At this moment, Nanjiro Echizen was genuinely troubled.
After all, he first noticed Rin Matsuoka because of Ryoga Echizen.
The two had met by chance at a street tennis court.
Back then, Rin hadn't even touched a tennis racket, and his match against Ryoga was his very first.
Yet, the result? They hit it off, as if it were fate.
They became close friends, and it was through Ryoga that Nanjiro learned of Rin's existence.
"What a headache," Nanjiro muttered.
Unnoticed by him, Ryoma Echizen stood nearby, his lips twisting in a faint scowl. Seigaku, huh?
He was starting to dislike that school.
It had gained fame thanks to his father, but now, with Rin there and facing such nonsense…
...
Meanwhile, at Hyotei Academy's tennis club.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!
Under the sunlight, players in grey-white uniforms swung their rackets, sweat dripping with every motion.
Suddenly—
"Hold it!" a commanding voice rang out.
"Tomorrow morning, get ready with me to welcome someone."
The speaker's tone was brash, referring to himself as "this great lord," exuding confidence and flair. The moment he stepped onto the court, he halted everyone's training, a clear sign of his authority at Hyotei.
With short, ash-purple hair and a distinctive mole near his eye, Keigo Atobe radiated charisma and self-assurance.
This was Hyotei's captain.
"Who are we welcoming?" a boy asked, yawning as he paused his training. He glanced at Atobe with curiosity.
Their first-year captain wasn't exactly subtle, but stopping morning practice just to greet someone?
That was unusual. Who could be so important?
The others stopped as well, exchanging thoughtful glances.
But Atobe wasn't done.
"And," he continued, "this person will be your new vice-captain."
Vice-captain?
Eyes widened, and murmurs rippled through the group.
Since Atobe had taken over as captain, he'd dismissed the previous vice-captain.
Hyotei had only one leader—Keigo Atobe.
He'd declared a vice-captain unnecessary.
Yet now, he was announcing one?
The players exchanged stunned looks, curiosity burning.
Who could this be?
Atobe, however, offered no explanation.
There was no need.
Once Rin arrived at Hyotei, everything would become clear.
Still, a quiet voice broke the silence.
"Hey, have you heard? There was some kind of argument at Seigaku with that Rin Matsuoka. Word is, he quit the team and the school."
The speaker was a third-year Hyotei player.
Instantly, Yushi Oshitari, Jiro Akutagawa, and others showed surprise.
Was this true? Rin Matsuoka had left Seigaku?
Atobe's lips twitched. Of course, news about that guy spread like wildfire.
He'd only just heard about it himself.
"Captain," Oshitari said, turning to Atobe with a serious expression. "Should we try inviting him to Hyotei? He's… really strong."
...
Elsewhere in Tokyo, at Yamabuki Middle School.
"Coach, about Seigaku's Rin Matsuoka… it seems he quit the team and left the school. Or rather, he was kicked out,"
Kiyosumi Sengoku said hesitantly, sharing the news with Banji Tomita.
"He was already planning to leave, but apparently Coach Ryuzaki got upset and expelled him first."
Banji Tomita, a renowned coach in Tokyo, was the one who had once led Yamabuki to victory over a Seigaku team that included the legendary Nanjiro Echizen.
"Oh? Kicked out? What's that about?"
Banji squinted, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Well, well… what an opportunity."
His usual cheerful grin now held a sharper edge. "Since he's already out, don't blame me for poaching."
Banji had been watching Rin Matsuoka for a while.
He sensed something special about the boy—secrets, perhaps.
But more than that, he felt Rin carried the aura of a legend.
"Poaching?"
Kentaro Minami blinked, confused.
"As expected,"
Sengoku muttered, his mouth twitching. He'd been keeping tabs on Rin because Banji had instructed him to.
"The guy's popularity is unreal. I only heard about this because a girl I met from Seigaku was so upset about it, she quit the school too…"
It wasn't just one person, either. Several had apparently left Seigaku over Rin's situation.
...
At the same time, Rin Matsuoka had already ended his call with Nanjiro Echizen.
He was back home, in a villa—one of the Matsuoka family's properties in Tokyo, where he'd been staying since arriving in Japan.
"Young Master!" a voice called as he headed toward the training room.
A girl in a maid outfit with long pink hair tied in twin tails appeared. This was Yuno, the head maid assigned to look after Rin during his time here.
"Welcome home," she said respectfully. "When you left Seigaku, it seems their coach was quite displeased and tried to stop you."
Rin nodded faintly, a flicker of exasperation in his eyes at the mention of the coach's interference.
Stop him? Too late.
He had no intention of returning to Seigaku.
Truthfully, before joining Seigaku, he'd had some expectations.
Despite knowing—thanks to fragmented memories from this Prince of Tennis world—that Seigaku wasn't in its prime, he'd hoped for more.
But with Coach Ryuzaki's stubborn refusal to value first-years, unchanged by any outside influence, staying there was a waste of time.
"Thank you, Yuno," Rin said calmly.
"It's my duty," Yuno replied, a trace of joy in her smile.
She'd volunteered to care for Rin, a role she'd long dreamed of.
Every move he made, she observed closely, storing it all in her heart.
Her smile turned slightly fervent as she thought this, but when Rin's gaze met hers, she quickly softened it into something gentle and discreet.
She couldn't let him notice.
----------
Support my work and advanced chapters at - https://www.patreon.com/c/neltharion255