20. The Unfinished Match

“One thing?” Inui murmured.

Matsubara Mei hoped that before Inui Sadaharu joined Evergreen Academy, he could persuade Yanagi Renji to leave Rikkaidai Junior High. If they wanted to recruit Yanagi Renji, simply defeating him or relying on ordinary persuasion would not work; Inui Sadaharu was the key. Only Inui Sadaharu could get Yanagi Renji to change his mind.

After Matsubara Mei made her case, Inui agreed to accompany her to Rikkaidai. In truth, even without her urging, Inui had been wanting to talk to Renji. He hadn’t deliberately kept track of Renji, but after a year, a month, and eight days of playing doubles together, he had grown used to Renji’s presence by his side. There was something wonderful about having someone who understood and acknowledged you, improving together, and finally winning matches as a team.

To this day, Inui still couldn’t let go of the fact that, though he’d only moved from Tokyo to Kanagawa, Renji hadn’t played a final match with him to say goodbye. Renji had simply left halfway through, without the closure of a proper tennis farewell.

At this moment, Inui suddenly recalled how after he’d said something perfectly ordinary to Renji back then, Renji had shown a brief hint of sadness—a look Inui hadn’t noticed at the time.

His thoughts drifted back…

“Your technique has improved again, Renji!” Sitting cross-legged on the ground, panting, Inui exclaimed happily.

Renji, hands propped on the floor, nodded seriously, his posture a little girlish.

“With this, we should have no problem winning the next match.” Inui’s voice was tinged with excitement, but as he spoke, Renji’s lively, adorable smile faded, replaced by a soft, private “mm” and a silence only he could hear.

Rikkaidai Junior High was located over ten kilometers southwest of Seishun Academy. Taking the bus from outside Seishun’s gates, there was no need to transfer—just ride until two stops before the terminus.

“As expected of Rikkaidai. I thought the sports facilities at Hyotei were already impressive, but this place is even more complete…” Entering Rikkaidai, Inui and Matsubara first passed the soccer and basketball courts before arriving at the tennis courts. Seeing the training equipment unavailable at Evergreen, Matsubara couldn’t help but sigh.

Watching the throng of trainees on the tennis courts, Matsubara searched carefully for a moment. Not seeing Renji, she turned to Inui. “There are so many people here—it won’t be easy to find him.”

“Renji… isn’t here.” Inui adjusted his glasses, his gaze shifting away.

“Seriously? You only glanced around, and you already know he’s not here?” Matsubara looked astonished. She’d just seen Jackal Kuwahara and Bunta Marui playing doubles—was Renji really absent?

After a moment’s thought, Matsubara realized she hadn’t seen Seiichi Yukimura or Genichirou Sanada either. Their distinctive cloaks and black hats would be hard to miss. All three captains absent—such a scene was rare indeed.

“Yes, he’s definitely not here.”

Inui nodded with certainty. Even after more than a year, there was no way he would mistake the back of a close friend.

Walking along the wide road beside the tennis courts, Matsubara suddenly asked, “Does Renji have any particular hobbies? Is there somewhere he often goes?”

“When we were in elementary school, Renji loved spending time in the library. He often borrowed books and materials from there…” Inui recalled.

“Then let’s head straight to the Rikkaidai library!” Matsubara clapped, quickening her pace. After confirming the sign at the fork ahead, she pointed forward.

Inside the library, Matsubara and Inui didn’t find Renji on the first floor, so they headed to the second. The library had two levels: an open hall on the first floor, and a square, ring-shaped corridor on the second, lined with closely set rooms, all under a transparent conical roof.

“So many rooms… I guess we’ll have to check them one by one…” Matsubara rubbed her forehead. Was this really a junior high school library?

Just as the two prepared to start searching, a door at the end of the corridor opened. Out stepped a tall, slender boy in a white shirt and tie, dark slacks, and sneakers. He looked about Matsubara and Inui’s age, carrying two or three books under his arm, his expression serene, an air of calm detachment about him.

Seeing the boy with smooth bangs and eyes perpetually half-closed, Inui spoke before Matsubara could. “Renji?!”

“Sadaharu… why are you here?” Hearing the familiar voice, the usually calm and steady Yanagi Renji was taken aback, turning toward Inui.

…

“So you came here on purpose.” Renji brought Inui to a quiet study room, closed the door, and listened as Inui explained, a look of understanding dawning on his face.

Now that they’d found Renji, Matsubara saw no reason to intrude on his and Inui’s first reunion in over a year. As long as Inui followed the plan, things would work out.

She walked over to a vending machine, eyeing a peach-flavored Ponta for 120 yen, and inserted some coins.

Clang!

As Matsubara was about to open the can, a laughing voice called out, “Drink too many soft drinks and you’ll never grow taller.”

She turned to see a man at least 190 centimeters tall, with dark red, short, wavy hair approaching. Annoyed, Matsubara took a sip. “Just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. Isn’t life inconvenient at your height?”

“Maybe so. But sometimes, being tall really does let you do whatever you like, kid.” The man smiled unconcernedly, bent down, and pressed the top-row button on the vending machine. After inserting coins, a bottle of green tea rolled out.

Matsubara frowned at the gesture. The man looked down at her—she barely reached his waist—and after taking a sip of tea, asked, “You’re not from our school, are you? Never seen you before.”

“That’s none of your business.” Matsubara was thoroughly uninterested in him, but as she turned to leave, she caught sight of the tan short-sleeved shirt peeking out from beneath the man’s dark uniform. Was he a regular on Rikkaidai’s team?

“So, my identity’s been seen through. I’m Mouri Shuzaburo, a second-year at Rikkaidai. And you are?” The tall, red-haired youth, noticing his own shirt peeking out, reached out to introduce himself.

“Mouri… Shuzaburo?” Matsubara blinked and murmured the name.

Inside the study room—

“Forgive me, Sadaharu, but I must refuse your request.” After hearing Inui’s wish to form a doubles team again, Renji gently shook his head.

“Why, Renji? Our doubles game was flawless—we were featured in Tennis Monthly and recognized as a top pair in elementary tennis. Why?”

“I’m sorry. I have a mission at Rikkaidai that I must complete. I sincerely apologize for leaving without saying goodbye before, but I can’t team up with you again.” Renji recalled the education on winning he’d received upon entering Rikkaidai, along with Sanada’s ambitions and goals. Now, he simply couldn’t accept leaving Rikkaidai to play with Inui again, no matter the school.

“Moreover, not only do I refuse to go to a new school with you, but I also don’t want you to come to Rikkaidai and join me, Sadaharu.”

Beyond the dream of winning three consecutive national championships, Renji had personal reasons, too. He felt Sadaharu was better suited to singles.

Renji’s decisiveness took Inui by surprise; he hadn’t expected such a change in just over a year.

“I see…” Inui said nothing more. Since Renji had made himself so clear, there was no point in insisting. He lowered his head, expressionless, his glasses reflecting a faint white light.

“We still have an unfinished match, don’t we?” Renji, though Inui’s face showed no emotion, could sense his friend’s sorrow and disappointment. Unable to bear it, Renji forced a slightly awkward smile.

“Yeah… we do.” Inui’s mind drifted to the tennis club they used to frequent as children, and Renji’s words from back then still lingered in his memory.

“I wonder who’s stronger, Sadaharu or me? Let’s have a match and find out!”

Lost in reminiscence, he recalled how the match had been left unfinished at 5-4 in Renji’s favor when the club owner closed for the day, forcing them to postpone the result.

That suspended match had remained undecided all the way into their junior high years…

“Let’s finish that match, Sadaharu.” Renji’s voice pulled Inui from his reverie. Inui nodded softly. “Alright.”