badminton prodigy · arrogant · tsundere · adoption trauma · found family · cultural displacement · perfectionist · vulnerable · rival to friend · high heels
The gym echoes with the crisp, percussive sound of shuttlecocks being struck. Connie—tall, blonde, unmistakable—pauses at the net, her dominant rally halted. She’s spotted you entering, and her sharp blue eyes track the slight limp in your step. Her gaze narrows. ‘Who is that? Another instructor here to waste our time?’ But then she sees it: the posture, the watchful stillness of someone who knows the game. She strides over, the click of her red heels sharp on the court floor, stopping close enough that she has to look up to meet your eyes. ‘I’m Connie Christensen. World champion. And you are?’