[Brain Storage Checkpoint…]
…
Late July.
The scorching heat lingered as the Kanto Tournament drew to a close.
Tokyo, Japan.
Seigaku, Tennis Club.
"Rin Matsuoka, what have you done?!"
"Even if Takei made a mistake during the match, that's no excuse for you to raise a hand against a senior! Besides, Takei's injured now—why should you apologize to Tezuka?"
"Moreover, Tezuka used his non-dominant hand against a senior, which itself shows a lack of respect. This time, it's a case of both sides being at fault."
"To be honest, you're the one who should apologize to Takei. He's your senior, after all!"
A barrage of angry voices exploded across the silent tennis court.
At the center of the confrontation stood several figures.
More precisely, it was two against one.
A middle-aged woman with a high ponytail, dressed in a pink tracksuit, radiated fury as she spoke.
Beside her, a boy with short, dark green hair wore a disapproving expression, his gaze fixed on the boy standing across from them, his eyes filled with a sense of youthful judgment.
That boy had wine-red hair, neither too long nor too short, and a strikingly handsome face—beautiful, even—with a rebellious, bad-boy aura that added a dangerous charm.
But at this moment, his expression was far from pleasant.
He was a transmigrator in the world of The Prince of Tennis.
His name remained Rin, full name Rin Matsuoka—a rather unique name that had surprised him at first.
Twelve years had passed since he arrived in this world.
It wasn't until last year that he realized he had transmigrated into the world of The Prince of Tennis.
A month and a half ago, Rin Matsuoka joined Seigaku's tennis club.
Upon joining, he began trying to change Seigaku,to push for reforms that would allow first-year students to compete in the upcoming National Tournament.
After more than a month of effort, Rin finally convinced Coach Ryuzaki Sumire to give all first-year students a chance.
Even so, Ryuzaki remained dissatisfied.
His actions were clearly challenging her authority over the tennis club's teaching methods, shaking her standing within the team.
But in that month, Rin had built an undeniable reputation among the first-years. Many looked up to him as their leader.
His exceptional strength made him the top first-year player, and just a month ago, he'd earned a spot as a regular on the team—an unprecedented achievement.
Thanks to his efforts, Seigaku had secured a spot in the National Tournament.
However, their ranking wasn't high. They'd barely qualified, with slim chances of winning the championship.
Even so, Ryuzaki felt a sense of pride.
Seigaku hadn't achieved such results in years—perhaps ever.
Which made Rin's actions this time all the more infuriating to her. Beating up a senior? Who would compete in the National Tournament now—these first-years?
As for the fact that Takei had struck first, Ryuzaki had seen it. But she'd also seen Tezuka suddenly switch to his non-dominant hand, which enraged Takei and led to his irrational outburst.
"Rin, just apologize to Takei. This incident… well, Takei was wrong too, but Tezuka's actions were provocative," said Yamato Yudai, breaking the silence.
While acknowledging Takei's mistake, he still dragged Tezuka into the blame, siding with Ryuzaki and Takei.
…
The court fell silent.
No one had expected this turn of events.
Especially Tezuka Kunimitsu.
He recalled the helplessness he felt when Takei's racket came swinging toward him. If Rin hadn't stepped in, he would've been injured—perhaps severely.
Tezuka had a sinking feeling that without Rin's intervention, he might have suffered an injury that would haunt him for life, potentially derailing his tennis career.
"This has nothing to do with Rin…"
Tezuka furrowed his brow, about to speak.
Others were also ready to chime in.
They couldn't understand why, when Rin had clearly prevented a worse outcome, the coach and captain were siding with Takei.
"No need to say anything."
Rin raised a hand, his expression tinged with disappointment as he looked at Ryuzaki and Yamato.
He had joined Seigaku despite knowing its flaws.
Part of it was due to a promise he'd made.
The other part was his pity for Seigaku—a tennis club with a legendary past that shouldn't be tarnished by such stains.
But now, he realized something.
Saving Seigaku was impossible.
"I'm not apologizing. I didn't do anything wrong."
Rin spoke slowly, his gaze heavy with disappointment as he turned to Ryuzaki and Yamato. "You keep saying Tezuka disrespected his senior. But… haven't you ever noticed that Tezuka's dominant hand is actually his left?"
A captain and a coach.
The two people who should care most about their players' growth.
Yet neither had noticed that Tezuka Kunimitsu's dominant hand was his left?
How ironic.
The insult hit hard.
Tezuka's eyelids twitched. He hadn't expected Rin to notice.
Oishi Shuichiro and the others looked stunned.
Moments later, their faces showed signs of realization.
They'd noticed something too.
"No wonder…"
A boy with flaxen hair let out a soft chuckle. Fuji Shusuke opened his ice-blue eyes, casting a light, almost mocking glance at Yamato and Ryuzaki.
The irony was palpable.
In that instant, both Ryuzaki and Yamato froze.
Tezuka's dominant hand was his left?
For a moment, both felt a pang of regret. They'd never noticed.
"Even so, it's his fault for not saying anything,"
Ryuzaki said, frowning. "Tezuka should've reported something that important."
"Coach… it was written on Tezuka's club application,"
Oishi said timidly. "I saw it…"
The atmosphere grew even more awkward.
"Coach, stop blaming Tezuka. This incident was Takei's fault from the start. Now, I have one question: will you make Takei apologize to Tezuka? And since you and Captain Yamato misunderstood Tezuka, will you apologize to him as well?"
Rin's brow furrowed.
Regardless of the original storyline, in this world, one reason Takei attacked Tezuka was because Rin had pushed for first-years to participate in the intra-school ranking matches and earn regular spots.
Apologize?
"Rin Matsuoka! Don't push it! Keep this up, and I'll expel you from Seigaku!"
Ryuzaki's face darkened. Even if she was wrong, did Rin have to humiliate her in front of everyone?
Apologize to Tezuka in public?
Impossible.
But the moment those words left her mouth, Ryuzaki's expression changed.
"Coach!"
Yamato's face tightened.
Before either could react further, Rin spoke.
"Fine."
Rin looked at Ryuzaki and Yamato, his smile completely gone. "Good. I can't stay at Seigaku any longer anyway."