“Betting a wish on beach volleyball?”
Suddenly?
The woman’s suggestion was quite baffling. Out of the blue, she showed up again and casually asked if we could play a game of beach volleyball.
But, thinking for just a moment, it was an offer with no good reason to refuse.
“That guy must be good at beach volleyball or something.”
But still…
Even though there was something fishy about the way she said it, it wasn’t a big issue at all. Taesung’s athletic ability was unmatched.
He had been born with athletic instincts and had been exercising consistently since childhood. When it came to physical abilities, he was more confident than anyone else.
Though he hadn’t played much beach volleyball, he could easily take down most amateurs in similar ball games like basketball and volleyball. He was actually an ace in his high school basketball team.
At least among ordinary people, there was no one who could challenge him. Unless he was competing against professional players, nobody could stop him.
“A wish, huh, heh…”
“What a lucky break!”
“Did the heat get to your head or something?”
Knowing this fact well, Taesung and his friends were already licking their lips with sly grins. They seemed to be enjoying the thought of what wish they would make after winning.
Unaware of the future that was about to unfold for them.
*
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
It was Riri asking me about the beach volleyball match schedule.
“Are you really asking if I’m okay?”
“You can’t just go around smashing your opponent because you’re mad.”
“Yeah, yeah. And don’t throw the ball too hard.”
“Right. What if I throw it too hard and someone gets hit?”
“Shouldn’t we have an ambulance on standby?”
It seemed their concern wasn’t for me but for the opponents. Nicang was chiming in too. They stopped giving me safety tips and started a serious discussion about what to do if an accident happened during the beach volleyball match.
The only one who looked nervously around was Taker, who had yet to see me in action.
But, hold on, hasn’t this person seen me use my strength? They must know, considering we’ve been around each other for quite some time.
[Oh haha, kayaking and beach volleyball?]
[Out of nowhere wanting to play beach volleyball]
[So, you wanted to do beach volleyball after kayaking, huh?]
[Well, Taker, Nicang, and Riri might be too fragile for beach volleyball]
[Beach volleyball, splash splash… hehehe….]
[Thank you, Geumtaeyang!]
[Geumtaeyang, you’re our hero!]
[Starting trouble and providing the viewers with broadcast content, just a goat]
[What’s the difference between beach volleyball and volleyball? But]
[Isn’t it just whether you play in the water or on land?]
[To me, beach volleyball is murder.]
[And another innocent Geumtaeyang is about to bite the dust.]
[The broadcast host might look harmless on the outside.]
[This is why people with their brains in their behinds are no good.]
[It’s a rule that flashy creatures usually have some poison in them.]
[Blame your complacency, Geumtaeyang.]
The viewers who heard the details of the incident didn’t seem too worried about me.
Only the taker was anxiously restless.
“What’s wrong, Taker?”
“That guy earlier looked pretty shady…”
“What’s there to worry about? Just win.”
The taker seemed to be more of a worrying type than I thought. It wouldn’t be a problem at all if we lost, we could just leave the place.
It wasn’t like not keeping a promise that said we’d grant the wish of the winner would lead to a disaster. Of course, winning would feel much better and look better too.
Now that I think about it, did I act too selfishly? We all came on this trip together after all. My sudden decision to organize a beach volleyball game might have upset my companions.
“But we’ve got to show those persistent bullies a lesson!”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
[Indeed, justice will be served by Camilla, lol.]
[Hearing this is kind of annoying though.]
[Let’s teach them a lesson with some beach volleyball.]
[Ah, lol, just beat them at ball games first if you want to mess around with Kayak.]
*
“Do you want to play 1v1? Or 2v2?”
“Well, feel free to do as you like.”
“Let’s do 1v1 then.”
Geumtaeyang and Taesung grinned as they watched the female companions arrive right on time for the match.
Now, I learned her name too. Kayak.
Turns out she was a streamer. I only realized it when she asked if it was okay to broadcast the ongoing match.
The number of viewers was quite significant for a broadcast but that wasn’t important to Taesung.
“Are you really going to keep your promise? It would be bad if you make excuses after losing.”
“You’re the one saying that.”
[Lol, don’t lose and then pull a disappearing act, Geumtaeyang.]
[Can’t wait to see what happens after the match with the Kayak fans, haha.]
[What kind of noises will this guy make?]
‘What’s going on?’
It was a broadcast turned on through a friend’s phone on the bench. But the viewers’ reactions were unusual.
It felt like everyone assumed Taesung would lose.
“It seems they have some confidence in him.”
“Taesung, just crush him.”
“Is that skinny guy a beach volleyball player or something?”
Well, it’s not something that needs saying anymore. Taesung sprinkled some sand on his hands and feet and stepped onto the court.
It’s now something that needs no explanation. Taesung stepped onto the court with just the right amount of sand on his hands and feet.
On the opposing side, a figure emerged.
“…?”
“What’s up? You said we’d go 1v1.”
“Isn’t a guy supposed to come out?”
“Not really.”
[LOL, I said no]
[You’d usually think a guy would come out, right? 😂]
[Geumtaeyang thought it would be a showdown of male pride, but what a letdown! 😂]
[Is it okay to play beach volleyball 1v1?]
[It’s not even an official match, so who cares? 😂]
[Going 1v1 is when you really crush them.]
[It’s a proper 1v1 face-off, LOL.]
[Gunhee, just stick to working out.]
[But Kayak is still stronger!]
Taesung was slightly taken aback but quickly regained his composure.
It was a bit unexpected, but it wasn’t unreasonable. Beach volleyball isn’t purely strength-based. Sure, strength plays a role, but quick reflexes, fast responses, and stamina were the main elements.
‘This might be easier than I thought.’
Geumtaeyang watched Kayak warm up closely. Her body was definitely fit, with no excess fat, suggesting she had been exercising quite a bit. The warm-up moves were sharp and precise, indicating she likely maintains a regular exercise routine.
But that was about it. Frankly speaking, the physical differences between men and women were something that could not be ignored.
Unless the woman in front of him was at the national team level in beach volleyball, Taesung couldn’t see himself losing.
‘As long as I watch out for quick attacks…’
It was undeniably a fact that his opponent seemed a bit easy, but Taesung stayed vigilant and formulated a strategy. Even a lion gives its all when catching a rabbit.
With his physical advantages, he decided to turn the match into a test of stamina. After all, if it turned into a war of attrition, the woman would tire out first.
With no sign of nervousness, they moved straight into rock-paper-scissors. The winner would get the first serve.
“Oh no, I lost.”
Taesung chuckled and waved his hand.
Taesung threw a fist, Kayak showed cloth. Kayak won and got the ball.
Beep—
With the referee’s whistle, the match began.
Boom—!
With a noise like something bursting, a fierce gust of wind swept through.
“…?”
“Uh, uh… Kayak scores 1 point.”
The referee, a friend, spoke in a dumbfounded voice. Only then did Taesung come to his senses and assess the situation.
“The ball…!”
The ball was stuck in the sandy ground behind him.
Steam was rising from the ball wedged deep in the hard sand.
“Didn’t you see…?”
As he pulled the ball out, Taesung replayed the situation in his mind. Kayak had definitely lifted the ball into the air, jumped, and swung her arm.
Yet, he heard the sound but didn’t see the ball at all as it flew towards him.
“Did she curve it? Or was it a trick?”
Attacks using blind spots, fakes, quick strikes. All sorts of technical terms swirled in Taesung’s head.
But he didn’t know the answer. Having conceded a point during this rally, he had gained nothing in return.
“Tch.”
Taesung clicked his tongue as he regained his stance. He wasn’t being negligent before, but now he was even more on guard. Losing this would be the ultimate humiliation. The friends who had been cheering him on also sensed something was off and had fallen silent.
In beach volleyball, the scoring side gets to serve consecutively. So now it was Kayak’s turn to serve again after scoring.
However, Kayak raised her hand and said, “Do you want to serve?”
“What?”
“‘What’ is casual speech. No, I feel like I’m the only one serving if we keep going like this.”
Saying that, she casually tossed the ball over to his side. Taesung’s face twisted like he’d just bitten into a sour lemon.
“What a cheeky thing!”
He momentarily lost his composure but then calmed down as he held the ball. Handing over the serve was a brilliant provocation, but strategically it was a poor choice.
He could pull off the quick serve she had shown him far better.
“Here I go.”
Whoosh—
Calming his mind, Taesung tossed the ball into the air. He jumped high and—
Bam—!
He swung his arm down and slammed the ball into the opposing court.
“How about that, got you—”
Thud—
His confident expression froze as he landed. Kayak had perfectly received the serve with an unfazed look.
And then came the immediate counterattack. A loud explosion echoed, and the ball once again flew towards Taesung.
However, he still couldn’t catch the ball. By the time he collected himself, the ball had already dropped onto his court floor.
“Uh… Kayak scores 1 point…”
“No…!”
It was at that moment he turned his head in panic.
“So easy.”
From the other side, a voice full of delight rang out.
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