The couples' mini-drama delighted the audience, transforming the atmosphere of this doubles match from a simple competition into a highly interactive, sweet, and emotionally engaging event.
Everyone laughed and cheered, while also eagerly anticipating the next round of the competition. What surprises would this couple, whose possessiveness was even synchronized, bring them next?
Since the proposal to break up the partnership was jointly rejected by the two parties involved, Jack and Becky had no choice but to give up. Jack touched his nose and smiled awkwardly, "Alright, if you don't want to switch, then don't. You two are of one mind, and your strength can move mountains. Let's continue, let's continue..."
Now he understood.
Trying to borrow Hermione from Draco, or to get Hermione to give up Draco, is essentially an impossible task.
Although Becky was a little disappointed, she quickly recovered and even found watching their interactions more interesting.
She picked up her racket again, got into position, and said, "Alright, alright, I know you two can't stick together. Let's continue! This time we're going to get serious and show you what we're made of!"
The game continued, and perhaps because their little secrets had been exposed, Draco and Hermione relaxed a bit, and their teamwork became smoother.
However, despite their tacit understanding, Young Master Malfoy's unconventional and showy nature did not disappear with his commitment to playing seriously; it simply took a different form.
After a long rally, Jack, on the defensive, managed to save a tricky shot. The return was high and floaty, with strong topspin, drawing a high parabola as it Depulso towards the back of the midfield between Hermione and Draco.
Hermione rushed forward to intercept, but the Depulso straight towards a blind spot in the backcourt. In her panic, Hermione began to retreat, but the moment she took a step, she was already half a step too late, and it looked like she was about to miss.
In that split second, she suddenly felt a tightening around her lower back as she was firmly supported by a pair of strong arms.
Immediately afterwards, an upward force came, and she was gently tossed slightly upwards at an angle!
"Ah-- Draco!" Hermione gasped instinctively as she suddenly lost her balance, her heart leaping into her throat.
In her panic, she didn't forget she was in a match. Her gaze locked onto the ball, and with a flick of her wrist, the racket traced a clean, sharp arc through the air.
"Smack!" A crisp, loud sound rang out as the tennis ball was smashed back into the opponent's open space on the court!
The two players on the opposite side stood frozen in place. Jack even forgot to swing his racket, and Becky's mouth was agape in an "O" shape as she watched helplessly as the tennis ball passed between them, landed, and bounced out of bounds.
Score!
After hitting the ball, Hermione's body began to fall, and Draco caught her gently and steadily into his arms.
The feeling of solid ground beneath her feet washed over her, and Hermione's heart was still pounding, partly from the thrilling and dangerous aerial maneuver she had just experienced, and partly from the tight embrace she was now sharing.
"Are you crazy! This is too sudden... This is too reckless!" She lightly punched Draco's chest, still shaken.
"What's wrong with you? I saw you were trying to catch that ball, but your position was a bit off, so I adjusted it for you."
He said it so casually.
It was as if the thrilling scene just now was nothing out of the ordinary.
"You made some adjustments?!" Hermione laughed in exasperation, questioning, "Is that what you call adjustments? You practically threw me into the sky!"
"Isn't the result great?" Draco teased her, "Not only did you score, but your slam dunk was so cool too."
"Handsome my foot!" Hermione was speechless, stumped by his conclusion-based argument. She wanted to yell at him but couldn't bring herself to, and finally stammered, "Even if you wanted to help me, you didn't have to be so scary..."
As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, and she buried her face in Draco's arms, not daring to look at the reactions of those around her.
Because she knew that something had definitely exploded nearby.
Just as expected!
"Oh my god, did you see that?! They just flew! Draco tossed Hermione up to catch the ball?!"
"That's so cool! You can play doubles like that?!"
"What an amazing teamwork!"
"Even idol dramas wouldn't dare to film something like this!"
Jack finally snapped out of his petrified state, looked at the racket in his hand, and muttered to himself, "Is this a doubles match? What they're doing is more like a stunt show!"
"How am I supposed to play like this?" Becky was about to throw her racket down.
"Fine, let's just go along with them!" Jack said with a wry smile.
Amidst gasps of surprise, Draco finally released his grip on Hermione's waist after confirming Hermione was steady. Hermione blushed and broke free, lowering her head to tidy her disheveled hair and clothes, not daring to look in any direction.
The competition continued in an atmosphere filled with pink bubbles.
Perhaps because the previous high smash was too stunning, Jack and Becky were a little unsettled, and they played somewhat hesitantly afterward, which soon gave them another opportunity with a high ball.
This is one of the most confusing and error-prone shots in doubles matches; a high, topspin shot with an unpredictable landing point.
The ball is between the two players. Who should move forward? Who should move back?
One misjudgment and the two could collide.
Or both players let the ball pass, resulting in a missed opportunity.
The ball flew slowly through the air, and everyone on the sidelines held their breath, their eyes glued to the tennis ball.
I wonder how Draco and his friends will react? Will they pull off another amazing coordinated attack like before? Or will they just collide head-on?
As the ball reached its highest point, Draco and Hermione simultaneously bent their knees and jumped, their figures soaring into the air together.
The afternoon sun outlined their leaping silhouettes.
What's even more amazing is that their movements aren't independent, but perfectly complementary; Hermione leaps slightly higher, while Draco focuses more on forward momentum.
Just as the tennis ball began to fall, the two rackets met in mid-air, one on the left and one on the right, simultaneously striking both sides of the tennis ball.
"Call out--!"
The tennis ball was pressed down by two forces at the same time, and instantly shot straight into the corner of the opponent's court like an arrow, so fast that it was only a blur.
The two players opposite them didn't react at all. They only saw a flash of yellow before the ball slammed into the edge of the white line, bounced up, and landed.
"Score! Match over! Draco / Hermione wins!" Tom announced the result in disbelief.
Watching that perfect game-winning shot, Jack shook his head and laughed, "I'm impressed, that kind of teamwork is beyond human capabilities."
"So we're just here to make up the numbers!" Becky sighed.
"Wow--!!!" The audience erupted in thunderous applause. That last shot had exceeded their understanding of tennis doubles; it was an almost artistic display of teamwork.
Oh my god!!!
"This... how is this possible?!"