*Chapter 189: The Quarterfinals – Hyotei vs. Rikkai Dai Fuzoku (Part 3)*

As night fell, beneath the hotel where the Rikkai Dai Fuzoku team was staying, Coach Watanabe received a call from Hyotei.

“Coach, what’s going on?”

As soon as Watanabe hung up, Shiraishi and the others quickly asked.

“Kin-chan is at Hyotei,” Watanabe replied, rubbing his temples. “He’s fine, but according to Hyotei’s coach, he’s… hungry.”

“Ah.”

The team paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Yuushi Oshitari shook his head with a smile. “That’s so typical of Kin-chan.”

His lighthearted comment eased the tension, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“As long as he’s safe,” Shiraishi nodded. “Coach, let’s go pick him up. The rest of us haven’t eaten yet, and I’m sure Kin-chan is starving.”

“No need,” Watanabe waved his hand. “The kid already ate at Hyotei’s cafeteria.”

“Hyotei’s cafeteria?”

A bespectacled, bald boy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “From what I’ve heard, thanks to Atobe’s lavish spending, their food is on par with a five-star restaurant.”

“Lucky Kin-chan,” the others chimed in, their faces filled with envy.

Gurgle…

Someone’s stomach growled, setting off a chain reaction as the rest of the team’s stomachs joined in.

“Alright,” Watanabe adjusted his hat and smiled. “Let’s go fill our own stomachs now.”

With that, he led the team to a ramen shop near the hotel, conveniently located next to a beef hotpot restaurant.

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*Hyotei Academy – Tennis Club Cafeteria*

The cafeteria was packed, but no one was eating. Instead, all eyes were fixed on the red-haired boy devouring food at an astonishing speed, with a mountain of empty bowls piled beside him.

“Gulp.”

Hiyoshi couldn’t help but swallow hard. He finally understood how this seemingly skinny boy possessed such monstrous stamina and strength.

“This guy…”

Ishikawa was equally stunned. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he’d wandered into a different universe. The red-haired boy’s appetite was almost… otherworldly.

“Coach,” Mukahi asked curiously, “what do we do with him?”

As a member of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, their opponent for tomorrow’s match, handling Kin-chan was a delicate matter.

Coach Sakaki and Atobe agreed that Ishikawa’s approach was correct. They needed to avoid any unofficial matches with the boy before the real competition.

Not because Hyotei was afraid, but because they worried that if Ishikawa faced Kin-chan now, the boy might not be able to play tomorrow.

There was already evidence of this. Hiyoshi was currently eating with his left hand because his right hand had been injured during his brief match with Kin-chan. The doctor said it would take at least three days to recover.

In a way, Hyotei had come out worse in the exchange. But with their deep roster and Hiyoshi not scheduled to play tomorrow, they could manage.

“I’ve arranged a temporary dorm for him,” Coach Sakaki said. “We’ll send him back to Rikkai Dai Fuzoku tomorrow to avoid any complications.”

Hyotei wanted to win, but they wanted to win fairly. They didn’t want anyone accusing them of sabotaging Rikkai Dai Fuzoku’s star player.

“I’m full!!!”

Kin-chan set down his chopsticks and stretched contentedly. “That was amazing! Your cafeteria food is the best!”

“So,” Hiyoshi teased, “Kin-chan, why don’t you consider transferring to Hyotei? See that handsome guy with glasses over there? He’s from Osaka too.”

“Oh?”

Kin-chan’s eyes lit up as he glanced toward Oshitari.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Hyotei team watched him intently.

There was no doubt about Kin-chan’s strength. Even players like Oshitari and Shishido, who were skilled singles players, couldn’t guarantee they could suppress Hiyoshi so quickly—especially since Hiyoshi had recently mastered his Enbu-style tennis, including the Shukuchi technique and the Four Gods: White Tiger.

Yet, Hiyoshi hadn’t lasted five minutes against Kin-chan. The boy’s talent was second only to Ishikawa among first-years, possibly even surpassing Ryoma from Seigaku.

If Kin-chan joined Hyotei, the team would be unstoppable for the next three years. Even Atobe seemed intrigued by the idea.

“Nah,” Kin-chan shook his head with a grin. “The food here’s too good. I’d eat too much and ruin my training.”

His words made it clear he had no intention of transferring.

“Ishikawa!”

Kin-chan suddenly jumped to his feet, his playful demeanor replaced by a fierce intensity. “How about it? Will you play me now?”

Now that he was full, his energy was at its peak. If they played now, Hiyoshi would lose even faster.

“We’ll play,” Ishikawa replied calmly, “but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow’s official match. I’ll be waiting for you in the singles 1 spot.”

“No way!”

Kin-chan shook his head like a stubborn child. “I want to play now!!”

“Well then…”

Ishikawa sighed, to everyone’s surprise, as he began unwrapping the bandages on his right hand. “I guess I’ll have to apologize to Coach Watanabe and Captain Shiraishi tomorrow.”

“P-poison hand?!!”

Kin-chan’s eyes widened in fear, and he quickly hid behind Hiyoshi.

“S-sorry, I was wrong,” he stammered. “Tomorrow… I’ll play you tomorrow in singles 1!”

“Good.”

Ishikawa nodded, calmly rewrapping the bandages.

Kin-chan, thoroughly spooked, kept his distance and wandered around the cafeteria.

“I’m curious,” Coach Sakaki said with a smile. “How did you scare him like that?”

“It’s a trick from Rikkai Dai Fuzoku’s captain, Shiraishi,” Ishikawa explained. “He plays on Kin-chan’s fear of ghost stories by wrapping his wrist in white bandages and calling it the ‘Poison Hand.’ He claims that if the bandages are fully removed, everyone who sees it will die.”

“I see.”

Oshitari nodded. “No wonder I always see Shiraishi with those bandages on his wrist.”

The Rikkai Dai Fuzoku captain was someone Oshitari respected and even feared a little. From what he knew, Shiraishi had never lost a match. He’d become captain in his second year, a rare feat in a school as competitive as Rikkai Dai Fuzoku.

“Alright then,” Coach Sakaki stood up. “Everyone, get some rest and prepare for tomorrow’s match. Kin-chan, come with me. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying tonight.”

As the team dispersed, Ishikawa went through his usual post-dinner routine: warm-up exercises, ancient martial arts practice, yoga, and meditation before finally going to bed.

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*The Next Day*

The Hyotei team, including Kin-chan, boarded the bus to the ARENA tennis stadium.

After arriving, Ishikawa escorted Kin-chan back to the Rikkai Dai Fuzoku camp.

“Thank you, Ishikawa,” Shiraishi said with a grateful nod.

“No problem,” Ishikawa replied. “I hope we can have a great match today.”

“Likewise.”

As Ishikawa walked away, Oshitari sighed. “He’s really something. It’s hard to believe he’s only a first-year and already the core of Hyotei.”

“Yeah,” Shiraishi agreed. “With him, Hyotei is more formidable than ever.”

Originally, Shiraishi had hoped Rikkai Dai Fuzoku would face Hyotei or Rikkai Dai in the semifinals. Unfortunately, the draw had other plans.

Now, they’d have to give it their all in the quarterfinals.

“Everyone ready?”

Coach Watanabe, chewing on a blade of grass, looked at his team. “Treat every match like the finals. Our opponent is strong, but so are we!”

The team’s eyes filled with determination.

In a battle of equals, the braver side would prevail. And Rikkai Dai Fuzoku was determined to be that side.

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*The Quarterfinals – Hyotei vs. Rikkai Dai Fuzoku*

“The third round is about to begin,” the announcer’s voice echoed through the stadium.

“Tokyo’s Hyotei Academy versus Osaka’s Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Middle School.”

“Please have the players step forward.”

As the announcement ended, the seven representatives from each team, led by their captains, walked onto the court.

“Hyotei and Rikkai Dai Fuzoku,” Inoue from Tennis Monthly murmured. “The clash of the East and West powerhouses. Every match is going to be a fierce battle!”

“Yeah,” his colleague, Shiba, nodded. “Both captains exude such presence. Atobe is, of course, Atobe, but Shiraishi’s calm and composed demeanor is equally impressive. He truly embodies the spirit of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku’s captain.”

In comparison, even though Higa Chuu’s captain, Kite, had led his team to dominate the Kyushu region, he lacked the same aura as these two.

“I wonder if they’ll face each other?”

“Unlikely,” Inoue shook his head. “Atobe will probably play singles 2, while Shiraishi, as Rikkai Dai Fuzoku’s ace, will likely be in singles 1.”

Originally, without Ishikawa’s emergence, a showdown between Atobe and Shiraishi in singles 1 would have been a dream match.

But now, with Ishikawa taking the spotlight, that dream would remain unfulfilled.

Just then, the announcer’s voice rang out again:

“The first match will be singles 3.”

“Hyotei Academy’s Keigo Atobe versus Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Middle School’s Kuranosuke Shiraishi.”

“Please prepare for the match!”

The crowd erupted in excitement.

“What?!”

Inoue was stunned.

He couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the two captains, who had just been exchanging pleasantries at the net, now holding their rackets and preparing to face off.

“They’re starting with these two?!”

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