the granted happiness of a simple piece of paper that was placed ever so delicately into their hands. simply, it was ice skating, she supposed. never had the sport made such an important impression onto her, but if so, then she would've smiled just as brightly as them. she sighed, as the bustling crowd of people rushed past into the cool ice rink, a speck of heat here and there, but the atmosphere was riddled with a pristine sincerity. that, she didn't dislike. however, it had only been the icing of the cake, as the real crowd would arrive much later in the day, just as the stars of the show were warming up and practicing. and just so fortunately unfortunate, she was assigned the duty to usher the crowd in. those who wanted an early look were allowed, but most definitely not a huge bustling movement at the speed of a train. quickly wiping the sweat given in the congested atmosphere of the booth, she grabbed the last remains of money thrusted out to her by hands and anxious faces and replaced it with a colorful paper read as "admit one" along with a smile laced with exhaustion she tried to mask with a cheerful expression.
she nodded to her co-worker, whom had arrived just in time for the shift. her co-worker nodded as well, and thus, the two made a silent turnover as she began her long awaited break. her next shift wouldn't take place until before lunch, and the rest of the time she could enjoy the "hot springs on ice" event between the two skaters, whom she didn't know the names of, but she had the satisfaction of knowing that she would know later, so it all worked out in the end as the complex equation halted to a stop. and yet, she was ordered to buy snacks from the convenience store to the two skaters as her boss winked, probably hinting that she could meet the skaters, have a chat, then go away. great, she thought. first, I go do the things you want me to do, then, I go talk, and then, I go away after five minutes. what a great schedule. but really, holding the light plastic bags full of food (and of course, some snacks and drinks for her) wasn't all that bad. selling tickets to kids, that, those two skaters: meh. it was alright, she supposed.
she strolled along, her footsteps tapping against the pavement as the trees gleamed along the sunlight. against the ripple of the cold gale blowing across her face, and the sky painted in a sheer blue with yellow creeping in to the horizon was dotted with occasional specks or a ruffle of white clouds as showers of pink cherry blossom petals rained down onto the skies, as if they were glued to the blue itself to create a distinctly recognizable color. it exactly what she would describe this day. she stood still, watching the clouds as her forearms leaned against the metal railing standing in between the sea, creating a ripple of waves, and her. she stood still, her head edging above, her eyes darting to the clouds, trying to watch them move. she knew that if you just stood there, and followed the clouds, slowly, just slowly, could you witness the slight movement of the clouds. it may sound stupid, but the beauty and the stillness of the world, the immense concentration of that and nothing else; the extreme focus of it was what had always intrigued the most.
"stop standing around and just give us our food," a voice said behind her, disrupting the silence of her moment. how nice.
she turned around, only to see an averagely sized young teenager with blond hair which only meant a foreigner, menacing green eyes that seemed like spears that could pierce you, and with his hands in his pockets, as if an attempt to seem like a "delinquent". to be honest, she wasn't that scared. she was just...simply surprised.
"yuri, don't be like that," a gray haired man stepped out behind him, seemingly out of nowhere. yuri. she winced at the sound of that word. but the man's sudden appearance had provided her with a mini heart attack and wondering if he knew magic or at least, illusionary magic. then again, he was taller than the blond teen. it was either magic or she needed glasses— immediately. the man had on a wide smile, riddled with positivity and his looks however, would probably send most of the females here racing off to him in a heartbeat. that, she had to admit.
"ugh. viktor. now tell this girl to hand me over the food," the blond teen snapped and continued to glare at her.
if she'd only found those skaters— viktor niki-what? yuri plate- wait, it was pli - pli-what? she was obviously confused, until the most obvious discovery of all time had been right in front of her. they, yes, the ones in front of her, were the skaters. just how much if an idiot could she be? then again, she didn't pride herself in that.
"well uh...here's the bag," she thrusted out the bag she held in her right hand, the one that belonged to the skaters.
the blond took it, or nearly ripped the plastic to grab it away from her then turning away, leaving as the gray haired man stayed behind.
"ahaha, sorry about that," he apologized and she slowly nodded, unsure what her ideal response should be.
the next minute or so was filled with an empty silence. that is, until a shout.
"how do you possibly expect me to open—"
"y-yurio, you open it like this..."
"oh. sorry 'bout that."
"yurio..."
that voice. it was so delicate, so fragile, so— it was familiar. too familiar. it resembled of bulletproof glass, a strong and clear voice like day, but the fragile tender tone resembled of a small flower. yuuri. that had came back into mind, a memory she was desperate to leave behind and forget. please, she thought. let me forget.
he set his eyes upon a familiar blur of colors, a chilly thrill on his skin leaving behind goosebumps, his first memory triggered by her. he only knew very well who it was. and yet, none of them remembered. none of them forgot. none of them remembered. it was the mere middle line between both, and they chose to not act upon anything.
"do you have beef with that girl or something? stop staring at her, it creeps me out. perv," the blond scoffed and strutted away.
"yuri! stop!" the gray haired man yelled, leaving the two behind. the word "yuri" had sounded like a household name, like "mother" or "father". so familiar, but so raw.
"we meet again, katsuki-san." no, that wasn't what she wanted to say. she had supported him, she had loved him, the future seemed to lay before them each step of the way, until everything reversed backwards. he left, leaving her in a state of pain and worry. he hadn't told her about his college plans, and she spent every day waiting painfully for his return, or at least a word, even a break up would've been fine. all she wanted was at least to hear the every sound of his voice, but she couldn't. it only became an illusionary experience of "I love you"s from years ago, all visualized in her mind.
"yeah, we do."
they had sold their hearts to each other, to keep it carefully and polish it everyday, with love and care. but instead, they sold it back to each other— maybe instead, they could sell it to somebody else: with that someone there would be no regrets, no tears, no pain, just all love.
