Chapter 34

                                    

                                          
"Oh, you are here." Junhui asked when Eunji walked inside the living room. "Where were you this late?"
"I got kidnapped." Eunji casually said while walking to her room. Junhui nodded but the realization hit him and he looked at her with wide eyes but she had already gone to her room.
"HUH, WHAT-"
***
"I'm too tired to come here again." Jiyoon whined as she entered the locker room to change.
"But you can't miss the training or else, you will get cramps." Eunji handed her clothes and turned around to let her change.
"By the way, what was that van last night?" 
"It was nothing." Eunji opened her phone to check for any texts. "It was just a friend who pulled off a prank. If it was actually kidnapping, I wouldn't be standing in front of you right now."
"That's also correct. You can turn around." Jiyoon yawned and Eunji picked up the kit.
"I'll let you skip the extra training today." Eunji put a hand on Jiyoon's back and pushed her to the door.
"Oh my God, THANK YOU!" Jiyoon whined as she let Eunji push her outside. As soon as they entered the stadium, they were approached by a group of students.
Jiyoon stood straight after seeing them and gulped in nervousness. "Hey, Choi Jiyoon." A girl came forward and greeted her.
"Hi...?" But Jiyoon moved a little when she stepped ahead.
"Why did you move that? This girl- Is she for real??" The girl crossed her arms and looked at her in disbelief. Jiyoon didn't say anything.
"Hey, why are you saying that?" Eunji put a hand in front of Jiyoon to protect her.
"I'm not a monster who will eat her." The girl scoffed.
The boy noticed the tension and moved in front of the girl. "Greetings, Choi Jiyoon. Please forgive my sister's behaviour. We were just here to congratulate you on your win."
"Oh." Jiyoon and Eunji said at the same time while looking at each other. 
"Thank you..." Jiyoon was awkward. She had just played with them but never really talked. She never had any interactions with them. Though in every match she played with them, she had mostly lost except the time after Eunji had started to train her.
Eunji scanned the group of two girls and a boy. Except for the girl who looked angry, the other two looked harmless like small puppies waiting for the approval to let them talk.
"Is that so? I'm sorry for coming in the middle." Eunji nodded and removed her hand from Jiyoon.
"What are you doing?" Jiyoon grabbed Eunji's arm and whispered to her. "Save me."
"You need friends and they look harmless. They are just here to congratulate you." Eunji whispered back.
"Ah-" The boy spoke up again. "I'm Jang Yeongsik. I also study in the same class as Choi Jiyoon's." He bowed to Eunji. "The girl here, she is my twin Jang Kyungmi. Also, she is Boo Sunhee, a family friend." 
"It's nice to meet you." Sunhee bowed to them.
"Nice to meet you all." Eunji bowed to them. "I'm Moon Eunji, babysitter of Choi Jiyoon."
"We have no wrong intentions against Choi Jiyoon. We just wanted to invite her to play with us since she had always stayed alone." Sunhee explained.
"Lie. You are here because I won the championship." Jiyoon stepped up.
"Look at her accusing us of using her??" Kyungmi tried to push Yeongsik from front of her but he stayed still.
"Sorry, she got anger issues." He awkwardly laughed. "We just never approached you because you are kind of scary. We thought we could approach you by wishing you for your win."
"I look... scary?" Jiyoon trailed off.
"Everyone here knows how difficult it is to approach you, especially because of your father." Kyungmi grumpily said.
Jiyoon went silent at their words. They looked troubled and nervous as they were speaking.
"Also in school, it's all because of the group of Soo Baram. You know how they are." Sunhee almost sighed at the end. Jiyoon looked down at her feet at the mention of that name.
Jiyoon gasped when she felt a push from her back. She looked up at Eunji who just pushed her forward. 
"We will talk about that later, okay?" Eunji smiled a little at her.
"Her smile is so beautiful. It makes her face glow." Sunhee whispered to the twins, who nodded.
Jiyoon shook her head and opened her mouth, "But-" 
"No, but." Eunji shook her head and leaned closer to Jiyoon's ear to whisper, "Also, I have observed them. This group, especially that boy plays very well. They will help you practice."
"Okay..." Jiyoon nodded and took her racket from Eunji. "My shuttlecocks are all used up though."
"It's fine. We have plenty. You can bring more later." Sunhee smiled at her as the four of them walked away.
"Sujin, your racket is with me!" Eunji turned to the voice and saw a girl holding a racket high. Another girl ran to her and took the racket.
"I looked for it everywhere." The girl named Sujin sighed as she hugged the racket. "I didn't know you had it, Misun."
"You forgot it on the bench outside." Misun shook her head and picked up the shuttlecock from the ground with her racket.
"So, she is Chang Sujin." Eunji muttered while looking at the girl who was laughing while walking to the court. "How can one forget their racket on the bench?"
"You should take care of it!" Misun shouted as she was on the other side of the court.
"To be honest, I don't care. I can get hundreds of the same racket. My dad can buy anything." Sujin laughed. "But still, this was my favorite."
"Yes but still..." Misun shook her head as she hit the shuttlecock. Hajoon, the coach went to them to give them instructions.
Eunji ignored them and focused on Jiyoon. Kyungmi and Jiyoon were outside as Sunhee and Yeongsik were playing a match.
Kyungmi looked at Eunji then whispered to Jiyoon, "Hey, is she your personal coach?"
"Huh?" Jiyoon looked at her then at Eunji then back at her. "Miss Eunji?"
"You call her Miss??" Kyungmi's eyes went wide. 
"So what?" Jiyoon crossed her arms and looked away. Kyungmi blinked before chuckling. "Why are you laughing?"
"I seriously don't think you are rude and scary like the rumors." Kyungmi opened her eyes to look at Jiyoon.
"Hmm." Jiyoon looked away from her eyes. "No, she is my babysitter. She has played badminton in her school but not anymore. She just gives me tips here and there."
"I see." Kyungmi nodded and looked at Jiyoon's racket. "Can I see your racket?"
"Oh, sure." Jiyoon handed her the racket.
"What's the string tension?"
"28 for now."
"Wow!" 
Eunji nodded at the two girls getting along well and sat down on the chair.
; UPCOMING ...
"You are choking me." 
"Ugh." 
"I feel so light~" 
"Shut the hell up and just walk!!"
"E-Eunji, you are so..."
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Did you all notice the memes at the every start of the chapter?