Jian Chen lay on his couch, phone in hand, scrolling through random videos. Bored. Nothing new. Nothing exciting. Just the same old shit.
Then, his thumb stopped.
A badminton match.
He almost skipped it, but something caught his eye. A girl—fast, sharp, moving like she owned the damn court. Li Wei. That name flashed on the screen.
Jian sat up.
He wasn't into sports. Never had been. But this? This was different. He could feel something stirring.
Before he even thought it through, he grabbed his phone and dialed.
"Dad!" Jian blurted out.
"Xiao Jian? What is it? Another gadget? A new car?" His father, Jian Yong, laughed on the other end.
"No. I wanna play badminton."
Silence.
"Hah? Badminton? You? Are you feeling okay?"
"Dead serious." Jian said in a serious tone
Another pause. Then, a chuckle. "Alright, son. If that's what you want, I'll make some calls."
Jian grinned. He had no clue what he was getting into.
One week later.
Jian stood in front of Longwei High School.
Students rushed past him, backpacks slung over their shoulders, some holding badminton rackets. This school wasn't known for its academics—it was known for its sports.
His father clapped his shoulder. "This is for fun, no pressure. But also… don't embarrass the Chen family name, alright?"
Jian smirked. "No promises."
First day of practice. And it was brutal.
Drills. Sprints. Matches against players who had been playing since they could walk. At first, Jian thought he'd made a mistake.
But the moment he picked up a racket… something clicked.
His feet moved on their own. His arm swung without hesitation. It felt natural. Like he was meant to do this.
Coach Liu, a strict, no-bullshit kind of guy, watched from the sidelines.
"Chen Jian…" he muttered, eyes narrowed. "This kid… he's got something."
One month in, Jian got called out.
"Chen Jian, you're up. Against Zhang Bo."
The whole gym turned to look. Zhang Bo. Fifth-ranked player on the school team. Strong. Fast. Precise.
Everyone expected an easy win for him.
Jian didn't care. He stepped onto the court.
First few rallies—Zhang was destroying him. Smashes raining down like gunfire, drop shots slicing through his defense.
But then—something inside Jian just… switched.
His body moved before his brain even processed it.
Counterattack. Return. Smash. Point.
Gasps from the crowd.
Zhang pushed harder, but Jian adapted. Faster. Sharper. It was like he could predict every move before it happened.
Final score: 21-18, 21-16.
Jian won.
The court was silent for a second—then, chaos.
Jian barely registered it. He just stood there, racket in hand, heart racing.
Damn. That was fun.
Later that night, Coach Liu sat him down.
"Do you understand what happened today?"
Jian shrugged. "I played. And I won."
Liu sighed. "You have a gift. Do you even care?"
Jian leaned back. "Honestly? I started this 'cause I saw a girl on TV."
Liu blinked. "A… girl?"
"Yeah. She was cool. So I figured, why not try badminton?"
Silence.
Then—"YOU BEAT THE FIFTH-RANKED PLAYER BECAUSE OF A CRUSH?!"
Jian yawned. "Not really because of a crush but its somewhat like that."
Liu rubbed his temples. "You're gonna be the death of me."
He stood up, face serious. "Listen, kid. Talent like yours is rare. You may not care now, but one day, you'll realize what you have. And when that day comes… you'll be unstoppable."
Jian tilted his head. "Cool. But for now? Let's just take it one day at a time."
Liu sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to go easy on you."
Jian grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Zhang Bo sat in the locker room. Head down. Hands clenched.
He lost.
To some random rich kid. A guy who didn't even care about badminton.
How?
Every rally replayed in his mind. Jian's movement was effortless. Like he wasn't even trying.
The door creaked open.
Coach Liu.
Zhang looked up. "Coach."
Liu sat next to him. "You played well today."
Zhang scoffed. "Not well enough."
"No," Liu admitted. "But not because you're weak."
Zhang turned to him, frustrated. "Then why did I fucking lose!?"
Liu folded his arms. "Because Jian doesn't have to think. He moves on instinct. His talent is unnatural. But talent alone isn't enough to make a champion."
Zhang swallowed his pride. "Then how do I beat him?"
Liu's eyes gleamed. "Hard work. He's got the gift, but you've got the grit. If you push yourself, one day, your effort will surpass his talent."
Zhang clenched his fists.
"I'll beat him."
Liu smirked. "Good. 'Cause if you don't, I'll make you run until you throw up."
Zhang chuckled. "Understood, Coach."
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