The relationship between a man and a woman playing badminton as a team
"Yes, our mixed doubles players are entering."
"The player coming in ahead is Park Ji-min, a player we all know very well."
"I won a silver medal at the last World Championships, and this is my first time competing in the Olympics."
"Kim Yeo-ju, who is coming in next, is also participating in the Olympics for the first time."
*Mixed doubles: A match in which two players, one man and one woman, form a team and compete.
The gym was brimming with excitement. The two entered the central court, facing each other and exchanging brief greetings. They quickly grabbed their rackets.
The commentators are in full swing commentating.
"How long has it been since you two started breathing together?"
"It's been a while since the last World Championships, so we haven't been together for that long."
"Nevertheless, both players are incredibly talented."
"Yes. I think it would be a good idea to aim for a medal at this Olympics."
···
"··· ···."
"How are you feeling today?"
"It's okay. You."
"Me too, it's fine." The female protagonist, who had been unwrapping her wrist, confirmed Jimin's decision to put down the water bottle and then clenched her fist at him. It was a sign of encouragement. Jimin, in turn, slapped the female protagonist's hand with his fist, and the two of them entered the court.
After a few minutes of exchanging shots on opposite sides, the two players warmed up, then, at the referee's signal, joined the same side. The first serve of the game went to their opponents.
As the shuttlecock finally crossed the net, the two teams exchanged blows and engaged in a lengthy rally. The tension between the two teams was palpable from the very first game.
Finally, Jimin's smash earned them a point. The two clashed fists again, their excitement momentarily fading away as they continued the match.
···
Two sets have already ended. They won the first set, but lost the second to their opponents. With a third set to win, they're taking a short break outside the court, listening to their coach.
He looked visibly tired, perhaps because he had expended more energy than expected against a more formidable opponent than he had expected.
At that moment, the female protagonist took out a red ginseng extract stick from her bag... She ripped open the packaging and sucked it down. Then, Jimin, who was watching from the side, said something.
"··· It's mine."
"···There isn't any. Is this even possible?"
Finally, the female protagonist hands over what she was holding. The first to laugh in disbelief was the coach, who had been watching them. "Oh, why are you laughing, Coach?"
Even though he was exhausted, thanks to the heroine, the atmosphere was somewhat lively. Jimin, too exhausted to speak, was wiping the sweat off with a towel... As the heroine continued to urge him to eat something in front of him, he just brought his head closer and bit into the stick.
When I looked at the female protagonist with wide eyes while biting, she calmly squeezed the food and let Jimin eat it.···Two people who have no idea what is strange.
···
And so began the third set. The team that won this match would advance to the round of 32. Though the goal was far away, the two players, determined to give it their all, took their positions with fire in their eyes.
Some time had passed. With the gap between the opposing team and the two players widening to 11-5, the opposing coach was shouting and clapping, expressing his excitement. But the two players weren't thinking about this situation.Knowing how it would end.
Motivated by the coach's reaction, the two eventually caught up. The score became 16:16. Having set the tone, the two carried the momentum and ultimately...
He scored 21 points first.
Advancement to the round of 32 confirmed.
···
"Our players...! We're advancing to the round of 32."
"Kim Yeo-ju played a great role in the end. We achieved a comeback victory!"
"I knew they could do it. The synergy between the two players was the best."
···
The two finally finished the match, which felt like it was going to be a long one. However, at the end, the female lead, who was receiving the serve, landed a smash and then sprained her ankle, causing her to collapse. While she won the match, it did result in a minor injury.
At the referee's signal to end the match, Jimin, who had carelessly flung his racket onto the court, approached Yeoju. "Are you okay?"
"The color... I think just sticking on a patch would be enough."
A man standing next to the coach approached the heroine carrying what appeared to be a first aid kit. He should have saved the coach's life, which was following him, and he was nagging her about it.
"It was just a slight sprain, but you're being too harsh."
"···This isn't a little bit."
Jimin, who had been staring intently at Yeoju's reddened ankle, brushed back his wet hair and spoke. Meanwhile, a foreigner was silently applying a spray patch to Yeoju's swollen ankle. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be medical personnel on standby outside the stadium.
"Um... thank you."
He stood up, carrying the first aid kit as if he'd been told to, and leisurely left the stadium. He seemed to be heading to another court where a match was taking place. Yeoju, who briefly thanked him in the universal language, took Jimin's outstretched hand and stood up.
"Can you walk?"
"···I told you, I wasn't that hurt."
Of course I can walk. My legs are fine. Jimin let go of her hand and Yeoju, holding the racket, walked outside the court and put it in her bag. Let's go to a restaurant. I'm hungry.
···
The two had just finished dinner. At the restaurant, the coach explained tomorrow's game schedule and even congratulated them on their hard work before they finally entered the players' quarters. It was a large resort-style accommodation, but the men's and women's quarters were separated, so the two had to separate.
"Take care on your way in. Get some rest."
"···It just ends like this?"
Jimin suddenly said something like this, and the woman who was about to go into the dorm but stopped and turned around had a question mark on her face. What else should she do?
No, that's not it. Even when she tried to make excuses, the heroine blocked them. "Didn't you hear what Coach said? We have a game tomorrow morning, so hurry up and go to bed." Jimin waved his hand as if to tell her to go, and Jimin nodded, saying he understood.
Even though she had answered, Jimin hadn't even taken a step, so Yeoju was puzzled and asked, "When are you planning to go?"
"I have to see you go in."
"Yeah, I got it. I wave at Jimin and walk back, but Jimin fidgets, worried that Yeoju might fall again. He walks forward, but then he falls."
When I was worried, Yeoju said that she wouldn't fall, so she urged Jimin to hurry up and go since she was going.
The atmosphere is now quite quiet. Two people are loitering at the resort entrance. They've had their meal earlier than the other players, so everyone else should be in the restaurant by then. That's why they can hear each other so clearly.
"Hey- aren't you going?"
"You haven't gone in yet."
"Are you coming in?"
"Stop talking nonsense and go in quickly. If you don't go in, I'll go in." He shouted in a loud voice, and the female protagonist, who had been standing far away, seemed curious and asked again. "Where? Here?"
Even though I couldn't do it anyway. Haha, when the female lead laughs, Jimin tilts his head back and laughs along with her. Do you really think I can't do it?
"If you come in here, the other players..."
The two people had been standing quite a distance apart. The female protagonist was startled by Jimin, who suddenly approached her from afar. "Huh? Could it be he's really coming in here?" Before she knew it, Jimin had stepped into the women's dormitory entrance.
"···Are you crazy? LOL"
"no."
"···This is crazy. Hey, come to work."
Suddenly hearing the voices of the players returning from their meal, Yeoju felt that if she sent them out now, they might run into each other. She grabbed Jimin's hand in a hurry and led him to her quarters on the first floor.
···
Bang. The female protagonist, having closed the door, let out a deep breath. The barrage of nagging was passed on to Jimin. Why did you come in here...
"I thought you wouldn't be able to come in."
"···uh."
He looks at the heroine's reaction and starts laughing... but she can't laugh. Do you have a plan? How are you going to get out?
"Should I just stay here and wait?"
"···Did you get hit in the head by a shuttlecock earlier? Why are you like this?"
Absolutely not. "The girls are coming soon," he said. "So Jimin asks, 'Which girls?' ...Of course, they're badminton players."
He sat down on the bed, feeling sorry, but there were three beds, and he somehow knew that it was also his bed, and he really started to cling to me. He was sitting with his head against the bed.
"···I'm going to wash up, go out."
"Oh yeah, I need to wash up too."
Why are you not moving from your spot even though you're talking... The female protagonist, who had been muttering a bunch of curses in her head, finally put it into action. She suddenly approached Jimin and grabbed both his arms. Then, she pulled them roughly.
"Get up...!!"
"Try hard every single day. See if it works."
"Should I just go out into the hallway and yell? There's a guy in the women's dorm."
So you want to get up? The female protagonist glared at Jimin with sharp eyes. She stared at Jimin for a while longer, seeing him laugh as if the wind was blowing away, saying, “You can’t do it anyway.” Then, as if she had made up her mind, she walked towards the front door.
The heroine finally reached the front door and was about to pull down the doorknob...
I ended up turning around because someone was following me.
"···!?"
The heroine, who was unable to resist the force that was incomparably stronger than her own, turned around and leaned against the front door, her eyes turning into rabbit eyes.
"I don't want to retire like this."
"Keep it a secret, I'll be leaving soon." Jimin whispered softly, barely touching each other's noses. He stared at Yeoju for a moment. A strange, different atmosphere passed between them. Yeoju's heart, too, began to change.
I'm also really curious about the relationship between the two,,,⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡
Yes, it was my over-immersion while spending the Olympics and vacation together.