennis Club's terrible record of consistently being eliminated at the regional level.
Results like that could not bring any glory at all.
There was also a series of analyses and explanations regarding Coach Tony Oki, the club's atmosphere, its current members, its rules and systems, and more.
Afterward, Saeki Muneyoshi laid out his own ideas to the principal, along with his plans for the Tennis Club's future.
In the end, the principal was persuaded. However, he could not immediately dismiss the Tennis Club's coach.
That was because Tony Oki was related to one of Fudomine's school board members.
It was precisely because of that connection that, despite the Tennis Club becoming a complete mess in recent years, the principal had not touched him.
Still, the principal gave Muneyoshi his support and planned to speak with that board member.
Muneyoshi, meanwhile, would first join the Tennis Club and become a Regular.
As for the subsequent arrangements, they would decide after the regional preliminaries whether to carry out a complete reform.
This was already the best outcome Muneyoshi and his father could secure at the moment.
After all, he was not the young heir of a conglomerate like Atobe, with a powerful backing behind him.
This result was already quite good.
The day's classes ended, and it was now four in the afternoon.
The boys and girls brimming with youthful energy began heading to their clubs to take part in the day's activities.
Fudomine's Tennis Club had only eighteen members. Compared to Hyotei Academy's massive club of more than two hundred people, it was as shabby as could be.
And even with only eighteen people, they were not all present. Only a few second-year members were on the courts, cleaning up and collecting tennis balls.
The entire club was lifeless.
Inside the coach's office beside the club grounds, the broad-shouldered Tony Oki was huddled in a dark corner watching a colorful movie, occasionally letting out a creepy chuckle.
The one with him was Fudomine Tennis Club's captain, Ohashi Miku.
The two had their arms around each other's shoulders and paid no attention at all to the knocking outside.
Tony Oki wore an inexplicably pleased expression.
Ohashi Miku, meanwhile, kept a blank face, as if she were criticizing what she watched.
Just then,
with a BANG, the office door was kicked open.
The two people inside jolted in fright.
Tony Oki immediately flew into a rage.
BAM!
"Bastard, don't you know how to knock? If you don't—"
Seeing the two figures entering the room, Tony Oki cursed without even thinking.
But after getting a clear look at who had come in, his expression changed at once. He broke into a wide smile and laughed.
"Oh my, it's the vice principal. Why didn't you send someone to inform me in advance? How neglectful of me, how neglectful!"
The vice principal ignored Tony Oki's laughter. Keeping a stern expression, he pointed at Saeki Muneyoshi beside him.
"Sorry to disturb Coach Tony's enjoyment. I have no other business here today. I'm simply arranging for a new Regular in the Tennis Club!"
Tony Oki raised his brows and glanced at Muneyoshi. "Him? Vice Principal, if I'm not mistaken, he should be a first-year, right?"
"Yes, Saeki is indeed a first-year, but his ability is enough for him to serve as a Regular at any school!"
"But Fudomine's rules..."
Tony Oki was deeply dissatisfied. He had worked hard to establish this system—how could it be broken so easily?
"Coach Tony, this is the principal's decision!" The vice principal cut him off, speaking with meaningful emphasis.
"The principal's decision." Tony Oki's eyes shifted, and he reluctantly nodded. "If that's the case, then he's one of Fudomine's Regulars."
After saying that, he gestured toward Ohashi Miku beside him. "This is the Tennis Club captain, Captain Ohashi. Take this new Regular to meet the other members."
After arranging things for Muneyoshi, the vice principal left. Though Ohashi Miku looked extremely unwilling, she still introduced him to every member of Fudomine's Tennis Club.
Everyone was shocked that Saeki Muneyoshi had become a Regular.
When they learned he was also a first-year, the third-years and even the second-years became extremely dissatisfied.
But neither Tony Oki nor Ohashi Miku explained the matter.
That only made the others even more dissatisfied, and they seemed prepared to band together and resist him.
Of course, Muneyoshi understood their little schemes perfectly well, but he had neither the mood nor the intention to correct them.
What concerned him was the upcoming regional preliminaries the principal had told him about.
A few days later, he found Coach Tony and Captain Ohashi and asked them about the school rankings and the arrangements for the regional preliminaries.
"What school rankings? Fudomine doesn't have that kind of thing!"
"If I say you're a Regular, then you're a Regular. If I say you're ranked whatever place, then that's your place!"
Tony Oki was extremely impatient at Saeki Muneyoshi's question. "As for the regional preliminaries, that has nothing to do with you!"
After saying that, he dismissed Muneyoshi.
Watching Muneyoshi's departing figure, Tony Oki spat in contempt, while Ohashi Miku revealed a mocking smile.
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