Seishun Academy!
Yamato had rarely gathered everyone on the court like this. He looked at them with a serious expression.
Coach Ryuzaki pushed open the gate and walked in. Looking at everyone on the court, she said, "All right! Everyone, gather around."
At Coach Ryuzaki's words, everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered together, all eyes fixed on their coach.
"The teams competing in the Metropolitan Tournament have been decided!"
"Every school made it through a series of selections in the Regional Tournament. They're all tough opponents, including last year's Metropolitan Tournament champions, Hyotei."
Coach Ryuzaki wrote the list of competing teams on the blackboard, then pointed to Hyotei Academy at the top.
"Just now, Hyotei invited us to play a practice match. They were so arrogant and condescending, as if we were the ones begging them to play."
Coach Ryuzaki's old face flushed red, her eyes practically bulging. She wasn't the only one who'd witnessed their lofty attitude; Yamato, the captain, had been there too.
He'd even been the one to take the call. The way they'd spoken made it sound as though playing a practice match against Hyotei was some huge favor.
Most importantly, Yamato had heard clearly that the voice on the other end belonged to a first-year. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the voice of Hyotei's second-in-command, Keigo Atobe, heir to the Atobe Group.
"Damn them! How dare they look down on Seigaku like that!"
"Hyotei knocked us out of the Metropolitan Tournament last year. Their captain was unbelievably strong."
"Yamato's arm was ruined in that match, and now they're challenging us to a practice match? They're looking down on us way too much!!"
"..."
The regulars at the front of the group spoke up one after another.
Their faces were full of anger and frustration. If not for Hyotei, they might have made it to the Kanto Tournament last year. Instead, they'd run into Hyotei in the quarterfinals and been cleanly swept 3–0, crushing Seigaku's dream of advancing to the Kanto Tournament.
"What's the point of playing a team like that?"
Takei spoke up first from the crowd, his voice tinged with fear. He'd been there for that match, too. Hyotei had been terrifyingly strong, and he'd never forget the suffocating pressure.
"Exactly!"
The second- and third-year students in the crowd had all experienced the era of Gekko Ochi, the top player in the Kanto region. If Hyotei's other players hadn't been so weak, the Kanto Tournament championship would have belonged to them that year.
"Senpai, you all seem really afraid of that school called Hyotei. Are they really that strong?"
The first-years murmured among themselves. Kikumaru was the first to speak up.
Kikumaru didn't understand. What was there to be afraid of about Hyotei Academy? Weren't they both just famous tennis schools?
Inui glanced at the puzzled Kikumaru, then spoke. "Hyotei has been a regular at the Kanto Tournament and even the National Tournament for years. They've always been among the very best in Tokyo."
"Last year in particular, they knocked out Seigaku, led by Captain Yamato, in the Metropolitan Tournament. Hyotei Academy's captain at the time, Gekko Ochi, was one of the top national-level players."
After hearing Inui's explanation, the others began to understand.
No wonder the senpai looked so grim. They'd been crushed the previous year.
"This year, Hyotei is different."
With everyone watching him, Inui continued quietly, "I believe I mentioned this before: Hyotei underwent a major change this year. Their new captain is a first-year named Tezuka Kunimitsu. Their vice-captain is also a first-year—the heir to the Atobe Group, Keigo Atobe."
"Both of them are strong. On the first day of school, Keigo Atobe swept through the entire tennis club, beating all the second- and third-year regulars."
"What?! A first-year beat the second- and third-year senpai?"
Kikumaru stared at Inui in disbelief.
"If that's the case, why is Tezuka the captain instead of that first-year named Atobe?" Oishi seemed to have found the key point and looked at Inui in confusion.
"That's because..."
Inui took a deep breath. "That boy named Tezuka beat Atobe through sheer superiority."
"More precisely, he beat him 6–3. But judging from the video recordings..."
"It wasn't as simple as 6–3. It was very likely a crushing 6–0 victory!"
"C-crushing him?!"
Inui's words stunned Oishi, Kawamura, and Kikumaru.
A player who could sweep through the Hyotei tennis club had been crushed by someone else through sheer superiority.
Could someone that strong really be a first-year, just like them?!
"So... the odds of Seigaku winning this practice match are practically zero," Inui said gravely.
In fact, Inui was being conservative. So far, he couldn't see any way Seigaku could win. In terms of either skill or attitude toward tennis, the senpai serving as regulars were all inferior to their opponents.
Nearby, the handsome boy who had stayed silent the whole time shifted his eyes slightly.
He seemed to have grown a little interested in the practice match they'd been invited to play.
Even though none of them wanted to go,
given the power behind Hyotei, as well as the fact that Hyotei had taken the initiative and invited them to play a practice match,
Seigaku had no reason to refuse, whether out of courtesy or common sense.
Despite everyone's objections, Coach Ryuzaki and Yamato decided to play the practice match against Hyotei.
After taking the subway and then a bus, they soon arrived in front of Hyotei Academy.
Looking at the imposing, magnificent school, everyone felt a tension they couldn't quite put into words.
When they entered the tennis club, Sakaki Taro had already been waiting for some time.
To be honest, Sakaki Taro had initially rejected the idea of inviting Seigaku to play a practice match.
In his view, Seigaku wasn't worth studying. Even without Gekko Ochi playing in last year's Metropolitan Tournament, Seigaku still wouldn't have stood a chance against Hyotei.
"Welcome."
Sakaki Taro walked over at an unhurried pace and spoke in an even tone.
At the same time,
the Hyotei regulars and Seigaku regulars were all standing on the court.
Yamato looked at the lineup of nothing but first-years and felt his heart skip a beat. He'd heard about it, but he hadn't expected Hyotei to be so bold as to actually put first-years on the regular team.
"Please take care of us."
Tezuka looked calmly at the Seigaku captain standing before him, who wore a white headband and round sunglasses.
"Please take care of us."
For some reason, the first time Yamato saw Tezuka, he sensed a hidden threat.
The feeling was much like the aura Ochi had displayed when Yamato faced him the year before.
H-How was that possible?
He was only a first-year!
"Seigaku!"
Atobe raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Seigaku regulars standing before him. "The school where the legendary Samurai Nanjirou once played? It doesn't look like much!"
"What did you say, you brat?!"
At Takei's words, his eyes widened. Unable to control his temper, he rolled up his sleeves.
"Hmm?"
"Senpai, you'd better think this through. This is Hyotei, not Seigaku!"
Oshitari, standing beside Atobe, spoke up.
Outside the court, more than two hundred Hyotei players stood up in unison and turned strange looks on Takei.
If he dared so much as to move, he'd be facing a beatdown from all two hundred-plus people at Hyotei.
They were guests, but this was Hyotei, and Atobe was the vice-captain of the Hyotei tennis club. Over the past while, Atobe had proven his strength through his actions and won everyone's recognition.
Japanese schools did indeed have a tradition of respecting one's senpai.
But respecting the strong was also a tradition at Japanese schools—and throughout Japan itself.
Pride required something to back it up. Fortunately for Atobe, he had plenty.
"Takei, keep yourself in line!" Yamato said with a frown.
He cursed Takei as an idiot. They were visiting another school for a practice match, and he still had the nerve to act like he was above everyone. That would've been one thing if he had the skill to back it up, but he was... hopelessly weak!
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