"Atobe, where are you going!"
Oshitari couldn't bear to watch Atobe sink into despair, so he stepped in front of him.
"I think I've found it—the path that belongs to me alone."
Atobe didn't look Oshitari in the eye. Head lowered, he replied calmly.
"But..."
"Let him go."
Tezuka watched Atobe's retreating back and spoke impassively.
Hearing Tezuka say that, Oshitari stopped trying to hold Atobe back and let him leave the tennis club.
"Don't you think you went too far?"
Back in the lounge.
Having just finished a match, Kamikawa naturally returned to the lounge to change into a fresh set of clothes.
After assigning the others to train, Tezuka also came to the lounge and found Kamikawa sitting in a chair.
Tezuka had yet to experience many setbacks, big or small, and was still quite kindhearted. He was nothing like the icy club captain he would become in his third year in the original story.
"He was bound to go through this sooner or later."
Kamikawa lifted his head and looked at Tezuka, his expression calm, as if he were stating a simple fact.
"Could this affect his state of mind..."
"It won't!"
Kamikawa shook his head. He understood Atobe better than anyone. The more setbacks that man faced, the faster he would grow. His talent hadn't even truly emerged yet.
For now, all he was doing was making Atobe face reality.
Just like the match between Tezuka and Sanada at the JR Tournament. That brutal 6–0 loss had forced Sanada to face reality, and he'd responded by training even harder, trying to surpass Tezuka—and everyone else.
"Tezuka."
Kamikawa stood and patted Tezuka on the shoulder, smiling calmly. "Do you remember what I told you? I'm going to lead the Hyotei tennis club to dominate the country and win three consecutive National Tournaments."
"Besides, now I want to lead the tennis world and climb to an even higher peak, looking down on everyone below."
"Our generation may not match the previous one in overall strength, but I believe that ours will be the greatest era."
"Mm."
Tezuka paused and looked at Kamikawa. His face was brimming with confidence and pride. This was the path Kamikawa had always followed with unwavering determination.
"The lineup should be out by now, right?"
Kamikawa let go of his proud expression, smiled faintly, and asked.
"Yeah. Me, you, Atobe, Shishido, Mukahi, Oshitari, our senior Mitsuya Genko, and Akutagawa Jiro."
There were seven spots for players who could compete, plus one reserve, making eight in total. Jiro was the last name Tezuka had added.
Though Jiro had lost badly to Oshitari, Tezuka had taken note of the talent he'd shown. He was a cut above the second- and third-year seniors.
Of course, the official team roster would be adjusted repeatedly. In-house ranking matches would be held every so often, and any regular who wasn't up to par would be replaced as soon as he lost a match.
That way, all eight regulars in the Hyotei tennis club would be carefully selected.
"Our team could use another one or two suitable doubles pairs," Kamikawa said, looking at the list with a hint of resignation.
Mukahi and Shishido were two of the three Hyotei aces. Their styles could work together well enough, but then there were Oshitari, Jiro, and Mitsuya Genko.
All three were bona fide singles players, especially Jiro. The guy had practically no doubles experience and was naturally the kind of person who didn't like playing doubles.
As for Oshitari, with a little training, he could probably compete in doubles.
But...
With Oshitari's talent, putting him in doubles would be a waste.
Oshitari had a bit of a foxlike personality, seeming calculating and shrewd. But on the doubles court, he couldn't control his partner and win through unconventional methods the way Yanagi Renji and Inui Sadaharu could.
His cleverness showed to better effect in singles. Doubles would only weaken his game and limit his potential for growth.
"For now, we'll work with the players on the list."
Tezuka glanced at the roster in his hand. "We'll need to discuss the match order with Coach Sakaki."
"Sounds good."
Kamikawa nodded in understanding.
When it came to the tennis club, Tezuka had the final say.
Kamikawa wasn't concerned with that. All he cared about was how long Atobe would take to recover.
Atobe was the kind of player who grew faster under greater pressure, but too much pressure might crush him. Had Kamikawa pushed him too hard?
The thought crossed Kamikawa's mind, but he quickly dismissed it when he thought of Rikkai Dai Fuzhong.
After Tezuka had given Sanada a thorough drubbing, Sanada had grown rapidly. If Atobe couldn't keep pace with him, then even if Tezuka and Kamikawa could guarantee two singles wins, Rikkai Dai would definitely take the remaining three matches.
Rikkai Dai's doubles were already among the best at the Kanto level. With Yanagi Renji backing them up, their doubles might even surpass Kanto-level strength and reach the national level.
"Rikkai Dai Fuzhong!"
"Yukimura Seiichi, I'll see you at the Kanto Tournament."
Day after day passed.
A distinctive figure could always be seen at the street tennis courts in Tokyo Metropolis.
There were no proper rules at the street courts. Strength was all that mattered.
Under the glow of the neon lights, a pale-faced boy with spiky hair swung the racket in his hand. The courts were in a bustling district, yet no one dared step up to challenge him.
The boy suddenly smashed the ball. It shot out like a cannonball and slammed into the hard concrete wall with a sharp crack.
A distinct fracture appeared in the wall, centered around the ball. The crack quickly spread outward in every direction, splitting the once-solid concrete into chunks.
Under the force and spin of the ball, pieces fell like raindrops, striking the ground with a clatter.
Dust billowed everywhere!
"Kamikawa Mutsu!"
The boy raised his head and stared at the wall ahead. He glanced at the cracked tennis ball on the ground, raised his racket, and turned to leave the street court.
Only after the boy had left did the people hiding in the shadows slowly emerge.
They all looked toward the spot where the boy had been practicing and swallowed nervously.
"That guy... he's a monster. He trains here practically every day."
"Yeah, yeah. I heard he only showed up a while ago. From the looks of it, he's a new first-year this year."
When the crowd heard that the boy had only just started his first year of junior high, every face was filled with shock.
"H-how is that possible? He's only in his first year?!"
"I didn't believe it at first either. Then someone followed him and saw him go into Yamabuki Junior High. And judging by his height, he really does look like a first-year."
"Are all first-years this terrifying nowadays?!"
"Who knows? Other people have played him before. One at a time or two at once, it didn't matter—they all lost. And every opponent ended up with a bruised and battered face."
"Anyway, we'd better not go provoking that guy."
"..."
In a detached house in a bustling part of Tokyo Metropolis, a boy was still on the court, swinging his racket again and again. Behind him stood another boy, broad-shouldered and expressionless.
Meanwhile, in the middle of a narrow alley stood the Kamikawa family home.
A boy lay in the courtyard, gazing at the stars overhead. He raised a hand, as if trying to grasp them.
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