In the resourceful gymnasium of the Chameleon Academy, an eighteen-year-old young man with short strands of dark hair, monolid eyes that represented the night sky, and an athletic body, was sweeping dust on the sidelines of the four makeshift badminton courts.
In each court, pairs of players from the Chameleon Badminton Team were both defending and smashing the badminton's standard shuttlecock that projected from the either side of the court with powerful force like unstoppable bullets.
"Hey, water boy. No, dead sweeper. Are you done?" In one of the benches, Jin heard a man's condescending voice, who was sitting behind him. Turning around, he saw this particular individual whose face seemed to be the epitome of arrogance.
"I'm done, Ken." Jin simply answered; his feet remained on where they were.
"Is that so? Then get out of my sight, you extra. You're ruining my view." As soon as Jin moved to the side, Ken's gaze straight-up landed on some girls, whose attire caused their fair legs to be exposed.
Volleyball or Badminton, the girls' attire was undoubtedly a feast for the boys' lustful, laser eyes.
Ignoring Ken's fantasy, Jin proceeded to move to the other side of the gymnasium, taking his time and making sure that these important athletes wouldn't slip through their own dripping sweats and have an unfortunate accident.
To run the errands of every significant member of the team was the only thing he could do as an extra head of the Chameleon Badminton Team. To be fair, he knew how to play badminton yet talent was everything in this world where humanity was at the bottom of the ladder.
Talent was something he never had.
"Are you all right, Jin?" This time around, a soft voice from a female figure echoed to his side. Turning his head, Jin saw the girl whose ears were slightly elongated, with eyes depicting the greenness of nature, dissimilar to the biology that humans had.
"Yes, Manager Mika," Jin replied to the elven beauty, the manager of the Chameleon Badminton Team.
"Um, by the way, I'd like to ask about the applications for the upcoming local tournament. Are the results out?" His gaze remained on her.
"Oh, you applied? Wait a moment." Manager Mika tapped a few buttons on the smartwatch wrapped around her left wrist.
With several blue frames of projections popping out of it, Jin waited patiently.
The Local Tournament was individually performed; students of the same school could become opponents. However, it was only the first step to reach greater heights in a world where "badminton" reigned supreme over all other existing sports.
"Oh, I'm sorry to inform you. Your name isn't on the list."
Jin already knew the result even if he didn't look, and even before he asked the manager of the badminton team.
Yet he still asked, hoping for a one-in-a-million chance that maybe something would change.
"Thank you, Manager Mika."
"No worries." Mika smiled. "By the way, can you fetch me a bottle of water, please?"
Her tone was nonchalant and quite insensitive. Even if she didn't care at all about Jin's unrealistic dream of performing on a big stage, Jin at least wished to be told the truth. It's better than apathy.
"I'm on it." Jin left in low spirits, his every mood while being surrounded by the team. For him, they were the reminder that he was nothing but perhaps boot-licking the steps they were leaving behind.
Looking at his back, Mika muttered,
"What a talentless brat; he shouldn't have been born."
The elven race was second to the last among the overall five races of this world in global badminton rankings. Even then, compared to the human race, the difference in skills and techniques was staggering, and it's laughable.
***
"Let's wrap it up. Again, congratulations to those who are qualified to compete in the regionals…
"That being said, the names I've mentioned just now could customize their rackets; just inquire about the Racket Customization Workshop."
Manager Mika's words entered Jin's right ear, only for them to leave to the left. His mind was not processing anything.
"See you tomorrow."
As she dismissed the Chameleon Badminton Team, one of the members tapped his shoulder.
It was the arrogant Ken, who then said, "Hey. Courier Jin, bring us some new towels."
However, Ken was only the beginning.
"Useless Jin, throw these water bottles. If I see one here tomorrow just like last time, I'd smack you with a racket."
"Ugly bastard, don't leave the court unless it's all clean! I've had dust on my precious feet!"
"Jin…"
Amidst these all, only one answer tiredly escaped his lips, "Okay..."
Alone in the gymnasium, as all the boys and girls of the team already disappeared from his sight, Jin grabbed a water bottle from the small plastic bag hanging on his left hand. He then tightened his grip on it.
A moment later, the folded water bottle in his grasp was suddenly thrown to the benches followed by his scream.
"Argh!"
Subsequently, the plastic bag on his grasp containing all the bottles fell to the floor, and the towels on his shoulders were also thrown like filthy mats.
"What did I do to deserve this…? What?!"
He sat on the floor, his folded arms on his knees. And with a 'tak' sound that seemed to bounce off the smooth floor, the water bottle he had just picked up was back to disorder.
After a while of calming his thoughts, with his breathing ragged, Jin stood and reached for a basic racket – one that didn't possess the customization to act as a mana conduit.
With several 'whoosh' sounds, as the racket in his hand tore the air like he was swatting flies, he mumbled,
"Should I just quit? Life is all about either you gain what you want or die worthless."
Despite these words, Jin reminded himself why he started to learn badminton when he was ten, which kept the flame of his dream barely flickering.
"No, I have to reach the Aerial Sky Court."
The Aerial Sky Court was the place of ultimatum for an elite badminton player to be recognized as the best in the world.
It was located on an enormous floating island rapidly circling the world, with its own rules and regulations and prosperous society known as the Zenith City.
Taking a deep breath, Jin began to pick up everything he had thrown.
With a self-deprecating laugh, he muttered,
"Damn it. I shouldn't have thrown these out of anger."
While cleaning from square one, Jin's phone in his pocket received a text message; this caused his exhaustion to be washed away like a miracle as his lips arched with anticipation.
***
"Let's break up."
His girlfriend, Ayaka Ishikawa, one of the members of the Chameleon Badminton Team, momentarily closed her eyes upon delivering such a seemingly irreversible declaration.
"Wh-what do you mean, Ayaka? D-Did I do something wrong?" Sitting at the table across from each other, Jin looked at her brown monolid eyes and reached for her fair hands, only for her to pull them away as though he was some kind of filthy existence that anyone shouldn't make contact with.
"You didn't pass to qualify in the local tournament. Just what are you doing with your life, Jin? Do you know the shame I bring in me whenever we're in the gymnasium together? That I had to act like we're normal teammates since I'd be laughed at by others when they came to know about our relationship?
"I feel like I am in a cage of my own decisions, Jin! Whenever I am with you, I can't focus on training. I sometimes get distracted whenever you're being treated as an errand boy."
Jin Nakamura remained silent, her words cutting deep into his soul.
He was not only burdened by his own lack of skills but also being a burden to the girl who fell in love with him.
Gasping for a deep breath, with his eyes restraining to open the dam of tears, Jin's gaze was at the table.
He could not face her; he was a failure.
"Please, Jin… If you truly love me, quit playing badminton. That way, I'll take it as you silently supporting me… Yes, even from afar."
Ayaka stood, ready to leave. But before she walked outside of this café near the academy, she sighed.
"This will be my last advice for you: It's not too late to pursue other careers and live a normal life. Bye, Jin."
Jin remained alone; his mind gradually lost its colorful thoughts. A fog that seemed to not care about everything began to replace his now emptying mind.
With a painful heart, he serenely expressed,
"There goes my three weeks of relationship."
***
Before the sun was totally swallowed to welcome the cold night, while carrying his brandless dark badminton bag, Jin arrived at his home, a conveniently walking distance from the academy.
He was alone; his parents, along with his younger sister, were busy with their family business in another country.
Thanks to their fortune, he was able to buy this particular apartment. That being said, as he sat on the couch in front of his turned-off 40-inch television, he saw his reflection.
It was the image of him as a useless person.
Retracting his gaze, he grabbed the badminton bag and hurriedly went down to the basement with its trapdoor already unlocked.
Opening the bulb's corresponding switch, which he instinctively pressed amidst the chilling darkness; the dilapidated basement was illuminated with a yellow light. He then threw what was in his grasp, to the dusty floor with traces of cobwebs.
Shabby and disorganized, just like his current life, everything was a mess.
Yet he didn't care.
Only the mist remained lingering in his mind. And by every passing second, the mist gradually retreated.
What remained was nothing but emptiness. Along with emptiness, dangerous thoughts came creeping in.
"Even if I die, they probably won't care, right?"
Jin grabbed a wooden chair and placed it at the center of the basement, just above the light bulb. He then grabbed an old brown rope and tied it to the ceiling.
Looking at it from below, his heart wasn't moved.
The fear of death left him.
"I am useless. I'm only a hindrance to other's dreams. With me out of their way, nothing will change; the world will keep spinning."
Jin raised one of his feet on the wooden chair, followed by the other.
As he grabbed the circular-knotted rope and put it on his neck, Jin looked ahead.
"Sorry, Akira-?"
It was at that moment, just above the doorway, in a dim ceiling, something caught his attention.
Gleaming in the darkest corner was an old-worn shuttlecock, something he didn't know had been there since the first time he moved into this place.
For some reason, as his eyes looked at it, an inexplicable sense of passion and will bubbled up within him.
Realizing what it was, Jin muttered,
"A shuttle-"
With a low "tap" sound, a crawling entity landed on Jin's shoulder, which distracted him for a split second.
It was a giant spider.
Whoosh!
He slipped and had his neck caught by the rope!
"Keugh!"
Regretting everything he had done up to this point, he begged the heavens.
"W-wait, Keugh! I-I don't… cough, want to, Keugh, die!"
A second or two later, due to the oldness of the rope, it snapped and freed him from his own foolishness.
Then, as Jin managed to maintain his composure after recovering from the falling impact, with his mind returning to colorful thoughts, he reached for the old-worn shuttlecock.
The moment his hand felt its surface, something unexpected happened.
Familiar yet uncannily too distant, a subtle voice echoed:
[Welcome to the Court of the Gods!]
[You have been chosen!]
[Engage the System and rise to become a true Shuttle God!]