6. The Rewards for Defeating Yinhua High School (Please support me with your investments, recommendation votes, and bookmarks!)

"Let me handle him!" The burly thug clenched his fists and looked at Naruki Matsubara. At that moment, Naruki stood with his feet slightly apart, one hand behind his back, and with a provoking curl of his finger from the other hand, he smiled and said, "Why don't you all come at me together? I'm in a hurry."

"What?!" The three of them were visibly taken aback. All at once? Was this kid out of his mind? In all their years, they had never met someone this arrogant!

"Go to hell!" The towering thug was quick-tempered. Infuriated by the provocation, he roared and threw a punch at Naruki, determined to show this short, scrawny kid what a real punch felt like.

A flash of cold light danced in Naruki's eyes. His clothes billowed though there was no wind, hair fluttering around his face. And yet, just as the massive fist drew near, it suddenly froze in place—suspended as if something invisible had stopped it.

"What’s blocking me?" The thug had no time to react. Naruki, fist drawn back, suddenly struck. The thug, as if losing balance, lurched forward, and Naruki’s punch sent him flying several meters away. Witnessing this, the blue-haired boy kneeling on the ground stared, mouth agape in shock.

"I haven't even used my strength, and you're already down." Naruki shook his head in mild disappointment, his gaze drifting over the remaining two thugs. "Who's next?"

His face calm, Naruki regarded the two of them. Seeing their burly companion knocked out cold, they knew rushing in would be suicide. In a panic, they hauled their unconscious friend to his feet and bolted down the street.

"Are you alright?" Naruki walked over and offered his hand to the boy, who was much taller than himself. The boy’s young face flushed with a sudden red, but he allowed himself to be pulled up and shook his head. "I’m fine..."

"So this is what young Yukimura was like... so adorable?" Naruki noticed the boy’s shyness, and for a moment, something in his heart was struck. To witness the bashful side of such a beauty—he could die without regrets.

"Thank you for saving me. My name is Taiichi Dan!" The boy reached out and introduced himself warmly.

"Taiichi... Dan?!" Naruki’s lips quivered slightly, his expression stiffening. After a moment, he forced a smile. "Hello, I’m Naruki Matsubara."

“How could this be? He’s not Seiichi Yukimura...” Naruki grumbled inwardly, displeased.

Only then did he notice that Taiichi Dan actually bore some resemblance to Yukimura—though his skin wasn't as fair and delicate, nor his eyes as sorrowful, but at a glance, the similarity was striking.

"By the way, are you headed somewhere, Matsubara?" Taiichi asked. Naruki was momentarily lost in thought before he nodded. "Ah, yes, I’m looking for someone."

"May I come with you? I’m really grateful you saved me—please let me repay you, desi!"

"Uh... but you probably don’t know who I’m looking for." Taiichi's catchphrase at the end of his sentence was cute enough to make any otaku’s heart melt. Naruki scratched his head awkwardly.

At this time, Taiichi was likely only in fourth grade—there’s no way he’d know Akutsu. Judging by his clothes, he attended some elementary school Naruki didn’t recognize, but it clearly wasn’t Yamabuki.

"I see..." Taiichi nodded obediently, but then insisted, "Still, please let me come with you! I really want to help you find this person, desi!"

Seeing his earnestness, Naruki could only agree. "Alright, you can come along."

With that, Taiichi happily picked up his tennis bag from the ground. Naruki paused, then asked, "You play tennis?"

"Yes! In fact, tomorrow I’m transferring to Yamabuki Middle School, and I’ll be joining the tennis club there too!" Taiichi dusted off his tennis bag. Naruki, however, was dumbfounded. "Wait, you’re transferring to Yamabuki tomorrow?"

"That’s right," Taiichi replied, adjusting his green sweatband as it slipped.

“How could this be... Taiichi Dan is starting first year too? That means he’ll be in the same grade as Akutsu?” Naruki was a little dazed. Not only had the plot changed, but even the ages of the characters were different?

"Say, Taiichi, this green headband of yours..."

If Taiichi was now a middle schooler like himself, could this headband have been a gift from Akutsu?

"Oh, this? A really cool, tall older brother gave it to me. I was being bullied by a group of adults, and he stepped in to teach them a lesson. During the match, his headband fell off. I wanted to give it back, but he refused for some reason. In the end, with his permission, I kept it. My head’s a bit small, though, so it keeps slipping down."

As the headband once again slid over his eyes, Taiichi laughed awkwardly and pushed it up, all the while grinning with genuine happiness.

"So... what’s the name of the person who stood up for you?" Naruki swallowed hard and asked, his tone serious.

"When I was being bullied, those adults seemed to know him. They kept calling him Akutsu. I think that’s his name," Taiichi reminisced.

"It really was him!" Naruki’s eyes sharpened, his suspicion confirmed.

"You know Akutsu, Matsubara?" Taiichi asked excitedly, noticing Naruki seemed to know something.

"Uh... I’ve only heard a few things. Apparently, he’s a first year at Yamabuki Middle School."

"What a coincidence! Akutsu is also at Yamabuki! We were definitely meant to meet!" Taiichi grew even more excited.

"Let’s go to Yamabuki now!" Taiichi enthusiastically grabbed Naruki’s hand.

On the way to Yamabuki, Naruki listened to Taiichi recount his ordeal. He couldn’t help but click his tongue. So, Taiichi had met Akutsu on the tennis court. Admiring Akutsu’s skill, Taiichi had wanted to learn from him, but was heartlessly rejected.

Even so, Taiichi continued to practice at the tennis courts, where he encountered Shiratama and his gang—hot-tempered, violent types who saw the introverted Taiichi as the perfect target for bullying.

Akutsu reappeared as Taiichi was being bullied, humiliating their leader, Shiratama, with his ruthless tennis skills.

According to Akutsu, he joined Shiratama’s tennis club only to defeat everyone and prove his own invincibility. Because his style was so ruthless, he was expelled on the spot. He hadn’t helped Taiichi out of any sense of justice—he simply wanted to vent his anger.

Hearing all this, Naruki chuckled. Akutsu was still the same old tsundere—cold and dismissive on the surface, but he must have secretly enjoyed being admired by someone like Taiichi.

Otherwise, Akutsu wouldn’t have shown up just in time whenever Taiichi was bullied. For someone like Akutsu, who was used to trouble, to meet peers like Takashi Kawamura and Taiichi Dan—who not only weren’t afraid of him but admired him—was something that actually touched his heart.

Truth be told, Taiichi idolized this tall, slightly delinquent, but incredibly skilled player. If he ever met him again, he’d definitely ask Akutsu to teach him tennis.

On their way to Yamabuki, they passed the tennis courts where Taiichi had been bullied. Naruki glanced up at the metal plaque by the steps—Sakura Park Tennis Courts, 2-chome, 22-ban. He felt sure he’d seen this address somewhere before.

Leaving Sakura Park, the two of them headed toward the station. As they passed another set of steps, the sharp sound of a tennis ball and shouts drew Naruki’s attention. Ahead lay a dense, towering forest, and through the gaps in the trees, he glimpsed buildings hidden beyond.

"That’s Ginka Middle School," Taiichi explained, noticing Naruki’s gaze. "Among the famous tennis schools, Ginka is a mystery. It’s said their tennis club is unfathomably strong. Whether regulars or substitutes, they all appear mediocre on the surface, but each hides unknown depths. They never reveal their true strength easily."

"Oh? So Ginka Middle School is over here," Naruki murmured thoughtfully.

"If they’re that strong, why don’t we pay them a visit while we’re here?" Naruki’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. Taiichi blinked. "Pay them a visit?"

On the road, Naruki had been idly browsing the system panel, and noticed a bullet comment task related to Ginka Middle School.

The gist of the task was that a female fan really hated Ginka for bullying Sakuno Ryuzaki, and wanted Naruki to defeat their tennis club so completely that it would be disbanded. The reward for completing the mission was generous—he would obtain the Freedom Mastery Technique.