Chapter 4: The Rookie Challenge Mission

  Unbelievable!

  No one could have imagined that this rookie before them would deliver such a stunning serve.

  Immediately, all eyes shifted to Shinohara. Many of them carried a hint of mockery, as if they were anticipating an entertaining scene.

  "Damn it!"

  Shinohara finally snapped back to reality. As he felt the gazes around him, his face turned red with embarrassment.

  Lifting his head, he gred fiercely at Ishikawa, his eyes burning with fury. It was this brat who had humiliated him in front of everyone. There was no way he could let this slide. Otherwise, how could he continue to hold his position in Hyotei?

  "You’ve got some nerve, kid!"

  Shinohara’s voice was ice-cold. He gripped his racket tightly and strode toward Ishikawa.

  "I need to teach you exactly what happens when you disrespect your seniors!"

  Hearing this, the surrounding rookies’ expressions changed. Fear filled their eyes as they looked at Shinohara. This was the reality of Hyotei’s third-years—dominant, aggressive, and completely unyielding.

  As for the rookie who had challenged him, they could only consider him unlucky. He had a decent serve, but provoking an uppercssman? That was a serious mistake.

  The other uppercssmen, however, seemed unfazed, as if this kind of thing was routine. Many of them eyed Ishikawa with a sense of amusement.

  So what if he's talented? This is Hyotei.

  For over six years, Hyotei had consistently competed in the National Tournament and repeatedly dominated as Tokyo's champions.

  With a tennis club of over 200 members, they were unmatched in scale across the country. But a rge team meant fierce competition.

  Many of these pyers couldn’t even secure a spot in practice matches. So when a rookie like Ishikawa, who showed promise and might one day make it into the second team or even become a regur, appeared, it was only natural for them to feel some hostility.

  As a result, they were all too eager to see Shinohara put him in his pce. Many pyers focused their gaze on Ishikawa, eager to see fear and panic on his face as Shinohara closed in.

  But—

  They were disappointed.

  Even as Shinohara stormed toward him, Ishikawa remained calm. Only when Shinohara got close did he finally speak.

  "So this is what Hyotei is like…"

  "What do you mean?" Shinohara frowned, halting his steps.

  Sigh. Ishikawa let out a soft sigh.

  "I thought Hyotei was a pce where skill determined everything. But now, it seems like it still relies on the old-fashioned hierarchy."

  After speaking, he shook his head, as if disappointed.

  Shinohara caught the hidden meaning in his words and demanded, "What are you trying to say, brat?"

  "Heh." Ishikawa smirked. Calmly, he said, "If I’m not mistaken, this is a tennis club, right? Shouldn't tennis-reted disputes be settled on the court?"

  "Or…"

  At this moment, a pyful smile appeared on his face.

  "Are you afraid you’ll lose, senpai?"

  "You—!"

  Shinohara’s expression darkened instantly. Ishikawa’s words brought back memories of that lightning-fast serve from earlier, and for a split second, he felt an instinctive hesitation.

  But just as he was about to ignore everything and take action, a sudden chill ran through him.

  Whoosh!

  Shinohara instinctively turned his head and spotted a young man with dark blue-bck hair, wearing gsses and a bnk expression. Immediately, his pupils shrank.

  "O—Oshitari…"

  A drop of cold sweat slid down Shinohara’s forehead.

  A regur had arrived! And not just any regur—this was Oshitari Yuushi. Among the Hyotei regurs, his singles ability ranked in the top three.

  Oshitari was known for his composed and serious demeanor, always upholding the team’s rules. If he found out that Shinohara wanted to punish a first-year just for not picking up balls, there was no guarantee that he’d take his side.

  At the same time, the surrounding pyers’ expressions made it clear—Shinohara had no way out of this. If he refused the challenge, he would be ridiculed by everyone. If he accepted and lost, he would become the ughingstock of the entire club.

  Winning was the only way to salvage this situation and minimize the damage to his reputation.

  "Fine!"

  Shinohara sneered at Ishikawa. "Since you're so confident, I’ll py you. I’ll show you the difference between a rookie and a senior!"

  [Ding!]

  [Pyer has triggered mission: First Challenge!]

  [Mission objective: Defeat Hyotei Tennis Club’s third-year Saburo Shinohara to prove your strength.]

  [Mission reward: 80 experience points.]

  [Accept mission? Yes / No]

  Without hesitation, Ishikawa chose Yes.

  Lifting his gaze, he smiled at Shinohara. "Please go easy on me, senpai."

  Though his words sounded respectful, the annoying smirk on his face made it clear—he was mocking him.

  "Tch!"

  Shinohara snorted coldly and turned to take his position.

  The others watching shook their heads, some even chuckling.

  Shinohara was clearly furious. He didn’t even bother fighting for the right to serve, which, admittedly, would have been embarrassing for a senior to do against a rookie.

  Then, everyone turned their attention to Ishikawa.

  "This kid is way too arrogant."

  "Yeah, he just joined and already dares to challenge a third-year? Way too cocky."

  "If he thinks having a good serve is enough to win, he’s in for a rude awakening."

  "Tennis isn’t just about serving!"

  "Oh?"

  Oshitari, who had been silently watching, now looked at Ishikawa with interest.

  "Good serve, huh?"

  He had arrived a little te and hadn't seen Ishikawa’s serve himself. But judging by the reactions of the second and third-years, it must have been impressive.

  After all, gaining their acknowledgment was no easy feat.

  Meanwhile, as Ishikawa moved toward the baseline, he overheard the murmurs around him and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

  Going up against impossible odds? Reckless overconfidence? Isn’t this just the cssic setup for a rookie’s introductory challenge?

  (End of Chapter 4)