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On Friday evening, she had asked Ae-jeong for permission, making up an excuse that she would be returning home late on Sunday because she had to go to a classmate's house early in the morning for a team project.
Since she actually intended to work on her U.S. History team project and English homework while the tournament was ongoing, it wasn't a complete lie.
Lately, Hunter had been attending tournaments with his coach, Jake Langdon, instead of his parents. Occasionally, his parents did accompany him. However, Jiyu had already heard from Ae-jeong that this weekend, Lauren, a plastic surgeon, was attending a conference in Pittsburgh, and Jerard was on a business trip to Singapore for a large-scale real estate development project.
If she suddenly announced she was following him to the tournament, Ae-jeong would undoubtedly bombard her with difficult questions.
How were you invited? Why were you the only one invited? I thought you and Hunter didn't get along—when did you become so close?
There was nothing more tedious or annoying than Ae-jeong's persistent, prying nature. In the worst-case scenario, the meddlesome woman might even insist on coming along to the tournament.
Above all, she could never reveal the story about Hunter's winning jinx.
'No matter who hears it... it's just too ridiculous.'
Hunter, who was dead serious about pre-game superstitions, and herself, who had been playing along for years. She didn't have the confidence to make someone else understand something she didn't even understand herself. Knowing that, she felt a sense of self-loathing for the fact that she couldn't escape the cycle of this absurd jinx.
As Jiyu entered the lobby, Hunter, with a long tennis bag slung over his back, stepped out of the private elevator. As always, he was wearing a deep blue band on his wrist.
It was the same color as the wristband he wore when he won for the first time. He kept hundreds of bands stocked in his closet and took out a new one every time there was a tournament.
The two exchanged a silent nod of greeting and left the apartment separately with a time gap, as if they had just happened to run into each other.
Hunter, who left first, was loading his tennis bag into the trunk of a black SUV parked on the corner of Fifth Avenue.
Jiyu felt as if she were secretly committing a forbidden act. Fearing someone might see her, she kept her head low and walked briskly toward him.
As she hesitated near the car, gripping the heavy canvas bag straps that dug into her shoulders with both hands, Hunter glanced at her while closing the trunk. He then opened the rear door and gestured with his head.
[Get in.]
[Huh? Oh, okay. Thanks.]
As soon as Jiyu climbed into the backseat, Hunter slammed the door shut, walked around to the other side, opened the door, and sat down. Startled by the sequence of actions, she marveled inwardly.
'The power of education...'
Hunter Hamilton, who had been like a child raised by wolves in the forest, now seemed to have truly acquired the appearance of a civilized human. Even though she had witnessed that transformation firsthand, it felt somehow strange and unfamiliar.
[Good morning, Olivia!]
Diego Ramirez, the Hamilton family's chauffeur, looked back and gave a kind smile.
[Good morning, Diego.]
Jiyu returned the greeting with a small smile.
[Let's go.]
At Hunter's signal, Diego steered the car into the quiet Sunday morning of Fifth Avenue. The two sitting side-by-side in the back seat stared at the passing scenery for a while.
As she watched the stone walls of Central Park end and the car enter Midtown, Jiyu hesitated before speaking.
[Where are we going now?]
Hunter slowly turned his head and answered in an indifferent voice.
[Glen Cove.]
Did he think everyone would know just by saying that?
Jiyu had never even heard the name Glen Cove before.
[Ah... where is that?]
His eyebrow arched slightly.
[Long Island.]
[Is it near your summer cottage?]
The Hamiltons referred to their grand Colonial-style villa, built on 30 acres right in front of the beach in Southhampton, as their "Summer Cottage." It was a tradition stemming from the 1920s, when an ancestor bought land by the sea and built a small house, calling it a cottage.
[No, the cottage is in Southhampton. Glen Cove is further north, past Manhasset.]
[I see... how long does it take from here?]
Hunter shrugged.
[About an hour if there's no traffic.]
Jiyu nodded. She was surprised once again that they could have such a normal conversation without him being sarcastic. However, it was still a bit awkward.
[Um... what about the coach?]
[We agreed to meet at the courts.]
[Oh.]
That meant they would be riding alone together for the rest of the way. Jiyu quietly placed her canvas bag on her lap, rummaged through it, and pulled out a book. Reading was the solution when there was nothing to say.
[Why did you bring so much stuff?]
[Books to read, homework, my laptop. And some snacks... maybe?]
Hunter frowned and asked.
[What's the homework?]
[Uh... for English, I have to read Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' and write a first draft of an essay. And for the U.S. History team project, I have to finish my part of a report analyzing the types and differences of 19th-century North American immigrants.]
After thinking for a moment, he let out a sigh and suddenly began to explain today's matches.
[I've already won all the qualifying rounds, so only the semifinals and finals are left today. The semifinal opponent is easy; I've beaten him before. But the final is different. He's a blue chip in the top three of the 17-year-old national rankings, and his UTR is higher than mine. Of course—]
Hunter paused and lifted his chin confidently.
[I'm going to win this time.]
In "Hunter-speak," that meant it was an opponent he had lost to in the past.
[Uh... right. Good luck.]
At that, his expression turned stern.
[You're my winning jinx; why are you wishing me luck?]
Flustered, Jiyu stammered.
[Ah, right. True. Uh, anyway, make sure you win and become the champion.]
[Obviously.]
Hunter dismissed her words as if they were redundant and tapped her book with his index finger.
[So, finish all your homework by the time the semifinals are over.]
[...What?]
[You can't have your head buried in a book during the match like before. I'll give you time to do your homework, but in exchange, throw everything away during the finals and focus only on me. Keep your eyes on me winning. Got it?]
[......]
As she blinked, not knowing how to respond, he pressed her again.
[Answer me, Jewel Parker.]
[I got it! I get it...!]
Only then did Hunter's lips curl into a barely visible smirk as he leaned back comfortably against the seat.
By the time they arrived in Glen Cove, fine raindrops had settled uniformly on the window. The sky had looked hazy, and the fickle spring rain of the past few days had returned. Fortunately, today's matches were part of an indoor tournament.
Because of the rain, Diego stopped the car at the entrance instead of the parking lot. While Jiyu was packing her books and notebooks back into her bag, Hunter got out first and took the tennis bag and a small icebox from the trunk. As they stepped away from the car, a husky voice greeted them.
[Good morning, Hunter!]
It was Jake Langdon, Hunter's tennis coach. Since she had also taken private lessons from him for two years, he was a familiar face. Jake looked surprised when he saw Jiyu getting out of the car.
[Look who it is! Olivia, how long has it been?]
[Hello, Mr. Langdon.]
Jiyu greeted Jake shyly, having not seen him in a long time.
Selected after the Hamilton family's rigorous screening process, he was a capable coach with an impressive career, having been an NCAA champion and worked for an Ivy League tennis team.
As Jake led them to the waiting room located next to the lobby, he asked with a curious look on his face.
[Olivia, did you come to cheer for Hunter?]
[Huh? Yes...]
Jiyu answered ambiguously. At that, Jake gave a meaningful smirk, looking back and forth between her and Hunter. He had that typical adult expression that said, 'I'm a cool person, so I'll pretend not to know until you guys tell me first.'
Ugh, it's not like that.
It seemed Jake had completely misunderstood.
If he would only ask, she would deny it immediately.
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