Akutsu, Facing Muneyoshi Again
"The third singles match will now begin, featuring Saeki Muneyoshi from Fudomine Junior High against Seigaku from Akutsu Jin!"
"Hehehe... I really ran into him!"
Upon hearing the referee's announcement after warming up, Akutsu instantly went into a state of excited frenzy.
He had waited a whole year for this day!
Even though he lost to so many opponents last year, and even though he also won against many others.
No competition has ever captivated him as much as this moment!
Of all those who defeated him, none of the anger he harbored was as deep as that of Saeki Muneyoshi.
He, Akutsu Jin, had been waiting for this moment for a very long time...
Everyone from Seigaku also saw Akutsu's terrifying expression.
Some of them knew about his feud with the other minister, while others were not.
"Tezuka Akutsu should be fine, right?"
Fuji no longer had his usual smile; his eyes were wide open, his expression was very serious, and he even revealed a hint of worry.
He was well aware of Saeki Muneyoshi's abilities.
Although more than a year had passed since the match between Muneyoshi and him, he did not believe that his opponent had not improved at all!
However, Fuji hesitated again when he saw Akutsu's resolute back.
As a teammate, he was well aware of Akutsu's remarkable growth.
To defeat Saeki Muneyoshi, he was the one who trained the most at Seigaku and was the most ruthless to himself.
Tezuka shook his head, looking at the black figure on the court, his expression also very serious:
"Fuji, I don't know exactly how strong Muneyoshi is now, but in these few encounters, I've felt threatened by him more than once..."
"I'm afraid Muneyoshi's growth will far exceed our expectations."
Upon hearing this, Fuji was even more surprised:
"Even Tezuka, you feel threatened...?"
At this moment, for some reason, Fuji recalled what Muneyoshi had said to him more than a year ago.
Do you want to be a genius, or a strong person?
Thinking of Muneyoshi's composure and calmness back then, and seeing Saeki Muneyoshi's boundless confidence on the court now, Fuji was once again Fuji moved...
"I see, Muneyoshi, is this your answer?"
I stood still in the center of the court.
Compared to when they were in first grade, the two have now shed their childishness, and from a distance, they appear to be about the same height, both standing at 178cm.
At an age where they are still in a rapid growth phase, this height is certainly not their limit.
Of course, more than his increased height, Akutsu's growing ambition was fueled by his growing desire to defeat Saeki Muneyoshi.
From the moment Akutsu first met Saeki Muneyoshi, to Muneyoshi's constant "provocations" afterward, the idea of defeating Muneyoshi never left Akutsu's mind.
Now, he has finally met the person he has been dreaming of in an official competition.
Akutsu felt every pore on his body open up in excitement.
Even now, Akutsu's eyes lacked their usual ferocity, instead gleaming with excitement and anticipation.
Muneyoshi smiled slightly upon seeing this.
When he faced Akutsu again, he felt a sense of disorientation, as if he had been in another world.
However, with the familiar aura stirring, that faint tone, carrying a hint of ill intent, the one that could most deeply provoke Akutsu, once again came out of Muneyoshi's mouth.
"Jin, I wonder if your ball skills have improved at all after all this time?"
Upon hearing this, Akutsu's pale golden pupils contracted, and a dangerous glint flashed within them.
"Hmph, don't call me that so affectionately, I'm not familiar with you!"
"Heh, it's been a while since I taught you a lesson. Looks like you've forgotten all the lessons you learned before."
"Tch... If you want to fight, then fight. Don't think I'm afraid of you."
A fierce expression flashed across Akutsu's face as Muneyoshi's words reminded him of his previous miserable state.
But having matured through training, he is not afraid of anyone.
"You bastard, I'll beat you to a pulp!"
The excitement vanished, replaced by malice. Akutsu's lips curled into a sinister smile as he strode towards the back of the field.
"Wow, you're so confident! Looks like you improved quite a bit last year..."
Seeing that Akutsu can now control his emotions and that the aura he exudes is incredibly solid, it's clear that he has undergone tremendous growth.
However, Muneyoshi was only pleased with this. The strongest competitors in junior high school were just like that, unless there were other external stimuli.
Their improvement will likely slow down again, as they believe the entire tennis world is limited to junior high schools.
A leaf can block out Mount Tai.
Why did these top middle school students in the original work improve so rapidly after joining U-17?
Besides the rigorous and demanding training, the most important thing was that the U-17 broadened their horizons.
They realized, "Oh, so tennis can be played like this! There are so many different ways to play tennis!"
Even Akutsu, who was exceptionally talented in the original work, is much stronger now than he was in his first year, but his perspective is still limited to that of a middle school student.
The only people who could see them were Tezuka, Fuji, Sanada, Atobe.
This level of competitive pressure is still too low; it's completely insufficient to transform him.
Thinking of this, Muneyoshi smiled and teased Akutsu's retreating figure:
"Akutsu, I promised to teach you tennis, so let me fulfill that promise today!"
"Tch... Stop talking nonsense. You want to teach me tennis? Then let me see how much you've improved."
Upon hearing this, Akutsu stamped his foot, twisted his neck back, raised his eyebrows, and his anger surged. A strong sense of oppression emanated from him.
"Hmm... not bad eyesight."
With a smile, Muneyoshi took out a tennis ball and tossed it to Akutsu.
"Same as before, you serve first, let me see what you've got."
After Muneyoshi signaled to the referee, he smiled confidently, picked up a racket, and stood in the receiving area at the baseline.
Akutsu looked annoyed at Muneyoshi's indifferent attitude, but he didn't lose his temper.
Although he appears to have a bad temper, he is actually very intelligent.
Moreover, having learned from previous experiences, he is confident in his current abilities.
However, it cannot be assumed that Saeki Muneyoshi did not improve at all.
Therefore, he did not object to Muneyoshi's decision to give up the serve and walked directly towards the service area.
"The final of the Josai District Qualifying Tournament, Fudomine between Saeki Muneyoshi and Seigaku Akutsu Jin of Seigaku, with Akutsu Jin serving first."
"Set one end, match begins!"
"Akutsu, don't hold back! Let me see how much you've grown!"
Seeing Akutsu preparing to serve, Muneyoshi smirked and provoked him again.
Ta-da-ta-da...
With a light tap on the tennis ball, Akutsu's anger and excitement quickly subsided.
"Ha... Enough with the nonsense, take this!"
Swish!
The tennis ball was tossed vertically upwards, and Akutsu's body tensed, revealing the beautiful lines of his muscles beneath his clothes.
He bent his knees, extended his arms fully, and with a slight twist of his elbow, slammed his racket down onto the tennis ball in mid-air.
Bang!
The tennis ball, like a smash, flashed a straight yellow light and landed steadily in the corner of Saeki Muneyoshi's receiving area.
Moreover, Akutsu's actions are not over yet...
Tap tap tap!
Using the momentum from his forward lean during the jump, Akutsu leaped out and quickly ran towards the net.
"They started with serve and volley, and their serving technique and ball control have indeed improved significantly."
"But this stance, completely oblivious to what defense even means, is truly your style, Akutsu!"
Muneyoshi was somewhat surprised by Akutsu's comprehensive improvement in fundamentals, but this aggressive approach from the very beginning of the match was indeed Akutsu's style.
"However, if that's all there is to it, it would be very disappointing!"
Bang!
Muneyoshi simply took two steps to the left, and his racket was pushed back from behind, instantly returning a pale yellow light to Akutsu's half of the court.
After landing, it launches out at an even faster speed.
"Saeki Muneyoshi, don't underestimate me..."
Muneyoshi's incredibly casual movement made Akutsu's eyes narrow.
With just a simple counterattack, possessing only the most basic power and speed, Akutsu seemed to have returned to the time of his first match against Muneyoshi.
At that time, Saeki Muneyoshi also had a casual attitude, yet he retaliated against all of his attacks.
This act, now being repeated, stirred a surge of passion within him; he had waited far too long for this opportunity for revenge.
What I hate most is your seemingly indifferent attitude. Every time I think about it, I want to tear that face off!
Swish!
Akutsu was running intensely, did not intend to run to the backfield to chase the ball. Instead, he pushed off with both feet and leaped up with great effort.
It was as if his feet were on springs; his whole body sprang into the air, half-bent over, with his limbs outstretched forward—a very exaggerated movement.
"Ha! This time, I've caught up with you. Let's go back!"
Bang!
With an excited, quirky laugh, Akutsu returned the ball directly.
"You've improved!"
A hint of approval flashed across Muneyoshi's face. He gently turned his right foot, tilted his body to the side, and switched the racket to his left hand to scoop it down.
Bang!
The tennis ball, falling with tremendous force, was caught by Muneyoshi.
With a slight brush against the net, Akutsu easily returned the powerful smash with a powerful lift of his arm.
Before it even hit the ground, the tennis ball landed directly on Akutsu's baseline.
"Saeki Muneyoshi scores, 15-0."
"Akutsu, you've certainly improved, but tennis isn't just about brute force."
"Consider this a lesson I taught you."
As he listened to Muneyoshi's words of praise and guidance, Akutsu's face grew increasingly gloomy.
P. S.: "Dream-Fulfilling Competition, Brawl Competition, Please Vote for Monthly Tickets~"
All the seeds sown in the first grade sprouted in the second grade, but some grew slowly, requiring the protagonist to personally loosen the soil, water, and fertilize them...
Requesting monthly votes~