Tokyo.
Green Forest Tennis Park.
8:00 AM.
The morning sun had just risen, with scattered clouds dotting the sky. Warm sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a golden glow over the park.
Since it was the weekend, the park had opened early. Today, however, the number of visitors was noticeably higher than usual. Most of them were energetic teenagers in school uniforms.
While some regular visitors were puzzled by the unusual crowd, those familiar with middle school tennis quickly realized what was happening.
"Senior, are we here yet?"
"Yeah, this is the place."
The first to arrive were the two from *Tennis Monthly*. As a seasoned reporter, Inoue had excellent professional habits. Under his guidance, Shishido had also developed the habit of arriving an hour before the matches began.
"Hey, I heard only sixteen teams made it to the Kanto Tournament?" Shishido asked as they entered the park. "Doesn't that mean the whole thing could be over in a single day?"
"Not a chance," Inoue explained. "The teams that make it to the Kanto Tournament are the strongest from their respective prefectures. Since everyone's skill level is so high, the tournament is spread over three days."
"Three days?"
"Yep. Today is the first round, with only the opening matches. The second and third rounds are next week, and the finals are two weeks after that."
Inoue walked over to the tournament bulletin board and glanced at the match schedule. "Also, teams from Kanagawa, Chiba, and Tokyo won't face each other in the first round."
"Why not?" Shishido frowned. "I thought the draw was completely random."
"It is random, but there's a catch," Inoue replied with a smile. "The draw is split into two parts. First, the seeded schools are placed in separate brackets. That way, the top seeds won't face each other in the first round."
"Wait, isn't that kind of... rigged?"
Inoue facepalmed and chuckled. "You're overthinking it. It's a standard practice. Otherwise, if the top seed, Rikkai, faced the second seed, Hyotei, right off the bat, the losing team would be eliminated in the first round and miss the Nationals altogether!"
"Oh, right. That makes sense," Shishido nodded, finally understanding.
"Let's go," Inoue said, eager to avoid any more brain-melting questions, and headed toward the courts.
Similar to the Tokyo Tournament, the Kanto Tournament's venue had several types of courts. The first-round matches were held on standard courts surrounded by chain-link fences, with spectators gathering around the edges. Some of the better courts even had shelters to protect players and fans from rain or sun.
The top-tier courts, however, had proper bleachers. These were concrete, tiered seating that could accommodate around 700 to 800 spectators.
Like the earlier rounds, the Kanto Tournament courts were hard surfaces. Rumor had it that the Nationals finals would be played on grass courts. As for clay courts, Inoue knew that no middle school tournaments in Japan used them yet.
"Senior," Shishido asked after they'd looked around, "which match are we watching first?"
"Let's go with Hyotei," Inoue said after a moment's thought. "Rikkai's opponent is Tokyo's semifinalist, Ginkan. Seigaku is up against Gunma's Ooguchi Minami. But Hyotei is facing Kanagawa's second-place team, Seiseikan."
"Oh?" Shishido's eyes lit up. "You mean the team with that gorgeous coach?"
She immediately remembered. They'd interviewed Seiseikan before because their coach specialized in human kinetics and used cutting-edge, elite training methods.
During their visit, they'd seen equipment and advanced tools that no other team had. According to the coach, her goal was to maximize human potential through scientific training, allowing even middle schoolers to perform at an adult level.
The interview had left both of them thoroughly impressed.
"If it's Seiseikan," Shishido mused, frowning slightly, "their unique players might give Hyotei a bit of trouble, but I still think Hyotei has the edge."
"True," Inoue agreed, but then added with a smile, "Still, compared to the other matches, this one's definitely going to be more exciting."
With that, the two headed to the court where Hyotei and Seiseikan were scheduled to play.
The match hadn't started yet, and neither team had arrived. However, they spotted two unexpected figures.
"Is that... Seigaku's Inui?" Shishido asked, surprised. "And who's that he's talking to? He looks familiar."
"Yanagi Renji," Inoue identified him immediately. "One of Rikkai's Big Three and their data analyst. He's an incredible player."
"But..." Inoue paused, looking curious. "Why do they seem like they know each other?"
"Renji, it's been a while."
"Indeed, Sadaharu."
One was Seigaku's strategist, the other Rikkai's mastermind. Yet, they greeted each other like old friends.
"Since we last met, three years have passed," Inui said with a hint of nostalgia.
"True," Yanagi replied. "It's a shame we didn't end up at the same school. With our synergy, we could've been the best doubles pair in the nation."
"The best doubles pair?" Inui felt a pang of regret but then shook his head. "Isn't that already Rikkai's Marui and Jackal?"
"They're strong," Yanagi admitted without hesitation. "But every year, new top players emerge. Last year, it was the Kyushu duo. This year, it's Hyotei's new star."
"Ishikawa?" Inui asked, surprised. "So, you're here specifically to scout him?"
"Exactly," Yanagi nodded. "During the Kanto draw, he and Atobe showed up at Rikkai and got into a clash with one of our players. Ishikawa won."
"I see," Inui said. "If I were in your position, I'd be gathering intel on Hyotei too."
"By the way," Yanagi added, "during the Tokyo Tournament, Ishikawa defeated your Fuji. How strong do you think he is?"
"Very strong," Inui replied without hesitation.
---
Inui didn't hold back when talking to his old friend. After all, he wasn't sharing any sensitive information about his own team. "If I'm not mistaken, he's at least at a national top-tier level. He's on par with players like Tezuka and Atobe."
"That strong, huh?"
Yanagi's brow furrowed slightly.
Ever since the Kanto draw ended, he had been tirelessly gathering information about Ishikawa. But the more he dug, the more shocked he became. In fact, he even started to wonder if some of the intel he'd collected was fake.
But now, after hearing Inui's confirmation, Yanagi realized that most of the rumors were likely true.
Thinking this, Yanagi muttered to himself, "Looks like… our biggest rival this year is still going to be Hyotei."
Just then, a commotion broke out in the distance.
They turned to see a group of high school girls, dressed in their uniforms and waving small flags, heading toward the court.
"Who are they?" Inui asked, surprised.
"They're fans of Seigaku… well, not exactly," Yanagi corrected himself. "To be more precise, they're personal fans of one of Seigaku's players."
"Wakato! Wakato! Wakato!"
As soon as Yanagi finished speaking, the girls began chanting their idol's name in unison. The synchronized cheers, waving flags, and even the large banners they held up made it seem like a pop star was about to perform, not a tennis match.
*Clack, clack!*
Moments later, a group of boys in light green jackets appeared, led by a striking red-haired woman in a white coat and chain-link glasses. They walked to one side of the court.
"They're here," noted Inui and Shishido, their expressions shifting.
"Huh?" Sensing the attention, a boy with orange curly hair from Seigaku struck what he thought was a cool pose. "I didn't expect so many people to be watching my performance in the Kanto tournament."
The others around him didn't seem fazed. After all, this was the persona their coach, the glamorous Hanamura Aoi, had carefully crafted for him.
"Still," a shorter boy with diamond-shaped sunglasses chimed in with a smirk, "I heard Hyotei's entrance was supposed to be something else. But looking at this, I guess rumors are just rumors."
He crossed his arms, looking smug. Seigaku had fought their way up from the regional qualifiers, and with fans like these, they could turn any match into a home game. If it weren't for Rikkai's overwhelming strength, they would've easily taken the championship in Kanagawa.
As for Hyotei? They were just another team that had lost to Rikkai. If Seigaku had been in Tokyo, they would've taken the title without a doubt.
*Clack, clack.*
Just then, footsteps echoed in the distance. The Seigaku team turned to see a group of boys in gray-and-white jackets, led by a man in a maroon suit, approaching from the opposite side.
"Here they come," muttered Oota Shou, the boy with the sunglasses and a Seigaku regular. "Just as I thought, rumors are just—wait, what?!"
Before he could finish, a massive crowd appeared behind the Hyotei team. Every single one of them was wearing the Hyotei tennis club jacket.
"Whoa!" Several Seigaku players couldn't help but gasp at the sight of nearly 200 people showing up at once. Compared to their little fan group, it looked like child's play.
"So this is Hyotei…" The few Seigaku players who managed to keep their composure grew serious as they observed the Hyotei regulars. They could feel an intense pressure radiating from them.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Champions. Last year's Kanto runners-up. Their reputation was well-deserved.
"Attention, everyone," the announcer's voice echoed from the corner of the court. "The first round of the Kanto Tournament is about to begin. Tokyo's Hyotei Academy versus Kanagawa's Seigaku Middle School. Players, please take your positions on the court."
(End of chapter)