It was a service break.
Yumi's coach ran towards her with a towel and a bottle of water in hand.
The corners of her eyes were reddish and her brows were furrowed as she jugged the water down her throat.
"Focus! Don't let them affect you. Do not cry! It won't do anything. Focus!" Yumi listened to her coach talk calmly but firmly while carelessly rubbing off the sweat on her head with the towel.
He leveled his eyes at her and spoke, "This is the finals. It's do or die. Forget if that umpire and that line judge are in cahoots. Let me deal with them. Just focus on the game and do what you've been practicing for."
Yumi gulped down all the grievances she had been feeling the whole game and calmed her nerves for the last interval of the game. She looked at the scoreboard that showed her score leading by two points.
Her opponent was no different either. She clearly touched the shuttle cock three times but didn't admit it herself. She was just as dishonest as the two officials.
The game resumed and Yumi's eyes turned fiery. She had been playing badminton all her life and this was the only thing she knew was good. And the only thing that connected her with her late mother.
She easily threw away all the distractions and injustice in her head and decided to win this game grandly. She would crash her opponent alive until she questioned her own skills and life.
She did not understand why they had been targeting her since her first game. Maybe it was her unwillingness to participate in the line judge's misogynistic remarks towards her earlier or the time she appealed against the umpire? She was not sure. Whatever it might be, she didn't care anymore.
Yumi was flying on her court. She was so fast that her opponent could not even complete a rally with her. Her eyes were sharp like a lioness, the complete opposite of the pitiful lady in the first half of the game.
Her coach was so excited too as he watched Yumi devour the flustered girl on the sideline, "Great! HAHAHAHAH!"
In the end, she unilaterally won the game and took home the gold medal.
She went up the stage with an expressionless face and did not even glance at the medal hanging on her neck.
When she came down from the platform, the reporters from the different broadcasting companies flocked to her and asked about the happenings at the game, her training routine, her future plans, if she wanted to attend the top universities and play for them or if she wanted to join the national badminton team. Almost every question was enthusiastically asked.
It was not until they were all done that the athletes from her school approached her to say their words of admiration and congratulations. They were all laughing and recounting the highlights of Yumi's game.
Her coach took her to the nearest restaurant and celebrated her win. She noticed her coach's eyes overflowing with pride and happiness and let him spill all the life teachings that he wanted to say.
She watched all of this merriment in slow motion and with indifferent eyes.
When she finally got back to her room alone, she fished out the phone Gani gave her.
She tapped the screen to find the person she had been wanting to see and tapped the video call button.
The first ring had not even ended yet when the guy's face popped out of the screen.
It was late afternoon now and the sun was about to set. His face was screened by the golden rays of the sun and his eyes were bright as he looked at her through the screen.
He noticed the gold medal hanging on her neck, "Congrats! I know you can do it! Look at that medal. It really suits--"
The suppressed lump of unhappiness in her heart was threatening to spill and when she finally heard his voice, everything was over.
Her sad wailings echoed throughout the room.
Gani was dumbfounded but distress immediately filled his heart as he watched the girl on the screen cry so heartbrokenly. What was worse was he was not on her side to hug her and protect her from all the wrongs and hurt that she was feeling at that moment.
A lot of things played into the teenager's head and his face turned unkind at the thought that someone might be bullying his sweetheart.
Yumi cried her heart out for more than an hour. When she finally calmed down, her voice was so hoarse and her eyes were red and swollen.
Gani directed her to drink some water to moisten her throat.
"Tell everything that happened."
Yumi spilt out everything like a child who has finally found her fortress. Every little thing that made her unhappy was not spared in her complaint.
Recalling everything that happened since the first day of her competition made her cry again.
After her thorough reporting, Gani was now clear about the ins and outs of this incident. His face chilled, but afraid of frightening the girl, he hurriedly hid the brewing storm in his face.
"Gani... I wanna go home..."
"Come home. I'll be waiting for you."
At the port of her dear home town, she easily spotted Gani among the crowd waiting for the ferry to dock.
Words could not describe how excited she was about going home and being surrounded by people who loved her. She wanted to present her hard-earned medal to all the people who supported her in her victory.
As soon as the captain signaled the passengers to exit, Yumi rushed her way to Gani who was standing tall and welcoming her back home.
Gani, who did not anticipate the impact of the speeding girl in his arms, almost lost his balance when he caught her.
He tightened his embrace and whispered, "Welcome home, big baby!"
"What big baby? I am not baby! You are the baby!"
"Yes, I am your baby. Your one and only baby!" He grinned like an idiot.
Yumi rolled her eyes. She did not have the strength to argue with him right now and just let him be happy on his own.
"Wait. Wait! Look! Look! Isn't it handsome?" She took out from her bag her gold medal and showed it off to him.
"Yes! It is. And you're more handsome and cooler and more awesome and the greatest!" He shamelessly boasted her while he messed up her hair. "Come on! Let's go home now. Grandma's waiting for you."
Gani grabbed Yumi's bag and scoped her hands as they walked side-by-side home.
It was a service break.
Yumi's coach ran towards her with a towel and a bottle of water in hand.
The corners of her eyes were reddish and her brows were furrowed as she jugged the water down her throat.
"Focus! Don't let them affect you. Do not cry! It won't do anything. Focus!" Yumi listened to her coach talk calmly but firmly while carelessly rubbing off the sweat on her head with the towel.
He leveled his eyes at her and spoke, "This is the finals. It's do or die. Forget if that umpire and that line judge are in cahoots. Let me deal with them. Just focus on the game and do what you've been practicing for."
Yumi gulped down all the grievances she had been feeling the whole game and calmed her nerves for the last interval of the game. She looked at the scoreboard that showed her score leading by two points.
Her opponent was no different either. She clearly touched the shuttle cock three times but didn't admit it herself. She was just as dishonest as the two officials.
The game resumed and Yumi's eyes turned fiery. She had been playing badminton all her life and this was the only thing she knew was good. And the only thing that connected her with her late mother.
She easily threw away all the distractions and injustice in her head and decided to win this game grandly. She would crash her opponent alive until she questioned her own skills and life.
She did not understand why they had been targeting her since her first game. Maybe it was her unwillingness to participate in the line judge's misogynistic remarks towards her earlier or the time she appealed against the umpire? She was not sure. Whatever it might be, she didn't care anymore.
Yumi was flying on her court. She was so fast that her opponent could not even complete a rally with her. Her eyes were sharp like a lioness, the complete opposite of the pitiful lady in the first half of the game.
Her coach was so excited too as he watched Yumi devour the flustered girl on the sideline, "Great! HAHAHAHAH!"
In the end, she unilaterally won the game and took home the gold medal.
She went up the stage with an expressionless face and did not even glance at the medal hanging on her neck.
When she came down from the platform, the reporters from the different broadcasting companies flocked to her and asked about the happenings at the game, her training routine, her future plans, if she wanted to attend the top universities and play for them or if she wanted to join the national badminton team. Almost every question was enthusiastically asked.
It was not until they were all done that the athletes from her school approached her to say their words of admiration and congratulations. They were all laughing and recounting the highlights of Yumi's game.
Her coach took her to the nearest restaurant and celebrated her win. She noticed her coach's eyes overflowing with pride and happiness and let him spill all the life teachings that he wanted to say.
She watched all of this merriment in slow motion and with indifferent eyes.
When she finally got back to her room alone, she fished out the phone Gani gave her.
She tapped the screen to find the person she had been wanting to see and tapped the video call button.
The first ring had not even ended yet when the guy's face popped out of the screen.
It was late afternoon now and the sun was about to set. His face was screened by the golden rays of the sun and his eyes were bright as he looked at her through the screen.
He noticed the gold medal hanging on her neck, "Congrats! I know you can do it! Look at that medal. It really suits--"
The suppressed lump of unhappiness in her heart was threatening to spill and when she finally heard his voice, everything was over.
Her sad wailings echoed throughout the room.
Gani was dumbfounded but distress immediately filled his heart as he watched the girl on the screen cry so heartbrokenly. What was worse was he was not on her side to hug her and protect her from all the wrongs and hurt that she was feeling at that moment.
A lot of things played into the teenager's head and his face turned unkind at the thought that someone might be bullying his sweetheart.
Yumi cried her heart out for more than an hour. When she finally calmed down, her voice was so hoarse and her eyes were red and swollen.
Gani directed her to drink some water to moisten her throat.
"Tell everything that happened."
Yumi spilt out everything like a child who has finally found her fortress. Every little thing that made her unhappy was not spared in her complaint.
Recalling everything that happened since the first day of her competition made her cry again.
After her thorough reporting, Gani was now clear about the ins and outs of this incident. His face chilled, but afraid of frightening the girl, he hurriedly hid the brewing storm in his face.
"Gani... I wanna go home..."
"Come home. I'll be waiting for you."
At the port of her dear home town, she easily spotted Gani among the crowd waiting for the ferry to dock.
Words could not describe how excited she was about going home and being surrounded by people who loved her. She wanted to present her hard-earned medal to all the people who supported her in her victory.
As soon as the captain signaled the passengers to exit, Yumi rushed her way to Gani who was standing tall and welcoming her back home.
Gani, who did not anticipate the impact of the speeding girl in his arms, almost lost his balance when he caught her.
He tightened his embrace and whispered, "Welcome home, big baby!"
"What big baby? I am not baby! You are the baby!"
"Yes, I am your baby. Your one and only baby!" He grinned like an idiot.
Yumi rolled her eyes. She did not have the strength to argue with him right now and just let him be happy on his own.
"Wait. Wait! Look! Look! Isn't it handsome?" She took out from her bag her gold medal and showed it off to him.
"Yes! It is. And you're more handsome and cooler and more awesome and the greatest!" He shamelessly boasted her while he messed up her hair. "Come on! Let's go home now. Grandma's waiting for you."
Gani grabbed Yumi's bag and scoped her hands as they walked side-by-side home.
