Noon, Lunch Break
Today was the day for freshmen to join clubs. Since club participation counted toward their overall grades, joining a club was a big deal at school.
As soon as class ended, Yoru dragged QP to Class 1-6.
His target? Kikumaru Eiji.
According to the original story, Eiji hadn't joined the tennis club right away—it happened much later. To speed things up and pair him with Oishi early, Yoru decided to cut off any thoughts Eiji might have about joining another club.
Luckily, the classrooms weren't far.
By the time Yoru reached Class 6, some students were still lingering, eating their lunches and discussing which clubs to join.
In Japan, people weren't too particular about food temperature, so bento boxes were often eaten cold. Even in winter, they remained a popular choice.
"That's—!"
"Isn't that Yoru-senpai? The captain of Seigaku's tennis team!"
"He's even more handsome than in Tennis Weekly! How can someone be this good-looking?"
Yoru's arrival caused a stir in Class 6. The girls' eyes sparkled with admiration—at this age, romance was on many of their minds, especially when it came to handsome upperclassmen.
Yoru approached one of the girls with a smile. "Excuse me, could you call those two over—the one with red hair and the one with light brown hair?"
"Eh? Yoru-senpai is talking to me~?"
"Yes, please."
"Okay~!"
The girl, practically floating on air, skipped into the classroom and fetched Fuji and Eiji.
The two exchanged puzzled glances but stepped out respectfully.
Fuji spoke softly, "Hello, Yoru-senpai. Did you need something?"
Beside him, Eiji fidgeted nervously. "U-um, hello, Yoru-senpai..."
Given Japan's reputation for school bullying, their caution was understandable.
[Name]: Fuji Syusuke
[Age]: 11
[Skills]: Base Stats (Lv. 4), Tennis Fundamentals (Lv. 4), Twist Spin (Lv. 5), Bear Hunt (Lv. 5)
[Talent]: Genius Insight
[Power Level]: 5 stars
[Genius Insight]: Possesses a unique understanding of tennis techniques, allowing skills to surpass their base level. Effectiveness increases by a percentage based on competitive mindset.
Base stats only at Lv. 4?
Yoru frowned.
According to the original data, Fuji's talent was supposed to surpass even Tezuka's—but his lack of seriousness held him back. The stats confirmed it.
In Yoru's estimation, Fuji should've had at least Lv. 5 base stats and a 6-star power level at this age.
Such wasted potential. Well, no matter. Once he's in the club, we'll fix that.
As for Eiji? A measly 3-star rookie. But that could be trained.
Yoru smiled. "Welcome to Seigaku. Interested in joining the tennis club?"
"Huh?"
The two blinked in surprise.
Out of all possibilities, they hadn't expected this.
Why would the captain personally invite them? And why Eiji, who hadn't even brought a racket?
QP, ever observant, cut in flatly: "The captain has an eye for talent. You two have potential."
"An eye for talent?"
"Really?! Yoru-senpai thinks I'm good at tennis?!"
Eiji bounced excitedly, latching onto Fuji. "Fuji, let's join together! We've got talent!"
Fuji chuckled. "Sure."
"Club sign-ups are at the tennis courts this afternoon. We'll be waiting."
"Got it!"
After parting ways, Yoru and QP headed to the cafeteria.
Japanese schools did have cafeterias, but the prices were steep—hence the popularity of homemade bento.
Originally, Rinko had prepared lunches for them, but Yoru couldn't stand cold meals, so they stopped. QP, ever the loyal food partner, followed his lead.
Money wasn't an issue for Yoru anyway.
---
Afternoon, Club Recruitment
The tennis club's sign-up table was swarmed.
As last year's national champions, Seigaku drew crowds. By the time Oishi set up the registration desk, the line already stretched into the hundreds.
"S-seriously?!"
Oishi gulped. Thankfully, he'd brought two senior members to help.
Meanwhile, Tezuka didn't bother with the line—Yoru had him fill out the form early.
As for the captain himself?
He was in the coach's office.
A few minutes earlier, a club member had rushed over, announcing the new coach's arrival.
Curious, Yoru knocked.
A slightly awkward voice called out: "Come in!"
The moment he stepped inside, Yoru froze.
Sitting in the coach's chair was a stunning woman—one he recognized instantly.
"Wait… Hannah Einsenhauer?!"
The only female pro player featured in Prince of Tennis.
In the original story, she'd faced Ryoma in a street match during the German rehab arc, losing 7-5. That loss had reignited her pro career.
But in terms of skill?
She was barely a gatekeeper in the pro scene, with a modest 10-star rating. No wonder Ryoma had beaten her.
"You must be Joana's son. I'm Hannah Einsenhauer—Seigaku's new coach."
Her first sentence made Yoru's brow twitch.
After a polite handshake, he asked, "Joana sent you?"
"Hired, technically. Double pay, easy job~" Hannah grinned. "I already spoke with your old coach, Ryuzaki Sumire."
"I see."
Yoru didn't mind.
Even if Hannah wasn't top-tier, her pro experience made her infinitely more useful than Ryuzaki.
"Welcome, Coach Hannah. Looking forward to working with you."