120. Daily Life: The Weekend

“By the way, sis, if there’s a chance, I’ll bring that friend of mine to meet you, okay?” Shuji Fuji glanced out the window at the swiftly passing scenery and smiled.

“Sure, that sounds nice, but no rush,” Yumiko Fuji replied, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before she smiled casually.

The concrete walls.

“Sorry I’m late,” Fuji said, holding his flip phone as he spotted Sadaharu Inui, Renji Yanagi, Akutsu, and Shinya Yanagisawa nearby. He extended his hand with a smile.

“Hey, Akin, what did you mean by that last thing you said? Something about an important date that would be a big deal if missed...” Fuji asked, recalling a question that had been bothering him, looking toward Sadaharu Inui.

“That? Didn’t I explain it clearly over the phone?” Sadaharu replied nonchalantly.

“Hey, Sadaharu, you didn’t say anything strange to Fuji again, did you?” Renji Yanagi asked quickly, sensing that Fuji had overheard something serious.

...

“Huh? Matsubara is on a date with Oda from the girls’ tennis club, and Shishido’s there too? A love triangle...” Fuji’s blue eyes widened in surprise.

“Yeah, Matsubara?” Hearing footsteps behind him, Fuji turned to see Mei Matsubara and Fuyuka Oda walking side by side.

“Oh... Vice Captain Fuji... Akin, Yanagi’s here too...” Mei blinked, slightly dazed as she noticed nearly all the tennis team’s starters had gathered.

“Hello, we met at the tournament before,” Fuyuka Oda greeted Sadaharu and the others warmly.

Fuji smiled faintly; the others nodded in return and greeted her as well.

Driven by curiosity, Mei Matsubara first showed surprise, then laughed awkwardly as she recounted the day’s events.

“So it turns out you were just accompanying Oda to get her racket fixed, huh, Akin...” Shinya Yanagisawa said after hearing the whole story. He held his head, losing interest as if a mysterious magic trick had been exposed.

“Sounds good. This private sports shop must be pretty nice. I’ll take a look too,” Fuji said with a smile.

“Great, I’ll lead the way.”

Fuyuka Oda smiled gently and walked ahead.

“Tsk, how boring,” Akutsu muttered coldly before turning and walking away with his hands in his pockets.

“Looks like we should gather some info on this private sports shop, then,” Renji Yanagi said, following the girls.

Sadaharu Inui pulled out his phone but noticed the battery was dead. He swapped it for a new one and dialed Tezuka’s number. When he heard that the line was no longer disconnected, a mysterious smile spread across his face.

“Akin, who are you calling?” Matsubara asked as she watched Fuji and the others gradually enter the private shop.

“It’s me.”

On the way back, carrying a plastic bucket full of fish, Kunihiko Tezuka closed his eyes slightly.

“Tezuka, Matsubara and Oda aren’t on a date; they just came to fix rackets...” Tezuka Kunikazu said flatly, ending the call. He slipped his blue flip phone into his pocket. Kunihiko noticed this and asked, “Is it still that person?”

“Wrong number,” Kunikazu answered calmly.

“Even though you just started first year, if the other person treats you well enough, it’s worth a try, Kunihiko,” Kunihiko said, having read his grandson’s expression thoroughly. At home, his son Kuniharu Tezuka was the complete opposite of his personality, but his grandson Kunikazu was practically his clone. The so-called ‘strong bonds between generations’ rang true. Since the Tezuka family carried their name through three generations alone, Kunihiko doted especially on his grandson.

“No... you’re overthinking it,” Kunikazu said calmly, closing his eyes to explain the misunderstanding.

“Not even good at lying—that’s just like me,” Kunihiko chuckled, saying no more. Seeing Kunikazu’s less-than-honest expression, the old man’s smile blossomed like a chrysanthemum.

With the misunderstanding cleared up, the regular starters browsed through their favorite grips and wristbands at the private sports shop. After leaving, under Matsubara’s organization, they held a doubles match.

Though six players couldn’t split evenly into two doubles teams, Sadaharu and Renji stood outside the court in sync. This doubles internal match was a perfect opportunity to gather data on everyone—too good to miss.

...

The next day.

Matsubara Residence.

Pushing open Mei Matsubara’s bedroom door, Minami Matsubara tidied her hair, holding a piece of toast gently between her lips. Her slightly disheveled appearance leaned against the doorframe. She flicked her loose hair back and said, “Mina, it’s time to get up. Unless you want to try flying again.”

“Give me a break...” Mina Matsubara sat up with a groan, rolling his eyes at his sister. His hair was a tangled mess, and he slouched as he passed by Minami. Just as she smiled contentedly, about to take a bite of her freshly toasted bread, the boy snatched it and put it in his mouth, slowly heading downstairs.

“That’s my toast!”

Minami pursed her lips, realizing what happened, and hurried after him.

“Bacon and eggs today, not bad,” Mina said after washing up, sitting at the table. His mother brought over bacon and fried eggs. He finished the toast with milk first, then relished the explosive savory combination.

“Lately, you’ve really taken to drinking milk. I thought you used to avoid it,” Ayana Matsubara said while eating the same breakfast as Mina, curious about the two empty milk bottles before him.

“I don’t want to either, no choice,” Mina sighed, recalling that Sadaharu and Renji had prescribed milk as an essential part of his diet. He felt worn out.

“This milk won’t leave any odd aftertaste, don’t worry, Mina,” Mitsukazu Matsubara said with a reassuring smile, understanding his son’s dislike for milk.

“Yeah, the taste really is different,” Mina nodded.

“But try to drink warm milk in the morning from now on. Cold milk isn’t good for your body or your stomach, especially after eating greasy foods. Especially since your breakfast now requires 900 calories,” Mitsukazu reminded him.

“By the way, that classmate named Inui really cares about your health. He even set up your meal plan. Such a thoughtful young man—he’ll definitely make a great husband someday,” Mitsukazu said, as if recalling something fondly.

“Yeah... he’s super nice,” Mina said with a reluctant expression. As his furrowed brows relaxed, he thought—Inui might be considerate and warm now, but in the new world of The New Prince of Tennis, he seemed to have become more of a comic relief character.

After breakfast, Mina dressed, slung his tennis bag over his shoulder, and opened the front door. “I’m heading out.”

“Isn’t today a day off? Still going to play tennis?” Mitsukazu asked upon seeing him prepare to leave.

“Yeah, got some things to do,” Mina said, closing the door behind him.

“Ahh... that other world is great. No need to make up elaborate excuses or explain yourself—just go out freely,” Mina thought, feeling completely relaxed as the door shut with no one chasing after him to ask where he was going.

“Now, where to today? Maybe I’ll check out the street tennis courts. I’ve been here a while but never played street tennis,” he said, grasping the strap of his tennis bag and turning right.

Purple Pen Literature