Melbourne at night. The salty sea breeze swept away the heat of the day.
Fresh from his shower, Muneyoshi stood alone on the balcony, listening to the faint sound of tennis balls being struck in the distance and enjoying the exquisite quiet.
The stars were dim tonight, the darkness deep, and the full moon hung high overhead.
He leaned against the railing, taking in the natural harmony of the scene and savoring the beauty of the world as the sea breeze ruffled his short, silvery-white hair.
In another room, Byōdōin Hōō was still keeping up with the meditation he had learned from Rokkaku Old Man, continuing his own training.
In yet another room, Oni Jūjirō stared down at the hamster cage, his right hand wrapped in bandages and his brow furrowed. Behind him, Tokugawa wanted to comfort him but didn't know what to say.
Irie understood Oni better. He patted Tokugawa on the shoulder, stopping him from speaking.
As for the others, Atobe was listening to music, while Akutsu and Sanada were training. Yukimura, Fuji, and Shiraishi were discussing their experiences growing flowers.
Tachibana Kippei and Chitose were drinking on the stands as they watched Sanada and Akutsu training below.
Everyone else was occupied with their own pursuits, too.
At the same time...
In another building not far from the hotel where the Japan Team was staying, two young men in black uniforms sat across from each other at a table.
They were Germany's Perfect Quality and its captain, Polk.
QP was telling Polk all sorts of things about the Japan Team, focusing especially on Saeki Muneyoshi and Byōdōin, as well as the Japan Team's recently formed doubles pairs.
QP had actually planned to share this intelligence with the rest of the Germany Team later. He was telling Polk first