Once night fell, everyone decided it was time to say their goodbyes and head home.
"Kai, it was great seeing you again. And Jin, nice meeting you," said Michael with a smile.
"Likewise," Jin and Kai replied in unison.
The group split off to their respective cars, waving and calling out final goodbyes under the streetlights.
A few minutes later, Kai and Jin arrived home, stepping inside to be greeted by Lily and Jason.
"Hey boys, did you have a fun time?" Lily asked as she peeked out from the kitchen.
Kai responded instantly, wearing a smug, satisfied grin. "It was the most fun I've had in a long time."
"That's great to hear, hun. What about you, Jin?" she asked warmly.
Jin looked away a little too quickly, scratching his cheek. "Uhh… yeah. I had a lot of fun… hahaha."
Lily gave him a skeptical squint, then turned to Kai. "What happened?"
Kai, grinning mischievously, pulled out his phone and started to open his photo album—but then froze.
A cold, chilling pressure washed over him.
Sweat trickled down his neck as he slowly turned to see Jin staring at him—expression calm, smile barely there, but eyes carrying a very clear warning.
Kai paused.
...
He slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Nothing much! We just went shopping and stopped by the park."
"Sounds fun! Well, come to the dining table—Jason and boys, dinner's ready!" Lily called out.
Exhausted from basketball and… certain other events, Jin devoured his dinner like a beast unchained—clearing dish after dish without pause.
"Kai," Jason said with raised eyebrows, "did you forget to feed your brother?"
"No, no! I swear I did," Kai replied quickly. "We just played a lot of basketball. He probably worked up an appetite."
Later that night, Jin retreated to his room and collapsed onto his bed. He barely had time to pull the covers over himself before sleep took him.
The next morning arrived with golden light seeping through the blinds.
Jin woke up brimming with excitement.
"Another week of school and tennis," he said with a grin as he stretched.
He stepped outside into the crisp morning air. The cold bit at his skin, but he welcomed it. His legs moved on their own, slipping into a natural rhythm as he went for his daily run.
After finishing and refueling with a hearty breakfast, Lily dropped him off at school.
Jin met up with Ren, chatting casually as the day passed. But inside, Jin was counting the hours—waiting for the moment he could hit the court again.
When the final bell rang, he practically sprang from his seat. He and Ren made their way to the lockers, grabbing their racquets.
"Man, I'm more excited than usual," Jin said, pumping his fist.
"Seeing you so hyped is getting me pumped too," said Ren, grinning.
"Alright, let's go!"
But just as they were heading out, they were intercepted by none other than Mr. Brusda, their math teacher, teetering under a comically large stack of papers that covered his entire upper body.
"Hey boys! One of y'all mind helping me take this to the teacher's lounge?" he asked, voice muffled behind the fortress of worksheets.
Jin looked at Ren. Ren looked at Jin. They shared a brief moment of telepathic communication.
Then Jin broke into a full sprint, leaving Ren behind with the stack and the stunned Mr. Brusda.
"JIN YOU TRAITOR!" Ren yelled after him.
Jin didn't stop. He just laughed and shouted over his shoulder,
"You got this, buddy! Character development!"
Once Jin made it to the courts, he ran through some dynamic stretches, loosening up his body as the late afternoon sun beat down.
But before he could finish, he felt a firm grip clamp down on his shoulder.
He turned—only to find Ren staring at him with wild eyes.
Well… technically up at him, since Jin had a slight height advantage, but the energy said otherwise.
For a brief moment, Jin genuinely thought Ren might commit a war crime.
Thankfully, Coach's voice rang out just in time.
"Everyone, start running!"
Jin slipped free and jogged off quickly, silently mouthing,
'Thank you, Coach. I owe you one.'
But as he ran, he heard a low voice from behind.
"Don't think I'm letting you off that easily," Ren muttered, eyes locked on him like a bloodhound.
Jin gulped and picked up the pace, heart pounding harder than it should've from a warm-up lap.
After the run, Coach gathered the team at center court.
"Alright guys, I've got an important announcement," he said, scanning the group. "This Friday, we'll be playing our first match against another school."
A wave of chatter rolled through the team.
"We'll be up against West Middle. Their team's on the smaller side, so only ten of you will be playing. I'm going to call the names now."
The air thickened with anticipation. Every player stood a little taller.
"Noah… Ren… Tyler…"
Jin's stomach twisted. The coach continued down the list—six more names. And then, finally:
"…and Jin."
Jin let out a quiet breath of relief.
"These ten will be playing on Friday," Coach continued. "Everyone else, I still expect you here supporting your teammates."
A few groans mixed in with claps of congratulations, but Jin was still processing. His first real match. It was happening.
"Now," Coach said, clapping his hands, "since matches are starting soon, it's time to focus on one of the most important fundamentals in tennis: the serve."
He gestured to the baskets of balls lined up along the fence.
"Everyone line up on the baseline. Serve until every basket is empty. I'll be walking around giving tips."
Jin's lips curled into a small smile.
Serves were his strong suit.
Jin walked up to the baseline, standing between Ren, still silently fuming, and Noah, who gave him a quick wave before grabbing a handful of balls from the basket.
Jin returned the gesture, then knelt down to scoop up some balls of his own.
He took a deep breath, then another. The nerves were real now.
When he glanced around, he noticed Coach watching him closely from across the court, arms crossed, gaze sharp.
He's evaluating me, Jin realized. Wants to see if I can actually serve… or if I'm just here for the ride.
Jin stepped up to the line, his fingers curling around the ball like it was second nature.
Jin then tossed the ball into the air…