123. Akutsu's Request

Professional Tennis Interview Department. Editorial Office.

"Morning, Inoue-senpai! Another new day begins!"

Today, Shiba Saori was dressed quite fashionably, sporting a denim vest over a cropped short-sleeved shirt and leggings, topped with a bucket hat and a pair of chic sunglasses. Watching her, Inoue Mamoru, who was busy drafting an article about a professional tennis player's retirement, couldn't help but smile. "You're dressed very nicely today, Shiba. What's the occasion?"

"It's Monday, after all! Time for us to interview Changqing again," Shiba Saori said excitedly, hooking her sunglasses onto her hat.

"Indeed. Although the Kanto Tournament has only just completed its first round, the fact that Changqing, as a newly emerged dark horse, didn't suffer a first-round exit is quite a major story. You know the upcoming schedule will only get tougher. I’m really curious to see how Changqing is training at this stage," Inoue Mamoru said, putting down his pen and leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head, full of anticipation.

Changqing Academy. Men's Tennis Club.

Under Tezuka's supervision, both regular and non-regular players were undergoing grueling training. Shishido Ryo took a tennis ball from his pocket and called out to Matsubara Narui, "Let's go again, Matsubara!"

"Sure! I can see you're full of energy today!" Matsubara Narui replied, gripping his racket with a smile.

"Senior, if you hold the racket lower down on the handle during your serve, you'll generate more power and increase your serve speed," said Inui Sadaharu, who was acting as an assistant coach while observing the second-year non-regular players.

"Ah... is that so?" Although he was a year ahead of Inui, the senior clearly wasn't very proficient in tennis. After adjusting his grip, he nodded. "It really does feel different. Let me try!"

Faculty Office.

After a knock, two adult figures entered. Inoue Mamoru greeted Tezuka, who was seated at his desk. "Hello there, Tezuka."

"Ah, Mr. Inoue and Ms. Shiba. Please, have a seat," Tezuka said, rising to greet them.

"How is the team doing lately?" Inoue Mamoru asked with a smile as he and Shiba Saori sat on the guest sofa.

"Things are going quite well," Tezuka said, pouring them each a cup of hot water.

"Thank you," they replied, nodding in appreciation.

"We're here to collect some information again today," Shiba Saori said, looking at Tezuka with a polite smile.

"Certainly. Please, feel free," Tezuka replied with a nod.

After further pleasantries, Inoue and Shiba left the office and headed straight for the tennis courts.

Men's Tennis Court.

Akutsu’s body surged upward as his limbs hung loose for a moment. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, his fair right arm tensed, and the subtle contours of his muscles became defined!

"Hah!"

With a high-to-low smash, Akutsu scored a dominant point in his practice match against a second-year senior!

"There it is! That's Akutsu's signature move!" someone nearby exclaimed excitedly.

On the adjacent court, Matsubara Narui unleashed a smash so powerful that the second-year senior, caught off guard, instinctively covered his head and crouched down. The ball slammed into the court, flew into the chain-link fence, and rolled away.

"Good grief, I haven't even used my 'cheat' yet..." Matsubara Narui sighed, carrying his racket and shaking his head helplessly.

"That guy Matsubara is really something. A simple smash and he had Fukamizu cowering," Shibayama Kumakiri commented with genuine admiration.

"Indeed. And he managed to win 6-0 easily without even using his heavy serve once," Shishido Ryo nodded in agreement.

"To play your best matches with a calm heart—no matter the situation, as long as you maintain the right mindset, you can play high-level tennis, whether it's a practice match or the Kanto Tournament," Tezuka thought to himself as he watched the players from behind the glass of the faculty office.

"Changqing's players are truly amazing, Shiba. Make sure to take plenty of photos!" Inoue urged, seeing the team's fighting spirit.

"Understood, Inoue-senpai!" Shiba Saori immediately produced her camera.

"As expected of Inui and Yanagi. Even when the captain isn't around, they can guide the other students in their year, and they can even provide pointers to the upperclassmen," Shiba remarked.

"True. The two of them are like Tezuka's right and left hands. It's a rare phenomenon in any tennis school to have first-years serving as assistant coaches and starting regulars," Inoue mused.

Afternoon.

Tezuka stood at the entrance with his arms crossed. "Practice for today is over. Dismissed!"

"Ah... I'm exhausted..."
"Yeah, my arms can barely move..."
"Let's go grab something to eat, I'm starving..."

Fuji watched everyone head out of the court and walked over to Tezuka. "Tezuka, are you free today?"

"Yes, I have nothing planned," Tezuka replied.

"Matsubara, let's go get some fast food later. I'm really hungry," Shishido Ryo said, sitting on the ground and stretching his legs while rubbing his sore back.

"Sure, but it's your turn to treat me. I paid last time," Matsubara Narui replied with a grin.

"Hey, shouldn't it be that whoever eats the least pays?" Shishido asked with a sly smile.

"I think you have that backward. The stronger one works harder, so the one who eats more should pay," Matsubara retorted with a helpless expression.

"Hey, I have a favor to ask you," Akutsu said to Inui Sadaharu, who was flipping through his notebook.

"Oh? That's rare. What do you need?" Inui asked, adjusting his reflecting glasses.

"I see. Understood, leave it to me," Inui said after hearing Akutsu's request.

As Akutsu walked away, Yanagi Renji approached. "Shall we head to the library later, Sadaharu?"

"Sure, but I need to process this data first. Did you find a new library?" Inui asked.

"Yes, it's open to students from other schools as well, though you can't take books off-campus," Yanagi replied with a smile.

"Sounds good," Inui said, closing his notebook.

Fast Food Restaurant.

"Itadakimasu!"

Shishido Ryo, his mouth smeared with ketchup and Thousand Island dressing, took a huge bite, savoring the juicy beef patty and tomato. He chewed with satisfaction while Matsubara Narui let out a burp. "You're so thin, yet you can eat so much... is that the sixth one already?"

"Today's training was tough, though not as bad as before. Back then, I could eat ten burgers by myself!" Shishido laughed.

"Whoa... that volume... is that comparable to Momoshiro Takeshi?" Matsubara wondered. He remembered Momoshiro being a big eater in his second year. If they competed, who would win?

"Matsubara, aren't you going to finish?" Shishido asked, noticing the chicken nuggets and half-box of fries left on the boy's tray.

"Even though you're treating, the portions are really large. You can have them," Matsubara said. He had felt full after just one burger, a soda, and half an order of fries. There were definitely downsides to being back in a smaller body; what used to be an easy meal now left him struggling.

"Don't mind if I do!" Shishido took the tray and popped the nuggets into his mouth, smiling contentedly. "Oh man, their fried chicken is the best! Paired with the sweet and sour sauce, it's a real appetite booster!"

Watching Shishido eat with such gusto, Matsubara secretly sighed—it's great to be young.

Walking down the street, they passed a small stall. Hearing the vendor's call, Shishido's eyes lit up. "Boss, do you have any fresh steamed meat buns?"

"Of course! This whole steamer is fresh!" the vendor replied with a smile.

"I'll take two!" Shishido said, but before he could finish, Matsubara grabbed him by his ponytail and dragged him away. "Enough eating! You'll turn into a pig at this rate!"

"Ah... my meat buns..."

A miserable wail echoed through the air.

"Those aren't actually called 'meat buns' in that context; they're an Eastern delicacy called *baozi*," Matsubara explained, trying to distract the sulking Shishido.

"*Baozi*? What's that?" Shishido asked curiously.

"The ones we just saw," the boy said, pointing back.

"Huh... I've never heard them called that before..."

"Generally, the ones with a smooth surface are called *mantou*, while the ones with pleats on top are *baozi*. So, those were meat *baozi*," the boy explained.

"I see... I've had them a few times and they're delicious. But Matsubara, why are some big and some small?"

"That's due to regional differences. Small ones are called *xiaolongbao*, while the large ones are just *baozi*. It depends on where they're from and how they're prepared. *Xiaolongbao* are delicate because the meat is minced into a paste and mixed with broth or water and sesame oil to create soup inside. The large *baozi* have a more substantial meat filling, usually in chunks. They aren't as juicy as *xiaolongbao*, but they're very satisfying, kind of like the burgers you eat."

"Wow... just hearing that makes me hungry again..." Shishido gulped.

"Hey, we just had dinner half an hour ago..." Matsubara said with a sweat-drop.

"True... I guess I'll save my appetite for tomorrow!" Shishido decided.

"Geez..." the boy sighed. This guy really was a bottomless pit.