30-15.
I thought so!
He did that because he didn't know what to do!
I have the advantage on my serve!
I can do this! Make the next serve fast!
Stop right there.
Let's call this match here.
What?!
U-Um, how can you say that now?
Sorry, but I want you to call it off... rather, put it on hold.
Why?!
If you keep this up, I'm afraid you're going to hurt yourself.
Huh?
What do you mean, you're afraid I'm going to hurt myself?
Nothing hurts or anything!
Well, that's because you're not injured anywhere.
Please explain!
What am I supposed to do with all this motivation?!
Okay, okay, I'll explain it.
I didn't think it would turn out like this, either.
So, I'm sorry about that.
What I wanted you to learn from this match is the necessity of a fast serve.
But I didn't realize your knowledge of how to move had progressed this much.
It's my fault for misjudging your ability to analyze.
I apologize.
Don't let yourself get too cold.
Right...
For someone like you to pull off a fast serve,
you need the body for it, along with the knowledge.
So what are you saying would've happened
if we'd continued that match?
You would've undoubtedly injured either your lower back, shoulder, elbow, or wrist.
Those are all the areas I was focusing on.
How can you say that with such certainty?
I'm painfully aware of a tennis athlete's physique.
When I was an active player, I continued playing with an injury.
In the end, that's the reason I retired.
I-I had no idea...
I'm going to be blunt.
You can't beat Takuma yet.
But I discovered something.
Your body is average for a tennis player,
but it's capable of hitting a fast serve.
Depending on how you execute it, your serve will continue to evolve.
R-Really?!
Why would I lie?
So, starting tomorrow, why don't we work on your serve until it's ready to conquer Japan?
Yeah!
I can become stronger!
First Encounter by Scouting
Pathetic.
Don't cry out like that.
But it really hurts!
A-Anyway, you said we were going to practice my serve,
and all we've done is stretch.
You figured it out when you played Takuma, right?
For someone of your physique to hit a fast serve,
you have to loosen up your joints and move your body like a whip.
I... u-understand, but...
Good! You're joints are looking great from all the stretching.
Ready to go on to the next step?
We'll start with the overhead press.
Overhead press?
Yeah. It primarily enhances muscles from the upper arms to the shoulders.
Okay...
Try it.
Take two full seconds to push up,
and four seconds to lower...
Good, you're doing exactly as the instructions say.
Yeah.
Now let's try some practical muscle training to help your serve.
Practical?
Okay, now push all the way up in one motion!
What... One motion?
Too slow!
Faster!
Once you raise it up, hold it for a beat.
Then you can relax your muscles.
What?
If I relax now, it'll fall!
It's okay.
I'm holding it.
Now bring it down.
Um, what is this exercise for?
You develop different muscles depending on whether you lift quickly or slowly.
Which do you think is necessary for serving?
The muscles that lift faster?
Right.
So lift it quickly!
Another thing: you develop different muscles
depending on whether you push up or lower down.
Which one do you need?
The ones you get from pushing up?
That's right!
So I'll do the lowering.
What happens if you overdevelop the unnecessary muscles
around your shoulders by lowering the weights?
Overdevelop?
Not like that!
Unnecessary muscles get in the way of bending your joints.
If that happens, no matter how much you stretch, it won't help, right?
So what's important is to build only the necessary muscles in the necessary areas.
At the same time, you also need to stretch to keep your joints limber,
so your muscles have a better range of motion, letting them move more easily.
This allows your whip motion to make contact over a greater range.
Okay.
I made up for the natural lack of power and strength
in my stroke using control.
I can make up for it in my serve through training and learning how to use my muscles.
Two months remain until the prefectural qualifier for the All-Japan Junior.
breakfast tennis lunch breakfast, study opening ceremony lunch breakfast tennis lunch tennis school lunch lunch
And the third school term starts tomorrow.
I'll have to adjust my schedule.
Happy New Year!
You, too!
Hey!
Hey, welcome back from Florida!
It's been a while.
How was it over there?
Good. I learned a lot—
Before that, where are our souvenirs?
I brought you one.
Here.
Oh, a keychain? Thanks!
This one's for you, if you'd like one.
Huh? Th-Thanks!
Looks like we got matching ones.
Huh?! Y-You're right...
You'll all start your third year this spring,
so start thinking about your future plans.
Future plans...
If I can't win the All-Japan Junior,
I'll start focusing entirely on applying for college next summer.
So please let me spend the next year focusing only on tennis!
For better or for worse, I only have until summer.
I have no choice but to give it my all!
We're live from the All-Japan Junior Indoor Invitational.
Thirty-two young men and women have advanced through regionals
to compete in this tournament
for the title of best in Japan.
Araya has improved quite a bit since last year!
As expected from Okada,
considering he defeated Araya in the Kanto qualifier!
You take notes even during a match between losers in the qualifiers.
You must really love this.
As time passes, the details of my notes change.
What I'm doing has changed, too.
That's true.
That's right.
If I can learn to hit a fast serve...
As long as I'm not hit with counters like his in my return game,
I can use a wider range of attacks.
Then I can take risks in my return game, like Takuma-san does.
I have to simulate the pattern the best I can while I have time!
Oh? If it isn't Aoi-kun!
Hmm?
Oh, Miyamoto-san, it's been a while.
Yeah, since you retired.
That's, what, two years?
That's right.
What are you up to nowadays?
I went back to STC to coach.
Oh, let me introduce you.
This is my first student, Maruo.
This is Miyamoto-san from Tennis Times.
Nice to meet you.
Hello.
Oh. I remember him from last year's All-Japan Junior...
I can't even imagine you being a coach!
Oh, come on, Miyamoto-san.
It's Nabae-kun!
Looks like the fan favorite has appeared.
I guess he really is famous.
It was like the whole arena shook for a moment.
Well, if you'll excuse me.
Long time no see, Nabae-kun.
Sorry to make you do this right before your match.
Hello, Miyamoto-san.
It's no problem.
Then let's get to it.
This tournament has a lot of significance, since you're the defending
All-Japan Junior champion.
I'd like to know how you feel going into it.
As always, I'm just going to do everything I can.
You sound so composed!
Does this mean you're considering going pro?
If I can play the way I aspire to, I'm sure I'll eventually go that route.
Does that mean you can become a pro by mastering All-A tennis?
Rather than aiming to go pro, Nabae simply accomplishes his goals,
and going pro is something that happens along the way.
His battle with himself is at a higher level than his battle with others,
so his only option is to go pro.
He's completely different from someone like you who's fighting hard to go pro.
Yeah.
But...
I'll eventually have to defeat him,
or I'll never become a pro!
Idiot!
What's the use in panicking now?
No one here is thinking of you as the opponent they need to beat.
I-I know that much!
Not yet, anyway.
But soon enough.
We're going to blow past everyone here soon enough!
Right!
Outgoing Mail Sorry to bother you while you're scouting! I want to see you. Would you mind coming to the main office? It'll take only a moment.
There.
That'll do.
Coach!
I'm going to go buy a drink.
All right. The match starts soon, so be quick.
Okay!
Jeez, what is she up to?
"I want to see you. Would you mind coming to the main office?"
I wonder what's going on with Nat-chan?
U-Um... I'm going to the main office for a bit.
All right.
How can she say things like "I want to see you" so easily?
Is she just not thinking about it, or what?
Huh? Which way's the main office, again?
I-I'm sorry!
No, I'm sorry...
A cell phone battery?
Oh... It went off...
Huh?!
There's a huge dent in it!
Excuse me...
You dropped this.
Oh, okay...
And that's not a dent.
Put this in, and...
put the cover on.
There.
Um... The screen is still black.
Try turning the power on.
Huh?
It turned on!
I-I'm sorry. I'm really bad with cell phones.
That's pretty rare nowadays.
Um, thank you very much.
I wanted to contact my mother, so you really helped me out.
No problem.
She's a bit odd.
Oh, Ei-chan!
Nat-chan!
I was just making my way over to you.
Oh, it's Shimizu-san!
Hi there!
H-Hello.
You know her, Nat-chan?
Yeah, you're Shimizu Aki-chan, right?
Of course I know her.
She's the girls' first seed.
What?! F-First seed?!
You're kidding me, right?!
Um, sorry for causing you trouble.
I'll be going now.
Thank you for your help.
You really haven't heard of Shimizu-san?
Nope.
I don't know anything about the girls.
But that must mean she's really good, right?
She's super good!
She won last year's All-Japan Junior as a first-year!
What?!
She's been training with her mom, who's her coach,
and aiming to go pro since she was young.
So she's always been good.
I've been up against her four times in three years,
but never won.
What?! Nat-chan lost all four matches?!
But lately, I feel like I've caught up to her a little!
So if I win my way up here, I'll face her in the semifinals.
I want to get to that point.
And... I want to beat her just once before I go pro, if I can.
I never knew...
Nat-chan had someone she wanted to beat the way I want to beat Nabae-kun.
By the way, were you and Shimizu-san talking about something?
Oh, yeah.
I just put her cell phone battery back in for her.
I see. She is cute, after all, isn't she?
That has nothing to do with anything.
But more importantly, you messaged me, right?
What's up?
Oh, that's right.
I know you're busy, but...
I was wondering if you could come watch my match for just a bit...
Sure, I'll be over there by the second round.
What?!
That won't work.
Just come for the very beginning, just for a bit...
Just a game or two is enough, so please!
I get it... She still gets nervous during the first round.
Okay, I'll go.
Yay! Thank you!
But there are a lot of matches I need to watch,
so I really may be there only for the first game.
That's fine.
I'm just nervous at the start.
You're the only one who understands stuff like this...
Just having you there will calm me down.
So I'll be fine now!
Amazing.
She really believes she'll be fine now.
All right!
I'll be going now!
Love-15.
Yes!
Looks like she's up to the challenge.
That's it, Aki!
That was good!
Keep it up on the next one!
Aki... As in...
That's Shimizu-san from earlier!
Which means that must be her mom?
Wow, that's incredible.
All her moves are efficient...
And quick, and accurate.
She's like a machine.
So this is the wall that Nat-chan wants to make it over, just like mine.
You can do it, Nat-chan!
I'm gonna do my best, too!
Ugh, it's cold!
Therefore, if you move k along the y-axis in a parallel manner...
So sleepy...
Second period is when I always feel my first wave of sleepiness.
No, that's no good!
I don't have time to study at home, so I have to pay attention now!
All right, that's all for today.
Oh, boy.
His switch completely turns off after class ends.
Even during breaks, Ei-chan's only awake to eat lunch.
He says he's tired from training so hard lately.
Hey, Kageyama-kun...
Is it true that Maruo-kun can't go on the class field trip?
Yeah, Nat-chan can't, either.
What?! Why?!
Apparently, it's really bad for them to stop training
for three or four days before a match.
Their world is so different.
If they're going through all that, I sure hope they win.
But it really is a pity!
My four-day trip with Maruo-kun...
My four-day trip with Takasaki-san...
What the heck were you expecting?
Whew, it's finally over.
Hey, Maruo-kun!
Do you have a second?
It's about the future plans form you turned in.
You wrote "tennis player,"
and I wanted to know how serious you were about that.
Right.
I plan to continue that path until August of my third year,
and my parents agreed to it.
I see.
I knew you weren't the type to joke around about matters like that, but...
With grades like yours,
if you study hard, you can still aim to get into a top university by recommendation.
Did you make your decision knowing that August is the cutoff for a recommendation?
Yes.
If I don't win the All-Japan Junior in August,
I'll give up on tennis.
Well, I'll talk to you later.
Let's talk in detail next time.
Hey, Ei-chan.
Huh? He's not here?
You need Ei-chan for something?
I came to borrow the Ei-chan Notes for world history. But he's not here, huh?
What the hell? He's so useless.
Ei-chan's pretty busy lately.
Tennis again?
He has a big tournament coming up.
A tournament, huh?
I heard a rumor.
He suddenly started saying he wants to go pro, right?
Is he confused or something?
It's hilarious!
Takuma-senpai is one thing, but there's no way he can go pro.
Well, I didn't have much hope for him, either,
but after playing for two years, he's starting to show a lot of promise.
Huh? Yeah, but we're talking about going pro!
That's impossible!
If he has time to daydream, he should be taking useful notes, like he used to.
Yeah, really. His notes are missing a lot of details lately.
Trying to go pro? Is he seriously stupid?
Well, it's impossible anyway!
What's your problem?!
What do you mean by that?
You have no right to ridicule Ei-chan when you're the ones
borrowing notes to get out of studying for tests!
And you'd better stop talking about Ei-chan like that.
You have no idea how much effort he's putting in!
Are you in any place to talk?
You're always depending on Ei-chan.
Lame.
You can say whatever you want about me!
But if you keep making fun of Ei-chan, I won't let you off easy!
Let's go.
Y-Yeah.
Kageyama? Whats going on?
Nothing, really.
Done talking to the teacher?
Yeah.
I'm not sure he understands, but it's something I just have to work hard at.
I guess.
Oh?
You get a second wave of sleepiness in the afternoon?
Yeah, a really intense one.
I'm always fighting to stay awake during class.
Keep at it, Ei-chan!
Yeah.
Oh, it's snowing!
Damn, it's snowing?
Well, can't help that.
Guess I'm weight training indoors today.
Koshimizu, are you on your way to practice?
Huh? Yeah...
Maruo, are you planning on going pro?
Huh?
Well, yeah. I plan on it.
What about you?
Idiot. You and I are on totally different levels.
Good luck.
Yeah. Thanks.
Snowing, snowing!
Oh, yeah, Nat-chan. I heard you made the top four for the All-Japan Junior!
Oh, yeah.
That's your personal best! Congratulations!
Thanks.
But I lost to Shimizu-san again.
Shimizu-san? That girl from...
This one was the most frustrating yet.
I was so close...
Then let's win the All-Japan Junior!
And let's both win and go pro together!
Uh... I can't talk that big for myself yet, but...
I meant, let's use that same determination
to motivate us in the tournament...
Oh, no. I'm starting to feel really embarrassed!
Yeah!
Next Time
For me, this will be the challenge of a lifetime.
The Kanagawa Junior Tennis Tournament is about to begin.
Nat-chan always tells me to try my best, but...
Today she said, "Let's do our best."
She considers me someone she can aim for the nationals with because
she knows how much I've done to get here.
If I lose, I'll have to give up on going pro.
I just have to believe in myself and fight!
Next time on Baby Steps,
Revenge at the Critical Moment
"Revenge at the Critical Moment."
End