All of this was for the sake of the grandson.

At this moment, Fuji was strolling along the school corridor, photographing the flowers and plants. Besides having developed an interest in tennis thanks to Tezuka's inspiration, his greatest passion was photography. Watching the camera capture the intoxicating beauty of the blossoms, Fuji’s lips curled into a gentle, mellow smile. Hearing footsteps, he looked up to see Tezuka approaching with a stern expression.

“What’s wrong, Tezuka? You look upset,” Fuji noticed something was amiss and asked with concern.

“A meeting will be held immediately. Gather all official members—including Kanazuki Hajime,” Tezuka commanded.

“What on earth has happened?” Fuji’s sapphire-like eyes widened.

“Kanazuki Hajime has been abusing his position for personal vendettas. When Matsubara recruited Akutsu, Kanazuki secretly contacted Akutsu and attempted to warn Matsubara with violence.” Tezuka’s face grew darker. “And that’s not all. Today, Shishido Ryo just joined, and upon learning he was recruited by Matsubara, Kanazuki taught him a twisting shot that severely injures the arm.”

“How could this happen…” Fuji was astonished. He hadn’t expected Kanazuki Hajime to go so far as to harm players.

“According to Matsubara, it’s because Kanazuki lost his spot as a regular to Matsubara and harbored resentment, seeking revenge.” Fuji’s expression shifted from shock to somberness, and he gritted his teeth. “Tennis… must not be used as a tool to breed hatred!”

“Of course, and tennis is not meant to hurt people either!” The two, who believed tennis should be a noble pursuit, found themselves in complete agreement. The meeting was so urgent that most regulars had no idea what was happening—whether the Evergreen Academy’s regulars led by Kamito, or the newer arrivals led by Akutsu.

Among them, Matsubara Mei was the only regular who understood the situation. Ahead, Kanazuki Hajime glanced back, curiosity piqued, and asked the boy, “What’s going on, Matsubara?”

“I think it must have something to do with Coach Kanazuki,” Matsubara replied, changing the way he addressed him.

Kanazuki Hajime was momentarily taken aback, then smoothed his hair. “Haha, Matsubara, you have quite the sense of humor. How could an emergency meeting have anything to do with me as coach? Based on statistical probability, whenever the captain summons all regulars for a meeting, it’s because something major has happened among the players…” He smiled, his words carrying an undercurrent of accusation. “Could it be that there’s a problem with one of your recruits, and Captain Tezuka plans to deal with you?”

“Heh, who knows?” Matsubara Mei replied with a cheerful facade, secretly cursing Kanazuki’s shamelessness. Here he was, oblivious to his impending downfall.

In the meeting room, Tezuka sat at the head of the rectangular table, with Fuji in the first seat to his right, followed by Kanazuki Hajime, Kamito, and the other three remaining official players of Evergreen Academy. On the opposite side, facing Fuji, sat Matsubara Mei at the head, with Akutsu and others following.

“Today I’ve convened an emergency meeting for everyone to address some very serious issues. Due to the gravity of the matter, I won’t waste words,” Tezuka said, his tone visibly angry, which unsettled many present—what could possibly make the captain so furious?

Kanazuki Hajime, unfazed, glanced at Matsubara Mei across the table, expecting Tezuka to name the boy. Instead, he heard a name so familiar it could not be mistaken.

“Kanazuki Hajime, due to your involvement in inciting conflict among players and abusing your authority to teach techniques harmful to their bodies, after consultation with the vice-captain, you are hereby expelled from the Evergreen Academy Tennis Club!”

As Tezuka finished speaking, the meeting room erupted in chaos. Many regulars began to stir.

“Man… Kanazuki Hajime is really twisted inside!”

“I always thought this guy wasn’t honest—today he finally showed his true colors!”

“He’s… terrifying…”

The regulars whispered and pointed at Kanazuki Hajime. Akutsu seemed unfazed, even finding the Evergreen regulars rather noisy, and impatiently dug at his ear.

“Matsubara…” Shishido Ryo naturally understood whom Tezuka’s latter words referred to. He looked at the boy, murmuring with concern.

Kanazuki Hajime stood frozen like a wooden doll; Matsubara Mei rested his chin on his hand, watching him quietly. After a long silence, Kanazuki finally reacted, slapping the table and standing up to protest, “Captain Tezuka, I haven’t done any of those things! Matsubara Mei is framing me. Please don’t listen to his one-sided story!”

The noisy room fell quiet. Kanazuki looked at those staring at him in confusion and cried out, “Hey, why are you all just standing there? Surely you don’t believe I’d do such things?!”

“Captain Tezuka hasn’t said where he got this information. How do you know he’s listening to my account?” Matsubara Mei sighed, disappointed at Kanazuki’s incompetence. He could have found excuses, but by naming Matsubara Mei, he’d cut off his only escape route.

Kanazuki Hajime, reminded, seemed struck by lightning. He turned slowly to face Tezuka and Fuji’s unfriendly expressions, clenching his hands and lowering his head in silence.

Matsubara Mei placed a hand on Kanazuki’s shoulder, speaking softly and meaningfully, “If you hadn’t provoked me, you wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

…

Kanazuki Hajime’s expulsion from the Evergreen Academy Tennis Club was nothing short of dramatic. Everyone expected some twist or turn, but his self-incrimination left them dumbfounded.

As the matter quickly concluded and Tezuka was about to announce the meeting’s adjournment, Matsubara Mei raised his hand, “Captain, aren’t we appointing a new coach?”

“Do you have a suitable candidate?” Tezuka and Fuji exchanged glances, asking.

“Of course, not only suitable, but far more reliable and outstanding than Kanazuki Hajime!” Matsubara Mei looked toward the last seat, where Inui Sadaharu was busy taking notes, and smiled. “Inui Sadaharu.”

All eyes turned to the bespectacled boy with spiky hair. Inui Sadaharu, hearing Matsubara recommend him as coach, was taken aback.

“I don’t think I’m fit for the job…” Inui quickly shook his head. If it were just collecting data as a researcher, that was fine—but coaching was beyond his ability.

“No, I believe you’re the most suitable. By using your collected data to tailor training plans for each person, you can scientifically raise everyone’s level and avoid injuries during training,” Matsubara Mei insisted.

Inui was slightly moved by Matsubara’s confidence. Tezuka, too, found the boy’s argument convincing. Although he hadn’t seen Inui’s exceptional talent at Seigaku, his developing data expertise could well surpass Kanazuki Hajime.

“I support Matsubara’s proposal. Give it a try, Inui.”

“Mm.” With Tezuka encouraging Inui Sadaharu, Fuji also smiled and nodded.

…

After school in the afternoon, Matsubara Mei received a call from Yanagi Renji, who said his father could return to Tokyo to teach—provided Matsubara could pay him a salary equivalent to an accountant’s wage.

Matsubara Mei wasted no time and went directly to his grandfather Matsubara Ibaraki’s school to discuss the matter.

Within the Matsubara family, except for Matsubara Mei’s father, Matsubara Sho, who was a wolf standing in opposition to the soothsayer, the rest were either strong supporters of the boy or openly declared as trustworthy allies, including the powerful “god” card—grandfather Matsubara Ibaraki!

The reason Matsubara Ibaraki supported his grandson’s tennis pursuits was simple: his son was already a teacher, so there was someone to inherit the mantle. Deep down, he hoped his grandson would stand out, and indeed, Matsubara Mei had never disappointed him.

Matsubara Sho could not understand why his father so vigorously supported Matsubara Mei. He wanted his son to inherit both his profession and the family estate. This way, he could fulfill his wish of passing the torch and, free from worries about Matsubara Mei’s future, continue teaching abroad with a light heart.

After a powerful exchange with his grandfather, Matsubara Ibaraki, white-haired and bearded, wearing glasses, understood his intentions and declared that if Yanagi Renji’s father was willing to teach at his school, not only would he pay him an accountant’s salary, but even triple that would be no issue.

All of this was for his grandson.

Seeing his grandfather’s generosity, Matsubara Mei was deeply grateful and immediately called Yanagi Renji to finalize the matter. Watching his grandson’s joyful expression, Matsubara Ibaraki’s face bloomed with a warm, kind smile, reminiscent of a chrysanthemum in full bloom.