CHAPTER FIFTEEN ; ONE DAY, WE'LL LAUGH ABOUT HOW WE WERE ENEMIES.

Sowon skated around the ice rink and picked up the cones, quickly tossing them aside. Coach Park sat on the bench and allowed Sowon to get some practice with coaching in, smiling as she patted the girls' helmets as she swiftly passed by. "Alright, girls! Let's get into teams of six each, you guys can decide."

"Coach Ryu! Coach Ryu!" The girls called for the Coach, causing Sowon to perk up from her cleaning up. One of the girls was crying, causing Sowon to fly over in an instant. "She accidentally fell down on the ice and she told us her wrist was hurting."

"Oh my. Are you okay, darling?" Sowon got on one of her knees–the one that still remained a little hurt, and winced. However, she, like all athletes, believed in the strength of powering through it. "How did you land on it?"

The first year continued to cry and wipe her tears, causing Sowon to pat her back soothingly. "Go ahead and get into teams. Come here, let's take a break by the wall."

With Sowon's hand in the little girl's, the two skated carefully over to the barrier, and Sowon knelt down again. "Now, can you point to where it hurts?"

The girl sobbed and pointed, sticking her hand out as if Sowon was a doctor. Sowon quickly took it, checking for irregular swelling or bruising. As she looked at the rest of the wrist, Sowon sighed in relief. "Luckily you didn't sprain it. You just put too much pressure pushing down on the ice. You'll be fine after some use."

The girl continued to cry after the good news, causing Sowon to pout and wipe her tears with her thumbs. "I promise you, you'll be okay. Do you want to take a break, or play with your friends?"

"I... I want..." She stammered, pointing to her friends. "I want to play."

Sowon nodded, encouraging her. "Alright then, go ahead. But, remember to clear your eyes, or how are you going to see the puck? Stop crying now," The icy captain brushed the student's tears away with her sleeves, pushing up her fist. "Now, let's go have fun, okay! Blue team, you're taking her!"

The first year skated over to her friends and they worried for her, causing Sowon to feel warmth inside the cages of her frozen heart. It reminded her of the friends she dearly missed back at her ice rink. She skated toward the penalty box and opened the door, Coach Park mysteriously moving from the benches to there. "You'd make a good older sister," Coach commented, crossing her arms. "I suppose Sohee taught you well, huh?"

Sowon took a seat, looking at the borrowed skates. "She's always been gentle with me, so yeah, I do owe it to her. But, you're also the one who taught her how to be that way."

Coach Park had both Ryu daughters. It was safe to say that if she had to choose, she'd pick Sowon. "Yeah. But, I'm a little mad that she decided to stop playing ice hockey her first year in high school at Seoul High School. She would've been as good as you."

Sowon snorted, leaning her head back on the glass. "Maybe that's what she feared," Sowon sighed, causing Coach Park to raise an eyebrow. "The idea of playing a sport for the rest of your life–pursuing it and having to live off it. You really have to love a sport to be willing to spend every day risking injuries and hate. Sohee's the type to settle."

"I agree," Coach Park nodded, humming. "How about you, Sowon? At university, will you pursue playing ice hockey full time?"

"If I get a scholarship for it," Sowon admitted. "If not, I'll go to whatever school gives me money to go there. I've been wanting to get into sports marketing."

"I think you'll fit that very well," Coach Park giggled, turning around–and then, she tilted her head, standing up. "Uh... Sowon, I don't mean to intrude, but do you have a boyfriend?"

Sowon was taken aback. "Hell no. What makes you–"

She followed Coach Park's fascinated gaze, seeing someone familiar. Sowon took a step back, almost falling. "Seems like the one you've been talking about, huh? Let me go do my job. You should go and talk to him."

"Huh, wait, Coach, no–!" Coach Park ran onto the ice and began skating, helping her students. That left Sowon no choice but to leave the penalty box through the other door, closing it behind her. Jaeyun stood there with a box in one arm's grasp and a bag in the other. Sowon licked her lips as she slowly walked towards him, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans.

"Hi."

"Hi," He whispered breathlessly, his yearning finally fulfilled by seeing her face.

"How long have you been here?" She beckoned to the ice rink. "I'm... sorry if I made you wait."

"Don't apologize," He shook his head. "I was watching you coach, and when you sat down, I figured it might be a good time to talk. Sorry if I–"

"You didn't... disrupt anything," Sowon awkwardly stuck her hands in her back pockets. Silence ensued between them. "Let me just change out of these skates and we can find a place to talk. Give me one second."

"Yeah, no problem."

After she changed out of the borrowed skates, she offered to hold some stuff for him, but he refused needing assistance. So, the two sat on the brick steps of the front courtyard, surrounded by greenery and the sunny sky. Jaeyun placed the bag of items in her lap, and she quickly looked through them. "How did you know that I liked mocha flavored stuff?" She questioned, taking out a bun. "I love these things."

"I also like that kind of stuff," He lied straight through his teeth. He asked Narae before he skipped school today what she liked eating.

She unraveled it and took a bite, happier than ever. As she chewed, Jaeyun felt himself unconsciously smiling, but remembering what happened, his face fell. "Sowon," She hummed, licking her lips. "I'm really sorry."

"About what?" She wondered, eyes expectant. "I should be the one apologizing. Listen, Jaeyun, it was a big misunderstanding, and I–"

"I know," He nodded. "I know it was a misunderstanding. Narae and Natty told me everything. It was also a misunderstanding on my part. I didn't think they'd break your skates or hurt you like that. I also didn't think you wouldn't come to school. I'm so, so sorry."

Sowon swallowed the bite of the mocha bun. "You don't have to apologize. Since it's a mutual misunderstanding, I hope that we can forgive each other."

She smiled wider, blinking. "Plus, all debts are canceled out in my eyes," She replied coyly. "I remember what happened at the party. I should thank you for saving my ass out there. I don't know what my drunk self was thinking."

"No. It was only right that I helped you, even if we used to be enemies," That was a first. Sowon's eyes slightly widened, but she liked the sound of being past enemies. "Why did you not come to school, though?"

"It's a... a pride thing," Sowon shrugged. "I felt like I shouldn't face anyone if I cried and made a big scene. Plus, my ice skates were broken, so it's not like I could go to practice. I got really embarrassed and cowered. I bet you think I'm a big fool, huh?"

"No," Jaeyun shook his head, brushing back his long, brown hair. "I get it too. I feel like if I let someone down, I can't look them in the eye. I also cower. I understand where you're coming from."

"Well," Sowon laughed, looking at the half-eaten mocha bun. "It's a learning experience for both of us, then. Let's not cower anymore, or the other gets a flick on the forehead."

Jaeyun childishly grinned. "Okay, Ice Fairy."

"The nickname... gosh. I forgot that was it–but I prefer it as to most," She muttered, turning her head in his direction. "So, Sim, does that mean we should reintroduce ourselves?"

"Huh?"

"I'm Ryu Sowon," She stuck out her hand, causing Jaeyun to gaze at her with confusion. "I'm a third year and I'm the Captain for Hanseong's women's ice hockey team. I really like mocha, studying, and staying out late. What's your name?"

After her introduction, Jaeyun realized what she meant. Placing his hand in her's, a sense of familiarity waved over his body. "I'm Sim Jaeyun," He introduced. "I'm a third year as well and I'm the Captain for Seoul's men's soccer team. I enjoy staying out late, partying, eating sweets, and anything but studying."

With his words, the two giggled in sync. "You're so silly," She commented. "Well, I guess that makes us friends, Jaeyun. We're now overwriting the past."

"Yes–oh, wait," He grabbed the box and put it in between them, taking off the top. "This is... for you."

Sowon was surprised as she took off the wrapping paper, revealing a pair of light blue and white hockey skates. "I asked Natty for your skate size. It took some fighting, but I eventually convinced her to let me be the one to buy you new skates. It's compensation for paying for Beomgyu's hospital bills," She gasped, hands on her mouth. "I hope you like them."

They were expensive, and Jaeyun couldn't suppress that. It looked like pure luxury. But, he had so much money, it was only right for him to treat his new... friend... with respect. "You didn't have to, Jaeyun," She shook her head, taking one out. She pressed her fingers against the new material, her heart thumping out of her chest. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Are you heading home now? I can walk you there since it's still getting dark a little earlier now."

"You–"

"I insist," He already knew what she was going to say. So, he stood up and held the box for her, reaching another hand out to pull her off the steps. She hesitantly took it, lifting up her body. She continued eating sweets after sweets, offering each mocha flavored item to Jaeyun, who declined. He wasn't a big mocha fan, but love vanilla and chocolate. One day, we'll compromise about this, Jaeyun thought as he saw her walk forward, admiring the scenery around her. One day, we'll laugh about how we were enemies.

Getting ahead of yourself Jaeyun, aren't you?

"So," Sowon started the conversation, getting oddly chatty for her typical opposite gender chatting. "Sunoo told me that you aren't allowed to play in the game happening today. Why?"

"I punched the guy from Whimoon," He said, causing Sowon to snort. "What? What should I have done? Suppressed it?"

"I see that you're quite the protector, Sim," He raised his eyebrows at her, hands in his pockets. She twirled around and started walking backwards, piquing his interest. "You really love your teammates and friends. You would do anything for them."

"Of course I would. They're the people I want to spend the rest of my life with," Jaeyun replied. "Wouldn't you do the same for your teammates?"

"I don't think I'd hurt someone," She thought about it. "Well, maybe outside the rink. In the ice rink, we've always sworn not to get crazy violent unless they start it. Although our friends might get hurt, we've proved to ourselves over and over again that we're independent."

He grinned. "Soccer players are typically on the scrawny side."

Sowon began to laugh. "No kidding–but I suppose you're the exception, right?"

Was she calling him well-built? He'll take the implied compliment. "Don't you drive?" Sowon brought up with expectancy. "Where's your car?"

"I left it at home. Since I didn't go to school today and this place was a short walk, I decided to just head over here," Jaeyun explained. "Is that the middle school you went to?"

"Yeah," Sowon nodded. "I played ice hockey there while doing school. My sister also went there."

"I see," Jaeyun nodded–all of a sudden, it began raining. Sowon began flinching at every droplet that hit her body, and soon, she was getting drenched.

"Maybe we should run!" Sowon laughed, causing Jaeyun to hesitantly agree. "Follow me!"

The two laughed as they ran down the sidewalk, Jaeyun almost slipping and Sowon watching it happen. As they ran into a corner, they almost collided, but Sowon moved just in time, grabbing his arm to stop him from sliding down the hill. They continued running until they got to Sowon's small, gated house, Jaeyun staring at it as the water fell from his chin and onto his arms. "Come here!" She opened the gate and the two stood under the shelter, wiping away at the water. "Gosh. It was good we were close by."

Sowon pulled out her phone from her soaked back pocket, looking at the weather app. "Damn. Looks like it's going to be storming all night. How far is your house from here, Sim?"

He hummed and took out his phone, tracking it to his house. "Oh. A twenty minute walk."

"You'll be sick by the time you head back home," She sighed, trying to think of something. She looked to see if her sister's car was here so she could drive it, but it wasn't. She must still be out doing her itinerary still. "This is such a bad situation for you, Jaeyun."

"It's okay, Ice Fairy," He chuckled, looking up at the stormy sky. "I think I'll make it–"

"How about..." She gulped, her hands playing with the plastic bag. Sowon knew this would be an extreme offer, and who knows what her parents would say. But, with a new friendship blossoming, she tried not to be afraid.

"How about you stay over for the night, Sim?"