*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
On the court.
As Shishido continuously hit the tennis ball, his gaze flicked to the scoreboard at the edge of the court—**[15-0]**—and he began to ponder.
"My intuition was right. Against him, the match will be decided in the first few shots. So..."
*Whoosh!*
His thoughts raced.
Shishido tossed the ball into the air once more.
*Bang!*
The ball was struck with immense force.
This shot was incredibly fast. Since it was his second serve, he aimed it toward his opponent's backhand, making it even more challenging to return.
*Tap! Tap!!*
Before the ball even landed, Shishido had already sprinted forward, positioning himself near the center of the court.
The previous point had confirmed his strategy, and now he moved with even greater speed and decisiveness.
*Bang!*
At that moment.
Ishikawa swung his racket again.
However, his return landed in the same spot as before, though this time it was slightly closer to Shishido.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Shishido sneered inwardly. "Save it. That trick won't work on me."
*Bang!*
Immediately after.
He slowed his pace slightly, raised his racket, and as the ball approached, he unleashed a powerful drive.
The ball landed just inside the sideline, scoring another point.
"30-0!"
"Whoa!"
"He's so strong!"
"Is this the level of a regular team member?"
"Yeah, the last point didn't even take 30 seconds, did it?"
The crowd was in awe of Shishido's skill.
Meanwhile, the regular team members frowned.
Mukahi, puzzled, asked, "What's going on with Ishikawa?"
"Yeah," Takaki added, equally confused. "Is he stuck in a loop? Hitting the same spot twice in a row is practically giving away points."
If they hadn't witnessed Ishikawa's previous victories, they might have thought he was a complete novice.
Of course.
In reality, Ishikawa hadn't been playing tennis much longer than a beginner.
"This isn't a smart move," Oshitari shook his head. "Even if he's testing Shishido, this isn't the way to do it. Going head-to-head like this is inefficient. Shishido isn't someone you can figure out in just two shots."
He understood Ishikawa's intent—to gather data on Shishido. But this method was far too slow.
By the time he gathered useful information, the match would already be over.
*Bang!*
Soon.
Shishido served again and immediately took off.
Winning two points in a row proved his strategy was working. Meanwhile, Ishikawa seemed determined to stick to his approach, once again hitting the ball toward Shishido's right front.
Shishido smirked inwardly, slowed his pace, and delivered another powerful drive, scoring yet again.
"40-0!"
Three points in a row.
Shishido made it look effortless.
Ishikawa's performance, on the other hand, was disappointing. Especially for those who had heard of his reputation and came specifically to watch him play. They shook their heads in disappointment.
"Is this the so-called top rookie of the tennis club?"
"Are you kidding? I could do better than that!"
"Yeah, I could lose even faster than him!"
The murmurs spread through the crowd.
But Ishikawa's expression remained unchanged.
From start to finish, he tuned out the noise. In his mind, he was meticulously marking the positions of each shot and replaying Shishido's movements frame by frame.
*Bang!*
At that moment.
Shishido served again.
His speed hadn't changed. His attacks were still as decisive as ever, charging toward the net like a predator.
Shishido knew.
Even if he won this service game, it didn't mean he had the upper hand.
After all.
Ishikawa's serve was on par with Ootori's cannonball serve. While Ishikawa could afford to be reckless, Shishido couldn't.
He had to cherish every point, conserve his energy, and seize the opportunity to win when it came!
*Bang!*
And then.
Ishikawa returned the shot again.
The speed, angle, and direction seemed no different from the previous three shots.
Seeing this.
The spectators shook their heads.
Some even scoffed, believing Ishikawa's reputation as the top rookie at Hyotei was completely undeserved.
Even members of the tennis club felt something was off. His performance today was a far cry from what they had seen yesterday.
Anyone with half a brain would know to change tactics after repeated failures. Yet Ishikawa seemed determined to keep pushing the same strategy, as if he wouldn't stop until he broke through.
"I told you," Shishido said, his face showing impatience as the ball flew toward him. "This trick won't work on me—huh?!"
*Bang!*
The next second.
The ball landed.
But.
Contrary to expectations, Shishido didn't deliver a quick counter. Instead, the ball bounced and zipped past him at an incredible speed.
And Shishido.
Froze as if under a spell.
"40-15!"
"What?!"
Hearing the referee's call, the crowd was stunned.
Not just them.
Even Shishido himself stood frozen, staring down at his feet in disbelief.
"I... I couldn't move?"
Just moments ago, Shishido had seen the ball land and prepared to swing. But when he tried to move, he was horrified to find his body wouldn't obey.
Taking a deep breath, Shishido glared at Ishikawa. "Were those three shots just a setup for this?"
"What... what just happened?" Mukahi and Ootori asked, utterly confused.
"Hmm," Oshitari pondered before speaking. "If I had to guess, Ishikawa's three shots were likely meant to test Shishido's blind spots when approaching the net."
Blind spots?
Three shots?
The others were baffled.
"No way," Mukahi muttered, his voice trembling slightly. "That's... a bit of a stretch."
A bit? Takaki and Ootori nearly spoke up in disbelief.
"Oshitari's right," Atobe interjected. He glanced at Ishikawa, who remained calm on the court, and said, "As exaggerated as it sounds, that's exactly what happened. I'd wager he's already gathered most of Shishido's data."
His words sent shockwaves through the group.
Only three shots?
And barely two minutes had passed. Had he really figured Shishido out that quickly?
But this was Atobe, their captain. They had no choice but to suppress their doubts and keep watching.
However.
The rest of the match only confirmed Atobe's words.
To hold onto his service game, Shishido chose not to rush the net but to play steadily, hoping to secure one more point and win the game.
But.
Ishikawa didn't give him that chance. Every return was aimed at Shishido's weak spots, leaving him increasingly frustrated.
Shot after shot, Ishikawa kept him on the defensive, driving Shishido to the brink of desperation.
*Thud!*
Before Shishido could devise a counter, Ishikawa delivered a powerful drive aimed at his left foot. The ball bounced low, spinning fiercely.
Shishido, looking down, could see the faint yellow fuzz spinning violently.
Then.
To his dismay, the ball grazed past his racket.
*Bang!*
"40-30!"
The court fell silent.
Those who had doubted Ishikawa's abilities now stared in shock at Shishido, who stood frozen like a statue, unable to utter a word.
"How... how is this possible?" Ootori murmured in disbelief. "Shishido... is being dominated?"
"Exactly," Oshitari said, his eyes narrowing as he observed the match. "Ishikawa has completely figured out Shishido's blind spots."
(End of Chapter)