Episode 314: Invitational Match

「Well then, we’re heading out.」

「Take care~」

「Tell Natsumi-chan to do her best~」

「I’ll stop by to take a look later too.」

With the match time drawing near, we cut the idle chatter short and decided to move early.

The only regret was seeing how disappointed Uesaka-san looked.

Between yesterday and today, I’ve got plenty to thank him for, so I figure I should invite him along next time there’s an opening.

While heading toward the tennis courts, we were met with the familiar sight of everyone staring, mainly at Sara-san and Nishikawa-san, maybe Hanako-san too. Nobody even paid it any mind anymore, and even the shyest of the bunch, Todo-san, didn’t care. It was a bit of a depressing thing to get used to.

「Now then, first the boys…」

「Yokogawa-kuuuuuun!!」

「Hayato-kuuuuun, fight onnnn!」

「HA-YA-TO!! HA-YA-TO!!」

Man… it was the usual scene, or whatever you want to call it.

At least there weren’t any people in extreme fan gear like matching happi coats or headbands, but with students in uniforms from other schools mixed in, the crowd looked even bigger than usual.

「Oh, wow… so this is the rumored Yokogawa-kun fan club.」

「It really is something. Yokogawa-san certainly has rare looks, but still…」

「I see… this is…」

Yuji and the others were seeing this for the first time and looked normally surprised, but maybe because they were already used to the general vibe of this group, it was just a regular kind of surprise. Even this part of their lives was having an influence.

「Ah, Takanashi-kun, welcome!!」

「Yahoo, Takanashi-kun!!」

「Oh, you’re here! Wait, you’ve got quite the crowd today… even Nishikawa-san is here!?」

「Whoa, it’s the same group as yesterday!!」

The fan club members noticed us and gave their usual welcoming greeting.

Since it’s common knowledge that I’m Hayato’s best friend, they’re basically always friendly toward me, which I’m grateful for.

「What should we do? Should we head to the front?」

「No, I’m gonna go say a quick word to Natsumi-senpai first.」

「Ah, right!」

「Then we’ll keep the front spots open for you!!」

「Give us a shout when you’re back~」

「Thanks!」

I wasn’t really intending to do that, but being able to skip the hassle of finding a spot was a lucky break.

「Heh… Takanashi-kun is quite something too.」

「Kazunari gets special treatment because he’s the Pretty Boy’s best friend.」

「I see, I guess that makes sense.」

Ever since that incident at the sports festival, it’s been known that I’m Hayato’s best friend, and the girls in the fan club started doing favors like this. I know it’s not because of me as an individual, but back when I was still dragging around my middle school trauma, being welcomed so warmly made me happy.

「Well, this side seems fine, so let’s head over to Natsumi-senpai first.」

「Good idea. I just hope Natsumi isn’t overthinking things…」

Setting Hayato aside, Natsumi-senpai is essentially in the position of the club captain, and this match marks the complete retirement of the third-years, so she seems to be worrying about things behind the scenes. Plus, it’s the first time Yuji’s ever seeing her play.

「That side has a fan club too…」

「Haa… as usual, Natsumi is incredibly popular with the same sex.」

In the direction we were heading, a crowd of women had gathered just like with Hayato. But the difference was that they were quietly watching Natsumi-senpai’s practice.

This orderly vibe was a scene unique to Natsumi-senpai’s fan club, which was strictly disciplined.

「Takanashi-kun, hello!」

「Welcome, Takanashi-kun!!」

「Satsukawa-san, good work!」

「AAAAHH!! It’s Nishikawa-san!! Long time no see!!」

The group noticed us approaching and raised welcoming voices, which made everyone around them turn and wave. As always, it felt normally good to be welcomed so kindly.

「Hello.」

「Good work.」

I returned the greetings while checking the surroundings, and of course, the two from my class were there too, not in maid outfits, waving at us.

「How is Natsumi-senpai doing?」

「Yeah, her spirit’s in top gear. But…」

「She’s been spending a lot of time watching over everyone else’s practice. I’m a bit worried that she hasn’t been able to focus on her own…」

As they said that, the fan club members turned their gaze toward the court. Following their eyes, I saw Natsumi-senpai using hand gestures to give instructions to someone. While everyone else was practicing on their own, only Natsumi-senpai was acting like a coach.

「…That’s tough. Considering Natsumi’s position, I guess it’s somewhat unavoidable…」

「Natsumi is very caring, after all. It’s one thing if it was a senior, but she’s not the type of person who could ignore her juniors just to focus on herself.」

Just like those two said, given Natsumi-senpai’s personality, she was stuck in a situation that was a mix of both. We couldn’t exactly say anything, so I guess the fan club members felt frustrated because they understood her.

But…

「Let’s at least give her some encouragement.」

「Good idea. We should at least give her spirit a boost.」

「I agree.」

「Yeah, I want to say something to her too.」

I wondered if Yuji’s voice would turn out to be a blessing or a curse… it should be fine, probably.

「Please do!! I’m sure Natsumi-chan will feel more at ease once she hears from Takanashi-kun and the others.」

「Please, Takanashi-kun, Satsukawa-senpai!」

「Everyone, make a path!」

With that one shout, the center of the crowd split apart just like in a movie. In the blink of an eye, a path made of people was finished. I was impressed by their coordination, but it was an exaggeration and honestly way too embarrassing!!

「Well, let’s take them up on the offer. Shall we, Kazunari-san?」

「Let’s go, Takanashi-san.」

「Kazunari.」

But Sara-san and Nishikawa-san didn’t seem to mind at all… I mean, I’m the one leading, huh. Yeah, I knew that.

I braced myself and started walking down the human path while being pelted by curious stares. But most of the fan club’s curiosity seemed focused on Nishikawa-san, Tachikawa-san, and Yuji, who was the only other guy besides me.

Since they’re from another school, it’s only natural, I guess.

Once we successfully reached the front of the crowd, Natsumi-senpai must have noticed us halfway, as she signaled with a hand while wearing a wry smile.

She said a final word to the person she was coaching(?) and then came running over.

「Quite the dramatic entrance you’re making, isn’t it?」

「We weren’t the ones who asked for it.」

「Everyone’s so well-coordinated. Your fan club is impressive as ever, Natsumi.」

「It’s not like I’m doing anything!!」

The three of them immediately started trading banter. Seeing the Three Princesses together like this, there was no way they wouldn’t attract attention.

Not just the fan club, but the spectators nearby and even the opposing team’s bleachers were staring… mostly the guys.

「Man, I’m seeing this for the first time but… it’s… incredible?」

「Wait, what’s that supposed to mean!?」

「Um… all sorts of things?」

Natsumi-senpai flustered about, while Yuji just watched her with a wry smile.

It wasn’t quite like this yesterday, but he was being shown once again exactly how his girlfriend was treated at this school.

「Hey, Takanashi-kun. Is that person a friend too?」

「I’ve never seen that face before, he’s not from this school, right?」

「U-Um…」

It’s natural to be curious… now, how should I answer? I shouldn’t butt in too much, so should I leave it to Natsumi-senpai to handle?

In that case, the answer would naturally be…

「He’s my childhood friend, so that’s how we’re connected.」

「Ah, I see. That makes sense.」

「So that’s why he’s from a different school. Natsumi-senpai’s social circle is important, so we should tell everyone else too.」

Even though it was a safe answer, I just answered what I was asked.

Important things have to be said by the person themselves, otherwise it could lead to trouble later.

「How are you feeling, Natsumi?」

「I’m fine. Though I might actually be more off-rhythm now that you guys are here.」

「If you can still make jokes like that, you should be okay.」

「It’s okay. Natsumi-senpai has a skill where the balls hit by her opponent will all somehow end up being out…」

「I keep telling you, I can’t do something like that!!」

I didn’t quite get what Hanako-san was talking about, but anyway, Natsumi-senpai looked like her tension had eased up.

She looked a bit embarrassed as she glanced our way, specifically at Yuji, and thrust out a fist in a gesture. It probably meant thanks or I’ll win or something like that.

「Natsumi should be fine now.」

「Yeah. Given her personality, it’s very like Natsumi to be able to switch gears with just a change of pace.」

Nishikawa-san, you were about to say she’s simple, weren’t you.

Well, regardless of how she put it, I think Natsumi-senpai’s ability to switch gears and stay positive overall is a good trait.

「I’m okay. You guys don’t have to worry about me, go over to Yokogawa-kun’s spot. The boys are going first.」

「Understood. Should we leave someone behind?」

I decided to be a bit mischievous and say something extra. Even without mentioning Yuji’s name, Natsumi-senpai wasn’t so dense that she wouldn’t understand what I meant.

I wasn’t saying it to be mean, though.

「Stop talking nonsense and just get going, you half of an idiot couple!!」

Thinking how heartwarming it was to see Natsumi-senpai shouting without a care for who was watching, we decided to head back to Hayato.

Judging by that, she’ll be completely fine, probably.

Just before the men’s tennis match started, the players from both sides began gathering on the courts.

Looking at the two courts from where we were, the one closer to us was for singles, and the one in the back was for doubles. Both would be happening at the same time.

However, since about half of the women who came to cheer were there for Hayato, spectators naturally swarmed the side of the singles court where we were.

「Man, I’m getting excited!! Have you ever seen a match before, Marina?」

「Yeah. I’ve come to cheer a few times.」

「I see, I don’t know the rules of tennis, so explain things to me if something happens!」

「Eh, I, I don’t know that much either…」

Todo-san looked at me in a bind… but unfortunately, I don’t know that much either. I definitely couldn’t give a commentary.

「If you want to know about tennis, you should ask Eri.」

「Do you know a lot about it, Nishikawa-san?」

「I wouldn’t say a lot, but I’ve played enough to have a taste for it.」

「Whoa, amazing!」

「It really was just a taste, I assure you.」

Nishikawa-san was being humble, but she definitely looked like she knew her stuff. I bet she could do horseback riding too… just an image, though.

「Kazunari…」

After finishing the greetings with the opposing school, Hayato came over to me. As usual, we bumped our right fists together as a pre-match greeting.

I wasn’t the one who started this, it was Hayato’s wish… he said it was for good luck or something, but I wonder if doing this with me actually does anything?

Also, why do some of the girls let out a scream every time we do this?

「How are you feeling?」

「I’m fine. I’ve got plenty of spirit since I absolutely can’t afford to lose today.」

Hayato looked at each of our faces one by one and nodded with a smile. Just like he said, he looked full of spirit.

「I see.」

「Yeah. My opponent is strong, so I’m going all out.」

I know Hayato is pretty strong even within the club, but that doesn’t mean he’s invincible. In fact, I’ve seen him lose matches before.

The way he looks apologetic toward us rather than just frustrated is very like him.

「Good luck, Hayato!」

「We’re rooting for you, Yokogawa-san.」

「Yokogawa-kun, fight on!!」

「Do your best.」

「Do your best, I guess.」

「Haha… yeah, thanks, everyone.」

After receiving everyone’s cheers, Hanako-san being her usual dishonest self, Hayato took a deep breath and nodded. He had that expression he always wears when he’s fired up before a match.

「Yokogawa-kun…」

「I’m definitely going to win, Todo-san. I want you to watch.」

「Yeah. Good luck.」

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, a bit of a meaningful atmosphere between them. Neither looked particularly embarrassed, but there was a certain vibe.

「…Hayato-kun looks a bit different today, doesn’t he?」

「…Probably because Takanashi-kun and the others are here?」

「…True. It’s frustrating, but I guess we can’t beat his best friend.」

「…But we can’t lose either. Let’s cheer even harder than usual!!」

「Hayato!」

「I’m coming!! Well then… I’m off!」

Leaving a signal for Todo-san and then for me, Hayato headed back to the court.

He could’ve just done it for Todo-san… he’s the same as always.

Good luck, Hayato.

The order for singles is decided by the rankings within the club, and Hayato is in his usual spot as Singles 2. Basically, he’s ranked second in strength. Technically there are doubles members too, so this is just for singles, but apparently that holds true even considering the whole club.

Though, personally, I think Hayato is stronger than the captain who’s Singles 1… I won’t point that out, though.

Right now, the Singles 3 match is happening in front of us. It’s a pretty close fight, they’ve each taken one set and it’s currently a deuce at 40-40.

Unrelated, but why are tennis points 15 or 10, such confusing numbers?

「Game set!! Match won by…」

While I was thinking about unrelated things, the match ended before I knew it. The first doubles match isn’t over yet, but that’s one loss for us.

「Man, that ended pretty quickly at the end.」

「Yeah, it was nothing but mistakes.」

「His concentration clearly snapped at the end. Lack of stamina, or maybe something else…」

The player who lost walked back while staring our way with a look of heavy disappointment… no way.

「「「 HAYATO HAYATO HAYATO!!! 」」」

「「「 RINKA FIGHT!!!! 」」」

「「「 HAYATO-KUUUUUN!! DO YOUR BEST!!! 」」」

The second singles match. The second Hayato appeared on the court, the usual massive cheers and Hayato-calls erupted from the fan club around me.

The opponent watching all that with an annoyed look was a perfectly normal sight too.

Honestly… it looked like it’d be really hard to play like that.

Hayato didn’t react to the cheers, instead jumping and stomping to check the feel of the court. Once he finished his check, he finally thrust his hand holding the racket toward me.

I gave him a thumbs up back, and he smiled happily before heading to the umpire.

For the record, the fan club just watched the exchange with a heartwarming look and didn’t make a scene. Since I’m here, it’s a sight they see every time.

「Th-This is irresistible…」

「So much progress… I’m making so much progressss.」

Some of the reactions were a bit weird, but that was a normal sight too.

「Hey Takanashi-kun, is it always like this?」

「Every single time, for this exchange.」

「Ehehe, Takanashi-kun and Yokogawa-kun are such good friends, after all.」

Todo-san was happy about me and Hayato as if it were her own business.

I’m glad she says that, but honestly, I’m aware that what we’re doing is a bit cheesy, so I can’t help feeling a little embarrassed.

But Hayato seemed unusually intense today. I felt a slight sense of something being off.

「…This kind of exchange between men is wonderful.」

「Fufu… that’s Kazunari-san for you.」

Putting aside Sara-san, who gives me her full approval, I was getting surprisingly high reviews from the other girls. I’m not really aiming for that, though, Hayato just likes doing those things.

「The best of three sets match…」

The chair umpire read the pre-match call, and Hayato’s match finally began.

Hayato has the serve. It’s a three-set match, so the first to take two sets wins. I’ve learned that much.

Now then, the start. Judging by how fired up Hayato looks, probably.

Baaaaang!!

His movements looked slow at first, then he brought the racket down with incredible, unexpected force. Leaving a loud explosion behind at the moment of impact, the ball pierced the opponent’s court with intensity. The ball gouged right into the line, or close to it, and pulled away to a distance the opponent’s racket couldn’t reach.

「Fifteen-Love!!」

「「「 KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! 」」」

「「「 HA-YA-TO!! HA-YA-TO!! 」」」

On a court enveloped in the fan club’s cheers, only the opponent stood there, staring blankly at the ball rolling away.

I’d heard people in the cheering section calling him a senpai, so he was definitely older, but he probably never imagined he’d be hit with a service ace right off the bat.

「A s-service ace…」

「Nishikawa-san, that means he got a point, right?」

「Y-Yes.」

「Yokogawa-kun took the lead!」

「I, I couldn’t see the ball…」

「Hayato is amazing…」

It was no wonder Tachikawa-san and the others were surprised. When you’re watching from the front row like this, the distance makes everything look incredible. In a tournament, there’d be some distance from the stands, but this was just a normal school court.

But…

「It is rare to see Yokogawa-san show such power play…」

「…I thought so too.」

「Pretty Boy is probably stiffening up.」

Just like Hanako-san said, Hayato looked like he was straining to me too. His earlier signal to me had that same vibe, which made sense now that I thought about it.

I don’t know much about it, but Hayato definitely isn’t a power player.

I wondered how this would turn out.

「Forty-Love!!」

「「「 HA-YA-TO!! HA-YA-TO!! 」」」

「「「 RINKA FIGHT!!!! 」」」

The tennis court was enveloped in massive cheers along with the umpire’s point call.

Hayato had taken three points in a row, so he only needed one more to take the set. He was in full push-mode right now, and it felt like his intensity was just swallowing his opponent whole.

「With one more point, Yokogawa-san takes the set.」

「The first to two sets wins, right?」

Putting aside Nishikawa-san and the others who were seeing Hayato play for the first time, I, Sara-san, and Todo-san, and even Hanako-san for some reason, weren’t as happy about the situation as the people around us. It looked like some members of the fan club felt the same way, as I could see a few people watching the match with puzzled looks.

「He’s just returning everything with pure momentum…」

「Yeah. He’s not using any drops or lobs to go over the opponent’s head at all.」

「I wonder what’s wrong… Yokogawa-kun.」

He wasn’t being pushed back and he wasn’t losing, so for now we just had to watch.

BAAAAAAAAAANG!!

Hayato smashed the returned ball back with momentum as if he were slamming it down from right above. The opponent just watched it go, half-dazed.

「Game and set! First set…」

「「「 KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! 」」」

「「「 HA-YA-TO!! HA-YA-TO!! 」」」

「「 YOKOGAWAKUUUUUUUN!! 」」

「Yokogawa-kun, incredible!!」

「Indeed. I did not expect him to take it in a straight run…」

The umpire immediately announced the end of the first set, and massive cheers erupted when Hayato’s win was called.

While the fan club girls were making a huge scene over the overwhelming match, Sara-san, Todo-san, and the rest of us had unreadable expressions.

Of course, if it was just a needless fear then there was no problem, so for now we just kept watching.

「What’s wrong, Kazunari?」

「Nothing. He just needs to take the next set and it’s over.」

Whether it was through pure momentum or whatever, if he took two sets, that was that. If he could take it while maintaining this flow, there shouldn’t be any issues for now.

「Ngh!?」

In total contrast to the first set, I was starting to see Hayato being run around the court. This was normally the position Hayato would put his opponent in, but now he was the one on the receiving end.

I could only judge as an amateur, but it looked like Hayato was straining too much, which was allowing his opponent to take advantage.

「Forty-Fifteen!」

The umpire’s call announced the opponent’s point, and if he took the next one, Hayato would lose the set. That would mean losing his psychological edge and turning the third set into the final showdown.

Plus, the opponent had likely realized Hayato was trying to brute-force his way through, so his own play had become visibly calm in response. The match was the complete opposite of how it usually went.

「Yokogawa-kun…」

Among those who noticed Hayato’s poor form, Todo-san looked especially unsettled. She kept whispering Hayato’s name over and over while staring at the court and cheering desperately.

「He should probably take a moment to calm his mind.」

「What is Pretty Boy so rushed about?」

I couldn’t think of any reason for Hayato to be rushed other than Todo-san. But between that extra signal to me and everything else, there must have been some trigger that made him overthink things. Though in my guess, all of that was connected to Todo-san anyway.

「Forty-Thirty!!」

Hayato’s ball hit near the line, and I couldn’t tell what happened from here… but the umpire’s call was in. The opponent must have judged it out and let it go, so that was a lucky break. Anyway, if he took the next point it’d be a deuce. There was still a chance to turn it around.

But that didn’t solve the underlying problem. Was there anything we could do to support him?

「Hmm, that bad habit is coming out again.」

「Natsumi-senpai!?」

「Natsumi?」

Before I knew it, Natsumi-senpai was standing right behind me, muttering her thoughts. Wait, the women’s team has a match coming up, should she even be here?

「Yokogawa-kun’s true style is using technique and his head. If he’s overthinking things, he naturally won’t be able to do that anymore.」

「If you’re here, Natsumi-senpai, do you have a good idea?」

「I do.」

「Eh!?」

She said it so simply when I’d been worrying about it for a while. She’s reliable, though.

「Well, for some reason he’s overthinking things even more than usual. Normally there’s nothing someone on the sidelines can do to help. But this time…」

「Game and set! Second set…」

The umpire announced the end of the second set, and it was called that Hayato had lost the set. It was a shame he couldn’t push it to a deuce.

Even as an amateur, I could see the flow of the match was with the opponent. If he didn’t switch gears here, there was a chance he’d lose the next set too.

I needed Natsumi-senpai’s idea, fast.