112. Everyday Chapter: Instead of matching his strength head-on, how about trying to strike through the middle?

“I’ll be the referee,” Naru Matsubara stepped into the center of the court and addressed the two players.

“Alright, thanks for doing this, Matsubara,” Kōda Hongo replied with a smile. Nobita Taylor scoffed, “Kid, do you even know the rules of badminton? This isn’t tennis.”

“Of course I do—probably more than you,” Naru shot back sharply, leaving Nobita momentarily speechless. He then thought to himself, “Go ahead and talk big all you want; after this guy, you’re up next.” With that, Nobita subtly glanced at the boy with a challenging look.

“The match will follow a best-of-three format. The first to reach 21 points wins the game. If the score ties at 20–20, the winner must lead by two points. But if it reaches 29–29, the first to 30 wins,” Naru announced clearly, then flipped a coin. The crisp “ding” sound echoed as the coin landed on the back of his hand. Looking at the pattern, he said to Kōda, “Heads it is. Kōda Hongo serves first.”

Showing the coin to both players, he added, “Regardless of the outcome, I expect three things from you.”

Raising three fingers, he swept his gaze over them both: “First, no letting emotions run wild—keep it clean and fair.”

“Second, no dirty tricks or sneaky attacks. I won’t miss a single foul,” he said pointedly, especially directed at Nobita. If Nobita tried any underhanded moves against Kōda, Naru made it clear he wouldn’t hesitate to call them out.

“Third, every move you make will be under my watchful eye. Don’t worry about bias—I judge strictly by international standards, fair and square.”

“Now then... this badminton match will be officiated by me!” Naru climbed the ladder and gestured, “Let’s have fun! First round—let’s decide the winner!”

His hand dropped, and on either side, Kōda and Nobita’s eyes sharpened simultaneously.

Kōda pinched a shuttlecock with his left hand, his right thumb pressing slightly on the racket as he launched a serve toward Nobita. Nobita responded with a strong flick, sending Kōda’s serve flying to the backcourt.

*Thud!*

The racket struck the base of the shuttlecock with a rich, crisp sound. Though slightly stocky, Kōda had no lack of strength. Retreating to the backcourt, he returned a powerful smash aimed at Nobita. The rally between them stretched over several exchanges without a clear victor. However, Naru frowned slightly, noticing Nobita’s breathing was steadier than Kōda’s.

As the two unleashed wide, forceful shots, the sharp popping sounds bounced through the air. Suddenly, Kōda advanced to the net and hammered a smash downward, catching Nobita off guard. The shuttlecock struck Nobita’s face with a solid impact.

“1-0!” Naru called out.

“Not bad, but did you skip breakfast? That hit felt like a tickle,” Nobita mocked, rubbing his cheek.

Kōda ignored the jab with a grunt.

They served again, quickly exchanging over ten shots in rapid succession. Noticing Kōda’s form faltering, Naru’s brow knit. Soon, after three exchanges of high clears, Kōda was too slow to intercept Nobita’s smash.

“1-1!” Naru announced, eyeing Nobita. This guy was not only strong but had excellent stamina. If Kōda kept matching him power for power, he would tire out first.

Back at the baseline, neither gave ground. After more than ten exchanges, Nobita scored again with a smash, taking the lead.

“2-1!”

“3-1!”

“4-2!”

...

“11-10! Halftime!” Naru called.

Naru approached Kōda, who was panting heavily. “Are you okay, Senior Kōda?”

“...I’m fine, feeling good,” Kōda nodded with a smile.

But Naru was no fool. He saw Kōda was already losing ground after battling Nobita’s strength. Nobita, on the other hand, looked eager to press on. He advised, “Senior Kōda, maybe don’t go head-to-head with him on power. Try aiming for his midline with tight shots?”

Kōda paused, then shook his head after assessing Nobita, who leisurely wiped sweat from his brow. “Not that simple. His strength isn’t less than mine. You need the right angle for midline shots, and he’s quick enough to sidestep or retreat to return them easily.”

“But if he counters your midline shots, you can smash again and score,” Naru reasoned, recalling a strategy from the original matches where a certain player used controlled drop shots not to finish points outright but to provoke errors and seize the decisive moment.

Kōda stood and smiled, “Don’t worry. I’m just one point behind.”

The second half resumed. Kōda launched a barrage of attacks, buoyed by rest, his aggressive play testing Nobita’s limits. Nobita soon adapted, and after two to three dozen exchanges, the score remained tight. Occasionally Kōda had scoring chances, but Nobita deflected them skillfully.

“To be able to contest so evenly with a starter...” Naru murmured, watching the fierce battle.

Kōda evened the score at 11, but Nobita responded swiftly, pulling ahead 14–11.

Kōda was breathing heavily, while Nobita merely perspired more. As the match deepened, Kōda’s momentum waned, and Nobita pressed his advantage to 16–11.

“Senior Kōda...” Naru’s concern grew. But he didn’t call a timeout—the next break wouldn’t come until the next game’s midpoint.

“20-15!” Nobita reached 20 points. Kōda was barely standing, leaning on his racket on the rubber court. Naru’s heart sank; Kōda’s stamina was drained.

*Whack!*

A sharp strike, the shuttlecock hit Kōda’s left eye. Naru rushed over to find Kōda kneeling, clutching his swollen eye.

“Are you okay, Senior Kōda?!”

“I... I’m fine...” Kōda tried to rise, but Naru held him down, eyes cold as he glared at the smug Nobita. “Let me play the next game for you. Your eye can’t hold up for another round.”

“...Alright. Be careful—his strength and speed rival mine,” Kōda warned, no longer trying to push himself.

“Oh, and Senior, can I borrow your racket for a bit?” Naru asked with a smile as he helped Kōda to the sidelines.

“Of course... but it’s pretty slippery from sweat,” Kōda cautioned, icing his eye with medical supplies.

“No, it’s perfect. Honestly, I prefer this kind of grip tape over the anti-slip ones,” Naru replied.

Walking back onto the court, Nobita scoffed, “Hey, we still have a game left. If you’re going to get yourself killed, at least pick a better time.”

“This last game, I’m playing for Senior Kōda,” Naru said calmly.

“Fine, if you want the spotlight so badly, why didn’t you take that last shot for him...” Nobita taunted.

*Whoosh!*

Before he finished, a blur of white streaked through the air and struck Nobita’s chest. He let out a sharp cry as Naru lightly traced the racket strings, smiling faintly.

“Told you, I planned to do exactly that.”

“Damn it...” Nobita gritted his teeth, feeling the sting in his chest. Naru pointed his racket at him and chuckled, “Really? Does it hurt more to get hit in the chest than the eye?”

“You’re... dead meat now!” Nobita’s eyes flashed red with fury as he realized Naru’s move was intentional.

Purple Pen Literature