Some people, once missed, are lost forever.

The schools matched in the regional qualifiers were all of similar strength, and the opponents for Evergreen Academy were no exception. Of course, Fuzaki Middle School was considered evenly matched with Evergreen, but that was before Tezuka and Fuji joined. As for now, it's hard to say.

As students in different colored uniforms began to file into Shiki Forest Sports Park, the once tranquil atmosphere was soon broken by the rising clamor. At the entrance of the park, a man and a woman, both carrying satchels, walked in side by side.

The man wore a plaid shirt and casual trousers, his short brown hair hinting at an age of about thirty. The woman beside him wore a striped casual top and cropped pants, her chestnut-red hair softly curled and falling to her shoulders. She appeared slightly younger than the man.

"The regional qualifiers are finally about to begin, Senior Inoue!" the woman exclaimed excitedly, taking out her camera.

"Yes," the man named Inoue nodded lightly, his expectant gaze sweeping the players on the courts before he added, "The highlight of this tournament is mainly the clashes between the four seeded schools. Of course, we can't ignore the other schools either."

These two were none other than Mamoru Inoue and Saori Shiba, the duo from Tennis Monthly magazine.

As journalists specializing in covering tennis school events, they came to Shiki Forest Sports Park every year to watch the matches, and this year was no exception.

"There are twelve schools participating in the regional qualifiers this time, with four seeded schools: Seishun Academy, Kurofune Eighth School, Suzuran, and Kita High," Mamoru Inoue explained to Saori Shiba.

"Seishun Academy? I remember you mentioned that school before, Senior Inoue," Saori recalled.

"Yes, that school produced the rare tennis prodigy Nanjiro Echizen. I had high hopes for Seishun, but an incident over a month ago made me less optimistic. The blow to their tennis club was just too great," Inoue replied, a trace of regret on his face.

"Oh? What happened?" Saori asked, unaware of the events at Seishun.

"I went to Seishun in April for an interview and saw some talented first-year students in the tennis club. But later, because of a particularly nasty bullying incident, two of them quit the club and transferred schools."

"Two students were bullied? How could something so terrible happen?" Saori said indignantly.

"No, only one was bullied. The other left together with him," Inoue clarified.

"I see... How skilled were these two?" Saori, noticing Inoue’s serious tone, asked curiously.

"They were the most outstanding among the freshmen. One joined the club and immediately defeated several upperclassmen, and a year ago privately bested Genichiro Sanada, runner-up of the junior tournament—this remarkable boy is Kunimitsu Tezuka. The other, Syusuke Fuji, possessed abilities far beyond his peers."

Saori thought for a moment, then clapped her hands. "I've heard of Kunimitsu Tezuka, but Syusuke Fuji sounds unfamiliar."

"After they left the club, there was no news of them. According to Captain Yudai Yamato, if Tezuka had stayed, the future of Seishun would have been his," Inoue said, the regret deepening on his face.

"Yamato seems to hold Tezuka in high regard..." Saori commented in surprise.

…

At the entrance to the registration area, many onlookers had gathered—most of them not participants but spectators.

Most of these onlookers looked like middle school students. As tennis enthusiasts, watching the matches between elite schools was a rare treat for them.

In the crowd, conversations buzzed constantly, with everyone discussing which two schools would emerge as champion and runner-up in the regional qualifiers.

According to the rules, only the top two teams could advance to the main tournament. Not to mention the eight unseeded schools who would have to fight tooth and nail for their place, even the matches among the four seeds were bound to be fierce!

Hearing the sound of synchronized footsteps approaching, many turned their eyes toward the source. When they saw who was coming, their gazes burned with excitement.

"They're here! Here they come!"

A group dressed in blue and white tracksuits approached. One of them, wearing a white headband and round sunglasses, sporting stubble on his chin and draped in a long-sleeved tracksuit, handed a form to the staff at the registration desk.

"Eight official players from Seishun Academy Middle School here to register," Yudai Yamato announced with a calm, smiling voice.

"As expected of Seishun Academy—just look at their lineup!" an excited male spectator commented.

"That's Captain Yamato! He's so handsome!" some girls who had come just to see the handsome players couldn't help but swoon at the sight.

"Hey... something's off with Seishun this time, isn't it?" a boy nudged his companion.

"Yeah, you’re right. Those three look like first-years," his friend replied, surprised as he looked at Shuichiro Oishi, Eiji Kikumaru, and Takashi Kawamura, all clad in official uniforms.

"So many people are watching..." Kawamura said nervously, noting all the eyes on them.

"Don’t worry, Kawamura. This is only the regional qualifier. Just play as you usually do," Oishi reassured him, while Kikumaru cheerfully encouraged, "Exactly, don’t worry, Kawamura!"

"Look, another team is coming!" a bystander pointed urgently as the members of Evergreen Academy's tennis club walked in from outside the park.

"Which school is that? I’ve never seen green tracksuits before," a red-haired boy frowned.

"Doesn’t look like a seeded school," someone observed, and the crowd’s earlier enthusiasm faded.

"Wait... I think I recognize that guy. Isn’t that Kunimitsu Tezuka?" someone suddenly shouted. The crowd erupted as if a bomb had gone off—even the Seishun team, who had just finished registering, turned to look.

"Tezuka?!" Oishi was the first to react, his mouth agape in disbelief as he saw a boy with chestnut hair and golden-rimmed glasses emerge from the parting crowd.

When Kikumaru and Kawamura saw Fuji following behind Tezuka, they too were shocked. "Fuji?!"

"Ah," Sadaharu Inui waved in greeting to Oishi and the others.

"Inui?!" Oishi, recognizing the three, was at a loss for words and could only call out each name as he saw them.

"So you’re from Seishun," Ryo Shishido recognized the blue-and-white tracksuits and smiled. "Long time no see, Oishi," Tezuka greeted, extending his hand, his face as impassive as ever.

"It’s been a while..." Oishi, not nearly as composed, pressed his lips together and shook his hand, overwhelmed by mixed emotions.

"You all look well—congratulations on becoming regulars," Fuji said with a gentle smile, noticing the three in their blue-and-white uniforms.

"After Captain Yamato made an exception and let me join practice matches, I struggled to find a good doubles combination with the upperclassmen. But after trying out with Eiji, we worked well together, so the captain assigned us to doubles. Kawamura was chosen for his strength, and over the past month, we proved ourselves. After discussions between Captain Yamato and Coach Ryuzaki, we all became regulars..." Oishi explained everything that had happened after Tezuka and Fuji left.

"I see. That’s great—congratulations," Fuji smiled.

Yudai Yamato walked over, his gaze lingering on Tezuka and Fuji in their green uniforms. After a long silence, he spoke softly, "Tezuka, Fuji."

"Captain Yamato," Tezuka replied politely, bowing slightly. Fuji also gave a respectful bow.

"I thought you had given up tennis for good," Yamato said, glancing at the group behind them.

"No, although I left Seishun, I haven't abandoned my dream," Tezuka answered. Yamato nodded knowingly, "The national tournament, huh..."

"If you win your first match against Fuzaki Middle School, we’ll meet," Yamato said quietly, seeming to hope for an Evergreen victory.

"We’re fully prepared," Tezuka replied, not picking up on Yamato’s implication. Fuji smiled and opened his blue eyes, "I hope you won’t hold back, Captain Yamato."

"Is it possible we’ll have to face Tezuka’s team..." Kikumaru looked a bit downcast, as did Oishi and Kawamura. Of the three, Oishi was the one most reluctant to compete against his former teammates; the thought of battling Tezuka and Fuji on the court left him heavy-hearted.

"Tezuka... I dealt with Takeshi Musui the day you quit; he’s no longer in the tennis club," Yamato said quietly, and the atmosphere grew subtly tense. Just then, Mei Matsubara, growing impatient, stepped forward and urged, "Captain, if we don’t register soon, we’ll be disqualified." He tapped his left wrist to indicate the time.

"Let’s talk after the qualifiers, Captain Yamato," Tezuka replied, then led his team to the registration desk. As Mei Matsubara passed Yamato, he remarked, "Some people, once missed, are gone forever, Captain. In the end, you never truly understood what kind of person Tezuka was."