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Necessity (必然 Hitsuzen) is the 312nd chapter of manga, Baby Steps.

Characters in Order of Appearance[]

Summary[]

Synopsis[]

Ei-chan's mom meets up with Kageyama, Sasaki, and Yukichi. Ei-chan and Tamakoshi enter the court. Ei-chan's surprised when Tamakoshi starts stretching only then. When the umpire announces the start of the 5-minute warm-up, Tamakoshi cadges some grip tape off Ei-chan who wonders if it's a pre-game tactic to irritate him, but after seeing Tamakoshi's manner and actions, he concludes that Tamakoshi is just a self-paced guy, a type that Ei-chan has never played against before. The 22-year-old Tamakoshi is a 3-year pro who qualified for the final draw through the prelims just like Ei-chan. According to Yukichi, Tamakoshi had come out at the top of his generation since high school, but although he's occasionally defeated a superior opponent on turning pro, Tamakoshi gives the impression of an erratic player who hasn't been able to win beyond expectations. The match starts with Ei-chan's serve. Ei-chan thinks he's finally gotten that far, but considers it just the starting point. From there on, he'll prove that he can become a pro. His first serve is a slice that escapes outward. Tamakoshi returns it, and Ei-chan suddenly takes the point with a drop shot. Tamakoshi and all the spectators are surprised. Ei-chan thinks the pace mustn't be taken by a self-paced guy. Iwasa notices that Takuma came to watch Ei-chan's match, and starts a conversation. Ei-chan had taken the first set: 6-2. The second set stands at 3-1 with Ei-chan leading. Tamakoshi thinks his opponent still doesn't have a JTA rank, so there's no reason there can be that big a difference between them. Ei-chan gained many things in his matches with Konishi, Akimoto, and Asano in the prelims, and again he takes the game: 4-1. Tamakoshi's in disarray. He thinks, "Frankly, my condition isn't bad, and yet against a nameless high-schooler opponent...why has such a thing happened?...Someone...tell me!" [Yup, that's what he needs a coach for.]

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