Karuna High School is not a top school. That was the first sentence that came to Raihan's mind when he stepped through the gates of his new school. The building was rather shabby, the white paint on the walls was starting to peel off on some sides, and the center field was full of unerased chalk marks. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary school that was too tired to pretend to be special.
Raihan liked places like that.
With his black backpack slung over one shoulder and big headphones hanging around his neck, he walked slowly down the corridor. His steps were calm, but his sharp eyes continued to observe. Not because he was nervous. He was just... alert.
"New kid?" a voice from behind the duty desk greeted without looking.
Rai turned his head. An old teacher with a thin mustache and a flat expression was filling out a form while handing him a piece of paper. Rai took it without answering.
"Classroom 1-B. And don't forget to check in with the student representative after this."
Rai just nodded and walked away.
Outside the classroom, he saw the extracurricular announcement board. There were brochures for art, photography, music, and even archery clubs. But one faded pamphlet caught his eye: "Karuna High School Badminton Club – Still Active! (Seriously!)"
He frowned. "Seriously?" he muttered. Ridiculous.
He was about to walk away when a sound from the indoor court made him stop. The shuttlecock bounced, the net shook, and someone shouted, "Re-serve! It's out!"
Rai glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes until class started.
He headed toward the indoor hall at the end of the building.
Inside, the hall was half dark, lit only by sunlight leaking in from the tall windows. On one side of the court, three students were playing a makeshift game of badminton. Their clothes were not uniform, their rackets looked worn. One of them seemed to be trying to serve but always failed to cross the net.
Rai sat on the creaking wooden stand. He had no intention of interfering.
But then, something happened.
A shuttlecock that had been hit too hard flew towards him, bounced on the floor, and stopped in front of his shoe. Without thinking, he stood up, picked up an old racket lying next to the bench, and hit the shuttlecock back in one swift motion.
Crack!
A loud smack echoed through the hall. The shuttlecock flew like a bullet and hit his opponent's racket with such force that the string snapped. The student holding the racket was shocked, taking a step back with a blank face.
Silence.
All eyes turned towards the stands.
Rai was still standing, twirling the racket in his fingers.
"Sorry, reflex," he said, casually. "Please continue."
One of the players, a fat guy dripping with sweat, stepped forward towards the stands. "Hey, who are you? Newbie huh? Just hitting randomly!"
"I was just returning the ball," Rai replied carefree.
"But you ruined my racket!"
"Your racket has been wanting to retire for a while," Rai replied, his shoulders lifting slightly.
The atmosphere heated up, but before the fat guy could advance any further, someone from the side of the hall spoke.
"Quiet, Tama."
Everyone turned.
A girl stood near the door, wearing a neat uniform with a club badge on her chest. Her long hair was tied neatly back, and her eyes stared at Rai calmly, full of evaluation.
"Your smash just now… freestyle?" she asked.
"Reflex," Rai replied. "Not on purpose."
The girl stepped forward, approaching Rai. She was not like an ordinary student. Her gaze was like a coach. Like… someone who used to hold a racket, but now just stood outside the line.
"I'm Ayaka Himawari. The manager of the badminton club. And you are?"
"Rai," he answered shortly. "Raihan Aksara."
Ayaka's eyes narrowed slightly. The name seemed to set off a small alarm in her mind. But she showed no reaction.
"Are you new?"
Rai nodded.
"Are you interested in joining a club?"
"No."
Ayaka raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I'm done with sports."
"You're done with school after you just started?" Ayaka crossed her arms. "Do you think badminton is just about winning and losing?"
Rai narrowed his eyes. "I don't think badminton has anything to do with my life."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Ayaka paused for a moment, then turned to the shuttlecock that was still rolling on the floor.
"If you don't care, why did you hit it?"
Rai didn't answer.
Ayaka smiled thinly, a smile that wasn't warm, but not sarcastic either. More like: "Interesting."
"If you change your mind," she said as she walked away, "our club needs one more person to keep it from closing."
Rai just stared at her, then sat back down, placing the old racket on the floor. Outside the hall, the bell for first period rang. But he still sat there.
He looked at his right hand, which was still warm from the smash. There was a strange feeling. Like an old feeling that hadn't died yet.
One hit.
That was enough to wake something inside him.