18. Seishun Academy

"The Iron Rule of 'Loser Gets Eliminated' at Hyotei, huh?" Naru Matsubara murmured inwardly.

"No...that's probably only for those who've already become regulars. Right now, Ryo Shishido isn't even a regular yet."

Watching Ryo Shishido balance his racquet upright with his index finger, the boy quickly dismissed his earlier thought.

"Sometimes, failure doesn't mean you're inferior to others. Perhaps it's the opportunity to usher in a new era of your own."

"What do you mean?" Ryo Shishido gripped his racquet, feeling that this boy's words were increasingly hard to decipher.

"What was your original reason for playing tennis?" Matsubara didn't answer directly. Instead, his tone shifted as he posed the question.

"My original reason...? Of course, it's because I really love tennis! I want to be like the seniors, wear the regulars' uniform, and play on the court!"

The more Ryo Shishido spoke, the more animated he became. Matsubara smiled. "That's exactly it. But do you really think you still have a chance to achieve your dream under Hyotei's iron rule of 'loser gets eliminated'?"

"I..." Ryo Shishido was at a loss for words.

"Your sweat and effort here are nothing more than fleeting moments in the eyes of others. Those stronger than you will work even harder. Just because you've sacrificed more, doesn't mean you'll get some special privilege. Without exceptional skill, you simply can't surpass the geniuses."

Matsubara's words left Ryo Shishido even more dejected. Indeed, after being eliminated in the regulars' round-robin, he never got a second chance to return. Losing wasn't due to lack of stamina, but because his technique had been severely lacking.

If not for that, Ryo Shishido firmly believed he never would have been knocked out.

"But...I don't see it that way. The sweat you've poured out is precisely the true essence of tennis that should be shown to the world. So what if your technique isn't there yet? We should objectively evaluate the abilities we possess and refine ourselves through persistent effort and willpower!"

Suddenly, Matsubara's words flipped the narrative. Ryo Shishido, lost in his tangled thoughts, opened his mouth in surprise as Matsubara spread his hands.

"A friend of mine once said something I've never been able to forget. I think it's particularly apt for you."

Matsubara looked Ryo Shishido in the eye, who waited expectantly for his next words. "Simply being alive has no inherent meaning, but as long as you live, you'll find different meanings. Since you're alive, don't live in vain. Just like you're playing tennis here, just like I met you playing tennis here."

A glimmer sparked in Ryo Shishido's eyes. After a moment, he couldn't help but speak up. "But if I just quit Hyotei's tennis club to go with you, it kind of feels...like I'd be running away."

"Oh? So even though you have unparalleled drive, you're actually someone afraid of challenges?" Matsubara's smile made Ryo Shishido's face instantly flush red.

"I'm not! That's not true!"

"Compared to the unknown world and territories that everyone fears, I'd rather challenge them. Because...because I believe my future lies there. As long as there's even the slightest chance, I'll work tirelessly for it. That's my tennis!"

Matsubara paused for a second—why did that sound so familiar?

"In that case, don't let your future go to waste. Come with me, and you'll rediscover the reason you started playing tennis, and also find its true meaning for you. Come on."

With that, Matsubara reached out his hand.

...

Recruiting Ryo Shishido wasn't as difficult as Matsubara had imagined. According to the expected storyline, Ryo Shishido should have stubbornly clung to Hyotei, unmoved by any persuasion.

Then, amid ridicule, Ryo Shishido would have had a breakthrough thanks to a dramatic flashback, a classic trope in old-school shonen stories.

Afterward, inspired by what Matsubara thought were stirring words, Ryo Shishido would have found his own meaning, his eyes clearing of confusion, and, proving Matsubara wrong, earned recognition through hard work and returned to the brutal competition for a regular spot.

That's the pattern everyone knows from passionate sports anime. However, for Matsubara, things didn't quite play out like that...

Instead, after a brief inner struggle, Ryo Shishido became genuinely intrigued by the unknown world awaiting him. He chose to leave Hyotei, where he had no more opportunities to shine, and set out with Matsubara for Evergreen Academy.

To be honest, seeing Ryo Shishido look at him with a hint of admiration, Matsubara felt a bit guilty.

After all, everything he'd said was just patched together from other anime—how could it possibly have been heartfelt?

Striking while the iron was hot, Matsubara didn't idle. After leaving Hyotei with Ryo Shishido, he headed straight for his next destination: the tennis-renowned Seishun Academy, surrounded by dazzling cherry blossoms!

Ever since learning that Hajime Mizuki had ulterior motives toward him, Matsubara became even more eager to recruit Sadaharu Inui. He hoped Inui would replace Mizuki as coach at Evergreen Academy, and with Renji Yanagi as an assistant, Evergreen’s support staff would be second to none.

As for why not recruit Yanagi first, then Inui? Only after watching the Nationals did Matsubara realize which of the two was truly the proactive one, and which was passive.

Seishun Academy.

At Court A, two boys in white-green short-sleeved tops and green shorts were practicing freely.

Smack!

Smack!

Smack!

One boy, with dark red hair and a white bandage across his nose, lunged for the baseline. As he ran, he braced himself with his left hand, flipped nimbly, and landed on one knee, perfectly returning the ball to the opposite court!

Thud!

The ball bounced and flew out of bounds, and the black-haired boy, missing the return, staggered a few extra steps.

He bent over, gasping for breath, while the umpire, seated on the sidelines, called out loudly.

"Match over! Kikumaru wins! 6-4!"

"First-years today are really something. That match was so intense, anyone would think it was a regular second-year showdown!"

Outside the court among the unofficial Seishun Academy players in blue uniforms, one man clicked his tongue.

"Hey, Kodama, that first-year named Shuichiro Oishi isn't simple. Didn't you pair up with him for doubles at the start of the term? Why'd you give up halfway?"

Another blue-uniformed boy turned, looking at Kodama, whose face had suddenly darkened, and asked.

"Tch...I couldn't get along with that guy at all. You saw it yourself—both are first-years, but Eiji Kikumaru is clearly more outstanding than Oishi."

Kodama turned away in irritation.

"Come on, you know the answer. You saw what Oishi was like a month ago—he was just holding Kodama back."

A third boy, seemingly their acquaintance, complained.

"Then how did Captain Yamato spot Oishi's potential? Oishi was the only first-year chosen by the captain to participate in practice matches."

The rebuked boy shot back.

"......"

"No wonder Eiji's special shots are still unbreakable!"

Oishi wiped sweat from his chin, walked to the net, and shook hands with Kikumaru, sincerely praising him.

"Hehe, you did great too, Oishi! Your ball control's way sharper than when you first joined!"

Kikumaru was generous with his compliments to his friend, and it was no exaggeration—when he first joined, he was ahead of Oishi, but somehow Oishi had overtaken him.

This time, Kikumaru led again, but used cunning shots to keep Oishi at bay. It was a hard-fought win, but he’d managed to redeem himself for not being strong enough in the past.

Leaving the court, Oishi and Kikumaru spotted Sadaharu Inui outside, secretly jotting down notes—he had just finished recording new data from their match.

"Hey, Inui!" Kikumaru called.

"Analyzing my match with Eiji?" Oishi smiled kindly.

"Kikumaru's running speed and breathing rate were 1.5 times the norm, and every shot took 20% more effort than Oishi's. If your match had dragged on, Kikumaru would have run out of stamina first and lost," Inui intoned, adjusting his black, square-framed glasses.

"Haha, really, nya?" Kikumaru laughed off the analysis.

"As expected from Inui. By the way, isn't Captain Yamato's match starting soon? Should we go watch?" Oishi chuckled, glancing at the two.

"Yeah, yeah! Since joining the tennis club, I haven't seen the captain play even once, nya!" Kikumaru beamed, as innocent and bright as a clear spring.

"No, I still want to watch Kawamura and Yamasugi's match," Inui replied, scribbling notes. Oishi paused, a hint of concern in his eyes, while Kikumaru, ever blunt, said indignantly, "Yamasugi? Isn't he the one who gave you and Tezuka trouble at first, Oishi?"

"Eiji!" Oishi scolded, appalled at Kikumaru's indiscretion.

"Ah..." Realizing his blunder, Kikumaru exaggeratedly covered his mouth. At that moment, Inui stopped writing. Just as Oishi and Kikumaru braced for trouble, Inui resumed writing in his notebook, muttering to himself.

"Kawamura's power may seem one-dimensional, but against the second-year Yamasugi, it's the most effective way to close the gap..."

Oishi and Kikumaru exchanged glances, and, with Oishi subtly shaking his head, quietly slipped away from Inui.

"Ah...poor Inui. Ever since Tezuka quit, he hasn't cared about data on the upperclassmen at all. He focuses all his research on players in our year," Kikumaru sighed, glancing back.

"Well, back then, Inui saw Tezuka as the one to surpass. After Tezuka left, he lost his drive," Oishi replied.

As the two chatted and walked away, a boy, hiding in the shadows behind a towering tree, listened in and smiled knowingly.