Tokyo Metropolitan, Shisen Tennis Center Park. →
This was one of Tokyo's five second-tier tennis facilities, and in recent years it had also hosted the Tokyo Metropolitan Junior High Tournament. The entire center had sixteen tennis courts.
The National Elementary School Tournament was being held at this tennis facility.
The competition had reached its third day. The quarterfinalists had been decided over the first two days, and today was the final day—the last battle for the championship.
Outside the courts, spectators packed the grounds. Among them were coaches from prestigious tennis schools with their eyes on the national stage, as well as reporters carrying cameras.
"Hey, let me through! My friend's competing, and I need to cheer him on!" A boy with wine-red hair shoved forward, shouting, "Shishido, hurry up and push! Jiro's match is about to start!"
"Gakuto, I know!" A brown-haired boy with a ponytail followed close behind him.
The two boys fought their way through the crowd, but there were simply too many people. It took a great deal of effort to reach the front, where they pressed nearly cheek-to-cheek against the wire fence around the court.
"Whew, we finally made it. This is so lame." The ponytailed boy looked around at the spectators watching the matches and couldn't help exclaiming, "Sheesh, I didn't expect this many people to come watch the quarterfinals."
The boy with wine-red hair and straight bangs drew a deep breath. "Shishido, isn't this year's tournament terrifying? Except for Jiro and that guy Sengoku Kiyosumi, all the other quarterfinalists seem like monsters."
"Idiot." The ponytailed boy scolded his wine-haired companion. "I don't know about that Sengoku Kiyosumi, but Jiro's a monster too. Gakuto, you've never beaten him."
"Shishido..." The wine-haired boy had been about to argue, but in the end he gave up and put on a tough act instead. "Next time, I'll definitely beat Jiro."
The boy called Shishido paid no attention to his companion's bold declaration. Instead, he gazed enviously at the orange-haired boy on the court, who looked half asleep. "I'm so jealous of Jiro. He actually made it to the quarterfinals."
He had been eliminated in the round of 32 this year.
By all accounts, that was a decent result. But he was one of the top three players at Hyotei Elementary, and after Hyotei's junior high division reached the National Tournament and achieved the impressive result of making the final four, the elementary school's tennis team had received far more attention as well.
He was fairly well-known throughout Tokyo.
The orange-haired boy about to compete on the court was his friend, Akutagawa Jirou, Hyotei Elementary's tennis prodigy.
During training, Jiro did nothing but sleep, yet his tennis fundamentals were more solid than anyone else's. His bizarre special move in particular made him impossible to read. He was strong in a way that made no sense at all.
As for the two boys, they were also fairly well-known players from Hyotei Elementary.
The wine-haired boy was Mukahi Gakuto, agile and skilled, with impressive technique.
The long-haired boy was Shishido Ryo, famous for his fast attacks and known as a breakthrough specialist.
However, both had been eliminated in the round of 32 at this year's elementary school tournament.
It was a serious blow to the two proud boys. Fortunately, their friend Akutagawa Jirou had made it to the quarterfinals, salvaging some pride for the three-player Hyotei Elementary group.
The quarterfinals were about to begin. The giant display at the tennis park had already started showing the matchups.
Tezuka Kunimitsu VS Sengoku Kiyosumi (Court 2)
Yukimura Seiichi VS Chitose Senri (Court 3)
Akutagawa Jirou VS Sanada Genichiro (Court 7)
Tachibana Kippei VS Kannagi Shinichi (Court 8)
The two boys looked up at the quarterfinal matchups.
After reading the list, Mukahi suddenly furrowed his brow. "Sanada Genichiro—that's the guy who knocked you out. Can Jiro beat him?"
Shishido Ryo could only give a bitter smile and shake his head. "Sanada Genichiro is a monster."
All the pride and confidence Shishido had built up over the years had been utterly crushed in front of Sanada Genichiro.
But he didn't resent him. Even now, whenever Shishido thought back to that match, he was still filled with a deep sense of fear.
Seeing Shishido's attitude toward Sanada Genichiro, Mukahi could guess just how helpless Sanada had made him feel.
Looking at Akutagawa Jirou, still half asleep on the court, Mukahi Gakuto couldn't help worrying. "Does that mean Jiro's going to get knocked out in the quarterfinals?"
"Probably." Shishido Ryo had played both Sanada and Akutagawa. They were both stronger than he was, but Sanada Genichiro was so strong that he made Shishido despair. He didn't think Akutagawa Jirou could beat him.
"There are so many monsters in this tournament. I wonder who'll win the championship." Mukahi Gakuto also thought of Tezuka Kunimitsu, the man as cold as an iceberg who had knocked him out. He hadn't won a single point against him.
"I don't know. Since the tournament started, six players have yet to lose a single game. We can't even begin to gauge how strong they are." Shishido Ryo's voice was tinged with bitterness. He'd never imagined that so many of his peers would be stronger than him.
"Then the champion's bound to be one of those six."
Just then, an announcement rang out...
"The quarterfinals of the National Elementary School Tennis Tournament are about to begin. Players, please proceed to your courts and prepare."
Kannagi Shinichi was completely bewildered. He'd never imagined that Chitose Senri and Tachibana Kippei would also be competing in this tournament.
Although Kannagi Shinichi was surprised, he didn't dwell on it. He picked up his racket and calmly headed for Court 8.
Sakaki Taro had also come to the courts today. He was seated right beside Kannagi Shinichi.
Shishido Ryo and Mukahi Gakuto spotted Sakaki Taro too.
"Hey, Shishido, was that rumor true? Kannagi Shinichi joined Hyotei." As a player in Hyotei Elementary's tennis division, Mukahi Gakuto naturally knew the advisor to Hyotei Junior High's tennis club.
"He probably did more than just join Hyotei. Look behind them—those are all the tennis club's upperclassmen." Shishido Ryo looked toward Kannagi Shinichi, then continued, "I heard from a junior high student that Kannagi Shinichi is already the new captain of Hyotei's tennis club. I didn't really believe it before, but now it looks like it's true."
"A first-year captain?" Mukahi Gakuto was doubtful, but also surprised. Then a smile crept across his face. "If that's really the case, things will be interesting when we enter junior high. I just wonder whether our future captain can win this tournament."
"Hard to say." Shishido shook his head. "Kannagi Shinichi is strong, but his opponent, Tachibana Kippei, is also one of the six players who haven't lost a game yet. There are just too many monsters in this tournament."
"Yeah, this'll be a clash between two strong players. Damn, I really want to watch." Mukahi Gakuto wanted to see Kannagi Shinichi face off against Tachibana Kippei, but as Akutagawa Jirou's best friend, he could only cheer him on.
"And Kannagi Shinichi's match isn't the only one. Yukimura Seiichi versus Chitose Senri is another clash between monsters." Shishido Ryo turned his gaze back to Akutagawa Jirou on the court. Suddenly, anger flared up inside him. "You idiot, Jiro! Wake up!"
By now, all the players had arrived at their courts. Only on Court 2 was Sengoku Kiyosumi alone. His opponent, the iceberg-like boy, was still on his way.
But they couldn't wait for him. The match was about to begin.
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