Starlight dotted the Tokyo night. On the neon-lit streets, there were quite a few people coming and going, chatting and laughing, recounting the day's events.
Some even mentioned the elementary school division matches held at the Rose Tennis Center today. Usually, the elementary school matches were just a warm-up for the middle school and high school divisions.
But today, it seemed like the main course had been moved to the appetizer slot. Such astonishing matches might not even be seen in the middle school or even high school divisions.
The names Kamikawa Mugetsu, Tezuka Kunimitsu, and Yukimura Seiichi, subtly reverberated throughout the entire Kanto region, catching the attention of many prestigious tennis schools.
Meanwhile, in a courtyard in Tokyo, a certain figure paid no mind to any of that commotion.
Thwack!
Thwack!!
His racket continuously controlled the ball. Under the boy's powerful swings, the yellow tennis ball steadily landed in the dent at the center of the wall. If you looked closely, that dent seemed to have been carved out by countless balls hitting it.
Time ticked by, minute by minute. The boy's movements weren't as swift as before, becoming sluggish, yet his control remained just as precise.
Thwack!!
The boy's arm strength increased. He swung forward sharply, and the glowing yellow tennis ball hit the center of the dent, creating intense friction before bouncing back into his palm.
"Whew..."
"I thought my training volume was enough for today."
"Turns out, it doesn't count."
Kamikawa collapsed as if all his strength had drained out, lying on the ground, panting heavily.
The data panel in front of him showed that his daily training was initially completed. Only some strength and stamina training remained.
He had played three matches today, from morning till afternoon. The matches against Yukimura and Tezuka lasted the longest and consumed the most stamina.
Originally, Kamikawa had already been in bed, ready to sleep, but as soon as he opened his data panel, he saw the massive amount of training he still had to do for the day.
Helpless, he had no choice but to drag himself out of bed and continue training.
Training was non-negotiable. Ever since Kamikawa got this data panel, he hadn't skipped a single day. He couldn't let even a day of heavy matches stop him.
"Next up is Hien..."
Time flew by.
Soon, it was the start of the new school year.
In early April, on the streets of Tokyo, cherry blossoms bloomed fully on both sides of the avenues lined with cherry trees. A gentle breeze swept through the treetops, and the cherry petals danced in the wind.
At the Kamikawa residence.
"Got it, Grandpa! I'll be careful!"
Kamikawa, dressed in his uniform, frantically grabbed his tennis racket bag hanging nearby, snatched a piece of bread, and, mumbling, headed out the door.
"That brat! I told him yesterday to get up early, but he just won't listen!"
The old man's face was dark as he watched Kamikawa rush off in such a panic.
Hyotei Academy was different from other schools. It was a famous private tennis school in Tokyo. Most of its students, besides having good academic records, were those who had attended Hyotei Elementary and moved up.
This kind of school would, in the near future, become an elite academy. And the one who achieved all of this was, of course, the returnee from England.
"That brat, in that uniform, he actually looks quite sharp."
The old man pushed open the door and saw Kamikawa cycling away with Tezuka.
"Oh~ Old friend, you're finally out of the house today."
Just as the old man was about to turn and leave, a familiar voice reached his ears.
Following the sound, he saw an old man with gray hair and a full beard, looking somewhat robust, standing at Tezuka's doorstep, watching Grandpa Kamikawa.
This person was none other than Tezuka's grandfather, Kunikazu Tezuka.
"Old friend, you're out early yourself."
Grandpa Kamikawa raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kunikazu Tezuka.
"Going fishing?"
Kunikazu Tezuka held a bucket with a fishing rod inside, inviting with a cheerful smile.
"Alright, since I have nothing else to do, I'll go fishing with you." Grandpa Kamikawa nodded and turned to go get his fishing gear from his room.
Hyotei Academy in Tokyo wasn't far from the Tezuka and Kamikawa homes. It only took about ten minutes by bicycle. In terms of distance, it was even a bit shorter than the route to Seigaku.
On their way, they saw many boys wearing the Hyotei Academy uniform, and of course, some outdoor tennis courts.
Quite a few people were out training and playing tennis early in the morning. After all, this was truly a world dedicated to tennis!
Soon, after about ten minutes of cycling, Kamikawa saw the full view of Hyotei Academy.
Compared to Seishun Daiichi Elementary, Hyotei Academy's grandeur was far greater. Countless luxury cars were parked at the school gate. Strictly speaking, Hyotei Academy could be considered a semi-private elite school.
The shareholders of Hyotei Academy were, naturally, the Atobe Group. Almost the entire Hyotei Academy was sponsored by the Atobe family, and its scale was top-notch even across Kanto.
"Tezuka, what do you think?"
Kamikawa nudged Tezuka's waist with his elbow, smiling.
"Hmm, not bad at all."
Tezuka nodded. He was quite pleased with this elite school.
With Tezuka's grades, enrolling in Hyotei Academy wouldn't take much effort. Basically, as long as he applied, he would be accepted. It's just that at the time, Tezuka had wanted to go directly to Seigaku.
"Tezuka, we're in the same class!"
Kamikawa pointed to the student roster posted at the entrance. In the first-year middle school Class B, Kamikawa's and Tezuka's names were clearly written.
"Yeah, that's good."
Tezuka was a bit surprised too, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
After a quick glance at the names on the roster, Kamikawa and Tezuka headed into the classroom together.
The classroom was noisy, mostly students who had moved up from Hyotei Elementary. They had known each other since childhood, gathering in small groups and chatting about life and exams.
Kamikawa simply glanced around and then followed Tezuka towards a seat by the window at the back.
"Is that..."
Among the crowd, Kamikawa spotted a long-haired, slightly boyish-looking teenager with a high ponytail, looking somewhat troubled. It was none other than Ryo Shishido, one of Hyotei Elementary's Three Swordsmen, whom he had defeated at the JR Tournament.
He must have put a lot of effort into training recently, though the results didn't seem great.
This is getting more and more interesting.
Hyotei!
Meanwhile,
A boy with dark blue hair, round glasses, and a maturity beyond his years was on a train from Osaka to Tokyo. He held a piece of paper, looked at the train in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and then walked towards it.
"This should be it."
The boy, with his tennis bag slung over his right shoulder, looked at the passersby, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Tokyo... being so chaotic is really a hassle."
He was wearing a Hyotei uniform, clearly a new first-year middle school student at Hyotei this year.
But judging by his state, he must have just arrived in Tokyo.
"Is that...?!"
The boy looked up and saw a group of students wearing the same uniform as him, all boarding the train ahead.
"Did... did I get on the wrong train?!"
"Wait..."
"I haven't even boarded yet!"
The boy watched, wide-eyed, as his train and the train across from it departed.