Peninsula: Aiming for a Grand Slam

Liu Zhimin started her live stream.

What was supposed to be a routine chat turned into a fan encounter as the Naver Sports live stream was viewed on the phone.

The live chat went wild instantly.

She simply stopped pretending and said, "Let's all watch the junior tennis finals together," but everyone knew who she really wanted to watch.

In the second game, Kim Sung-jun held serve.

1-1.

Liu Zhimin looked at the screen, her brows furrowing slightly.

Her expression wasn't exaggerated, but her lips were pursed and her brows twitched slightly.

The comments were still scrolling by, but she didn't read any of them. She was staring at the foot that Chen Jixian had slid on the hard ground and then stopped.

"Unnie, are you nervous?"

"Choosing the wrong side will lead to consequences."

"J.Chen had a huge advantage in the service game, so it's normal for him to lose."

She didn't reply.

In the third game, Chen Jixian held serve with difficulty, making it 2-1.

The score went from 40-30 to AD-40.

On the break point, he sprinted and stopped abruptly on the hard court, his shoes scraping together with a short, sharp sound, before returning the ball to score.

She relaxed her shoulders slightly, made no comment, and simply picked up her water glass and took a sip.

then,

In the picture,

Chen Jixian bent down and rubbed his ankle.

Liu Zhimin's shoulders, which had just relaxed, tensed up again.

Her gaze was fixed on Xiao Chen's hand. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow by less than a millimeter.

The live chat didn't miss this moment.

"Unnie, were you looking at his ankle just now?"

"You frown when he rubs your ankle."

"I don't know who's playing, but I have a feeling that Onee is acting as the team doctor."

"Don't say that. If J.Chen loses, Unnie will be in trouble too."

Liu Zhimin picked up her water glass and took a sip.

Her tone was flat:

"It's common knowledge that athletes put a lot of stress on their joints when they make a sudden stop on hard surfaces."

In the fourth game, Kim Sung-jun held serve, making it 2-2.

Chen Jixian's sudden stop was only a little bit longer than usual, but his opponent still managed to seize the opportunity.

They failed to break through the opponent's serve.

The comments section started to feel uneasy.

"Unnie sided with J.Chen last time, and now that he's performing like this, won't you be cyberbullied?"

"If J.Chen loses, what Unnie said in her last live stream will be brought up again."

"I can't watch anymore, unnie, shouldn't you end the stream and lay low for a while?"

There was a bit more background noise in the comments.

"You've chosen the wrong side. Weren't you quite arrogant last time?"

"The price of taking sides."

Liu Zhimin did not respond.

She looked at the screen—Chen Jixian bent down again and rubbed his ankle.

I hope you're not hurt.

Ningning suddenly leaned closer: "Unnie, come here for a second, something's rubbing against the back of your collar."

Liu Zhimin was slightly taken aback.

Ningning had already pulled her up from the chair and moved her to a place out of the camera's view.

A few comments scrolled by.

"What's wrong?"

"Did your clothes get some foundation on them?"

There was no response, and the camera only showed an empty chair.

Ningning pulled Liu Zhimin into another room.

She let go of her hand and turned to look at her.

"Unnie's clothes aren't dirty."

"……I know."

"You almost crushed the water glass just now. People in the live chat are already asking you why you look so pale."

Liu Zhimin did not speak.

She put her hands behind her back, slowly loosening her fingers and then slowly clenching them again.

Ningning kept her voice down:

"Unnie, I didn't tell you not to watch the game."

"But your current expression will cause fans to 'misunderstand'."

"If he loses, his haters will mock him for 'choosing the wrong side'; if he wins, some people will still enjoy your expressions."

"Win or lose, you're in trouble."

Liu Zhimin lowered her head, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

She understood what Ningning meant—"choosing the wrong side and being ridiculed" is the safest firewall.

However, Xiao Chen was rubbing her ankle while playing the game, which caused her to lose control of her facial expressions.

"...I know what expression I have on my face."

She didn't explain anything.

He just took a deep breath.

He took another deep breath.

Ningning also quieted down, neither asking further questions nor adding insult to injury.

In the corridor, only the low hum of the air conditioner in the distance could be heard.

"Unnie," Ningning's voice was even softer, "I'll stand by you no matter what decision you make, as long as you think it through."

"……Um."

"Can you come back in front of the camera now?"

Give me a few more seconds.

Ningning walked back to her seat, picked up the small fan and blew it on her face. Her eyes weren't on the screen, but she was already cursing in her mind.

She wasn't really angry.

I'm just a little irritable.

The last time the two reconciled, it was she who acted as a go-between and tipped them off.

Today was quite something; during a service game, the score was tied at 40-40, and Oni almost crushed her water glass.

Not only that, the kid kept rubbing his ankle, which made it even more heartbreaking to see.

"This kid, does he even know how many people outside are worried about him?!"

She cursed under her breath and turned the fan up to the highest setting.

He muttered to himself again:

"You can soothe someone with just one phone call, but scare them like this after a game? Are you even reliable?"

After she finished cursing, she glanced at her good unnie... Yoo Ji-min's gaze was still fixed on the screen.

Ningning sighed softly and turned the fan around so that it was blowing towards her.

They didn't say anything.

Liu Zhimin returned to the camera's view, and the comments section was still scrolling.

She moved the water glass to a spot where it would never be pinched again.

A few comments scrolled by.

A little different:

"Has anyone noticed that he's returning to his position faster now?"

"While others are still wobbling after they've finished skating, he's already shifted his weight to the middle."

"There are also more people trying to gain an advantage."

Liu Zhimin didn't say it aloud, but her lips twitched slightly. Then, she increased the size of the game window by half an inch.

Ningning watched from the side, thinking to herself:

"It's started again."

"He didn't say a word, but his eyes lit up when he saw the comments."

She turned the fan down a notch and didn't expose the problem.

In the fifth game, Chen Jixian serves.

Liu Zhimin leaned back in her chair, still clutching the poor water glass in her hand.

I didn't drink a drop.

The comments were flying by, but she didn't read a single one—her eyes were fixed on the figure in the black and white jersey.

First ball. Toss the ball and hit it flat inside the corner.

Ace.

15-0.

Her lips twitched slightly, very slightly.

But it wasn't suppressed.

The second goal.

Kim Sung-jun received the serve and returned it to the baseline. Chen Jixian then hit a backhand cross-court shot, and Kim Sung-jun slicing the ball deep into the box.

Chen Jixian moved laterally,

Slide braking,

Take a firm step and press the edge line with a straight forehand.

I stopped massaging my ankles.

30-0.

She leaned back half an inch in the chair, relaxing her shoulders.

The water glass spun around in my hand.

The third ball. Kim Sung-jun's serve was shallow, and Chen Jixian rushed forward with a forehand attack, but the ball hit the baseline.

40-0.

Her lips curled up completely.

The comments section went crazy.

"Unnie, you smiled."

"When he's losing, your face turns dark. When he's about to have a love game, your lips curl into a wide smile."

"I don't know who's playing, but I feel like Onee is catching up."

"He's finally starting to win, and Unnie is finally smiling."

"Unnie, stop pretending, we all saw it."

She glanced at the comments, her expression unchanged.

He casually remarked, "Can't I laugh while watching the game?"

The fourth goal.

Chen Jixian tossed the ball and hit it flat to the outside corner. Jin Chengjun moved laterally to position himself and returned the ball into the net.

"Game, Chen. 3-2."

Love Game.

Liu Zhimin put the water glass back on the table, and the sound of the bottom of the glass hitting the table was a beat softer than usual.

She said to the camera, "That's all for today's live stream, thank you everyone."

The barrage of comments exploded even more fiercely.

"It's shut down already???"

"Unnie, are you going to watch this secretly by yourself?"

"He said he was going to end the stream, but he's already switched to a new account on Naver."

"Unnie, if you turn off the live stream now, we'll be even more certain of who you're chasing."

"Karina's speed in switching positions is even faster than J.Chen's second serve."

"Faster than a single shot"

(Second volleys are generally more conservative)

The screen went dark, and the live stream turned black, but the comments were still scrolling by.

A sea of ​​tennis emojis.

A few sentences were interspersed:

"The Onich"

We all understand.

Liu Zhimin turned off the live streaming software, but the Naver Sports screen was still lit up.

The scoreboard showed 3-2, and Chen Jixian was walking towards the rest chair.

She looked at it for a few seconds, then finally took a sip of water and put the cup down.

The corners of his mouth were still turned up.

Ningning went to get water, and as she passed the sofa, she made eye contact with Gisele.

Gisele leaned back on the sofa armrest, holding her phone; the screen was black.

Someone just finished their live stream.

Gisele watched it from beginning to end.

She got up and went back to her room, pausing briefly as she passed Ningning, her voice very soft.

"Tell her not to stay up too late."

Ningning's fingers, which were gripping the water glass, tightened instantly.

She stood in front of the water dispenser, feeling utterly exhausted: How many people in this room had actually figured it out?

……

……

Daegu Tennis Center.

Chen Jixian wiped his sweat, took a sip of water, and then brought up the system panel.

[Streamlined shape]

【Slide Step Correction: 20/20】

[Effect 3: Enhanced Sliding Step – Reduces the burden of sliding steps, slightly extends the sliding distance, and improves control efficiency during the braking phase.]

He looked at the line of text.

blinked:

"Are they asking me to cosplay as Novak Djokovic?"

If the description of this skill isn't misleading...

Chen Jixian's mind went blank for a moment.

Then, only one thought remained:

I,

They will eventually become the kings of hard courts!!!