"Have you ever played tennis before, Mr. Bin?" After Shen Yibin confirmed he hadn’t, the foreigner handed his own racket to him. "Well, in that case, why don’t you play with Katrina? She just started learning not long ago, so you two should be a good match." With that, he scurried over to Hah’Er to fawn over him. It was hard to tell if he was genuinely looking out for Shen Yibin or just wanted to get closer to Hah’Er.
"Bernanke, you cunning fox." Judging by Katrina’s reaction, the latter seemed more likely. "How about this, then? The winner gets to take a break, and someone else subs in to play with Mr. Bin."
"Alright, we have no objection." The other three felt it wouldn’t be right to make Katrina play with Shen Yibin by herself the whole time, so they nodded and agreed to the arrangement.
The other woman, Bianca, enthusiastically helped Shen Yibin adjust his grip. "Mr. Bin, since you haven’t played tennis before, I suggest you start with the Eastern grip. It’s widely considered the easiest to learn." The Eastern grip isn’t named for Asia, but rather for the eastern United States where it originated. This grip makes it easier to hit topspin shots and aggressive flat shots.
"Here, let me show you." As she spoke, Bianca physically positioned Shen Yibin’s fingers on the racket handle while explaining the key points. "I’ll teach you the forehand grip first. Place the ’V’ formed by your thumb and index finger on the top-right bevel of the grip, aligned with the face of the racket. Your index finger should be slightly separated from the other three, wrapping around from underneath. The knuckle of your index finger rests on the right vertical bevel, and your thumb curls naturally around the left vertical bevel. When you hit the ball, you control the racket with the base of your palm and the knuckle of your index finger."
This physical contact left Shen Yibin’s mouth feeling a little dry. On top of that, Bianca was wearing a very revealing outfit, and his peripheral vision kept catching glimpses of things it shouldn’t. As soon as he learned the grip, he quickly said, "So, should we give it a try now?"
"Tennis isn’t that simple." Bianca pouted, looking a little unhappy. In truth, her eagerness to help Shen Yibin stemmed from more than just kindness; she had an ulterior motive. ’If I can win over Mr. Bin, does that mean I’ll get to see Hah’Er every day?’ But Shen Yibin seemed to have ignored her charms.
"Well, I’ll serve first!" Katrina didn’t share Bianca’s designs. She just wanted to win the game quickly so she could get back to Hah’Er. Of course, she still took into account that Shen Yibin was a beginner, so she didn’t use a powerful serve, simply tapping the ball gently over the net.
’I think I can hit that.’ Watching the bright yellow tennis ball fly toward him, it was as if he were seeing an orange tossed by Hah’Er. Days of training kicked in, and he instinctively rushed forward, swinging the racket to intercept the ball.
THWACK! Shen Yibin connected with the tennis ball, and it flew back over the net. This surprised Katrina; she hadn’t expected a novice to return her serve so easily. She immediately slid over to hit it back, but then... she lowered her racket. The ball landed out of bounds. Shen Yibin’s shot was out.
"15-love. You did great, Mr. Bin, you just need to control your power a little." Bianca acted as both scorekeeper and cheerleader from the sidelines, cheering Shen Yibin on.
’I forgot how much spring these rackets have, and a tennis ball isn’t a piece of fruit from Hah’Er.’ Shen Yibin swung the racket a few times, then tested the tension of the strings with his fingers. "Okay, I get it. I’ll be more careful."
"Ready? I’m serving." For the second serve, Katrina added a little more difficulty. The ball flew over noticeably faster than the last one.
Shen Yibin still managed to track the ball’s trajectory. He moved nimbly to chase it down and swung his racket, but just as he was about to make contact, he remembered Bianca’s words and eased up on his power. And then... the ball slammed right into the net, not making it over.
"30-love. Mr. Bin, you’re learning incredibly fast! Just add a little more power on the next one and you’ll get it." Bianca was a little surprised; she’d never seen a beginner make adjustments so quickly.
"I’ll definitely get it over on the third try!" After the first two attempts, Shen Yibin had gained some experience and spoke with confidence.
And just as he’d said, on his third return, Shen Yibin really did hit the ball over the net, and it landed in bounds. It was without a doubt a successful shot. However, Katrina immediately returned it with a clean, crisp stroke. This time, Shen Yibin made a mistake and hit the ball out again.
"40-love. You’ve got to keep trying! If you lose this next point, you lose the game." Bianca made a fist and continued to encourage him. "Katrina only started learning recently, too. You don’t have to worry about shot placement. Just focus on hitting the ball back steadily, and she’s bound to make a mistake eventually."
Bianca started to play the role of a coach, devising a strategy for Shen Yibin. Over on the court, Shen Yibin nodded silently, indicating he understood, then focused his full attention on waiting for Katrina’s serve.
THWACK! The ball was served again by Katrina, landing in the service box. Shen Yibin was already waiting for it. With a slight turn of his wrist, he hit the ball back. Katrina then dashed over and returned the shot, her skirt fluttering prettily as she moved.
THWACK! This time, Shen Yibin made no mistake and steadily sent the ball over the net again, landing it in front of Katrina. The two of them were now in a rally. It was only the fourth point, yet Shen Yibin had already improved this much. The three spectators off-court were completely astonished. They even forgot about Hah’Er for a moment, all turning their heads to watch Shen Yibin!
"Mmmph!" Hah’Er seemed to realize they were in the middle of a match, so he waddled over to the edge of the court and waved his fists to cheer for Shen Yibin.
His appearance broke Katrina’s rhythm. She had originally intended to hit the ball in Hah’Er’s direction, but seeing him there made her instantly change her mind. She was worried the ball might fly out of bounds and hit Hah’Er. Unfortunately, Katrina was just a beginner herself. In her haste to change her move, she made a mistake. The abrupt change in motion caused her to use too much force, and she smacked the ball out of bounds.
"40-15! Congratulations on winning a point, Mr. Bin!" Bianca gave Shen Yibin a thumbs-up.
"Heh, I guess tennis isn’t so hard after all!" Shen Yibin replied with a laugh.