Frozen Rose (Langa x reader)

Chapter 10

(Y/n)'s POV

Days slipped past without a care in the world. The ringing of the school bells brought me out of my thoughts, signalling the end of the day. A tired yawn escaped my mouth before my eyes slipped up to look at the clock from where I laid on the desk.

I stretched my arms, thankful to the energy I managed to accumulate through my short nap. The teacher rarely called me out for my misconduct due to my getting top marks in the subject.

"(Y/n)-san?"

My fingers combed back my slightly dishevelled hair as my eyes met the gaze of a black-haired boy. Wasn't he the guy who sat at the front? I offered a smile, seemingly melting some of his nerves.

"I-I really like you. I- will you please date me?" he confessed.
"I'm sorry."

Although an apologetic smile masked my face, I couldn't help the guilt eating away at my mind as I broke his heart. Much to my surprise, he simply straightened up and let out a grin.

"I'm just glad I finally got it off my chest. I've um liked you for a long time," he exclaimed.
"I see..."

He had escaped before anyone could comment. I was suddenly thrown in a headlock. The instinct to flip them off was strong, yet I suppressed the urge once recognising the flash of Reki's red hair.

"You got confessed to. I can't believe you refused!" he teased.
"Tch, get off me."
"Heh, don't worry. If you ever have relationship problems, I'm here to help."
"As if you've ever been in one yourself."
"That's mean!"

A smile graced my face. Without another word, I was dragging Reki and Langa outside. Soft wind caressed our bodies as our skateboards hit the ground and gained momentum.

My eyes caught sight of a ramp, my heart pumping in anticipation. I was racing to its 'levitated' surface, feeling the air's cold pull as my body took off. Executing a few flips in the air, I soon landed smoothly back onto my board.

Langa followed with an air of his own albeit the slight wobble whilst Reki did a flip with his board. We slowed to a jogging pace. I high-fived a few children staring at us with drool dripping down their chins.

"(Y/n), how did you do that?" Langa asked.
"Do what?"
"That trick just then."
"Hmm...it took some practice, but you use the momentum of the jump to spin. You need to have good balance to be able to get back on your board though."
"Will I be able to do it?"
"That'll depend on how much you practise."
"Langa, she did gymnastics, remember? It comes more naturally to her," said Reki.
"But it's still possible, right?" asked our eager friend.

We exchanged cheeky smiles in response to his question. I rode faster, indirectly urging the two behind me to catch up. I was left alone in this world of skating, the buildings turning into blurs and the sounds becoming muffled.

A calming peace took over, implanting its slender fingers into my heart. Was skating always this peaceful? I looked to my right, catching Reki's large smile and to my left, meeting Langa's soft grin.

We came to a stop in front of Joe's restaurant. Gesturing for the two to follow me inside, I pushed the door wide open. Joe's large build could be seen on the far side of the interior.

"Hey."
"(Y/n) and friends, fancy seeing you here," father exclaimed.
"Dad? What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? I came here to eat," he replied.
"Do you two know each other?" asked Joe.
"She's my daughter. A little rough and hard to please but my daughter all the same."
"Geez, talk about awkward," I commented.
"*laughs* Anyway, are you two acquainted?"

Offering a smile to father, I immediately sharpened my gaze at Joe. A slight smirk lifted the corners of his lips, all but teasing me in his flirtatious yet enigmatic manner.

"We're fellow skaters. I was a friend of her uncle," Joe replied.
"I see. (Y/n), I just realised I've never actually seen any of those skateboarding comps you're always telling me about," said father.
"Then would you like to go, sir?" asked Joe.
"Huh?"
"There won't be any beefs going on now but I'm pretty sure (Y/n) will be going there with her friends to practise. That's why you came here, right?"
"Yep, I was gonna ask Kojiro to drive us. And no dad, I'm not dragging him away from his job. We already sorted it out beforehand."
"Then if you don't mind driving us. Come by my cafe some time. I'll give you a discount," father replied.
"Sure thing."
"But dad, are you sure you wanna go?" I cautiously questioned.
"Why not? It'll be a good father daughter bonding experience."
"Ughh..."

Reki laughed without holding back as Langa cracked a small smile. I internally groaned and pushed the two out the door, with Joe and my father trailing behind.

Reki, Langa and I were squashed into the backseat while dad took the front. Joe slowly took off, easing onto the road as the light bumps lulled us into a comfortable silence.

"Have you seen (Y/n)'s skating before?" asked Joe.
"No, now that I actually think about it. I've seen a few glimpses but..." dad exclaimed.
"Ne you two, wake me up when we're there."

Langa and Reki flashed a reassuring nod. I hesitantly eased my head onto Langa's shoulder, who immediately tensed upon contact. Soon enough, all the tension left his body as he turned slightly, allowing me a more comfortable position.

Their quiet voices drifted away as my mind wandered to the land of dreams. For once, I dreamt happily. For once, my brother was smiling. For once...everyone was there, and there was no room for sadness to invade.

In my sleep, I hadn't realised that I was loosely gripping Langa's arm. I hadn't realised how his heartbeat had sped up, or how Reki was teasing him to no end. I hadn't known what this would have meant for us.