0:15!
Jin Akutsu's eyes were locked on the scoreboard as it flipped.
That 15 points—it wasn't his!
How was this even possible?!
He whipped his head around, only to see a tennis ball, somehow already returned by Rin Matsuoka, landing silently in his court.
"When?!"
Akutsu's mind went blank, scrambling to recall what had just happened, but finding no answers.
"Got careless!"
In the next moment, Akutsu let out a harsh breath, his gaze burning as he tracked Rin Matsuoka's every move.
"Looks like I underestimated you!"
Even if he'd been sloppy, assuming the point was already his and letting his guard down, that didn't erase the role Rin Matsuoka had played in this.
"How are you gonna handle this one?!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Without waiting for a reply, Akutsu started smacking the ball.
Whoosh!
His racket sliced through the air, leaving a blur. His knees bent, then sprang upward as he tossed the ball high.
Everyone knew that in tennis, the height of the toss could change a lot—power, speed, angle.
For most people, a standing jump without a run-up capped out at 30-50 cm.
Athletes could push it to 60 cm if they were exceptional.
But right now, Akutsu's flat-ground leap reached at least 80 cm!
His arms, longer than most his age, gave him an even higher striking point.
Boom!
A deafening crack echoed as he struck the ball.
The tennis ball tore through the air with ferocious speed, crossing the net in a blink.
"So fast! That serve point is insane!"
"This guy's a total athletic freak! Damn it, why does someone who doesn't even care about tennis have this kind of talent?!"
"No way the other guy can return this one, right?"
"Wait, how did he return the last one? This guy… why does he feel so familiar? I think my sister showed me something about him…"
The crowd buzzed with chatter.
But in the next moment, silence fell.
Thud!
The ball hit the ground and bounced sharply.
At that exact instant, Rin Matsuoka shifted slightly, his racket arcing upward before slicing down hard.
"He's got it!"
"He actually hit it!!"
"How did he know it'd bounce there? With a serve that high, the bounce's force, speed, and angle all change!"
The crowd could hardly believe their eyes.
Only Akutsu reacted instantly, his pupils narrowing.
Step, step, step!
He charged forward, his eyes glinting like a predator's, wild and thrilled, his nerves buzzing with excitement.
"He actually returned it!"
It had been ages since he'd faced a peer who could return his shots this easily!
Sure, he'd only been coming to this street court for two weeks, but still.
Thud!
The ball hit the ground, sending out a dull thud.
Akutsu was already there, poised to strike as soon as it bounced.
Spin, spin, spin!
But…
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds…
Nearly five seconds passed, and the ball kept spinning on the ground. Then, it rolled silently toward the net, completely still.
"It didn't bounce?!"
Akutsu's pupils shrank.
The crowd and the referee froze, stunned.
What kind of shot was that?!
"0:30!"
The referee's voice rang out, tinged with excitement and disbelief.
Two points in a row, both in Akutsu's service game, and both scored by Rin Matsuoka.
"That last shot…"
Akutsu's brows furrowed, but his nerves were buzzing with exhilaration.
He served again.
This time, Rin Matsuoka used the same technique—a Zero-Shiki Drop Shot.
The ball hit the ground, spun, and once again refused to bounce.
"0:40!"
The referee's voice rose again, staring at Rin Matsuoka in awe.
This guy was strong!
"You're good!"
Akutsu looked at Rin Matsuoka, his excitement growing. "But that last shot—if I'm fast enough, I can return it, right?"
"And the reason it doesn't bounce… it's the spin, isn't it?"
"That spin cancels out the ball's momentum, delaying its reaction. And after that delay… no bounce!"
"To control a shot like that… is it the angle of the downward swing?"
Akutsu analyzed rapidly, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
He'd never seen a shot like this before. It was… interesting. Suddenly, tennis didn't seem so boring anymore.
"Oh?"
Rin Matsuoka glanced at Akutsu, mildly surprised.
It wasn't so much analysis as it was raw, razor-sharp instinct.
But he wasn't wrong.
Truth be told, the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot was simple to execute once you understood the principle. Mastering it was just one step away.
So Rin Matsuoka was puzzled—why couldn't some people take that final step?
Didn't they already know how it worked?
"You're right. That shot's called the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot."
Rin Matsuoka gave Akutsu an approving look. "And your method is indeed one way to counter it."
As they spoke, Akutsu served again.
This time, he kept his eyes glued to Rin Matsuoka's every move.
The moment Rin Matsuoka used the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot again, Akutsu bolted forward like a cheetah.
He swung his racket just as the ball hit the ground.
But mid-swing, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.
In the next instant, he angled his arm downward, mimicking Rin Matsuoka's exact posture.
"Here it comes—Number 4347's insane learning ability!"
"He's gonna pull off that shot?! Damn, this guy's learning speed is just unfair!"
"Wait, something's off!"
The crowd's chatter filled the air as all eyes locked on Akutsu.
Then, under their gazes, Akutsu's face paled, and he froze.
A sharp, searing pain shot from his wrist up his arm.
His body screamed at him, warning that continuing would cause irreversible damage—serious damage.
But… how had he done it?!
Akutsu stared at Rin Matsuoka in disbelief.
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