Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
As Sumire Ryuzaki sank into her thoughts, the faint sound of rackets swinging echoed around the Seigaku tennis courts.
Following the sound, Ryuzaki's brows furrowed. "Power! Power! I've said it countless times—your swings lack power!"
"And don't develop lazy habits! Your opponents won't give you time to hesitate!"
"With swings like that, how will you face Hyotei when the time comes!?"
But despite her urging, the Seigaku players merely exchanged glances.
The strength and speed of their swings remained unchanged.
It wasn't that they didn't want to listen. Power and speed were the basics of tennis—they knew that.
But they just couldn't improve.
They felt like they'd already put in more effort, swinging harder and faster, yet it wasn't effective. They were frustrated, too.
And as Ryuzaki's prodding continued, their irritation grew.
If she really wanted to coach them, why couldn't she be like Rin Matsuoka had been? He'd pointed out exactly how to generate power for maximum results!
And face Hyotei?
Some players' lips curled into mocking smirks.
"…Coach!"
Sensing the growing impatience among the team, Yudai Yamato's heart skipped a beat, and he spoke up instinctively.
Ryuzaki's expression shifted instantly.
She felt it—the team's dissatisfaction.
Yes, dissatisfaction!
It struck her as absurd. As the mentor of the legendary Nanjiro Echizen, even though Seigaku had been declining in recent years, no player had ever dared to show such blatant discontent toward her.
But ever since Rin Matsuoka left, it had become increasingly obvious—or rather, it had finally erupted.
When Rin was around, the atmosphere at Seigaku was entirely different.
He had the strength, the insight, to spot everyone's flaws and help them improve.
But she, Sumire Ryuzaki… didn't have that ability.
"I…"
The panic and anxiety she'd suppressed earlier surged back.
Ryuzaki wondered if things would be different if Rin were still here…
She didn't dare linger on the thought. If she did, she feared she might truly regret her decisions.
She didn't notice that beside her, Yudai Yamato's expression was tinged with helplessness and regret.
"If I'd convinced Rin to stay… no, if I'd convinced Coach…"
Yamato looked at the team, his mouth bitter.
Like Ryuzaki, he lacked Rin's ability.
It was a gap in talent—a gap he could never bridge.
But even so…
Yamato closed his eyes. Even so, they had to train as hard as they could. If they faced Hyotei unprepared, he couldn't imagine the consequences.
"Coach, I'm planning to have the third-years train separately to intensify their practice. Also, Takei can become a regular…"
Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere at Seigaku felt divided, almost hostile.
Yamato and Ryuzaki discussed quietly on the sidelines.
The second- and third-year players trained with their rackets.
The first-years, meanwhile… were completely ignored.
"…This…"
Oishi Shuichiro looked anxious and lost, still reeling after two weeks, as if caught in a dream.
"Takei?"
Shusuke Fuji's squinted eyes slowly opened, his ice-blue gaze filled with complexity and disappointment.
That senior who'd once tried to harm a junior and other players—how could he become a regular?
Fuji glanced at Kunimitsu Tezuka, who'd been silent all along.
"Tezuka… with your skill, you could easily compete for a regular spot. Why didn't you try?"
At that, Tezuka lifted his gaze, looking calmly at Fuji. "Fuji, you could, too."
Fuji froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "You jerk. I thought you weren't paying attention to anything!"
"Probably the same reason as you, right? Ever since Rin left, it's like Coach has completely ignored the first-years. Or maybe… she's even annoyed with us."
"Even if we signed up to compete, it'd be pointless, wouldn't it?"
Fuji shrugged nonchalantly, seeming indifferent.
Yes, ever since Rin Matsuoka left, the first-years had inexplicably been left to fend for themselves. There was even a subtle, almost imperceptible hostility from Ryuzaki.
But now, Fuji found himself strangely unbothered by whether he could become a Seigaku regular. He hadn't cared much before, either.
He'd felt a spark of ambition and desire once.
But that desire seemed to fade with the departure of the one who'd always believed in them, who'd spoken of chasing the most beautiful scenery.
It left Fuji feeling bored, even wondering if he should quit the tennis club and try another one.
"Tezuka!! Fuji!! Watch out!!"
While they talked, Oishi and Eiji Kikumaru shouted in alarm.
The two looked up quickly. A racket was hurtling toward them.
The angle was tricky, as if planned.
At the same time, a faintly insincere voice called out, tinged with mock surprise and regret. "Dodge it, you two! My racket slipped out of my hand…"
"So sorry about that…"
The voice sounded familiar.
-----------------
Meanwhile, on the other side.
It was already afternoon.
Rin Matsuoka headed toward the street tennis courts, feeling a mix of exasperation and helplessness.
At a time when he should've been training with the others, Rin wasn't.
The reason was simple: his rhythm was completely different from theirs.
The training the others were doing was, to him, a waste of time.
Too basic. He could master it with a glance, no challenge at all.
Though, to be fair, all tennis techniques so far were like that for him.
Thud!
Bang!
As Rin pondered, the familiar sound of a tennis ball hitting the ground rang out.
"Hm?"
Curious, Rin walked forward.
At the street tennis courts, a brown-haired boy with short hair stood, his face pale but his eyes wild with dissatisfaction and arrogance.
He held a racket, swinging it casually.
"Hey, you lost."
The boy pointed at his opponent, then at a crying kid nearby. "Hey, losing at such a boring, simple sport? How weak are you? And you, done crying yet?"
"Tennis is just like any other sport. Learn it casually, and it's nothing special. Totally pointless!"
As he spoke, the brown-haired boy tossed his racket down in disdain.
"I think tennis is pretty simple, too. How do some people find it so hard?"
Another voice chimed in after the boy's words.
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