Tezuka was rushed to the hospital by Inui and Kawamura, who had quickly organized themselves to get their injured captain proper medical attention. Meanwhile, Fuji, Eiji, and Oishi remained behind at the tennis courts, their faces set with grim determination as they prepared to demand answers from the coaching staff about Takei's inexcusable behavior.
The tension in the air was palpable as the three second-years faced down their authority figures, their usual deference replaced by righteous anger.
"Coach Ryuzaki," Fuji began, his voice carrying an edge that none of them had ever heard before. His normally gentle demeanor had vanished completely, replaced by cold fury. "Takei deliberately injured Tezuka once before during our first year, and now he's done it again. This wasn't an accident, and we all saw it. You have to give us a real explanation for how you're going to handle this."
His piercing gaze locked onto Ryuzaki's face, searching for any sign of the justice they desperately hoped to find.
"Coach?" The current captain looked uncertainly between Fuji's demanding stare and Ryuzaki's increasingly stubborn expression. Even he recognized that Takei's actions had crossed every line of acceptable conduct. Before graduating, Yamato had specifically instructed him that Tezuka must be groomed as the next club leader—he was essential to Seishun's future. If Takei was allowed to destroy Tezuka's career through deliberate sabotage, it would be equivalent to crippling the entire program's prospects.
"Fine. I understand the situation," Ryuzaki replied curtly, her tone suggesting she viewed this entire confrontation as an unwelcome inconvenience. "Takei will be removed from the regular team for intentionally injuring a teammate during competition. However, he will retain his membership in the tennis club pending observation."
The punishment was laughably inadequate—essentially a temporary demotion that could be reversed at any time, with no real consequences for what amounted to assault.
"Coach," Fuji's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, his usually sleepy eyes now blazing with an intensity that made several nearby students step back instinctively. "Is that seriously all you're willing to do?"
For the first time in his life, the perpetually calm and gentle Fuji was truly, openly angry. The sight was so unprecedented that even Eiji and Oishi found themselves momentarily speechless.
"Takei has been removed from regular competition. That punishment is more than sufficient!" Ryuzaki snapped back, her own voice rising to match his intensity. The stubborn old woman refused to allow her authority to be questioned by a mere second-year, regardless of the circumstances.
"Coach?" Even the captain was staring at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend how she could consider such a minimal response appropriate.
"If this is your idea of justice," Fuji said with quiet finality, already reaching for his club jacket, "then I quit the tennis club."
Without another word, he removed his team jacket, folded it neatly, and placed it on the nearest bench before walking away with measured steps.
"Fuji, wait for me!" Eiji's voice cracked with emotion as he scrambled to follow his friend's example. "I'm quitting this damn club too! I can't stay in a place that protects people like Takei!"
His own jacket joined Fuji's on the bench as he hurried to catch up.
"Coach," Oishi said heavily, his usual diplomatic nature warring with his sense of right and wrong. "I'm also quitting the tennis club."
The disappointment in his voice was crushing. Oishi had always tried to see the best in people, to find compromises that worked for everyone. But what Ryuzaki had done today—what she had failed to do—went against everything he believed about leadership and responsibility. Someone like Yamato would never have tolerated such injustice.
"Fuji! Eiji! Oishi!" The captain called desperately after the three departing players, recognizing that the club was losing its most talented members over a completely preventable situation.
"Stop right there!" Ryuzaki's voice rose to a near-shriek, her face flushed red with indignation. "If they want to quit the tennis club, then let them go! Seishun doesn't need players who can't respect authority!"
"Coach?" The captain stared at her in absolute horror, unable to believe what he was hearing. She was actually driving away their best players rather than admitting she'd made a mistake.
"Didn't you hear me?" Ryuzaki roared, spittle flying from her lips in her fury.
The captain could only shake his head in defeated dismay. He felt the weight of Yamato's trust crushing down on his shoulders, knowing he had failed completely in his responsibility to protect the future of Seishun tennis.
At the hospital, Inui and Kawamura sat anxiously in the sterile waiting room, watching the clock tick by with agonizing slowness as they waited for news about Tezuka's condition. Surprisingly, Coach Banji from Yamabuki had also accompanied them, and had even quietly taken care of the medical expenses without making a show of it.
The examination seemed to take forever, but finally the doctor emerged from the treatment room with Tezuka following behind, his left hand now wrapped in a thick bandage and supported by a sling.
"Doctor, how is he?" Inui and Kawamura immediately surrounded the medical professional, their faces etched with worry.
"Fortunately, there are no fractures this time," the doctor explained with professional calm. "However, based on the examination results, he won't be able to participate in any tennis activities for at least six months. Given the location and severity of both the original injury and this new trauma, I would strongly recommend consultation with an orthopedic specialist in Germany. They have some of the world's leading experts in sports-related hand injuries."
"Six months..." Kawamura's voice trailed off in dismay, while Inui's face fell as the implications sank in.
"Thank you, Doctor. We'll certainly consider your recommendation," Coach Banji interjected, stepping forward to handle the conversation with mature composure.
"Thank you for everything, Coach Banji," Tezuka said quietly, genuine gratitude in his voice. He found it deeply ironic that the person who had accompanied him to the hospital and paid for his treatment wasn't his own coach, but someone he'd only met once before.
"Don't mention it," Banji replied with his characteristic gentle smile. "I simply couldn't stand by and watch a genuine tennis talent fall victim to politics and poor judgment."
"Tezuka!" Multiple voices called out simultaneously as Fuji, Eiji, and Oishi burst through the hospital's entrance, having rushed directly from the school.
"How did Coach Ryuzaki handle the situation with Takei?" Inui asked immediately upon seeing their arrival, hope and dread warring in his expression.
Fuji's response was a slow, bitter shake of his head. In measured tones, he recounted Ryuzaki's inadequate punishment and the three teammates' subsequent resignation from the club.
Upon hearing this final betrayal, Tezuka seemed to deflate completely. He took several unsteady steps backward until he reached a waiting room chair, where he collapsed with his head in his hands. All his efforts to improve Seishun's strength, all his dreams of leading the school to greatness, had resulted in this complete disaster.
Inui and Kawamura were equally devastated by the news. They had joined Seishun's tennis program with such high hopes, watching enviously as other schools promoted first-year talent while they endured a year of being benched despite their obvious abilities. After finally earning their chance to compete, this was the reward for their patience and dedication.
Two days later, shocking news rippled through Seishun: all six second-year members of the tennis club, including vice-captain Kunimitsu Tezuka, had formally withdrawn from the program.
The announcement barely registered in the broader middle school tennis community. After all, Tezuka and his teammates had been essentially invisible for an entire year, never appearing in any official competitions for Seishun. To outside observers, they were just another group of failed prospects who couldn't handle the pressure.
However, a few individuals with deeper knowledge of the tennis world took notice.
"Sanada, have you heard about what happened with Tezuka and the others?" At the courts of defending national champion Rikkaidai University, captain Yukimura Seiichi asked his vice-captain, who was practicing with his usual obsessive intensity.
"I heard," Sanada replied curtly, his disappointment evident despite his controlled tone. "I had hoped Tezuka could eventually lead Seishun into the Kanto tournament, where I could face him in proper competition. I didn't expect him to quit tennis entirely."
The prospect of never having the chance to defeat Tezuka in an official match clearly frustrated Sanada, who had been looking forward to that confrontation for months.
"Perhaps there will be other opportunities, Sanada," Yukimura said with his characteristic knowing smile. "I have a feeling this story isn't over yet."
One week later, the tennis world received another surprise: all six former Seishun players had transferred to Yamabuki Junior High School and joined their tennis program.
On their very first day at the new school, Kunimitsu Tezuka challenged the existing captain to a match—and defeated him decisively using only his uninjured right hand. The demonstration was so overwhelming that he was immediately appointed as Yamabuki's new captain.
The reshuffling of Yamabuki's regular lineup was equally dramatic. The doubles combination of Oishi and Eiji systematically defeated the school's established doubles teams, earning their place in the starting roster through pure merit. Within days, all six transfer students had secured positions in Yamabuki's main lineup.
Coach Banji could hardly believe his good fortune. He had known Tezuka possessed exceptional ability, but discovering that all five of his new teammates were equally talented was beyond his wildest expectations. The former singles ace Sengoku Kiyosumi found himself losing matches to both Tezuka and Fuji, while even Inui and Kawamura—despite some struggles—managed to earn regular positions through determination and unique skills.
What particularly impressed Banji was the Oishi-Eiji doubles combination. Though they initially had difficulty against Yamabuki's established teams, their potential was enormous. With proper coaching, he believed they could eventually match or even surpass Yamabuki's ace doubles team of Minami Kentaro and Higashikata Masami.
Ryuzaki's shortsighted stubbornness had inadvertently created a monster. Yamabuki, already a regular national tournament participant, had suddenly evolved into a team with virtually no weaknesses. Their current lineup represented a perfect balance of power and strategy:
Doubles 2: Shuichiro Oishi, Eiji Kikumaru
Doubles 1: Masami Higashikata, Kentaro Minami
Singles 3: Kiyosumi Sengoku
Singles 2: Shusuke Fuji
Singles 1: Kunimitsu Tezuka
Reserves: Sadaharu Inui, Takashi Kawamura
Of course, this formation remained flexible—Coach Banji's greatest strength had always been tactical deployment, adapting his strategy to counter each opponent's specific weaknesses.
With this new roster, only defending champion Rikkaidai University could claim to match Yamabuki's overall depth and talent.
After finalizing the team structure, Coach Banji approached Tezuka with travel arrangements for Germany, where specialists could examine his injured hand.
"Coach Banji," Tezuka said respectfully, "could you give me one day before we leave?"
"One day?" Banji looked puzzled by the specific request.
"Yes. There's somewhere I need to go first, and afterward..." Tezuka paused, considering his words carefully. "I might not need to go to Germany at all."
"Very well," Banji agreed, though he remained concerned about delaying treatment. "But your hand injury cannot be postponed indefinitely."
"I understand completely."
After securing this agreement with his new coach, Tezuka made his way to a private location where he could access the Gate of All Worlds without observation or interruption.