Eriana had just been in the badminton class for 1 week but she aredy quite enjoy it, even though she's not as good as her brother. She have been captivated by the graceful movements of badminton. Each swing of the racket felt like painting strokes on a canvas. To her, flying shuttlecocks were more than mere sports equipment; they were symbols of aspiration and dreams. Keneth, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of energy. He loved the game for its fast pace and the opportunity it provided for friendly competition.

They had known each other since day one at the badminton club. The first lesson had been a chaotic mix of awkward swings and missed shuttlecocks.

-“Hey, Eri!”

Keneth said, striding towards her as he adjusted his racket. 

-“Ready to get your loose again today?” 

He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Eriana rolled her eyes. 

-“In your dreams, Kenny! I’m going to show you who the real "winner" is.”

-“Oh, really?”

Keneth quipped, leaning closer as if sharing a secret

- “Are you sure that was the sound of a champion I heard last week? Sounded more like a cat getting its tail stepped on!”

Eriana threw her used plastic bottle at him.

- “You’re going to pay for that later!”

Their banter was infectious and soon became the highlight of every training session, much to the annoyance of Coach Harris.

During one particular evening, Coach Harris was trying to explain a new strategy to the group. Meanwhile, Eriana and Keneth sat at the back, lost in their own world of chatter.

-“Did you see how high I can jump?”

Keneth bragged, demonstrating a mock leap that nearly sent him crashing into a nearby bench.

-“Oh please, if that’s jumping high, then I must be a superhero,” 

Eriana snickered.

Coach Harris, who had been observing them from across the court, suddenly interrupted. 

-“Eriana! Keneth! Enough of your nonsense!” 

His tone was stern, causing the rest of the class to fall silent.

-“Uh-oh,” 

Keneth muttered, disguising a laugh.

-“Why don’t you two do something productive?” 

Coach Harris’s voice rose even more. 

-“I want to see you both do frog jumps around the court fifty times—together!”

Eriana’s mouth dropped open. 

-“What? That’s—”

-“Now!”

Coach Harris pointed towards the boundaries of the court, and the two of them exchanged sheepish glances.

-“Are you serious?”

Eriana groaned.

Keneth leaned closer, a playful grin tugging on his lips. 

-“At least we can complain together!”

-"Do you think it's fun jumping with you?"

Eri yelled louder rolling her eyes.

Resigned, they began doing frog jumps around the court, the rhythm of their feet echoing against the hard surface. Eriana quickly fell into a rhythm. But Kenny seems to talk non-stop.

-“Why can’t we just do laps separately?” 

She huffed in between breaths.

-“Because Coach Harris wants us to,we can't go against it right?” 

Keneth remarked with a cheeky grin. 

-“And look, we’re even wearing matching misery faces!”

Eriana shot him an incredulous look. 

-“You’re mad!”

-“Maybe, maybe not. But at least I have great company!” 

He laughed, increasing his pace.

After what felt like an eternity, they completed their punishment. Eriana leaned against the wall, panting heavily, while Keneth was surprisingly unfazed.

-“Wow, I didn’t know you had it in you to jump so slow,”

Keneth teased, a smirk plastered on his face.

-“Excuse me? I had to drag your lazy self along!” 

Eriana shot back, still catching her breath.

By then, Coach Harris had moved on to helping another pair of students. They came back to practice and was doing practice smashes toghether until Milan. Eriana least favorite person on the court came close.

As they lined up for drills, Milan, spotted Eri and seized the moment. 

-“Hey, Eriana!” 

Milan called out, a smug grin plastered on her face. 

-“I didn’t know badminton was a gentle art! You might want to trade your racket for a pillow if that’s how you’re going to smash!” 

The laughter that erupted from her group cut through Eriana like a knife, igniting the familiar wave of shame. To Eriana’s surprise, Keneth, caught up in the moment, chuckled along with them. 

-“For real, I really thought we had a superstar here, but maybe it’s just a softy. Jez your even holding the racket wrong! Let me hel-”

Before he finished the sentence, Milan's group of friends started to laugh. 

'Never think people will also see this movement of Eri!"

He joked, not realizing the hurtful weight his agreement would carry. He did not notice Eri's face. 

His words hung in the air like a cruel shadow, the unintended sting of his comment slicing through Eri's joy like a shard of glass. Eriana’s heart sank as a wave of hurt washed over her; she hadn’t meant to take it personally, but it felt as if he had dismantled her hard work and enthusiasm in a single breath. The laughter faded, replaced by a suffocating silence between them. 

Her cheeks flushed with the threat of tears, she turned away from him, determined to hold back the disappointment swirling in her chest, refusing to engage in the lighthearted banter that had once been so easy. 

When Milan and her group of friend's walked away, Keneth noticed that Erina wasn't looking at him. 

-"Hey let's got for Milk Tea later, my treat!"

Erina didn't answer. She was silence.

-"Hey did you not hear me? Are you having trouble with your ears?"

Keneth teased. But the tension just became larger.

Keneth smile slowly faded.

-"Erina?"

Keneth felt a wrenching unease settle in his stomach. The weight of his own words sank in as he replayed the scene in his mind. He turned to see Eriana standing apart from the group, her head bowed and her shoulders slightly slumped. Something in his chest twisted as realization hit him hard—the echo of his laughter had contributed to her pain. He wanted to reach out, to apologize, but a knot formed in his throat, leaving him paralyzed.  She started moving to the exit gate.

-“Eriana,” 

he called agian, but there was only silence. He tried again, a little louder this time,

- “Eriana! Wait!”

He ran towards her grabing her hand .

Erina slapped it hard. She turned around

-"Leave me alone."

She said. Her face was emotion-less. But something else was on her face- tears.

Time itself felt suspended as he watched her, unable to fathom that he had caused this—the tears that glistened on her cheeks were like tiny, devastating fractures in his heart. It was the first time he had ever seen her cry, and the sight was overwhelming. Each teardrop felt like a dagger to his conscience, piercing deeper than any friendly rivalry ever could. Keneth’s breath caught, the world around him fading away until it was just him and the weight of his regret. 

-“No... Eriana, please don’t cry,I-I'm- sorry...” 

He whispered, his voice breaking slightly as the gravity of his actions settled heavily upon him. The warmth of his earlier confidence evaporated, replaced by a chilling realization: he had hurt someone he cared about, and he could not bear the thought of being the reason for her sadness. Realizing the gravity of his words too late, stood frozen, guilt gnawing at him as he watched her retreat, a sudden emptiness settling in the space where their camaraderie had once thrived.

His mind was going crazy. HIS EYES WERE NOT THE COLOR IT WAS. NOW. IT'S TINTED RED.

It's my fault. It's all my fault. I wanna hit myself. I'm. USELESS. STUPID. I'M SORRY. SORRY. I HATE MYSELF TOO .

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