✚ RUSLAN ILYAKOV ✚

Ruslan Ilyakov is an Olympian badminton athlete from Kazakhstan. Despite being at the end of his career, he is greatly admired nationally, especially since the stark decline in the performance of Kazakh athletes caused by the 2020 lockdown. He specializes in singles and is left-handed.

After suffering a knee injury in the 2023 World Championships, Ruslan was told to retire. Refusing to accept the end of his career, he traveled to America for treatment under the guise of going on vacation. While in physical therapy, he met Mustang, a jockey who had also retired after suffering injuries. The two formed a rather strange, sexually tense bond between them. For all effects and purposes, they are dating, even if neither will admit it. Ruslan's ever-present competitive pride manifested very strongly in his relationship with Mustang; he went to great lengths to avoid expressing any kind of affection towards him, at least not verbally.

Ruslan is cocky and disdainful of everyone around him. He sneers at other Kazakh athletes for not being able to achieve greatness like he did, but becomes extremely defensive of them as soon as someone else expresses a similar sentiment. He is easily irritated and often lets his pride get in the way of expressing himself. The only person he listens to is his coach, Kasym Otegenov.