Empty words

“Akutsu lost…” Taichi muttered to himself, unsure how he ought to feel. Both men had saved his life, yet now one had won, while the other had lost.

“That was truly a magnificent match—a stunning reversal at the end.” Masami Higashi was thoroughly impressed. That two first-years could play at a level to rival the upperclassmen ignited a fire within him; he would have to train even harder himself.

“How pathetic, Jin Akutsu. Can’t even pull off your victory dance?” Matsubara’s mocking tone cut through the aftermath, but Akutsu merely regarded him in silence.

Perhaps even Akutsu hadn’t noticed the change in himself. In the past, he would have exploded at the slightest taunt, lashing out at anyone who tried to provoke him. But this time, he chose silence.

There was no burning fury—only the bitter taste of defeat after an exhilarating battle. So, this is what it feels like to lose.

“Though you lost, only by experiencing failure can you improve further next time. After all, failure is the mother of success.” Matsubara extended a hand to Akutsu. The phrase, worn thin by overuse, might have little effect on others, or even the opposite—but for Akutsu, these simple words were precisely the encouragement he needed.

Akutsu did not take his hand. Instead, he stood up and said coolly, “I’ll join the Evergreen Academy tennis team as promised.”

“If all I wanted was for you to join the tennis team, I wouldn’t have come to see you,” Matsubara replied, causing Akutsu to pause. He fixed the boy with a stare. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s talk somewhere else, shall we?”

As Matsubara waved and strode off, Akutsu tossed his racket to Masami Higashi, picked up his clothes from the ground, and followed at a leisurely pace.

“What… are they up to?” Taichi, watching the pair slip away, was full of curiosity and wanted to follow.

“Let’s leave them be, Taichi. From the look of you, I’d guess you’re planning to join our tennis club at Yamabuki after you enroll, right?” Masami Higashi nodded toward the tennis bag Taichi carried.

“Yes, that’s right!” The boy adjusted his oversized sweatband and nodded enthusiastically.

“Then how about a match? If you win, I’ll make an exception and let you join right away. How about it?” Masami Higashi spun his racket, and Taichi’s face lit up. “Really? You mean it?”

“Of course. I’m good friends with our team captain, Kentaro Minami. You could even say I’m the vice-captain of the Yamabuki tennis team. Let’s do it!”

Seeing Masami Higashi reveal his green short-sleeved shirt and white shorts, Taichi eagerly stripped off his own jacket and followed, brimming with excitement. “Yes, sir!”

The soft scuff of sneakers on the court faded as the two headed off.

Watching Matsubara lead the way ahead, Akutsu’s patience wore thin. “How much farther do you plan to walk, kid?”

“Right here will do.” Matsubara turned into a deserted alley, grinning as he faced Akutsu. “Tell me—there’s a player you know who, like me, can play tennis. His name is Hajime Mizuki.”

Akutsu’s eyes flickered, but his expression smoothed into cool indifference. He shrugged. “Who’s that? Never heard of him.”

“Really? That’s a shame.” Noticing the subtle shift in Akutsu’s expression, Matsubara smiled apologetically. “To be honest, I lent that guy some money. I was hoping he’d pay me back. Are you sure you don’t know him?”

“No idea,” Akutsu answered flatly.

A glimmer flashed in Matsubara’s eyes as he smiled meaningfully. “I have to say, you’re pretty impressive.”

“What are you trying to say, kid?” Akutsu was growing impatient, lost in the boy’s labyrinth of words.

“Well… don’t you find your answer a little strange, Jin Akutsu?”

“What?”

With a raised brow, Akutsu watched as Matsubara, hands in pockets, turned his back. “Think about it. If someone suddenly brings up a name and asks if you know them, how would you respond?”

“Most people aren’t totally confident in their memories, so before they say they don’t know someone, they’d usually want to know more details—maybe ask for some context. That’s why I said you’re pretty sharp.”

Before Akutsu could react, Matsubara turned and looked at him, sighing.

“What…”

Akutsu hadn’t quite caught on, but the cold detachment in his expression had quietly disappeared.

“You recognized, just from hearing the name, that you didn’t know this person. Am I wrong?”

Akutsu finally understood, his brows knitting together. “So you went through all that just to reach this conclusion? To prove I know this Mizuki guy? Don’t you think that’s a bit of a stretch? There are plenty of people whose names I don’t know, whether I’ve met them or not!”

“Besides, you’re the ones in the same school tennis club. Why are you asking an outsider like me about something so trivial? Don’t tell me you’ve lost your mind?”

Akutsu’s patience with the kid was wearing thin.

Matsubara bowed his head in silence, then looked up with a faint smile. “How did you know… that Mizuki and I are in the same school tennis club?”

“Huh? Of course—”

“!”

Akutsu, about to parrot Matsubara’s words back at him, suddenly remembered—the boy had only mentioned asking if he knew a player who, like himself, could play tennis…

“So it seems I’m not the one who’s lost his mind, after all,” Matsubara said, the corners of his mouth lifting as he caught Akutsu’s unwitting slip.

“I imagine you and Mizuki have known each other for some time. He probably put you up to this—maybe hoping, if I recruited you for Evergreen’s tennis team, you’d take the opportunity to do something to me. Like trying to rough me up, for instance.”

Matsubara’s trap had caught Akutsu, and it clarified for him the nature of the connection between Akutsu and Mizuki. Most likely, Mizuki, dissatisfied after boasting and then losing their match, hoped to use Akutsu as a pawn—a classic case of using another to do his dirty work.

Seeing Akutsu fall silent, Matsubara knew he had hit the mark. Mizuki evidently meant him harm.

At first, Matsubara had only suspected something was off, but Akutsu’s odd behavior before the match had made him truly wary.

“Whatever sort of shady deal you and Mizuki have, let’s set that aside. I’ll tell you my real reason for seeking you out—it’s not just to recruit you for the tennis team.”

Akutsu looked up at the boy as Matsubara folded his arms and continued.

“What I want is to gather strong players from all the top tennis schools in the Kanto region and form a team of my own. Maybe Evergreen Academy is just an ordinary, unknown school for now, but as we build our roster, we’ll make a name for ourselves in competition. In the end, we’ll stand out among the brightest stars and become the center of everyone’s attention.”

“And with your extraordinary talent and thrilling matches, you’re a crucial part of that plan, Jin Akutsu.”

Pointing at Akutsu, Matsubara spelled out his vision. After a brief pause, Akutsu asked seriously, “You’re planning to lead the team to the national tournament, aren’t you?”

Though he scoffed at tennis, Akutsu knew enough about the sport to recognize Matsubara’s ambition, and he immediately thought of the national championship—the grand stage where one could truly become the center of attention.

“Not just compete—we’re going to win it all.”

With that, Matsubara held up three fingers. Akutsu narrowed his eyes. “A three-peat? Quite the ambition.”

“If you don’t have ambition, forget about winning—just making it to nationals would be a pipe dream. I’m sure you don’t want to taste defeat again in a field you look down on. So, what do you say? Let’s create a legend in the world of tennis together.”

Akutsu’s fists clenched tightly. Matsubara’s words were infectious, and he felt a surge of excitement he hadn’t expected.

For someone who’d always dismissed tennis, Akutsu now found himself looking forward to it, even feeling a thrill at the thought. He, more than anyone, didn’t want to lose at tennis. Yet, today, he had tasted defeat at Matsubara’s hands.

If he joined this kid’s team, maybe one day he could defeat Matsubara—and experience what it meant to stand at the pinnacle, invincible. In a way, he realized, he and Matsubara were kindred spirits.

To Akutsu, tennis suddenly didn’t seem so dull after all.

“Interesting. In that case, let’s see what you’re really made of.”

Seeing Akutsu in high spirits, Matsubara said quietly, “Since we’re getting along so well, let’s settle our old scores before you join Evergreen.”