"Well, we'll be heading out now," I said.
"Take care!"
"Make sure to tell Natsumi-chan to do her best!"
"I'll come by to take a peek later, too."
As the match time drew near, we cut our small talk short and decided to head out early. My only regret was leaving Uesaka-san looking so forlorn... He had been a huge help yesterday and today, so I figured I should probably invite him out again on another occasion.
As we walked toward the tennis courts, we were met with the usual familiar scene: a crowd gathering, their attention focused mainly on Sara-san and Nishikawa-san—and perhaps Hanako-san too. No one seemed to mind it anymore; even Todo-san, the most bashful of the bunch, wasn't bothered. It was a strange sort of desensitization.
"Now then, first up is the boys' tennis..."
"Yokokawa-kuuuuuun!!"
"Hayato-kuuuuun, fight!"
"Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to!"
It was the same old scene as always. Fortunately, there weren't any hardcore fans wearing matching happi coats or headbands, but with the uniforms of other schools mixed into the crowd, the turnout seemed even larger than usual.
"Wow, impressive... So this is the rumored Yokokawa-kun Fan Club," Yuji remarked.
"It really is something," Eri added. "I certainly agree that Yokokawa-san possesses exceptionally rare good looks, but still..."
"I see... So this is how it is..."
Seeing the spectacle for the first time, Yuji and the others seemed surprised in a normal sort of way. Perhaps they were already growing accustomed to these kinds of sights. To think the influence had reached this far...
"Ah, Takanashi-kun, welcome!"
"Yahoo, Takanashi-kun!"
"Oh, you're here! Wait, quite a large group today... even Nishikawa-san is here!?"
"Wow, it's the same faces as yesterday!"
The members of the fan club noticed us and welcomed us as warmly as ever. Since it was a well-known fact that I was Hayato's best friend, they were fundamentally favorable toward me, which I appreciated.
"What should we do? Want to move to the front?" one of them asked.
"No, before that, I'm going to go say something to Natsumi-senpai."
"Ah, right!"
"Then we'll keep a spot open at the front for you!"
"Give us a shout when you get back!"
"Thanks!"
I hadn't exactly intended for this to happen, but not having to worry about saving a spot was quite a lucky break.
"Heh... Takanashi-kun is pretty amazing too," Yuji noted.
"Kazunari gets special treatment because he's the Handsome Guy's best friend," Hanako explained.
"I see. That sounds plausible," Yuji agreed.
Ever since the incident at the Sports Festival, word had gotten out that I was Hayato's best friend, and the female officers of the fan club had started doing me favors. I knew it wasn't because of anything special about me, but back in the early days when I was still dragging around my middle school baggage, being welcomed so favorably had made me happy.
"Well then, it looks like we're fine over here, so shall we head to Natsumi-senpai first?"
"Yes," Sara said. "I just hope Natsumi isn't overextending herself..."
Hayato aside, Natsumi-senpai was effectively the club president since the third-years were retiring after this match, so there was a sense she was overthinking things behind the scenes. Besides, this was the first time she would be showing Yuji one of her matches.
"The fan club is gathered in full force over there, too..."
"Haa... As always, Natsumi is popular with her own gender," Eri observed.
Where we were headed, a crowd of women had gathered, just like with Hayato. The difference, however, was that they were watching Natsumi-senpai's practice session in respectful silence. This was the hallmark of the Natsumi-senpai Fan Club—they were remarkably well-disciplined.
"Takanashi-kun, hello!"
"Welcome, Takanashi-kun!"
"Satsukawa-san, good work!"
"Aaah! It's Nishikawa-san! It's been a while!"
The group noticed our approach and raised voices of welcome, prompting everyone else to notice and wave as well. As always, being greeted so warmly was genuinely nice.
"Hello," I said.
"Good work today," Sara added.
As I returned the greetings and checked our surroundings, I saw the two girls from my class were definitely there as well—now out of their maid outfits—and they waved at us.
"How is it? How does Natsumi-senpai look?" I asked.
"Well, her motivation is perfect," one fan replied. "However..."
"She's been spending a lot of time watching over the others' practice... I'm worried she hasn't been able to focus on her own," another added.
As they spoke, the fan club members shifted their gaze to the court. I followed their eyes and saw Natsumi-senpai gesturing as she gave instructions. While the others were practicing on their own, it seemed Natsumi-senpai was the only one stuck coaching.
"It's a difficult position," Sara murmured. "Given Natsumi's standing, it might be unavoidable to some extent."
"Natsumi is very caring, after all," Eri said. "Especially when it comes to her juniors, she doesn't have the kind of personality that would let her ignore them to focus on herself."
It was just as they said; considering Natsumi-senpai's personality, it was likely a combination of those two factors. That said, it wasn't like we could voice our complaints... so the fan club members were likely feeling frustrated because they understood the situation all too well.
Still...
"Let's at least give her some encouragement," Yuji suggested.
"You're right. At the very least, let's give her a boost of spirit," Sara agreed.
"I'm for it," Eri said.
"Yeah, I want to say something to her too," I added.
I wondered if Yuji's voice would turn out to be a blessing or a curse, but it would probably be fine.
"Please do! I'm sure Natsumi-chan will feel relieved once she hears your voices, Takanashi-kun!"
"Please, Takanashi-kun, Satsukawa-senpai!"
"Everyone, make a path!"
Triggered by that one voice, the center of the crowd parted like a sea in some movie. In the blink of an eye, a corridor made of people was completed. I was impressed by their coordination, but it was grand to the point of being beyond embarrassing.
"Well then, let's take them up on their offer. Shall we go, Kazunari-san?" Sara asked.
"Takanashi-san, let's go," Eri said.
"Kazunari," Hanako added.
Neither Sara-san nor Nishikawa-san seemed particularly bothered... which meant I was the one leading the way. Yes, I had figured as much.
Steeling my resolve, I began to walk down the human corridor while exposed to curious gazes. However, the curiosity of the fan club members seemed focused mostly on Nishikawa-san, Tachikawa-san, and Yuji—the only other male besides me. Since they were from another school, it was only natural.
When we successfully reached the front line, Natsumi-senpai, who had apparently noticed us halfway through, signaled with a raised hand and a wry smile. After saying a quick word to the person she had been coaching, she came jogging over.
"That's quite an exaggerated entrance you've made, isn't it?"
"We weren't the ones who asked for it," Sara replied.
"They're remarkably well-disciplined," Eri noted. "As expected of Natsumi's fan club."
"It's not like I'm doing anything special to make them that way!"
The three of them—the Three Princesses—immediately started trading barbs. There was no way a group like that wouldn't draw every eye. Not just the fan club, but the surrounding spectators and even the people in the opposing school's stands were focusing on us... though mostly the men.
"Wow, it's my first time seeing this, but... it's kind of... amazing, isn't it?" Yuji said.
"Hey, what do you mean by amazing!?" Natsumi-senpai barked.
"Um... various things?"
Natsumi-senpai was flustered and panicking, while Yuji watched her with a wry smile. He hadn't seen it quite like this yesterday, but he was now being reminded exactly how his girlfriend was treated at this school.
"Hey, Takanashi-kun. Is that person a friend too?"
"It's my first time seeing that face. He's not a boy from this school, is he?"
"Eeeh..."
It was natural for them to be curious. Now, how should I answer? I shouldn't meddle unnecessarily, so I should probably leave the response to Natsumi-senpai. In that case, the answer would be...
"He's my childhood friend, so he's here through me," I said.
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
"So he's from a different school. Natsumi-senpai's social circle is important, so we have to tell everyone else too."
Even if it was a safe answer, I'd just answered what I was asked. It was important for things like that to be told by the person themselves, or else it could leave a grudge later.
"Natsumi, how's your condition?" Sara asked.
"It's fine. But because you guys came, if anything, my rhythm is thrown off."
"If you can still make light remarks like that, you'll be fine," Eri said.
"It's okay," Hanako added. "Natsumi-senpai has a skill where any ball the opponent hits back somehow ends up being an 'out'..."
"I keep telling you, I can't do something like that!"
I didn't quite get what Hanako-san was talking about, but it seemed Natsumi-senpai's tension had eased. Looking at us—more accurately, at Yuji—with a somewhat bashful expression, she thrust out her fist. It probably meant "thanks" or "I'll win," or something like that.
"Natsumi should be fine now," Sara said.
"Yes. Given her personality, it's just like Natsumi to be able to switch gears with a simple change of pace," Eri agreed.
Eri, you were about to say "simpleton," weren't you...
Well, regardless of the phrasing, I also thought it was one of Natsumi-senpai's good points that she was quick to switch gears and generally stayed positive.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me; go to Yokokawa-kun's court. The boys are starting first."
"Understood. Shall we leave someone behind?" I asked.
Feeling a bit mischievous, I tried to push her buttons. Even without mentioning Yuji's name, Natsumi-senpai was smart enough to know what I meant. I wasn't saying it just to be mean, though.
"Stop saying unnecessary things and get going, you half of that Stupid Couple!"
While thinking how charming Natsumi-senpai looked shouting and making a fuss without caring about the public eye, we decided to return to Hayato. If she was in that kind of mood, she would be completely fine.
Just before the start of the boys' tennis matches, the players from both sides gathered at the courts. Of the two courts, the one closer to us was for singles and the one further away was for doubles, with both proceeding simultaneously. However, since about half of the women who had come to cheer were there for Hayato, the spectators naturally crowded around our side.
"I'm getting excited!" Yoko chirped. "Marina, have you seen a match before?"
"Yeah. I've come to cheer a few times."
"I see. I don't know the rules of tennis, so if something happens, please give me a commentary!"
"Eh, w-well, I don't know them that well myself..."
Todo-san looked at me, troubled, but I didn't know them that well either. There was no way I could provide commentary.
"If it's about tennis, you should ask Eri," Sara suggested.
"Are you knowledgeable about it, Nishikawa-san?"
"I wouldn't say 'knowledgeable,' but I've dabbled in it to some extent before."
"Wow, amazing!"
"It was only dabbling, truly."
Eri was being humble, but from her vibe, I bet she was definitely an expert. She looked like the type who could even do horseback riding—that was just my image of her, though.
"Kazunari..."
After finishing the greetings with the opposing school, Hayato came over to me. As we always did, we bumped our right fists together. I hadn't started this; it was something we began at Hayato's request. He said it was for good luck, but I wondered if bumping fists with me actually brought any benefit. Also, for some reason, a segment of the girls screamed every time we did it.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Good. I absolutely can't lose today, so my motivation is perfect."
After looking at each of our faces one by one, Hayato nodded with a smile. As he said, his determination seemed to be in full swing.
"I see."
"Yeah. The opponent is strong, so I'm going to go all out."
I knew Hayato was one of the strongest in the club, but that didn't mean he was invincible. I had seen him lose before. At those times, the way he looked more apologetic toward us than frustrated with himself was very much like him.
"Good luck, Hayato!"
"Yokokawa-san, I'm cheering for you," Sara said.
"Yokokawa-kun, fight!" Yoko added.
"Do your best," Marina whispered.
"Try your best, I suppose," Hanako said.
"Haha... yeah, thanks, everyone."
Receiving everyone's cheers—even if Hanako-san wasn't being honest—Hayato took one large, deep breath and nodded. It was that look of absolute focus he always wore before a match.
"Yokokawa-kun..."
"Todo-san, I'm definitely going to win. I want you to watch me."
"Yeah. Do your best."
The two of them gazed at each other for a moment, creating a somewhat meaningful mood. They didn't seem particularly shy, but there was a certain atmosphere between them.
"...Is it just me, or does Hayato-kun seem different than usual?" one fan whispered.
"...Isn't it because Takanashi-kun and the others are here today?" another replied.
"...True. It's frustrating, but I guess we can't beat his best friend~"
"...But we can't lose either. Let's cheer harder than usual!!"
"Hayato!"
"I'm coming!! Well then... I'm off!"
After giving a signal to Todo-san and then to me, Hayato returned to the court. Leaving it at just Todo-san would have been fine, but that's just how he is.
Good luck, Hayato.
The order of the singles matches was decided by the club rankings, and Hayato was Singles 2 as usual—essentially, he was the second-strongest. Strictly speaking, there were also doubles members, but even considering them, that was his rank. That said, I actually thought Hayato was stronger than the captain, who was Singles 1, though I wouldn't dare point that out.
Currently, the Singles 3 match was being played. it was a close contest; both sides had taken one set each, and it was currently a deuce at 40:40. On an unrelated note, I wondered why tennis points were such strange numbers, like 15 or 40.
"Game set! Match won by..."
While I was pondering those pointless things, the match ended. The first doubles match hadn't finished yet, but with this, we had one loss.
"Oh dear, the end was quite sudden, wasn't it?" Eri noted.
"Yeah, it was nothing but mistakes," Hanako agreed.
"In the final stages, his concentration was clearly gone. Lack of stamina... or perhaps something else..."
The player who lost was trudging back while looking toward us with intense disappointment. Surely not because of us...?
"Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to!"
"Rinka Fight!!!!"
"Hayato-kuuuuuun!! Do your best!!"
The Singles 2 match. As soon as Hayato appeared on the court, the usual loud cheers and "Hayato calls" rose from the fan club. The opposing side watched this with distaste, a perfectly normal sight. To be honest, it looked like it would be really hard to play under those conditions.
Hayato showed no reaction to the cheers, hopping and stepping to check the feel of the court. Once he finished, he finally thrust the hand holding his racket toward me. When I returned a thumbs-up, he smiled happily and went toward the umpire.
The fan club members just watched that interaction warmly. Since it was the usual sight whenever I was around, they didn't make a scene.
"T-This is simply irresistible..."
"This is so good for my heart..."
Some of them were having the usual strange reactions.
"Hey, Takanashi-kun, is it always like this?" Eri asked.
"This interaction? Yeah, pretty much every time."
"Ehehe, Takanashi-kun and Yokokawa-kun are very close friends, after all," Todo-san said, sounding as proud as if it were about herself.
I was glad she felt that way, but to be honest, I was aware I was doing something a bit cheesy, so I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. But today, Hayato seemed to have a strangely strong sense of that... there was a slight feeling of mismatch.
"...Such interactions between men are wonderful, aren't they?" Eri mused.
"Fufu... it's Kazunari-san, after all," Sara said.
Leaving aside Sara-san, who completely affirmed everything about me, I was unexpectedly receiving praise from the others. I wasn't aiming for that, though; it was just that Hayato was the one who insisted on doing it.
"The best of three sets match..."
The chair umpire read out the pre-match call, and finally Hayato's match began. Hayato had the service right. Since it was a three-set match, the one who took two sets first would win—even I had learned that much.
Now then, the start. Looking at how motivated Hayato was...
Paaaaaan!
In what looked like slow motion at first glance, the racket was swung down with a terrifying force that caught the opponent off guard. With a loud explosive sound at the moment of impact, the ball pierced intensely into the opponent's court. Carving the line, the ball sped away before the opponent's racket could even reach it.
"Fifteen-love!"
"""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"""
"""Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to!"""
On the court surrounded by cheers, the opposing player was staring blankly at the ball rolling away. I had heard people calling him "senpai," so he was definitely older, but it seemed he hadn't expected to be aced right off the bat.
"A-A service ace..."
"Nishikawa-san, did that just score a point...?"
"Y-Yes."
"Hayato-kun took the lead!"
"I... I couldn't even see the ball..."
"Amazing, Hayato..."
It was no wonder Yoko and the others were surprised. Watching from the very front row, the speed was incredible. In a tournament, you'd be watching from the stands, but this was just a normal school court.
Still...
"It's rare for Yokokawa-san to show such power play," Eri observed.
"I thought so too," I agreed.
"The Handsome Guy is being too tense," Hanako noted.
Just as Hanako-san said, it looked to me like Hayato was over-powering his shots. If I considered that his earlier appeal to me was a manifestation of that tension, it made sense. However, even I knew that Hayato was not a power player.
I wondered what would come of this.
"Forty-love!"
"""Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to!"""
"""Rinka Fight!!!!"""
Along with the umpire's call, the court was enveloped in loud cheers. Since Hayato had taken three points in a row, he could take this set with just one more. For now, it was a one-sided affair; the opponent was being swallowed up by Hayato's sheer intensity.
"With one more point, Yokokawa-san will take this set," Sara said.
"The one who takes two sets first wins, right?" Eri asked.
Leaving aside Eri and the others who were seeing Hayato's match for the first time, Sara-san, Todo-san, Hanako-san, and I weren't as happy as those around us. It seemed some members of the fan club also felt something was off, as I could see them watching with puzzled expressions.
"He's just hitting the ball back with sheer momentum," Sara noted.
"Yeah," I replied. "He hasn't used any techniques like drop shots or lobs."
"I wonder what's wrong... Yokokawa-kun," Marina whispered.
Since he wasn't being pushed back or losing, for now, we just had to watch, but...
Paaaaaaaaaan!
Hayato hit a return with a smash that looked like he was slamming the ball down from directly above. The opponent stared at it blankly, halfway to giving up.
"Game and set! First games..."
"""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"""
"""Ha-ya-to! Ha-ya-to!"""
""Yokokawa-kuuuuuun!!""
"Yokokawa-kun, that's amazing!"
"You're right, I didn't think he'd take it straight like that..."
The end of the first set was immediately announced, and as it was called that Hayato had taken it, loud cheers rose. While the fan club was making a fuss over his dominance, Sara-san, Todo-san, and I shared an unreadable expression. Of course, if it was just groundless fear, then there was no problem.
"What is it, Kazunari?" Sara asked.
"No, it's nothing. If he takes the next set, it's over."
Whether it was momentum or whatever, if he took two sets, that would be that. If he could take it with this flow, then for the time being, it was fine...
"Ku!?"
In a complete reversal from the first set, the sight of Hayato being made to run around the court now stood out. Originally, this was the sight of Hayato setting things up against his opponent, but he was now the one in that position. It was only an amateur's judgment, but it was probably because Hayato was being too tense, and the opponent was exploiting that.
"Forty-fifteen!"
The umpire's call announced the opponent's point. If the next one was taken, Hayato would lose this set. If that happened, he would lose his psychological edge, and the third set would be the final showdown. Moreover, the opponent had probably noticed that Hayato was trying to force his way through, so his calm play was now standing out in contrast. It was the exact opposite of the usual match pattern.
"Yokokawa-kun..."
Among us, Todo-san was the most restless. Mumbling Hayato's name over and over, she was still desperately cheering without looking away.
"He should probably calm himself down once," Sara said.
"Why is the Handsome Guy so hurried?" Hanako asked.
I could only think of Todo-san as the factor for Hayato's haste. But with his appeal to me being more intense than usual, there must be a trigger that made him unnecessarily determined—though in my estimation, that would also lead back to Todo-san.
"Forty-thirty!!"
Hayato's ball hit near the line. From where I was, I couldn't tell if it was in, but the umpire called it in. The opponent had judged it as out and let it go, so we were lucky. At any rate, if he could take the next one, it would be a deuce; there was still a chance to turn it around. But this wasn't a fundamental solution... was there something we could do to follow up from here?
"Hmm, those old bad habits are cropping up again."
"Natsumi-senpai!?"
"Natsumi?"
Before I knew it, Natsumi-senpai was standing right behind me, muttering her impressions. I mean, the girls' tennis match was coming up after this; was it okay for her to be here?
"Yokokawa-kun's original style is tennis that uses technique and brains," she explained. "If he's thinking about unnecessary things, he naturally won't be able to do that."
"If it's Natsumi-senpai, you must have some good idea," I said.
"I do."
"Eh!?"
She answered quite simply for something I'd been worrying about, but she was reliable.
"Well, he seems to be more determined than usual for some reason... though there's normally nothing that can be done from the sidelines. But this time..."
"Game and set! Second games..."
The call for the end of the second set came from the umpire, announcing that Hayato had lost. It was unfortunate; he hadn't been able to bring it to a deuce. Even to an amateur's eyes, the flow of the match was with the opponent, so if he didn't switch gears here, he might lose the next set too.
Quickly, I turned to her for Natsumi-senpai's idea...