Peninsula: Aiming for a Grand Slam

Wednesday.

The phone rang.

Chen Jixian looked completely bewildered, his brain still not fully activated. Last night, he waited until midnight for news from Bae Joo-hyun, but nothing came of it.

"...Feed." The voice was hoarse from just waking up, but the tone was rising.

Is that video real?

It's Liu Zhimin.

His brain paused for a second before recognizing the voice—it wasn't Bae Joo-hyun.

He glanced at the name on the screen, pasted it back, and then switched to Korean:

"Oh, it's you."

Liu Zhimin heard it.

The difference in tone between "feed" and "Oh, it's you" is like a slap in the face.

Chen Jixian wasn't talking to her; he was waiting for someone else.

A name flashed through her mind—Bae Joo-hyun.

That old woman!

She suppressed her anger.

Is that video real?

Liu Zhimin asked again.

There was no longer any concern in her tone; it was as if she were confirming something she already knew the answer to.

Which video?

"The one you want to hit."

"real."

She paused for a second.

In that instant, his word "feed" kept replaying in her mind—it wasn't meant for her.

She paused for a moment.

"Did the other person say something bad about Senior Pei...?"

He was silent.

Chen Jixian knew that before her debut, Liu Zhimin had spoken ill of Bae Joo-hyun.

It wasn't convenient to tell Yoo Jimin about Lee Dong-hoon's insults. Otherwise, what would she say? Would she secretly laugh at her?

but,

Silence is the answer.

She could tell.

I recalled that "they knew each other first."

I recall that Chen Jixian provoked a petition with 20 people because of her.

Then I thought of that phrase, "Oh, it's you."

Liu Zhimin's anger flared up instantly:

"You're a tennis player, are you really that impulsive? Are you even smug about it, thinking you look cool throwing a punch? Do you think you can protect her with your fists?"

He was silent.

"Does she need your protection?" Her tone suddenly turned cold. "Do we female idols need someone like you, who can't even get a professional job, to protect us? You'll only cause trouble!"

She didn't mean to scold him.

But now, the ITF investigation and the 200,000-person petition at the Blue House are all consequences of that "step forward".

She only felt that he was impulsive, immature, and didn't consider the consequences. He was standing up for someone who didn't need his protection at all, while he himself couldn't handle anything.

She calmed herself down and suddenly realized that she had gone a bit too far, and wanted to say something else.

"You're right."

What?

Liu Zhimin opened her mouth.

"I understand now."

hang up.

He put on his slippers and went into the bathroom.

I washed my face with cold water, and the water dripped down my chin onto my collar.

I've finished washing up.

After breakfast.

He checked the weather forecast, then started packing his golf bag. The racket was still there, the shoelaces were tied, and the sweatband was newly wrapped.

Bae Joo-hyun's chat window remained silent.

There are still matches today.

Another system notification appeared in the upper right corner.

This time,

This is not a warning about abnormal mood swings.

A golden phrase is burning silently.

[Burning Heart: Reduces the effects of mental abnormalities by 50%, increases all attributes by 1]

What leaked through the crack in the door wasn't fire, but something hotter than fire. Tears flowed, and the crack closed again. Now, no one, no words, can pry this door open. Every ounce of your attention now can only be focused on victory.

Chen Jixian checked the attributes.

【technology】

Serve: 3

Serving return: 2

Forehand: 2

Backhand: 3

Chop shot: 1

Stable: 2

【Body】

Stamina: 2

Agility: 2

Burst: 1

Upper body strength: 2

Lower limb strength: 2

【Spirit】

Prediction: 1

Rhythm: 2

Reaction speed: 4

Something's not right.

Chen Jixian stared at the system UI.

"All attributes +1, reaction speed still 4?"

"You dog system, did you take a kickback from me?"

……

……

The second round of the main competition.

Round of 16 to 8.

Shota Nakamura stood in the players' tunnel, waiting to enter the field.

It's very noisy outside.

Some people were shouting slogans, some were whistling, and some were slapping their inflatable sticks loudly.

"J.Chen, get out here!"

"Violent freaks, get out of South Korea!"

He recalled the day before yesterday, when he had clearly secured a victory, but the coach had stopped him—

"You can withdraw from the match. This one is too dangerous, both on the field and in the public eye. If your old injury flares up, no one will investigate you."

The coach's expression was very serious.

"J.Chen is no ordinary player—you have no hope of winning, and if you lose, you'll be criticized by both Japan and South Korea. You need to think this through."

yesterday,

His answer was,

"I don't want to withdraw."

Now, standing in this passageway, listening to the Korean slogans outside, he suddenly felt—

The coach is right!

The guy across from them, Chen Jixian, is the person all of South Korea wants to kill right now.

And he, Shota Nakamura

Who is he?

"I'm just cannon fodder, pushed up here..."

The stands were packed with people, even more than yesterday.

It's a bit crowded.

Some people were holding up their phones, while others were holding up signs that read in Korean, "Violent freaks, get out of Korea."

Several more tripods were set up in the front row, with DSLR cameras mounted on them.

Naver Sports.

Daum Sports.

There was even a foreign one.

"Fortunately, they are all online media."

Shota Nakamura breathed a sigh of relief. He walked to the bench and put down his golf bag.

then,

He saw Chen Jixian.

The person was standing behind the baseline, rubbing the service line with the sole of their shoe. They weren't looking at the stands, their opponents, or anyone else.

"Is he really using this place as a training ground?"

The referee announced the warm-up.

The two players rallied across the net, the ball going back and forth, and Nakamura Shota calmed down.

He accepted it and resigned himself to his fate.

Since we can't win anyway, and we're going to lose anyway, at least we shouldn't lose too badly.

first round.

Chen Jixian serves. He tosses the ball and hits it flat to the inside corner. The ball hits the T-point, bounces up, and crashes into the net.

15-0.

Shota Nakamura stood still.

He anticipated the shot and turned sideways in advance. But the speed of the ball meant that it couldn't be caught simply by anticipation.

Faster than in the video?

"Again."

He lowered his center of gravity and stared at the person opposite him.

The second Ace lands in the outer corner.

30-0.

The third shot came from behind him; he swung his racket sideways and got bumped. The ball hit his ribs with a dull thud.

He bent down, covering the spot where he had been hit.

40-0.

Someone in the stands shouted:

"Go Japan! Beat that mainland Chinese guy!"

He gritted his teeth, stood up, and gripped the racket tightly again.

"Japanese player?"

"You fucking cheered me on, and you don't even know my name!"

Less than a minute later.

The referee announced.

Love game.

He walked back to the bench and wiped his sweat with a towel.

Someone in the stands shouted "Go Japan!" even louder than before, as if he were truly a representative of the Koreans.

Nakamura, however, felt utterly desolate.

After returning—

His score today will be posted on 2ch and Twitter with the caption: "The Japanese lost to thugs, bringing shame to South Korea."

He didn't want to see those things, but he knew he would see them sooner or later.

He stood up.

"At least, hold your serve."

Who was the last player to hold serve?

Shota Nakamura remembered:

First round of qualifying,

A man named Park Jun-ho!

He must be a tragic figure. If he hadn't run into J.Chen, he would have at least made it to the semifinals.

Shota Nakamura stands behind the baseline.

He suddenly felt a bit indignant: Why should a Japanese person like him have to solve the trouble caused by the Koreans!

Toss the ball, prepare the racket, and smash it down!

After a few exchanges, Chen Jixian suddenly moved to the side and used his forehand to push the ball back, which grazed the sideline.

He lunged forward, but couldn't reach it.

0-15.

Shota Nakamura's face was ashen.

He regretted it; he should have withdrawn from the competition yesterday!