Chapter 1732: Worth the Life
"Marcos!"
"Marcos!"
Gawain and MacDonald shouted over and over again. MacDonald, who was usually shy and introverted, was also excited at this time. His eyes and face were full of smiles. He followed Gawain in making fun of him. The more he shouted, the happier he became, and laughter was buzzing in his chest.
Jilong was a little reserved——
It's the same as when I was in college. Time flies, many things have changed, but some things seem to have never changed.
Jilong looked at the two people in front of him helplessly.
In fact, Jilong has been avoiding Gao Wen, although he is unwilling to admit it and has made many excuses for himself, "That guy must be very busy", "Wait until I win the next challenge championship", "Ah, it would be very abrupt to send a text message now", "He should be training now"...
But in reality, that is escape.
He didn't know how to face Gawain, with what kind of mentality or attitude.
After arriving in Toronto, what Jilong was most worried and nervous about was seeing Gao Wen again. He thought he was prepared, but he was not.
So, when he saw the grand scene at the training ground in the morning, he found an excuse for himself and left in a hurry.
But I didn't expect that Gao Wen would come over on his own initiative.
Then--
There was no tension, no restraint, no unfamiliarity. None of the situations that I was worried about occurred, and the words came out naturally.
"Dude, are you sure this is okay?"
Jilong raised his chin and gestured to the surroundings. All the pairs of eyes full of desire were fixed on Gawain, and they became even more excited when they heard these words.
The corners of Gao Wen's mouth rose slightly.
“Why should I worry?”
"We are all spectators who have just watched a wonderful game. Ladies and gentlemen, I know this player."
The smug and boastful tone, as if Jilong was a superstar, all the audiences around reacted, whistles and applause surged, and one by one they followed suit.
Among them, McDonald was the most active.
Jilong couldn't help but hold his forehead, "Gawain..."
Gawain's eyes widened. "Oh, Marcos, it's an honor that you still remember my name. See, I told you I knew him."
The second half of the sentence was directed at the audience around him. Laughter mixed with whistles surged up in the air, creating a lively atmosphere.
Jilong tried to defend himself, but looking at the smiling MacDonald, his memory went back to his college days, and then he realized:
Giving up struggling is the wise choice.
So Jilong closed his eyes and said, "Who wants an autograph? Come on."
That expression of being ready to die is really funny.
Gawain was the first to raise his right hand high, "Me, me, me, me."
As a result, the surrounding audience also came to show their support, and a mini fan meeting was held on the spot.
Jilong was totally unprepared for this, but since he couldn't resist, he decided to enjoy it and actually started signing autographs for the fans on the spot.
After a long period of hustle and bustle, the audience was finally satisfied.
Although they were not able to get Gawain's autograph, they took many photos at the scene and had close conversations with Gawain. From Gawain's words and actions, they could tell that he needed some time with his friends, so the fans wisely said goodbye and left.
Slowly, the surging crowd dispersed.
In the end, magically, the Bruins' Big Three were left, and even if he had experienced it in person, Giron couldn't accurately describe what it was like.
McDonald seemed to understand Jilong's confusion. He smiled and said, "Marcos, this is called the Gawain effect."
Gao Wen frowned slightly, "Mike, why do I feel like you are cursing?"
"Haha." Jilong and McDonald both burst into laughter.
Gao Wen's expression only lasted for a moment, and then he blossomed, "Congratulations, Marcos, for advancing to the finals."
Frank, sincere and enthusiastic.
It can be heard that Gao Wen is truly happy for Jilong.
Inexplicably, Ji Long recalled something Gao Wen said casually when he was in college:
Tennis is a lonely sport. Everyone has his or her own battles, just like life. No matter how many people come and go around you, you still need to face the end of the story by yourself, fight those battles by yourself, and find those answers by yourself.
Some are faster, some are slower, some are ordinary, some are special. The only thing that is certain is that no one is the same.
Maybe, in the field of tennis, Gawain is far ahead, but he also has his own battles to fight, and he just needs to move forward at his own pace.
If it was a week ago, Jilong might not be able to laugh when he heard these words. Even if he knew that Gawain had no ill intentions and no discrimination, he still couldn't laugh. It was not because of Gawain, but because of himself.
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He couldn't be satisfied with his current situation.
But now, Jilong is somewhat relieved. "Thank you. This is a breakthrough. I have been waiting for a whole year."
Gao Wen's mouth curled up. "It doesn't matter whether it's early or late. What matters is that we finally did it. And, maybe we can have a rematch this year?"
Jilong: ...He really hadn't thought about it.
"Next we'll look at the draw." Gao Wen's face was full of anticipation.
If I can face Gao Wen across the net, it will be the first time the two of us meet since the singles final of the U.S. Championships.
Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.
but……
Jilong was a little uncertain, "It's not that easy. You are the second seed and have a bye in the first round. Even if we are in the same division, we can only meet in the second round at the earliest."
The subtext is that Jilong lacks some confidence in his ability to pass the first round.
Gao Wen raised his eyebrows slightly, a little surprised, "Are you afraid before the battle?"
Jilong's words were stuck in his mouth.
Yes, he doesn’t even know who his first-round opponent will be, so why is he already so timid?
Was it because he had never won a match in an ATP-level tournament in his career? So, without even realizing it, he had already backed off?
Where is the courage, fighting spirit and expectation? He once looked forward to playing against the top ten players in the world, even if it was not for victory, he wanted to see the gap between himself and them; but the ultimate goal was still to defeat them and win.
However, what about now? Regardless of how the first-round draw is, he should be looking forward to it. After all, this may be his chance to face the top players.
"Yes. I didn't even realize that I was hesitating." Jilong admitted frankly.
After a short pause, Jilong's smile rose again, "But now that you mention it, I'm looking forward to it."
"It's such a rare opportunity to meet a top player. I should be looking forward to it, right?"
Little by little, Jilong is slowly regaining the confidence of a favored child of heaven. Although it is difficult and long, he still needs to cheer himself up.
Gao Wen's expression relaxed again. "This is the Marcos Giron we are familiar with. To be honest, I am also looking forward to meeting you. Standing on the court, you and I, everything is just like when we were still in school."
(End of this chapter)