94. Second Doubles: Data Tennis Versus the Power Pair

Late at night.

Tezuka still had not gone home. Sitting in the faculty office, he was still pondering how to arrange the order of the players’ appearances.

With Shishido Ryo dropped from the regular lineup, there was no suitable partner for Akutsu in doubles. With that ferocious temper of his, the only times he would not become a burden to his partner were when he was paired with Matsubara Mei or with Shishido Ryo.

Besides, the pairing of Inui and Yanagi was on par with Seishun Academy’s golden duo, Oishi and Kikumaru, so breaking them apart was hardly appropriate either.

Scratch, scratch...

Tezuka left the second doubles position to Inui Sadaharu and Yanagi Renji. As for first doubles, he assigned Akazawa Yoshirou and Yanagisawa Shinya. He made that arrangement because Akazawa and Yanagisawa’s doubles strength was weaker than the first pair’s, and if they lost the opening match, the effect on morale would be significant.

For singles, Tezuka himself would play third singles, Matsubara Mei would play second singles, and the first singles spot would go to Fuji Shusuke.

The day of the match against Rokkaku Middle School finally arrived. Once both teams reached the court and stood at the net, Kuki Hiko, who had an innocent look on his face, suddenly flared his nostrils, and white steam burst out!

Whooo!

“That guy...”

Akazawa Yoshirou stared in astonishment at the steam-train-like sound.

“What huge nostrils...”

Shishido Ryo, standing outside the court, was equally surprised.

“Feels like he’s got a lot of air coming out of his nose.”

Fuji said with a faint smile, hands clasped behind his back.

“Hey... why do you have so much air blasting out of your nose?”

Yanagisawa Shinya asked curiously.

“Oh?!”

Kuki Hiko’s voice rose several notches at the question.

“Huh?”

Yanagisawa was startled by the reaction. Kuki, however, looked delighted. “You’re the first person who has ever asked me why. Why are you asking?”

He finished with a warm smile, and more white vapor poured from his nostrils.

Whooo!

“Huh?!”
Yanagisawa was completely baffled. Could this guy be a little off in the head? What did he mean, why was he asking? He was the one asking the question.

Kuki turned his gaze to Akutsu and asked, “Hey, why do you style your hair like that? Is it to look taller, or do you think it’s cool?”

“Hm?”

Akutsu was not in the starting lineup for this match, but as a substitute he stood with the others. Hearing Kuki’s strangely naive question, his eyes widened slightly before fixing on the boy with a look so cold it seemed ready to slice him to pieces.

“Well, well, the thousand-whys machine has arrived...”

Matsubara Mei gave an exasperated smile. So he had been like this since first year.

Seeing that Kuroba Harukaze standing beside Kuki showed no sign of discomfort, the boy found it rather amazing. Compared with Tengen Hikaru, who loved cold jokes, Kuroba’s tolerance for Kuki’s endless why-questions was clearly much higher.

“Why do you always like smiling?”

Completely ignoring the strange looks cast at him by Akazawa and Yanagisawa, Kuki asked Fuji.

“Why is it that nobody can see your eyes behind those glasses?”

Kuki asked Inui Sadaharu.

“Why do you always keep your eyes narrowed? Are your eyes just small, or can you not see?”

He then looked at Yanagi Renji.

Those three soul-searching questions left the three of them speechless. Even Inoue Mamoru and Shiba Saori, watching from outside the chain-link fence, were somewhat dumbfounded. Shishido Ryo, growing a little irritated, could not help muttering with disgust, “It’s all why, why, why. What a noisy guy...”

“The match is about to begin. Inui, Yanagi, get ready.”

The teams finished the pre-match formalities. Sitting on the bench inside the court, Tezuka crossed his arms and said.

“Understood.”

Yanagi Renji and Inui Sadaharu, having removed their long sleeves and long pants, both nodded.

“Their second doubles pair is that nose-steam guy and Rokkaku’s vice captain.”

Seeing Kuki Hiko and Kuroba Harukaze take off their jackets, Shishido said softly.

“Isn’t Rokkaku’s coach here? The match is about to start.”

Akazawa Yoshirou glanced around the area and spoke in a low voice.

“Oh? Speak of the devil, it looks like.”

Yanagisawa noticed a short old man in a red T-shirt and gray shorts slowly walking over, his eyes lifting slightly.

Everyone else looked toward the place Yanagisawa was staring. The old man, carrying a brown bottle of juice, entered the court and knelt down on the bench.

“This is the Kanto Tournament. Seishun Academy versus Rokkaku Middle School. Please have the second doubles pair enter the court at once.”

A woman’s voice rang out over the loudspeaker.

“Um, Inoue-senpai, wouldn’t it be a foul if a Rokkaku player brought in a racket that long...?”

The observant Shiba Saori noticed the slender wooden racket in Kuki Hiko’s hand and asked.

“Yes. The Kanto Tournament has stricter rules, and the fact that it was allowed onto the court means there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Inoue Mamoru had noticed it as well and replied.

“That racket... it looks like it has to be over eighty centimeters, no matter how you look at it.”

Saori still felt that the rackets used by Kuroba Harukaze and Kuki Hiko were a little too long.

“Hmm... by the rules, a racket may not exceed twenty-nine inches, or 73.66 centimeters, and its width may not exceed twelve and a half inches, or 31.7 centimeters. Judging by the general outline, it should still be within regulations.”

Inoue quickly did the conversion in his head and said.

“So at most, those long rackets are just very close to the limit?”

Saori asked.

“Of course. Those players’ rackets were all made by the old man of Rokkaku, custom-built according to each person’s personality and playing style.”

Fuji smiled faintly.

“But wouldn’t a racket like that make it difficult to handle balls close to the body?”

Shishido Ryo gestured with a wave of his hand.

“Kuki Hiko and Kuroba Harukaze are both power-type players. They probably avoid body-level shots and focus on a power-based style that keeps them comfortable in their stance. With a racket like that, a strike should be able to produce impressive force.”

Matsubara Mei added.

“One set to decide it! Kurobane of Rokkaku to serve!”

The umpire called out loudly.

Tap... tap... tap...

Kurobane tapped the ground with his tennis racket. Seeing that Inui Sadaharu and Yanagi Renji were silent, he muttered to himself, “So this is a school that won the Metropolitan Tournament. Not nervous at all, even in a match like this?”

“Still, let’s enjoy the game and go all out!”

Tossing the ball up, Kurobane swung down his racket in a flash.

Whoosh!

“Hm?!”

Inui Sadaharu and Yanagi Renji both felt that something was wrong. Before the former could react, the tennis ball turned into a streak of light and shot straight toward Inui’s face. With a dull thud, Inui was knocked backward as if struck by a heavy blow and fell to the ground!

“Sadaharu!”

Yanagi Renji suddenly opened his eyes.

“Inui!”

Tezuka lowered his crossed arms and leaned forward.

Thud.

Supporting himself on one knee, Inui sat up. The umpire’s voice drifted over.

“Fifteen-love!”

“You okay, Sadaharu?”

Yanagi quickly helped Inui to his feet. Inui shook his head. “I’m fine. It’s just that the power was tremendous...”

Even after standing, Inui could still feel the faint pain in his abdomen. He adjusted his glasses calmly.

“Hey... are you all right?”

Realizing he had hit someone a little too hard, Kurobane hurried to the net and asked anxiously.

“It’s fine. Let’s continue.”

Yanagi once again narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“The vice captain of Rokkaku is formidable.”

Fuji opened his blue eyes.

“Inoue-senpai, is Rokkaku really that strong? I thought the more famous school in Chiba Prefecture was Red Sun First Middle School.”

Saori tilted her head slightly.

“Yes. Their coaching philosophy is to enjoy tennis like a game. That old man from Rokkaku is no ordinary person...”

Inoue kept his eyes on the grandfather, who sat kneeling on the bench as though in deep meditation, and his expression gradually grew grave.

“Just as the data said, Kurobane Harukaze is a power-type player who specializes in explosive tennis. I never imagined his strength would be this great. Is he really a first-year like us?”

Inui gripped his racket with both hands and stared intently at the black-haired boy, who continued tapping his racket against the ground.

Smack!

As Kurobane Harukaze served his second ball, Yanagi, with his narrowed eyes, noticed the key change in his elbow movement and opened his eyes again.

“Pronation?!”

“By extending the elbow at the moment of impact, then immediately pronating it and switching to a defensive posture, he can channel every bit of his arm strength into the topspin shot without wasting any of it. That maximum stretch of the arm, together with the length of the racket, is the crucial point Inui cannot evade!”

Yanagi’s mind was working like a processor at full speed. Having reached his conclusion, he looked sharply at Inui. “Inui, don’t hold back your strength!”

“What a remarkable fellow. It seems my guess was the same as Renji’s.”

Inui once again tightened his grip on the racket. The next instant, both his hands swung it out.