89. The Apparition of Kanya Aida

As Matsubara stepped into the clubroom store, a brisk, invigorating blast of cold air swept over him, sending a delighted shiver through his body. As expected, this was the place with the strongest air conditioning.

"So many people..."

He blinked in slight surprise at the long lines forming at every counter.

The clubroom store was a convenience shop set up at middle schools, high schools, and even universities, with the exception of elementary schools. In Earth terms, it was essentially a luxurious version of a school kiosk. There, students could buy what they needed at reasonable prices, though the goods were mostly food.

Although a little after four in the afternoon was not exactly mealtime, for middle school students in the midst of growth it was undoubtedly the best time to replenish their energy. Matsubara, as a member of the tennis club, was no exception, especially since the school elimination tournament he had taken part in had just ended.

"Isn't that Matsubara?"

At the gentle voice coming from behind him, Matsubara turned around and saw Iwamura Yuna and Oda Fuyuka somehow standing there.

"Fancy meeting you here. Are you here to buy something to eat too?"

Matsubara greeted them and asked.

"Mm. Practice just ended this afternoon, and Fuyuka and I came to see what there was to eat. What about you, Matsubara? If you don't mind, why don't you eat with us?"

Iwamura lifted the plastic bag in her hand for the boy to see. It was stuffed with bread, cakes, and other foods.

"I don't think the ladies at the store would normally provide plastic bags, would they?"

Matsubara's attention was not on the food as he asked.

"We have Fuyuka's mother to thank for that. Her child is also in our girls' tennis club, and when she heard that Yuna and I were on the tennis team, she went out of her way to take care of us."

Blinking her starry, beautiful eyes, Oda Fuyuka smiled.

"I see..."

Matsubara nodded in understanding.

"Come eat with us, Matsubara. We bought quite a lot."

Iwamura invited him again.

"Ah... no, that's too much trouble..."

Matsubara hesitated and declined.

"Come on. Fuyuka would also love to have afternoon tea with Matsubara."

Seeing Iwamura cover her mouth with a soft laugh, Oda Fuyuka's tender, fair face instantly turned red, the blush spreading all the way down her snow-white neck.

"What are you saying, Yuna!"

"Hehe~"

Ignoring Fuyuka's protest, Iwamura laughed warmly and shamelessly.

"Huh..."

Matsubara gave an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

At the Seishun cafeteria, since it was only a little after four, there was no one inside. Matsubara and the two girls took an empty four-seat table and sat down. Oda Fuyuka took a box of fruit cream cake and a yakisoba bread from the plastic bag, then looked at the boy.

"Which one do you want?"

"Ah... the yakisoba bread, I guess."

Seeing that, Matsubara no longer refused and politely demurred.

"Okay, yakisoba bread."

Oda Fuyuka replied playfully.

"Thank you."

Matsubara took the bread and thanked her gratefully.

"Oh, right, Matsubara. How did the group elimination tournament go? I heard you've been at it for two days."

Taking out a cup of chilled cream puffs, Iwamura asked as she ate, suddenly remembering something.

"Mm, the results were out an hour ago."

Matsubara quickly finished half the yakisoba bread and then told them how the elimination tournament had gone.

"Oh? The transfer students from Saint Rudolph made a strong push into the regular lineup..."

Oda Fuyuka sounded a little surprised after hearing it.

"Yeah. Akazawa Kichiro and Yanagisawa Shinya are very strong. I didn't play against them, but you can tell they're not ordinary transfer students."

Matsubara swallowed the last bite of bread and nodded.

"Still, I feel a little sorry for Shishido. I wonder how he's doing now that he didn't make the cut..."

Iwamura said with concern.

"I don't know. After he was eliminated this afternoon, he vanished. He didn't even come to practice."

Matsubara took out a small packet containing teriyaki chicken cutlet, opened it, and began eating.

"Being left out of the regular lineup must have hit Shishido-kun hard. Do you think he might quit the tennis club because of it?"

Iwamura looked worried.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Yuna. I think Shishido is the kind of person who can take a blow. He might be back very soon."

Oda Fuyuka held the opposite view.

Absently chewing on the cutlet, Matsubara finished the last little piece and stood up, becoming serious.

"Someone like him... would never choose to give up over a little setback."

"I'm done. Thanks for treating me today. Next time, it's on me."

With that, Matsubara waved to the two girls with a smile and turned to leave in high spirits.

On the way home after school, Matsubara passed by Harunono University. Beside the university stood an elevated railway bridge, and beneath the bridge was a somewhat dilapidated tennis court. In the original story, this was where Tezuka and Echizen first fought in secret. Looking at the rusty wire fence and the cracked pavement outside, the boy's gaze moved slowly.

"Pop!"

"Pop!"

"Pop!"

At one point, the sound of striking balls from inside the court caught Matsubara's attention.

"Could that be...?"

He had been so focused on the condition of the court that he had not noticed the people inside. When Matsubara looked more closely, he finally saw that the ponytailed boy practicing serves with furious determination was none other than Shishido Ryo!

He did not disturb Shishido's self-destructive, almost maddening training, and simply watched from afar.

At that moment, a long commuter train sped across the elevated tracks. Listening to the rhythmic, violent tremor as its wheels clashed against the rails, Matsubara's narrowed eyes softened into a pleased smile.

As the wind howled past, lifting his short black hair, the smile at the corner of the boy's mouth deepened. After a moment, he turned and quietly walked away.

The next day.

Seishun Boys' Tennis Club.

"By the way... Shishido didn't come to practice today either..."

The words came from Shibayama Kumagiri, a non-regular player. Hearing this, Inui Sadaharu, who was recording other players' data nearby, adjusted his glasses and said, "He skipped afternoon practice yesterday too..."

"Without that noisy guy on court, it's a lot quieter."

Akutsu said coldly.

"They say that Shishido Ryo came to Seishun because he couldn't make it at Inui, and now he can't make it here either. I guess he transferred away already?"

Hearing the conversation, Yanagisawa Shinya said gleefully.

"Hey, you're being annoying."

Akutsu's eyes flashed with a fierce glint of killing intent as he barked in anger.

"Shinya!"

Seeing that Yanagisawa had no care for his choice of words, Akazawa Kichiro snapped at him.

"Got it, Akazawa."

Yanagisawa softened at once.

"Sorry... Yanagisawa tends to speak before he thinks..."

Akazawa walked over to Akutsu and the others and apologized.

"It's nothing."

Inui Sadaharu appeared magnanimous and replied flatly.

"Inui, look over there."

Yanagi Renji had not joined the discussion about Shishido Ryo. He pointed out an elderly, stooped man in a suit standing outside the courts.

"That is..."

Inui shifted his gaze outside the court, and upon seeing the figure of Kanyaa Handa, he murmured softly.

In the staff room.

"Don't you think his abilities are already very strong, considering he's only a first-year? And with Seishun having you, plus Rikkai's three top men, Yanagi Renji, and even players from Inui as well as gifted talents like Akutsu, doesn't it feel like keeping Matsubara-kun at Seishun is a bit of a waste?"

Handa Kanya, dressed in a suit, sat on the sofa and smiled at Tezuka across from him.

"Teacher Handa's words sound like you're trying to take Matsubara away to weaken Seishun's strength."

Tezuka immediately understood the meaning behind his words. After all the winding path he had taken, Handa had in fact come to poach Matsubara Ryo's corner.