They talked more about their plans regarding his own public statement about his health status when a knock came. Kaede answers the door and found Ojiro's old family driver standing in front of her. The look of surprise can be seen in the old man's face but he bows to her, apologizing for his intrusion.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Kaede said to Ojiro before she exited the room.

Atsushi-san's eyes follow Kaede before throwing Ojiro a look. The young man shakes his head, rolling his eyes. "It's not what you think."

The old man breaks in laughter.

"So, do you have it?" Ojiro asks. Atsushi-san put the grocery bag in the table containing not convinience food to eat but full of can of beers.

Leaning in his hotel's balcony, they both sips their beers, warming their throats up while watching the beautiful city of Boston's night view.

Ojiro lets himself breath in and out slowly as the chilly air of the night blows past his face and skin gently. He turns his head, watching Atsushi-san lightens up a cigarette with a curious look.

"Is it good?" he asks.

"Try it and find out," the old man chuckled, handing it to him.

Ojiro holds it in hesitation but he brings it to his mouth and sips. He immediately chokes the smoke out in a fit of heavy coughs.

"What the hell was that?!" he exclaims.

Atsushi-san breaks in his deep laugh of an old man's voice, taking back the cigarette from him. He taps Ojiro's back as a comfort while the young man continues to cough all the smoke out of his system.

Ojiro crouches, grabbing the balcony railings for support as his shoulders shakes and his eyes waters from the pain of his burning throat.

When he calms down does, he hangs his head low only coming to a realization...

He felt utterly sick.

Of himself.

Of everything.

He can feel his whole body is shaking now, out of fatigue and lack of nutrients, in the verge of breaking down. His head can't be able to think straight just wanting to give up like a loser.

"Now, you know that what you're doing to yourself is wrong, son." Atsushi-san said. "Here, this is for you." He hands him something. It's an onigiri at the size of his palm except that it looks like weirdly shaped, like a triangle or a ball, he's not sure. He shot his head up recognizing it.

"That's...."

Atsushi-san nods, smiling.

Ojiro puts down the can of beer on the balcony's table near him, setting it aside. He turns to the old man and accepts the onigiri form him with two shaky hands, holding it carefully, like it it was something so precious. He looks at it like he can't believe his eyes.

When he brings it to his mouth and takes a bite, that's when all of the tears that he's been holding back flows out of his eyes.

The shape and the taste. It was really Louise's homemade onigiri.

When they're still together Louise uses to make onigiris. He remembered her saying she is practicing her five-star Michelin, chef skills and then after so many attempts, she's still getting all the shapes wrong so she ended up molding it to different shapes and sizes.

Ojiro takes one and two more bites; tears are still rolling down his cheeks as the taste and flavors brings him back to the past.

"She always makes sure to distribute it to your staffs and securities that she meets," Atsushi-san chortles, reminiscing those times. "She has a kind heart." he nods to the young man whose face is soak with tears. "I remembered getting broken hearted by a woman like that before that's why I understand." He pats Ojiro's head, shuffling his hair like a child as the younger man munches on his onigiri, sniffing his tears.

When Ojiro enters the rink the next day for his free skating, he walks down the hall, already in his costume, walking with his skates on. He looks back at himself in the monitors that broadcasts the event live. His face, even if it looks so fresh and clean on TV, has no trace of tears the other night.

Cry all you want. Let it all out. Atsushi-san said to him just like what he used to do when he hurt himself when he's younger from playing too much.

Let all the tears flow. When the night is over, I know you're going to be ready to get up and fight again.

Together with his team, they meet up with the NSF officials in front of the cameras with boards behind them that were printed with the event's sponsors logos and just like how they are accustomed, they interacted with politeness.

When the short interview is almost over, another official joins the conversation. He turns to the new comer and he need to hide his surprise.It was Nippon Skating Federation's vice chairman, Kobashigawa Daisuke.

The elder man bows slightly low to Ojiro while the skater bows to him lower. Daisuke sends his good luck to him for representing their country in world stage and Ojiro gives him his utmost respect and thanks in return.

Just as soon as the formalities are over and the cameras are gone, Ojiro got pulled in a corner for a moment.

"The sponsors and fans are watching. You're gonna put up a good show, right?" the vice chairman muttered under his breath.

Braving himself not to flinch, Ojiro is quick to answer in all confidence. "Hai. It's going to be the best show."

The vice chairman suddenly bursts out in laughter as well as the officials around him.

"Iya, iya. I'm just kidding!" He laughed. "Don't worked up too much," he teases, patting him at the back. But when he's about to leave, Ojiro heard him whisper to him "Don't let us down." And then walks away.

Ojiro's manager takes the chance to approach him muttering some dirty words to the vice chairman. "Ugly, bastard..."

"I'm gonna go now," he nods to her, going back to his game face.

"Oh, alright. This way Korishima-senshu." She Shifted in her cheerful self and guides him towards the way to the off-ice warm up area and then leaves him for a moment to get his luggage and stuffs that he needs for his warmup.

Ojiro marches in his way with a determination.

When the sun has risen. Dry up all the tears. The world is waiting for you son. He can still hear Atsushi-san's words just like how he always has stands like a parent for him, knocking some sense out of him during tough times.

He knows he can't just live like a loser anymore.

A sweet smile and flustered cheeks. Memories he holds dearly suddenly flashes and he still felt the tightening of his chest and his throat.

It is the moment he knows he need to finally make a decision.

Is it really goodbye?

Everyone might have already know this about himself but once Ojiro have dedicated his heart into something, once he decided, there is no turning back.

His next move is the answer.

With his skates on, he steps forward.

He can still feel the heaviness of the past clinging in his back but with all his strength, he decided not to look back at it anymore.

Good bye. Louise.

Ojiro is walking towards the warm up area when he caught a faint ruffling of a familiar curly brown hair in the side of his eye.

He stops in his tracks and swivels to where it headed.

"L-Louise?" he shoves away anyone that blocks him and makes his way to a woman, standing, her back facing him with a hair and height exactly like Louise's.

"Louise!" he grabs hold her shoulders, turning her to him.

It turns out it's a man with a beard, sporting a long, brown, curly hair like a woman's.

"Yes?" he asks him cluelessly, smiling to him.

Ojiro lets go of him.

"S-sorry. " He lets go of him.

Ojiro locks himself in the men's toilet and breaks down in tears.

He can't forget her.

--Your Votes and comments are so much appreciated!🙏🙇‍♀️💋