The In-School Selection Begins

School days always passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the tennis club's regular-member selection.

For the past few days, everyone had been training like crazy, from the first-years who had just joined the club to the veteran second- and third-years. They were all striving to earn a spot as a regular at Hyotei.

At that moment, in Class 1-A, Kannagi Shinichi sat at his desk with the group list in hand, discussing the in-school regular-member selection with Atobe Keigo, who stood beside him.

"Way too many people have signed up for the regular-member selection this time. Almost everyone in the tennis club applied."

Kannagi Shinichi handed the list to Atobe. As desk mates and teammates, they had grown much more familiar with each other over the past few days.

Taking the list, Atobe Keigo stared at the densely packed names and felt a headache coming on. "What do you want to do? Are we supposed to let them all compete in the regular-member round robin?"

Kannagi Shinichi rubbed his brow, thinking about how to trim down the list.

If everyone entered the round robin, Hyotei might not even have its regulars chosen by the time the tournament began.

After a long pause, Kannagi Shinichi finally said, "Let them draw lots and compete in one-on-one elimination matches. We'll pick the final fifty to compete in this year's regular-member round robin."

"Looks like that's our only option."

Atobe Keigo nodded. The best thing to do now was exactly what Kannagi Shinichi had suggested: eliminate some of the players first.

"By the way, let's divide them into groups, too. That way, we can make sure two players with regular-level skill don't end up in the same group."

Since the matches would be decided by drawing lots, anything could happen. Kannagi Shinichi had to plan ahead. If he and Atobe ran into each other in the elimination round, one of them would definitely fail to make the regular team.

Atobe listened and nodded, raising no objections.

Kannagi Shinichi then put himself, Atobe, Akutsu, Oshitari, and the others into separate groups.

After that, he assigned promising players like Shishido Ryo and Mukahi Gakuto to different groups as well.

That way, players with regular-level skill wouldn't be eliminated early just because they drew a tough opponent like Kannagi or Atobe.

Once the two had sorted everyone into groups in their classroom, they went together to the tennis club and posted the group list on the notice board beside the courts.

They then gathered the players taking part in the selection and began the draw.

The elimination round was divided into ten groups, with twenty players in each. It was a single-elimination format: lose once and you were out. The five players remaining in each group would advance to the regular-member round robin.

The elimination matches began soon after. Kannagi Shinichi's first opponent was a third-year senior.

When Kannagi Shinichi stepped onto the court, he saw the senior across from him frowning and wearing a miserable expression as he pleaded, "Captain, go easy on me!"

Kannagi Shinichi nodded without a word. A few minutes later—

"Match over. The score is 6–0. Kannagi Shinichi wins."

The third-year senior lay sprawled on the ground, muttering over and over, "I'm so unlucky. I really am so unlucky."

Putting away his racket, Kannagi Shinichi looked at the senior, who was questioning his entire life. He swore he really had gone easy on him.

Not long after that match ended, Atobe, Oshitari, Akutsu, and the others finished their matches, most of them in under ten minutes.

Twenty minutes later, a few more first-years advanced: the trio from Hyotei Elementary. They had also beaten their opponents in the first elimination round.

On the courts, many eliminated upperclassmen were crouched in the corners, questioning their lives together.

"The first-years are way too strong this year. I only lasted twenty minutes against that kid, Shishido Ryo..."

"That's nothing. That Oshitari Yuushi guy eliminated me in ten minutes..."

"Monsters, every one of them! That Akutsu guy is terrifying on the court..."

The edges of the tennis courts had become a place for upperclassmen to commiserate.

Just then, an eliminated upperclassman looked at the person beside him and asked in confusion, "Didn't you win your first match? Why do you look so miserable?"

The other person managed a smile that looked even worse than crying. "My next opponent is Captain Kannagi."

When the people around him heard that, they all gave him sympathetic looks.

The first round was over, and ten players remained in each group. Win one more match, and they would advance to the regular-member round robin starting tomorrow.

Kannagi Shinichi had already stepped onto the court. Across from him, a second-year senior held his racket with trembling hands, looking at Kannagi Shinichi with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry, senpai. I'll go easy on you."

Five minutes after Kannagi Shinichi said that—

"Match over. The score is 6–0. Kannagi Shinichi wins."

"Captain, you lied..."

Looking at the second-year senior sprawled on the ground, Kannagi Shinichi shook his head. "I really did go easy on you. Why won't you believe me?"

Not long after Kannagi Shinichi finished his match, Atobe, Oshitari, and Akutsu finished theirs as well and came over to join him.

"These so-called tennis club seniors are way too weak." Atobe Keigo looked at the club seniors sprawled on the ground, his eyes full of disdain.

Oshitari Yuushi and Akutsu Jin agreed, both giving a slight nod.

"But I've seen a few first-years with decent skills this year."

Oshitari Yuushi remembered seeing a few first-years eliminate upperclassmen without dropping a single game. That had left a strong impression on him.

"The ones you mean are the three prodigies from Hyotei Elementary. The boy with wine-red hair is Mukahi Gakuto. He specializes in jumping, and his technique isn't bad either.

"The one with the long ponytail is Shishido Ryo. He's known for his fast attacks and is best at breaking through near the net. As for the one with curly orange hair, his name is Akutagawa Jirou. He's the strongest of the three, a genius who specializes in volleys. In the tennis club, only the four of us are stronger than him."

At that, Kannagi Shinichi looked at Atobe and the others with a hint of amusement. "How about it? Want to play them in tomorrow's regular-member round robin?"

"We get to pick our opponents? Interesting!" Atobe raised an eyebrow, then looked toward Shishido Ryo, who had finished his match and was chatting and laughing with Mukahi Gakuto nearby. "Put that Shishido guy against me tomorrow."

Seeing Shishido Ryo reminded Atobe Keigo of how, during his match with Kannagi Shinichi, Shishido had been the one to mock him the most. Now that he had a chance to get back at him on the court, Atobe wasn't going to pass it up.

Don't think Atobe Keigo was the sort to forget a grudge.

Oshitari Yuushi pushed up his glasses and looked at the wine-red-haired boy, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Then I'll take Mukahi Gakuto!"

"Fine. I'll put you in the same group tomorrow." As captain of the tennis club, Kannagi Shinichi had the authority to do that. He then looked toward Akutsu. "What about you? Want to play Akutagawa Jirou?"

Akutsu simply nodded.

"Good. Once I give the group list to the adviser, you'll be able to face each other tomorrow."

After Kannagi Shinichi finished speaking, the three of them looked toward the trio from Hyotei Elementary, who were nearby, celebrating their advancement to the round robin.

Tomorrow was going to be quite a show...