"The Kanto Tournament has only just begun. Don't let your guard down. Train hard, understood?"
At Seigaku's tennis courts, club members from all three grades were training together.
Watching the players sweat through their drills, Coach Ryuzaki encouraged them in her usual stern tone.
After they finished their basic training, the regulars moved on to their individual practice.
In their last match against Hyotei, Horio's overwhelming victory over Atobe had lit a fire under everyone.
Even the regulars who usually complained about Inui's newly devised training plans were now working hard.
The second- and third-years were practicing against each other, while the first-years were left to clean the courts and retrieve balls.
The first-years were stuck doing nothing but busywork, and Horio, who had the most free time on the court, felt that Seigaku's tradition could use some improvement.
If the first-years had to waste an entire year on chores like these, they would definitely fall behind players at other schools.
Echizen Ryoma might have had natural talent, but if the others, who weren't especially gifted, never even got the chance to train, the gap would only grow wider.
Horio could see the problems with the system, but he didn't give them much thought. After all, his ambitions lay much further afield.
He didn't feel particularly attached to Seigaku, so he had no urge to change things.
"Horio, our next match is against Josei Shonan. What do you think?"
Seeing Horio slacking off, Coach Ryuzaki walked over and asked him about Josei Shonan.
"Josei Shonan... I don't have any particular thoughts about them. But... is there something you want me to do?"
When Coach Ryuzaki mentioned that their next match would be against Josei Shonan, Horio thought it over.
Josei Shonan was the team Coach Hanamura had built using the