WELCOME TO THE TEAM

Hanako and Akihiro walked through the beautifully lit city at night. Lights sparkled everywhere, and people enjoyed their time—families in restaurants laughing together over dinner. Everything looked so lively, so perfect. Akihiro glanced at Hanako, and at the same time, Hanako looked at Akihiro. Their faces turned red, but neither said a word. They just kept walking.

Breaking the silence, Hanako asked, "Hey, Akihiro, you just transferred here, right? Where did you come from?"

With a small smile, Akihiro replied, "Yeah, I came from a small village. My parents got divorced, and my dad remarried, so... I left home."

They continued walking, eventually stopping at a restaurant for dinner. They laughed, exchanged stories, and got to know each other better.

The next day, Akihiro woke up to a message from Hanako.

"Come early today to the court."

Reading the text, Akihiro looked at Daiki and Sora. "Guys, I have to go home. I’ve got something to do."

Daiki and Sora exchanged glances. "Alright, see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, sorry about that. See you two tomorrow," Akihiro said before heading home.

As Daiki and Sora walked together, Daiki smirked. "So, Sora, you like Akihiro, don't you?"

"What?! No way! What are you talking about?" Sora's face turned red.

Daiki chuckled. "Come on, don't lie to me."

"Daiki, stop teasing me, okay?"

They both laughed, but inside, Sora's heart was racing. Does he really know?

At the badminton court, Akihiro arrived and saw Hanako waving at him.

"Hey, Akihiro, over here!"

"I'm coming," Akihiro replied as he walked over.

Hanako introduced him to the team. "Here, meet our team. This is Haruki, Kiyoshi, and Aya. And everyone, this is Akihiro—the guy I told you about."

Haruki extended his hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you."

Akihiro shook hands. "I’m Akihiro Mori. Nice to meet you all."

He looked around, observing the team. Haruki looked like a national-level player, with all his expensive gear. Kiyoshi had a strong, athletic build—like a real bodyguard. Then there was Aya. She seemed full of energy, and he could tell she was a strong player.

"So, this is the Dreams Academy team," Hanako said with pride.

Kiyoshi smirked. "Alright, Akihiro, let’s see what you’ve got."

"Hey, Kiyoshi! Don’t be like that," Hanako scolded.

Akihiro smiled nervously. "It’s okay, Hanako." Then he looked at Kiyoshi. "Alright, let’s do this. But first, I need to warm up."

Hanako laughed. "Best of luck, Kiyoshi."

Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow. Why is she wishing me luck?

One hour later, Kiyoshi stood there, arms crossed, waiting.

"You know, I’ve never seen someone warm up for this long. This dude is crazy," he whispered to Aya.

Finally, Akihiro was ready. Everyone in the court gathered to watch the match. Their eyes were focused on Akihiro, curious to see what he could do. Hanako was among them, smiling and cheering.

The referee raised his hand.

"LOVE ALL—PLAY!"

Kiyoshi served. The shuttlecock flew toward Akihiro.

Suddenly, everything went silent for Akihiro. The world around him faded, the cheers disappeared.

All he could see was the shuttlecock, moving toward him in slow motion.

A perfect shot.

Akihiro jumped. It felt like he was flying. Then—SMASH!

The shuttlecock hit the ground with a sharp thud.

Silence.

Everyone stared in shock.

Hanako's eyes sparkled, mesmerized by the beauty of his smash. Then, the entire court erupted into applause.

"Game over! Match won by Akihiro—21 to 19!" the referee announced.