Emergency first aid was currently being administered to Natsumi-senpai on the sidelines of the Rinka High School bench. Beside the activity, the advisor and Natsumi-senpai were locked in a deep conversation—most likely discussing whether or not she should continue the match.
As I watched the scene intently from the spectator seats, the advisor let out a heavy sigh. Then, Natsumi-senpai slowly stood up.
She gripped her favorite racket firmly in her hand. It was a clear declaration of her intent to return to the court. It seemed their discussion had reached a final conclusion: the match would continue.
"Natsumi-san!!"
"Natsumi!!"
"Yuzuki-senpai!!"
"Natsumi-senpai!!"
As we called out to her, she turned toward us with a beaming smile, her expression seeming to say, "I’m okay."
But… even so.
"Kazunari… if I judge that she can’t handle it, I’m going onto the court. I don't care if it's a loss by default or whatever—I'm taking Natsumi-san to the infirmary. If that’s not enough, I’ll take her straight to the hospital."
"Yuji…"
If the moment came, he wouldn't hesitate to take drastic measures. Yuji's firm tone and the sharp look in his eyes were unmistakable indicators of his resolve.
Certainly, if Yuji—who wasn't a participant—intruded onto the court, the match would be halted. If he actually took Natsumi-senpai away, there was no doubt she would be disqualified.
But I couldn't stop him. In fact, I had no intention of doing so.
If the person down there had been Sara-san, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay calm either.
"…I agree. If it is Tachibana-san taking action, Natsumi will likely listen to reason. If anyone in the crowd complains, I shall silence them using my Student Council authority."
Sara-san’s words of agreement were a bit intense, but they were certainly reliable.
Yuji wasn't the only one worried. Me, Sara-san… everyone felt the same.
"I understand. Do whatever you have to do, Yuji."
"Well, I don't think anyone here is going to oppose you."
"Yeah. We’re all worried about Yuzuki-senpai!"
"Yuzuki-senpai's well-being is more important than a match."
"I won't let anyone say a word against it."
"If you need to take her to the hospital, I can have preparations made immediately."
Yuji nodded silently at our support.
With a gaze full of grim determination, he stared intently at Natsumi-senpai.
But if possible, I hoped she could somehow finish the match on her own.
Because surely, Natsumi-senpai herself—being the one actually playing—desired that more than anyone.
"Everyone, let's cheer with everything we’ve got!!"
"""Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"""
The Fan Club raised a fierce battle cry, resuming their cheering with even more heat than before.
"Natsumi-san!!"
Yuji’s voice rang out, cutting through even that massive roar of support.
Whether she heard him or not, Natsumi-senpai, who had been staring straight ahead, nodded quietly. She slowly prepared her stance.
"Haaah!!"
Paaaann!!
It was a burst of pure fighting spirit.
Natsumi-senpai unleashed an intense serve that showed no sign of her injury, the ball piercing sharply into the opponent's court. Upon landing, she began to step properly, rhythmically pushing off the ground with her injured right leg.
Paan!!
When the opponent hit a solid return, Natsumi-senpai reacted quickly and drove it back. For us, who were hoping for a short-term decisive battle, the beginning of a long rally was the last thing we wanted to see.
Paan!!
Paan!!
Natsumi-senpai moved nimbly, showing no outward signs of pain. However, there was no doubt that the longer the rally continued, the greater the burden on her leg would become.
"—!?"
For a split second, Natsumi-senpai’s movement lagged as if her foot had slipped.
It only looked as though she had lost her footing. But considering it was her right leg, perhaps…
"Kh…"
As the ball came back with momentum, Natsumi-senpai, her balance compromised, desperately reached out with her racket. Unfortunately, she couldn't catch it cleanly. The ball deflected off her racket, veering wildly off course.
"Fifteen-thirty!!"
The umpire announced the score, and the ball rolled right toward us.
Natsumi-senpai walked over to pick it up. I thought this was the perfect moment to give her some encouragement.
"Natsumi-san!!"
"…Yuji?"
I wasn't the only one; everyone else had likely been planning to call out to her as well.
But Yuji spoke faster than anyone. As he and Natsumi-senpai stared at one another, an indescribable atmosphere settled between them.
The rest of us, along with the surrounding crowd, watched in silence, swallowed by the intensity of their interaction.
"Is your leg really okay?"
"…It's fine. This happens all the time."
"I see."
"Yeah. So—"
"No. What I’m saying is that I’ve realized it isn't okay at all."
"Ugh."
"The truth is, it's not okay, is it?"
"Ugh… That's, well…"
Faced with Yuji's aggressive tone, Natsumi-senpai was already being pushed back.
While this was a familiar sight for us, it was likely a rare glimpse for the members of the Fan Club. Naturally, whispers began to break out.
"…Hey, look at Natsumi-chan. She’s acting a bit…"
"…Right? It's a little different from how she usually is."
"…Is it because he’s Takanashi-kun's best friend?"
"…But she acts like her usual self with Takanashi-kun or Yokokawa-kun, doesn't she?"
"…T-True. That’s a good point."
When dealing with Yuji, Natsumi-senpai's usual "Big Sisterly Type" persona vanished, and her "Maiden" side peeked through.
The more someone knew the usual Natsumi-senpai, the more obvious that change was.
"I'm telling you now. If I decide it looks too bad, I'm going to stop you even if I have to walk onto the court. I’ll take you straight to the infirmary."
"Wait—"
"By the way, I’m not joking."
"Yuji!! I am definitely going to finish this—"
"Then finish it quickly."
"…Yuji?"
"It's simple, isn't it? If you're worried about your leg, just end the match. If you go for a short-term decisive battle, you have a better chance of playing until the end."
"Guh…"
Deep down, Yuji understood exactly what Natsumi-senpai wanted—her desire to see this through to the end.
This was Yuji's compromise.
If she didn't want the match stopped, she had to win immediately.
"Ah, don't worry. I’ll be taking you to the infirmary in a princess carry."
"Hah!?"
"In front of everyone, I’ll carry you all the way there like a princess—"
"D-D-Don't be stupid!! That’s not funny!!"
Natsumi-senpai immediately became flustered when Yuji teased her.
Her face turned bright red as her "Maiden" side took over completely. However, the timing was a bit problematic.
"""........."""
When I glanced at the people around us, the members of the Fan Club had frozen with expressions of pure shock. Well, that was to be expected.
Thanks to Sara-san, I was already quite used to these kinds of reactions.
"If you hate the idea that much, you have no choice but to win quickly, don't you? Besides, I haven't even seen Natsumi-san's 'Super Play' yet."
At Yuji's blatant provocation, Natsumi-senpai let out a bold, defiant smirk.
"…Fine. I'll show you my full power. But in exchange… you'd better have a reward ready for me when I win."
"Yeah, sure. Either way, it'll be like a reward for me too."
Yuji accepted her demand surprisingly easily. Did he have something in mind? Ah!
Wait… could it be that?
"Hmph, you seem awfully confident. I'll make sure you’re singing a different tune later. Besides, I've had more than enough of this kind of humiliation play just watching Takanashi-kun!!"
"Wait, what!?"
I had intended to just stay out of it, but I couldn't help but interject after that.
What was that supposed to mean!?
"Natsumi, what do you mean by that? Why are you bringing Kazunari-san into this?"
"I mean, you're always putting on a show in front of people, aren't you?"
"Please do not compare me to something so low-level. Everything I do is an expression of my love for Kazunari-san. Besides, the way Kazunari-san spoils me is quite adorable, so—"
"Wait, Sara-san, stop!! Stop!!"
I could feel the lukewarm, pitying gazes from everyone around us.
Wait a second, why has a humiliation play suddenly started for me!?
"Player Yuzuki!! Please return to the court!!"
A helping hand—of sorts—arrived in the form of the umpire’s stern warning. Natsumi-senpai turned back toward the court in a hurry. Had she actually forgotten where she was?
"Yuji, watch me!!"
"Yeah. I’m watching."
With those final words, Natsumi-senpai returned to the game.
Thinking about it, if this had been an official tournament match, those antics would have been seriously penalized. It was lucky she only got a warning.
"H-Hey, Takanashi-kun…"
"Um, about Natsumi-chan and that guy…"
"What’s the deal with…?"
As expected, after witnessing a scene like that, people were starting to put the pieces together. Still, it wasn't my place to say anything.
"No more talking!! Resume the cheering!!"
"""Oooooooooo!!"""
The command to resume cheering came at the perfect time, and the conversation was swept away.
Even if it wasn't forgotten, being able to put it off for now was a relief. Given how things had gone, Natsumi-senpai would likely be the one to make the next move anyway.
Maybe Yuji said those bold things on purpose to push her?
............
Natsumi-senpai bowed to the umpire and her opponent, and the call to resume the match was made.
There were no penalties, which was a huge relief.
However, that exchange hadn't magically healed her leg. The problem remained exactly as it was before.
"Phew…"
Natsumi-senpai wiped away her sweat and prepared to serve.
Come to think of it, she seemed to be sweating quite a lot.
She took a deep breath, stared straight at her opponent, tossed the ball, and—
"Hup!!"
Paaaann!!
Just like before, she unleashed a beautiful serve that defied her injury. Natsumi-senpai immediately started stepping, waiting for the return.
Even though she aimed for a short-term victory, things wouldn't go that easily.
Paan!!
Natsumi-senpai sprinted toward the opponent's return. Backing up slightly, she timed her swing and struck through.
Paan!!
Natsumi-senpai's return gained distance as it bounced. Her opponent backpedaled and hit it back. A long-distance rally began—the one thing we wanted to avoid. It forced Natsumi-senpai to move more, which was dangerous for her leg.
"If they keep hitting it deep, it'll be tough for Natsumi-senpai. But that’s the game…"
Even if her weakness was being targeted, no one could complain. She had stepped onto the court knowing the risks.
"—!"
Immediately after the opponent's return, Natsumi-senpai suddenly charged forward.
She was moving much further forward than usual.
"That's a…" Hayato began.
The moment the ball bounced, Natsumi-senpai struck it while it was still on the rise, hitting it from a low posture.
"A Rising shot that low!?" Hayato shouted in shock.
The ball flew with incredible speed, especially considering it was hit from such a difficult position. The sudden change in timing caught the opponent completely off guard. They couldn't even react in time.
"Thirty-all!!"
"Oh…"
"""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"""
"""Natsumi, Natsumi, Na-tsu-mi, nice!!"""
A stir ran through the spectator seats, followed by the roaring cheers of the Fan Club.
To be honest, I didn't fully grasp what had happened either, but it was clear she had changed the timing of her hit entirely.
"Hayato, what was that?"
"It's called a Rising shot. You hit the ball while it's still rising after the bounce. But hitting it from that low a position is incredibly difficult to do in a real match. It’s easy to mess up. But if you land it, it completely breaks the opponent's rhythm and saves you from having to move as much."
"I see."
"To be fair, both Natsumi-senpai and I have used Rising shots before. But that low… pulling that off in the middle of a match? As expected of Natsumi-senpai."
So that was it.
She had probably avoided using it because of the low success rate. It was one of her hidden trump cards.
Regardless, it was amazing.
"Ah, Yuzuki-senpai is smiling."
I looked over at Tachikawa-san's voice. Natsumi-senpai was smirking, giving a subtle thumbs-up at her waist. She had definitely pulled one over on her opponent.
That was her first real display of confidence since the injury.
"Here we go. Considering the strain on her leg, she needs to avoid a deuce. Natsumi-senpai has to score consecutive points now."
Hayato was right. From this point on, if the opponent took even one more point, the game would go to deuce whether she was leading or trailing.
That would mean the match would be dragged out. She needed to win the next points immediately to end it.
"Phew…"
Natsumi-senpai seemed to understand that better than anyone. She took several deep breaths to steady herself before the serve.
"Hup!!"
Paaaaann!!
The serve went in, and the opponent returned it cleanly.
Natsumi-senpai sprinted toward the ball’s drop point once again. Was she—!?
"—!"
Paan!!
Another Rising shot! She caught the ball right as it began to ascend.
The ball flew toward the opponent's court like a bullet.
The opponent had been wary of it this time, however. They managed to reach the ball and fire a return.
Paan!!
Natsumi-senpai closed the distance to the landing point yet again. This time, she twisted her body, coiling her muscles as if storing up power.
"Backhand!"
Hayato’s voice coincided with the bounce. Natsumi-senpai unleashed all that stored energy at once. Swinging through with her entire body, she drove the Rising shot toward a difficult spot right near the line.
Between the consecutive speed plays, her opponent’s form crumbled. They were clearly too slow to react.
"Forty-thirty!!"
"""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"""
"Natsumi-chan!!!!"
"Natsumi-senpai, keep it up!!!!"
"Natsumi, just one more!!!"
The stands erupted with desperate cries of "Natsumi!" Even the Fan Club stopped their coordinated songs, joining the singular roar of her name.
"Natsumi!! Win it on the next one!!"
"Natsumi-senpai!! Special Move!!"
Even Sara-san and Hanako-san, who had been cheering calmly, were now shouting orders. We joined in with everything we had.
Natsumi-senpai was visibly out of breath, and she was drenched in sweat.
It was obvious that she was fighting through immense pain.
That was why we screamed our lungs out for her.
"Natsumi-senpai, you can do it!!!"
"Natsumi, show some grit!!"
"Yuzuki-senpai!!!!"
"Yuzuki-senpai, don't give up!!"
"Natsumi-senpai, you're almost there!!"
Natsumi-senpai seemed to be channeling all her focus. She didn't react to our voices at all. She caught her breath, staring fixedly ahead, and prepared for the final serve.
In that moment…
"Natsumi-san!!!"
Natsumi-senpai, who had been ignoring everything else, seemed to smile ever so slightly at the sound of Yuji's voice.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Paaaaaaaann!!!!
It was the most powerful, intense serve of the day. No—it was probably the most intense serve I had ever seen from her.
The ball screamed across the net, attacking the opponent’s court with a force that rivaled Hayato’s bullet serves.
The opponent managed to time their swing, slamming their racket against the ball with all their might.
"—!?"
But the moment they tried to swing through, their movement wavered.
They couldn't drive through the ball. It looked as if they were being physically pushed back by the sheer momentum of the serve.
"It's a chance!!"
Either at the same time or faster than Hayato’s shout, Natsumi-senpai charged the net. She plunged toward the high return.
This was it!
"Natsumi-san, goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!"
Even after knowing Yuji for so long, I had never heard him roar like that.
As if propelled by his voice, Natsumi-senpai leaped into the air, drawing her racket back.
A direct hit!?
"Hup!!"
Combining her full body strength, her running momentum, and the force of her jump, she unleashed what was surely her absolute maximum power.
Paaaaaaaann!!
The ball she slammed into flew with a force that looked like a smash. Its trajectory curved sharply downward, piercing into the court and skidding away into an empty area with its speed unchecked.
The opponent didn't even try to reach it. They simply watched it go, having already given up.
"Drive Volley…"
As a hush fell over the stands, Hayato’s soft mutter of the technique’s name was the only thing I heard.
But the name didn't matter. What mattered was the result.
"Game Set!!! Match won by Yuzuki…"
"Ya…"
"Yaaaaaay!!!"
"She won!!!"
"""Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"""
The court was swallowed by a deafening roar of cheers. The Fan Club was in a frenzy, and the spectators erupted into thunderous applause.
We celebrated Natsumi-senpai’s victory together. I shared high-fives with Yuji and Hayato. A moment later, Sara-san threw her arms around me, and Hanako-san hugged me from behind.
But…
In contrast to our celebration…
Natsumi-senpai slowly slumped down, collapsing onto the court.
"Natsumi!!"
"Natsumi-chan!!"
The advisor and club members rushed from the bench and surrounded her. Natsumi-senpai managed a faint smile. She rubbed her right ankle as she talked to them, giving firm answers.
She still couldn't stand up, though.
"Yuji!?"
"Tachibana-kun!?"
Hayato and Todo-san spoke in surprised tones. I looked over and saw that Yuji was already walking toward the court.
He moved slowly, his expression tense, drawing the gaze of everyone in the area.
He walked past the stunned tennis club members and the advisor. At the center of it all sat Natsumi-senpai, her face slightly cramped with embarrassment.
I had a feeling it would end like this.
Well, Yuji, now it's your turn to do your best, right?