.jpg)
Before a startled Jerard could react, the ball bounced inside the baseline and spun out. It was an absurd serve ace.
[You little brat!]
Jerard shouted, completely riled up, while Hunter clutched his stomach and laughed out loud. An underarm serve is a trick used to catch an opponent off guard, and it occasionally appears even in Grand Slam matches.
Watching from the side, Jiyu also let out a small burst of laughter. It felt as if she were seeing Hunter as a child.
[I was just letting you know to be careful of tricks like that. Now, I'll get serious, so see if you can return this one.]
This time, his racket moved as if it were an extension of his long arm, drawing an elegant trajectory. It was a proper kick serve. The ball slammed into the ad court, leaving a vivid skid mark on the clay before bouncing up at a strange angle.
Jerard lunged forward, even sliding to reach it, but it was a desperate miss. The people watching from the clubhouse terrace cheered and applauded.
Jerard placed his hands on his hips, bowed his head low, and then looked up. He shook his head with a silent smile.
His face was a mixture of pride for his son and annoyance. He let out a groan.
[Go easy on me, son. Give your father some dignity.]
Hunter gave a smirk.
In that moment, Jiyu's heart sank. She blinked repeatedly as if trying to erase Hunter from her sight, then pressed her palm firmly against her chest.
'Ah, no... This is bad, Jiyu Parker. Please.'
An outdated love song by Ed Sheeran drifted from the clubhouse.
'People fall in love for the strangest reasons, sometimes just by a brush of fingertips. I fall in love with you every day...'
Hunter ran across the red court, coaching Jerard, who was dripping with sweat. Whenever Jerard hit a decent shot, Hunter would smirk and give an arrogant little nod.
Hunter loved tennis more than anything in the world. That was why he shone the brightest when he stood on that rectangular tennis court holding a racket. She already knew that. But today, it felt as if something had snapped in her head.
The scorching sunlight of Monte Carlo. Hunter, beautifully tanned to a caramel hue.
The reddish soil of the clay court. Hunter, in his white uniform, brushing back his sweat-soaked hair.
The Mediterranean, looking as if pure blue paint had been poured into it. Hunter, with eyes that resembled that very sea.
Sensing her gaze, he suddenly looked up. His eyes met hers as she stared at him, seemingly entranced.
Unlike other times, Jiyu couldn't quickly look away and pretend she hadn't seen him. Caught in her gaze, he revealed his teeth in a satisfied grin.
Her heart hammered so violently it felt as if a defibrillator had been pressed against her chest. The smile on Hunter's face resembled the one he had as a child when he first crossed the monkey bars all the way to the end.
Ah, what do I do.
Realizing she could no longer lie to herself, an emotion resembling fear clouded her eyes. The gears of her defense mechanism, which had repeated endlessly like a broken record, were so worn down that the brakes no longer worked.
Pale-faced, Jiyu slumped back against the chair.
I love Hunter.
Maybe from the very beginning.
She buried her face in both hands, falling into a panic.
'What happened to the maids who fell in love with the master's son...?'
✾ ✾ ✾
Hunter rested his hand lightly on the steering wheel of a 1988 Ferrari Testarossa Spider, skillfully navigating the narrow, steep alleys of Monaco that curved sharply along the ridges.
The Testarossa was a sports car produced only as a coupe. However, news had reached Jerard that one of the members of the Brunei royal family had put up for auction one of the few Spiders custom-made by the workshop responsible for the Testarossa's design.
The man, who had been a teenager in the 80s, quickly snatched up his dream car and symbol of youth. He then kept it tucked away in the depths of the villa like a treasure.
Three years ago, when Hunter was caught taking the car out in secret, Jerard had flown into a rage, threatening to remove his name from the will.
It wasn't that Hunter had a particular affection for this car. For his taste, the colors and design—which would have been more suited for Miami Beach in the 80s—were far too flashy.
His taste was something a bit more simple and elegant...
Hunter glanced at Jiyu sitting in the passenger seat.
Wearing oversized sunglasses, she flinched and whipped her head away. Her cheeks and ears were red.
Is she hot? The breeze feels cool. Or is she embarrassed because the car attracts too much attention?
Jiyu had been acting strange for a while. She was fine in the morning, but she'd been like this ever since he went to pick her up on the terrace after she finished her training and shower.
She would steal glances at him as if she had something to say, but the moment their eyes met, she would startle, turn her head away, and bite her lip as if shy.
How should he put it... it was a bit cute, and it made him want to tease her.
What is this? Do you suddenly like me?
Hunter let out a bitter, cynical laugh.
I almost fell for it again.
The clear eyes, the gentle face, and the innocent behavior that made her seem transparent often made him forget that Jiyu was only acting as a Jinx in exchange for the money she had borrowed from him.
Since that night, Hunter had been avoiding Jiyu. Avoiding someone while living in the same house was not an easy task. It was also quite a blow to his pride.
But he needed time to organize his thoughts before facing her.
'What do I want?'
'How should I treat Jiyu from now on?'
Since he was trying to do something he never usually did, it felt like his head was splitting.
Everything else was clearly divided into black and white, likes and dislikes, but with Jiyu, he didn't even know what he wanted.
The only thing certain was that he didn't want to let her go yet. So, in a state of resignation, he reached a conclusion.
The trust in Jiyu was already broken.
She was no different from the other people who had approached him with an ulterior motive.
Honestly, even that didn't matter.
As long as he kept his wits about him and didn't fall for the foolish delusion that she liked him with a pure heart, it was fine.
Then, the moment he grew tired of her... he intended to turn his back without regret.
But not yet.
They haven't even started; there's no way he could be tired of her already.
Though such a day would come eventually.
It was a bit tedious to constantly remind himself to wake up and not be fooled by that shy smile that made her dimples pop, but regardless, he was quite satisfied with things as they were for now.
He didn't know if Jiyu's behavior was an act or if she wanted something from him again.
Whatever, if she wanted something, he could just give her money or whatever else.
After all, he held the initiative in this relationship.
A relationship he could lead at his own pace and end whenever it suited his convenience.
So, he decided to stop thinking deeply and just let things flow with a relaxed mind.
[What is it? Do you have something to tell me?]
At Hunter's question, Jiyu flinched visibly and shook her head vigorously.
[No! Not at all!]
Her voice, over-denying, seemed to crack slightly before she whipped her head around to look at the cliff. Her face, biting her lower lip in dismay, was clearly reflected in the side mirror.
Her face was even redder than before. Come to think of it, the sunlight was quite strong, and he only then realized Jiyu wasn't wearing a hat.
No wonder. That spring-roll-like skin was bound to get scorched.
Hunter took the tennis cap he had brought from the MCCC and plopped it over her head.
[Wear it. Don't regret it later.]
Jiyu, who had been about to pull the hat off in a huff, paused and then pulled the hat down low. With the sunglasses and the hat, two-thirds of her small face were covered.
Should I tell her to take off the sunglasses? I want to see her face.
Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated. He took out the phone and handed it to Jiyu. She took the phone instinctively.
The screen displayed 'L.H.'
[Take it, it's my mother.]
[...Me?]
[Then, should I take it?]
The car produced in the 80s was an expensive machine with an auction price exceeding a million dollars, but it lacked the 21st-century technology they were used to. This was a reflection of Jerard's analog taste.
Jiyu carefully answered the phone. After explaining that Hunter couldn't talk because he was driving, she spoke for a while and then hung up.
[Flora's mother invited your parents and Daisy to a yacht. They'll stay there tonight, and after tomorrow's tournament, they'll spend a night at 'Hotel de Paris' for a dinner appointment with Chairman Yeon-jun, and then return to the villa the day after tomorrow in the afternoon.]
[Hmm.]
[She said to call her immediately if you happen to bully them.]
Hunter snorted.
That meant for the next two days, it would be just him and Jiyu alone at the villa. He struggled to suppress the corners of his mouth from curling upward.
.jpg)