The night air was sharp with fried oil smoke and the roar of a bigger crowd. Word had spread—"Hopeless Messiah" was playing again, this time with his new clownish partner. Ren tried not to hear the jeers as he adjusted the tape around his hand.
Haru, on the other hand, thrived in it. He waved at the crowd like a rock star, bowing exaggeratedly before the toss.
"Ready to lose gloriously again?" Haru whispered, grin too wide.
Ren swallowed. Not tonight. I want... at least one win.
The first set went as expected: chaos. Haru's serve barely scraped in. Opponents pounded Ren with low drives. The scoreboard bled red.
But something had shifted.
Ren's feet, beaten into obedience by Daigo's drills, moved sharper. He wasn't late to every ball. The HUD flickered faint cones—angles, hints—and Ren called out without thinking.
"Wide!"
Haru actually listened, lunging with a reckless dive that dropped the ball just inside the sideline.
Point.
The crowd gasped.
The rally tightened. 5–5 in the set, then 6–6. Tie-break.
Sweat poured into Ren's eyes. His chest burned. But he refused to fold. If I fail, I'll fail forward.
At 6–5 match point against them, the opponent launched a sharp serve to Ren's backhand. His HUD pulsed—weak spot flashing.
He swung. Clean. The ball shot crosscourt, clipping the line.
Point. Game.
7–5.
For a heartbeat, the alley went silent. Then the crowd erupted.
"Messiah won?! He actually won?!"
Ren collapsed to his knees, chest heaving. The HUD glowed.
[Serve +1]
Beside him, Haru whooped, tackling him into a half-hug, half-body slam. "WE DID IT! TEAM HOPELESS PLUS ONE, BABY!"
Ren groaned under his weight. He's heavier than he looks...
As they stumbled off court, Ren noticed Daigo leaning by the exit, arms folded.
The old champion's eyes were unreadable, but for just an instant—just one—Ren thought he saw the faintest nod.
"Almost," Daigo muttered, before vanishing into the shadows.
Ren's chesttightened. Almost...? Then I'll keep going until it's enough
Meet The Characters :
Haru Nakatani
Role: Comic Relief / Support Player
Age: 21
Height: 178 cm
Nationality: Japanese
Personality: Playful, loud, loyal — a walking ramen advertisement.
Appearance: Blonde-dyed messy hair, round glasses, athletic but clumsy build.
Signature Move: "Lucky Net-Cord" Drop Shot
Court Style: Improvised chaos. Sometimes works.
Quirks: Speaks in ramen metaphors. Always mismatched tracksuits.
Love Language: Giving strange gifts (like spicy instant noodles).
Birthday: July 12
Goal: To win one real match... or at least be more than comic relief.
Fun Fact: Accidentally went viral for tripping... and scoring.
Racket Name: 「Menma Smash」
A colorful racket plastered with ramen cup stickers.
Trait: Chaos style — unpredictable net-cord drops, shots never go where expected.