Seishun Academy!
Yamato, in a rare move, gathered everyone on the tennis court, his face unusually serious as he looked at the team.
Coach Ryuzaki pushed open the iron gate and stepped onto the court. She glanced at the group and said, "Alright, everyone, gather up!"
At her words, the players stopped what they were doing and huddled together, their eyes fixed on the coach.
"The teams for the city tournament have been finalized!"
"Every school has fought their way through regional qualifiers, so they're all tough opponents. That includes last year's city tournament champion, Hyotei Academy."
Coach Ryuzaki wrote the team names on a blackboard, pointing to Hyotei Academy at the top.
"Just a moment ago, Hyotei invited us for a practice match. They had this smug, arrogant attitude, acting like we're the ones begging to play them."
Coach Ryuzaki's face flushed red, her eyes practically bulging with frustration. That high-and-mighty attitude wasn't just directed at her—Yamato, the team captain, was there too.
He was the one who took the call, and the condescending tone on the other end made it sound like playing a practice match with Hyotei was some grand favor. Worst of all, Yamato could tell the voice belonged to a first-year student. If he wasn't mistaken, it was likely Keigo Atobe, the heir to the Atobe Group and Hyotei's second-in-command.
"Those jerks, looking down on Seishun like that!"
"Last year, Hyotei knocked us out of the city tournament. Their captain was insanely strong—not even human."
"And Yamato's arm got wrecked in that match. Now they've got the nerve to challenge us to a practice match? They're totally underestimating us!"
The regular team members in the front row started muttering among themselves.
Their faces were filled with anger and frustration. If it hadn't been for Hyotei, Seishun might've made it to the Kanto tournament last year. But in the quarterfinals, Hyotei crushed them 3-0, shattering their dreams of advancing.
"What's the point of playing a team like that?"
Takeuchi was the first to speak up from the crowd, his voice tinged with fear. He'd been at that match last year, and Hyotei's overwhelming strength left a suffocating impression he'd never forget.
"Yeah, exactly!" others chimed in.
The second- and third-year seniors had all lived through the era dominated by Yukimura Seiichi, the top player in Kanto. If Hyotei's other players hadn't been so weak, they would've taken the Kanto tournament title that year.
"The seniors seem really scared of this Hyotei school. Are they really that strong?"
Among the crowd, the first-years were whispering. Kikumaru was the first to speak up.
He didn't get it—why be afraid of Hyotei Academy? Weren't they just another top tennis school?
Inui glanced at the puzzled Kikumaru and said, "Hyotei has always been a regular at the Kanto and national tournaments. They're consistently among the top teams in Tokyo."
"Especially last year, they eliminated Yamato's Seishun team in the city tournament. Their captain at the time, Yukimura Seiichi, was a national-level elite."
Hearing Inui's explanation, the others started to catch on.
No wonder the seniors looked so grim—they'd been completely crushed last year.
"But Hyotei's different this year," Inui continued, his voice low as everyone's attention turned to him. "I mentioned before that Hyotei underwent a major shake-up. Their new captain is a first-year named Kunimitsu Tezuka, and the vice-captain is also a first-year—Keigo Atobe, the heir to the Atobe Group."
"Those two are incredibly strong. Atobe swept through the entire Hyotei tennis club on his first day, dominating all the second- and third-year regulars."
"What?! A first-year beating second- and third-year seniors?" Kikumaru stared at Inui in disbelief.
"If that's the case, why is Tezuka the captain and not this Atobe guy?" Oishi asked, catching a key detail.
Inui took a deep breath. "Because… Tezuka completely overpowered Atobe with absolute strength."
"To be precise, he beat him 6-3. But based on the video footage I analyzed…"
"It wasn't just 6-3. It was likely a 6-0 thrashing!"
"A thrashing?!"
Oishi, Kawamura, and Kikumaru were stunned by Inui's words.
A player who could sweep Hyotei's tennis club was crushed by someone else with absolute dominance. Was this Tezuka guy really a first-year like them?!
"So… our chances of winning this practice match against Hyotei are pretty much zero," Inui said gravely.
In fact, he was being generous. As far as he could see, Seishun had no chance of winning, whether it was in skill or attitude. The seniors on the team just didn't measure up.
Nearby, a quiet, handsome boy's eyes flickered slightly. He seemed to take a sudden interest in this practice match.
Even if the team was reluctant, Hyotei's influence and their proactive invitation left Seishun with no real choice but to accept.
Despite the objections, Coach Ryuzaki and Yamato decided they'd play this practice match against Hyotei.
The team took the subway and bus, soon arriving at the gates of Hyotei Academy.
Staring at the grand, imposing campus, the players felt an unspoken tension.
As they entered the tennis club, Coach Sakaki Taro was already waiting.
To be honest, Sakaki had initially opposed the idea of a practice match with Seishun. In his view, they weren't worth studying. Even without Yukimura playing last year, Seishun was no match for Hyotei.
"Welcome," Sakaki said, stepping forward with a calm tone.
Meanwhile, Hyotei's and Seishun's regulars stood on the court.
Yamato's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the lineup of first-years in front of him. He'd heard rumors, but he hadn't expected Hyotei to actually field first-years as their regulars.
"Let's have a good match," Tezuka said coolly, looking at the Seishun captain with his white headband and round sunglasses.
"Let's have a good match," Yamato replied, but for some reason, the moment he met Tezuka's gaze, he felt an underlying threat.
It was the same kind of aura he'd felt facing Yukimura last year.
How could this be? He's just a first-year!
"Seishun!" Atobe raised an eyebrow, eyeing the Seishun regulars. "The school where the legendary samurai Nanjiro trained? Doesn't look like much!"
"What did you just say, punk?!" Takeuchi snapped, glaring as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Hm?"
"Careful, senior. This is Hyotei, not Seishun," Ninzu, standing next to Atobe, said coolly.
Outside the court, over two hundred Hyotei team members stood up in unison, staring at Takeuchi with cold eyes.
If he made a move, he'd be facing the wrath of Hyotei's entire team.
Sure, he was a guest, but this was Hyotei's turf. Atobe was the vice-captain, and in recent weeks, he'd proven his strength and earned everyone's respect.
Sure, respecting seniors was a tradition in Japanese schools. But respecting the strong? That was just as much a tradition, if not more so.
Arrogance required backing, and Atobe had exactly that.
"Takeuchi, cool it!" Yamato barked, frowning.
Inwardly, he cursed Takeuchi's recklessness. Acting all high and mighty during a practice match at another school? If he had the skills to back it up, fine—but he was weak as hell!
Support me by leaving a comment, voting, and visiting myPatr-eon at belamy20
Check out another story about Hogwarts in my profile original works