God of Tennis

< Awards Ceremony (end of 9 volumes) >

Tennis awards ceremonies often take place shortly after the finals. In some competitions, athletes have no strength to get up after a battle, sit in a chair and receive a trophy from the host and then fall.

The tree was sparsely present.

The awards ceremony at the Seoul Open was also held about 15 minutes after the finals. The audience looks at the two fighters who fought hard for two weeks without leaving their seats.

There.

Soon after, the host on the stage tapped the microphone a few times and began reciting the sermon with a typical sentence.

‘It's probably the first time to hold an ATP League awards ceremony in Korean. ’

Han Woo-jin suddenly came up with a strange feeling. Since there has never been an ATP league in Korea, the proceedings of the awards ceremony have never been conducted in Korean. It was also something that had not happened in the world before returning. It was his own future and present, which Han Woo-jin created with his own hands.

While he was thinking of something strange, the awards ceremony went through a timely process. The process, including the congratulations, quickly flowed. Was he just caring about the players who were standing there?

The process did not require much time.

And finally, the awards ceremony arrived.

“ATP500 Seoul Open Semifinals 2007, Angie Roddick, please come forward. ”

The voice of the host resonating in Korean. I thought I could understand it and come up, but the concern soon fainted as a foreigner who was close to Roddick. Maybe he's in charge of the translator. Roddick took one look.

I nodded, and walked out of the chair and went up to the top of the platform.

Then, Chairman Cao came forward and lifted the award glowing in silver. The role of Chairman Cho in awarding the award was likely to be held as a result of an aggressive sponsorship by the NK Group.

It looked like I was in charge.

He stands in front of Roddick in an unbelievable manner. Then, while handing over the award, the wind waves of time remained stretched out.

“Thank you so much for showing me a good game. ”

Speaking fluent English flowed out of Joe's mouth. For a moment, even his eyes opened in amazement, Roddick held Joe's wrinkled hands with his remaining hands, handing over the award. There was a fever between old age and generations.

As their hands fell, a round of applause was poured out to remind them of the thunder in a vast stadium.

Papa Papa Papa Papa!

But as Roddick, the winner of the award, lowered his voice gradually, and by the time the moderator grabbed the microphone again, it was again full of static son-in-law. Everyone is looking forward to the next sequence.

It was like evidence of something.

Due to the atmosphere of the stadium, the moderator raised his voice as if he was lying and loudly summoned the winner of the competition.

“Then we will proceed to the final stage of the awards ceremony, the 2007 ATP500 Seoul Open Winner! Han Woo-jin, please come up to the top now! ”

As Han Woo-jin began to move his steps, the silent audience began to sing. All the voices that came out of their mouths were different, but there was only one name for them. And that name belongs to someone else.

Neither did I.

Han Woo-jin! Han Woo-jin! Han Woo-jin! Han Woo-jin!

I felt like I was leaving my back.

Hanwoojin even felt a mistake as if people's voices were pushing him forward. When more than 10,000 people gathered their voices in one mind, it was already creating waves beyond simple areas of vibration. Flawless Power

If you gather all the way over the bay, it will remain even under pressure.

However, the pressure was slightly different from the burden it had previously felt. It was not an unpleasantness of pressing down on the shoulders, but a force that seemed to push under your feet. I felt like I was walking on the clouds.

‘It's been a long time since I've been this excited. ’

I don't know if it's because of my personality or because of my life, but Han Woo-jin's feelings are not moved by the messiness. But today, I couldn't help but get excited. As I walked, I noticed that a sand sand was putting the last step on top of the monolith.

Quiet.

As soon as Han Woo-jin climbed onto the platform, the audience who sang his name also regained silence. Should I say I know the timing well? I was good at distinguishing good times from bad.

Hands reach for the golden statue that was left standing on top of the statue. The wrinkled hand carefully lifted the award, bringing it to the old gentleman's chest dressed sharply.

“... you did very well. I have nothing more to say to you. ”

“Thank you, Chairman. ”

What more is there to say? In a few words, they were able to understand each other's gold.

Hanwoojin hurriedly put the award on his side and held Joe's hand as he was bitten by the old man's eyes, which seemed to be standing forever, even though the storm was raging. Only a little tremor from the hand is what the old man is feeling.

I let him know how I felt.

“It's okay now. I don't know if I was just making a move in a good place. ”

“No way. It was the best.”

I wanted to talk more, but I couldn't say anything personal at the awards ceremony. Chairman Cho clapped his face and tapped Hanwoojin's shoulder a few times before looking at the direction of the herd for a good photo. myriad

It was snowy in the flash when it exploded, but it wasn't someone who would show trends in Han Woo-jin or Chairman Jo.

With a background sound of applause that reminds me of the sound of the waves, the faces of the two people were covered with millions of camera flashes. That's how the awards ceremony ended.

“Han Woo-jin, please say a few words about winning at Seoul Open! ”

“This Seoul Open is the first ATP competition in Korea. And it feels good to be the first winner of the competition. because the first time is a little bit meaningful. ”

As soon as the audience dropped out after the awards ceremony, Han Woo-jin was surrounded by a large crowd. Cameras, notebooks, and micro-armed journalists were waiting for him. It was also part of the job that was not a place to sneak out like before.

However, Han Woo-jin was flexibly returning the questions. It was something I had experienced a few times overseas, and there was some part that I felt more comfortable with interviewing in Korean.

Maybe half an hour. As reporters who threw up all the questions for the broadcast or magazine gradually cleared up the commotion, a final question popped up.

“As you said before, you won the Seoul Open and I'm curious as to where you're planning to go next! Can you answer that? ”

All the reporters who were preparing to dig in opened their eyes. It was a question that anyone would be interested in.

Han Woo-jin was the one who won the Seoul Open, which everyone said was nonsense. Even though he was going to fail at the next competition, he had no choice but to carry the weight in his own words.

In response to the question, Han Woo-jin paused.

The next goal had already been set, but I was wondering if I could discuss it here.

This time, I received a favorable assessment because things went well as I had said they would. However, there was no guarantee that things would go as he had promised.

‘You'd be lucky not to insult me for being overly insolent. ’

The ATP500 league, which he had won for the first time, was clearly a great level of competition, but could not be the best. It was because there were two more competitions to go.

Masters Series and Grand Slam. The total of any professional tennis player's dream competitions. With the winner of the Seoul Open, even the 30th place in the world ranking, and even the 20th place, it is difficult to guarantee that even Hanwoojin will be able to win the 8th place.

However, Han Woo-jin opened his mouth. Stuck in the well with your fountain, the past is enough. Even if I couldn't leap, I couldn't stand to walk away.

“It's a little hard to say it's a goal, but I've got a competition in mind. ”

The reporters gathered again, not saying that they were going to settle down. In front of them with the microphone and camera they were about to put in, Han Woo-jin raised his head calmly. If you're a man with aspirations, you need to open your heart.

“I'll see you back in England this June. ”

* * *

At the end of the last question, Han Woo-jin stepped back from the stadium. No matter how much trouble the remaining reporters caused, there was no intention of staying there. As I told you before, the former director was waiting outside the exit, smiling and tapping his shoulder.

I was eavesdropping on the interview.

“Damn, my tongue is rolling so well today. After winning, did you get some oil in your mouth? ”

“She talks a lot, so she gets used to it. ”

“What's what? Seems like you're doing a good job of answering the question, too! ”

The tribute wrapped its arms around the neck of Hanwoojin, prankingly tapping its sides. It was not a problem that was annoying between two people with a wet, sweaty feeling.

After a while, Han Woo-jin, who had taken the racket bag from his shoulders, left the stadium following the former director who was walking ahead of him. I was supervised by consideration that gave me no room to refuse.

“Hmm?"

After leaving the stadium, Han Woo-jin tilted his head, covering the sunshine with his palms. The screen of the phone that I accidentally pulled out of my pocket was showing 3: 17 pm.

Is it time already? ’

The final, which began this morning, was not until after lunch. At 3 p.m., the cool breeze that the sun began to blow slightly, cooling Hanwoojin's brow, which was sweaty.

Meanwhile, the appearance of a woman waving her hands from afar made her breasts tremble quietly. The closer it got, the greater the amplitude of the shaking. She was right in front of you.

“Se-yeon...”

Wow.

Before Han Woo-jin uttered a word, the intense aroma of Lilac shook his mind. It was not that hard to understand the situation because of the hair on the tip of my nose.

But understanding and reasoning are separate. Suddenly, Hanwoojin stopped moving, and Shin Se-yeon was impressed with the deadlock to add power to her arms. It was the exhausted voice of a nearby former director who had separated the two of them.

“Yes, do you like showing off your youth in front of this old man? ”

I didn't even notice the director, but Shin Se-yeon was shocked and leapt back.

“Go, Director?! Hello?”

“What, I haven't even seen it? Isn't this too much? ”

“No, that's not it...”

There was no excuse. In front of Han Woo-jin, who was still frozen, and Shin Se-yeon, I only sighed deeply. He shook Han Woo-jin, who was standing dumbstruck first, and woke him up.

“Hey, are you out of your mind? This is so heartbreaking...”

“Ah, Director? ”

“You're such a jerk. She looked like a hedgehog to me. Anyway, listen, the chairman told me to tell you. ”

I wonder what Chairman Jo told me to say. For a moment, Han Woo-jin quickly returned to his usual complexion and looked at the director. This mental flexibility, depending on the situation, was also one of Hanwoojin's strengths.

“He asked me to come by around lunch tomorrow. You were supposed to call me today, but I heard you're giving up because you have a customer. Oh, and take this, too. ”

“… Italian restaurant? Why is this?”

The former director gave me the card of a restaurant in an authentic Italian restaurant in Songpa. As he wondered, the former director pointed to the back of Hanwoojin's shoulder with a chin. It was as if someone was there. That chin thing.

Han Woo-jin turns his head along Rickin's direction.

And I reacted exactly as the director expected.

“Huh? How? ”

Today is a weekday, and I didn't think I could expect my parents to come to the game on the weekends and my younger brother to go to school. In front of Han Woo-jin, three families waved their hands at him.

“The chairman has even prepared a special room, so take her there and eat with her. You're here on a weekday to see your game. Why don't you go make some more mouths? ”

“Director...”

People often use the word "Korean family member." I often heard it when I was in the same company, in the same group. However, it was also not the case if the expressions of the Korean brothers and sisters were common. The people next to me, laughing and chattering, are cold.

Crabs often turn their backs, and when they face each other outside, they don't rarely greet each other strangely.

But what about these people?

Ta-da!

Hanwoojin, who felt something cold inside, stood still with his business card, and the director slapped him on the back with a hand as big as a cauldron lid. My hands are familiar with the pain of the stabbing.

“Don't be alarmed. Just go, man. You're waiting.”

“… Yes, I'll see you later. ”

“Come. I'll see you later. ”

After a brief greeting, the former director boards his car as cool as ever. Whether he didn't want to interrupt the meeting with his family, he stepped on Axel at once and walked out of the parking lot. The former director is missing.

Only Han Woojin and Shin Se-yeon remained in Lee's life, and they were unable to understand the situation for a moment and confronted each other.

“Oh. ” ”

At the same time, the two of them looked back in the same direction.

There, his father nodding, his mother trembling with his mouth closed, and his sister prankingly twitching her mouth.

"Oops."

I climbed up with more tension on Han Woojin's margins than when I encountered Roddick. Perhaps his real finals have not yet begun.

End of Awards Ceremony