Worlds 2018

Chapter 5: Finishing practice

For the next hour, she practiced jump entry's and tooloop, occasionally she would try a single axel, just to get a little variation. At this point she had taken off her hoodie, there now was hanging on the rinkboader, having started to get warm. Now she was wearing a long armed black undershirt with a grey levis t-shirt on top, along with a pair of black adidas pants.

Shoma was starting to coach her, telling her what to be careful with and giving her a all pieces of advice. She stopped in front of him, stumbling a little on her left foot. Her left ankle had always been rather weak compared to her right foot.

He carefully laid an arm around her waist to support her. She had just started to feel comfortable around him, but with just a little touch, the nervousness was back. She had never seen herself as fat or chubby, but she Did not have the skinny waist and hips she so desired. A small voice representing her self doubt, was worrying if Shoma would think of her as fat. Enter all he was used to spend time with top athletes.

"We should definitely take a break now" he said helping her the last way over to the rink exit.

At this she complied letting him lead her again. She stepped over the edge and sat down next to her bag. She noticed his suitcase standing on the ground by her feet. Covered in several Toyota stickers it was easy to regionice.

"I enjoyed skating with you Yumi" He said sitting down by her side.

She laid down on the bench, tired from the practice.

"So am I supposed to look for you later at the gala."

She sat up again. "I couldn't get a ticket, so no" she took her left foot up and removed the snow from the blade.

"I might be able to get you in with me?" He offered, untying his laces.

" I appreciate your kindness, but I'd rather watch you in the tv, I'm too tired right now" She smiled while taking off her left skate.

"Understandable, can I come join you instead?" She giggled at his remark.

"I don't think Mihoko would like that" She didn't know how, but she felt really comfortable around him.

He seemed to have a calming effect on her. She had always been afraid to meet him in real life, afraid she wouldn't be able to get rid of the nervousness, but the more time she spend with him, the more natural it felt for her to talk to him.

She took of her sock and removed the bandaid sitting in the curve on the inside of her foot, before repeating it with her other foot. She noticed him look as she did it, but he didn't comment it. Maybe other skaters did it too, she only knew one other though. She had started to put on the plasters, because they lessened the pain she would feel in her feet after skating, they also prevented the wounds she would have gotten after skating for a long time without them.

"Why black skates? Do you just want to stand out?", He rolled up his pants legs, taking the tape off his skates, and undoing the laces.

"No of course not, the black ones just look better" She looked at his exposed shins, at his impressive calves. He caught her staring at him, and he flexed his leg.

"Like what you see" He smiled cheekily at her.

Unconsciously she reached out her hand, to touch him. She stopped herself a little before the contact, pulling her hand back. "Sorry"

She pulled her gloves off throwing them into her bag together with her skates. It was first now, he noticed that she was wearing one grey and one black glove.

"You don't have to be shy, please touch me" He placed his foot on the bench, taking her hand and placing it on his calf muscle. She was surprised by the size of the muscle. She took her own leg up to compare it.

"How is it possible for it to be so big" She looked back and forth between their legs, fascinated by the defined muscle. He stroked down her shin at the blue bruises covering her skin. She blushed again, suddenly happy that she had taken time to shave her legs the other day.

"You keep blushing, it's cute". He rested his head on her knee, smiling at her. She felt her heart skip a beat. Could he maybe not, be so handsome.

"It's not my fault, you keep looking at me. And aren't you going to be late to the gala?" She tilted her head at him again, while she desperately tried to calm down her heart.

"What time is it?" He asked, still smiling at her. She reached into her pocket, pressing the home pocket, before showing him the screen.

"It's 12:30, when do you have to be at the gala practise?" She took her phone into her pocket again, moving her leg down from the bench.

"I need to be there in half an hour". He leaned down zipping his suitcase. They both stood up and took their bags and jackets on, leaving the rink together. They stopped in the parking lot outside.

"It was nice meeting you again, thank you for coaching me". The girl bowed her head to him. She didn't do it because she was trying to copy Japanese culture, it was simply a habit of hers.

"I hope I get to see you again, and promise me not to give up on your skating".

"I promise".

It meant a lot to her when Shoma commented her, after all he was the reason she started skating in the first place. She waved at him as she walked away. It was harder for her to leave him than she had imagined it would be. She felt like a planet caught in the gravitational pull of a star. Not long after, she heard him yell.

"Hey Yumi, by the way I like your background, don't change it!".

She looked over her shoulder, seeing him step into a taxi. She furrowed her brows. My background? She took out her phone, turning it on. How could she have forgotten that he was on her background, and she had showed it to him!.