Professional (プロフェッショナル Purofessyonaru) is 74th chapter of manga, Baby Steps.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Atsushi Taira
- Eiichiro Maruo
- Krishna Ramesh
- Christopher
- Pedro
- Kevin Morland
- Hiroshi Araya (flashback)
- Takuya Miyagawa (flashback)
- Takuma Egawa (flashback)
- Yukichi Fukazawa (flashback)
- Yu Nabae (flashback)
- Alex O'Brien
- Soji Ike
Summary[]
Eiichiro and Alex is supposed to have a match but Alex wants to play with someone under the same (professional) level. Due to Ike's suggestion, Alex reconsiders his decision.
Synopsis[]
Eiichiro and other tennis players are watching practice matches as a form of image training while waiting for their turn. Atsushi asks Eiichiro regarding Eiichiro's tennis notes. Not only Atsushi but also Krishna, Christopher and Pedro are surprised on how detailed Eiichiro's notes are. While watching, Eiichiro remembers his morning practice in STC and Nabae's judgment on Eiichiro's strategic ability. Since strategic ability can be sharpened in experience, Eiichiro wants to play against strong tennis players as many as he can.
Eiichiro's match is against Alex but Alex refuses as he wants to play with similar professional level as him. Ike appears and is asked if he can play against Alex. Ike agrees so other tennis players want to have a match against him as well. Ike, then, gives a condition that he will play against them under the condition that they have to beat Eiichiro first in a tennis match. After Ike leaves the place, he reads the message Natsu gave to him - that Ike should help Eiichiro during his stay in Florida. Ike remembers the time when he was just starting to play tennis. At the court, Eiichiro and Alex's match begins.