"Two losses in a row?!"
The defeat of Saeki and his partner immediately caused the young supporters of Rokkaku Middle School to hang their heads in disappointment.
You see, in their hearts, Rokkaku had been an unstoppable force since the regional tournaments, sweeping through every opponent without a single loss. But now, even the mighty Saeki had fallen. They couldn't imagine how Rokkaku could possibly advance from here.
"Don't worry, everyone."
At that moment, a bald boy with an 'M'-shaped hairline—the captain of Rokkaku—stepped forward confidently. "Leave the next match to me!"
"It's Kentarou!"
"Thank goodness, Kentarou's still here!"
"If it's Kentarou, then we've got nothing to worry about!"
The Rokkaku supporters immediately erupted in cheers.
"Such adorable kids," Saeki thought to himself. Despite feeling a bit down after the loss, he still bumped fists with Aoi, who was about to take the court.
"Captain," Saeki said with a teasing grin, "the final match is all on you now."
"Don't worry, I've got this," Aoi Kentarou replied with unwavering confidence.
With that, he grabbed his racket and strode calmly onto the court.
"Next up, the Singles 3 match: Rokkaku Middle School's Aoi Kentarou versus Hyotei Academy's Akutsu Jin. Both players, please prepare."
*Thud!*
As soon as the announcement ended, Akutsu Jin from Hyotei walked onto the court, his face cold and his racket in hand.
"Whoa!"
Akutsu's intimidating presence sent a shiver through the Rokkaku boys. "That Hyotei player looks terrifying!"
"Yeah, compared to him, Kentarou looks so short!"
"Ha! Serves him right for always calling us shorties. He's probably going to get crushed out there."
Contrary to what one might expect, despite being in a desperate situation after losing two matches, the Rokkaku supporters were still joking around and even teasing their own captain. But that was just the Rokkaku way. To them, the joy of playing tennis far outweighed the importance of winning or losing. And while they joked, they had complete faith in their captain.
"Hello, senpai," Aoi said cheerfully at the net, extending his hand to Akutsu. "Looking forward to learning from you in this match."
"Hmph," Akutsu grunted in response. However, when his gaze fell on the elderly coach sitting on the sidelines, he reluctantly shook Aoi's hand.
"Heh," Aoi chuckled. "They say you're the fiercest player at Hyotei, but it seems the rumors aren't true after all."
"Huh?" Akutsu's eyebrow twitched, and he shot Aoi a glare. But since he'd already shaken hands, his tough-guy act was somewhat ruined. His glare didn't faze the Rokkaku captain in the slightest.
"This guy's clueless," Mukahi said, shaking his head as he watched Aoi chat amiably with Akutsu. "Doesn't he know Akutsu might actually throw a punch if he gets mad?"
"He won't," Ishikawa interjected. "Akutsu isn't like that. At least... he wouldn't lay a hand on Kentarou."
Akutsu was indeed prideful and aggressive, but his targets were usually those who were equally arrogant or had ill intentions. Aoi, on the other hand, was pure-hearted and genuine. Akutsu could see that, and he wouldn't cross that line.
"I'm curious," Ootori, whose right hand was bandaged, frowned. "If these Rokkaku players really don't care about winning or losing, how do they get themselves into the right mindset for a match?"
The others nodded in agreement. If they lacked even the basic desire to win, wouldn't they give up at the first sign of difficulty?
"Actually, it's the opposite," Ishikawa said, watching Aoi's smiling face. "This Rokkaku captain has his own secret weapon."
"Oh?" The others turned to him, intrigued.
But Ishikawa didn't elaborate. "Just watch the match. This first-year captain of Rokkaku isn't as simple as he seems."
In the original story, Aoi appeared naive and carefree, lacking the usual authority and demeanor of a captain. However, the manga and anime portrayed him quite differently. Ishikawa was curious to see which version of Aoi existed in this world—a simple, cheerful boy or the skilled and complex character from the manga.
"Match begins, first to six games. Rokkaku's Aoi to serve."
*Tap... tap... tap...*
As the referee's voice echoed, the crowd's attention turned to the court, where Aoi was lightly bouncing the ball.
*Thwack!*
Aoi tossed the ball into the air and swung his racket, sending the ball flying toward Akutsu.
*Boom!*
The ball landed deep in the corner, with a sharp, spinning bounce.
"Impressive," Ootori and Hiyoshi murmured. Even as outsiders, they could tell that Aoi's serve was the result of years of practice. This wasn't the work of an amateur.
*Boom!*
Akutsu, however, returned the shot with lightning speed. Over the past few weeks, if there was anyone at Hyotei who could rival Ishikawa and Shishido in terms of training intensity, it was Akutsu. His loss to Ishikawa still gnawed at him, and being forced to join Hyotei was a blow to his pride. He was determined to get his revenge.
But Ishikawa was a monster. Not only was his tennis skills unmatched, but every time Akutsu even thought about confronting him outside the court, his instincts screamed danger. Akutsu knew that if he tried anything, the outcome would be far worse than his defeat during the regional tournament.
More importantly, Akutsu's pride wouldn't allow him to resort to underhanded tactics. So, he channeled his frustration into training, pushing himself to the limit every day. In just two weeks, his demeanor had changed significantly.
*Bam! Bam! Bam!*
Akutsu launched a relentless assault, using his speed and power to dominate the match. Aoi was forced into a defensive position, struggling to keep up.
*Boom!*
A powerful shot from Akutsu landed right at Aoi's feet, leaving him no time to react.
"0-15!"
"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei!"
Akutsu's point sent the Hyotei supporters into a frenzy.
"Is this what Hyotei's support is like?" Saeki muttered, eyeing the massive crowd of over two hundred people. "Facing this kind of pressure would make anyone nervous."
"True," Tsukimitsu nodded. Hyotei's overwhelming presence was unmatched, even by powerhouse schools like Rikkai.
"But that's Kentarou for you," Kisarazu Akira said with a grin. "He's probably more worried that the pressure isn't intense enough!"
The others chuckled. That was their captain—a guy who thought completely differently from everyone else.
*Tap... tap... tap...*
At the baseline, Aoi continued to bounce the ball, feeling the pressure from Hyotei's side. But instead of being intimidated, a smile spread across his face. "As expected of Hyotei. This pressure is way more intense than anything we've faced before!"
*Thwack!*
With a swift motion, Aoi sent the ball flying again.
*Boom!*
Akutsu chased it down and unleashed another ferocious shot.
*Bam!*
The ball slammed into Aoi's backhand, forcing him to stretch to return it. The sheer power of the shot made Aoi's expression shift.
"This guy's got some serious strength!" Aoi thought, managing to flick the ball back.
"Is that all he's got?" Hiyoshi frowned. "He's not even on the same level as that guy with the extra-long racket, Amane Hikaru."
"True," Mukahi and the others agreed. If it weren't for Ishikawa's earlier comment about Aoi's hidden strength, they would've thought the Rokkaku captain was just average.
*Bam! Bam! Bam!*
Akutsu continued his onslaught, pushing Aoi to the brink.
"Seriously?" Mukahi couldn't hold back anymore. "If this is all it takes to be a captain, then Rokkaku's coach must have some questionable standards."
"Well, not exactly," Oshitari interjected, remembering their coach's earlier warning. "Aoi's skills are solid. He's just being overwhelmed because Akutsu's gotten stronger."
"That's true," Shishido and the others nodded. When Akutsu first joined Hyotei, he had already been a force to reckon with. After weeks of intense training, it was no surprise he was dominating the Rokkaku captain.
"Really?" Ishikawa raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "The real show is just about to start."
*Bam!*
As if on cue, Aoi, who had been pushed to the edge, suddenly made his move.
*Tap!*
His return shot landed perfectly on the net, bouncing unpredictably before rolling to the side. Akutsu, who had been ready to deliver the final blow, was left stunned.
"15-15!"
"Phew..." Aoi wiped the sweat from his brow. "As expected of Hyotei. This pressure is no joke!"
"It's starting," the Rokkaku players grinned. "Kentarou's pressure-absorption style."
This was Aoi Kentarou's tennis—a style that thrived under pressure. The stronger the opponent, the more Aoi absorbed that pressure and used it to fuel his own performance. In the eyes of the Rokkaku team, the more powerful Akutsu became, the greater their chances of winning.
At this moment, their eccentric captain was like a spring compressed to its limit. What was about to unfold was a counterattack unlike anything the opponent had ever seen.
The match was as good as over.
**(End of Chapter)**