He just officially joined the men's doubles team, but he already felt the pressure on his shoulders. He was scared. He was worried that he would end up disappointing the people around him again.
His hazel eyes glanced at the two giants standing behind Coach Cheng. They were his seniors who had tasted the tastiness of being the world number one in the men's doubles sector. They had won many international titles that made them to the top of the world athlete rankings several years ago.
Unfortunately, both players were no longer young, and they had lost their prime. In the end, they had to relinquish their number one title to another pair who were not under the same flag as them.
Wu Yishui and Zhao Xizhen were ready to retire without thinking that their retirement would give too much pressure on a newbie shoulder named Lin Zhu.
"Are you alright, Ah Zhu?" Coach Chen asked the short athlete while waving his hand in front of the athlete's face.
Lin Zhu blinked his eyes, seemingly realizing that he had been silent for a long time lamenting his fate.
"Ah Zhu looks pale after hearing the news from you, Coach. Maybe he wants to go home and hide under his blanket like a chick."
Lin Zhu swiftly turned his head to the side and found Ye Quan smirking at him playfully. That jerk again!
"I'm alright, Coach," the short athlete answered timidly.
But coach Cheng didn't look convinced by his words. The coach was still looking at him with furrowed brows. "You can take it easy, Ah-Zhu," he spoke to him in a soft voice while giving him a fatherly gaze. "You are still young, and your skills are exceptional. If you are willing to work harder, I'm pretty sure you will be a great athlete in the future."
Lin Zhu's heart was warmed by the coach's words. He felt like he just found a huge amount of energy that escalated his motivation greatly.
"Thank you, Coach."
The situation was less tense now, and the coach decided to start the training.
"Let's start with a friendly match between our best players and our next best players," the coach looked so excited as he announced the training plan.
Lin Zhu just smiled before returning to the bench to pick up his racket. He could see Ye Quan doing the same beside him, but he ignored the taller athlete.
"This is just the beginning, but you have to play well. If you can't play well, then you'd better quit so I can find a new, better partner."
There was no hint of mockery in Ye Quan's words, and Lin Zhu knew exactly that the senior athlete was serious this time.
However, he remained quiet as he watched the older athlete walk away from him and head to the court.
Lin Zhu just sighed heavily. He better try to do his best now.
Not wanting to let the other people wait for him, Lin Zhu immediately walked over to the four people in the court. He was standing next to Ye Quan, and opposite them were Wu Yishui and Zhao Xizhen.
"It's the first time you two play doubles, but you two have learned the basic rules in a doubles match, right?"
Both Lin Zhu and Ye Quan nodded their heads to answer the coach's question.
Lin Zhu just learned about it last night, but he didn't think the rules were too different from the singles match.
After getting a response from the newbies, the coach finally started the match after sitting in the umpire's chair.
Lin Zhu was the first one to serve, and he sent the shuttlecock to Wu Yishui. Unfortunately, the shuttlecock was too easy for the giant, and the giant just smashed the shuttlecock right to the edge of Lin Zhu and Ye Quan's court.
The senior pair got their first point, and Ye Quan glared at the shorter boy.
"You don't even know how to serve properly?"
Lin Zhu was about to retaliate, but then they heard the coach suddenly shout at them.
"Stop blaming each other!" The coach's voice echoed through the hall. "Even if you lost a point, you still have to support each other! You can high-five, low-five, or pat each other to encourage one another. It's important when you are playing doubles!"
Lin Zhu and Ye Quan peered at each other after hearing the coach's instructions. They looked awkward and hesitant, but in the end, Ye Quan was the first to raise his right hand, waiting for Lin Zhu to slap him for a high five.
Lin Zhu, with his sky-high pride, slapped the hand without looking at the hand's owner.
The coach finally smiled in satisfaction after seeing the newbies do what he instructed.
Now it was the time for Wu Yishui to serve. He served Ye Quan, and the raven-haired athlete easily returned the shuttlecock to the opponent. This time, it was not easy for the shuttlecock to fall to the ground as both pairs kept returning the shuttlecock.
Until finally, the chaotic moment came when Zhao Xichen suddenly sent a perfect drop shot to the right side of the court, but Ye Quan failed to save the shuttlecock. The shuttlecock died on their court again.
Lin Zhu gritted his teeth while gawking at the taller man. Without actually opening his mouth, he whispered to the taller man, "Your legs are long, but that's just for display, right?"
Ye Quan glared back at him, but they still low-fived because they were scared of their coach's scolding.
They lost 2 points in a row, and it gave them more pressure.
Wu Yishui served again, and Lin Zhu could return the shuttlecock smoothly this time.
The two pairs continued to play with attacking and defensive strategies. Sometimes points would fall into the hands of beginners, but most of the time, points chose to fall into the hands of seniors.
In the end, Lin Zhou and Ye Quan had to admit that their seniors were better than them. They lost in straight games, 21-9 and 21-8. What a pathetic score.