Genichiro Sanada and the others arrived at the hospital to visit Seiichi Yukimura.
Stepping into the hospital room, they saw Seiichi Yukimura sitting up in bed, his face pale yet his gaze serene, the smile at the corners of his lips as gentle as ever.
Seeing his teammates come to visit, his smile only deepened as he set the book in his hand aside.
"You're here."
Sanada walked up to the bedside and said softly, "Yukimura, how are you feeling?"
Seiichi Yukimura smiled and replied, "I'm feeling much better. Thank you all for coming to see me."
The rest of the group also offered their concern and regards.
"How is the tennis club doing right now?"
As the captain, the state of the tennis club was naturally his primary concern.
"Everyone is working very hard. Every single person has made considerable progress. The championship for this year's Kanto Tournament will definitely be ours."
On this point, Sanada was supremely confident.
"There are a few dark horses this year, but none of them are worth worrying about. The probability of Rikkai achieving a sixteenth consecutive victory at the Kanto Tournament is ninety-five point four six percent."
Whenever Seiichi Yukimura was absent, the tennis club was basically managed jointly by Sanada and Renji Yanagi. Thus, they were the ones who knew its status best.
"Oh? It's actually not one hundred percent?"
Hearing this data, Seiichi Yukimura looked somewhat surprised.
"There are a few dark horses this year, but they are nothing to worry about."
"You've got it wrong, Senior Yanagi! Our winning probability is definitely one hundred percent! With the Rikkai ace here, how could we possibly lose!"
The little seaweed head declared with supreme, unearned arrogance.
"My data does not make mistakes. Akaya only scored 37 points on his mathematics test this time, and a mere 23 points in English. If this continues, the probability of him failing his courses is one hundred percent, and the probability of him being barred from future matches is also one hundred percent."
In an instant, everyone's gaze converged on Akaya Kirihara.
Seiichi Yukimura's smile grew even more gentle, as if countless lilies were blooming behind him.
"Is that true, Akaya?"
A vein throbbed violently on Sanada's temple as he strode over and dealt him two iron fists.
"Akaya Kirihara, you are far too slack!"
The little seaweed head hugged his helpless self in the corner and shivered.
Wails echoed in his mind: If only he had known, he would have kept his mouth shut. His head hurt so much!
"Poor Akaya, let me help you tutor."
Mom-friend Jackal Kuwahara reached out and affectionately patted Akaya Kirihara's seaweed-like head, which sported two large swollen bumps, while uttering words that utterly shattered the boy's psychological defenses.
"But Jackal, your own English only just barely passed with 60 points. Are you sure you can tutor him?"
Bunta Marui, acting as his doubles partner, drove a few metaphorical knives straight into him without the slightest hesitation.
At this, Jackal and Akaya huddled together and wailed in misery.
"Partner, why don't we pitch in and help too! Puri!"
Masaharu Niou leaned lazily against Hiroshi Yagyuu, his entire body going limp as if he had no bones.
Hiroshi Yagyuu pushed up his glasses and then pushed him away with zero mercy.
Without even thinking, he knew this fox was up to no good—who knew what bad idea he was hatching this time.
Even so, he nodded in agreement, simply because he was curious to see what the trickster was plotting.
Seeing that a full squad tutoring session was practically guaranteed, Akaya Kirihara suddenly remembered his comrade in the trenches. Operating on the principle of sharing weal and woe—and mandatory tutoring—he blurted out:
"Senior Yanagi, Youyou only scored 8 points on her national language test this time. Does she need tutoring too?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted it, for he caught sight of Senior Yanagi suddenly opening his eyes, a flash of murderous intent passing through them.
"She didn't tell me."
Renji Yanagi suddenly smiled, though it sent an inexplicable chill down everyone's spines.
Akaya Kirihara swallowed hard, thinking he was totally doomed.
How was he supposed to know Youyou hadn't told him! Since this test required a parent's signature, he had simply assumed Senior Yanagi already knew.
Recalling Asuka Youyou's martial prowess that could easily defeat Sanada, a cold wave of dread washed over him. Would he be beaten flat into a piece of paper?
"8 points? Hahahaha, how do you even get an 8? How is it possible for anyone to score an 8 in national language?"
Hearing that number, Masaharu Niou thought he must have misheard.
Watching Masaharu Niou laugh so hard he couldn't straighten up, while the rest of the group bit their lips and turned red trying to hold back their laughter, Renji Yanagi looked somewhat helpless.
"Youyou grew up in America since she was a child, and her aunt and uncle didn't deliberately teach her how to write characters, so she can speak them but doesn't know how to write them."
Saying this, Renji Yanagi felt a headache coming on. Every single night recently, he had carved out time to teach the girl how to write. But writing wasn't something one could master in a day or two.
Scoring 8 points wasn't actually all that surprising.
"How about this: starting tomorrow, every evening we will set aside time to collectively tutor the two of them."
Finally, Sanada handed down the definitive verdict.
Far away in Kanagawa, Asuka Youyou had no idea that thanks to her seatmate's big mouth, she was about to plunge headfirst into a glorious crucible of fiery trials.
Listening to the names spoken by his teammates, Seiichi Yukimura felt a stirring of curiosity.
"Who is Youyou?"
"Youyou is my younger sister; her full name is Asuka Youyou. She just transferred to Rikkai for school this semester."
Mentioning his younger sister, Renji Yanagi's expression softened entirely. Then, seeming to recall something, he cast a somewhat hesitant look toward Seiichi Yukimura.
Not only did the Rikkai Tennis Club lack a coach, but due to various reasons, they didn't even have managers or anything of the sort.
However...
"What is it?"
Noticing the other's gaze, Seiichi Yukimura looked perplexed.
"Could the tennis club create a spare position and let her serve as my assistant? I'm somewhat worried about her, and after thinking it over, I'll only feel at ease if I keep her by my side."
He added, "I'll keep a close eye on her and won't let her cause any trouble."
Seiichi Yukimura smiled faintly. Their tactician had always been as calm and detached as a lotus flower; when had he ever worn such a nervous expression?
Moreover...
Looking at the expectant expressions on the faces of the others, it was clear they all dearly wished for this girl to join them.
He, too, grew rather curious about what kind of girl she actually was.
"Of course. I trust that Yanagi's younger sister must be an exceptional girl, and the tennis club warmly welcomes her."
Renji Yanagi let out a long breath of relief and looked at Seiichi Yukimura with gratitude: "Yukimura, thank you."
He knew Yukimura was only granting permission out of consideration for him; otherwise, he would never have broken his own principles to let Youyou into the tennis club.
"Don't mention it. I'm also very much looking forward to meeting Yanagi's younger sister."
"Youyou is an exceptionally wonderful girl! And she's the ace's seatmate, too!"
The moment the girl was brought up, Akaya Kirihara started chattering away enthusiastically, completely forgetting that he had just backstabbed his lovely seatmate a moment ago.
"And her kendo skills are even more formidable than the vice-captain's!"
Hearing these words, Seiichi Yukimura's interest was thoroughly piqued. He knew all too well how formidable his childhood friend was, and for someone to be able to beat him...
He found himself eagerly anticipating meeting this girl.
Asuka Youyou, was it?
Seiichi Yukimura silently repeated the name in his heart.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
After stepping out of the plant shop, the two turned and entered the adjacent dessert parlor.
The interior was dominated by pink and white tones, with cute cartoon drawings and photographs hanging on the walls, creating a cozy and comfortable atmosphere.
The soft, warm lighting cast a romantic ambiance. Strings of pink balloons hung from the ceiling, while adorable toys and decorative items adorned the corners.
Even the tables and chairs were petite and dainty, featuring charming designs in lovely macaron color palettes.
Each table held a different bouquet of fresh flowers, and guests were free to choose their seats according to their preferences.
The dessert counter, crafted from pink marble, was laden with an array of delectable pastries that made one's mouth water.
"Shusuke, the strawberry cake here is exceptionally delicious. You simply must try it!"
Whenever her favorite sweets were mentioned, the girl grew exceptionally excited, her eyes sparkling brightly. If she had a tail, it surely would have been wagging back and forth behind her right at that moment.
"Alright."
Seeing the girl's adorable appearance, Shusuke Fuji chuckled softly. His already gentle voice grew so soft it seemed it could melt into water.
The shop assistant worked quickly, and soon their desserts were ready.
"Your desserts are ready, please enjoy."
A staff member wearing a custom uniform brought the sweets over to their table, and upon seeing the strikingly attractive pair, her eyes lit up.
She couldn't help but remark: "You two look like such a well-matched young couple!"