Three days since that day. Seventy-two hours since the cursed racket had attacked the Seishun Academy tennis club. After school, the laughter that usually echoed from the clubroom was a little more subdued. Instead, sighs and the rustle of skirts grated on the ears. Still, once they stepped onto the court, everyone was the same as always. "[serious]Alright, the next practice menu is match-style training at the garden off-campus. Everyone, get ready." Their crisp voice rang out. Even in a girl's body, Captain Tezuka's orders never wavered. In fact, Inui-senpai had recently noted in their data notebook that Tezuka's movements seemed to have gained a certain softness. "[excited]Alright! We can really cut loose outside!" Momoshiro-senpai struck a guts pose. Their spiky hair was the same, but in a school uniform skirt, they looked like a girl no matter how you saw it, and that gap was hilarious. "[sarcastic]Momo-senpai, you'd better be careful your skirt doesn't flip up." When I said that, Momoshiro-senpai's face turned bright red. "[angry]Shut up! You're one to talk, you little shrimp!" "Being a shrimp has nothing to do with it." "[laughing]Fufu, you two are so energetic." Fuji-senpai laughed, their eyes narrowed as usual. Their flaxen hair swayed at their shoulders, and that gesture, in a girl's body, was somehow incredibly beautiful. A dozen or so club members headed for the street tennis plaza along a tributary of the Tama River, commonly known as the "Garden." Three stops from Seigaku by train, a ten-minute walk from the station. The two simple courts built on the riverbank were completely empty today, reserved just for them. "Alright, let's start rallying right away!" Momoshiro-senpai said, twirling their racket. That's when it happened. Beyond the fence, on the embankment dozens of meters away, three unfamiliar middle schoolers stood watching. "[whispers]...Momo-senpai." I lifted the brim of my cap and pointed toward them. "[whispers]Hm? What's with those guys? Here to watch?" The trio was pointing at us and whispering among themselves. One was tall, one was small, and one had a camera. "[scared]Aren't those all girls over there?" "[surprised]Those uniforms... that's Seishun Academy. So the rumor is true! The whole club turned into girls!" Their conversation carried on the wind. (This is bad.) Momoshiro-senpai's expression changed. "[urgent]Everyone, hide behind the bench! Hurry!" Momoshiro-senpai quickly barked orders. The other club members, realizing the situation, scrambled to duck behind cover. But Captain Tezuka, being tall, was completely visible over the fence. "[excited]There! That girl's wearing a Seigaku jersey! It's definitely them!" The trio came running over. The guy in the lead grabbed the fence with an infuriatingly smug grin. "[arrogant]I'm Kojima from St. Rudolph Academy. I heard the rumors and came to confirm them. That the Seigaku Tennis Club all turned into girls because of a curse!" St. Rudolph Academy. If I remembered right, that was the school we faced in the last city tournament. "[angry]It's none of your business! Go home!" Momoshiro-senpai yelled through the fence. "[sarcastic]What's this, you're a girl too. So the rumor really is true. Can you even play tennis looking like that?" Kojima pointed at Momoshiro-senpai and laughed loudly. A vein throbbed visibly on Momoshiro-senpai's temple. "[cold]...So you're saying we should have a match?" When I cut in, Kojima looked at me and smirked. "[surprised]Huh? You're just a normal guy." "[excited]O-oh, Echizen...!" Momoshiro-senpai looked at me, surprised. "[serious]This is perfect. Momo-senpai and I will take you on in doubles." I picked up my racket and gave it a spin. "[laughing]You've got a happy look on your face." Momoshiro-senpai gave a wry smile. But their eyes already held a spark of excitement rather than anger. "[sarcastic]You've still got a ways to go. And Momo-senpai, don't trip over your own skirt." "[excited]Leave it to me! I'll blow these guys away!" We stepped onto the court. Kojima and the other guy, the small one with the camera, took the opposite side. "[sarcastic]Don't cry if I hit it for real against a girl, okay?" Kojima said, resting his racket on his shoulder. "[serious]Watch from behind the bench. This will be over quickly." Captain Tezuka murmured quietly. Match start. Kojima served. A sudden power shot. The ball came flying, cutting through the wind. But—it was slow. "[excited]Too easy!" Momoshiro-senpai spun their body lightly and returned it with a backhand. Their skirt fluttered up, but they didn't seem to care in the slightest. Even in a girl's body, their footwork had, if anything, become more agile. "[surprised]So fast!?" Kojima's eyes widened. "[cold]Momo-senpai, nice shot." At the net, I observed the other guy's movements. He was panicking. Their coordination was a mess. (In that case...) The next ball came. I swung my racket with my left hand. Swish. With a soft sound, the ball was sucked into the corner of the court. "[surprised]What was that shot!?" "[sarcastic]Just a twist serve. You've still got a ways to go." I lowered the brim of my cap and smiled with just my mouth. From there, it was a one-sided affair. Momoshiro-senpai picked up every power shot. Picked up, picked up, picked up endlessly. No matter how hard the opponent hit, by the time it reached Momoshiro-senpai, the ball had become as soft as cotton candy, and it was returned to a perfect position. "[angry]H-how can you return that!?" Kojima shouted. "[laughing]Your shots are so slow they make me yawn!" Momoshiro-senpai laughed it off. In those openings, I fired tricky shots one after another, aiming for the very edges of the opponent's court. One point, two points, three points—. Before we knew it, the score was five to zero. "[scared]Dammit, not yet! There's no way it'll be six to zero—" The final point. I tossed the ball up. Focus. The wind's direction. The opponent's center of gravity. Momoshiro-senpai's position. Calculating everything in an instant, I hit the serve. The ball grazed the opponent's racket and stabbed into the court right on the line. "[surprised]No way..." Six to zero. It was our overwhelming victory. "[angry]Th-that was a fluke! It's the court's fault!" As Kojima and his friends rattled off excuses, Momoshiro-senpai waved at them with a cheerful smile. "[laughing]You can come back if you want! But next time it'll be ten to zero, so be ready for it!" The backs of the three as they fled. Serves them right. "[gentle]...Good work, Momo-senpai." "[excited]Echizen! That last serve of yours was seriously nasty!" Momoshiro-senpai slapped me on the back repeatedly. The club members came swarming out from behind cover. "[serious]You both did well." Captain Tezuka nodded quietly. Even in a girl's body, their eyes were still so strong, and for a moment, my breath caught. "[embarrassed]Ah... thanks." I hurriedly lowered the brim of my cap and averted my eyes from Captain Tezuka. My face felt hot. What is this. (It's because of tennis. Yeah, that must be it.) Leaving the garden as the sun began to set, we walked the road back to school. "[casual]Hey, Echizen." Momoshiro-senpai fell into step beside me. "[surprised]What is it?" "[thoughtful]In today's match, the angle on your serve was a little different. Been doing some research?" I stopped in my tracks without thinking. "[surprised]You noticed?" Momoshiro-senpai grinned. "[gentle]Of course I did. I've received your shots more than anyone else, after all." A warmth spread deep in my chest. This guy is always loud, nosy, and constantly nagging, but—. "[embarrassed]...I really can't compete with you, Momo-senpai." I pulled the brim of my cap down low and hid my face. "[excited]Oh? You say something?" "[hasty]It's nothing." This guy is someone I can trust. No matter what anyone says, he watches my tennis, watches me, more closely than anyone else. (...Thanks, Momo-senpai.) The setting sun cast long shadows onto the asphalt. Back in the clubroom, everyone started getting ready to go home right away. Alone, I sat at a desk and took out that racket. The pattern carved into the grip. Even peering at it with a magnifying glass, it was still a sequence of symbols I'd never seen before. I don't know if it's some curse-artisan or whatever, but who on earth would make a pattern like this. "[gentle]That's an interesting racket." "[surprised]Whoa!" A voice suddenly came from behind me, and I thought my heart would leap out of my chest. I turned around to find Fuji-senpai standing there, having appeared without a sound. Still in their girl's body, smiling quietly. "[scared]Fuji-senpai... how long have you been there?" "[gentle]I just got here. More importantly, that racket. Everyone who touched it turned into a girl, right?" "[serious]...Yeah. But their tennis ability hasn't dropped. If anything, the captain's flexibility has increased, or so I hear." "[gentle]That's not what I mean." Fuji-senpai turned their gaze out the window. "[whispers]Hey, Echizen-kun. Who do you think is the weakest?" Those words echoed in the unnervingly quiet clubroom. "[confused]...What do you mean?" "[mysterious]Who knows. I don't quite understand it myself yet. But don't you think it's interesting?" With just that, Fuji-senpai waved a hand lightly and left the clubroom. The weakest. That's not about tennis ability. Then, what is it. I gripped the racket once more. A cold chill seeped into my hand. Outside the window, from the thicket of trees beyond the tennis courts, I thought I saw something glint for just a moment. "...Must be my imagination." But Fuji-senpai's words wouldn't leave my head. —Who do you think is the weakest? I still don't know the answer to that.