God of Tennis

Tick, tick.

In the quiet waiting room, only the sound of the second hand shifts. Hanwoojin was sometimes moving his body and was spending time preventing his joints or muscles from hardening. To focus solely on your games, you don't even have power on the television in the waiting room.

It was him.

‘... This is taking a long time. ’

How long has it been since the first round started?

He raises his head toward the clock, which he had never cared about. The time for the 4th Precinct was 10: 00 a.m. And it was about 20 minutes after the first round started. At around 10: 20 A.M., Yeon-hyuk Choi and Hyuk Kim will start the game.

It meant I did.

Hanwoojin widened his eyes after seeing the clock's clock and the shape created by the minutes needles. It was a little bit longer than I expected, 12: 55, and one lap lasted more than two and a half hours and was still unfinished.

“Looks like you're up to three sets. ”

It was clear that there was a fierce struggle. Kim Hyeong-gyeong on the coat in perfect condition, and Choi Yeon-hyeok who came up exhausted proved it from making an 11 set score.

It was scary for the veteran to save his advantage and lead the battle when he was originally at an advantageous notice. However, Choi Yeon-hyeok bit the game at a disadvantage. Existing advantages lose meaning if they turn into dysfunction.

‘Let's see. ’

It was Hanwoojin who would not give attention to other players' matches until they usually played their own. However, the pressure to deal with Roger made him suffocated by a stunning image that was invisible no matter how much he tried.

Eventually, Han Woo-jin grabbed the remote control and pressed the red button, and the black screen that he ate illuminated.

Jiaying.

Along with the sound of a slight mix-up of noise, the screen was properly shaped. The blue coat, the white net, and the two moving players were clearly illuminated. It was natural, but not Korean broadcasting, so I noticed the English scores and points.

Of course, the set score was 11 and the game score was 43.

Kim Hyung-hyeon was 4, and Choi Yeon-hyeok was 3.

“Still a little pushy, aren't you? ”

Even if it is a set of 3 that are highly involved in each other's mental power, the difference in residual strength that has been happening from the beginning does not decrease easily.

In fact, in Han Woo-jin's view, the difference between Kim and Choi Yeon-hyeok's movements was noticeable. As long as Kim was still up and down his chest, Yeon-hyeok Choi was shaking up and down his shoulders.

To this end, Kim Hyung-hyeon's odds are 7, and Choi Yeon-hyeok's odds are 3.

Han Woo-jin coldly judged their dominance. As expected, Choi Hyuk spread out with physical disadvantages, but there was not enough to guarantee victory. It's only a matter of time before Kim Hyung-hyeok runs out of stamina.

Beep.

The TV screen turned black on the road. After watching this more rally, the eyes become accustomed to their own play. Hanwoojin cleared his interest in the first turn and began to move again. Soon after the game, it was his turn. beauty

I liked Lee's relaxed side.

The sound of regular breathing came from Hanwoojin's mouth, which began to stretch in a different way than what he had done before.

However, the first turn was rarely over.

The door of the waiting room only opened 30 minutes after Han Woo-jin turned off the TV.

* * *

‘Took me longer than I thought. ’

Looking at the coat with a moderately warmed body, Han Woo-jin thought so. We were supposed to be here after 10 to 15 minutes. Maybe even Dust or Tybreak.

There are no people in the hallway from the waiting room to the coat immediately. It was a gateway for both entry and exit, so access was restricted except for athletes and officials. The concierge who was walking in front was the only other person.

The more you move, the louder the noise. Whether it's the roar of the crowd or the voice of the host. As Han Woo-jin, there was no way to know. It was around the time of the blue coat, at the edge of his extended field of vision.

‘There is someone. ’

Hanwoojin found a shadow lying in the passageway of the backlight when the sun came in. It was a little after noon, so the sunlight was too bright. I couldn't tell who was standing until I got close.

After five more steps, Han Woo-jin was able to meet the person who was waiting for him.

You're all sweaty and limping.

He's still out of breath.

I leaned against the wall with my legs that I couldn't stand properly.

Choi Yeon-Hyuk was there.

“You,”

“... I won. ”

Before Han Woo-jin could say anything, a half-quiet voice came out first.

I wonder how long it would take me to run without breathing. It would have been more than 10 minutes after the game, but Choi Hyeon Hyuk was still breathing out of his mouth, not his nose. I couldn't help but say five words without breaking.

“I see.”

A blunt answer came out without my knowledge. I wasn't sure about the loud celebration, and I just couldn't ignore it. Above all, the heavy emotions in those two words of Choi Hyuk caught my attention.

He must have liked it no matter what Han Woo-jin said. Just satisfied that he responded, Choi Hyuk tried to smile as usual with his busy mouth, even trying to breathe. Even the grumpy expression revealed an uncovered sense of accomplishment.

As he coughed for a moment, he opened his mouth slightly with a calm face. The swelling of the neck was still half relaxed.

“Because of you. ”

“What?"

Hanwoojin's eyelids went up with a sound that he didn't know. As I expected such a reaction, Choi Hyuk shook his head with a smile.

“It was so hard... I was about to collapse. I didn't want to get up once I fell. I wonder how comfortable it would be to be stuck in a hot coat like this... I even thought of this. ”

“Fallen?”

A slight glance lowered, and I could see the rag stuck to my knee. He probably didn't fall asleep standing still, so he must have fallen and split his knee in his coat.

However, Choi did not care at all. If the adrenaline had sunk by now, I'd be pretty beat up. He shakes his hand and looks directly into Hanwoojin's eyes, asking him not to worry. It doesn't look like someone who's exhausted.

It was a clear pupil.

“And yet you stood there. ”

It was not Han Woo-jin who was staring at Choi Yeon-Hyuk. A few months ago, it was a poison that fainted standing in front of the NK training ground. It was the "real" I met for the first time since I was born, when I didn't feel like I had won at all.

A bold voice followed. It was not funny at all, even though I was half leaking because my neck was resting. Han Woo-jin heard the story of Choi Yeon-hyeok with his mouth closed.

“So I got up. I didn't want to fall and lose, so at least I tried to stand still. ”

If you look closely, the gauze on my knee still shed a little blood. Simple hemostasis meant a constant level of bleeding. In addition, the whole bridge was bluishly watered. It was visible to the naked eye that there was blood and muscle loss.

“But... I didn't want to lose when I woke up. ”

The hollow pupils tighten vigorously. At one moment, Choi Yeon-Hyuk had regained his original gaze and sprinkled a predatory glare. It was intense gaze, which might have taken a step back from indifference if it weren't for Han Woojin. Some of the new voices are returning to normal.

There was.

Choi Yeon-Hyuk took his body off the wall. The body, which was momentarily distorted, was rebalanced by superhuman will.

“If only I'd had the chance to settle that case... Were you a little unlucky? ”

“I see. ”

They both smiled bitterly at the same time. If the opponent wasn't just Roger Pedro, he might have entered the final. However, they were able to glimpse Roger's capabilities with their talents and abilities.

That's a nightmare that doesn't answer.

Choi Yoon-Hyuk clenched his fist. I couldn't say "win." Winning against Roger was more of a taunt than a cheer. So he put another word in his mouth for a friend who had the world's worst enemies in front of him.

“Give it to me. Isn't that your specialty?"

He clenches his fist and slams it hard. Hanwoojin passed through history and headed for his coat.

As I stepped into the sun, I quickly had a fever all over my body. It's not just the difference in temperature. It seemed to have even spread open with pain.

‘Let's see. ’

Hanwoojin narrowed his eyes because of the sun. First, I see a man standing on his coat waiting for him. When I was holding the racket, I could not even prepare my mind, and the reality of the nightmare caught my attention.

But his body was still hot. The horror I felt in yesterday's gaze disappeared without a trace.

“Oh? Nice face, Mr. Hahn. Did something good happen? ”

Roger greets Han Woo-jin in a playful voice. However, if there was anything in his appearance, his eyes sank, as he was weighed down without a little prank.

Yeah, definitely not in a bad mood.

Han Woo-jin still touched his right hand, which still had a bit of pain. It wasn't just pain. The subtle boiling heat is rising there.

Even after being born, there was no one to call him a friend even after all the years that remained in his memory. She never got involved with Han Woo-jin who was crazy about tennis, and the tennis side approached him who was rotting without talent.

I had no teeth.

So Han Woo-jin didn't know the name of this fever.

“ … a friend gave me a gift. ”

“I envy that. You made a good friend, Mr. Hahn. ”

A friend. It was a word that I couldn't feel even when I spoke it with my own mouth. However, Han Woo-jin nodded. I felt that I shouldn't do that. There was not a lot of heat that did not give me the slightest tremor in the face of Roger.

The name of the fever was friendship.

* * *

“Finally, two athletes were on their coats. Beyond that fierce first turn! Once again, Han Woo-jin, our nation's proudest opponent, greets the world's greatest opponent! ”

“World Ranking 91 versus # 1, the results are clear to anyone. But you have to know one thing! Han Woo-jin is a player who has never been a critic! ”

The two commentators bloomed more than one turn for two turns that would be called the highlight of the 4th Precinct. It was always Roger's fight for victory, which always led to unexpected events.

Of course, the difference between his skills and his career was too great to win Han Woojin's victory, but it was impossible for anyone to give up his mind just in case.

Finally, the two players who received the signal of the beginning of the judgment stood face to face. The thick referee's thumb bounces off the silver coin and then covers the falling coin.

“If at all possible, Han Woojin would like you to bring him a sub-volume. It's a disadvantage to start even handing over sub-volumes to Roger! There's a lot of times when you can't get started with a deflection. ”

“That's right. It's important to take it one step at a time from your realm, as you can see the strong side of the sub. If you start drying the meadow for nothing, there's no way to turn it upside down! ”

Park Sung-jin and Shin-chan secretly prayed that Han Woo-jin would win the sub-ticket, holding hands above and below the desk. No matter how badly Roger picks up Han Woo-jin's horseshoe-like ball from the meadow, it's hard to pick it up one game at a time, just in case.

Reversal could have happened.

Many, including two commentators, waited for the referee's palm to fall from beyond the brown tube. After less than 5 seconds, my thick furry hands fell off like boiled clams.

The coin was on the back. We couldn't tell which player picked the back, so people didn't relax and had to focus on the screen.

Soon the referee handed him the ball.

“Oh!”

Nice!

The two commentators unconsciously shouted when they saw the direction of the ball. Viewers watching the broadcast also had some similar reactions.

It was Han Woo-jin who took the sub first.

< SEMI FINALS # 2 > End

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