Chapter 32: The Internal Selection Tournament Begins

Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Chugaku.

The midterm exams have finally ended.

The students, who had been carrying a heavy burden, can finally catch their breath.

But this does not include the members of the Tennis Club.

After the midterm exams, the Tennis Club must also hold an Internal Selection Tournament.

The winners will become Regular Members and participate in the Regional Tournament for the Kanagawa area.

This is to prepare for the National Tournament.

At Rikkai, strength surpasses everything.

Weak strength is the original sin!

Therefore, even if a member participated in the National Tournament last year, once they are defeated in this selection tournament, they will lose their qualification to compete.

At the same time, this also gives other members a chance.

As long as you train hard and defeat the existing Regular Members, you can take their place and represent the Tennis Club in matches, even if you are a first-year or second-year student.

The Three Giants of that year were only able to represent the school in their first year because their strength was formidable.

And Yukimura Seiichi, as a first-year student, firmly secured the position of Captain of the Rikkaidai Tennis Club.

For three whole years!

Relying solely on his extraordinary strength!

Regardless of grade, regardless of the past, only strength is valued.

It is precisely because the Rikkaidai Tennis Club implements such a system that it can ensure the excellence of the members who compete every year, while also providing pressure and motivation to all club members.

Ensuring there are no imposters or those just drifting along.

It has been executed this way in previous years, and the entire Tennis Club has presented a thriving trend of being positive, upward-looking, and constantly breaking through one's own limits.

But this year, there is an exception among the first-year freshmen.

That is Takahashi Yanichi.

Takahashi, one has to admit, has strength.

But compared to his strength, his arrogance is even greater.

In one month's time, he actually managed to not come to training for a single day!

This made the Vice Captain, Sanada, angry to the point of death!

Although there was an agreement between the two of them.

But Sanada felt that, as a freshman, even if he had his own training methods, he should still have a little respect for the traditions of the Tennis Club and his seniors!

He could have at least come for a few days, put on a show, and trained properly for a few days!

Yet he never expected that Takahashi would really do it—not train for a single day!

Although he did come a few days in between.

But he brought drinks and manga.

It didn't look like he came to train.

It looked more like he came for a vacation!

Not only did he make Sanada angry to the point of death.

The other members of the Tennis Club also had more or less some resentment.

The Rikkaidai Tennis Club, which has always been known for being strict and rigorous, actually produced such a slacker of a member.

As Vice Captain, Sanada felt this was his disgrace.

It was only thanks to his good management in the past that the members, even if they were angry, dared not speak out and kept it all inside.

Otherwise, the entire Tennis Club would have been in chaos!

And today is also the day Sanada and Takahashi agreed to have their match.

Sanada's anger level, after this month, has risen to the maximum.

Other members would walk around him when they saw him.

Just for fear of drawing Fire upon themselves.

To be honest, if it weren't for valuing Takahashi's potential.

Sanada would have long ago told Takahashi to get lost back to wherever he came from.

Having strength and potential is the reason why Sanada can tolerate Takahashi.

But this tolerance also has a limit.

What Takahashi did completely and utterly exceeded this limit.

Fortunately!

Today, all of this will finally have a result!

……

3:30 PM.

Inside the Court.

Everyone has already arrived.

Each and every one of them is rubbing their hands, preparing for the upcoming selection tournament.

The entire Court is filled with an atmosphere of passion and hard work.

Only Takahashi is out of place.

He stands there loosely.

He does not understand why everyone is acting as if they have been injected with adrenaline.

The way the others looked at Takahashi was also very complicated.

Takahashi had previously defeated Kirihara.

Kirihara's strength was obvious to everyone in the entire Tennis Club.

Even if they wanted to challenge for a regular position, they would not choose Kirihara.

Therefore, Takahashi, who was able to defeat Kirihara,

could almost certainly be confirmed for a regular position.

What Takahashi had done with ease,

they would have to work themselves to death for, training desperately, and still might not successfully obtain.

Moreover, for this past month, Takahashi had not come to training for a single day.

Vice Captain Sanada had not yet caused him any trouble.

This showed that his strength was indeed superb.

Regarding Takahashi's strength, the crowd dared not have any objections.

Regarding Takahashi obtaining a regular position, the crowd also dared not have any objections.

But regarding his casual and lax behavior, the crowd was extremely dissatisfied.

Especially the posture he was standing in now, lazy and loose, as if he did not take today's selection tournament seriously at all.

Yet, today's selection tournament was the goal they had struggled hard for for a month.

This behavior of Takahashi's was too disrespectful to their hard work, too disrespectful to their efforts!

This made the crowd's gaze toward him

full of jealousy!

full of hatred!

Following the announcement by Captain Yukimura,

the matches had already begun on each court.

Takahashi also found Sanada.

He was prepared to fulfill their previous agreement.

Sanada wore a black hat, and from beneath the hat came a daunting gaze.

"This court, wait for one more match!" Sanada said.

"Mm!"

Takahashi responded.

This match was originally Marui Bunta challenging Sanada.

As Vice Captain, although Sanada possessed great strength,

he could not withstand others challenging him constantly.

With nothing to do, Takahashi stood to the side and began to watch the two play.

The first game was a Serve by Marui Bunta.

While tossing the tennis ball upward, Marui blew a green bubble with his mouth.

Takahashi smiled when he saw this scene.

How interesting!

"Bang!"

Sanada moved quickly to the tennis ball's landing point and successfully returned it.

"Bang!"

After rallying back and forth for several balls,

Marui suddenly came to the net and released a Short Ball.

The tennis ball rolled along the top of the net, then fell.

"15-0!"

"Marui scores!"

Takahashi, watching from the side, gradually began to focus his spirit.

This was Marui's signature move, "Tightrope Walking."

A very flashy, very brilliant technique.

It tested a player's ball control immensely.

However, this ball was not difficult to return.

Finding the right position and waiting for the right timing,

returning it was not difficult.

Yet Sanada had lost the point.

Takahashi raised an eyebrow, very puzzled; this was not the level Sanada should have.

Suddenly, he saw that Sanada was wearing a wrist weight.

Looking with the naked eye, one could tell the weight was not light.

Hiding his strength?

Or is he still looking down on these challengers?

This is getting interesting!

"Marui, your ball control has improved!"

Although Sanada had lost the point, his expression did not change in the slightest, and he even had the mood to praise Marui.

Just as Takahashi had expected, Sanada did not take the strength of these challengers seriously.

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

"15-15!"

"Point for Sanada!"

Marui used Tightrope Walking again.

However, this time, Sanada quickly arrived at the net, waited for the moment the tennis ball dropped, hit the ball lightly, and successfully scored.

Marui popped the bubble in his mouth and said, "The Vice Captain is truly impressive; your timing is so precise. To think you could return it on the second ball—you're really not giving me any face!"

"Marui, don't get lax!" Sanada replied, assuming his hitting stance.

……

"Bang!"

……