“Should I do it like t-this?”

Jessica tightened her grip on the racket and positioned herself to serve…again.  She swayed her arms and hit the ball to the other side of the court.

“Don’t direct it to the wrong side,” Donghae scolded her.  He had already briefed her with the rules of lawn tennis and how to play it but she kept on doing the wrong thing.

She was consistent in having service errors for the last 30 minutes.  And she blames the heavy racket for it… They only have half an hour left.  And she was so hungry—she thought she could faint any time.  However, she must endure it until the game is finished.

“Have some sense of direction, will you?”

“I am trying to!” she yelled back.  Jeez as if it’s easy to do this.  Fortunately, she was able to do it correctly this time.  He received it and threw it back to her but she missed it.

“Yah!”

“Get it back!”

“WHAT?!” she exclaimed in disbelief because the ball landed on a muddy area.  Eew—no way.

“What are you still doing there?  Go get it!”

“Pick it up yourself.  I’m not doing it.”  She crossed her arms.  “I’m not getting my nails dirty just ‘coz of touching that thing,” she said only to herself.

Donghae was at wit’s end and slowly losing his temper.  She was just too stubborn.  He would’ve quit teaching her but he really needed to get that business deal.  And she’s not even cooperating with him.  Damn you, Jung Jessica.

God, what is he going to do with this woman?

“I told you, get it yourself.”

“But ‘twas you who missed hitting it.”

“It doesn’t change anything.  Plus, you didn’t warn me that you’re gonna return it.  So, it’s still because of you.”

Donghae blew a raspberry.  Relax, man.  It isn’t your attitude to be hot-tempered when it comes to tennis.  He went to pick the ball and realized why she didn’t want to do it.  It was dirtied.  “You really tick me off,” he told her, frankly.

“Waeyo?”

“Because instead of putting your head on the game, you still cared more about your nails getting ruined—Here—Let’s do it, again, from the top.”

She only looked at the ball which he handed to her.  “Don’t expect me to touch that.”

He let out a frustrated sigh and wiped the mud on the round thing before giving it to her.  “Any more complaints?”

“Can we get something to eat first?  I haven’t had my breakfast yet.”  Her stomach was empty so she couldn’t bring her body to act the way he wanted her to because she had no energy.

He looked at her with disbelief.  “Can we just finish the game first?  You can have all the food you want here after—besides it’ll be Kyuhyun’s treat—”

“I heard my name,” Kyuhyun, happily, joined them—lessening the tension that almost broke in.  “Why don’t we start the game now?  I’ll be the referee.”

“Not yet, please,” she pleaded to the younger guy.  “He hasn’t completely taught me about the things I need to do.”

Donghae already walked away from them so he didn’t see Jessica beg Kyuhyun.  However, it didn’t work on him.

“If you know the basics of badminton, then you will easily learn tennis.  They’re almost the same—fundamentals and rulings are quite alike—but since you’re with hyung, you have nothing to worry.  You can just stand on the court and count on him.”

Her mind whirled at what he said.  Mwo?  “I can’t.  No—he’ll kill me.”

“I thought so too—I was only trying to cheer you up because you seem down.”

The concern in his words made her smile.  I guess I’ll just have to ignore my hunger for this guy’s kindness.  She can’t disappoint people who trusts and cares for her—like Cho Kyuhyun.

“Do your best, Jessica.”

Her face had uncertainty sketched on it but it was gone as soon as it came.  “Of course!  And if I—we win, do I get something in return from you?”

“Huh?” his brows met.

“I won’t be asking for money—simply sing for me—that’s all.”

He took a couple of seconds to ponder on it and decided to—“CALL!”

∞

Set 3: 2-7; the game is in favor of the KhunToria couple as what Kyuhyun named their team.  Even if HaeSica took control over the first set, the other couple won the second and will most likely get the third, too—if Haesica won’t focus.

Though it was on Jessica’s mind to make a point, she just can’t do it.  She was so tensed and felt her body weak.  It didn’t help that she kept on doing mistakes, too.

Just hit the ball when it comes to your direction.  She mentally noted.  When it did, she struck it with full force to send it back to their opponents, however…

“What the heck!”  Donghae screamed while massaging his right arm.  “Why did you hit me?!”

“I did not!”

“You just did—o-ouch,” he groaned in pain.  “Man—that hurts.  Were you a goon in your past life?”

“I hit the ball, okay?”

“You did not.  I was quick enough to save it before you fail again—so you hit me instead.”

Is he really saying the truth?  Because she felt humiliated now but more than being honest, he also hurt her feelings.  It is not right to compare her to bad-looking guys (goons).

She just found herself grabbing the collar of his shirt and almost strangling him to death.  “Repeat what you said before that,” she demanded—gritting her teeth.

“Which one?”  He wasn’t shaken by her wrath.  He kept his cool and all the more.  “Hmmm… that part which I said you’re like a goon—AWW—YAH!”

“Stop it, you two!”  Kyuhyun came to break them apart.  Don’t kill each other.  You’re on a game, for Pete’s sake.  You’re supposed to be a team.”

Kyuhyun can’t bear seeing what’s happening now.  He must do something—he must help his hyung—or maybe Jessica?

But how?  He was being biased…but to hell with that—Cho Kyuhyun, why can’t you use your brilliant mind at times like this?—then as fast as lightning, an idea popped on his head.

Fortunately