91. The Kanto Tournament Draw Hall

"You really are something else. I thought I might get the better of you one more time."

Matsubara Mei brushed the sweat from her face with the hem of her clothes and laughed with admiration.

"Matsubara, thank you so much for the practice match!"

Realizing what he ought to say, Shishido Ryoma removed the hair tie from his ponytail, let his long hair fall loose, and bowed deeply.

"These results were won through your own effort. We are closer and closer to the goal we once gathered together to achieve. If you give in now, it means all the efforts of the teammates who once fought at your side will have been wasted."

With that, the boy turned and left the tennis court, even taking a moment as he walked to wave back at the long-haired boy behind him.

When he reached the station, Matsubara Mei felt a heaviness in his right hand. He pressed it lightly against his arm to keep it from trembling, and smiled wryly.

"So this is the bodily soreness and fatigue that come from not using any special assistance..."

When he first began sparring with Shishido Ryoma, Matsubara Mei had indeed relied on special assistance several times. But after that, Shishido's strength plunged as if he had gone on a roller coaster, and that was what finally made the boy abandon the aid and win 4-0 in the most ordinary way possible.

As for being swept through the next six games in a row, that too had something to do with Matsubara Mei deliberately letting the water run far too deep. His goal was to help Shishido Ryoma regain his spirit and return to Seishun Academy's tennis club, not simply to kick him when he was down.

The next morning, all the regulars gathered on the tennis courts, watching with concern as Shishido Ryoma bowed and apologized before Tezuka, afraid he might be reprimanded.

"Twenty laps? Or thirty?"

At that moment, Fuji smiled faintly and asked with quiet anticipation.

"Twenty laps? Thirty laps?" Kikumaru asked in confusion after hearing the soft remark.

"Tezuka has absolutely no tolerance for those who break the rules. Even during the month before you all arrived, anyone in the tennis club who ignored discipline would be punished by running laps around the courts. When Matsubara first joined, he was made to run thirty."

Fuji gave a small laugh, remembering how the boy had acted like some middle-school chuunibyou back then. It had been a little embarrassing to see, though beneath that awkwardness there had still been a few endearing touches.

"Vice-captain Fuji... please don't bring up that humiliating incident..."

Matsubara Mei's face turned red at once. Remembering that awkward moment, he wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it immediately. It had been far too embarrassing.

"Heh heh."

Fuji covered his mouth with a fist and chuckled softly.

"So that's how it is. Tezuka really does punish rule-breakers by making them run laps..."

Kaidoh was writing rapidly in his notebook with his pen.

"That idiot."

Akimoto muttered under his breath as he looked at Shishido Ryoma.

"If that's the case, then Shishido will probably be made to run forty laps," said Yanagi Renji.

"My guess is fifty."

Yanagi also added.

"Tezuka is not the kind of person whose thoughts can be guessed so easily. Maybe it's... eighty laps."

Seeing everyone else quietly increasing the number of punishment laps to be run, Matsubara Mei decided to throw in his own guess as well.

Arms folded, Tezuka looked sternly at Shishido Ryoma, who was still bowed in apology, and finally said, "Those who violate discipline are unforgivable. You were absent from club training for two days without reason, so the punishment will be severe. Today, you are not allowed to touch a racket, and you must pick up every ball on the court. In addition... one hundred laps. Understood?"

"Yes. Thank you very much, Captain!"

Shishido Ryoma showed no surprise, nor did he try to bargain. After Tezuka finished speaking, he answered at once.

"Go now."

Tezuka half-turned away and closed his eyes.

"Yes!"

"One hundred laps..."

Fuji slowly opened his blue eyes, clearly somewhat surprised by Tezuka's decision.

"That should be the harshest punishment record since Tezuka became captain of the Seishun Academy tennis club, right?"

Many of the non-regular players outside, who had noticed the situation on the court, exclaimed in shock.

The staff room.

When Tezuka returned there and looked at the file folder on the desk, something in his heart stirred quietly.

He had given serious thought to Kanya Hanta's suggestion. Tezuka had indeed once considered studying and playing tennis overseas, but it was still too early. At the very least, he would have to wait until Seishun Academy had won the national championship three years in a row—or even twice. Only then would Tezuka have the energy, or rather the courage, to think about such future plans.

Watching Shishido Ryoma, who had run all one hundred laps and was now resting against the wall with trembling legs from exhaustion, Kikumaru somehow produced a layered black-and-green drink. With his glasses glinting, he said coolly, "He's finished one hundred laps. He should drink this to recover his stamina."

Seeing the drink in Kikumaru's hand, which looked like ink, Yanagi Renji broke into a sweat. "What is that thing, Kikumaru..."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. This is my latest creation: special high-grade, ultra-powerful Kikumaru Juice. The best time to drink it is after running."

After saying that, Kikumaru's face twisted into a dark, sinister smile. Yanagi Renji instantly developed countless black lines on his forehead, and sweat the size of beans appeared on him.

"What is it, Renji? You look like you really want a drink."

Saying this, Kikumaru held the special high-grade ultra-powerful Kikumaru Juice in front of Yanagi Renji and shook it lightly.

"This thing... it actually separated into layers..."

Only when he looked closely did Yanagi Renji realize that the color of the drink was even more horrifying than it had been at the end of the U-17 tournament. He instinctively turned his head away in refusal.

"No, I'll pass..."

"Hey, hey, Kikumaru... could you maybe act like a human being for once..."

Watching Kikumaru's devilish behavior, Matsubara Mei's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

A week later.

The draw venue for the national junior high school Kanto tournament.

Two black shadows gradually enveloped the signboard covered with writing. On one of those shadows, a single stray tuft of hair stood out most sharply. Its owner said calmly, "Fuji, looks like this is the place."

Tezuka took in the red-brick building before him, which looked like a multipurpose dance hall, while Fuji nodded with a smile. "Yes. I wonder what kind of opponents we'll meet. How exciting."

"No matter who the opponent is, we'll give it our all."

Tezuka's expression was utterly firm.

"Still, Rikkai Middle School of Kanagawa is seeded as the top team, the first-place team from Tokyo, along with us in second place, Yamabuki, and Akina Middle School from Gunma, have already been exempted from the draw. The main thing is to see which other opponents are worth paying attention to."

Fuji analyzed in a low voice.

"So you came too, Tezuka, Fuji."

A voice came from behind them. Then Minami Kentaro greeted them, and Higa Yamami also waved.

"So it's Minami and Higa from Yamabuki. You're here to scout the competition too?"

Fuji said with a smile.

"Of course. Even though finishing second made us a seed, we still can't let our guard down. After all, the level at the Kanto tournament is nothing like the Tokyo tournament."

Minami Kentaro nodded, speaking without hesitation.

"I heard your tennis club's Sengoku has left the team?"

Tezuka asked.

"Yes. Sengoku will be away for a while."

Minami Kentaro nodded with a trace of regret.

"How carefree of him. Leaving the team at a time like this weakens your strength, doesn't it?"

Tezuka asked again.

"It can't be helped. Sengoku made the decision himself, and Grandpa Hanta couldn't completely interfere. Still, even without Sengoku, we won't be eliminated in the first round. If we don't get the chance to face you at the Kanto tournament, then next year we'll come for our revenge."

Higa Yamami spread his hands, then smiled seriously.

"Yes. You're always welcome."

Fuji extended his hand with a smile, and the captains and vice-captains of both sides shook hands.