Chapter 9: Atobe's Curiosity

*Thwack! Thwack!*

In the court farthest from the entrance of the tennis club, a match was underway.

One of the players was none other than Hyōtei's regular, Shishido Ryō, who had previously defeated Ōshitari Chōtarō. However, unlike his earlier confident demeanor, Shishido was now being forced into a frantic back-and-forth sprint, much like Shōhara Saburō had been.

The person who could push a Hyōtei regular to such a state was none other than—

*Bang!*

With a sharp cross-court drive, the ball landed just inside the baseline, and the umpire, Mukahi Gakuto, announced, "Game over! Atobe wins, 6-0!"

"Shishido," said the handsome boy with ash-gray hair and a teardrop-shaped mark under his eye, his voice calm but commanding. "You've been slacking off lately. Only fifteen minutes, and you're already out of breath. Disappointing."

"A-Atobe..." Shishido panted, sweat dripping down his face and stinging his eyes. Normally, he would have fired back with a sharp retort, but this was Atobe Keigo—the king of Hyōtei, who had just dominated him for the entire match.

In fifteen minutes, Shishido hadn't managed to score a single point. What's more, he suspected Atobe hadn't even been using his full strength.

Facing the man who ruled over Hyōtei's 200-member tennis club, Shishido couldn't muster even a hint of defiance. On a normal day, he might have bantered or complained, but after a crushing 0-6 defeat, he had no room to argue.

"Heh," Mukahi chuckled from the umpire's chair, unable to hide his amusement. "This guy was just lecturing Chōtarō, and now he's getting a taste of his own medicine."

"Shishido-senpai..." Ōshitari Chōtarō, one of the spectators, sighed softly. But he wasn't surprised, nor did he doubt Shishido's abilities.

After all, Shishido's opponent was Atobe—Hyōtei's undisputed top player, a talent who stood head and shoulders above the rest. Even on a national level, Atobe's skills placed him among the elite. Only a handful of players could rival him.

"Everyone, disperse," Atobe said indifferently after his victory. The Hyōtei members surrounding the court obeyed like soldiers following their king's command, quickly scattering.

Soon after, a tall, square-faced boy with a buzz cut and a gentle expression approached, holding Atobe's jacket.

"Not satisfied with the match?" Ōshitari Yūshi walked over, smiling as he asked the question. Among Hyōtei's members, only he and the coach, Sakaki Tarō, could speak to Atobe so casually.

"More or less," Atobe replied, glancing at Shishido, who was still catching his breath on the ground. "Shishido's level has dropped. He probably hasn't been training seriously this past month."

"Seems like it," Ōshitari agreed, recalling Shishido's cocky attitude during his match with Chōtarō. "He probably lacks motivation without any real pressure or goals."

"Perhaps," Atobe said with a cold smile. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "How's the recruitment going this year?"

"Average," Ōshitari replied, shaking his head. "As expected, your reputation attracted a lot of applicants, but so far, no standout talents have emerged."

"I see," Atobe nodded, though his expression betrayed a hint of dissatisfaction.

However, Ōshitari added, "But..."

"But what?" Atobe pressed, before quickly regaining his composure. "Just say it. Don't keep me waiting."

"Alright, alright," Ōshitari said with a knowing smile. "Earlier, at Court 3, I watched an unusual practice match."

"A practice match?" Atobe frowned.

Matches involving non-regulars were usually beneath his notice. To him, they were a waste of time. But this was Ōshitari—one of the few people at Hyōtei he respected, alongside Kabaji. Atobe knew Ōshitari wouldn't bring up something trivial.

With that in mind, a faint smile appeared on Atobe's otherwise cold face. "Go on. What kind of match could hold the attention of Hyōtei's genius for over ten minutes?"

"An interesting one," Ōshitari continued. "One of the players was a third-year named Shōhara Saburō."

"Shōhara?" Atobe frowned again.

It wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize the name. With over 200 members in Hyōtei's tennis club, even as the captain, Atobe couldn't possibly remember everyone. Shōhara Saburō, who hadn't even made it to the reserve team, was someone Atobe would never have heard of.

And that made him even more curious.

No matter how you looked at it, the match Ōshitari had watched should have been just an ordinary practice game.

"Wait," Atobe said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me Shōhara's opponent was a first-year?"

"Bingo!" Ōshitari grinned. "You got it. It was a match between a first-year and a third-year."

"Interesting," Atobe said, a smile tugging at his lips.

He was reminded of himself two years ago, when he had just transferred from England to Japan. Back then, he had challenged Hyōtei's regulars, including the captain, and swept through the entire club. The second and third-year members had been too intimidated to even speak up, with only Ōshitari, Mukahi, and Shishido daring to face him. And among them, only Ōshitari had managed to score a point.

"Wait," Atobe frowned again. "You said this year's newcomers aren't particularly talented. Does that mean... the first-year lost?"

If that were the case, it would be utterly unremarkable. Atobe admired boldness, but he had no patience for those who lacked the skill to back it up.

"No, he won," Ōshitari said, his smile widening as he watched Atobe's reaction.

"He won?" Atobe's interest was piqued.

This was no ordinary newcomer. A first-year who could defeat a third-year had potential, at the very least on par with Ōshitari Chōtarō.

"I was the umpire for that match," Ōshitari said, clearly enjoying the suspense. "That kid won 6-0 against Shōhara Saburō. And... it was a shutout."

"What?" Atobe's eyes widened.

Even with his usual composure, Atobe couldn't hide his surprise.

A shutout!

As Hyōtei's captain and one of the nation's top players, Atobe knew better than anyone what that meant. Even the reserve team's representatives wouldn't dare claim they could shut out a third-year member in a practice match.

And yet, this newcomer had done just that.

At that moment, Atobe felt a strong curiosity about the first-year Ōshitari had mentioned.

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*(End of Chapter)*