Summary
Episode 7 brought fierce competition, something that was lacking slightly in the last chapter. However, competition does have its shortfalls as the chapter represents the pressures on young people.
This recap of Netflix k-drama series Racket Boys season 1, episode 7 contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
Expectations can be an awful thing for young teens; while we welcome pressure for a better performance as adults, they can have undesired effects at a younger age. Episode 7 is mostly about pressure as the badminton team enters an important tournament.
Episode 7 opens with Hyeon-jong showing the boys a video of a younger Hae-kang playing badminton. They conclude that he needs extra training. Then, Yoon-dam and Hae-kang partake in a practice match. Hyeon-jong tells Yoon-dam that he plays better when his opponent is weaker — he’s taking coaching to the next level since the last chapter. It’s the eve of a big tournament, so the players are understandably nervous — for some, it means becoming a national junior athlete.
Tensions before the tournament
At the tournament, tensions are high, with Hae-kang getting caught up in it, confronting the other players. Yong-tae has constipation problems, but Hyeon-jong feels there’s something else that’s wrong. Yong-tae admits he has no confidence. The coach tells him he is rooting for him. Meanwhile, the line judge asks Han-sol if she still fancies him. Yoon-dam tells her to ignore him. Before the game, he mocks her for the messages she sent him.
The mixed doubles game ends with disqualification
But the harassment spills into the mixed doubles game as Yoon-dam and Han-sol partner up. It’s awful to witness Han-sol get heckled by an immature boy from the sidelines.
Yoon-dam and Han-sol lose the first set of their mixed doubles game, and Coach Ranos lectures how Han-sol played — it’s clear that the line judge is putting her off her game. Yoon-dam gets angry and kicks the line judge over as he was taking it too far — he asks him to say sorry for crossing the line. Hyeon-jong and Ranos have to pull Yoon-dam off him. As a result, the committee decides that Yoon-dam and Han-sol are dismissed for the rest of their singles games. Meanwhile, Yong-tae plays well, and he wins his singles match — the coach must have inspired him. In the aftermath, Yoon-dam checks that Han-sol is okay. They are both hungry, so they decide to get snacks together. Anyway, it seems like Coach Bae worked his magic with the committee – Yoon-dam and Han-sol can play singles again.
Revenge match
We’ve been waiting for the return of Yellow Hair…
Hae-kang is up next in his single game, and he’s against Yellow Hair (Gil Seon-gyun) — the rival he wants to beat. He loses his first game, and he’s frustrated. His father tells him his opponent is younger, and the second set will decide it. Hae-kang wins the second set. His father reminds him of his training where he increases his endurance and strength — his opponent, Yellow Hair, looks exhausted. Hae-kang is losing his final set, and Coach Bae sends out some advice — it’s the last strategy to make Yellow Hair play a different way — Hae-kang wins. After a long day, the team heads to the motel to chill out. They are exhausted.
Against the best player
Episode 7 sees mixed results in the tournament; some highs, some lows.
The next day, there are expectations that Se-yoon will win — there’s pressure as always; the coaches congratulate her in advance, and Ranos tells them to stop. Before the match, Hae-kang tells the best player that he will take his position from him.
Ye-soon plays against Na-ra. She begins the first game on the losing foot — her opponent is well trained, with her coach giving plenty of advice. Se-yoon does not seem herself, and Han-sol raises that the pressure gives her anxiety. Na-ra cries as she wins the game. Hae-kang plays against the number one player Park Chan, and it’s a difficult game. He loses, and Hae-kang is devastated. Both aces in the team lost, and it’s a blow for the team.
Revenge and comfort
As Hae-kang walks back to his team, he’s applauded by the crowd, but he’s not happy; he wants to train and get his revenge on the number one player. As for Se-yoon, she has decided to sit on her own in the corridor, and Han-sol goes to comfort her. Se-yoon apologizes to Coach Ranos for losing and admits to feeling the pressure — she says she wants to be the youngest national athlete in Korea, not a junior. She believes getting on the good side of the committee and coaches is the best way to do it, which is why she drank so much coffee before her match. Coach Ranos apologizes that they made her feel that way. It’s here that her coach realized how much pressure she had put on young shoulders — it’s a problem in the real world; athletics can be mentally exhausting for young people.
The ending of Racket Boys season 1, episode 7
Yong-tae is worried that Hae-kang got his revenge against Yellow Hair so that he will go back to baseball. The others agree with the concern. Hyeon-jong goes out for a meal and drinks with Ranos, who tells him she’s a huge fan of Se-yoon — she feels sorry for the situation, but Hyeon-jong says she’s fine. Ranos gets extremely drunk as she knows Se-yoon isn’t fine at all. Meanwhile, Hae-kang meets Se-yoon on the roof where she is training, and their eyes meet, and there’s a calm between them. Then, Se-yoon cries, so Hae-kang walks up to her so she can sob on him. What a sweet friendship.
Episode 7 brought fierce competition, something that was lacking slightly in the last chapter. However, competition does have its shortfalls as the chapter represents the pressures on young people.
