LOVE:ZERO

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

Hunter stubbornly insisted he was basically fifteen, but he was still the youngest player in this year’s U18 L2 tournament.

No matter how much his physique outclassed his peers, he was still growing and his semifinal opponent was seventeen, nearly an adult.

So losing wasn’t anything to be ashamed of.

“Just making it this far is incredible…”

Jiyu agonized over how to comfort him, stealing a glance his way.

Hunter rummaged through his bag, pulled out a fresh towel, and wiped off his sweat. Then he peeled off his soaked headband and wristbands, stuffed them into his bag, and grabbed a clean shirt to lay on the table.

Still catching his breath right after the match, sweat dripped from his forehead and temples.

It made her feel worse.

Practising to the point of exhaustion every day, fighting that hard on the court if she were him, she’d probably want to smash her racket after a loss. She figured she should at least say something encouraging.

“Hey… Hu… Huh?!”

Hunter, absentmindedly lifting his shirt up to his chest, flinched when his widened eyes met Jiyu’s startled gaze.

She whipped her head away. Heat crawled up from her nape, creeping slowly then all at oncento her cheeks.

A brief silence hung between them before rustling clothes signaled he was changing again.

Still turned away, Jiyu cleared her throat.

“Ahem. You did great. Just do better next time. So… heading home now?”

“What? Why would I go home?”

His voice was sharp.

Once the rustling stopped, Jiyu cautiously turned back.

Hunter, brows slightly furrowed, swept his sweat-damp hair back with long fingers before putting on a fresh headband and wristbands.

She blinked, eyeing his new outfit.

“Wait, do you still have the 3rd-place consolation match?”

“Ju Parker, ‘consolation match’? What nonsense are you on now?”

Grumbling, he pulled something from the icebox and put it in front of her a handmade peanut butter and jelly sandwich by the Hamiltons’ chef. Next came a glass bottle of apple juice. Both were things she’d loved as a kid.

Jiyu couldn’t hide her surprise.

“Did you… win the semifinal?”

Hunter popped open the lid of his tournament lunchbox… prepped by the chef and nutritionist and scoffed.

“Obviously.”

“I held back power to conserve energy, but the guy just kept returning everything I threw at him. Ugh…”

Hunter side-eyed Jiyu and swallowed the rest of his curse.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. That was just a strategic choice. For the finals, stick to the ‘Battering Ram’ strategy. His backhand is weaker, and even if there’s a gap in physique, your left-handed advantage gives you a solid shot. Oh, but ease up on the sliding hard court’s no joke. You’ll regret it if you twist an ankle.”

With Jake’s nagging as their cue, the two started debating final strategies, drawing and erasing lines on a whiteboard court diagram.

ꕥ

Jiyu nibbled her PB&J sandwich, watching them. Having played tennis for years, she understood about half but tuned out the overly technical stuff.

Hunter chewed through bland slices of boiled chicken breast, washing them down with a protein shake blended with granola.

His sharp blue eyes burned with intensity as he argued passionately. He wasn’t usually talkative even after all this time, she’d never seen him so engaged.

Her stomach churned strangely. She set the sandwich down and sipped her juice. She knew better than anyone how seriously Hunter took tennis.

She envied and also resented how he could throw himself entirely into something he loved, body and soul.

Whenever someone asked about her dreams or future, Jiyu would dodge the question.

Ae-jeong pushed her to become a Wall Street banker. “Make loads of money, get rich.” But instinctively, she knew that wasn’t her path.

Yet she had no real passions either. People said she was young enough to dream, but she’d always been pragmatic to a fault.

“What should I do with my life?”

She stared at Hunter with something like longing.

Noticing her gaze, he suddenly turned.

“What? You wanna swap?”

Startled, Jiyu shook her head and took an exaggerated bite of her sweet-salty sandwich.

Hunter smirked, stabbing a fork into his dressing-less salad. As a kid, he’d devoured PB&J sandwiches by the handful.

She folded away her envy like a crisp sheet of paper. Being an athlete was not easy.

ꕥ

Thirty minutes before the final, Hunter and Jake left to warm up. Jake headed to the restroom first while Hunter packed his bag.

“Court 1. Front row of the bleachers.”

He emphasized it again.

“I got it! How many times are you gonna say the same thing? I remember after hearing it once.”

Grumbling, Jiyu stood and picked up a book from the table only for a dampener tucked inside to fall out, landing by Hunter’s shoe.

“Oops!”

She bent down, but Hunter was faster. He picked up the plastic-wrapped dampener, fluttering it teasingly.

“Ju Parker. Still a kid?”

Annoyed by his tone, she shot back.

“It’s yours.”

“What crap. Why would I…”

“Jinx.”

She cut him off.

“…What?”

“I bought it because of your jinx.”

Frowning, Hunter stared at her then down at the dampener.

Pink background. Red lips.

…A kiss.

Realization softened his expression.

“A new spot, not your palm or wrist, remember? I was gonna attach it to your racket this time.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, conflicted. After glaring at the dampener, he finally looked up, flustered.

Jiyu almost laughed at his expression.

Pursing her lips, she plucked the dampener from his hand.

“Fine. I’ll put it on my racket.”

Hunter shut his eyes tight, gnawing his lower lip. Then, with visible struggle, he pinched the edge of the plastic wrapper between two fingers so hard his nails turned white.

Jiyu held her breath.

“…Give it here first.”

He snatched it from her and shoved it into his tennis bag.

“Just in case of emergencies.”

Dead serious, he turned and strode out like a gust of wind.

Only then did Jiyu burst out laughing.

“Emergencies? At a tennis match?”

Shouldering her bag, she giggled again.