*Crack!*
*Crack!*
*Crack!*
The seventh game.
It was Kaidoh's serve, from Seigaku.
Though Kaidoh was drenched in sweat, this level of intensity was nothing to him. After all, his daily training regimen was three times more grueling than most players'.
"Hyotei is strong, no doubt," he thought, gripping the tennis ball tightly. His gaze shifted from Shishido, who was ready to receive the serve, to Oshitari. "But if we stick to Inui-senpai's strategy, we can win this!"
Both Kaidoh and Momoshiro knew how crucial every single victory was, especially against a powerhouse like Hyotei.
Right now, they were giving it their all, fully focused on the match.
*Thwack!*
Kaidoh served the ball.
He and Momoshiro quickly adjusted their positions, their sights set on Oshitari.
Inui's strategy had two layers. If Shishido made a move, they would target him. But if he stayed put, they would go all out against Oshitari.
It was a clever plan—one that even if the opponent saw through it, they couldn't easily counter.
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
On the court, Oshitari found himself under relentless pressure from the Seigaku duo.
Seeing this, the Hyotei team grew tense. Their supporters, sensing the danger, began to lose their enthusiasm. The cheers dwindled, and the atmosphere grew heavy.
"It looks like Seigaku might actually win this," said Saeki, snapping a few photos of Momoshiro and Kaidoh's aggressive plays from the sidelines. "If this keeps up, they might even take down Hyotei entirely!"
"On the surface, it seems that way," a familiar yet unfamiliar voice chimed in. "But a tennis match is never set in stone."
Saeki and Inoue turned to see a man standing behind them, holding an ice cream cart and wearing sunglasses.
"Who...?" Saeki was puzzled, but Inoue recognized him immediately. "Mr. Nanjiro! What are you doing here?"
"Shh!" Nanjiro, disguised as an ice cream vendor, quickly put a finger to his lips.
"Nanjiro the pervert?" Saeki finally caught on, eyeing him suspiciously. "Why are you dressed like that?"
"I'm not Nanjiro," he replied in a deliberately silly accent, then lowered his voice. "Do you two want some ice cream?"
"Uh..." Both Inoue and Saeki sweatdropped.
Inoue quickly recovered, curiosity piqued. "Mr. Nanjiro, are you saying there's still a chance for Hyotei to turn this around?"
"Of course," Nanjiro said, glancing at the court where Oshitari was struggling. "In a real match, there's no such thing as a fixed script or strategy. When faced with a crisis, every player has two possible outcomes."
"One, they break through their limits," he continued.
"And the second?" Saeki pressed.
"Huh?" Nanjiro slid his sunglasses down, giving her a mischievous look before grinning. "They crumble under pressure and lose all will to fight, of course!"
"Ugh!" Saeki crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. "You're just messing with us, aren't you?"
"Am I?" Nanjiro pushed his sunglasses back up, smirking. "I don't think so."
"Wait, so you're saying the turning point lies with Oshitari?" Inoue asked, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the match.
On the court, Oshitari was visibly struggling. His movements were sloppy, and he looked like he was on the verge of collapsing under the pressure.
Shishido glanced anxiously at Ishikawa on the sidelines, but the latter showed no reaction.
"Oshitari!" Shishido called out, taking a deep breath. "Let me handle them. I'll take on both of them myself!"
Oshitari hesitated. While Shishido's offer would ease his burden, he knew that even Shishido couldn't hold off both Kaidoh and Momoshiro alone. At best, it would buy them some time—but it wouldn't solve their current predicament.
The pressure on Oshitari only grew heavier.
Thoughts of giving up crept into his mind. After all, no one would blame him if he stepped down now. Even Shishido might not last much longer in this situation.
And besides, Hyotei was the stronger team overall. Losing this one match wouldn't be the end of the world.
But then, Oshitari's eyes sharpened.
"No," he thought firmly. "I can't give up. Just because Hyotei is stronger overall doesn't mean I can use that as an excuse to quit."
"We're both second-years. Why should I be weaker than them?"
With renewed determination, Oshitari's fighting spirit surged. He remembered Ishikawa's words: "Every situation has two sides. If they're both focusing on me, their formation must have a weakness!"
*Thwack!*
In a sudden move, Oshitari sent a high lob over Kaidoh's head.
"A lob?"
"But it's on Kaidoh's side."
"He can't reach that height. And Momoshiro won't have enough time to get there."
The spectators buzzed with excitement as Oshitari's unexpected play unfolded.
"Fall back!"
"Get to the baseline!"
Both Kaidoh and Momoshiro moved instinctively, only to realize they were both going for the same spot. They paused, hesitating for a split second.
"I've got it!" Kaidoh finally shouted, sprinting toward the baseline. His longer arms just barely managed to return the ball before it bounced twice.
"Now's our chance!" Shishido seized the opportunity, executing a sharp volley into the gap left by Kaidoh's movement.
"40-15!"
The Hyotei supporters erupted in cheers, their earlier frustration melting away.
"The momentum's shifting," Nanjiro observed, stroking his chin. "In a match, 'momentum' is a fickle thing. Hyotei's found their footing. Now, it's time for their counterattack."
"Huh?" Saeki frowned. "But Seigaku still has the advantage. They only need one more point to win this game."
"Maybe," Nanjiro said with a knowing smile. "But the game's far from over."
Nanjiro just smiled.
Shiba was a bit annoyed, but faced with this rogue-like man in front of her, there was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to shift her focus back to the court.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
However, just as Nanjiro had predicted, Kaido, who had been under pressure from Momoshiro and Kikumaru, began to find openings and started actively seeking opportunities to turn the tide.
He used their aggressive attacks against them, adjusting his positioning to limit their offensive range while continuously lobbing high balls toward Kikumaru. Kikumaru, hesitant to smash, and Momoshiro, who wasn't in the right position to do so, found themselves struggling.
The result? Momoshiro criticized Kikumaru for his inability to smash, which infuriated Kikumaru. In a burst of anger, Kikumaru leaped up for a smash, only to be countered by Shishido.
40-30!
From there, Kaido continued to support Shishido, and their coordination grew smoother as they moved past their磨合期 (adjustment period). Just as Nanjiro had said, the momentum shifted, and Hyotei kept scoring, eventually breaking Seigaku's serve game.
"Damn it!" Momoshiro clenched his fist in frustration, slamming it against the bench. What should have been a sure win had been snatched away by their opponents.
"Let's go again," Coach Ryuzaki said, glancing at the two. "Our opponents aren't ordinary. Stay calm and use your strengths to beat them!"
"Yes!" Both nodded firmly. They knew this wasn't the time to argue.
When they returned to the court, Momoshiro and Kikumaru were fully focused, their eyes burning with determination. They were ready to settle this match once and for all.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
But just then, Shishido, preparing to serve on Hyotei's side, rolled down his socks and removed two weighted ankle braces.
"What?!" The Seigaku team was stunned.
"Was he really playing with those on the whole time?" Horio blurted out.
Inui's expression darkened. He glanced at Ishikawa, recalling how Shishido had occasionally looked toward him during the match. Had he been waiting for permission to remove the weights? But Ishikawa hadn't given any signal, so Shishido had been forced to keep them on, unable to fully support Kaido.
"But why would he do that?" Inui couldn't understand. Intentionally limiting a player's performance seemed pointless—it only gave the opponent an advantage.
"Wait a minute!" Suddenly, Inui's eyes locked onto Kaido. Compared to earlier, the boy seemed completely transformed, radiating confidence.
"So that's it!" Realizing their strategy, Inui took a deep breath and looked at Ishikawa with a mix of awe and frustration. "Using the pressure of a real match to push a player to break through their limits... That's just..."
*Thud!*
On the court, Shishido served the ball. After a few exchanges to adjust to his now unweighted body, he deliberately lobbed a high ball toward Momoshiro.
Seeing the opportunity, Momoshiro didn't hesitate. He leaped into the air and smashed the ball down with full force.
*Bang!*
But Shishido didn't back down. Instead, he stepped forward, timing his swing perfectly to intercept Momoshiro's Dunk Smash with a half-volley, completely neutralizing the attack.
"15-0!"
"What?!" The Seigaku team was shocked. That was Momoshiro's signature move, the Dunk Smash, which had even improved during their match against St. Rudolph. And yet, it had been countered so easily.
But it didn't end there. Shishido then began provoking Kikumaru. When Kikumaru attempted his Snake Shot, Shishido intercepted it and countered with a sharp curveball, breaking through Seigaku's defense.
"30-0!"
"Even Kikumaru's Snake Shot was countered?!" Horio and the others were in disbelief.
"It's not that simple, is it?" Inui muttered, his gaze shifting to Ishikawa. He knew that Shishido's ability to counter Momoshiro's Dunk Smash and Kikumaru's Snake Shot wasn't a coincidence. Ishikawa must have analyzed their techniques and taught Shishido how to break them.
In other words, Hyotei had the ability to counter Seigaku from the very beginning. But Ishikawa had been holding Shishido back to pressure Kaido into breaking through his limits.
Now, with everything in place, Hyotei's duo began their full assault. Like a cascade of dominoes, Momoshiro and Kikumaru couldn't keep up.
The momentum shifted completely. With their confidence soaring, Hyotei quickly caught up and then broke Momoshiro's serve game.
Finally, Kaido ended the match with four consecutive powerful serves, sealing their victory.
*Bang!*
As the ball shot past Momoshiro like a cannonball, the referee's voice rang out.
"Game over. Hyotei's Shishido and Kaido win, 6-4!"
---
(End of chapter)