I Will Lead Hyotei to National First, Shishido: What Bullshit Are You Spouting!

"Tap... tap tap..."

From a second-floor window to the left of the tennis club, a middle-aged man in a sharp burgundy suit with curly orange-red hair smiled faintly as he watched the court. "Remarkable talent. That must be the IAP breathing technique. It looks like a skill he was born with."

The IAP breathing technique: a unique method for regulating breathing and relieving fatigue, and also the main reason why Atobe excels in endurance matches.

His eyes held a deep admiration.

Such talent, coupled with the insight to see through an opponent's weaknesses.

His achievements were no less than those of the previous Hyotei captain.

Sakaki Taro.

The coach of the Hyotei tennis club.

As a coach, he had a unique judgment of the game and was exceptionally strict with his players, not tolerating any nonsense. It was precisely because of his presence that the Hyotei tennis club had grown so rapidly in just three years, becoming a scorching hot tennis powerhouse in the Kanto region.

If Gekko Ochi was the unsheathed sharp blade, then Sakaki Taro was the swordsman who drew it.

The guidance of an excellent coach deeply influences the entire atmosphere of the tennis club.

He did not reject first-year students becoming regular players. In other words, as long as someone had talent and could break through the ranks, they could lead Hyotei to an extraordinary height.

That would be success.

"Things... are starting to get interesting."

Sakaki Taro raised his wine glass, swirling it gently, and took a small sip.

"No... Impossible!"

"Seniors, they actually... actually all lost to him."

"How is this possible..."

The entire tennis court was littered with bodies lying on the ground, gasping for air.

Atobe had consecutively played against seven of the current regular players of the tennis club, and without exception, all matches ended with a resounding 6-0. Not even a single game, let alone a single point, was lost by Atobe.

He had dominated them from start to finish. Under the onslaught of consecutive matches, it was the Hyotei regular players who were exhausted, some even lacking the strength to stand up.

"Seniors, to be honest, you are really weak, weaker than I imagined."

"As expected, the level of tennis in Japan still can't compare to other countries."

A hint of disappointment flickered in Atobe's eyes. Could it be that in this vast tennis club, there were only these useless second and third-year students?

After all, he had grand ambitions, returning from England to enroll in this school. If even the strength displayed by a team in the top four nationally was no more than this.

Then wouldn't the standard of other schools be even lower?!

"If... if it weren't for the seniors graduating, how could you be so arrogant..." Among the crowd, second and third-year students who hadn't even managed to secure a regular player title gritted their teeth in frustration.

They now deeply missed Gekko's protection.

At least they wouldn't be humiliated in such a way by a first-year student.

"What?"

Atobe's gaze swept over, landing on the second-year student who had spoken. He said calmly, "Do you intend to hide behind them and be their lackeys your entire life?!"

"I don't care what your previous strength was, nor what your future strength will be. From today onwards, I will become the king of this tennis club."

"I will lead you all to the nationals again and challenge for the title of number one in the country!"

For a moment, a unique aura emanated from Atobe.

"You... you're all talk."

"Yeah, yeah! Leading everyone to win the national championship, how ridiculous!"

Hearing this, the smile on Atobe's lips gradually faded. Through the crowd, he saw two boys who looked about his age, also first-year students who had just enrolled.

"Hey, you two brats, I heard you talking bad about me behind my back."

Atobe rolled his eyes and pointed his racket at the two in the crowd.

Everyone made way, and the two boys in the crowd became visible.

One had long brown hair, and the other had shoulder-length wine-red hair. Both looked quite young. Seeing everyone clear a path, they unceremoniously stepped forward.

"Who are those two..."

Within the crowd, Tezuka's eyebrows slightly furrowed. He felt like he had seen them somewhere before.

The JR Tournament was only two or three months ago. Moreover, Tezuka only remembered opponents who could make him play seriously. Mukahi had been easily defeated 6-0 by Tezuka, so it was normal for him not to remember.

"Mukahi and Shishido. They were our opponents in the JR Tournament."

Kamikawa nudged Tezuka's arm with his elbow. "Aren't you going to join the fun? You know, they're competing for the position of Hyotei captain, which decides the match order and gives control over the club."

"Kamikawa, aren't you going to compete?"

Tezuka looked at Kamikawa with a confused expression.

If the captain position was so good, why wasn't Kamikawa going to compete for it? With Kamikawa's strength, Tezuka wouldn't have any objections even if he became captain.

After all, he had already lost to the opponent before.

In the two months after the JR Tournament, Tezuka had also intensified his training for a period, and his strength had improved a lot. Even so, Tezuka still felt he was no match for him.

"Me?"

"Forget it. I have no interest in these matters of being captain. You know, I just want to play tennis quietly."

"As long as you leave a spot for me on the regular player roster when the time comes."

Facing Tezuka's confusion, Kamikawa casually mentioned it. He truly had no interest in the captain position.

He also knew very well that he wasn't cut out to be a captain.

When it came to managing the team, both Tezuka and Atobe did an excellent job. Why should he butt in?

"Is that so?"

Tezuka seemed to understand and nodded silently.

"Those two are going to lose."

Kamikawa pointed at Shishido and Mukahi on the court.

These two were talented players, but they were still far from Atobe's level. Even in doubles, facing a two-on-one situation, it would be difficult for them to defeat Atobe.

However, it was still a two-on-one situation. When Atobe was slow to cover the court, they managed to score a few points. Shishido's quick net approach and Mukahi's bouncy play style attracted a lot of attention.

"Who are those two..."

Mitsuya Genko, who had recovered somewhat, opened his eyes and saw two first-year students who had just enrolled on the court.

"Vice-captain."

A third-year student with black-rimmed glasses and black hair beside him quickly helped Mitsuya Genko up. His eyes flickered slightly as he said, "They are the geniuses from Hyotei Elementary School, Mukahi Gakuto and Shishido Ryo, two of the three musketeers."

"New first-year students from Hyotei Elementary School?"

Mitsuya Genko knew very well that Atobe's strength already surpassed most new students.

Those two seemed to have some skills, but they were far from enough. The gap in strength was simply too large.

"Vice-captain, let's end this farce. The official members from Yamabuki will be here soon. I'm afraid this will tarnish Hyotei's prestige if it continues," the third-year student with glasses said hesitantly.

Hearing this, Mitsuya Genko couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Our seniors' faces have been trampled to the ground, and you're still worried about Hyotei's reputation?!"

"From today onwards, I officially resign as vice-captain and will no longer be involved in the tennis club's affairs. What you need to find now is that person on the court."

Mitsuya Genko knew very well that no matter how much he imitated Ochi, he couldn't reach Ochi's level.

Whether it was in terms of strength or courage, the only thing he could do now was to step down.