The weather was lovely today. Looking up, he saw not a single cloud anywhere in sight, and the sunlight was unusually gentle.
Ever since that match between Kamikawa and Atobe, Atobe had hardly set foot in the tennis club except to attend class. A gloomy aura hung around him, as if he had suffered a devastating blow.
Aside from Atobe, the other regulars had been training hard every day according to Tezuka's plan. The little-known Coach Sakaki occasionally came by to watch them on the courts.
Some members who hadn't made the Hyotei roster saw the regulars growing more and more fired up, and they too picked up the pace, throwing themselves into the frenzy of training.
Today was an important day for the tennis club after its transformation.
It would be their first match as regulars.
The Regional Tournament!
After the Regional Tournament came the Metropolitan Tournament, the Kanto Tournament, and the National Tournament.
Hyotei had performed exceptionally well in last year's Regional Tournament, earning a bye into the next round. They only needed to play two matches in total, while the other schools had to play three.
That was one of the privileges Hyotei's tennis club enjoyed. Three other schools had earned the same privilege. They had all performed well in the Regional Tournament and were tennis schools that almost always made it to the Metropolitan Tournament.
But even they couldn't compare with Hyotei.
A district was lucky to have even one school reach the Kanto Tournament, let alone the National Tournament. Hyotei had made it all the way to Nationals, making them the undisputed boss of their district.
Atobe, who hadn't shown up for a while, appeared at the tennis club today. His gloomy aura had vanished, and he had returned to his usual arrogant self, chin raised as if he were the greatest man in the world.
Everyone noticed Atobe.
But their eyes were all on Tezuka.
Tezuka had just come down from the upper level and taken his place at the front when, before anyone could recover, slow footsteps sounded outside.
"Step... step-step..."
Coach Sakaki came down from the office. His expression was composed as his gaze swept over everyone. He said nothing, only nodding in satisfaction.
"This Regional Tournament is your chance to test your strength."
"Whether you made the roster or narrowly missed out, you're all members of Hyotei's tennis club. My only demand is that you win every match you play from here on."
"Use your strength to silence your critics and conquer the nation!"
As Coach Sakaki finished speaking, thunderous applause filled the courts. Everyone was fired up and united, their faces brimming with a hunger for victory.
"Move out!"
Coach Sakaki pointed toward the school gate.
The regulars said nothing. With their tennis bags slung over their shoulders, they headed for the venue.
Atobe, with his deep pockets, naturally wouldn't make everyone walk there. He had chartered several buses, and they made their way to the Regional Tournament venue in a grand procession.
The venue was Shinjuku Park, near Hyotei. Located in the Central Park of Shinjuku Ward, one of Tokyo's Six Central Wards, it was also where the matches for the Six Central Wards were being held.
Under the rules of the Regional Tournament, only the top two teams from each district qualified for the next round: the Metropolitan Tournament.
As the top seed in the Six Central Wards, Hyotei was naturally aiming for first place. The other schools could only vie for second.
The runner-up would also qualify for the Metropolitan Tournament, making this their only chance to advance.
The tennis schools in Hyotei's half of the bracket had already begun preparing for next year's Regional Tournament.
Even though they had heard plenty of rumors that many of Hyotei's regulars this year were first-years, they couldn't afford to let their guard down, given the strength Hyotei had displayed over the years.
"Woo-woo!"
As one bus after another pulled up in front of Shinjuku Park, students and coaches who had come to watch the matches turned to look.
When the bus doors opened, boys in gray-and-white Hyotei uniforms filed out. They didn't rush away, instead spreading out to either side and leaving a path down the middle.
The Hyotei regulars then strode slowly down that path.
"They're here, they're here! That's Hyotei!"
"What an intimidating presence!"
"Looks like the rumors were true. Every player Hyotei has brought this year is a first-year."
Everyone marveled at Hyotei's strength. The tennis club alone had around two hundred members, all of them looking energetic and spirited. Yet the player leading the group was a first-year.
That gave them a faint hope of winning. It seemed that last year's champions, the team that had made it to Nationals, had a gap in their player development!
"Number one, Hyotei Academy. Eight players entered. Please confirm."
Tezuka handed the prepared roster to the organizers in charge of the Six Central Wards Regional Tournament.
The organizer took the list and glanced over it. A stunned look crossed his face. He looked at Tezuka again and asked, "Are you sure you're entering seven first-years this time?"
"I'm sure," Tezuka replied calmly.
The staff member nodded and said, "All five matches in the first round must be played. In the later rounds, the first team to win three matches will advance."
"The champion and runner-up of the Regional Tournament will qualify for the Metropolitan Tournament."
"Do you have any questions?"
The staff member explained the rules patiently.
Tezuka slowly shook his head. "No."
They had submitted their roster. Since it was their first appearance, they needed to build momentum, so Coach Sakaki had entered all eight regulars for their debut.
The singles players were Tezuka, Atobe, and Kamikawa. For doubles, Oshitari and Jiro formed one pair, while Shishido and Mukahi formed the other. Each pair would play.
This was about as strong a lineup as Hyotei could put together at the moment.
In the first round, Hyotei faced a tennis school that had already played one match. When they heard that Hyotei had entered seven first-years, they all eagerly rubbed their hands together, ready to teach their opponents a lesson.
The result...
All five matches ended 6–0.
Watching the games, the opposing players only managed to touch the ball when serving. The rest of the time, they couldn't even get a hand on it. The gap between them was simply too great—far beyond anyone's imagination.
The people other schools had sent to scout Hyotei's strength were breaking out in cold sweats.
The remaining schools that had still clung to hope forfeited before their matches even began.
There was no point in playing when the result would be such a one-sided slaughter.
"That was much easier than I expected."
Kamikawa lay beneath the shade of a tree and glanced at Tezuka beside him as he spoke softly.
There was no need for the regulars to play in the later matches. Coach Sakaki had instead sent out the former Hyotei regulars—the second- and third-year students—to have some fun.
"Yeah."
Tezuka nodded.
There were no renowned tennis schools in the Six Central Wards Regional Tournament capable of reaching the Metropolitan Tournament. The result had been just what everyone expected.
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