Homecoming
The day after the successful completion of the Kim Choon Open, Han Woo-jin opened his eyes in his bed, like Mo did. I have felt uneasy because I have a good feeling of fatigue all over my body. After resting until tomorrow, I was able to fully recover.
Knock, knock.
You hear the sound of a wooden door in his ear, half-folded and standing up. Someone was knocking on a closed visit. It soon became clear who he was.
“Woojin, are you awake? ”
“Yes, I just woke up. ”
When I opened the door, Mother was there dressed neatly. Hanwoojin steps forward to the visit with a slightly sleepy face, and she speaks in a slightly alarming tone. Because I knew how murderous the season tennis player was scheduled to be.
It was.
“How are you feeling? No matter how important the competition is, can’t you be stubborn if you think you’re going to ruin yourself? ”
“Don’t worry. I’m a professional now. ”
Hanwoojin smiled confidently and silenced his mother. It was a face he had never had until now. His winning career in the Futures and Challenger leagues and confident in his or her skills were gradually improving.
And his mother who had seen him closer than anyone else could see him at a glance.
She clears her worrying face and smiles brightly. Growth of children always brings joy to parents. And a serious voice came from the other side of those two people.
“Honey, is Woojin up? ”
It was the voice of Han Dong-hoon, my father. They look at each other face to face, smile once, and take a step toward his doorstep. The front door was not far from Han Woo-jin’s room. Han Dong-hoon, who was neatly dressed, only opened the front door after the two of them approached.
It was.
In the morning, the cool air flowed into the room through the open door. Seeing the two of you going to work together as usual, Han Woo-jin secretly smiled a little.
‘That’s what you said. ’
On my parents’ left wrist, there was a neatly designed watch. It was a gift he picked with Shin Se-yeon at the department store yesterday. It wasn’t very expensive, but it was a brand with a name, so I remembered that my eyes were wide open.
Then I was scolded. The strict father called him to say a few words, wondering if his child’s spending habits were wrong. He couldn’t hide his happy face completely, though he coughed when he saw the watch wrapped around his wrist.
As he walked towards the car, the appearance of him stuttering his wrist a few times raised a smile. Hanwoojin closed the door with a pleasant feeling. I felt like I had been a tennis player for the first time.
He closes the door and mutters as he looks inside the house of silence.
“… What do we do now? ”
He was stunned to think of an empty day schedule. It was right after he left for the tournament somewhere else. Moreover, I could not carry out any basic fitness training because the director instructed absolute stability. Two days left in the competition
I didn’t have time to do anything.
Eventually, Han Woo-jin ate with the mackerel shark that his mother prepared and lay on the couch. It was a time when people were looking for songs or broadcasts when they were free. Han Woo-jin, who has the remote control, adjusts the channel.
News.
Movies.
Animation.
Games.
Sports.
Turning his channel around on the sports channel, he stopped at one of the program names, and the name of the program ‘2002 Wimbledon Games’ drew Han Woojin’s attention. His eyes naturally turned towards the brown tube.
There were two foreign players who exchanged rallies at frightening speeds. As an ordinary person, it was just a game to see, but the same athlete, Han Woo-jin, could tell.
‘… It’s amazing! ’
Both athletes’ abilities were overwhelming over Han Woo-jin, who was proud to become stronger. He unconsciously looked at the names of the two fighters competing on his coat.
“David Nalbandian… is that Layton Hewitt? What, this is the finals? ”
Somehow, he had a taste for it. In the memory of Han Woojin, Layton was ranked # 1 and David was the top rankers with a record number 3. In 2001 and 2002, monsters were both at their peak, but they were not as strong as Hanwoojin.
Hanwoojin was stunned and ran to his room just in case he was watching the game. The racket hangs in the back of his hand, back in front of the TV.
“Aigoo, can’t I? ”
I wanted to be able to see the status window through media like broadcasting, but I guess it was greed. Hanwoojin lowers the racket next to him, holding it with a shy expression.
However, the slight disappointment disappeared without a trace due to the rally in the fierce screen. One day, he was staring intensely at the TV screen.
In 2002, Wimbledon was a battlefield for young people.
At that time, Layton was 21 and David was only 20. Young people who would have never been to the military in Korea dueled at the top of the world called tennis.
‘That’s right, Layton is the top dog. ’
The score was not memorable, but there was a difficult skill gap between the two players. Even a single piece of paper is an unbeatable barrier in the professional world. Raton, who took the second set, was still roaring on his coat. 61,
Two sets were completed with a score of 63.
Queek.
Hanwoojin felt the weight of the sofa leather pulling while sitting still watching the match and turned his head. There was only one person who would be home when all my parents came to work.
“Yura?”
“… Yes. ”
I said it was an autonomous holiday, and my parents gave me a meal with my brother and a ten-dollar bill that collapsed in my pocket. Hanyura watched the TV with a dazed look, whether she was still awake or not.
She was the only exception to this family that was united by a single tennis match. Whenever Han Yu’s family, who had not liked tennis much since childhood, talked about it in terms of tennis, I had to feel a subtle sense of alienation.
Hanyura said as she watched her brother focusing on the TV screen. It was because she was asleep yesterday and couldn’t say a proper congratulations.
“Congratulations on winning, brother. ”
“… Yes. ”
Han Woo-jin replied briefly, feeling a sense of frustration. I had never spoken to my brother on this topic. He was always stuck in the room with a gruesome atmosphere. I didn’t blame her, but her compassionate gaze was burning. And now he’s gone.
It was the story of the time.
They watched the TV silently for a few minutes. The living room was filled with the voices, commentary, and cheers of the people coming from TV.
The two of them began to talk again around the time Layton began to dominate the set of three.
“I thought you said there was another competition? ”
“Yes, it’s open in Seoul. ”
Unlike my parents, I don’t know much about Han Yu tennis. It was also natural because I wasn’t interested. So, Han Woo-jin only gave the name of the competition rather than explaining it in detail. She lets out a murmur and shuts up for a moment.
Soon after, her small-scale lips sprout again.
“Tennis, are you having fun? ”
“Well…. ”
Maybe he just threw it out of his mind. Han Woo-jin knew that and did not answer easily. I’ve spent over a decade in tennis. It was a part of my life after I had fun. Like eating, it didn’t even fit. Han Woo-jin
Crab tennis was already close to breathing.
Are there any humans who enjoy inhaling and exhaling? Of course, a person with severe illness or respiratory problems can feel joy in their breathing. However, Han Woo-jin was just a normal person.
It’s a little different than “interesting,” as you think. ”
Hanyuu, you must think it’s ‘funny’ to have fun. That kind of fun had long since been dull. The driving force that he was playing tennis with was almost stubborn or incompetent.
“I can’t help it. I think this is fun, too. ”
I was not talented. I was ignored. I couldn’t go forward every day, so I struggled and didn’t give up. Still, I spent 10 years deciding to let the racket out of my hands. For Han Woo-jin, tennis was‘ Can’t Quit ’.
Made it sound natural. I don’t even know what to quit. He thought it would be okay to call this fun.
“… I don’t know. ”
Hanyura shrugged her shoulders with a complex expression. She is still a high school student, even if she is young. It was different from Han Woo-jin who had only seen the bitterness of life for over thirty years. So Han Woo-jin didn’t say any more. She’s just watching TV and thinking,
I gave Leech time.
When the game was over and cable channels were about to start broadcasting insurance advertisements, Hanyura opened his mouth.
“Brother.”
“Huh?”
She hesitates a moment. I wanted to say something, but I felt like something was coming out of my mouth. Hanwoojin did not rush, but waited. It’s because I knew that if I rushed it like this, it would be an adverse effect. She raised her hesitant head slightly.
He said in a small voice.
“Can I go to the competition, too? ”
Han Woo-jin forgot to say that for a moment. I couldn’t believe what my brother said when he played tennis.
He nods a few times, not answering properly. Perhaps if my parents had been home, it would have been such a commotion that Yura finally knew the charm of tennis.
“… tell me the date and time later. I’ll be there when I have time. ”
When Hanyura said that, she left like she was running away to her room. In the living room, I stared at her closed visit, alone with a blank expression.
“Could it have been like this? ”
It was a pleasant but mischievous feeling. There was a little brother who looked at his brother who was crazy for a tennis lesson. And there was a brother who was embarrassed, looking forward to his brother’s game. There were times when Han Woo-jin didn’t even think about it.
‘You’re both going to love it. ’
It was hard for him to come to the game on weekdays while he was working. Considering the schedule of the Seoul Open, it was only after Han Woo-jin entered the 4th river that he would be able to spare. The two of you who were struggling to get him into the competition and said you couldn’t help him.
He’ll be so pleased to hear from Hanyura.
Thinking about such situations, Han Woo-jin smiled bitterly knowing that the weight on his back had increased. But it wasn’t bad.
“There’s one more reason to win. ”
I couldn’t look ugly in front of my brother.
* * *
After relaxing at home all day yesterday, Han Woo-jin looked for the venue in a nice condition. Shin Se-yeon drove to the parking lot and looked around at the tennis court in the Olympic Park that was wider than she thought. The auditorium made of green plastic was impressive.
“It’s surprisingly spacious. ”
“I know. There are a lot of people in the audience… I don’t know how many people are coming. ”
Hanwoojin glanced at his coat with a spontaneous tone. The stadium was quite calm because there were still a few people, including the players. The radiant sunshine on the outside made my skin tingle.
The pair, who were trying to find a seat that was at least shaded, turned their backs to the familiar voice. It was a voice that sounded walkable enough to understand from afar.
“Hey! Don’t sit there! Come here! ”
“Director?”
The tribute director was there. The two of them place their luggage on the seat with a puzzled face and head toward where he is. The tribute, as always, shakes his face and starts walking with them somewhere.
“Director, what are you doing here? ”
“I took the day off, so I came to the competition. I have someone I’d like you to meet. ”
“About?”
Who will meet you at the tennis stadium? Hanwoojin followed behind him with a curious face. After a five-minute walk, he noticed a van in the corner of the parking lot.
And there was a man pulling out of the car. He had a solid figure on his short sleeve, about six feet tall.
No way. Han Woo-jin remembers his name and stops walking. But without paying him to stop, the director opened his mouth.
“Shape, say hello. ”
After getting completely out of the car, he smiles cheerfully, covering the warm sun with one hand. Maybe it was because of the open forehead, but it was the owner of a cool look. A word of the tribute told me who he was.
“Han Woo-jin? ”
First in the national ranking, and a leading figure in Korean tennis who will later rank 36th in the world ranking.
“… Kim Hyung Athlete. ”
Kim Hyeong was right in front of me.
End
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