Diana stepped out into the gym and felt a gust of cool air wash over her. The gym was a large, open space with polished wooden floors that gleamed under the natural light streaming in through the large windows lining one side. Rows of wooden seats were set up along the far wall, offering a place for spectators during school games or events. On the opposite side, two doors led back into the changing rooms—one for the girls and one for the boys. In the corner, an air conditioning unit rumbled softly, keeping the gym refreshingly cool.
Several students had already exited their changing rooms and were loosely preparing the gym for class. Mostly boys, some worked together to set everything up, while others were just chatting and messing around. A few of them were pushing the wheeled poles into place and setting up the nets, though their efforts were frequently interrupted by bursts of laughter or playful shoves.
One of the boys, a tall student wearing black shorts and a plain white shirt, wheeled out a large box from a storage area. His serious expression stood out among the more relaxed students. He flipped open the lid to reveal a collection of rackets, neatly stacked and ready for use. Another student pulled out a few shuttlecocks, tossing them lightly into the air to test their weight before gathering them in his hand.
It was clear that today, the class would be playing badminton. Diana watched as the boys continued their half-hearted preparations, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She would be lying if she said she never played.
In time, all the students had gathered and were now sitting around the teacher. Diana found a spot next to Daniel, who looked relaxed and ready. The teacher began explaining what they would be doing for the lesson, giving slight reminders on the basics since this was only their second badminton class. Every so often, he had to hush overly excited students who were buzzing with energy.
Once the introductions were finished and the students had completed their warm-up exercises, the teacher asked them to regroup. He then started explaining the first activity: learning to do a low serve. The students would be paired up based on their skill level. A student who had been paired with Daniel in the previous class let out a sigh of relief, clearly glad not to be with him again this time.
The teacher had a rough estimate of everyone's skill level, except for one person. He waved at Diana and asked, "How comfortable are you with badminton, Diana? Have you played much before?"
Diana hesitated for a moment but then replied, "I'm decent."
The teacher looked at her thoughtfully, then glanced at Daniel, who was sitting closely beside her. He knew Daniel was a good player, and that was one of the two reasons he decided to pair her with him. As he finished pairing up the students and they each grabbed a racket, Diana and Daniel began walking towards an empty court.
Just as they were about to start, the sports teacher gave Diana a wink.
She blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Did he just wink at me? she wondered. It was quick—barely noticeable—but it left her feeling strangely self-conscious. Was it encouragement? Or just something playful? The thought lingered for a moment, but as she gripped her racket, her focus shifted. Daniel was already warming up with a few practice swings, his movements precise and controlled.
A sense of excitement stirred within her. Being paired with Daniel wasn't intimidating at all; in fact, it was exciting. She knew they had the same skill level. Both of them were sharp, competitive, and eager to play hard. There was something thrilling about the idea of facing off against him.
Diana glanced at him and smiled, this time more openly. She couldn't wait to see how this would turn out. There was a quiet thrill in knowing that she would be tested, and she was ready for it. And something told her Daniel was too.