Morning. Faint light slipped through the gap in the curtains. Echizen Ryouma sat up in bed and reached for the cap by his pillow. *(I couldn't sleep.)* His head was full of what he'd seen last night. The court at night. The sound of wall practice. The swaying ponytail. *Thump.* There it was again. Something deep in his chest, jumping strangely. *(This isn't excitement for tennis.)* He knew it himself. And knowing it only made things worse. "[whispers]...Tch." He pulled his cap down low and left the room. --- On the way to the clubroom building, he passed by a patch of scrub woods. The scent of grass wet with morning dew pricked his nose. "[gentle]Good morning, Echizen-kun." The voice came without warning. He looked over to see Fuji-senpai walking out from among the trees. Their flaxen hair caught the morning light, looking silver one moment and gold the next. They wore their usual faint smile. "[surprised]Fuji-senpai, what were you doing out here this early?" "[gentle]Oh, just a little something. There's an old stone shrine deeper in these woods. I was looking into it last night." "[curious]A stone shrine?" "[gentle]Yes. I thought there might be some clue left behind about how to break the curse." Fuji-senpai's narrowed eyes opened just slightly, revealing the pale blue irises within. "[gentle]To break the curse, it seems the one who was cursed needs to accept their new form from the heart. That appears to be what's required." "[confused]Accept it...?" "[gentle]That's right. To acknowledge, 'This is who I am now.'" Ryouma gripped the brim of his cap tightly. *(Accept it... what does that even mean?)* "[gentle]Echizen-kun, your face is red. Were you thinking about something again?" Fuji-senpai's voice was almost like singing. "[angry]I-I wasn't thinking about anything." "[gentle]Why not ask the captain?" With just that, Fuji-senpai gave a light wave of the hand and disappeared into the clubroom. Left behind, Ryouma stood rooted to the spot. *(Ask the captain, they said...)* Again, that scene rose in his mind. The court at night. The sound of wall practice. Beads of sweat scattering like flecks of light. He shook his head. *(No. Right now, breaking the curse comes first.)* He told himself that. But his heartbeat stayed fast. --- Captain Tezuka was writing something at the desk in the clubroom. Today, too, the ponytail swayed against their back. "[serious]Captain." When he spoke, Tezuka looked up. The eyes behind the silver-rimmed glasses fixed on Ryouma. That force of gaze hadn't wavered a single millimeter, even though their form had changed. "[serious]Echizen. Did you find something out?" "[serious]I just heard from Fuji-senpai that to break the curse, the person who was cursed needs to accept their new form from the heart." He explained it all in one breath. Tezuka was silent for exactly one beat. "[serious]Understood. Let's go." An immediate answer. "[surprised]Huh? Go... go where?" "[serious]The opposing school. We need to meet that stuffed animal one more time." Ryouma was surprised. But more than that, he felt his chest grow warm. *(This person is always like this.)* They don't hesitate. They don't fear. "[serious]Echizen, you have a face that looks like you want to say something." "Huh?" The sound slipped out. "[embarrassed]I-It's nothing, really." He turned his face away. His ears were burning. "[laughing]Hey-o! What're you talking about?" Momoshiro burst into the clubroom and took one look at Ryouma's ears. "[laughing]Echizen, your ears are totally red! What happened?" "[angry]Shut up! It's nothing!" Momoshiro laughed without making a sound, then raised his voice loud. "[excited]Alright! Then let's get moving! To the opposing school!" Momoshiro slapped Ryouma on the shoulder with a *thwack* and dragged him along. It was a kind force, like he was helping him cover up his embarrassment. --- The four of them swayed on the train, heading for the opposing school. Ryouma clutched his racket bag. Inside were the cursed racket and the stuffed-animal-form Kanazawa. "[serious]Captain, please hold onto this." As they passed through the opposing school's gate, Ryouma handed the stuffed animal to Tezuka. Tezuka took it and lifted it up to eye level. "[serious]Kanazawa Hayato. Is this truly your weakest form?" Their voice was quiet. The stuffed animal let out a small *squeak*. "[serious]You think losing to Seigaku was your weakest moment, don't you. But losing is not weakness." Tezuka's voice rang clear and dignified. Ryouma felt a tightness in the back of his throat. *(The captain is talking about themself.)* He understood. Tezuka was speaking to Kanazawa, but at the same time, they were telling themself the same thing. Telling the self that had changed into a girl's form, yet still strove to remain the captain. --- "[excited]Captain! There's a mirror over here!" Momoshiro raised his voice from the corner of the clubroom. An old mirror stood propped against the wall. Tezuka handed the stuffed animal back to Ryouma and stood before the mirror. They stared at their own reflection straight on. "[serious]............" A long silence. The air in the clubroom grew taut. Momoshiro swallowed audibly. Fuji-senpai narrowed their already-narrowed eyes even further. Ryouma felt sweat beading on his palms. Then— "[serious]I am the captain, even in this form. That is what the Seishun Academy Tennis Club is." Tezuka declared it. In that instant— Ryouma's racket bag began to shake violently. "[surprised]Wha—!?" He hurriedly opened the bag. Inside, the cursed racket was emitting a white light. And at the same time— Tezuka's body was enveloped in light. The ponytail swayed. The outline of their clothes began to revert to a boy's form. Their shoulders broadened, the line of the skirt blurring. "[excited]Captain!!" Ryouma shouted. Momoshiro clenched his fist. Fuji-senpai's eyes opened thinly. But— The light vanished in three seconds. Tezuka's body was pulled back into the girl's form. And then— *Crack.* A sound rang out. The racket in Ryouma's hands shattered into pieces. The frame broke, the strings snapped, and fragments scattered across the floor. "[shocked]...Ah." No voice came out. The curse hadn't broken. --- The clubroom fell utterly silent. "[serious]...That was close." Tezuka's expression hadn't changed at all. They picked up a single fragment from the floor. That was the moment. A faint, purple light seeped out from the shard. "[surprised]Ah, this is..." Fuji-senpai's usual smile vanished. "[serious]This has gotten interesting." Uncharacteristically, they stared hard at the fragment, their face unsmiling. *(The curse isn't over.)* Ryouma saw Tezuka's left hand clench ever so slightly. *(I want to protect them.)* The words began to take shape deep in his chest. But he still didn't have the words to say them out loud. On the way back. Ryouma walked beside Tezuka. The setting sun stretched their two shadows long. "[whispers]...We've still got a ways to go." "[serious]Indeed." A short reply. But that voice felt just a little softer than usual. For the first time, a calm air—neither tension nor respect—flowed between the two of them. Inside the racket bag, the shattered fragments still glowed faintly purple.