141. Hiroshi Wakamatsu Biting His Collar

As Haru Raku’s female fans cheered enthusiastically, he strolled leisurely onto the court under the gaze of the crowd, not forgetting to wave his hand and greet the girls, as if he were inspecting the scene. When the girls saw him close one eye playfully in a cute, teasing manner, their screams grew even sharper.

“Already so good at playing in the first year...”

Matsubara Mei, who had been waiting on the opposite side of the court for Haru Raku’s entrance, stood with one hand on her hip and remarked. But regardless of whether Haru Raku’s arrival was as grand as Keigo Atobe’s, judging purely by appearance, Atobe was undeniably more striking. To the youth, the girls’ aesthetic sense seemed somewhat peculiar; perhaps this was the taste of the elite.

When Haru Raku reached the net, still waving, he placed two fingers at the front and blew kisses to his female fans. Matsubara Mei felt goosebumps rise all over—this was just too greasy.

“Hahaha...”

Haru Raku laughed proudly; the feeling of being adored was truly exhilarating. He looked at Matsubara Mei and said with a smile, “You must be Matsubara, the strong singles player from Evergreen. Let me see your topspin and heavy shots.”

Ignoring the rising screams around them, Matsubara Mei smiled faintly. “I advise you not to get your hopes up too much. Because after I hit those shots, you might end up hearing screams of a different kind.”

The youth glanced at the group of girls from other schools gathering by Shonan Castle.

“Nice to meet you.”

Haru Raku didn’t take Matsubara Mei’s words too seriously and immediately extended his hand in friendship.

“Nice to meet you.”

As they shook hands, Haru Raku smiled deeply. “I’ve already figured out what kind of opponent you’ll face next.”

“Oh? You already know who you’re going to imitate to beat me?”

Matsubara Mei quickly caught his meaning and smiled as she retorted.

“Looks like you know me pretty well.”

Haru Raku was a bit surprised but quickly regained his composure.

Withdrawing his hand, Haru Raku placed two fingers gently on his cheek, his other hand on his hip, slightly bending his knees in a manner almost girlish. After fumbling in his pocket for a moment, he suddenly tossed a white baseball cap into the air.

Swish!

The hat spun in midair, while Haru Raku raised one finger pointed skyward. To Matsubara Mei, he looked exactly like a little magical girl about to transform. When it came to childish antics, the youth was willing to crown him as the strongest.

“Change!”

Haru Raku’s loud voice echoed, and the female fans outside the court chanted in response, “All right!”

...

Matsubara Mei felt her back hairs stand on end. This was simply unbearable—too embarrassing. At least Atobe’s childishness didn’t feel so hopelessly awkward; Haru Raku’s antics were outrageously unbearable.

Catching the spinning white cap precisely as it fell, Haru Raku wore it backward on his head, prompting another wild cheer from the female fans. If not for the rules restraining her, Matsubara Mei seriously wanted to smash that cap with a tennis ball.

“That guy’s just showing off, it’s annoying.”

Akutsu glared at Haru Raku with displeasure, feeling an urge to crush something. He then pulled out a chestnut still in its spiky shell and clenched it tightly in his hand.

“Hey, Akutsu... what’s that thing?”

Shishido Ryo, also annoyed by the noisy girls, noticed Akutsu’s exaggerated small action and couldn’t help but ask curiously.

“Oh? This?”

Akutsu opened his palm to show Shishido the chestnut with its sharp outer shell, speaking calmly.

“That’s a chestnut, but why does it have this spiky shell? Chestnuts are supposed to be smooth and round to the touch.”

Shishido recognized it and said, “That's used for something else.”

Akutsu withdrew his hand and continued squeezing the spiky-shelled chestnut.

“Could it be...”

Shishido thought of something terrible but swallowed the words back. Indeed, Akutsu’s violent tendencies were severe, but at least he wasn’t using these spiky chestnuts to hurt anyone—just squeezing them to relieve stress, which was somewhat comforting.

“Although his actions look childish and embarrassing, his gaze suddenly changed.”

Matsubara Mei watched as Haru Raku’s eyes shifted from a cross-eyed expression to a serious one inside.

“Transformation, huh...”

Outside the court, Inui Teiji quickly jotted something down on his notebook.

“That word also means change, right?”

Shibayama Kumakiri asked.

“I feel like something interesting is about to happen.”

Fuji smiled with anticipation.

“Hmph, Haru-kun’s actions and expressions seem flashy but superficial, yet his playing style is completely the opposite. This match will show them your true strength.”

Aoi Hanamura clearly held high expectations for Haru Raku.

“Best of one set! Evergreen Matsubara to serve!”

The referee announced.

The view zoomed in on the tennis court, where Matsubara Mei gripped the ball, tapping her racket on the ground. Curious about who Haru Raku chose to imitate, she refrained from using any enhanced serve.

Swish.

Facing the tennis ball flying at a moderate speed, Haru Raku pivoted on his left foot, taking a small step back with his right leg, then smoothly pulled back and swung the racket in one fluent motion.

“?!”

Matsubara Mei was momentarily stunned before rushing to the other side to return the ball. Haru Raku then pivoted again on his left foot, stepping out in a circular motion with his right.

Seeing his back turn, Matsubara Mei didn’t dare slack off and sprinted to the right. Yet the corner of Haru Raku’s mouth curled into a smug smile. His weight shifted swiftly between feet, and as he turned back, he sent a shot flying toward the spot where Matsubara Mei had just stood.

Tap!

“0–15!”

Watching the ball sail out of bounds on the half court, Matsubara Mei slightly parted her lips and glanced at Haru Raku. Seeing him holding the racket in his right hand while biting the collar of his shirt with his left, the young man couldn’t help but exclaim, “That move is...”

“Matsubara looks surprised.”

Shishido remarked.

“Indeed. Haru’s footwork is surprisingly good. Although it doesn’t look like something used in tennis matches, many players with a kendo or dance background incorporate those techniques into their tennis.”

Inui Teiji was impressed by Haru Raku’s footwork—it was fluid, comfortable, practical, and highly entertaining to watch.

Using the pivot foot and turns to create feints and deceive opponents requires exceptional reflexes and coordination. Clearly, under Aoi Hanamura’s ‘enhanced human’ training, this was fully achievable.