"Tap... tap-tap..."
From a second-floor window, in the front-left of the tennis club building, a man with a striking reddish-brown suit and curly orange hair watched the court, a slight smile on his face. "Remarkable talent. That must be the IAP Breathing Method. It looks like a natural technique."
The IAP Breathing Method is a unique way to regulate breathing and alleviate fatigue, and it's also the main reason Atobe excels in long matches.
His eyes showed intense admiration. Such talent, combined with his keen insight to see through opponents' weaknesses... His achievements wouldn't be inferior to the previous Hyotei部長 (部長 - club captain).
This was Sakaki Tarō, the coach of the Hyotei Tennis Club. As a coach, he possessed unique judgment over match situations and was exceptionally strict with his players, never letting anything slip past him. It was precisely because of his presence that the Hyotei Tennis Club rapidly grew in just three years, soaring to become a red-hot prestigious tennis school in Kanto.
If Ochi Tsukimitsu was a drawn sword, then Sakaki Tarō was the swordsman who drew it. An excellent coach's guidance deeply influenced the atmosphere of the entire tennis club. He wasn't opposed to first-years becoming regular players. In other words, as long as someone had the talent to break through and lead Hyotei to new heights, that was success.
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"Things... are starting to get interesting." Sakaki Tarō raised his wine glass, gently swirling the red wine before taking a small sip.
"No... impossible!"
"The senpai (senpai - upperclassmen) actually... actually lost to them."
"How is this even possible...?"
The entire tennis court was littered with players lying haphazardly on the ground, gasping for air. Atobe had played against seven of the current regular players of the tennis club, and without exception, every match ended with a resounding 6-0. Atobe didn't even drop a single point, let alone a single game. He completely dominated them throughout. Under the "relay battle" strategy, it was the Hyotei regulars who had exhausted a huge amount of stamina; some couldn't even stand up anymore.
"Senpai, honestly, you're all really weak, weaker than I imagined."
"As expected, the tennis level in Japan still can't compare to other countries."
Atobe's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. Could it be that such a large tennis club only had these freeloading second and third-years? He had grand ambitions, having returned from England to enroll in this school. If even a team that reached the national top four only showed this much strength, then what about the level of other schools?!
"If it weren't... if it weren't for those senpai graduating, it wouldn't be your turn to act so arrogant..." Amidst the crowd, some second and third-year students who hadn't even earned the title of regular player gritted their teeth and said. Now, they desperately missed Ochi's protection. At least they wouldn't be humiliated by a first-year in this way.
"What?" Atobe's gaze swept over, landing on the second-year who spoke. He calmly said, "Do you all want to hide behind them and be their lackeys your whole lives?!"
"It doesn't matter what your previous strength was, or what your future strength will be. From today onwards, this Ore-sama (Ore-sama - 'my magnificent self,' an arrogant first-person pronoun) will become the emperor of this tennis club."
"I will lead all of you to reclaim our path to the nationals and challenge for the title of National Number One!"
Suddenly, a unique aura surged from Atobe.
"You... you're talking big."
"Exactly, exactly! Leading everyone to be National Number One, that's truly hilarious!"
Hearing this, the smile on Atobe's lips slowly faded. Through the crowd, he spotted the two boys who had spoken. They looked about his age, were they also first-year new students who just enrolled?
"Hey, you two brats, I heard you talking smack behind my back." Atobe rolled his eyes, pointing his racket at the two in the crowd.
Everyone quickly made way, and the crowd got a clear look at the two boys. One had long brown hair, and the other had reddish-brown hair cut to his ears. Both looked quite young. Seeing the path cleared, they confidently stepped forward.
"Those two are..." In the crowd, Tezuka's eyebrow subtly arched. He felt like he had seen them somewhere before. The JR Tournament was two or three months ago, and Tezuka only remembered opponents who made him play seriously. It was normal for him not to remember Mukahi since Tezuka easily won 6-0 against him.
"Mukahi and Shishido. Our opponents from the previous JR Tournament." Shinogawa elbowed Tezuka's arm, saying, "Aren't you going to join in? You know, they're fighting for the position of Hyotei's 部長, which determines the playing order and the right to manage the club."
"Shinogawa, don't you want to contend for it?" Tezuka looked at Shinogawa with a puzzled expression. If the 部長 position was so good, then why wasn't Shinogawa vying for it? With Shinogawa's skill, even if he became 部長, Tezuka wouldn't have any objections. After all, he had already lost to him before. In the two months since the JR Tournament, Tezuka had also intensified his training and improved his skills significantly. Even so, Tezuka still felt he wasn't Shinogawa's match.
"Me?"
"Nah, forget it. I have absolutely no interest in being a 部長. You know, I just want to quietly play tennis."
"Just make sure there's a spot for me as a regular player when the time comes."
Facing Tezuka's confusion, Shinogawa casually mentioned his thoughts. He truly wasn't interested in the 部長 position. He also knew very well that he wasn't cut out to be a 部長. Both Tezuka and Atobe were excellent at managing a club, so why should he interfere?
"Is that so?" Tezuka seemed to understand, nodding silently.
"Those two are going to lose," Shinogawa pointed at Shishido and Mukahi on the court. These two were talented players, but they were still a long way from Atobe's level. Even in a doubles match, a two-on-one situation, it would be difficult for them to beat Atobe. However, it was still two-on-one, and in one or two games, Atobe's defense wasn't quick enough, allowing them to score. Shishido's quick net rushes and Mukahi's bouncy playstyle also caught many people's attention.
"Those two are..." Gen Hikaru, who had somewhat recovered, opened his eyes and saw the two newly enrolled first-years on the court.
"Vice-captain," a third-year with black-rimmed glasses and black hair quickly helped Gen Hikaru up, his eyes slightly flickering as he said, "They are the geniuses from Hyotei Elementary, two of the Three Musketeers, Mukahi Gakuto and Shishido Ryō."
"New students who just entered junior high from Hyotei Elementary, huh." Gen Hikaru knew well that Atobe's strength already far surpassed most new students. Those two seemed to have some skill, but it was far from enough; the difference in strength was simply too great.
"Vice-captain, let's end this farce. Yamabuki's regulars will be here soon. I think continuing like this might harm Hyotei's prestige," the bespectacled third-year said somewhat hesitantly.
Hearing this, Gen Hikaru couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Our faces, as the older students, have already been trampled. Do we still care about Hyotei's dignity?!"
"Starting today, I officially resign from the position of vice-captain and will no longer concern myself with the tennis club's affairs. The person you need to look for now is the one on the court."
Gen Hikaru knew well that no matter how much he tried to imitate Ochi, he could never reach Ochi's level. Whether in terms of skill or charisma, the only thing he could do now was to resign.