Opening Scene – The Promise
The sky above the school was a soft gray, clouds drifting lazily as though the heavens themselves were caught between sleep and waking.
Akio stood beside Yukiko near the back of the school, where the noise of the students' chatter was distant enough to almost feel unreal. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his borrowed uniform. He felt small, fragile, like a child lost in a world too large to understand.
Yukiko, on the other hand, seemed as bright and untamed as always, leaning casually against the railing, a grin tugging at his lips.
"You've been staring off into space again," Yukiko teased, elbowing him lightly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to divine the secrets of the universe."
Akio's lips twitched, a ghost of a smile appearing and fading just as quickly. "Maybe I am."
Yukiko's grin widened. "Well, before you figure out the meaning of life, I've got a simpler challenge for you."
He turned fully toward Akio, eyes blazing with a determination that caught Akio off guard.
"You saw my game the other day. You saw what sports are like in this world."
He paused, his tone softening. "You've been through a lot. You've had to fight just to keep breathing, haven't you?"
Akio's throat tightened. He couldn't speak, so he just nodded.
"That's why I want to help you," Yukiko said firmly. "Sports saved me. They gave me a place to belong, people to fight for. And I think... maybe they can help you too. So here's my promise."
He extended his hand, open and steady.
"I'm going to help you find the sport that feels right for you. Something that doesn't just make you move, but makes you live. Will you let me?"
Akio stared at the hand, trembling.
It was such a simple gesture, yet it felt monumental.
No one had ever reached out to him like this—not in his old world, not in this one.
Back then, every hand had been raised to push him down, never to lift him up.
Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. His breath hitched, and for a moment, his vision blurred with memories of sneering faces, jeers of "worthless!", and cold nights alone in his dorm room.
But then, over those memories, he saw Yukiko's open hand, steady and unwavering.
Slowly, painfully, Akio reached out and clasped it.
"Yes," he whispered, his voice breaking.
"I... I want to try."
Yukiko's grin turned triumphant, but there was a gentleness in his eyes.
"Good. Then let's find your wings."
The Search Begins
The next few days were a whirlwind.
Yukiko, true to his word, dragged Akio across the school grounds and through every club and practice he could find.
Track and field, swimming, volleyball, even soccer—the sheer variety of this world's "sports" left Akio dizzy.
Each time, Yukiko explained patiently what the sport was, demonstrating moves with infectious enthusiasm.
But for Akio, it was overwhelming.
He had never been physically active like this before. In his old world, magic had been everything, and physical training was seen as unnecessary. His body, while not frail, lacked the endurance and coordination the other students seemed to take for granted.
During a soccer practice, Akio stumbled trying to kick the ball and fell flat on his face. Laughter erupted around him, sharp and cruel, so much like the laughter from his past life that it cut like a knife.
Akio's heart constricted, his breath coming in shallow gasps. For a moment, he was back in that magic academy courtyard, surrounded by sneering voices calling him trash.
But Yukiko was there, pulling him to his feet, glaring fiercely at the laughing players.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Yukiko barked, his voice sharp enough to silence the entire field.
"This guy's trying harder than any of you right now. Show some respect."
The players grumbled but backed off.
Akio, meanwhile, stared at Yukiko, trembling.
"You... didn't have to—"
"Yes, I did," Yukiko interrupted firmly.
"Akio, listen to me. You're not worthless. You're learning. That takes guts. Don't let their ignorance drag you back down."
For the first time, Akio felt the faint stirrings of something warm in his heart—not quite confidence, but a fragile seed of hope.
The Quiet Library Moment
One evening, after another exhausting day of trying new sports, Akio sat slumped in the library.
The quiet, dusty smell of books calmed him, reminding him of the sanctuary he'd built with Yukiko here.
His mind wandered as he traced the edge of a worn page.
He thought about his old world, where he had spent years chasing magic he would never possess.
He thought about Ukio, the kid whose life had ended so tragically, leaving Akio to inherit both his body and his pain.
"All my life, I've been chasing other people's dreams," Akio realized bitterly.
"Magic wasn't really mine. It was what the world told me I had to want.
And now, even here... am I just following Yukiko's dream instead of finding my own?"
His heart ached with the weight of it.
At that moment, Yukiko appeared, carrying a stack of sports magazines. In imagination.
"Hey, Bookworm," he said with a playful grin. "Still alive?"
Akio blinked up at him, startled.
"Barely."
Yukiko sat beside him, flipping through one of the magazines.
"You've been trying hard, Akio. I can see it. But I want you to know something."
He glanced at Akio, his expression serious.
"This isn't about me. It's not about proving anything to anyone. It's about you. You get to choose what you want."
Akio's breath caught.
"Choose...?"
"Yeah." Yukiko smiled softly.
"Back when I started basketball, it wasn't because I was good at it. It was because, when I played, I felt free. Alive. Like all the crap in my life didn't matter for a while.
I want you to find something that makes you feel that way too."
Akio's eyes filled with tears again.
Choice.
Such a simple word, yet so terrifying.
He had never been allowed to choose before—not really. His old life had been nothing but expectations and failures.
Could he really... decide his own path now?
The Discovery
The next day, as they wandered past the various club rooms, a faint rhythmic sound caught Akio's ear.
Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.
Curious, he followed it to a small gym tucked away behind the main building.
Inside, two students were playing a game with rackets, sending a strange feathered object flying back and forth across a net. Their movements were sharp, precise, almost like a dance.
Akio stepped closer, mesmerized.
"What... is this?"
Yukiko grinned.
"Badminton. Fast reflexes, quick thinking, constant motion.
It doesn't look flashy, but it's intense once you get into it."
Akio watched, heart pounding.
The shuttle—the feathered object—seemed to float like a fragile bird, only to be struck down and rise again.
It reminded him of himself, of falling and rising over and over, never quite touching the ground.
Without realizing it, he whispered, "It's... beautiful."
Yukiko's eyes widened slightly.
"Want to try?"
Akio hesitated, fear clawing at his stomach.
What if he failed again? What if he made a fool of himself?
But then he remembered Yukiko's words about choice.
This was his decision.
"...Yes," Akio said finally, his voice trembling but firm.
"I want to try."
First Attempt
The club members handed him a racket and guided him to the court.
Akio's palms were slick with sweat as he positioned himself.
The moment the shuttlecock flew toward him, his body froze, and he missed completely.
Laughter erupted—not cruel this time, but good-natured.
Still, Akio flinched, the sound slicing through old wounds.
But Yukiko clapped him on the back.
"Hey, that's normal! First hits are always rough. Try again."
This time, Akio focused, watching the shuttle's arc carefully.
He swung—and connected.
The soft thwip of contact was like music to his ears.
The others cheered lightly, but to Akio, it felt monumental.
He wasn't perfect.
He wasn't even good.
But for the first time, he felt a spark of genuine joy.
Emotional Climax
After practice, Akio sat alone in the empty gym, staring at the racket in his hands.
Tears slid silently down his cheeks.
"In my old world, I was worthless.
Here, I was just a ghost wearing someone else's skin.
But when I hit that shuttle... for that one moment, I was me."
He clutched the racket to himself, sobbing quietly.
"I... I want to live.
Not just survive.
Live."
Yukiko appeared quietly beside him, crouching down.
"Looks like you found your answer," he said softly.
Akio nodded, unable to speak.
Yukiko extended his hand once more.
"Then let's make it official. Welcome to the badminton club, Akio."
Akio took his hand, smiling through his tears.
Ending Scene
As they left the gym together, Akio looked up at the night sky.
The stars seemed brighter somehow, as if the universe itself had acknowledged his choice.
In his heart, a fragile new dream took flight—a pair of wings that had never known freedom before.
"This world has no magic," he thought,
"but maybe... this is where I'll finally learn to soar."
The screen faded to black, the episode ending on a single word:
"Fly."
TO BE CONTINUED...