Thwack...
"Seigaku Academy's Kawamura and Fuji score. The score is 6–0. Seigaku wins the game."
"Seigaku wins the game, 6–0."
"Seigaku wins, 6–0. Both teams, please prepare your First Singles players."
After four utterly one-sided matches, only the final First Singles match remained.
Horio wasn't the only one feeling bored. Even the spectators in the stands had lost the enthusiasm they'd shown at the start.
Horio stretched as if he'd just woken up, then picked up his tennis bag and said to everyone, "It's finally my turn. I'll wrap this up in ten minutes."
"Hey, brat, don't go making big claims. Otherwise, we won't be the only ones laughing at you. You're playing First Singles, after all."
Horio smiled at Kikumaru's teasing remark, then turned his back on everyone and walked straight onto the court.
On the court, Horio looked at the tall boy standing opposite him, who seemed a little nervous, and shook his head.
"He's pretty tall, but he's just some nobody."
Then Horio tossed the ball into the air and swung, sending it over with an utterly ordinary shot.
"Seigaku Academy's Horio scores. 15–0."
"Wha... What? Referee, what are you doing? He didn't even serve the ball! Why did you award him the point?"
The referee had just called the score when he heard someone question him. I'm a referee in the Prince of Tennis world—how dare you doubt my eyesight!?
His gaze immediately settled on the opponent, five parts furious, three parts disdainful, and two parts indifferent.
"Look beside your right foot. Open your eyes and look at the ground."
Startled by the referee's glare, Renda Junior High's First Singles player hurriedly looked down. A yellow tennis ball lay beside his foot, and a scuff mark from where it had scraped across the ground was still visible.
"See it? Doesn't it look like your missing third eye..."
The hapless nobody of a player, mocked by the referee, didn't dare say another word. He also ignored the strange looks coming his way from the stands.
"I don't know how you managed to pull that off, but you won't get away with it again—"
"Seigaku Academy's Horio scores. 30–0."
Renda Junior High's First Singles player hadn't even finished his thought before he heard the referee call the score again. He hurriedly looked beside his right foot.
"Referee! There's no ball by my right foot! You got it wrong!"
"Do you only have one foot? Renda Junior High player, that's your first warning. Don't challenge the referee again, or you'll forfeit the match."
The referee was genuinely furious, and the player was genuinely stunned. He stared at the yellow tennis ball lying beside his left foot, his eyes full of disbelief.
"How... How could this happen? He's only a first-year..."
Horio hadn't paid the slightest attention to the change in Renda Junior High's First Singles player's expression. After watching him and the referee go back and forth twice, he continued playing with three question marks hovering over his head.
"Seigaku Academy's Horio scores. The score is 6–0. Seigaku Academy wins the game."
"The match between Seigaku Academy and Renda Junior High is over. The final score is 5–0. Both teams, please come onto the court and shake hands."
When the referee announced the final point, the players from both teams stood and headed onto the court. They shook hands, bringing Seigaku's first match of the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament to a close.
"That First Singles player from Renda Junior High was hilarious. He actually dared to question the referee! I bet even Tezuka wouldn't do that, right, Momo?"
"Haha, that's right, Senpai. You should've seen the referee's face. He looked like he'd been insulted."
"I really didn't expect our first match to be so easy. It looks like our training camp paid off."
As the others joked around after their victory, Inui Sadaharu, serving as an assistant coach, gave a levelheaded analysis.
"We don't have another match right away, do we? I'm hungry."
Horio had rushed back from the forest and gone into the match without eating a thing. His stomach was growling, and all he wanted was to get something to eat.
The others from Seigaku also wanted to get some rest. They knew the tournament schedule was pretty tight.
Their next opponent probably hadn't been announced yet, so Oishi dismissed everyone and told them to go do their own thing for a while.
As soon as Oishi told everyone to go their separate ways, Momoshiro and Ryoma left together. Kaitou also wandered off somewhere by himself.
Seeing that only the third-year Senpai remained, Horio headed for the convenience store without a trace of reluctance.
"This place is huge. Where's the convenience store..."
After wandering around for ages without finding it, Horio started to feel tired. He sat down on a bench by the roadside.
"One of the two rookies on Seigaku's roster this year, Horio Satoshi. He doesn't look like anything special."
Horio had only just sat down to rest when he heard a somewhat flamboyant voice beside him. He turned and saw a man twirling his bangs around his finger.
"You're... Mizuki?"
"Oh? I didn't expect you to know who I am. Have you heard of me?"
"Oh, no, no. I just tend to remember people who stand out."
"Heh, is that so? I'm quite familiar with you, though. Compared to the other first-year regular, you're more mysterious. You've never revealed your true abilities."
"But if they've put you in First Singles, you must have something impressive up your sleeve."
Listening to Mizuki's slick, over-the-top way of speaking, Horio couldn't stand it anymore. He finally cut him off...
"Could you stop talking like that? Do you think it makes you look charming..."
"But that's none of my business."
"I said, could you stop talking like—"
"Seigaku won't make it to First Singles. St. Rudolph won't give you the chance."
With that, Mizuki stood up and walked away, leaving Horio sitting on the bench, looking thoroughly frustrated.
Watching Mizuki walk farther and farther away, Horio's temper flared. He sprang up from the bench.
"Hey, stop!"
Mizuki had already gone some distance when he heard Horio's annoyed voice. He stopped at once.
"Is there something you want to say to me?"
"I want you to stop talking to me in that tone. And Seigaku doesn't need to make it to First Singles, because you don't deserve to make it that far against us."
With that, Horio turned and walked away, leaving Mizuki staring after him in bewilderment.
"Heh, is that so... I look forward to seeing whether the rest of Seigaku can escape my calculations. I've prepared a little gift especially for you."
"The next match has been scheduled. We're up against St. Rudolph, and they're not to be underestimated."
Once everyone had gathered, Inui gave them a heads-up.
"Everyone from Seigaku, gather around."
Coach Ryuzaki walked over just then.
"I'm announcing the lineup for our rematch against St. Rudolph. This match is very important. If we win, we'll have practically secured our place in the Kanto Tournament."
At Coach's words, everyone from Seigaku grew serious—except Horio, who was still a little annoyed.
"First Singles: Horio. Second Singles: Fuji. Third Singles: Echizen. First Doubles: Kikumaru and Oishi. And finally, Second Doubles: Momoshiro and Kaitou."
At Coach's announcement, Momoshiro and Kaitou both changed expressions.
The others from Seigaku couldn't help finding it funny. Their two bitter rivals had to play doubles together.
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