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Instant fame. Jongdae received this after his olympic debut when he, a mere rookie raised and trained in a small town with a frozen pond, got the silver medal in the Winter Olympics. Actually he ranked number one for a few minutes until someone claimed his spot, but that was fine. Jongdae believed that the one who beat him deserved it, and his respect for this skater was higher than the heavens.
The international and local media were all over him, asking what contributed to his success or what kind of lucky charm he brought to the games. Were there any difficulties during training? Did he feel nervous? All the questions he heard veteran skaters answered were asked to him, so yeah, this was surreal. For 10 minutes.
Everyone wanted to hear from the gold medalist, not the silver medalist. Jongdae looked at the most handsome guy he has ever seen and smiled kindly. He had dreams, high hopes for his first Winter Olympics, but winning a medal wasn't one of them, nooooo. Jongdae only wanted to see his idol and crush, the top skater of their generation, Baekhyun.
Baekhyun who started figure skating at 4 years old, Baekhyun who moved to Russia to train like a beast, Baekhyun who everyone in the skating community waited to become of age to compete professionally, Baekhyun who threw his trainer's nation and everyone's expectations away by choosing to represent his true homeland, the same Baekhyun that snubbed the media asking for interviews or any attention for that matter, so he was named Ice King.
Ice King, great on the ice rink with a demeanor colder than the arctic.
Jongdae has been following Baekhyun's rise to the top since he debuted, making him his inspiration to reach the Olympics. He watched Baekhyun's performance videos endlessly, training every fall to winter only when the pond was frozen. He got his first pair of skates from a thrift store and they were miraculously his size. Everything was meant to be.
In spring and summer, he would practice his flexibility, lines, and execute some footwork step sequence he saw online in his bedroom. All his hard work paid off when a foreigner took a wrong turn and ended up near the frozen pond Jongdae trained in. Instead of asking for directions, he asked where Jongdae learned to skate so gracefully. Jongdae was obsessed with skating, so he knew who was talking to him, a retired gold medalist skater from Japan.
One thing led to another and Jongdae made it to the Winter Olympics with his Coach Oyama Kaito, staring at his crush while Jongdae hugged kitten plushies he picked up from the rink earlier. Baekhyun passed by without sparing Jongdae a glance or a word but his coach, Lev Angeloff (one of the greatest skaters of all time), shook his hand for a great performance, the media tailing them for a comment or two. Jongdae's smile almost split his face apart, starstruck to be held and praised by Baekhyun's coach. Coach Kaito hugged Lev for old time's sake until Jongdae heard something unusual, surprising even.
"See you at home?" Lev asked Kaito.
"Let's have dinner later, to celebrate our wins." Kaito invited and got a quick peck on the cheek too.
Two plushies just abandoned the ship called Jongdae's arms, unable to handle this revelation. Jongdae stared at his Coach with his mouth open, frozen as well. Coach Lev left awkwardly, letting his husband deal with his skater.
"You liar. You said you didn't know him! Coach, you could've introduced me to Baekhyun a long time ago! He's the husband you keep sneaking in the bathroom for?" Kaito covered his mouth with a hand, looking around to check if anyone heard him. Apparently, the wedding news was a secret, but their solid friendship since their glory days wasn't.
"Jongdae, remember your goals and dreams. You asked me to train you so you can be the best, not to date fellow skaters." Kaito reminded Jongdae, trying to take the spotlight off of him. "And dear, you can do so much better than Baekhyun. He's too serious."
"Why does everyone keep saying that? He's just focused. You all think he's a snob but not me, no. He has a story he cannot tell anyone, that's it. Let's respect that. What I cannot respect is my Coach, my best friend and second family lying to me about not knowing Baekhyun's coach. Like know; know how you like your eggs for breakfast or what you sound like in bed kind of know." Jongdae shifted his weight on one leg sassily, mimicking his Coach when he sassed the young skater.
"We'll talk about this later."
"No, we won't. You'll be at dinner with him while I'm on room arrest because I'm only 17." Jongdae spoke maturely despite acting childish.
"You have to get to the podium, come on. Fix yourself, dear heavens, you'll be standing next to Baekhyun, at least try to look pretty." The coach teased.
"I am pretty! I got a silver for it. I know you're proud of me, Coach." Jongdae suddenly became emotional as his eyes welled with tears. Kaito looked at his Superstar and gave him a tight hug when reality hit them both. Jongdae, a boy from nowhere, shocked the world by winning silver on his Olympic debut. He just made history.
Jongdae smiled beautifully as he waved to his proud countrymen who even if they didn’t know him yet, then looked up to Baekhyun…who wasn’t looking at him. The Asian community had a lot to brag about now since there were no westerners in the top ranks. The bronze medalist was Japanese and Jongdae’s new friend he met.
Despite representing the same country, Jongdae and Baekhyun wore different jackets bearing their flag. This became a topic of discussion, if this was possible, and organizers said that they were registered together. Byun Baekhyun and this rookie came from the great Lev Angeloff? Kaito obviously pulled some strings but Jongdae didn’t know that, not even Baekhyun.
Baekhyun received his medal, got his flowers, and gave a small smile to the chairman then stood straight once again, looking at the crowd. Jongdae followed his gaze, searching for anyone too, but only heard Baekhyun sigh. He looked at Baekhyun, flinching when he saw the top skater looking at him passively.
“C-Congratulations,” Jongdae croaked, bowing respectfully since they didn’t know each other. Baekhyun snickered softly, so softly that Jongdae swore an ice skate gliding across the rink sounded louder. He looked ahead, smiling slightly wider than he ever did so the photographers ate it up. Jongdae and the bronze medalist were asked to stand beside Baekhyun for a group photo, making the two look at each other because who would step up first? This was Baekhyun, the top skater in the world. Baekhyun nodded for them to come up quickly, stepping back a little to make more room.
1…2…3… Jongdae was going to save this photo forever.
“Hey,” Jongdae was about to step down but Baekhyun tapped his shoulder, his gentle voice seemed like a secret gem for this world. “One more photo?”
“P-Pardon? Me?” Jongdae couldn’t hide his shock, looking at the group of photographers waiting for them. “Why just me?”
“It’s rare for two skaters from the same place to win, especially when our coaches are different. Come on, let’s just get this over with.” There it was, the icy behavior, as white as his hair. Jongdae stood beside him again, smiling for the cameras despite his eyes glancing at Baekhyun often. Baekhyun must be bored from all this, Jongdae thought. “Congratulations,” Baekhyun whispered. Jongdae was about to say thanks but Baekhyun interjected. “I don’t know who you are though. You’re like a mushroom, just came out of nowhere.” Baekhyun faced him this time.
“I…I was at Worlds too.” Jongdae shared as a matter of fact. “That’s fine, I’m a rook from a small town anyway.” He added with a nervous chuckle.
“I think it’s better if you just stayed there.” Baekhyun let out expressionlessly as he looked at Jongdae’s outfit from shoulders to his feet, unsure of how this guy made it this far. His words could mean many things but for the most part… Ouch.
Icicles just wounded Jongdae’s heart there but he blurted out a joyful thank you instead, bowing happily for receiving a few words from his idol. Thank you for being so cold to me, Baekhyun. It’s a true honor!
Kaito had to shield his eyes from the embarrassment as Lev looked at him apologetically for his skater’s attitude. Baekhyun walked away first as Jongdae let the winning feeling last a little longer, bowing in all directions gratefully. Baekhyun got out of the rink and was about to go to his waiting room when he looked back to the rink again, to Jongdae who let the moment soak in then walked away with his head down as if he didn’t win the gold medal.
For the nth time, J ongdae asked Kaito if he could tag along for dinner and just sit at another table. No. No, he was staying in his room because he was still a minor. Jongdae flopped down to bed and tried to play on his phone. It was fun...for one round. He got up and opened the TV, channel surfing until he yawned. Rolling around his bed, he checked social media and saw his photo with Baekhyun trending. Instant save, automatic lock screen!
Jongdae sighed and remembered today well, amazed he was an Olympic medalist so young in life. The pressure slowly crept in, thinking of what they were going to do next. He went out of the balcony to clear his mind, enjoying the view of a foreign place before they go home tomorrow. He looked down and saw some athletes having fun, and heard others enjoying themselves at balconies near him, which only made him jealous. If only he was of legal age, but he was a few months shy from it. If only he had athlete friends, but he was new to the game.
Jongdae let it go and looked around, gasping softly when he saw a familiar face on the balcony next to his. He was this close to Baekhyunall this time? His coach truly kept so many secrets from him, he started to feel upset.
Baekhyun leaned on the ledge, looking at the view while he smoked casually. Damn, he looked good. Jongdae rubbed his thighs together and pretended to not mind the other. But how could he not? Baekhyun looked so hot when he blew the smoke out of his pretty lips slowly and the cigarette dangling between his slim fingers. The games were over so all forms of diet and cleansing were out the window.
Jongdae fixed his sweater and shorts subtly, trying to be cool but Baekhyun caught him, pleasantly surprised to see this year's silver medalist beside him even if his expression didn't show it. Awkward silence continued as they hesitated to say hi to each other. Jongdae thanked his attachment to his phone for once, searching the other's age online to know if he was legal to smoke. Nope, not yet either, which explained the room arrest too. He found it so badass and cool though, having to do whatever he wanted just because he was at the top of his game. More like Baekhyun could do this because Lev wasn’t around.
Baekhyun looked at the cigarette packet beside him then at the rookie on his phone. He cleared his throat to call his attention, sliding it and a lighter to him. "Oh, I don't...thanks but…" Baekhyun gave him a knowing look, taking a whiff slowly then exhaling the smoke to the sky. Fuck it, fuck Baekhyun for seeing right through his curiosity.
Jongdae got one and tried lighting it like some candle, making Baekhyun sputter an dubious laugh. He looked at the top skater for help, unsure how smoking worked. Baekhyun got the lighter and lit it for him, watching Jongdae have his first cigarette. "Don't tell on me, I won't tell on you." Baekhyun smirked and finished his cigarette, enjoying the view while someone inexperienced kept coughing beside him.
What a funny meeting. But that was it. After they finished another cigarette, they both went inside to eat dinner alone and watch cartoons because that was what underaged kids did, right?
They never saw each other again, not in the bus shuttle, not in the airports. That was it, and it all felt like a dream to Jongdae. If he didn't keep the cigarette butts as souvenirs, he would've thought that he was dreaming.
Jongdae returned to South Korea and received a homecoming so grand, he felt like a male version of Kim Yuna. He smiled and waved at cameras, thanking fans for their sweet gifts to him. Coach Kaito carried some of his things, letting him enjoy his well-deserved fame. Even the President had to see him for bringing pride to their country. Of course, Baekhyun was brought up a few times, especially when a photographer complained about working overtime for the week since the gold medalist was going to receive the same treatment when he returned to the country in two days. Interesting.
Back in Jongdae’s hometown, it felt like a holiday. His face was everywhere. Everyone came out when he arrived. The 329 people in this small town couldn’t believe the boy who asked to skate on their frozen ponds made it big. But no one was more proud than his parents. Coach Kaito was welcomed now more than ever, the whole town thanking the foreign skater for making Jongdae’s dreams come true. Jongdae bowed to his Coach, thanking him for everything.
“We’re just beginning, Superstar. I have a memorable surprise for you soon. Celebrate with everyone for now, okay?” Kaito hugged the son he never had, leaving Jongdae to rest until they met again.
Two weeks passed and Jongdae has never been more excited to return to the rink. He celebrated day in and day out with his family as his neighbors bragged about their small town boy winning silver in the Winter Olympics. He gained some weight but one day of skating would make him lose all the pounds for sure.
Jongdae went to the rink in the next town, his training ground since Coach Kaito found him. Oh bless you Coach Kaito for buying this rink for Jongdae. The retired skater also used this rink to feel alive again, showing moves Jongdae only saw in grand competitions. Those same moves brought Jongdae to greater heights, paying homage to Coach Kaito. Jongdae hurried to the locker room to change his clothes, eager to learn more for his next challenge.
In his black skating pants and white turtleneck, he fastened his old trustee skates and closed the locker door before heading out to the rink. Jongdae received a message from his Coach that he was going to be a little late so he could warm up on his own. No problem, Jongdae loved some free time with the ice often. He rounded the corner and saw the rink, surprised to see it occupied. He went closer to the edge and gasped upon seeing who just did a quadruple toe loop like it was no big deal.
There he was, dressed in black training pants and a black t-shirt only, contrasting his icy white hair, Baekhyun, skating around Jongdae’s rink like it was his. Jongdae gulped at the sight of the top skater’s arm muscles and physique, feeling hot inside a cold place. Baekhyun’s sit spin was so elegant and difficult that Jongdae ended up clapping once the gold medalist was back on his two feet. Baekhyun turned to the sound, seeing a familiar face he didn’t expect to be there. So he skated towards him, asking him to leave politely, but it was so serious that it sounded rude.
“Um, I can’t. My Coach will meet me here. You need to leave, but I don’t mind you skating around here until he comes.” Jongdae said politely, mustering all his courage to say those words without fainting. Ah! He’s so handsome!
“That’s weird. My Coach said to warm up here too. What’s going on?” Baekhyun placed his pretty hands on his waist, trying to make sense of things.
“Your Coach didn’t tell you?” Jongdae put one and one together, realizing what his Coach meant the other day about a memorable surprise. This was it. He was training with Baekhyun for the Grand Prix. So his Olympic registration with Baekhyun wasn’t a rumor? Baekhyun looked at Jongdae with a brow arch, demanding silently to spill what he knew. “Our Coaches are married.”
A foreign curse just left Baekhyun’s pretty lip as Jongdae just pressed his thighs together suddenly, squirming slightly at the crisp sound.
“Baekhyun, language!” A strong voice by the entrance startled the two young skaters. Baekhyun saw the proof he needed when his Coach held Jongdae’s Coach’s hand intimately. “Are you cursing Jongdae?”
“N-No! No, he wasn’t. He was…teaching me foreign curses?” Jongdae saved, shrugging to Baekhyun minutely, who just blinked. First were cigarettes, now curses. Baekhyun didn’t seem like good news.
“Jongdae, you know better to act accordingly. I told you to warm up.” Jongdae’s Coach scolded him lightly. “Have Baekhyun help you stretch.” Help? Stretch? That would entail touching. Oh dear, Jongdae wasn’t ready for that yet.
“I’m fine!” Jongdae blushed, assuring that he was. “What are we all doing here, Coach? What’s going on?” Baekhyun glared at his Coach, wanting an explanation too.
“Oh, um well, Jongdae, you know we’re married. Baekhyun, I was going to tell you today but…you met Jongdae first.” Lev tried to break the ice, no pun intended.
“He told me everything. Get to the point.” Baekhyun rolled his eyes.
“All eyes are on you two now, as the top skater and the underdog. We just thought many will try and sabotage you before the Prix so um, we’ll all hide here and just appear in the games. That way, you two are both safe and focused. Right, Jongdae?” Kaito stressed, knowing the biggest distraction was right next to his Superstar.
“I’m training with him?” Baekhyun and Jongdae pointed to each other, in disbelief but with different emotions.
“Hold on, so it’s true. He registered with my name for the Winter Olympics?” Baekhyun read the news, thinking it was a far-fetched joke. Apparently not.
“Other way around, Baekhyun. Jongdae was funded by the government, you weren’t. It was easier to get you to the Winter Olympics that way.” Coach Lev was sorry, not sorry for his methods since they won gold and silver anyway. There was just a bigger target on the skaters’ backs for being beasts on the ice.
With this arrangement, the rink would be divided if they were both present but some days will be given to them privately. The Coaches thought that the two had something to learn from the other and even from the other’s Coach. Baekhyun sighed and just followed whatever Lev wanted as long as he would be ready for the next competition soon. Jongdae watched Baekhyun skate around with his hands on his waist, clearly deep in thought about something. He got on the ice and skated by the sides like a newbie scared of falling, observing Baekhyun’s simple glides as pure art already.
Baekhyun skated closer to Jongdae and stopped abruptly, startling the rookie. Like the first time, his eyes looked at Jongdae from head to toe then extended his hand, introducing himself curtly. “I-I know.” Jongdae looked at the hand and its owner, wondering what was going on.
“Well? Do you have a name or what?” Baekhyun tilted his head to the side, patience wearing thin. How he didn’t know the trending topic of the league was beyond Jongdae. Maybe Baekhyun was just acting dumb? They stood beside each other on the podium, had pictures taken together, and even shared cigarettes but Baekhyun didn’t know his name? Jongdae felt like he just fell in love. “At least let’s start with that if we’re going to be training mates officially.”
“Jongdae, Kim Jongdae, yes. Yes, training mates.” Jongdae shook his hand, body turning to goo upon touching his crush and idol. Baekhyun nodded awkwardly and claimed his own hand back, skating away to talk to Lev and Kaito about an idea for his program. Then there’s Jongdae, melting on ice.
See? Jongdae was right, Baekhyun wasn’t cold all the time, just awkward around strangers. Jongdae touched his cheeks and willed himself to focus, warming up properly. Kaito approached him, asking if he was alright. Jongdae just whined softly, looking at Baekhyun across the rink. Like skater, like coach indeed, both distracted by their crushes until Jongdae got down to business and practiced his triple lutz. Baekhyun looked away from Lev for a moment to watch Jongdae, passive but his coach saw his eyes interested.
“What do you think?” Lev asked, noting the tiniest changes in his expression as something.
“Beautiful,” Baekhyun whispered, enamored by the technique. Or was he referring to the skater?
Training mates. How did that work exactly? They weren’t like other countries who took skating as a business. Baekhyun trained alone all his life and Jongdae did too. Were they supposed to be best friends now? Baekhyun didn’t think so. To him, they were just sharing spaces and coaches, that was it. At the end of the day, only one of them got to stand on the top.
Baekhyun observed Jongdae’s skills on the side while he relaxed, taking in the skater’s appearance. He has never seen a waist so tiny on a male skater before, with legs and hips toned to perfection. Men checked each other out in this sport so this was normal; looks were part of the criteria anyway. Baekhyun tilted his head as he bit his thumb, watching Jongdae’s lines on his arabesque and his attempt to do a scorpion on the side. His brows raised as he looked away, impressed with Jongdae’s flexibility.
If only Jongdae had better technique. The difference in their experience clearly showed and it was irritating Baekhyun for some reason. He wasn’t stupid, he received education even while training. So he knew that he got the short end of the stick in this partnership while monitoring Jongdae’s salchow jump.
It baffled the top skater how Jongdae could do lutz well but sucked at salchow. Baekhyun wasn’t even convinced his spins were clean. Then it hit him, Jongdae wasn’t professionally trained at all, thus having no foundation whatsoever. Lev noticed the piercing gaze Baekhyun gave Jongdae, calling him over to demonstrate a salchow. Baekhyun interpreted it as schooling the rookie but Jongdae clapped and exclaimed like an amazed kid, shaking his coach out of excitement.
Baekhyun huffed a breath and rolled his eyes, feeling worse even if his objective was achieved. The reaction wasn’t what he expected despite it being positive, and that was what annoyed him the most. Jongdae seemed to have no sense of competitive spirit.
Another training week ended and Jongdae finally asked for private training days. The coaches thought Baekhyun would ask for it first but Jongdae needed it more. Honestly, Jongdae started to feel inferior and insecure with Baekhyun around. He had a hard time focusing because of the way Baekhyun looked at him at times. Jongdae had no competitive spirit? He had a lot, but there was only one competition for him, the guy who stole the gold from him, who shot daggers at him during training, his own training mate that made his heart race for many reasons.
Baekhyun was annoyed yet again, coming across as the problem when all he did was focus on his own thing. He must not be the only one annoyed here, no. Baekhyun was going to annoy the hell out of Jongdae too.
Jongdae said hello to the coaches on a warm morning, truly honored to have Lev train him too. He kept an open mind to the ideas and agreed to try everything, to be pushed to his limits starting with hIs stretching routine. He was assessed on his recent skill set and was asked to perform his winning program, not getting any claps anymore.
“How did the judges score him? 75% of his jumps, flips, and spins weren’t clean at all.” Lev looked at his husband, wondering what kind of training he put this kid through to be this sloppy. Kaito smiled adorably and pointed at it. That was Jongdae’s hidden power, his genuine love and happiness for skating. “You mean to say he would have truly taken over Baekhyun if he had better techniques.” Lev realized this, kind of defeated because Baekhyun almost lost to a rookie. That would look really bad.
“That’s why we thought this would be good for them, right? Jongdae can learn proper technique and Baekhyun can love skating again.” Kaito expressed, heartbroken by his latter statement. “They can both be the greatest skaters of their generation, like we were. You won’t stand by Baekhyun all these years if you don't see something special in him. Come on, I hate to see him quit so early in his career.”
Quit? Jongdae almost slipped on his own upon hearing their conversation. Baekhyun was quitting? Why? Jongdae skated around and practiced a footwork step sequence randomly, deep in thought and heart troubled to know Baekhyun expressed this. Was it Jongdae’s fault? Jongdae shook the thought off his head and practiced his salchow jump over and over, feeling dissatisfied about his landing every time.
This was so unfair. Jongdae waited for so long to be in the same league as Baekhyun, only to compete with him once? He didn’t work this hard for a one-time experience. He had to meet Baekhyun again in another competition and beat him before he could allow the top skater to retire. So Jongdae kept going, ignoring the bruises on his legs until he landed one perfect salchow. The coaches told him to stop for the day but he didn’t listen.
Jongdae became like this for the next few days until he saw Baekhyun again during their joint training once a week.
Baekhyun performed his proposed program cleanly but the coaches weren’t satisfied. Yeah, he wasn’t satisfied either, so he proposed to switch up the jumps and loops and promised to show something different next week. The coaches trusted him and let him rest, calling Jongdae over to perform his partial program. Baekhyun drank his water, sensing something different with these three, especially Jongdae.
Jongdae did well to say the least, even better than they all expected. Baekhyun saw improvement but there were too many faults in his landings, making the performance uncomfortable to watch. “Baekhyun, what do you think?” Kaito asked out of the blue, catching Jongdae off guard.
Baekhyun had his elbows on his knees the entire time, brows furrowed, water bottle in his hand as he nodded. They all knew that meant the opposite. “His setup looks cleaner but his landings are awful to see. It's like he’ll land without balance or snap his ankle any moment.” Jongdae felt small as he listened to the criticism since he felt like he did okay. “I’m starting to think that he doesn’t know the basics of skating. How could he win silver just like that? Am I being insulted here?” Baekhyun chuckled despite being serious with his question.
As painful as it sounded, Baekhyun just expressed what the entire skating community thought of Jongdae at the moment. Kaito lowered his head as Lev scratched his jaw, eyeing Baekhyun to stop there. Baekhyun realized he just fell into the coaches’ bait, being their shield and the bad guy. Worse, he just made Jongdae cry.
Baekhyun tried to find something good to say but the damage had been done. If only he started with compliments about his spins, maybe Jongdae wouldn't cry. The rookie wiped his cheeks and still smiled, accepting those words for his improvement and thanking Baekhyun for his comments. “Let me try again. I know what I did wrong.” Jongdae sniffed and looked at the coaches, hoping they would say yes.
“No Jongdae.” Kaito apologized, kind of confused too. This wasn’t the Jongdae he found in that frozen pond two years ago. “This program isn’t fit for you. Try Baekhyun’s program instead.”
“What?” Both skaters exclaimed, finding this absolutely rude. Baekhyun worked hard to finish it and their coaches will just give it Jongdae without consulting him first?
“You said you weren’t satisfied with it, right? We both know you can do way better than that, Baekhyun.” Baekhyun’s coach looked at him hard, truly unimpressed by the display earlier. If they were alone, Baekhyun would be screaming by now while doing a split, waist and hips protesting.
“But I don’t know the sequence.” Jongdae worried, supporting Baekhyun’s rejection. No problem, the coaches were going to yell what they needed to see and he only had to execute it.
Jongdae skated blindly, keeping his ears in tune with his body to land properly at least. Baekhyun watched Jongdae with dread, his hands in his hair, hoping this rookie wouldn’t break a bone. Thankfully, he finished safely but he was out of breath.
“That. That’s how you must feel after performing, Jongdae.” Lev stood, still confused how Jongdae could do the hard stuff but was worse than the kids on basic techniques. “Thoughts, Baek?”
Baekhyun sighed and ran his fingers in his white hair, trying to decipher something. All eyes were on him, especially Jongdae who wanted nothing else but to be acknowledged. “Hold on, I’m trying to remember everything he just did. I can’t…seem to figure out where he puts his weight…during…the whole thing.” Baekhyun chose his words this time, hoping Jongdae wouldn’t cry again. “Also, can I go back to the apartment now? I don’t think you’ll let me skate any time soon if he’s so much work.” Icicles pierced Jongdae's pride, but it fueled his determination to strive.
The coaches let him go, scared Jongdae would burst into tears again because of Bαekhyun’s blunt tongue. Baekhyun left but didn’t exit the place to listen to the coaches’ assessment. He leaned on the wall with his bag on his shoulder, agreeing to most of the critique. Jongdae wasn't the worst out there, he just needed a lot of polishing. They told Jongdae the truth, that Bαekhyun’s words were the thoughts of many and Jongdae knew that. That was why he kept pushing for a harder program, to prove to everyone that he deserved the silver medal.
“Just silver?” Baekhyun whispered to himself, truly irritated with Jongdae’s lack of spirit.
“I need to feel like I deserve it before I compete against Baekhyunand want a gold. You both know I see him as my only competition. But I want him to be my friend too. Thank you for letting me skate his program, but I can’t take this from him. Please understand, I’ll work harder.” Jongdae expressed with a heavy heart, but he needed to overcome this as time ticked away for all of them.
Jongdae delivered his promise, working harder than ever on the ice. He just landed the most beautiful triple axel in his life and he knew it too. Kaito and Lev screamed like he just won a gold medal, seeing the skater on his knees with pure joy in his eyes. Jongdae kept doing it again and again, more confident than the last until he became addicted to risk.
Lev helped Jongdae design his footwork step sequence, using the most of the skater’s flexibility to pull more points. Kaito noted the significant changes and reminded his Superstar to refrain from showing in his face that he was thinking. Jongdae’s program was modified numerous times, as many as the bruises on his legs and arms until they were satisfied. But it wasn’t gold medal-worthy yet.
Speaking of gold medals, Baekhyun arrived at the rink for his private training slightly late because he overslept. No problem, his efforts in training made up for it. No doubt, a pro skater was easier to train than a rookie. Lev and Kaito polished the tiniest mistakes, not letting anything slip past them because they knew Baekhyun’s convictions about the sport and winning.
“What else do you need from us? This program’s ambitious but so are you. Will you stand by the difficulty? I’m still a little worried about the quad toe loop before your triple axel.” Lev shared, hands in his pockets.
“He’ll land it well soon. There’s still a few weeks before the qualifiers. Baekhyun will breeze through it.” Kaito assured, smiling kinder than usual at Baekhyun. Baekhyun glanced at Kaito then looked at Lev for more comments.
Lev suddenly sighed. This was a little awkward, their relationships to be specific. “Out of the ice, Baek. We need to talk about this now.” This confused Kaito, looking at his husband to explain but Lev just held his hand and pulled them to sit.
Oh, family meeting.
“Kaito, just so you know, Baek and I haven’t been speaking at the apartment since he found out about us.” Lev started, worrying his gentle husband. “It’s not about you. He’s upset with me for not telling him about you.”
“I’m upset with you too. You said you’ll tell him three years ago. The Olympic season had to pass before he had to know.” Kaito looked at Baekhyun coming, sitting straighter when his husband’s adoptive son sat down beside Lev.
“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, even when you two saw each other several times before. Baekhyun, please understand. I wanted you to focus on your training.” Lev explained.
“Please leave us alone.” Baekhyun requested sternly. “I want to talk to Coach Kaito without you.” Lev looked at his husband nervously. “I won’t bully him. You can stay over there.” Baekhyun pointed to the other bench, hoping Lev would trust him.
When Baekhyun and Kaito were alone, the skater moved closer and held Kaito’s hand, resting his head on his shoulder. “Thank heavens he made the right choice.” Baekhyun smiled softly, lowering his walls for his Uncle Kaito. “I thought he was going to bring home the German one.” He shuddered exaggeratedly.
Baekhyun was only eight years old when he first met Kaito in Russia. Lev, who was actually Baekhyun’s adoptive father after his parents entrusted him to the retired skater, was interested in Kaito by that time. Baekhyun loved having Kaito around to play on and off the ice, learning how to enjoy skating from the bright Japanese. Because Lev was strict and stern, it was hard for Baekhyun to adjust with his emotions. But when Kaito came by, Baekhyun was free to be a child. Since then, out of all Lev’s friends, Baekhyun always looked forward to seeing Kaito.
Yes, Baekhyun was shocked to know from a stranger (aka Jongdae) that Lev, the family he knew growing up, married two years ago. He thought he and Lev were a team, so this hurt him. But he wasn’t upset with his adoptive father’s choice. He could never be upset with Kaito, not when he was the reason why Baekhyun worked harder; to show Kaito that he was going to be a legend in skating next time they saw each other again. And now he has.
Kaito’s eyes welled with tears, touched to know that Baekhyun accepted him. He placed his arm around Baekhyun and kissed his head, accepting Baekhyun as his son too. “So can I call you dad too? I always liked you more than Lev.” Baekhyun chuckled and Kaito did too.
“Don’t tell him that. He’ll sulk for days. You know how much he adores you.” Kaito scoffed. “But Baekhyun, don’t hesitate to come to me when you need anything, okay? Like always,” Baekhyun nodded, staring at the ice.
“I’m jealous.” Baekhyun mumbled. “Jongdae has you as his coach. I’m not saying Lev is bad or what. I just feel like I’ll be different if you trained me.”
“I’m training you now. What difference does that make?” Kaito stayed optimistic. “Never be jealous of Jongdae. He may be my Superstar now but you are too. You’re my first Superstar.” Baekhyun looked at him, looking 17 for once as his vulnerabilities came out. “Are you sure you’re okay to have me in your family with Lev?”
“I was waiting for this day, Uncle Kaito.” Baekhyun nodded, heart at ease to have another shoulder to lean on. “Can you come by at our place for dinner? I can cook for you! I know how to now.”
“No, no. Let me cook for you. Our champion son deserves a proper meal, not whatever Lev feeds you.” Kaito rolled his eyes, making Baekhyun laugh. They both glanced at the nervous Lev, snickering at his state. “How about we end training early to have dinner?”
“You’re the best, Dad.” Baekhyun hugged him, feeling calmer than usual.
“Ah, I do have a favor to ask you, Baekhyun.” Kaito remembered, hoping Baekhyun would say yes. “Can you help us teach Jongdae soon?”
“Would he like that? He isn’t keen on having me around as far as I remember.” Baekhyun’s icy demeanor returned in a snap.
“Well, Jongdae’s a kind boy. He’s just shy around you, I think. You’re his idol so,” Kaito shrugged. “He learned to skate after watching your Grand Prix debut, the Ave Maria piece? He knows it more than any of his own performances.” He laughed amusingly and shared more stories about the son he never had. Baekhyun kept his mind and ears open, knowing more about his training mate from the perspective of the man who brought him to new heights. Thus, making him say yes.
On a random training day, Jongdae was surprised to see Baekhyun on the ice when it was supposed to be the rookie's day. The coaches needed Baekhyun to demonstrate some advanced techniques for Jongdae to use in his program. Baekhyun was in his black pants and a black fitted turtleneck, white hair flowing back with the wind as he gained momentum and did a quadruple toe loop followed by a triple axel perfectly. That was what Jongdae tried to achieve in his new program. Who would better teach him than the person who has landed it perfectly for years, right?
Baekhyun looked at his fellow skater, challenging him to do it too. He couldn't, of course, not yet. Kaito clapped his hands and asked them to warm up. Jongdae zipped up his jacket and skated around the rink, feeling competitive for some reason. Baekhyun circled around the center, stuck in a daze as he kept one foot in front of the other, gliding casually as he played his piece song in his mind. Kaito and Lev felt their tension between them following the last joint training session.
Baekhyun kept skating and practicing his spins while Jongdae and the coaches talked, humming the piece song softly to improve his movements while he simply skated around. He looked at Jongdae, remembering Kaito’s view of him. Jongdae was a rookie, excited for his career despite starting late and it made Baekhyun sigh. The top skater was once like that, always excited to learn something new until he was the one coming up with new tricks. Baekhyun left the rink and got a hair tie, pulling the long ends of his hair back for a half ponytail. He went back in the ice and tried to be his old self, conditioning his mind to land a quadruple axel. This jump was for daredevils, maniacs of skating and no one has landed it perfectly in a competition before. So why not take this on, Baekhyun thought.
Jongdae was about to try a quadruple toe loop again today with a triple axel but a dash behind him started them. Baekhyun picked up speed and set himself up to jump with all his power, feeling a familiar thrill again. He jumped and did it, spun four times before landing horribly, sending his body sliding to the wall. Baekhyun burst out laughing, making Lev and Kaito relax slightly. “I almost had it!”
“Baekhyun, stop goofing off. We’ll work on that next week.” Kaito shook his head amusingly. Jongdae looked at his Coach, offense and betrayal in his eyes. “Go on Jongdae, practice the triples first then go for a quad.”
“Am I the one playing safe now?” Jongdae muttered and did as told. Lev was about to call him out for his attitude but Kaito stopped him.
Baekhyun stayed on the side, laying on the ice comfortably as he watched Jongdae land better triple axels. He met Jongdae’s eyes, seeing them blazing as he skated closer to create some momentum. Baekhyun suddenly screamed at the same time the sound of ice scraping off echoed in the rink. Lev turned around and saw Baekhyun with his hands over his face, clothes covered with ice shavings. Jongdae skated away fast, going for a quad toe loop to show he improved.
“Kim Jongdae!” Kaito screamed, startling the skater out of his clouded mind.
“Did you see me, Coach? That quad felt good.” Jongdae smiled but Kaito didn’t look happy at all.
“I didn’t train you to be harsh or feel superior towards others. How could you attempt to hurt Baekhyun? He wasn’t even doing anything to you.” Kaito scolded him for the first time ever, scaring Jongdae.
Baekhyun was on his feet but he kept rubbing his eyes. Lev checked on him but he said he was fine. Kaito’s scolding echoed loud enough for Jongdae to feel guilty and small. “Don’t you dare cry, it won’t do anything. Apologize to Baekhyun. What has gotten into you? Did the silver medal get in your head already? Remember your goals, Jongdae. You’re nowhere near them yet just because you managed to charm the judges.” Ouch. Lev and Baekhyun knew that was too much, even on Russian standards.
Jongdae nodded and took all the words, controlling his emotions. He went back to practicing but all his fire earlier was gone. He was back to being clumsy and sloppy, affected by Kaito’s scolding. Lev wasn't merciful today either, being extra sharp to be fair to Baekhyun. It may be biased of them since they established that they were now a family, but Jongdae was still wrong to attack rudely.
The coaches gave up after five tries of the combination, frustrated because Jongdae kept repeating the same mistake. Baekhyun stepped in and monitored his progress, asking for another try again and again, yelling again and again because this was getting frustrating indeed. “Where are you even putting your weight? Right! Right leg, come on!” Baekhyun yelled, sharing his trick just so Jongdae could get it right.
Jongdae became equally frustrated too, feeling bullied and ganged up on by pro skaters. He got too reckless on his jump and fell horribly, startling the three. Jongdae slapped the ice out of anger and held his arm, wincing. Baekhyun skated to his side fast to check on him but Jongdae pushed his helping hands away and stormed off. Baekhyun was hot in his tail, calling him to come back. They met by the lockers, where a loud thud made their coaches sigh.
“What the hell is your problem? Why are you so pissed off? If something happened off the rink, leave it by the door.” Baekhyun confronted him.
“Oh my god, would you just leave me alone?” Jongdae yelled, not appreciating Baekhyun’s meddling. “Go practice! The rink’s free.”
“No, you’ll tell me now what the hell is your problem with me. Ever since I got here, you’re being so cold. I tried to be friends with you but you think you’re already on top of the world. Coach Kaito’s right, you’re definitely far from your goals yet. Get your head out of the clouds, Jongdae. More skaters are way ahead of you now.” Baekhyun rubbed it all over his face.
“Thanks for telling me what I already know!” Jongdae clapped sarcastically and pushed Baekhyun back. “Get out of my way.”
“What way? You’re still walking the path I made.” Baekhyun pushed him back, sending him to the locker doors. “Do you think I want to be here? All this is because of you, because both of them see something in you! I’m not learning anything here because we’re all busy teaching you! So you landed a triple axel, good, all of us can do that, even a 12-year old can do that better than you!”
“Shut up! Just leave me alone!” Jongdae screamed as tears fell from his eyes.
“Here we go again with the tears, oh my god Jongdae, we’re not five here. Suck it up! If you don’t want my help, our help, just quit. That silver medal was only given to you for a sob story. Miyuu and Paolo deserved the podium more than you did and you know that.” Baekhyun added fuel to the fire as more screams and shoves against the lockers ensued. Baekhyun walked out angrily, announcing that he was done trying to help Jongdae. "Go comfort that crybaby. I'm done with whatever team this is. Coach, send me back to Russia. I'll train myself." Baekhyun got his things and left.
Jongdae was crying on the floor, throwing his skates away when the coaches saw him. His motivation was gone and Baekhyun was so disappointed in him. Jongdae never experienced someone get that mad at him, visibly shaking as he hiccupped and caught his breath. He felt guilty for throwing baseless things at Baekhyun when he started the mess. The coaches comforted him, helped him calm down but he caught a fever immediately after it. A week of training disappeared just like that with their little family falling apart too soon.