Little one, do you carry many questions in your heart?

"To be honest, I’d really rather not be on your team for this match." Akutsu spoke with clear reluctance as he looked at Matsubara Mei on the opposite side. The memory of that crushing defeat in the tennis club at Yamabuki Middle School still stung, and Mei’s formidable baseline attacks only made things worse. Even though Akutsu wasn’t weak at the net, that kid’s offense was the kind that few could withstand.

"I don’t care who the opponent is. What matters more to me is—" Before Mei could finish, a piercing scream echoed from the distance. Everyone watched as Shishido Ryo, after gulping down a special drink concocted by Kaido, bolted desperately toward the exit, only to collapse in a heap before even reaching the edge of the court, unconscious.

"Did he just pass away...?" Kumagiri Shiba bit his teeth, his mouth agape.

"Last time, at least he made it out. This time he couldn’t even reach the pool..." The substitute players outside cried out in surprise.

"He crashed hard..." Another substitute swallowed hard, his voice uneasy.

"No wonder it’s even deadlier than vegetable juice, that special drink..." Mei felt a chill run through him as he witnessed the upgraded potency of Kaido’s concoction.

"Hey, let's get this match started already!" Akutsu barked.

"Hm?" Mei blinked in surprise at Akutsu’s eager, almost transformed demeanor. Since when had his fighting spirit become so fierce?

The match between Mei and Akutsu began at once. Facing Akutsu’s impressive strength and speed, Mei could sense his overwhelming will to survive even from across the net. You don’t want to lose, but neither do I!

Mei applied tremendous repulsion force to the tennis ball, delivering a powerful smash. Just as he thought the point was secured, Akutsu made a wide sliding lunge, tensing his body and catching the ball single-handedly. The taut muscles on his right arm stood out boldly.

"This kid’s gotten stronger..." Akutsu felt as if his arm would snap, hurriedly grabbing his racket with both hands. The tennis ball spun fiercely on the strings, the force so great that the racket’s mesh visibly warped.

"Clatter, clatter!"

In a sudden moment, Akutsu’s hands slipped, unable to hold on. The racket spun through the air before landing shakily on the court.

"Clunk."

"Wow... that’s incredible!"

"No wonder he forced his opponent to forfeit in the qualifiers..."

Mei’s explosive smash had drawn every eye. After all, for men, nothing was more enviable than hitting a tennis ball with sheer power.

"Hmph." Akutsu bent to retrieve his racket. Mei’s strength remained as terrifying as ever, a force he simply couldn’t contend with now.

But before he could reflect further, a chill crept up his spine, his entire body freezing. Through gritted teeth, Akutsu spat out, "That persistent ghost..."

Kaido appeared behind him like a phantom, extending his hand with another special drink. Soon, a blood-curdling scream echoed across the tennis court.

"Good grief..." Mei watched Akutsu’s ‘tragic demise,’ exhaled in relief, and patted his chest. With his own ‘cheat’ protecting him, he needn’t worry about drinking Kaido’s concoction, yet Akutsu’s plight made him shudder in empathy.

Next was Tezuka’s one-against-two match against Fuji and Kumagiri Shiba. Always so serious, Tezuka now gripped his racket tightly.

If Kaido’s vegetable juice had once been nothing but a boring nuisance before the regional qualifiers, now Tezuka had to take things seriously. After all, it was a one-on-two match—Fuji’s defensive counterplay and Kumagiri’s brute force could not be underestimated!

Tezuka didn’t want to lose, but Fuji, on the other hand, very much did. The reason was simple: after tasting Kaido’s vegetable juice, Fuji had become enamored with Kaido’s special drinks. This time, he was eager to try the new flavor.

But that wasn’t the main reason. If he lost, Tezuka wouldn’t lose, meaning Fuji would miss out on the drink he so craved. Though it felt selfish, Fuji resolved to see it through.

"Tezuka, forgive my selfishness—just this once." After saying this to himself, Fuji offered Kumagiri a gentle, reassuring smile, and Kumagiri couldn’t help but smile back.

Seeing no tense confrontation between Fuji and Tezuka, Kumagiri felt a pang of anxiety. He couldn’t guess what was running through their minds, but no matter what, he was determined not to drink any special concoctions.

He had missed pre-qualifier training due to illness, but upon returning, he’d heard about the ‘tragedy’ that had unfolded on the court. As a survivor of the ‘second tragedy,’ witnessing Shishido and Akutsu’s fate firsthand only strengthened Kumagiri’s resolve not to lose.

Yet, all this was nothing more than Kumagiri’s wishful thinking. No matter how much he resisted, he couldn’t withstand his teammates’ enthusiastic performances. Facing Tezuka’s shots, Fuji visibly fell behind, and just as Tezuka prepared to finish with a zero-spin shot, Fuji deliberately sent the ball into the net.

"Ah, a mistake," Fuji smiled, helpless.

Such a clumsy act! That was Mei’s first thought upon seeing it. Really, sir? Even if you want Kaido’s drink, is this how you play? Have you considered Kumagiri’s feelings?

Tezuka gazed impassively at Fuji, who squinted and smiled, "That posture—zero-spin, right? Looks like you were about to get serious."

"Of course, even in practice matches, you can’t let your guard down." Tezuka closed his eyes and turned away, quietly exhaling as he walked. He’d been spared...

Fuji, feigning deep apology, smiled at Kumagiri, whose head was now filled with question marks. He sensed the world’s malicious intent, his face reddening as he pointed at Fuji, "Vice-captain, you did that on purpose! It had to be intentional!"

Seeing Tezuka appear before him like a ghost with a deep green special drink, Kumagiri’s color changed instantly.

"I’ll go first, Shiba-senpai." With a squint and a smile, Fuji downed Kaido’s special drink in one gulp.

"Ahhhhh!" Another scream like a chicken being slaughtered rang out. Watching Tezuka stroll calmly to the court’s edge, many of the substitute players whispered regretfully, "Tezuka has never lost during pre-qualifier training, and still hasn’t. I wish we could see him drink that special concoction just once..."

"Hm?" Tezuka, stern and serious, paused at the malicious whispers, his glasses flashing with a strange white light like Kaido’s. At that unsettling sight, many realized their mistake, quickly covering their mouths with both hands.

Mei heard those scattered voices too. Rest assured, everyone, I’ll make Tezuka drink for you soon. Sometimes, even the captain must establish authority in all aspects—otherwise, how can he set an example?

A sly smile curled at his lips, and Mei naturally picked up two water bottles from the edge of the court, handing them to the approaching Tezuka.

Purple Pen Literature