A Chance Encounter

Two days later.

Tokyo International Airport.

Tezuka walked through the waiting lounge beside Retru, who had come all the way to Japan to meet him. Half a step behind them was a tall, handsome young man with white hair.

"Kunimitsu, I'm glad you were able to make your decision so quickly. Believe me, you won't regret it."

Kan Retru smiled warmly. Ever since he'd first found Tezuka last year, he'd never stopped trying to reach out to him.

He remembered how, more than three years ago, Jürgen had spotted the unmoving footprint Tezuka had left during a club exhibition match and brought Retru all the way to Japan to find him.

That time, they'd come away empty-handed.

Tezuka had been nowhere to be seen at the regional qualifiers for Japan's schools. Neither had Muneyoshi.

Back then, it had never occurred to them that someone like Tezuka might be left off the lineup simply because he was only a first-year student.

Then came the second time Retru visited Japan.

He hadn't expected the boy Jürgen had spent years searching for to be the one who faced Saeki Muneyoshi in the Kanto Tournament.

In their conversation, Retru had sensed the responsibility Tezuka carried. As expected, that invitation had also been turned down.

But they still hadn't given up.

This was the third time.

Since Retru had other matters to attend to, he'd sent his prized pupil, QP, ahead. He'd expected it to take some effort.

He hadn't expected Tezuka to agree so quickly to go with them to Germany.

Two nights earlier, when he got QP's call relaying that Tezuka had agreed to go to Germany with him, he could hardly believe it.

Excited, he'd put the club's other business on hold and flown to Japan himself to meet Tezuka.

"Thank you