Chapter Text
Red marks burned their way onto An’s skin through her sleeves as she leaned on the barrier of the ice rink, although she barely noticed the pain of it, her thoughts focused solely on the skater on the ice before her. Haruka spun and leapt across the rink, performing extremely precise footwork and looking more beautiful than she ever had before. Her short hair whipped around her face as she moved, but it didn’t seem to bother her at all. Her routine was absolute perfection, even if she’d only been practicing it for a week or so.
An’s heart pounded in her chest. She’d spent her entire life at the rink, watching a plethora of different skaters come and go, but none ever took her breath away like Haruka Kiritani did. An had been watching her skate since they were small children, and over time she’d come to almost need it, like one needs water or air. Just one routine could keep her in sky-high spirits for a week.
Eventually, Haruka performed one final spin before stopping completely, her arms up above her head and her gaze pointed up at the ceiling. The bright lights beamed down on her face which glistened with sweat, her chest heaving after the intense exercise.
An erupted into applause, bouncing up and down on her toes. Her widening smile felt as though it might tear her face in half, and she let out a few small whoops in Haruka’s direction. Haruka broke from her pose, drawing her arms back to her sides and turning toward her friend. She broke into a grin too as she glided to the barrier to meet An, who pulled her into a tight hug as soon as she stepped onto dry ground.
“Oh, Haruka! I—It- It was so beautiful! You could easily rival Hinomori-senpai with a routine like that!” An said excitedly as she wrapped her arms around Haruka’s back. An felt Haruka’s arms fold around her, too, trapping her in the most wonderful kind of way.
“Can we sit? I need to have a rest after that,” Haruka requested, and they made their way further from the ice and perched themselves on one of the benches nearby, where Haruka had left her backpack. She slipped a water bottle out of it and uncapped it, taking a long drink. “That routine… It’s so tough. I don’t know how Shizuku-chan manages to pull that kind of thing off in every competition. She really is remarkable,” Haruka commented after recapping her water. She’d been skating against Shizuku for years, but nobody was ever able to surpass her, not even Airi. Airi was the second best skater at the rink, and it was clear that constantly losing to Shizuku was taking a toll on her, even if she thought the world of her.
An nodded, muttering a ‘hmm’. Her gaze was directed upwards, as though lost in thought. “She is. But like I said, I really think you could beat her if you continue making progress like this. You’ve always been able to take my breath away, Haruka, but this…” She turned her head back to Haruka, linking their eyes. “I don’t know. There was something different about it.” An spoke with sincerity, and Haruka knew she meant every word of it.
Haruka felt a gentle heat on her hand as An placed her palm on top of it, rubbing her thumb in light circles over her skin. Haruka flashed her a tender smile, little creases forming at the corners of her eyes. She and An had never made any big romantic gestures before. They’d never kissed or made their relationship official, but the small moments like this spoke as loudly as any of those could. The intimacy that came along with sharing silence and loving smiles felt like fireworks exploding in their hearts, but at the same time like the most comfortable blanket had been strewn over them, enveloping them in a kind of warmth which was impossible to be obtained elsewhere.
That warm silence continued for a while longer. They basked in each other’s company without muttering a single syllable - perfect quiet. Subtle gestures continued to be shared between them; a light caress of thumb on palm, the bump of their elbows as they sat so closely.
“Hey! You’re in public you know~!”
A booming voice suddenly shattered the silence that had blossomed between An and Haruka, scaring them both half to death. An always came to the rink an hour before it opened and let Haruka in, too, so they should have been alone. Except for…
“Ah- Mizuki!” An squeaked out upon seeing her friend and co-worker approaching them from the rink’s entrance with a mischievous smile carved into their face.
“Oh, don’t stop on my account! You guys are just sooo cute, I couldn’t help winding you up a little,” Mizuki said, playfully, as they sat heavily down on a bench opposite the others with a thump. They bent over a little and rested their elbows on their knees, then, in turn, their chin in their hands. “Go on, really~”
An rolled her eyes in return. Mizuki could be insufferable, but they were also An’s closest friend. They’d worked together at the rink for a few years, An getting Mizuki the job when they said they wanted to earn a little extra money to buy materials for their tailoring hobby. An had always enjoyed her job regardless, but still found that having a friend there with her livened things up a little, especially when that friend was as eccentric as Mizuki. “What are you even doing here, Mizuki? Isn’t it a little early for you? Especially when you usually show up at least ten minutes after you’re meant to.”
Mizuki pouted in mock despair and straightened their back, putting one hand up to their chest. “An, that was so hurtful! So unnecessary! You should be grateful I show up at all!” they declared, still in a teasing tone but with an added layer of theatrical flair and fake insult. They whipped their head sharply to the side and crossed their arms, their pale pink hair following behind them like a strip of silk ribbon. “Talk to me when you can fully appreciate my presence!”
An shook her head in Mizuki’s direction, about to make a witty comeback, but the sound of something vibrating from inside Haruka’s bag caught her attention instead. Haruka fished around inside and pulled out her phone which was shaking violently, announcing to the three of them that her dad was calling her. “Oh, no!” Haruka muttered, beginning to untie her skates’ laces, still holding her phone in one hand. “I should’ve left by now but I haven’t even put my shoes on yet!
“Hey! You answer your phone and I’ll untie your skates, okay?” An asked, not waiting for an answer before kneeling down to Haruka’s skates. Haruka just nodded and answered the call, assuring her father (who sounded quite angry to An) that she’d be out in just a minute. After hanging up, she groaned a little before shoving her phone back into her bag and pulling off the untied skates.
“Thank you, An… My dad can be so grouchy sometimes…” Haruka trailed off, pulling her normal shoes on and slinging her backpack and skate bag over her shoulder. “I’ll see you on Tuesday, okay?”
Haruka didn’t wait for An to reply, hurrying to the exit to meet up with her dad. An let out a wistful sigh as Haruka disappeared, and Mizuki moved from where they were sitting to beside An instead. “Soooo… Kiritani Haruka, huh?” they crooned, bumping An’s side with their elbow.
An couldn’t help letting out a little smile. She played with her fingers, seeming bashful, which was a rarity for her. Mizuki squealed a little in excitement. “Don’t seem so excited about it! I doubt it’ll go anywhere… Why would the Haruka Kiritani want anything to do with me, anyway?”
Mizuki scoffed. Their hand grabbed An’s face and turned it towards them gently, squishing her cheeks a little. “Are you kidding? Kiritani-chan would be stupid not to like you too! You’ve known each other forever! Now, say this: Haruka Kiritani does want me too. Go on!” Mizuki insisted, still holding An’s cheeks.
An furrowed her brows. “Mizki- I ca’t say anysthng wiff you holdnff my fface-” she managed to sputter out with difficulty. Mizuki dropped their hand back to their lap and gestured for An to say what they asked. “H-Haruka Kiritani does wa… Mizuki, this is so dumb! How would saying this help anything? I’ll just have to see how things play out…” She stood up from the bench and started making her way towards the main counter. “Come on, the rink is opening soon.”
Mizuki huffed as they stood up in pursuit of their friend. “Why do I have to work for money?! It’s so unfair!”
Tuesday rolled around, and, as Haruka had said, An unlocked the rink an hour before opening. Usually, Haruka would already be outside awaiting An’s arrival with the keys, but this time An was first to appear. She brushed it off and entered anyway, leaving the door unlocked and deciding to wait inside.
Minutes passed. An had never exactly prided herself on her patience, and found herself pacing around for some kind of distraction from the ticking of the clock. It really was strange for Haruka to be late. She was always perfectly punctual, arriving a few minutes before the time that had been set upon. Her reliability was a refreshing change from the spontaneity of both herself and her father. Not that she disliked being impulsive—she found it kept things exciting.
The minutes turned from single figures into doubles. An’s pacing had escalated into more of a very brisk walk and she was beginning to overheat, as ironic as it seemed when she was right beside an immense stretch of ice. She forced her legs to slow, and made her way to the counter to see if there was anything she could busy herself with there. She stumbled upon a few pairs of skates strewn across the floor, and, for once, mentally thanked Mizuki for their minimal effort at work.
Although it only took a few minutes to complete such a small task, An was grateful for a moment of relief as she hunted down the designated slots for each pair of skates. Usually she disliked the menial job, as she preferred to interact with the customers at the counter, but she supposed that a little time away from people could be what she needed, especially now.
She checked the clock. It had only been twenty-three minutes since she and Haruka should have met. A pained groan escaped her lips and she pulled out her phone to make sure she hadn’t been contacted. Nothing from Haruka, just a message from Mizuki consisting of only emojis, which, from what An could deduce, seemed to mean that they were tired and not at all happy about it. The sight of it pulled the tiniest of involuntary smiles onto An’s face, but it flickered away just as quickly as it had appeared.
She unlocked her phone and attempted to call Haruka herself. The dial tone rang in her ear for a little while before a robotic voice announced that Haruka’s phone couldn’t be reached, which only worried An even more. She ended the call and dropped the device onto the counter with a thud.
An made up a million excuses for why Haruka hadn’t shown up, ranging from completely normal to wildly exaggerated, and in some cases, horrific. Slept in, or a car crash. Had a cold, or had somehow fallen fatally ill. She knew she was being ridiculous. It was only one practice! But her thoughts and doubts ate her up, and there was nothing to distract her anymore.
Then, An heard the clunk of the door closing as someone entered the rink. She rushed out from behind the counter eagerly, so pleased that Haruka had arrived…
Mizuki.
An felt her heart fall to the floor, and it must have shown on her face because Mizuki stopped mid sentence to check on her. “Hey, hey An! How’s it goi—Woah, what’s the matter with you? Where’s Kiritani-chan?”
An wrapped her arms around Mizuki’s neck. “The one day you’re early…” she muttered into their shoulder. “I thought you were Haruka, she didn’t show up today and I’m worried…” Mizuki rubbed their hand up and down An’s back comfortingly.
“Hey, I’m sure she’s fine. She probably just got caught up with something else or her alarm didn’t go off or something. You tried calling her right?” Mizuki knew it was a stupid question, but they also knew that An could be pretty dense sometimes, especially when she was in a panic about something. An nodded, her chin digging lightly into Mizuki’s back.
“Yeah, but it didn’t go through. Hopefully she’ll call me back soon, though…” An said as she pulled out of their embrace. She plastered a smile onto her face, hoping that if she acted happy and calm then maybe she’d start to actually feel that way. “I’m glad you’re here now! We still have a little while before we open so I suppose we can work on that mess you left at the counter last night,” she said snarkily.
Loud buzzing rang out into the air near the counter. There was still a little time before the rink opened, and only An and Mizuki were around. An practically pounced on her phone as soon as she acknowledged its ringing, desperate to know if it was Haruka, and it was. She nodded frantically at Mizuki, who threw her a thumbs up in response and retreated to the staff room to give An a little privacy.
Her thumb was shaking as she slid the icon to answer the call. She pulled it quickly up to her ear, saying “Hi Haruka!” a little louder than she intended to.
“Hi An… I’m really sorry I didn’t show up today. I wish I could’ve told you earlier but I’ve had my phone turned off and my parents wouldn’t take their eyes off of me,” Haruka spoke down the line with a slight quiver in her voice, and there was a little echo which made An suspect she was in the bathroom. “You remember I always told you that my parents said that if skating ever got in the way of my studies they’d stop me from doing it?”
An did remember. Haruka had been going to private school her entire life, and her grades were consistently the best in her class. Haruka often confided in An, telling her that ice skating was the only thing she had to take a break from studying, with her parents pushing her so hard to do well in school. An could see that emotion whenever Haruka skated, and maybe that was one reason why every move she made on the ice captured An’s heart all over again. “Yes, I remember.”
“Um… Well… This is our last year of middle school, and my parents really want me to go to this super high-profile private high school, so they’re pushing me even more now. I think being late out last time we met might’ve been the last straw for them, and they aren’t letting me skate until the end of the school year… I’m so sorry…”
Haruka’s voice wavered, and eventually trailed off altogether. An could hear her disjointed breaths, and she realised that she’d never heard Haruka cry before. Every time she fell, she always got back up without hesitation, whether it was on the ice or not. It was somewhat chilling to hear but even more heartbreaking.
An didn’t know what to say, so she didn’t say anything. Eventually, Haruka spoke again. “An, I can’t stay much longer. Even if we can’t speak, I’ll be thinking of you, okay? I love you.”
Those last three words caught An off-guard. Haruka’s voice was so shaky by this point it was hard to tell by her tone how she meant it. Tears began to roll down An’s own cheeks as she realised it was a goodbye, of sorts, and rubbed harshly at her cheeks with her sleeve, as though swiping her tears harder would make them stop faster. Eventually, she composed herself enough to speak.
“I love you t-”
The line died before she could even finish.