Changing Mentality (心境の変化 Shinkyō no Henka) is the 130th chapter of manga, Baby Steps.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Coach Morimoto
- Eiichiro Maruo
- Ryuhei Aoi
- Hiroshi Araya (flashback)
- Eiichiro Maruo's Mother (flashback)
- Eiichiro Maruo's Father (flashback)
- Takuma Egawa (flashback)
- Yu Nabae (flashback)
- Soji Ike (flashback)
- Alex O'Brien
- Natsu Takasaki
- Yukichi Fukazawa
- Akiko Kosaka
- Yusaku Miura
- Takuya Miyagawa
- Norihiko Mogami
- Hiroshi Araya
- Rei Sakurai
- Hiromi Iwasa
- Aki Shimizu's Mother
- Aki Shimizu
Summary[]
In spite of his loss against Araya, Eiichiro develops a "match addiction". He also has to deal with the changes at his schools and if in case he has to give up on being a pro. At STC, it is the start of having match practices against different tennis players.
Synopsis[]
Eiichiro goes to STC an hour early than usual as he feels a bit restless and he got nothing to do. Instead of a usual practice, Eiichiro wants to have a match because he wants to test the patterns he thought when he was at home. Coach Aoi explains that Eiichiro is currently experiencing a match addiction. Coach Aoi, then, decides to become Eiichiro's opponent. Eiichiro is worried on Coach Aoi's injuries but the coach reassures Eiichiro that it will be fine if it is an hour. As Eiichiro is warming up, Coach Aoi thinks of the plans in order to improve Eiichiro's tennis style.
At night, as Eiichiro is about to rest, he reflects on several things - how Coach Aoi beats him in a match in spite of the injuries, having a match addiction, showing his medal to his parents, the fact that he has to give up on being a pro if he cannot win the All-Japan Junior. At school, Eiichiro notices how his new classmates are changing gears in order to prepare themselves for the entrance exams. As he walks together with Natsu, Eiichiro wonders if he can remain at Natsu's side if he has given up his dream.
After their warm up at STC, Coach Miura explains to everyone that will try something match-oriented. Turns out, the tennis clubs in Kanagawa decided to have a lot more inter-club practices so Araya, Takaya and other known tennis players are present at STC.