"Ishikawa-kun."
At the net, the two shook hands. Oshitari smiled and said, "I've been looking forward to playing a match against you for a long time."
"Same here."
Ishikawa nodded with a smile. "Also, thank you for standing up for me that day."
"Hmm."
Hearing this, Oshitari inwardly confirmed his suspicions.
A week ago, during the match, he had stepped in as the referee to ensure Ishikawa wasn't unfairly judged by the third-years.
At the time.
Oshitari had naively thought that this rookie might not have realized what was happening.
But now.
It was clear that he was the one who had been naive.
"I think... we can skip the formalities."
After releasing Ishikawa's hand, Oshitari nodded and said, "I'll let you have the serve. Don't disappoint me."
With that.
Oshitari turned and walked away.
Ishikawa watched his retreating figure, his expression unchanged. He nodded slightly and then headed to the baseline.
However.
Oshitari's gesture left many others puzzled.
"That's the serve advantage!"
A rookie asked in confusion, "Isn't this senior... a bit too confident?"
"Hmph!"
A third-year player responded with a cold laugh, "What do you know? Oshitari's strength is on a completely different level compared to Shishido and Hiyoshi."
"Exactly."
Another added proudly, "You know about the incident two years ago when Atobe swept through the entire tennis club, right? Back then, even Mukahi and Shishido together couldn't stop Atobe, but Oshitari alone managed to score points against him!"
"What?"
Hearing this, not only the first-years but even many second-years were shocked.
Who was Atobe?
He was the undisputed pinnacle of Hyotei's tennis club.
And Oshitari, alone, had achieved what Mukahi and Shishido couldn't. This clearly showed the gap between him and the others.
"Exactly."
Although Mukahi was being used to highlight Oshitari's strength, he couldn't help but smile. "Oshitari's singles record is second only to Atobe."
This statement.
Elevated Oshitari's status in everyone's minds to that of the second strongest in Hyotei, just below Atobe.
With this in mind.
Oshitari's decision to give up the serve no longer seemed arrogant but rather a humble and gracious gesture befitting a senior.
"The match will be decided in one set!"
After a moment, the referee on the high chair confirmed both players' readiness and announced, "Ishikawa to serve, first game!"
As soon as the words were spoken.
The audience's attention turned to Ishikawa.
They watched as he took out a tennis ball, gave it a few light bounces, then tossed it into the air and swiftly brought his racket down.
*Thwack!*
A crisp sound echoed.
The ball shot forward at a high speed.
However, this speed was well within the range that Hiyoshi and Shishido could handle. For Oshitari, it was even more ordinary.
*Thwack!*
But.
When the ball landed near Oshitari's front, close to the outer corner, the Hyotei regular made no move to intercept it.
"Huh?"
Seeing this.
The crowd frowned.
Many assumed that Oshitari had some trick up his sleeve, planning to catch his opponent off guard.
However.
Even as the ball bounced and flew past him, Oshitari remained motionless. Only his expression grew noticeably colder.
"Uh... 15-0!"
The referee, after double-checking the ball's landing spot, finally announced the score.
"What's going on?"
The spectators exchanged confused glances.
No one understood what Oshitari was thinking.
Only Atobe seemed to have an idea, his gaze toward Oshitari carrying a hint of exasperation.
*Tap! Tap! Tap!*
On the other side.
Ishikawa remained unfazed. He took out another ball and began bouncing it again.
"Ishikawa!"
At that moment, Oshitari spoke up. "Show me your real serve. Come at me with everything you've got!"
"So that's it."
Hearing this, Mukahi, Takaki, and the others finally understood.
Oshitari hadn't bothered to return the serve because Ishikawa's shot was too ordinary.
It made sense.
Before the match, Oshitari had given Ishikawa the serve to experience his high-speed serve.
But.
Ishikawa had only delivered a standard serve.
Anyone would feel slighted in that situation.
"I originally planned to play this match using a normal approach."
Ishikawa looked at Oshitari's cold, expressionless face and explained with a smile, "But since you want to see my full-power serve, I'll show you."
He paused, then added, "To be honest, even I haven't tried serving at full power before."
*Tap! Tap! Tap!*
With that.
He bent down, gently bouncing the ball while adjusting his emotions and feeling out his physical state.
However.
Ishikawa's words caused a stir across the court.
"What does that mean?"
"He's saying he's never served at full power before?"
"What about his match against Hiyoshi?"
The spectators whispered among themselves, quietly吐槽ing.
But no one openly challenged him.
The reason was simple.
Everything Ishikawa had said so far, he had delivered on. With his consecutive victories over Hiyoshi and Shishido, only Atobe in all of Hyotei had the authority to question him.
And now.
Even Atobe was watching Ishikawa with anticipation, eager to see just how fast his full-power serve would be!
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly.
Ishikawa grabbed the ball and tossed it high into the air. Then, he bent his knees and coiled his body like a spring, his leg muscles tightening as he gathered power.
Finally.
The stored energy exploded.
Ishikawa's left foot pivoted outward, and he pushed off the ground with tremendous force, propelling himself upward. At the same time, his right hand swung the racket from behind his head, locking onto the ball in mid-air.
*Swish!*
As the racket swung.
Everyone, including Atobe, saw a blur streak across their vision, completely obscuring the ball.
*Thwack!*
A crisp sound rang out.
The ball, struck with immense force, instantly transformed into a streak of yellow, shooting forward at an incredible speed.
So fast.
That none of the spectators, who had been closely watching Ishikawa's movements, could even track its trajectory!
"Here it comes!"
On the other side.
Oshitari, who had focused all his attention on Ishikawa's serve, widened his eyes, trying to catch the ball's path.
And then.
He saw a faint afterimage etched in the air.
But by the time the afterimage appeared, the ball itself had already vanished!
*Thwack!*
A moment later.
A sharp, piercing sound reached Oshitari's ears.
"What?!"
His pupils contracted instantly, and he instinctively looked down. His gaze barely caught the shadow of the ball as it bounced, but before he could react—
*Thwack!*
The sound of the ball hitting the fence behind him echoed loudly.
"How... how is this possible?"
Oshitari mechanically turned his head, staring at the ball rolling slowly behind him. He stood frozen, like a statue.
At that moment.
The entire court, filled with over a hundred people, fell completely silent.
(End of Chapter)