"Ano, sa. That skater boyfriend you're talking about—do you have access to his training?" Kaimen asked.

Both of them don't admit to each other regarding the truth behind their relationship with Ojiro, but the way the kid casually asks her this kind of question and she answers him with authenticity has become their unspoken confession.

Of course, Ojiro's number one fan is the most curious to know about the status of his quad-axel training.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I have," Louise said, drinking water from her tumbler. They've started to practice a bit of their routine's spins and choreography on the far side of the rink.

"Hontou?" For the first time in forever, Kaimen's face is lighting up while talking to her. Ichika is beside him, listening with so much interest when it comes to Louise's boyfriend.

"So, how was it? How's it like? Have you listed his off-ice workouts? His on-ice jumps? "

"Listed what?" She throws him a look, bewildered.

This kid is just so ridiculous.

Did he really think I was doing something sporty?

"Then what are you doing during the training? "

We make out.

"The most important, of course! "

"What is it?" He asked in total curiosity.

"I sleep. What else would it be? It's in the middle of the night, and it's freaking cold. What do you expect me to do? "

Kaimen stomps his skates and rolls his eyes at her in complete disappointment.

"You already have the rarest chance and you still choose to sleep, baka!"

She just crumpled her face against the kid.

She's been trying to avoid going back to the fondest memories of her and Ojiro, so the kid won't be getting any stories from her now.

"Stop throwing those ridiculous questions at me, and let's just continue what we are doing. Shall we?"

She's been working herself up, practicing spins and jumps under both kids's supervision.

Ichika and Kaimen exchange looks, probably wondering why she's suddenly interested in learning now.

"Fine," Kaimen muttered, changing into his coach mode.

She doesn't know if it runs in Korishima's bloodline, but both Ojiro and Kaimen have the same strict approach to training.

"Check your posture! Strengthen your core! Tightly! Do it all over again! "

Louise tripped herself by doing a double toe over and over again, falling on the concrete ice with both of her knees.

"Nee-chan! Daijoubu?" Her sidekick, Ichika, is quick to go to her aid.

Louise tried to get up, but her knees just wouldn't budge. She's been practicing their routine for a while nonstop, and she has fallen many times, but this time, the fall looks so bad that she's starting to feel all the pain.

"What are you doing? Get up!" Kaimen shouts.

"Stop it, Kaimen! She's hurt! "

"So am I, and you too, Chika-chan. Everyone in here is injured and hurt. She won't be learning anything if you keep on babysitting her."

The two keep on arguing while Louise continues to force herself to get up, but she can't move.

Is this what Ojiro experiences every day?

She wanted to see a glimpse of it. Every day, they can't see and talk to each other while he's under the most intense training of his career.

She wanted to experience it. To know his way of thinking. To see the world from his perspective.

Is this what he feels?

Bruises. Injuries. Just pain.

The two children stop bickering when they notice her, still on her knees in a crouching position on ice, sobbing.

"Why am I like this? Why can't I just be useful for once?" She cries. "I can't... " she hasps. "I can't understand him anymore." Tears welled up from her eyes, falling on the cold, ice-white floor of the rink. "You were right, Kaimen. I am just a fucking baka," she gasps in between her tears.

She just wanted to give out her best, like everyone else, and yet, at the end of the day, she felt like she was just contributing to nothing.

For a moment, the two children just eyed each other, not knowing what to do with a crying Louise. They were silently nudging each other, but then Kaimen, the only one who knew what was really going on, approach her.

"Gahh, mendokksai," Kaimen sighs. "Listen. I don't know anything about relationships, alright? But if you're giving up just like that, then why don't you just go to him and break up?"

"Kaimen! Stop!" Ichika gasps, horrified,

"What? I'm just stating facts here! This is not something like your romance books, Ichika. This is reality. Being in a relationship with someone like that is not for the weak heart."

Louise just lets out a sob while listening to the kid talk.

"That boyfriend of yours... do you really think he chose to leave because he wanted to have a good time on vacation? Come on, just think about it. I know you can, even if you're a baka."

Louise just couldn't help but let out a chortle in between her sobbing.

"He might have a family he left behind. A mother and sisters. Not just him, but all of the pro skaters here as well. They leave their families to chase their dreams."

"And we don't need to understand them every time either. If you're brave enough, then you should learn to accept that waiting for them to come home is the only thing you can do."

"They won't ask for anything because they know you will always welcome them home upon opening the door. So, believe me if I'm going to tell you, it was the best feeling you can give them on a tiring day from work."

Here's Kaimen speaking from his own experience, and she can definitely tell the bitterness from it like her. Louise just can't help but let out a laugh while crying.

"And you are even more lucky because you get to spend time with him during his training! Most of the pro athletes here live independently, and they don't even go home to see their families for many years." Kaimen spat in an obvious jealousy.

"What am I doing talking to twelve-year-olds?" She chortled, ruffling his hair.

"Hey! "Kaimen swatted her hand.

"Come on, Lousia-nee, let's take a look at your knees. It looks like you hurt yourself from that fall."

"A-alright," she sniffs, hooking her arms around Ichika and Kaimen's shoulders, but then they stop upon looking up at a tall figure standing over them.

It was Ojiro.

***

Ojiro managed to carry her somewhere away from the suspecting eye of the public so he could tend to her bruises and wounds.

"You're lucky you didn't break a bone. You don't have to push yourself, you know," he mumbled, carefully patching up her knee.

Lousie just sits there in silence. They've been giving each other the silent treatment even while he tends to her knee.

The gauze roll fell from Luise's grasp, both of them moves to reach for it at the same time, making them move closer, gazes locking into each other. Their faces are just an inch apart, making them look away in an instant.

They fall into deep silence under the tension.

When they both look into each other's eyes again, they stay a bit longer in that position, silently talking.

Cannot deny their hearts's desire, Ojiro is the first one to move, and Louise welcomes openheartedly what is about to come.

He cages her tightly in his arm, claiming her lips with harsh kisses. Lousie let herself melting into his embrace and the warmth of the kiss that they shared.

When they broke their kiss, they stare into each other's gazes with their rugged breathings.

Ojiro opens his mouth to say something, but Louise stops him from saying anything, silently giving him the message that they can argue about everything later, but now she just wants him to put all his mind to that gold.

When he looks back at her, he claims her lips again until their mouths have swollen.

"Promise me you're going to give all your best out there. I'll be waiting for you to come home," she mumbled to his chest.

Ojiro looks at her in surprise, but his face lightens up in obvious happiness.

"H-hontou?"

She smiles at him and nods.

"I promise. Arigatou Louise," he kisses her head and scoops her closer to him. "Do you really want to go to the rehearsals? You don't have to if you can't."

Louise had already thought about it before agreeing to the auditions. As much as she wanted to be part of the community aid, she also heard about Kaede's story on why she's doing the collaboration with Ojiro.

Kaede's hometown had major damages and death tolls, and it was reported that her mom, who was in the town during the earthquake, had gone missing.

Louise loses her mom at an early age; that's why she can set aside her feelings and sympathize with her because of the situation.

"Si. I want to give it a try." She spoke. "Don't you dare give me that look; I know my skating is hopeless!" She hissed. "I'll give the audition a try, and if I get lucky, then I'm happy to skate with you in the same show, Ojiro."

Ojiro stared at her, just speechless, just like the way he did that day they met in an interview. He looks at her as if he's seeing her again for the first time. Falling in love with her all over again.

"What? "she blurted, totally weirded out by his staring.

"Nandemonai," he giggled, kissing her again in the mouth.

When it's Louise's turn to sing in the audition, she feels a bit nervous holding a mic. She once dreamed to be a voice actress and has always had a love-hate relationship with this hidden passion of hers.

It's been a while since the last time she stood on a stage in front of everyone, but for some reason, making peace with Ojiro somehow lifted the heavy feeling in her chest.

They gave her permission, so she sits in front of the piano keyboard that the band members had set up. She decided to cheer everyone up in the rink with Queen's song because she always wanted to pay tribute to her late mother, who used to be a band singer in the U.S. and Mexico.

"Mama, just killed a man. Put a gun against his head, pulled the trigger, and now he's dead~"

Okay, I know that lyrics didn't sound inspiring...

Her classmates are cheering her up, and everyone in the rink starts to listen, stopping by to watch.

"Mama, oooh~ didn't mean to make you cry. Sometimes I wish I was never born at all~" Louise sings the line, freeing up all the emotions she's been holding up and hitting up all the notes in the piano keys.

That line always means a lot to her, and she just wanted to go crazy and succumb to the darkness it brings to her heart and soul, but when she looks up, everyone is singing with her, so she goes on with so much joy, finally having real fun.

You should all pay for the talent you're witnessing, but whatever.

When she's finished, Takeuchi-sensei greets her just as she goes down from the stage.

"That is so good, Louisia-chan! Why didn't you tell me sooner you had talent? "

Louise only gave her a look.

Takeuchi-sensei holds both her hands and then jumps up and down like she is celebrating.

"Congratulations! The judges have come to a decision. You are going to be the mother fairy! "

It takes a moment before it sinks in for her.

"Eh? "is the only word she could say.

In attending her next skating practice, Louise doesn't remember if she ever had a good mood thinking about getting on ice, but that's what she felt that morning. Ojiro has gone to Korea to compete in the 4CC, but both of them have started to be connected just fine.

Wearing her favorite red boots, Louise is walking like a run-way model on a catwalk while pulling her luggage with her as she hums a song.

As soon as she opened the door to the rink, she was startled when people started to flash their cameras in her face.

She holds up her hand to do a peace sign as a pose, still confused.

"Oh, my God. I'm famous? "

--Your votes and comments are so much appreciated!