"So... I'm a bastard after all."
Yoru fell into silence.
Just moments ago, Nanjiroh had laid out the truth about his parents. There was no epic love story—just a straightforward affair. His biological father had been his mother's manager, and as the saying goes, "the closer you are, the easier it is to take advantage." After years of effort, he finally won her over.
That woman was "Joanna Longman"—originally named "Nalan Longman"—the current queen of women's tennis.
Their passionate affair happened just as Nalan Longman had earned her pro license. But in the heat of the moment, Yoru was conceived.
At the time, Nalan was 18, and his father was in his early 20s—the same age as Nanjiroh. "Gotta love anime logic—kids having kids," Yoru mused.
His father, holding traditional values, refused to consider abortion. And since Switzerland outlawed the procedure, the two decided to secretly give birth .
Even before turning pro, Nalan Longman had been a renowned genius in tennis. So when news of her pregnancy broke, it sent shockwaves through the tennis world.
About a year later, swayed by a new manager, Nalan—still clinging to her dreams—decided to reinvent herself. She re-registered as a pro under the name "Joanna Longman" and returned to the circuit. By then, Yoru was just two years old.
The rest unfolded as he already knew.
His father raised him for a few years before passing away. With his grandfather also in poor health, Yoru was eventually entrusted to Nanjiroh.
The weight of this revelation hit Yoru hard. His emotions shifted rapidly—rage melted into calm in mere seconds.
His anger stemmed from the resentment of being an orphan in two lifetimes, all of it now directed at Nalan Longman.
But then he thought of everything he had now—his adoptive parents, his siblings—they'd already filled the void of his past lives.
"She's just a stranger who shares my blood," he concluded.
"So that's it. My talent comes from her."
A self-deprecating smile crossed his lips.
According to Nanjiroh, his Sensory Manipulation ability was inherited from his mother. He'd assumed it was a unique gift from his reincarnated soul, but no—it was just genetics.
Joanna Longman had also once hit a bottleneck in her talent's growth, though she'd somehow overcome it.
Nanjiroh's body trembled slightly. "I'm sorry, Nan. No excuse can justify my selfishness in telling you this now. But please believe me—to me and Rinko, you've always been our real son."
Though Nanjiroh didn't say it outright, his words hinted at one thing: Joanna Longman held the key to breaking through talent bottlenecks.
The guilt was crushing. Asking his adopted son to seek out the mother who abandoned him—for the sake of another child—made Nanjiroh feel like a monster. Regret flooded him the moment the words left his mouth.
What if Yoru leaves us?
A decade of living as a family—to him, Rinko, and Ryoma, Yoru was irreplaceable.
Seeing Nanjiroh's hollow, aged expression, Yoru's heart ached.
The Nanjirohs saw him as their own son, and he felt the same.
---
"Oi, old man." Yoru "accidentally" stepped on the tent pole beside Nanjiroh. "Quit looking like you swallowed a fly. I can't stand that face."
"OW! That hurts, brat!" Nanjiroh clutched his crotch, wincing.
When their eyes met again, after a beat of silence, both broke into laughter.
No words were needed.
"Thanks for telling me about her. Don't blame yourself. Even if I'd found out another way, it'd be the same. Hell, I might've been mad at you for not telling me."
"I'm not blaming myself— " Nanjiroh sighed. "—though it sounds hypocritical, I truly mean it when I say you don't have to seek her out. With your talent, you'll find a way. Maybe it's good to let Ryoga suffer a little."
"Ryoga's my brother too. I care about him just as much as you do!"
Rolling his eyes, Yoru turned toward the rustling trees. After a long pause, he murmured, "...I want to see her."
[Ding! Special Quest Triggered: Meet Joanna Longman. Reward: Talent Upgrade Card!]
"System... you're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
[Hey, I don't control this! I'm just an employee!]
Yoru stood up. "Guess I've got no choice now."
---
### Wimbledon Championships – Quarterfinals
Joanna Longman (No. 1 Seed) vs. Linda Meredith (Dark Horse Rookie)
Best of Three Sets
First Set: 6-0, Longman.
Second Set: 5-0, Longman leading.
Current Game: 40-0!
"This is the 'Rookie of the Year'? Pathetic."
BANG!
Her serve—only 200 km/h—sliced past Linda Meredith effortlessly.
"Game, set, and match to Joanna Longman! Final score: 6-0, 6-0!"
The crowd erupted. Joanna's matches were infamous for their lack of spectacle—most opponents fell to Sensory Manipulation within the first game, turning the rest into a one-sided slaughter.
Yet her tickets sold out instantly, with scalpers marking them up 200 times their value.
Why?
People would pay anything to witness the Queen of Tennis.
After a curt wave, Joanna casually batted the match balls into the stands before striding off.
---
Player's Corridor
Her smile vanished the moment she left the court. Ignoring reporters, she headed straight for the locker room.
Her portly manager scurried over. "Jo— Nalan! Brilliant match today!"
"That was the 'talented dark horse' you hyped up?" She tossed her bag at him.
He forced a laugh. "She's one of the strongest newcomers in years! You just... didn't give her a chance after two games."
"I gave her two games. Her fault for wasting them."
As she turned to shower, she paused. "Oh, right. I got a call last night—Nanjiroh's son wants to watch the finals. He'll land an hour before the match. Arrange everything."
"The son of 'Samurai Nanjiroh'? Consider it done!"
---