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Hunter had stubbornly insisted that he was ‘almost’ fifteen, but he was still the youngest player among those participating in this U18 L2 tournament.
No matter how superior Hunter's physique was compared to his peers, he was still growing, and his semi-final opponent was seventeen—nearly an adult.
Therefore, losing wasn't something to be ashamed of.
‘Just making it this far is already an amazing feat...’
Jiyu glanced at him, pondering how she should comfort him.
Hunter rummaged through his bag, pulled out a fresh towel, and wiped away his sweat. He then stripped off his soaked headband and wristbands, stuffing them into the bag, and placed a fresh t-shirt on the table. Perhaps because the match had just ended, his breathing was heavy, and sweat streamed down from his forehead and temples.
It only made her feel worse.
If she had practiced to death every day and run that hard only to lose the match, she felt like she would want to smash her racket too. She figured she should at least offer a word of comfort.
[Um... Hun—Gasp!]
Hunter, who had been unconsciously pulling his shirt up to his chest, flinched as his eyes met Jiyu’s wide-eyed gaze.
She quickly looked away. A hot flush started at the nape of her neck and crept up to her cheeks. After a brief silence, the rustling sound of him changing clothes resumed.
Jiyu cleared her throat while continuing to ignore him.
[Ahem. Good job. You can just do better next time. So, are you heading home now?]
[What are you talking about? Why would I go home?]
His voice was blunt.
Once she confirmed the rustling had stopped, Jiyu cautiously looked back.
With a slight frown, Hunter swept his sweat-dampened hair back with his long fingers and put on a new headband and wristbands one by one.
Jiyu blinked, scanning him in his fresh athletic gear.
[Do you have the 3rd place Consolation Match left?]
[Jewel Parker, a consolation match? What nonsense are you talking about now?]
Muttering grumpily, Hunter pulled something out of the cooler and plopped it down in front of Jiyu. It was a homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwich from Hamilton’s chef. He then placed a bottle of apple juice in front of her. Both were things she had loved as a child.
Unable to hide her surprised expression, Jiyu asked.
[The semi-finals... you won?]
Hunter let out a short scoff as he opened the lid of the match lunch box prepared by the chef and nutritionist.
[Obviously.]
[Ah... I see. Congratulations, Hunter.]
He shrugged as if it were nothing.
[I told you I’d win.]
Just then, Jake approached the table carrying a hamburger lunch set from the snack bar and patted Hunter on the shoulder.
[Great job, Hunter. Especially the Ad side serve—it was killer. I think the focus on practicing wide slices really paid off in the increase of serve aces, right?]
Hunter nodded, then frowned slightly.
[But the Deuce side serve was a mess. I didn't put full power into them to save energy for the finals, so they kept returning everything I threw... damn it... ]
Hunter caught a glimpse of Jiyu and swallowed the curse.
[It’s fine, it’s fine. That was an unavoidable strategic choice. Let’s go with the Battering Ram strategy for the finals too. The opponent is relatively weak on the backhand, so even if there's a difference in physique and power, you have a good chance if you leverage the advantages of being a lefty. Oh, but it’s a hard court, so stop sliding so much. You’ll really regret it if you injure your ankle.]
Taking Jake’s nagging as a signal, the two began discussing the finals strategy, drawing and erasing lines on a whiteboard that depicted a tennis court.
Jiyu observed the two of them while munching on the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Thanks to having played tennis for quite a while, she understood about half of it, but she tuned out the overly technical parts.
Hunter chewed through some pale, tasteless-looking sliced chicken breast before washing it down with a protein shake blended with granola.
His blue eyes, shining with intensity as he engaged in a serious, heated discussion, looked exceptionally bright.
He wasn't usually a talkative person. Having known him for a long time, this was the first time she had seen Hunter assert himself so actively and offer his opinions so passionately.
Jiyu felt a strange fluttering in her chest, so she quietly set down the sandwich and took a sip of apple juice. More than anyone, she knew how sincere Hunter was about tennis.
She felt envious of his personality—the way he immersed himself completely in something he loved, pouring in all his heart and soul until he burned bright—but at the same time, she felt anxious.
Whenever someone asked Jiyu what her dream was or what she wanted to do when she grew up, she usually couldn't answer and would just vaguely brush it off.
Ae-jeong had encouraged her to become a banker on Wall Street. To make a lot of money and become rich. But instinctively, Jiyu felt that wasn't her path.
That didn't mean there was something she specifically wanted to do. People say this is the age to be full of dreams and talk about various hopes, but she was born realistic and dry.
‘What should I do with my life from now on?’
Jiyu gazed at Hunter with eyes full of longing.
Sensing her gaze, he suddenly turned his head to look at her.
[What. You want to trade for mine?]
Startled, Jiyu quickly shook her head. She then picked up the sweet and salty sandwich and took a large bite.
With a bitter smile, Hunter stabbed some dressing-less salad with a fork and shoved it into his mouth. When they were children, he used to devour three or four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in one sitting, making them disappear in the blink of an eye.
Jiyu folded her feelings of envy neatly in half, like a piece of paper. Becoming an athlete was truly not an easy task.
Thirty minutes before the finals, Hunter and Jake stood up, saying they needed to stretch and warm up. Jake left first to go to the restroom, and Hunter packed his bag.
[Court 1. Sit in the front row of the bleachers.]
He emphasized once more.
[I got it. How many times are you going to say the same thing? I remember it after one time.]
Grumbling, Jiyu stood up and picked up the book on the table. At that moment, a dampener tucked between the pages slipped out and fell next to Hunter's shoe.
[Oops!]
As she leaned down, Hunter was faster. He picked up the dampener in its plastic packaging, shook it back and forth, and chuckled.
[Jewel Parker. Are you still a kid?]
Offended by his sarcastic, teasing tone, Jiyu shot back.
[It’s yours.]
[What nonsense. Why would I want a childish dampener that only Daisy would like—]
[Jinx.]
She cut him off.
[...What?]
[I bought that because of your jinx.]
Hunter, who had been glaring at her with a frown, looked down at the dampener.
A red lip on a pink background.
...A kiss.
As the realization hit him, his expression softened.
[Remember? A new spot, not the palm or the wrist. That's why I tried to put it on your racket this time.]
Only then did he look up, open his mouth to speak, and then close it again without saying a word. He stared at the dampener with a troubled face before glancing up at her.
Jiyu almost burst out laughing at that awkward look.
Biting her lip, she snatched the dampener from his hand.
[If you don't want it, fine. I'll just put it on my own racket.]
Hunter closed his eyes tight and opened them again, biting his lower lip with a face clearly torn. He then gripped the edge of the plastic packaging with two fingers. He gripped it so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Jiyu held her breath, waiting for his decision.
[...Just give it here.]
He snatched the dampener from her hand and stuffed it into his tennis bag.
Jiyu, struggling to hide her smile by keeping her lips tight and her cheeks twitching, tilted her head. She then let out a strange coughing sound, covering her mouth with her forearm.
[Just in case of an emergency.]
Hunter added with a serious face, then turned around and vanished from the waiting room like a gust of wind.
Only then did Jiyu let out the laughter she had been holding back.
[An "emergency," he says. What on earth is an emergency in a tennis match... ]
She giggled once more as she slung her bag over her shoulder.
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