"Tch~"
Atobe glanced coolly at Yamato Yudai on the court, then said, "Tezuka, what's gotten into that guy? Why would he ask to play a match?"
Watching Tezuka walk onto the court with an unusually serious expression, Kamikawa smiled faintly. "He probably wants to draw a line between himself and who he used to be."
"Who he used to be?"
"Tezuka originally wanted to go to Seigaku."
"What?!"
Now it was Atobe's turn to be stunned. He looked at Tezuka on the court. He'd wanted to go to Seigaku from the start?
A school that weak, a team that probably couldn't even make it into the Kanto Tournament—what could he possibly have changed by going there?
For a school, tennis wasn't a one-man game. It was difficult for one person alone to change the atmosphere of a club. As for how Hyotei had changed so much, ultimately it was because of Atobe's influence and Coach Sakaki's tacit approval.
"So, he wants to draw a line between himself and who he used to be."
Kamikawa stretched, his gaze passing over the first-years Seigaku had brought along before settling on a handsome boy—the genius who would become famous throughout the middle-school tennis world, Fuji Shusuke.
"Oh~ Now I get it."
Atobe suddenly thought of something. "Inviting Seigaku to play this practice match wasn't Coach Sakaki's idea at all. It was yours and Tezuka's, wasn't it?"
"More or less."
Kamikawa nodded.
"Fine."
Atobe rested his chin on his hand and said calmly, "Go ahead and do as you please."
"Drawing a line between himself and who he used to be will make him stronger."
"Just you wait, Tezuka! One day, I'll surpass you..."
Atobe paused, his gaze shifting to Kamikawa. "And you, too."
"I'm always ready, Atobe."
Kamikawa could feel Atobe's intense fighting