God of Tennis

"Customer?"

While he was embarrassed by the warm feeling of sudden contact with the palm of his hand, Han Woo-jin couldn't hide his curious expression. Wimbledon's finals are only seven hours away. Who the hell is coming for him at a time like this? All the way down the elevator, Han Woo-jin's head was filled with question marks.

At first, I thought he might have come, but then there was no reason to hide it like this. Moreover, Shin Se-yeon's face is not going to be that bright. He was just puzzled by the increasingly blurry development.

Xxxxx

With a cheerful sound, the elevator arrives on the first floor and opens its doors. I was worried that the polar reporters who came to the inn would welcome him, but fortunately, even those who were close to the finals were not so rude.

“Come on, this way. ”

Shin Se-yeon, who was walking forward holding Han Woo-jin's hand, led him to a lounge located inside the lobby, not towards the front door of the hotel. Apparently, he arrived first and was waiting for him, just as he said he was a guest.

In the end, Han Woo-jin did not infer the identity of the guest who came to him until the moment he pushed down the heavy door of the lounge.

Well, not necessarily a metaphor.

“Son!"

“Brother!"

As he entered the lounge, the tone of his voice tickled his eardrum. Han Woo-jin suddenly looked around the faces of his family members and only opened his mouth with a mute face. The mother who gets up from the couch and hugs him, the sister who waves her hands and reflects, and the father who politely lays down the cup of coffee. The Hans are gathering in a hotel in London.

In fact, Han Woo-jin, who was rarely able to keep his face, asked his mother with a slightly trembling voice.

“H-how did you get here? ”

Normally, he would have had a lot to think about. Shin Se-yeon opened her mouth to unravel his question instead of watching Han Woo-jin with a happy face.

“You sent an invitation to Woojin's family. Final tickets, of course. Flight ticket to London. ”

“Ah…. ”

“But you were supposed to be here around dawn, and now you're here because of the bad weather. If the game hadn't been delayed, it would have been a disaster. ”

She sweeps her chest away with a sincere, fortunate face. I felt relieved that the finals were postponed for some reason, but this must have been the reason. If the finals had gone as planned, he'd be hanging out in the waiting room right now, so he wouldn't have had time to talk to his family.

It was not long before Han Woo-jin regained his composure that he returned his gaze to his family who had seen his face. The first thing I opened was a mother, Lee Su-yeon, who held his hand as soon as I opened her arms.

“How have you been? ”

It was a pretty simple thing to say when you came to see your son to the final in Wimbledon, but Hanwoojin's heart became even tighter. It was because I knew that my worry about my son, who is preaching abroad in a few short words, was sorrowful. He pressed down on his darkening eyes and responded with a calming face.

“Yes, I'm fine. ”

If there is any news about tennis, I am a gathering parent. I was well aware of Han Woo-jin's current situation without giving a separate explanation.

So she motionlessly nodded her head, touching the palm of her son, pretending to be an adult. Now that he was all grown up, he was no different from the child he had left by the water, no matter how old he was.

“Honey, how long are you going to keep the kid in the game? Let's sit down and talk.”

“Oh, look at me. Come here."

Regardless of refusing and blaming, Han Woo-jin was dragged by Lee Su-yeon's hand and sat down in front of his father. Then Hanyura, who was touching his cell phone next to him, came out with something. This was a pen and paper I wanted to look at.

“What. What about the paper? ”

“My brothers and I asked for your autograph. I didn't see you like that. Are you surprisingly popular? ”

“What a fuss. ”

Even though I went to university, I still can't resist. Hanwoojin listened to her as she pretended not to win, and scattered her well-groomed hair. When I saw the mollusk running away, prattling me not to do it, I realized something. that his family had come all the way to London to really see him play.

‘I feel very... curious. ’

Like a picnic, my heart pounds like an actor in front of the stage. I never thought I'd feel this way just because my family's in the same room. Hanwoojin carelessly clenched his fist.

At that moment, a heavy voice woke him up.

“Woojin.”

“Oh, yes. ”

My father, Han Dong-hoon, who emptied his cup of coffee, was looking at him with a calm smile. I wonder what he's talking about. As I read the atmosphere, the sound of the rest of the people gradually came to me. At last, when the sound disappeared from the lounge, Han Dong-hoon clicked on the coffee cup handle with his index finger and continued talking.

“I feel like I'm dreaming right now. Don't you? ”

“… a little. ”

I couldn't deny it. I feel like it's a miracle that I came all the way here to rot from the bottom of the well. I had occasional thoughts like that. This was all a dream, and if I'd opened my eyes, I might have woken up in that shabby studio 10 years ago. It was such a horrible delusion that I didn't want to put it in my mouth on the premise.

“It's been two years since my son got into NK Shipping, and now he's Korea's best player. I never thought it would reach Wimbledon's final and summon us like this. ”

It sounded like a denial of Han Woojin's ability, but it was never meant to be. Although the hedgehogs say their cubs are impregnated, Han Dong-hoon was well aware that even tennis players in Korea could not compete in the Grand Slam.

But the nearest thing to impossible was done at an even greater scale than I had imagined. It was good enough that I didn't feel real in my own situation.

“Besides, today's opponent is the emperor. I can't believe you're competing with someone you've seen on TV. I can't believe it. ”

“Father.”

It was Han Woo-jin who wanted to say something, but Han Dong-hoon's words were not yet finished. He firmly changed his hollow smile and held his son's hand on the table. His tennis training had proven to be an unusually strong hand grip.

“But even if it's a dream, what do you think? All the work you've done, all the sweat you've sweated, it's all for nothing. ”

“… No. ”

Hanwoojin shakes his head. Even though this unbelievable reality was just a dream, it could not deny all the efforts that had been made so far.

Then, his father, Han Dong-hoon, calmed his head heavily.

“That's it. You came all the way here for that. Don't wake up like this. ”

“That's...”

“Think of it as a dream. Emperor or whatever, what's not to win? ”

The heavy father's trust firmly tapped Han Woo-jin's heart. He was telling his son to bring down the best fighter in the world. A father's uproar until the awkward match time was delayed, and there was no shortage of heat in Han Woojin's body that was released.

He didn't show any colors.

He doesn't shake his head.

He didn't answer long.

I just nodded once.

“Yes.”

That was enough of an answer.

* * *

Until 3 p.m., when Wimbledon was scheduled for the final, time flowed relentlessly. The moisture that moistened the grass gradually dried up by the sun and the wind, and the residential streets near the stadium began to crowd with visitors preparing for entry.

Wimbledon's final, the world's largest tennis tournament, was an event that remained with that many people's attention.

And the MBS station, which was literally amazing, had been playing the tennis special for two hours before the finals even started. Former athletes came out to discuss the poor infrastructure and the promotion broadcast of the newly founded NK Group's tennis academy attracted viewers.

But they were just four tribes all along. No matter what, today's main event was the final of Wimbledon against Han Woojin and Pedro.

Two commentators and a former director appeared in the background of the camera that started illuminating the stadium an hour before the game began.

Now we have about an hour until the Grand Final. Ladies and gentlemen, today's game will be a milestone in Korean tennis history regardless of the outcome.

Yes, except for Kim Hyung, who has already won the runners-up in Grand Slam, the most historic Wimbledon. Even if you don't win, you'll make the best track record in Asian tennis history!

What Han Woo-jin said was that there was nothing to compare it to in the Eastern world. Even the most historical waters that can be hit with similar water were nothing compared to Han Woo-jin in ranking or grand rotation. If he wants to get out of the game now, he's gonna have to wait five to 10 years.

The two commentators who had historical moments in front of them continued the story as if they were drunk on something. It's not the words that I forcefully pull out to draw time, but it's because I'm so overwhelmed that I can't stand it without my mouth.

Who could have predicted that? No one would have ever known an Asian man who had dared to go for the Cup would actually come this far!

Nafael Radal. Robbins Jokovich, Angie Rodick... I've come all the way over here after literally countless fighters. All you have to do is try your best until the end. Even if a miracle doesn't happen, there's not much to praise for his performance!

However, even they could not guarantee Han Woo-jin's victory. The opponent is Roger Pedro, the world's greatest tennis player. Not Han Woo-jin, but Darren is not the one who can guarantee a win.

It was then that the former director, who was quietly watching their conversation, pointed to the corner of the stadium and demanded the camera rotate.

... I see a lot of familiar faces.

He looked at the unfamiliar faces one by one through a camera that returned to his demands.

Okuda Ryosuke, a Japanese who came to Wimbledon after Han Woojin.

Leonard Sweets, a black man with a prominent black bowler who presses down on his hat.

Angie Roddick is busy talking to the agent next door.

Stan Barbringa with a cell phone in his ear to talk to someone.

Choi Yeon-hyeok, an Asian with arms wrapped around a complex face.

Fernando Garcia, the man who shows his face while cleaning sunglasses.

Moreover, the faces of the players who participated in Wimbledon, or fought Han Woojin, flowed on the camera. A strange emotion, even if it wasn't a party, silenced the two commentators and the former director. I felt like I had captured at a glance the crystals of every career that Han Woo-jin had built.

Today is definitely a special day.

The three of them shared the same thought without my knowledge. If Han Woo-jin is going to do something, it's going to be today. Their extraordinary instincts were rumbling. This tingling sensation of skin is what it feels like when you are experiencing a great event.

And they step on their little silence, and two players appear on their coats.

Ah...

Park Sung-jin's commentary inadvertently vomited his admiration. The appearance of the two athletes who appeared in reverse daylight in the afternoon was as cool as any scene in the movie.

The two men who entered the court side by side in front of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of views turned their backs on each other. The pace of the two steps was similar, as if the West Pole gunmen were spaced just before the duel.

The moment Hanwoojin and Roger Pedro finally climbed onto their coats with their rackets, the unnatural silence was shattered.

Wahhhhhhhhhhh ─!

2007 Wimbledon Championships. It was the beginning of the final.