Ping Pong Lover

A white dot suspended in midair.

A mere 40 millimeter plastic ball.

This light, yet fragile ball zooms towards me at an incredible speed.

At nearly 200 kilometers per hour, it could be considered lethal.

It takes only 0.1 seconds for a ball hit by an opponent to reach the player. Given that the limit of human reaction time is approximately 0.2 seconds, this is an insane level of speed.

A high-speed ball game, fought within mere moments in time.

Table Tennis—A sport that I love more than anything.

It is April. The weather is clear.

As I arrive, basking in the warm sunlight, I gaze up at the high school I'll be attending starting this spring.

Wow, this school is huge!

The girl next to me with chestnut-colored hair, sporting a brand-new school uniform shouts out in awe. She has this absurd look on her face with her mouth-half open. That's my childhood friend.

Built upon a large campus, the school is in fact just as huge as she had said.

I'm finally a high school student . . . Now I can play table tennis as much as I want. I've been waiting for this!

Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? Anyway, I wonder if the person you're looking for . . . is even here . . .

They should be. If they're not at this school, then that would mean they just arent in Japan, meaning I'd have to search the whole world to find them.

I say this jokingly, and Tsubaki looks up to the sky with a dazed smile. Knowing her for so long, I can easily tell she isn’t thinking of anything serious.

To travel the world with Sho . . . That would be so much fun!

I'll pass.

Well, that was quick! And kind of harsh . . . Hey! Don’t leave me behind . . .

Leaving my clingy childhood friend behind, I, Shosei Asuka, head to the gym where the entrance ceremony will be held.

Takuetsu Private Academy.

A boarding school for both junior and senior high school students. This academy exists solely to train top-class table tennis players.

China is said to be the world's strongest when it comes to table tennis. Moreover, due to an increase in the number of their players naturalizing to other countries, Japan's ranking in the table tennis world has been declining in recent years.

Taking this into consideration, officials followed the lead of other major table tennis countries, and established Takuetsu Academy to expose talented players to intense competition at a young age.

Unlike other prestigious sports schools or the JOC Elite Academy created by the Japanese Olympic Committee, this academy is dedicated solely to table tennis.

With spacious grounds housing both middle and high school buildings, each grade has two classes of about thirty students each. Although the total number of students at the academy is less than that of the public middle school Tsubaki and I attended, every student here possesses exceptional talent in table tennis.

Living in the dormitory stimulates mutual motivation, and the school's ranking system increases the sense of competition. With its excellent facilities and environment, and a pool of the best talent from all over the country, the level of this academy is unmatched.

They consistently dominate the top positions at national tournaments. However, even these players are considered only moderately skilled within the school. Some of the highest-ranked players only appear at international competitions.

And the person I’m looking for, I've never seen them at any national competitions back in middle school.

Perhaps they've quit playing table tennis, but given their talent, I can hardly believe they’d give it up so easily.

Above all, I still have a score to settle.

With a sliver of hope, my search for that person has brought me to Takuetsu Academy.

After getting through the Chancellor's soporific address on the founding principles of the school, the students head to their classrooms after the entrance ceremony.

As I peer into the classroom, it seems that the teacher has not arrived yet. A few students have taken their seats and most of them are engaged in chatter, but as we enter the room, the conversation abruptly stops, and all eyes turn towards us.

Ignoring the curious stares, I check the seating chart posted on the blackboard and head to my seat by the window, second from the front. Conversations around us pick up gradually, as little by little, the halted time starts to flow again.

Still, the occasional curious glances cast our way are somewhat irritating.

I’m in the seat right in front of you, Sho! Yay!

Unfazed by the stares of those around her, Tsubaki is as high-spirited as ever.

Since seats in the class are assigned alphabetically by last name, it isn’t uncommon for Tsubaki to end up right in front of me. It's a relief not having to be formal with someone you've known so long, but now that we're in high school, I wish she could act a bit more composed.

But you know what? If I'm in the front seat, I can't look at you during class. What will I do?

There's no need to look at me. It's fine as it is.

Sho, let’s swap seats!

No way. I hate sitting in the front seat.

Boo, fine. I’ll just ask the person behind you then!

Behind me . . . ?

I turn my head. A boy with bright red hair is sitting behind me, slumped over his desk . . . asleep. Bathed in the warm sunlight streaming through the window, he seems utterly at peace.

Sleeping on the first day of school is pretty bold.

Hey, wake up. Look, it’s morning already. Come on, wake up!

And here she is, trying to wake up a complete stranger. She’s something else.

After being shaken vigorously, the red-haired boy slowly lifts his head.

Huh . . . what gives?

He frowns irritably. His red hair spiking above his head adds a wild flair, and his eyes shine with a sharp light. Normally, such an intimidating look would deter anyone, but my friend is anything but normal.

Hey, I was wondering if you could swap seats with me. Oh, my seat is right over there

There is no sense of distance at all in the initial encounter. With her usual high tension, which could be described as barbaric courage, Tsubaki unilaterally conveys her request.

The red-haired boy is visibly stunned by her forthright demeanor.

It's ok to say no. She's being selfish. You wouldn’t want the front seat, right?

. . . I don't really care.

Yay! Alright!

Surprisingly, the boy easily agrees to Tsubaki’s outlandish request.

You sure it's ok?

Hoooaaaa . . . It’s fine, man. Cool dudes don’t make a fuss over a seat.

With a yawn, the boy swaps seats with Tsubaki.

What the heck. He kind of made me look bad.

The boy who took the new seat turns his head, and then, as if realizing something, he turns back to face me.

Hey, are you guys transfers? Actually I am too . . .

That’s right. How could you tell?

What do you mean? People who’ve been here since middle school, look at us differently.

Yeah, I kind of get that.

Those cautious, observant glances that were directed at us only a moment ago. Most of the students at this school come up the escalator system from junior high, so of course they would stare like that at students tranferring from another junior high school. I was prepared for this to some extent.

So, be honest. Are you any good at table tennis?

Suddenly, the red-haired boy fixes an intense gaze upon me. His eyes, unlike the other students’, are like those of a predator targeting its prey.

Well, that’s pretty direct.

I’m not like those guys who watch from a distance. If something’s on my mind, I tackle it head-on. That’s what being a man is all about, right?

A sly, fierce grin spreads across his face.

He's a weird guy, but strangely, not off-putting.

I reply with a defiant smile.

Yeah . . . I’d say I’m stronger than you might think.

Hmm, interesting.

What about you, then?

Me? Well, I’m Satsuki Kashima from Onigawa Middle, known to everyone in my hometown as the undefeated table tennis champion.

. . .

Satsuki Kashima . . . I try to recall if I'd heard the name in last year’s national tournaments, but no such name comes to mind. As much as he boasts, it’s honestly a bit dubious . . .

I wonder if he really understands what kind of place this school is. I guess I should tell him.

I'm telling you now, all of the guys at this school are good enough to make the top ranks at national tournaments.

W-What?!

As expected, Satsuki is utterly shocked.

I knew he was clueless. Even though anyone can get into this school by passing a table tennis exam, not realizing this school's true merit shows his ignorance.

With wide eyes and trembling fingers, Satsuki points at me.

Then . . . were you also competing in those big tournaments in middle school?

Ah, no . . . I don’t have any such achievements from middle school.

Ha, guess you're no big shot either. In that case, I'm . . .

After he lets out a sigh of relief, returning to his confident posture, I cut him off with an interjection.

Sure, I don’t have any notable achievements from middle school.

But there’s one thing I can say for sure.

I love table tennis more than anyone else. That much is certain.

I say that with conviction.

Hearing this, Satsuki is left gaping, his mouth half-open. After a few seconds, the corners of his mouth slightly curl.

Haha, you’re really something. Hmm, you must be . . .

Shosei Asuka. Am I, right?

Before I can introduce myself, a voice comes from above my head.

When I look up, there stands an unfamiliar female student.

You’re Shosei Asuka, right? Wait . . . Did you switch seats? Then you must be Tsubaki Asahina and Satsuki Kashima, right?

She asks with a hint of confusion. Her legs peeking out from under her skirt are toned, and her overall slender figure has curves in all the right places, a stark contrast to a certain utterly flat childhood friend.

I’m Shino Kobayakawa. Feel free to call me Shino. I’ve been here since middle school, so if you have any questions about the school or dorm life, you're more than welcome to ask me.

Saying so, Shino gives a friendly, gentle smile.

Actually, there is something I’m curious about.

Satsuki immediately speaks up.

Hmm? Ask away.

It says here that mornings are mainly lecture classes, right?

He is pointing to a certain page in the school guide handed out during the entrance ceremony.

Oh, that. About half of it is about table tennis tactics and sports science. There are some foreign language and general education classes too, but most of it is related to table tennis, so don’t worry.

You mean . . . we actually stay seated for those classes?

What? You want to take classes standing up?

What I meant as a joke seems to hit Satsuki like a revelation, with him looking quite astonished.

You mean this school isn’t just about playing table tennis non-stop?

He groans, holding his head in dismay. This guy must really hate studying . . .

Never mind this guy. Can you show us to the practice area later? I saw the campus map earlier but it was a bit confusing . . .

Yeah, I know it can be a bit tricky to understand. Sure, no problem!

Shino, you're so kind. What a relief!

With her characteristic friendliness, Tsubaki grabs her hand and shakes it energetically.

As transfer students, there’s a lot we don’t know about this academy, so I appreciate her offer.

Hold on a second. There's something else I want to ask you.

As if to not forget, Satsuki points to a different page than before.

It says here that the dormitory has a hot spring . . . but the baths in the rooms just have normal bathtubs.

Does that . . . really matter?

You idiot!

For some reason, he yells at me.

You know, a bath is where you go in naked. It’s in the bath that you can really tell how cool a dude is. So, the cooler the dude, the better the bath he deserves!

Satsuki starts passionately explaining with his fists clenched, but it doesn't make any sense to me.

And you're telling me, all we have are ordinary bathtubs?!

Um, well . . . Don't stress about it, Satsuki.

Seriously, what did you even come to this academy for?

Because, you know, it said there were hot spring baths . . . and that we could play table tennis every day . . .

Sounds more like the bath was an afterthought, huh?

Ugh . . . What a bummer . . .

Satsuki slumps down dejectedly. Even his spiky red hair seems to lose its vigor.

Well . . . There is a large common bath, which is a hot spring.

Oh . . . so there really is a hot spring after all. And it’s got a big bath too!

Instantly, Satsuki's red hair bounces back up.

I’ll show you guys the practice area later.

And I get to play table tennis too?! This school is awesome!

He recovers remarkably fast.

As odd as he is, that is one thing I can relate to, the awesomeness of being able to play table tennis every day.

Since it is our first day of school, once homeroom is over, we are free to do as we please.

I return to my dorm room to get ready, and meet Tsubaki at our designated spot. Not far from the dorm, Shino and Satsuki are already waiting by the side entrance of the school building.

You took quite a while to get ready, huh?

Yeah, had a few things to sort out. Come on, let’s go.

Shino stares at me with a puzzled look, to which I respond with an ambiguous smile as I being walking. Although I had asked for directions to the practice hall, I already know roughly where it is. Just as we start on our way, Satsuki soon catches up with us.

It's already getting late, so Shinsy and I were talking about going to get a quick bite to eat.

Yes, we were talking about the cafeteria . . . wait, is that a nickname for me or something?

When you get close to someone, you start using nicknames, right Sho?

I can’t quite grasp Satsuki's standard for familiarity, but he's now using a nickname for me too.

Don’t ask me. I don’t personally mind, though . . .

Well, what about me? What's my nickname?

Next to me, my childhood friend’s eyes sparkle as she bounces about energetically.

For you,Tsubaki . . . How about Bucky?

That’s not very cute . . .

Tsubaki purses her lips.

By the way, this school has a ranking system, right? How exactly are the rankings determined?

While walking, I decide to ask Shino a bit more about the school.

It's a system where points get added to your rank based on your match results in tournaments and practice matches. The rankings are determined by the points earned in the previous month.

Wow, it's like a world ranking system for table tennis.

The rankings for junior high and high school are separate, so for us who just moved up to high school level, it doesn't matter much yet. But those with the highest rankings get preferential treatment in terms of facilities and such, so everyone gets really competitive.

So, if you just go all out in participating in tournaments outside school, couldn’t you just farm a ton of points?

I blurt out the first solution that comes to mind.

For domestic tournaments, only major ones like Inter-High or the National Athletic Meet count for points. That's why hardly anyone participates in external competitions. There are more point-eligible tournaments abroad, but it's not an environment where you can just rake in points. Also, if you lose a practice match against someone ranked lower than you at school, your points get deducted, so be careful.

Apparently, the school has already considered that possibility. Looks like there's no use in thinking of any other shortcuts.

Basically, I just gotta keep beating the strongest guys here then!

Satsuki declares boldly, clenching his fists. But in the end, it does boil down to just that.

As we're talking, a building shaped like a reinforced concrete arch comes into view. It looks like a simple gym, and the dry sound of balls being hit echoes from inside. My heart races with excitement to join in, but just as we get close, my feet come to a stop.

According to the campus map given at the entrance ceremony, this building should be the practice hall—yet, oddly enough, there are three identical buildings lined up.

It's a bit confusing, isn’t it?

Turning around, I see Shino smiling wryly behind me.

All three are high school practice halls. The building closest to us is mainly for freshmen. The second and third buildings are for sophomores and juniors, respectively, so make sure not to get them mixed up.

And with that, she opens the door to the building closest to us.

Wow!

I can't help but let out a gasp in admiration.

The space is much larger than the gym at the public middle school I attended. There are rows of table tennis tables, with many students playing against each other.

Moreover, this is just the freshman practice area. There are similar facilities for sophomores and juniors. There’s also a gym for strength training, a massage room, and a medical room. This truly is a school made for table tennis.

And, as expected, the students are extremely dedicated.

It's supposed to be free time now, but every table is occupied. These are definitely students of Takuetsu Academy. They wouldn’t just laze around in their dorm rooms because they have some spare time. I'm blown away by their ambition.

At Takuetsu Academy, everyone doesn’t necessarily practice together at the same time.

Basically, each student plans their own training regimen. This approach makes them consciously aware of what effects and purposes the exercises have.

Of course, there are several coaches who were active in corporate teams, so students who seek guidance can think about training methods and receive instruction together with them.

The fact that there’s no need to conform to others is a relief to me.

There's so much yellow, it’s almost dazzling!

Tsubaki comments as many of the students practicing are wearing yellow gear.

Yellow is the color for freshmen. You've been given uniforms and all, right? Though, technically, you can wear whatever you want for practice, it’s good to remember that the uniforms of upperclassmen have different colors.

If you're strong in table tennis, who cares about grade levels!

That’s why it’s useful to have these uniforms when you want to avoid mingling too closely with upperclassmen. Especially when you're around someone like him . . .

I see.

As Satsuki says, in a table tennis match, age doesn't matter. All that counts is giving your all to win. But for other aspects of school life, etiquette is important. I’d prefer to avoid unnecessary trouble.

I take a look around the hall. At a glance I see that the level of table tennis here is indeed high, but I don’t see the person I'm looking for.

Well, not all students of the academy are here, and I can take my time looking for them while I'm here. For now, I'm going to just enjoy playing table tennis after such a long time.

As a table frees up nearby, Shino promptly speaks up.

So, for starters, how about all three of you play a light round with me?

Huh? Instead of deciding pairs, we're all going up against you?

Tsubaki looks surprised, however this is what I was expecting.

So that was your plan, huh?

You've caught on? Well, normally, no one would bother with such a hassle just to guide new students around the school right?

So you're curious about the skills of us transfers, huh?

There isn’t anyone in this academy who wouldn’t be curious.

Shino answers confidently.

So she wasn't just being sweet after all.

This academy has a ranking system to foster competition. So, while we are classmates and friends as first-year students, we are also rivals. The battle has begun. Shino wants to learn as much as possible about us transfer students.

But aren't there are other new transfers too?

There are eight new students this year. Five of them have videos from their middle school tournaments, so we roughly know their capabilities. The only ones without any information are you three. Well, it’s not like there’s no information on you though, Shosei . . .

Well, whether it's gathering information or whatever, it doesn’t bother us. Now that we have a table available, let’s decide the order to play. How about rock-paper-scissors or something?

Feeling the conversation heading in an uncomfortable direction, I try to steer it another way.

Alright, Sho, let's play, you and me! Let’s see which one of us is the stronger man!

Listen to what people say, will you?

Our exchange is suddenly interrupted by an unusually loud voice.

What's this? There's no table available?