"Can I ask you for a favor? Can I borrow your Draco for just one game? I want to team up with him for a round, it'll be so much fun!" Becky shook Hermione's arm.
"No, he's tired and needs to rest," Hermione said firmly.
"Just one round, just one round!" Becky started her pleading mode, continuing to gently shake Hermione's arm.
Her voice was soft and sweet.
"I promise, it's purely for playing basketball, absolutely no other thoughts! You saw how frustrating it was to play with Jack just now, let me experience what it feels like to be carried, please!"
As she spoke, she looked at Hermione with those big, pitiful eyes, and even began to praise her:
" Hermione, you're amazing at playing ball! And you have such a great figure! You're beautiful inside and out, you definitely wouldn't be stingy, right?"
Hermione was driven crazy by Becky's persistent pestering, her cheeks slightly flushed. Partly, she was a little embarrassed by the compliment, and partly, Becky's relentless pursuit was truly impressive.
Hermione glanced at Draco, who was completely unaware of the situation not far away, then at Becky, who was standing in front of her with her hands clasped together. Hermione, she sighed helplessly and relented, "... Alright, alright."
But then, her expression turned serious, and she warned sternly, "However, you are not allowed to get close to him intentionally, you are not allowed to have any unnecessary physical contact, and you are not allowed to make any strange movements or expressions! You must also maintain a safe distance while playing ball."
"Don't worry, I'll behave perfectly!" Becky raised both hands confidently, a victorious smile spreading across her face.
Hermione gave her a suspicious look, then gestured with her chin toward Draco, implying that he should talk to him himself.
Becky cheered.
Like a happy little bird, I ran towards Draco.
So, under Hermione's watchful eye, Draco was half-pulled, half-dragged onto the field by Becky.
Although Draco seemed uninterested and acted like he was forced to participate, Becky felt she had hit the jackpot just to be able to team up with him.
On the other side, Jack watched as Draco was pulled away by Becky, and a thought struck him – Mary's words had just reminded him.
There are indeed differences between different combinations.
"In that case, I'll team up with Tom! The two of us against the two of you!" Jack said, looking at Tom with a questioning gaze.
Tom, who had always been the referee, was already itching to play, and upon hearing this, he immediately nodded happily. "Great, I'm itching to play too!"
After the two teams took to the field, Hermione walked to the referee's chair, her face beaming with "fairness and impartiality," and said, "I'll be the referee for this match."
Everyone: "..."
A knowing smile appeared on his face.
It was obvious to everyone that she didn't want to be a referee, but rather to keep a close watch on Becky and prevent her from doing anything out of line.
Becky stood on the field, watching Hermione sit in the referee's chair with a serious expression, holding a whistle in her hand, looking utterly impartial. She was both amused and exasperated.
But then I thought, being able to team up with Draco to play is already a pleasant surprise, as for Hermione's marking...
Well, let's just say it's to add some fun to the competition!
Thus, a fun doubles match, under the watchful eye of "referee" Hermione, was about to begin, while the spectators on the sidelines once again prepared their snacks and drinks, ready to enjoy the spectacle.
The court was back in position, and all eyes were on the center of the court. The starting order was decided immediately, with Draco serving.
Hermione sat upright with a stern face, her gaze fixed on Draco and his smiling partner Becky beside him.
Offstage, everyone couldn't help but smile.
The match began, and the first round saw both offense and defense take their course.
Jack and Tom on the other side are both players who play casually, each playing their own game and their poor teamwork is obvious.
The two often collided while running to grab the ball.
One rushes forward to intercept at the net, the other retreats to defend at the baseline; their anticipation of the landing point is never on the same wavelength.
The team's transitions to the ball were riddled with holes. They either missed good balls in mid-air or fought over the same corner ball, making frequent basic mistakes and failing to create any coherent offensive momentum.
On the other side of the field, Draco possessed solid ball skills and excellent control of the game, adapting to his partner at a rapid pace. Becky was quick to learn and agile, and the two quickly figured out each other's rhythm and running habits after only two or three exchanges.
Randomly paired doubles matches rely heavily on on-the-spot teamwork and coordination.
Draco and Becky adapted faster, and before long, Draco secured Becky comfortable victory in the first round.
"Yay! We won!" Becky jumped up excitedly and turned to high-five Draco.
"Bang!" Draco gave her a high five.
"We're such a perfect match! It's like a match made in heaven. To have such great chemistry on our first time working together, the speed at which we've gelled is amazing!" Becky blurted out excitedly.
As soon as she finished speaking, Becky felt a cold and murderous gaze, like a thorn in her back, fixed firmly on her.
The murderous aura made her stiffen, her neck turning slowly toward the source of the aura—the referee's chair.
Hermione's face immediately darkened, a faint coldness settling over her brows and eyes, giving her a distinctly stern look.
Becky's scalp tingled instantly. Had he just been saying something about a match made in heaven in front of the real wife? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?!
"Oh? You've developed a better understanding with Hermione than I have?" Draco didn't try to smooth things over; instead, he deliberately set a trap.
Becky: "!!!" Three exclamation marks popped up. Draco, you're killing me by hurting my spirit! Do you want me to die even faster?!
Feeling the murderous aura surge instantly, Becky shuddered violently, shaking her head like a rattle-drum, her survival instinct kicking in.
"No, no! What I mean is... Draco, you're just too strong! You can carry anyone! But the best teamwork is definitely between you and Hermione! Your 'double attack' just now was absolutely amazing! My teamwork with you is nowhere near as good!"
"Hehe, hehehe..." she laughed awkwardly.
He laughed while frantically gesturing to Draco with his eyes.
He thought to himself, "Brother, please stop digging holes for me!"
Hearing Becky's frantic attempts to salvage the situation, and seeing her on the verge of tears, Hermione's coldness eased slightly, and she let out a soft hum.
Mary and the others in the audience had been holding back their laughter until their stomachs ached, and seeing Becky's cowardly appearance, they burst out laughing even louder.
Even Jack and Tom, who were questioning their existence, temporarily snapped out of their gloom and couldn't help but shake their heads and chuckle.
"That was close! I almost stepped on Hermione's landmine." Becky wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, still feeling lingering fear.
Think before you speak next time!
After a short break, the second game started on time.
After the initial adjustments and practice in the first round, Jack and Tom finally figured out each other's weaknesses and strengths, and their teamwork visibly improved, with both sides trading blows back and forth.
The score went back and forth, remaining close for several rounds.
The atmosphere on the field instantly became much more tense.