Picture Us | Zhuo Zhi

seventeen

a f t e r y u h a n g

Before Yu Qing leaves the tennis park, Nam heads to the vending machines. She would've gone with her twin, but he and Qiao Chen were too busy sulking because of their punishment.

Nam gets her favorite drink, a grape soda, and turns around from the vending machine to Zhuo Zhi standing there, and she yelps from surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes.

"You didn't..."

"Mhm."

"I was actually going to look for you. I, um... wanted to say congratulations."

"Thanks, Nam."

"Am I in your way?" she asks, while stepping away from the vending machine.

"No. Do you have any recommendations?" he asks.

"Well... grape soda is a Lu twin favorite," she says, while gesturing to the drink in her hand.

Zhuo softly chuckles.

"Do you want to see some of the photos I took today?" she asks.

"Yes," Zhuo says with a smile. The two softly talk amongst themselves as they make their way towards the rest of the team, with their conversation mainly including Nam gushing about the match she had just watched. Nam again walks in the back of the group, but this time she's in step with Zhuo Zhi.

"Is the match on the other side over?" Qiao Chen asks the team. "Which school will we compete with next time?"

"It must be No. 40. They came second in the preliminary contest last year," Jiale answers, with his arm swung around Dachi's shoulder. Nam, thinking it's the cutest thing ever, covertly takes a picture. Zhuo sees her and raises an eyebrow, to which Nam just quietly giggles. How cute, Zhuo thinks.

"Uh... Which school are they faced with today?" Qiao asks again.

"Yu Feng High School," Yan answers this time.

"Yu Feng?" Qiao says, not recognizing the name.

"The school of your junior high classmate," Xia says. Qiao Chen is quick to try and shut him up.

"Yu Feng was the school that got rejected from the competition last time?" Xinglong asks a question this time.

Rejected? Nam wonders. How could that happen?

"Yes. Then it should be No. 40 High School," says Jiale.

"Seems like the next match will not be easy," Dachi says, ever a serious vice-captain.

-

Once the Lu twins arrive home, Xia is bombarded with questions from their dad.

"Hey, why do you look upset?" Lu Xiangqian asks. "Do you feel bad about being a substitute? But I remember you told me you would play doubles today. Did you lose your match?"

"No, I didn't," Xia responds.

"Losing is only normal. You were not born to play doubles. You must have been beaten up hard when you were on the court, right?" their dad asks, clearly not hearing Xia's response.

"I didn't lose," Lu Xia enunciates.

"Nam, he did lose, didn't he?"

"No, dad. He's just like that because they played... unconventionally, and Coach Qi punished both him and Qiao Chen. Do you want to see the photos?"

"Yes."

"Let me make dinner then," Nam negotiates.

"What? Don't you love daddy's cooking for you?" Xiangqian asks, mock hurt.

"I love tasty food more," Nam says before she runs towards the kitchen in a fit of giggles.