The Prince of Tennis: From Data-Driven Tennis to the Pinnacle of His Career

"Come on, eat more."

Kagura Ichijin's lips curled into a barely perceptible sly smile as he diligently placed the grilled meat onto Akutsu Jin's plate.

Middle school students are indeed easier to fool.

He didn't have high hopes for Akutsu's singles performance, since it was unrealistic for Akutsu to surpass those national-level players in a short period of time.

However, doubles is a different story. If Jin Akutsu can work well with Kiyosumi Sengoku, they can definitely become Yamabuki's doubles ace.

"Crunch."

Just then, the door of the sushi restaurant was pushed open.

Kagura Ichijin looked up and saw Yamato Yuta leading a group of boys wearing Seigaku uniforms into the room.

"Captain Kagura? What a coincidence."

When Yamato Yuta saw Kagura, he smiled and extended his left hand in greeting, then gestured for the Seigaku members to sit in the empty seats at the back.

"Minister Yamato, is your arm alright?"

Kagura Ikjin's gaze fell on Yamato Yuta's right arm, which was in a cast, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He watched today's revival match. Yamato Yuta not only defeated all his opponents, but also successfully earned Seigaku a ticket to the Kanto Tournament.

He admired this responsible minister, but he could not agree with some of Yamato Yuta's practices.

He was already injured in the arm, yet he insisted on competing. He was simply playing with his body.

If it were for the glory of winning the national championship, that would be one thing, but is it really worth it just for a spot in the Kanto Tournament?

Moreover, given Seigaku's current strength, even if they make it into the Kanto Tournament, they will most likely be eliminated in the first round.

"Fortunately, it shouldn't interfere with the Kanto Tournament."

Yamato Yuta smiled calmly.

Now that Seigaku's goal has been achieved, he, as the club president, has done his best for everyone.

"There's no need. Let the other regulars handle the Kanto Tournament. It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. If you keep acting recklessly like you did today, your arm will really be ruined."

Kagura Ichijin advised in a serious tone.

He couldn't understand why Ryuzaki Sumire, as a seasoned coach, always faltered at crucial moments.

If Sumire Ryuzaki had been as firm as usual in preventing Yuta Yamato from playing with an injury, perhaps the situation wouldn't have been so bad.

And with Yamato Yuta so badly injured, why did he still bring his teammates out to celebrate? What was he thinking? A last supper?

"..."

Yamato Yuta simply smiled, neither refuting nor agreeing, and turned to walk inside.

"Ugh!"

Watching Yamato Yuta's slightly unsteady figure, Kagura Ichijin sighed, picked up the juice on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Kagura, what's wrong with you?"

Akutsu Jin looked at Kagura Ichijin, who had suddenly become sentimental, and was somewhat puzzled.

That Yamato Yuta isn't one of Yamabuki's people, so why is Kagura Ichijin meddling in so many other people's business?

It's their freedom to risk their lives for victory.

"Akuzu, you must never follow Yamato's example. He is a typical negative example. He sacrifices his future for the so-called collective honor, but in the end, he may end up with nothing but himself."

Kagura Ichijin turned his head and looked at Akutsu Jin with a serious expression.

As the club president, he not only had to lead Yamabuki to victory, but also had to be responsible for the health of every member.

He believes that the kind of behavior that involves doing anything, even risking one's life, to win is not only foolish but also disrespectful to the sport itself.

There are no undefeated champions in competitive sports. Even Echizen Nanjiro had his moments of defeat, let alone people like them.

"Um."

Akutsu Jin nodded as if he understood, then glanced back at Yamato Yuta sitting in the corner, feeling a pang of sadness.

The fact that Kagura Ichijin is so concerned suggests that Yamato Yuta's problem is indeed quite serious.

……

After an unknown amount of time, when everyone had almost finished eating, the Yamabuki group finally left the sushi restaurant, completely satisfied.

"Please take care, sir."

Kagura Ichijin saw Banta Mikiya off in his private car and waved goodbye from the roadside.

See you tomorrow, Kagura.

The car window slowly rolled up, and the car carrying the elderly man gradually drove into the night.

"Everyone should go home and rest early. Call me if you need anything."

Kagura Ichijin dismissed everyone and then turned to look at the sushi restaurant.

"Come out, or I'm leaving."

"Hello, Kagura-kun, my name is Fuji Syusuke."

The door of the sushi restaurant was pushed open, and a boy with chestnut-brown, tousled hair and a perpetually smiling face walked out and went straight to Kagura Ichijin.

"Fuji-kun, is there something you need?"

Kagura Ichijin looked at the boy who was called a "genius" with some curiosity in his heart.

He and Fuji were not familiar with each other. Apart from their chance encounter at the store, they had hardly interacted.

"I have something I'd like to ask you."

Fuji Syusuke's smile faded, and his expression became somewhat serious.

"Tezuka...was he really that good back then?"

Some time ago, he privately challenged Tezuka Kunimitsu to a match, but the result was a huge disappointment to him, as he swept Tezuka Kunimitsu 6-0.

After the match, he learned that Tezuka Kunimitsu had injured his arm, which left him with a lingering unease.

He longed for a fair and square contest, not a victory achieved by taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

"He's very strong. Tezuka fought Yukimura before, and they were evenly matched."

Kagura Ichijin nodded and told him the truth.

During their elementary school years, Tezuka Kunimitsu and Yukimura Seiichi were probably the strongest.

Although Fuji Syusuke is also very strong, in his opinion, there is still a considerable gap between him and the other two.

"By the way, Yukimura was the champion of last year's Jr. Tournament. I only made it to the semifinals back then."

Kagura Ichijin added.

Although Yukimura Seiichi is very famous in Kanagawa, people in Tokyo might not even know who he is if they don't follow the Jr. tournament.

"Stronger than you?"

Fuji Syusuke opened his usually squinting, deep blue eyes, his face filled with shock.

Kagura Ijin rose to fame in the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, not only defeating Hyotei's Atobe Keigo but also leading Yamabuki to victory.

The media is currently hyping up Kagura Ikjin, with some even saying that his skill level has surpassed that of national-level players.

How could he not be surprised that such a person with such a halo would speak so highly of two other people?

They were all better than me in elementary school, but now... well, it's hard to say.

Kagura Ichijin smiled frankly. He had indeed lost at the Jr. tournament, and there was nothing to hide about it. He just needed to win it back next time.

"Kagura-kun, would you like to have a match with me? Please."

Fuji Syusuke suddenly bowed deeply, his tone sincere.

He wanted to know just how strong Tezuka Kunimitsu was, a man so highly regarded by Kagura Ichijin.

"Sure, let's go to that street tennis court where I sparred with Tezuka last time."

Kagura Ichijin readily agreed.

While Seigaku currently poses no threat to Yamabuki, the future is uncertain.

Finding out the genius's background in advance would allow them to develop a strategy to deal with him sooner, which might not be a bad thing for Yamabuki.