After leaving the main hall, Echizen Nanjirou spotted Ryoma showing off his tennis racket at the corner, while Yoru wore a faint smile.
Interesting.
Nanjirou raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't seen Yoru smile these past few days. Whether it was because of Ryoma or the racket, this was a good start.
Nanjirou walked over and sat beside them, grinning. "Yoru, chatting with Ryoma?" he asked in fluent Foreign language—likely influenced by Yoru's father.
Yoru replied calmly, "Uncle, you can speak Japanese."
Nanjirou blinked, stunned. "Kid, you know Japanese?!"
For the past two days, they'd only communicated .
Yoru nodded. "My father taught me."
Not really. In his past life, Yoru had studied Japanese for work.
Nanjirou sighed. "What a thoughtful kid."
"Yoru, how about learning tennis with Ryoma? It's fun!"
After a pause, Yoru agreed. "Alright."
In the Prince of Tennis world, not playing tennis felt like slacking off. Fate had brought him here—it was inevitable.
Though he'd never played before, having the series' strongest player as his coach would speed things up.
Nanjirou grinned. "Great! Ryoma, lend Yoru one of your rackets. I'll teach him the basics so you two can play together later!"
Ryoma's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
Without waiting for an answer, he dashed to his room and returned with another racket, eagerly handing it to Yoru.
Nanjirou then pulled two tennis balls from his pocket. "Come on, Yoru, follow me."
"..."
Yoru suddenly felt very conflicted about tennis.
The trio headed to the makeshift court in the yard. Despite its simplicity, the markings and net were surprisingly professional—something Yoru, a former office worker, could appreciate.
Nanjirou pointed to the baseline. "Yoru, stand there and try to return the ball I throw."
Throw?
Yoru frowned but obeyed, eyes locked on the ball.
Nanjirou tossed it gently.
Though slow, Yoru lunged forward—only to misjudge his swing. The racket's frame clipped the ball, sending it soaring into a tree.
Clang.
Yoru grimaced. "Still no athletic talent, huh?"
Had his past life's clumsiness followed him here?
Just as frustration set in—
[Ding...]
A robotic voice echoed in his mind:
[Detected eligible protagonist. Multiplicative Feedback System activated.]
Yoru's eyes sharpened.
A system. The ultimate cheat for transmigrators.
He mentally asked, What's your function?
[Stay within 5 meters of a protagonist for 10+ minutes to trigger Multiplicative Feedback.]
[Detected protagonist: Echizen Ryoma. Bind?]
"Why not bind Nanjirou?"
[Echizen Nanjirou is a final boss. Binding unavailable.]
[Bind Echizen Ryoma?]
"Fine. Bind him."
[Binding successful!]
[Feedback initiated!]
[Basic Tennis Lv.1 → Lv.3!]
[Basic Stats Lv.1 → Lv.3!]
This is insane.
Yoru's pupils dilated as knowledge and physical upgrades flooded his body. His gaze toward Ryoma turned hungry.
"Little Ryoma, my future dominance depends on you."
This system was brutally efficient—no tedious missions, gacha, or check-ins.
Ryoma was the protagonist, packed with plot armor. In the original story, he'd even defeated Echizen Ryoga, the second-strongest antagonist. Though Yoru hadn't seen Ryoma surpass Nanjirou in his past life, it was inevitable.
Nanjirou's voice snapped him back: "Don't feel bad. Ryoma whiffed his first swing entirely. Hitting the ball at all is impressive."
He mistook Yoru's daze for disappointment.
"Yes."
Yoru reset his stance—now exuding a completely different aura.
Nanjirou's eyes gleamed. "Interesting."
Whish!
Another throw.
This time, Yoru instinctively gauged the ball's weight, spin, and trajectory.
So this is 'ball sense.'
As the ball bounced, he adjusted his unpolished form and swung—
Thwack!
A clean return, straight over the net.
Nanjirou's jaw dropped.
For a beginner, this was impossible. Most novices either sky the ball or miss entirely. Proper form requires precise racket angles—something Yoru shouldn't know.
Yet here he was, correcting himself mid-play.
By the fifth throw, Yoru's returns were fluid.
His improvement was visible in real-time.
Nanjirou's mind reeled.
"Rin… your son is a monster."