Jin waved goodbye to Kai, who returned it with an exaggerated salute and a goofy grin. With that, Jin turned and made his way toward the cluster of courts where his teammates were still playing. He was still riding the high of his victory, but now it was time to support the rest of the team.
The first court he approached was the one closest to him, Noah's.
Noah was deep in the middle of a match, locked in what looked like a semi-intense battle. His opponent was clearly stronger than John. He was more agile, with sharper footwork and had actual topspin in his shots. But despite the clear jump in competition, Noah was holding his own effortlessly.
Jin watched as Noah slid across the baseline like an Olympic figure skater, meeting each ball with deadly precision. His shots had bite, topspin-heavy and aimed with pinpoint accuracy. His opponent was no slouch; he chased down most of the balls and sent them back with his own spin. But Noah was relentless, a metronome of pressure. Shot after shot, the rhythm wore his opponent down until the inevitable happened: a short ball, a misstep, or a wild miss into the net.
Jin glanced at the scoreboard: 6–2 in Noah's favor.
"Let's go, Noah! Just two more games!" Jin shouted from the sidelines, cupping his hands around his mouth.
Noah looked back, his expression calm but invigorated. He gave Jin a quick nod and flashed a confident grin before turning back to the court. As if to punctuate the moment, Noah tossed the ball up and snapped a serve down the T, the ball skimming the line like a bullet.
Ace.
The crowd burst into applause, and even Jin had to let out a low whistle. Damn, that was clean.
Satisfied that Noah had things under control, Jin began weaving his way through the courts trying to find where Ren was playing. On his way, he passed by another match and the sounds of a brutal rally made him pause.
It was Tyler (A/N: Jin's teammate from an earlier chapter).
Jin slowed to a stop, eyes locked on the court as Tyler battled his opponent in what could only be described as an all-out war. Both players were running like sprinters, sliding and sprinting after every ball. Every shot was countered well. Every drop shot answered with a race to the front. It was a showcase of immense endurance and mental will power.
Jin saw the next point unfold in real-time.
Tyler's opponent feathered a perfectly placed drop shot, a nightmare for any player. The ball fell just over the net, kissing the court with a soft bounce.
But Tyler wasn't about to give up.
He exploded forward with terrifying speed, his shoes squealing against the court as he lunged forward and scooped the ball up just before it died. His opponent was already there, waiting and lobbed the ball high over Tyler's head.
Gasps rang out.
Jin leaned forward instinctively. "No way he's getting to that…"
But Tyler ran back, legs pumping like a natural born sprinter, his entire body twisting in motion. He reached the ball, somehow, and returned it high and deep, giving himself time to recover.
The rally continued, both players digging deep.
The team rallied on the sidelines.
"Get to it, Tyler!"
"Stay strong!"
"Good shot!"
Even Jin found himself chanting with the others, caught up in the electric momentum of the point.
After nearly 15 seconds of relentless back-and-forth, the pressure cracked. Tyler's opponent, probably exhausted, tried for another lob but this time it wasn't high enough.
And Tyler saw it.
He dropped back, coiling his body like a compressed spring then launched into a smash, swinging like a volleyball spiker. His racquet struck the ball with a thunderous THWACK, sending it hurtling into the corner of the court at speeds that rivaled Jin's fastest serve.
The point went to Tyler.
The crowd exploded.
"LET'S GO TYLER!!!"
"WHAT A SHOT!!"
Jin cheered right along with them, shaking his head in amazement. "Man… that was crazy."
He glanced at the scoreboard: 5–3 in Tyler's favor. A close match, but Jin could see it in his eyes. Tyler most likely wasn't going to lose this.
Jin's chest swelled with pride as he looked across the courts. His teammates were giving it their all and dominating.
He turned again, now more motivated than ever to find Ren's court.
After all… if these matches were already this intense, he had to see what his best friend was up to.
Jin weaved through the cluster of courts, the buzz of tennis balls and cheering teammates forming a backdrop to his thoughts. He passed another court, then another until finally, he caught sight of Ren.
And in true Ren fashion, he wasn't just playing, he was killing.
His movements were crisp, deliberate. His forehands cracked through the air with explosive force, and his backhands sliced low and fast, keeping his opponent constantly off balance. Ren's opponent, a wiry kid with solid technique, was clearly trying his best, but it wasn't even close.
Jin reached the sidelines just in time to see Ren rifle a serve down the T, earning another clean ace.
"6–1," was the score displayed on the score cards.
Jin let out a low whistle, arms crossed. Damn, Ren's not pulling punches today.
The next point started with a powerful cross-court rally. Ren stood firm near the baseline, commanding the rally with depth and variety, pushing his opponent further and further back with each shot. Then, like a switch had flipped, Ren suddenly dropped a shot out of nowhere.
The ball died just past the net.
His opponent scrambled forward, but it was no use. The ball bounced once, twice, and the point was over.
"7–1!"
Jin couldn't help but grin. "Show-off," he muttered with amusement, folding his arms as he watched.
Ren walked back to the baseline, his expression calm, composed, but Jin could see that he was really focused, trying his best to finish the match.
The final game was over in a flash.
First point.
Ace.
Second point, a punishing rally that ended with a passing shot down the line.
Third point, return winner off a weak serve return.
And for match point?
Ren stepped up, bounced the ball a few times, then uncorked a blistering serve wide.
His opponent lunged, racquet just barely touching it, sending the ball into the net.
Game. Set. Match. Ren. 8–1.
The small crowd around the court clapped, and a few of their teammates cheered loudly.
Jin was already clapping before the final point had landed.
Ren turned toward the fence, eyes locking with Jin's.
"No mercy today, huh?" Jin called out with a smirk.
Ren just grinned and shrugged, walking over to the net to shake hands with his opponent. "Gotta keep the team looking good, after all gotta make up for you."
"Woah whatchu mean by that?" laughed Jin.
Once the formalities were done, Ren walked over to Jin, wiping sweat off his forehead with a towel.
"Nice match," Jin said, bumping fists with him.
"You too," Ren replied. "Heard you didn't drop a single game from coach earlier"
Jin chuckled. "Well I was playing pretty well."
"Well what do you say we finish watching all the matches together" asked Ren.
Jin nodded, a calm pride settling over him. "Yeah. Let's go cheer on the team."
Together, they turned and headed toward the next court, the noise of the ongoing matches buzzing in the background.
A/N: Sorry for only one chapter today, I was really busy :(