"Wow, Chiba Yun Chuan and Atobe aren't even playing!"
"They're all unknown players!"
"As expected of the top seed around here, Hyotei!"
Hyotei had won last year's regional qualifiers, so by the rules, they had a bye in the first round!
They wouldn't face an opponent until the second round!
Hyotei's first opponent was Suzuran Middle School, an obscure school that wasn't even good enough to play the role of a punching bag.
So Chiba Yun Chuan was taking it easy. There was no opponent who could interest him at the moment.
"Oshitari, Gakuto, you're the first doubles team. Go warm up!"
"Got it, Captain."
After that, they got up and went to warm up.
Even stronger schools could only lose against Hyotei's nationally ranked doubles teams, let alone a weak team like Suzuran Middle School!
Hyotei vs. Suzuran
The first doubles match began!
"Gakuto, let's finish this quickly!" Oshitari said, then served straight from the baseline.
The ball flew toward a gap in Suzuran Middle School's doubles formation.
"Got it, Oshitari!" The moment he finished speaking, they scored an ace!
Hyotei scored. The score was 15–0!
"What? Why couldn't I react at all?!"
"They're too strong. We can't beat them!"
Hyotei won, 6–0!
Hyotei won, 6–0!
In just twenty minutes, Shishido and Taro in the second doubles match, followed by Gakuto and Oshitari in the first doubles match, had finished their games. Both matches ended six games to zero!
Hyotei's swift and decisive victory set off a discussion among the spectators.
"No way. This isn't even a contest! Suzuran Middle School is so weak!"
"I think so too. Doubles is Suzuran Middle School's strongest event!"
"Now this is doubles. You have to remember, singles is where Hyotei really shines!"
"Singles? You mean their captain, Chiba Yun Chuan? I've heard he's amazing, but I've never seen him play."
"That's right, Chiba Yun Chuan. So far, nobody knows how strong he really is—not even Hyotei's regulars!"
Hyotei's doubles teams had shown such overwhelming strength that everyone was eagerly anticipating their singles matches as well.
"Captain, that was way too easy. There wasn't any pressure at all, right, Taro?" Shishido said as he drank some water, then picked up a bottle and handed it to Taro.
"Mm."
Hearing them talk, Chiba Yun Chuan merely nodded. Hyotei was far beyond a school like Suzuran.
"Singles three, Kabaji; singles two, Hiyoshi Wakashi; singles one, Jirou. Go get ready."
After saying that, Chiba Yun Chuan folded his arms and closed his eyes to rest.
Just as expected, every match ended 6–0!
"Match over. Final score, 5–0. Hyotei wins!"
In the end, Hyotei won all five matches: 2–0 in doubles and 3–0 in singles. They had taken the match, but they still had more games to play!
They had to keep going until the champion was decided.
"Hyotei! Hyotei!"
"Hyotei is the best! Hyotei is the best!"
The venue was filled with cheers from Hyotei's supporters!
"This is such a pain! We've already won, so why do we still have to play? Why can't they just declare the winner? They have to make us play all five matches! Ohhh, I'm so sleepy." Akutagawa Jirou was unusually awake for once!
"Fortunately, these boring matches only last one day, right, Kabaji?"
"Yes!"
As for the matches that followed,
Hyotei didn't drop a single game and won the regional qualifiers!
As for which school came in second, Chiba Yun Chuan didn't need to remember!
No team had given them any trouble, and Hyotei had qualified for the Metropolitan Tournament without breaking a sweat!
As they were leaving, Chiba Yun Chuan took a moment to check the system. He hadn't played a single game, yet he had gained several hundred Show-off Value. Not bad!
Now all that was left was the draw for the Metropolitan Tournament, one month later.
Time flew by.
Another month passed. Today was the day of the Metropolitan Tournament draw. Unlike last time, Chiba Yun Chuan had come in person.
Because he wanted to meet someone!
Actually, Chiba Yun Chuan hadn't even known there was going to be a draw. There hadn't been one the following year!
The Metropolitan Tournament matches were arranged on-site after the teams checked in!
But none of that mattered!
The venue was lively. The draw was being held in a conference room, and many schools had already arrived!
Fudomine Middle School, Yamabuki Middle School.
Chiba Yun Chuan and Atobe Keigo walked in front, with Kabaji behind them. Kabaji was like a small mountain.
The draw venue was especially lively, with everyone discussing the teams taking part in the Metropolitan Tournament.
"Did you hear? Hyotei didn't drop a single game in this year's regional qualifiers! They're terrifyingly strong!"
"Seigaku's no slouch this year either! Under the leadership of their captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu, they didn't lose a single game and qualified as champions too!"
"Seigaku can't compare with Hyotei at all. Hyotei will definitely make it to the National Tournament this year!"
"Look, look! Hyotei's captain, Chiba Yun Chuan, and the Emperor, Atobe Keigo, are here!"
The white-and-gray Hyotei uniforms stood out in the crowd, simply because they were Hyotei!
Chiba Yun Chuan and Atobe were the center of attention.
"Look, the tall guy on the left is Hyotei's captain, Chiba Yun Chuan!"
"Then the one on the right must be Atobe. They both look so strong!"
"Hopefully we won't end up in the same half of the bracket as them!"
Amid the chatter, Chiba Yun Chuan and Atobe Keigo slowly made their way toward their assigned seats.
For some reason, Chiba Yun Chuan felt that the people around them kept sneaking nervous glances at him and Atobe, as though they were afraid of the two of them.
"What do you mean, tall or short? Do I look short to you?"
"Is this what the Metropolitan Tournament draw is like? These opponents all seem like a bunch of losers. Looks like Hyotei's guaranteed to win the championship, right, Kabaji?"
"Yes!"
Chiba Yun Chuan, sitting beside him, agreed with that assessment.
But Atobe really was a little short! Chiba Yun Chuan glanced sideways at Atobe and thought to himself.
The chatter in the room continued.
"So that's the captain of Hyotei's tennis club? I heard he can beat all of Hyotei's regulars on his own!"
"That's right. That was a few months ago, though. Nobody knows how strong he is now."
"I wonder which school's unlucky enough to get drawn into their group!"
As Chiba Yun Chuan walked toward his seat, two people approached him!
They were students in blue-and-white uniforms—players from Seigaku!
One was Seigaku's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu, and the other was their vice-captain, Oishi!
As the two sides met, the atmosphere immediately grew tense.
Chiba Yun Chuan stopped and looked Tezuka straight in the eye. Tezuka was already Seigaku's captain, just as aloof as he would be a year later!
After all, he was already in his second year!
Seigaku's former captain, Yamato Yuudai, thought highly of him and had been grooming him to become Seigaku's future captain.
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