25. Kunimitsu Tezuka in a Fury

Just as Akira Matsubara was about to teach Hajime Mizuki a lesson, his aggressive stride slowed. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to confront Mizuki directly. He turned and headed instead toward the faculty room, deciding it would be more prudent to consult Tezuka. After all, it was a matter best handled by the captain; as a regular player without any official position, openly challenging the coach would only put himself at a disadvantage.

He knocked on the closed door and found Tezuka alone inside. After a brief moment to consider his words, he said, “Captain, there’s something I’m not sure if I should say.”

“What is it, Matsubara? Go ahead,” Tezuka replied.

Since the young man had recruited three players from different schools, Tezuka’s regard for him had evolved. What had begun as simple recognition of Matsubara’s talent had gradually shifted to seeing him as an indispensable strategist. Facing Matsubara now, the stern seriousness of Tezuka’s expression softened almost imperceptibly.

“Do you know the reason why Coach Mizuki joined Evergreen Academy?” Matsubara asked.

“What do you mean?” Tezuka’s expression darkened, his tone even.

“It’s like this: Today, Ryo Shishido, who just joined the tennis club, was practicing a so-called finishing move in a quiet corner. I saw it and realized it was called the Reverse Spin Shot—a seemingly powerful stroke, but the posture puts an enormous strain on the arm.” Matsubara mimed the move for Tezuka as if pondering its implications.

“Reverse Spin Shot?!” Though only a first-year, Tezuka’s insight was far beyond that of his peers. He immediately pictured Shishido executing the move in his mind, and instinctively glanced at his own arm.

“Yes. According to Shishido, it was Coach Mizuki who taught him that move. Mizuki, as a coach, should be well aware of the dangers of teaching techniques that could injure players. I’m not sure if he acted carelessly or deliberately, which is why I wanted to ask you about Mizuki’s real purpose in joining Evergreen,” Matsubara explained.

Tezuka nodded thoughtfully, frowning. “The Reverse Spin Shot puts an extraordinary amount of stress on the arm. Whether intentional or not, if a developing player overuses it, they may never be able to play again…”

“So… are you saying Mizuki did it on purpose?!” the boy exclaimed in surprise.

“As far as I know, Mizuki only left St. Rudolph. I don’t know the details. After joining Evergreen, he demonstrated exceptional talent in data analysis and intelligence, which is why I appointed him coach.”

Tezuka didn’t answer Matsubara’s question directly but shook his head.

“However… are you certain Shishido really learned the Reverse Spin Shot from Mizuki?” Tezuka wanted absolute confirmation. The damage from that move to the arm far exceeded even his own Zero-Shiki Drop Shot. This wasn’t something to take lightly.

“Absolutely. Shishido told me himself,” Matsubara replied noncommittally.

Tezuka fell silent, but Matsubara went on, “Captain, I actually have a bold theory.”

“What is it?”

“Could it be that Mizuki is actually a spy sent by St. Rudolph?”

Even someone as composed as Tezuka was momentarily stunned; Matsubara’s speculation was not only bold, but dangerous. Of course, Tezuka wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions. He quickly dismissed the idea, “If Mizuki truly were a spy, why would he come to a relatively unknown tennis school like ours? Wouldn’t another school bring more benefit?”

“That’s just my guess. I know full well Evergreen’s strength. But before I joined, you and the vice-captain were already here. With your reputation and abilities, it’s inevitable you’ll face off against new powerhouses like St. Rudolph in the regional tournaments…” Matsubara’s words trailed off as a new thought struck him. “Moreover, I’ve heard that St. Rudolph has rapidly grown into a formidable presence through advanced facilities and innovative theories. They prefer to defeat their opponents from within, making them that much more threatening.”

“I’ve heard something similar,” Tezuka agreed. This school, founded just last year, had already emerged from both the regional preliminaries and the main tournament thanks to its strength. For a school so young, even with all possible resources, the pace of their advancement was astonishing.

“Besides Shishido’s physically harmful technique, have any of the other players you recruited shown signs of trouble?” Returning to the main issue, Tezuka was particularly concerned if Mizuki had done anything untoward to the other players Matsubara brought in.

“Actually, there’s something about Akutsu. I learned by chance from him that Mizuki, upon hearing I was planning to recruit Akutsu, advised him not to join me but rather to find an opportunity to beat me up instead.”

Matsubara spoke calmly, but Tezuka’s expression turned icy as he pressed his fists together, knuckles at his nose.

“At the time, I thought Mizuki was just resentful at losing his regular spot to me, so I didn’t take it seriously…”

“What did you say?” Tezuka’s glasses glinted coldly as he interrupted, his tone almost chilling.

“He actually tried to pin the blame on you for losing his place as a regular?!”

Watching Tezuka rise, Matsubara seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation and admitted frankly, “Yes.”

“To think he’d try to harm you just because he lost his regular spot in a bet…” Tezuka slammed his fist on the desk. “Unforgivable!”

“Please calm down, Captain…” Matsubara hurried to placate him. It was the first time he’d seen Tezuka lose his temper like this. Had he perhaps gone too far? But… everything he said was the truth, without exaggeration.

“Honestly, Captain, even if all this is true, I don’t blame Mizuki. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I?” Matsubara immediately regretted saying this. He’d only meant to soothe Tezuka, knowing that anger would harm him, and hadn’t realized his words might come off as insincere…

“This is not your concern any longer.” Without waiting to see if Matsubara had more to say, Tezuka left the faculty room.

Tezuka’s first priority now was to inform Fuji. Mizuki’s actions had already crossed his line of tolerance! Whether it was teaching Shishido a move that could cripple his arm or scheming to resolve things with violence against Matsubara, if Mizuki were allowed to continue unchecked, he would destroy the tennis club sooner or later.