The fundraiser tournament took off the morning of mid-November. It was the type of late autumn morning that marked the end of a season: the light was piercing and the cloudless sky a gradient of teal and cobalt. Weeks of intensive media coverage had drawn spectators from across the region and packed the Utsubo Tennis Center to the brim. Even the surrounding streets were congested with various cars and tennis fans, all dying to get a glimpse of their favorite athletes.
An opening ceremony took the form of a short parade, starting from the central gates, moving through the accessory courts and stopping in the main coliseum. Leading in front was a marching band commissioned by the regional government. Following them were tennis athletes—the stars of the show.
Of the entire line-up, Tezuka and Ryoma, who had an international presence, received the most attention. Reaching almost celebrity status amongst the spectators, fans were chanting their names and sporting homemade jerseys with their faces.
Ayuna, Atobe, Shiraishi and Inui waited until the crowd settled down before welcoming the attendees. They briefly provided the background and mission of this year's chosen foundation, followed by partnerships that made this event possible.
At the end came the championship outline: analogous to professional tennis games, points are assigned to each match won. There would be four rounds of matches, during which players would be randomly assigned an opponent. The qualifying rounds and the quarterfinals would take place in the accessory courts, each lasting for two days. This would be followed by a day of semifinal matches, and another half day for the final match in the main coliseum. Although all seats were sold out, generous local stations would provide live coverage on screens installed outside the tennis center.
To conclude the opening ceremony, an assistant brought up a large check marked with the fundraiser's total.
"Thanks to all attendees, participants, and organizing partners, we have raised just over 54 million yen," announced Ayuna. She waited until Atobe invite the chair of the Sasakawa Sports Foundation up on stage before speaking again.
"Hikari and Doutsu are honored to support your organization," she said.
"We hope this will allow you to continue funding programs that bring the joy of sports to everyone," added Atobe.
In a tsunami of applause, the chair proceeded to thank each organizer. After bows were exchanged, Inui and Shiraishi handed the check to the chair. They stayed on stage for a few more moments to allow photography and close-up footage. When the formalities were finished, Ayuna stepped forward once more and announced the official start.
***
Following the opening ceremony, Ayuna was cornered by two of her Seigaku friends named Momoko and Rei. Inui had wandered off, muttering something about data collection. Left with Shiraishi and Atobe, Noa accompanied them on a stroll through the accessory courts to survey the first round of qualifying games.
"Looks like your estimate wasn't far off," Atobe said to Noa, thinking back to their check for the foundation chair.
"You had an estimate?" asked Shiraishi.
Noa grinned at him. "50 million yen was my guess."
"That's an 8% difference."
"Just as I thought—my estimate fell into the 10% margin."
"Impressive," Shiraishi remarked. "Ayuna told me you're a finance wiz—you certainly live up to your reputation."
Noa thanked him. Scanning the courts, she lamented, "Too bad I don't get to see the two of you live up to yours. I heard from Ayuna and her Seigaku friends that you two used to be quite the stars."
"I'm sure that's referring to Atobe," replied Shiraishi with a laugh.
"Is it now?"
Shiraishi nodded. "Even before we crossed paths in the national tournament, everyone knew Atobe as the most powerful leader in the Kanto region. He's the man behind a two-hundred-member club, the largest in the country."
While Atobe indulged in flattery from others, he wasn't the type to dwell on past glory. "That title was nice back then, but tennis is no longer my playing field. Now I'd rather earn my place in business."
Glancing down at his phone, he said, "Speaking of which, I need to make a call to a client." Before excusing himself, he asked Noa, "While I step out, can I get you anything?"
Noa tapped her chin, "Hmm... How about a smoothie from that all-natural store in Yodoyabashi?"
Atobe nodded. He asked Shiraishi to keep Noa out of trouble then headed towards the parking lot.
"You do know Yodoyabashi is on the other end of this district, right?" asked Shiraishi once Atobe was out of sight.
Noa nodded. "Sure. But that's what his chauffeur is for."
Shaking his head in astonishment, Shiraishi said, "The great Atobe Keigo, fetching drinks. My oh my, how times have changed." Revealing a mischievous smile, he said, "I don't suppose he does this for just anyone?"
Noa made a face. "I guess that was too obvious to miss."
"I should've known: only someone like you can trap Atobe Keigo's heart."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Atobe remains the most sought-after bachelor wherever he goes. That was the case in high school and became even more pronounced after he moved to Kansai. The man is a business luminary in the region. As far as I know, though, he's never dated. I guess no one ever satisfied his standards..." Eyeing Noa meaningfully, he smiled, "Until now, anyway."
There was one other person before me, thought Noa, recalling his past with Ayuna. But she kept her mouth shut.
"Though I should've known he'd want to keep this private," commented Shiraishi. "It's too flashy otherwise."
"It's only temporary," said Noa. "We're keeping quiet so media attention would stay focused on the fundraiser instead of unnecessary gossip."
"Maybe it's best to continue like this. Do you know how many girls dream of being in your place?"
"I do know, actually. Maybe too well."
Shiraishi looked at her quizzically.
"The information leaked out to some and I might've gotten a handful of threatening letters here and there. The usual."
"The usual?!" Incredulous with her laid-back demeanor, Shiraishi asked, "Aren't you worried for yourself?"
Noa merely shrugged. "I've seen enough trashy dramas to know these are nothing but empty threats. If not, then maybe a few attempts at public humiliation or hair-pulling—nothing I can't handle. Worst comes to worst, I'll break an arm or two, maybe put up a few surveillance cameras... We'll see."
Practically doubling over with laughter, Shiraishi said, "Ami Noa, I think you might be the quirkiest person I've ever met."
"I'll take that as a compliment," she did an exaggerated curtsy to him. At that moment, it crossed her mind that she'd been putting off her all-important mission—she was supposed to find out who Shiraishi Kuranosuke really was! "Speaking of quirky, I'd say you're pretty interesting yourself. How come you dropped out of tennis to be a government worker? As a former elite athlete, don't you find your work tedious?"
Shiraishi shook his head. "Not at all. I was born and raised in Osaka—I can't see myself dedicating my career to anything else."
Finding his response elusive, Noa pressed, "If I remember correctly, weren't you the captain when your team broke into the nationals? Then your team lost to Seigaku in the semifinals?" Receiving several nods, she pursued, "Leaving the sport after this loss, don't you have any regrets?"
Shiraishi gazed out at the courts. "I don't because I did the best I could. My job was done. I just took the loss as a signal for me to move into a new chapter." After a brief pause, his lips upturned slightly, "The truth is, my heart's set on something more worthwhile."
Noa studied his side profile. The way he left off badgered her, as if he was deliberately letting silence replace an important point. Desperate to dive deeper, Noa wracked her brain for the next round of questioning.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a soft "excuse me" from behind. She spun around and came to face a petite young woman. Or really, she had such child-like features and an immature build, calling her a woman was a stretch.
Guessing she was an attendee, Noa greeted her and asked, "Can I help you?"
"Sorry to interrupt... You're an organizer from Hikari, right?"
"That's right—I'm the vice president, Ami Noa."
"Nice to meet you, Ami-san. Do you by chance know where the Doutsu president is?"
"He just stepped out, actually."
"Oh." Disappointment colored the woman's expressions, "Well, in that case, I'll look for him later..."
"If you'd like to tell me your name," Noa offered, "I can ask him to find you after he gets back."
"Oh no... I don't want to get in the way of business or be a bother."
"Don't worry, it's no bother."
Catching a hint of something off-putting, Shiraishi stepped forward, "Excuse me miss, why exactly do you want to find Atobe Keigo?"
Eyes downcast and wringing her sleeves, the young woman said haltingly, "It's nothing serious, actually... I wanted to see if everything's been alright because he's been so busy..."
That was when Noa saw it.
Her eyes zoomed in on the young woman's hand: on her finger was a rose ring, the central diamond encircled by ornate petals. The hair on Noa's neck stood up. Not only was the rose an emblem for the Atobe family, but she had also seen the ring from a photograph of Atobe's mom. It was a family heirloom. To see it on another woman's finger could only mean one thing.
Taken over by cold shock, Noa demanded bluntly, "What's your relationship with Atobe Keigo?"
Caught off guard, the woman stammered, "Actually... He's my fiancé."
Noa gagged, throttled by the last word. From behind her, Shiraishi timely cleared his throat to cover up the unsettling sound. He was about to speak again when Atobe suddenly broke into his view, a smoothie in hand and Ayuna standing next to him.
Flabbergasted at the sight of the young woman, Atobe said, "Ikeda Mai. What are you doing here?"
Learning the intruder's name, Noa's eyes swung between the young woman and Atobe Keigo. Ikeda Mai was no stunner. She was about half a head shorter than Noa. Her arms were twiggy and her legs were a set of chopsticks. Absolutely flat-chested, she had the body of an underdeveloped teen. Her hair was a stale ash brown and styled into a stiff bob cut. Normally, Noa wouldn't cast a second glance at a lackluster girl like her. Today, however, she couldn't look away. Ikeda Mai had the rose ring, and more importantly, she was engaged to Atobe Keigo.
As reality incrementally set in, Noa's initial consternation morphed into white-hot rage.
"Is she your friend, Atobe?" asked Ayuna from beside Atobe.
Before he could answer, Noa stepped forward with a ravishing smile. "Silly Ayuna, that's not his friend." Biting down on each syllable, she corrected through gritted teeth, "She's his fiancée."
Panic tore through Atobe's expressions. "My what?"
Noa ignored him. To Ikeda Mai, she said sweetly, "I guess he found you before you found him. We'll be sure to give you two privacy."
Stepping around her, Noa headed towards the central gates. When she passed Atobe, he snatched her elbow, "Noa, I don't know how you got the idea, but she's not my fiancée—"
She shook him off, all the while maintaining a killer smile. "That's not very nice of you to say, Atobe-san. If you want to break someone's heart, at least have the decency to do it in private." Ending at that, she stalked off in wide strides until they turned into a sprint.
Chucking the smoothie into a nearby trash can, Atobe ran after Noa. To his consternation, she was an astoundingly fast runner and disappeared within seconds. By the time he reached the central gates, Noa's signature red hair was nowhere in sight. Head spinning from the whirlwind of events, Atobe stood huffing and puffing, for a minute paralyzed.
"Did I catch you at a bad time?" A demure voice rose from behind him.
Pivoting around, he came to face with Ikeda Mai peering at him shyly behind her forelocks.
Eyes narrowed, Atobe said, "Why keep up the charades when there's no one around, Ikeda?"
The innocence on her face was gone in a flash. Smiling darkly at him, she replied, "I thought I'd keep going for your entertainment."
Atobe didn't respond. He knew she was out to get even, he just never expected her to show up at an event like this.
The Ikedas pioneered the largest financial services company in the Kansai region, issuing up to a quarter of the country's credit cards. At the beginning of this year, a whistleblower exposed fraudulent behaviors within upper management. After exhaustive government investigation, the chicanery trail ended at the CEO, Ikeda Mai's father.
Having held long-time business affiliation with the Ikedas, the Atobes were swept into this hurricane of scandal. It took months of meetings, legal settlements, and court appearances for the Atobes to prove themselves innocent and sever their ties with the Ikedas. This included breaking off the tentative engagement between the two families. The Atobes escaped just in time before the Ikedas declared bankruptcy. Abandoned in the dust of their collapse, the Ikedas were not simply resentful towards the Atobes, they turned into sworn enemies.
"What do you want?" demanded Atobe.
"You're still the same old, always cutting to the chase," observed Ikeda Mai. "In that case, I'll be brief: I want 600 million yen deposited into my account by tomorrow. With all the settlements and trials, our family could use that money."
Atobe let out a laugh. "What do you think I am? A self-serve ATM?"
"Of course not. But I know you're smart enough to do as I say."
"You're lucky I don't kick you out right now."
Head tilted, Ikeda Mai jeered, "I don't think you can because you aren't in charge of this event. And with what just happened, I'm sure your dear partners likely now think the worst of you—especially Ami Noa."
Atobe scrutinized her smug expressions, overtaken by icy realization. "She's your primary target. How long have you set your eyes on her?"
"You aren't as quick as I remember, Atobe," sneered Ikeda Mai. "Guess this is what being lovestruck does to you."
Watching him search for a comeback, she wagged a finger at him, "Don't even try to lie, Atobe Keigo. As much as you've tried to hide it, your relationship with Ami Noa already leaked out. You've always been a bargain piece of art when it comes to women—everything's written in your actions if not on your face."
Recomposing himself, Atobe shot back, "The secrecy's only meant to be temporary. Even if it's uncovered at an inconvenient time, it's fine with me."
"How noble of you," she cooed mockingly. "Unfortunate for you, everyone will only see how much of an asshole you are for two-timing in public."
Fully cognizant of her tactics, Atobe narrowed his eyes, "No one's going to believe you, Ikeda. You can keep telling everyone you're still my fiancée, but it's only going to end up as a baseless rumor. Our engagement was never official and the court annulled any ties we had."
"Except, you Atobes forgot about one little thing." Raising her left hand, she revealed the rose ring, "Your family was so focused on pulling out of our joint business ventures and the legalities that you overlooked this ring. In our circle, a family heirloom is worth a thousand words. I'm sure you know that."
"I don't care what anyone in our circle thinks. I only need to explain it all to one person."
"You sure she's going to listen? Ami Noa's one of the most unforgiving girls out there. She's notorious for her black-and-white thinking. After what she's seen today, you really think she'll believe a word you say?"
Teeth ground together, Atobe sought for a response but came up empty.
Strutting up to him, Ikeda Mai smiled condescendingly, "Just as I thought, your relationship with her is still too new and fragile. I suggest you make that deposit before I blow your reputation to pieces. You have 24 hours from now."