I never expected this to happen the day before my match.
Life never goes the way you'd expect.
All right! I'll do my best tomorrow!
Wow, look at all these people!
Well, all the representatives of each age group from seven prefectures are here.
But that number will be cut in half today.
Listen up!
All the STC players will survive to the end!
Right!
Okay!
Let's do this!
Kanto Junior Tennis Tournament
Finish warming up by 7:30, then go for a run.
Get signed in before 8:30.
U-18 boys, No. 30, Maruo Eiichiro.
Then have all my things ready, including notes, drinks, and a towel,
and be courtside no less than ten minutes before the match starts.
My first opponent, Yakabe Tadanori,
made the top eight in the Tokyo Junior and number 36 in the Kanto Junior ranking.
He's a baseliner whose weapons are his serve and his forehand flat shot.
I'll start by looking for a clue as to how to attack in his backhand slice,
which is easiest to read since he uses it often.
So far, everything is going as planned.
If anything isn't, it's...
Okay, then...
Go out with me.
No, no!
I was planning to confess to her one day, anyway!
It was just a little sooner than planned, not totally unexpected!
If I think of it as one weight off my shoulders, it's a positive thing!
But Mike said romance mode and combat mode are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
I should switch gears.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
Huh... He's taller than he looked in the video.
The first round of the Kanto Junior Tennis Tournament will now begin.
Three-set match. Yakabe to serve.
Good luck.
A Hero and Loud Cheers
Just because some unexpected things happened doesn't mean I should rush.
I just have to use whatever data I have and play in my own way.
That was fast!
He's not just tall, but strong, too!
He moved up?!
15-love.
Yes! That's one point!
Serve and volley!
So not only did he grow taller and stronger,
but he's also no longer a baseliner?
Or was that just a surprise attack?
Hang on...
Suddenly everything about this match is unexpected!
Should I reset all the data I had and start over?
He didn't use a topspin serve like that, either!
He moved up again!
30-love.
Taking the time to create new expectations is slowing my response time.
So Yakabe-kun made use of his sudden growth spurt
to change to a serve-and-volley style.
Calm down. It's still his serve.
This isn't the time to rush things.
First, I need to erase as much of that video data from my mind as I can
and focus on watching him closely.
The addition of topspin shots to his serves
makes his flat shots seem to reach farther.
Yakabe Tadanori Maruo Eiichiro
But when I've cornered him, the only backhand shot he uses is a slice.
Maybe he's not confident in his topspin shots because he hasn't
used them much in matches yet.
Okay!
Yakabe Tadanori Maruo Eiichiro
I should use serves with high odds of success,
and not let him break!
When he moves up to volley,
he mostly relies on his strong forehand flat shot.
But that forehand shot isn't too different from the video.
His volley isn't bad,
but his stance is rigid and constrained.
That's probably a sign that he isn't used to it.
Even as a fellow serve-and-volley player, he'd be no match for Takuma-san.
So I can get past him!
Love-15.
Yeah!
Backhand slice, forehand, and volley...
I'm starting to see what I should target.
I was shaken when I saw how much his physique and style had changed in a year,
but since the changes were so abrupt,
they've left a few weaknesses exposed.
Yes!
He's not unbeatable!
Yes!
What's with this guy?
He's going after my weak points, one by one!
Yakabe Tadanori Maruo Eiichiro
Game, set, and match.
Winner: Maruo. Score: 6-3, 6-0.
Yes!
He's unseeded, like me,
but he's really strong.
All right! I made it past the first round!
Hey, good game.
Oh, Aoi-san.
Looks like you're in good shape.
Yeah. I'm not even tired yet.
Really? I guess it's about time, then.
If things go right, you'll face Ide tomorrow.
He might give you a bit of trouble.
Okay.
Matsuda Takahiro Ide Yoshiaki
40-15.
One more point, Yosshi!
Focus!
Come on, Ide!
Finish it here!
Game, set, and match.
Winner: Ide.
All right!
You did it, Yosshi!
Congrats!
Thanks!
So now you're headed for the second round.
If you win there, you can go to the nationals, right?
It's a big match.
Yeah. I have to win tomorrow.
I'm gonna go all-out!
You can do it, Yosshi!
Game, set, and match.
Winner: Takasaki. Score: 6-1, 6-0.
All right!
Takasaki-san's doing amazing today, isn't she?
She's even more fired up than usual.
Congrats on getting past the first round!
Oh, Ei-chan!
I'm on top of my game in every way!
She's blinding me.
"In every way"...
Is she including me in that?
It'd sure make me happy if she is...
It's amazing that she can turn everything good that happens into a positive influence.
Bro! I won, too!
We're all done.
Everyone here from STC has now made it through the first round!
All right!
Looks like all the first round results are up.
Everyone we expected to win, has won.
Nabae Yu VS Yamashita Shinobu
The first seed, Nabae-kun...
Okada Takayuki VS Shima Kosuke
The second seed, Okada-kun...
Araya Hiroshi VS Baba Tetsuhiro
The third seed, Araya-kun...
Ide Yoshiaki VS Matsuda Takahiro
And the fifth seed, who I'm playing tomorrow, Ide-kun.
Huh? Since when are you two going out?
Huh?!
Yeah, since yesterday.
Y-Yeah...
Wow, really? Congratulations!
Seems like it was a long time coming.
You mean you guys haven't been a couple all this time?
W-Wait, yesterday?!
Welcome back, Bro.
You were gone a while.
Yeah... I went for a walk and ended up at the beach.
The beach, huh?
If we win tomorrow, want to light fireworks?
Sounds good!
What, that's when it happened?!
W-Well, yeah...
What's the big deal?
They're both playing well.
Don't get so mad, Yukichi.
But that was right before the first round! That's...
That's not right!
I-I can't help that.
Idiot!
Ow!
That's what you get for taking our Nat-chan for yourself!
Hey, where's Yosshi?
He said he was going for a run around the venue to warm up.
I'm gonna show 'em today!
Ow! It hurts!
Hey! Are you okay?
The kid jumped out of nowhere!
That doesn't matter! We need an ambulance!
Hey, what's going on?
A kid got hit by a car!
Wait, isn't that Ide?
It is!
Hang in there. An ambulance will be here soon, okay?
I need an ambulance, please!
A child's been hit by a car!
The location is—
Hey, Ei-chan! We came to cheer you on!
Kageyama! Sasaki-san!
Thanks for coming all this way.
It's no problem.
Well, it's fine with me, since I'm thinking of it as a date.
Only for today, though. We have to go back tonight.
How's it going?
It's going great!
Of course it is. You're brimming with happiness, after all.
Huh? What's that mean?
Um, Yukichi-kun?
You shouldn't keep secrets from your best friends.
What is it?
Well, actually... I'm going out with Nat-chan now.
I was planning to tell you guys after my match, honest!
Well, not that it matters to me, since tennis is my girlfriend.
S-Sorry! I'm actually still warming up, too.
Later, okay?
Oh... Sure, later.
Sorry, Ei-chan. I can't be happy about this right now, either.
It hurts! It hurts!
It's okay. The doctor's going to look at you right now.
He'll make it stop hurting before you know it, okay?
Would you hold my hand the whole time?
Sure.
I'll stay right here. Hang in there!
It hurts... It hurts!
Hang in there.
He'll need surgery.
What?!
Surgery?!
I don't want surgery!
Yes, but...
Hey, you know... I actually have a tennis match today.
Tennis? You're a tennis player?
Sort of.
It's a big match that will determine whether I'll be able to go pro someday.
Will you promise me something?
I swear I'll win my match today,
so you have to get through that surgery.
O-Okay.
My opponent today is Ide Yoshiaki-kun.
He made the top eight at the All-Japan Indoor Invitational.
He's inconsistent, but he's shown results on a level equal to Araya-kun's.
And...
You should probably pay more attention to Ide.
Ide is a rather unusual player.
Huh?
I don't understand it at all,
but when there's a large, enthusiastic crowd,
or if he's up against a tough opponent or one he has a history with,
or if it's a point that's absolutely critical...
The point is that when he has to perform, he shows incredible ability.
I believe that he has the kind of spirit seen in many top athletes.
Though, his technique isn't as impressive.
So if I have to play Ide, I would want to avoid a close match.
If I want to win, I need to dominate him early on.
Even Nabae-kun said he wouldn't want a close match against him.
He won't be easy to beat, of course.
But if I don't win in the second round,
I can't advance to the All-Japan Junior.
And if that happens, I have to give up on going pro.
All right! I'm ready!
Five minutes until we start!
Here I go!
Ei-chan! Ei-chan!
Kageyama? What's wrong?
My match is about to start.
There's some big trouble with your next match!
Huh?
Please!
He'll be here soon!
So many people...
Did something happen?
Apparently your opponent, Ide, isn't here yet.
They say there was a traffic accident near where he was warming up.
What?! No way!
Is Ide-kun... o-okay?
Yeah, he wasn't actually hurt at all,
but he went to the hospital with the kid who got hurt and
had to tell the police what happened,
so it looks like he won't make it here in time for the match.
No way...
So his friends are asking the tournament referee to delay the start of the match.
He just left the hospital, and he's on his way here!
He says the kid's gonna be okay.
Oh, good!
His email said he can be here in twenty—no, thirty minutes!
Oh, Maruo-kun.
Yes?
I was just about to call for you.
It seems Ide-kun is running late.
Yeah, I heard the gist of the story.
I talked to the hospital staff and the police,
and they said he was a tremendous help to them.
Given the circumstances, if it's all right with you,
I'd like to wait for Ide-kun to get here before starting the match.
What do you think?
Oh... Yes. I think that would be best.
Thank you so much!
Oh, good! Now Yosshi will be able to play!
He's such an idiot.
One wrong move and he'd have lost by default.
He's lucky his opponent's a nice guy.
He's worked so hard, saying the next All-Japan Junior is his last.
Would he throw all that away for some kid he doesn't know?
Now that you mention it, in middle school,
he was late for school once because he was looking after an abandoned cat.
Well, that's the kind of guy he is.
I bet he was hurting even more than the kid he was with.
I can totally see that!
It's remarkable that he would prioritize an injured child over an big match.
Well, not many people could do that.
And his friends have such faith in him.
Sheesh...
Why do things always turn out like this when he's involved?
Okada-kun...
Whenever something happens and turns into a big deal,
he always ends up being the hero of the story.
This has gotten pretty crazy, huh?
Yeah.
But Okada-kun is right.
I already feel like I'm being pulled into Ide-kun's story.
I have to keep my head on straight.
I feel like such an idiot.
You are not.
But you could sort of sense it, couldn't you?
Sh-Shut up!
So that's how it is...
Huh? Something seems weird.
Aren't there too many people at this court?
Maybe some people came to watch after hearing about what Ide did.
He seemed to have a lot of fans to begin with.
You mean most of these people will be rooting for the other guy?
Gives me a bad feeling...
In terms of skill alone,
I think Maruo has reached Ide's level,
but they say Ide is strong when the heat is on.
He's probably used to matches where he's in the spotlight, too.
That makes it hard to figure how this match will go.
It'll be a different kind of match from what Maruo's used to.
It's been thirty minutes already?
But still...
I can't believe how many people are here.
Hey, isn't that Yosshi?
Where? Where?
Oh! It is!
He's finally here!
Hey! Yosshi!
Hey!
Over here!
Oh, so that's the famous Ide?
I heard he almost lost by default for a kid who was in an accident.
Seriously? The fifth seed did that?
That's awesome!
Let's go watch!
I... I'm here!
He's here!
Thanks, guys!
Wait, why are there so many people here?
They heard about you and came to cheer you on!
Huh? Me?
The kid was okay, right?
Yeah. He'll need surgery, but they said it's not that bad.
Thank goodness!
But he kept crying, and the police kept me for ages. It was rough.
Anyway, it worked out great.
You get to play your match!
Yeah! You worked so hard,
and you were so close to losing by default!
Well, it worked out, right? Thanks to you guys.
Idiot!
Sorry, okay?
Here's your stuff.
Just hurry up and get going!
Make sure you win!
Yep!
There he is!
Ide! I'm rooting for you!
The All-Japan Junior won't be any fun without you!
Do your best for that little hurt kid, too!
Wow, we're totally the away team here.
I-It's crazy.
It'll depend on whether he can play without getting bewildered.
Sorry, Maruo-kun. Thanks for waiting!
It's okay. I'm glad you get to play.
I'll get ready right now. Just give me a sec.
Amazing... All this attention is on him,
and he's not nervous at all.
He must be used to large audiences.
No, he's the type that actually plays better under those circumstances.
You have three minutes to practice.
That means this situation works in Ide-kun's favor.
Not only that,
but the skill of his shots is enough to compete on a national level.
And I have to beat an opponent like this, in a situation like this.
Isn't that...
sort of like a professional match?
Time.
I won't forget my debt to you.
Don't worry about that.
I heard what happened.
Really? It was pretty rough, to be honest.
But it all worked out, thanks to you and everyone else.
It must be fate that I get to play like this!
Let's make this the best match ever!
Y-Yeah!
The second round of the Kanto Junior Tennis Tournament will now begin.
Three-set match. Ide to serve.
"Let's make this the best match ever," huh?
Yeah, let's. So we won't regret anything.
Because this might be the last time I put my all on the line
for a tennis match.
But I'm sure it's the same for Ide-kun.
I want to win a match like this!
You can do it, Yosshi!
Yosshi! Get the first point!
Love-15.
All right! Nice return, Ei-chan!
Um, guys? Can't you cheer for him out loud?
Looks like he's not unnecessarily nervous.
With Ide-kun, victory goes to the swiftest!
I need to take the lead and try not to let him make this a close, exciting match!
Ide! Get that point this time!
For a topspin shot, that was fast!
Yes!
15-all.
Yeah! Nice serve!
Ide! Get your second point!
Awesome!
You're awesome, Ide!
Wow, the cheering is insane.
Quiet, please!
Okay, Ide! Take the lead!
Hold on to it!
Okay...
Nice, Ide!
One more point!
Ide's incredible!
What the heck is this?
Next Time
It's pretty hard to play when everyone's cheering for my opponent.
If he's only going for decisive shots,
I'll just have to use my best method to hold serve!
Here goes!
His serves weren't this fast last year.
He's totally different from when I saw him play Nabae.
Oops...
I'll think about it while I play.
I'll figure something out eventually.
Next time on Baby Steps,
Whish, Then Fwoom
"Whish, Then Fwoom."
End