At the Shiranami Society, Taichi plays Tsuboguchi, who has graduated from college and is now a high school teacher. Harada catches Sumire spying on the players through the door. At the next meeting, nearly all of the applicants leave the club. Only a boy named Akihiro Tsukuba remains, but Sumire returns when she becomes bored with her new friends.

Be it luck or skill, Tai seems to falter under pressure. The team needs three wins to proceed and their upcoming opponents are new and trained by an old friend.