Work Text:
Late February - Junior World Championship
Triple flip and triple toeloop in combination, triple axel, change foot combination spin, triple Lutz, flying camel spin, now the step sequence, don’t trip on your feet, finish it with change foot camel spin. That could have been better, damnit.
Short done.
Onto the free. Focus on the free. Two days of rest. Yujin doesn’t rest. He never does. It’ll bite him in the ass eventually, he knows.
The free. Harder. Longer. More jumps. Yujin loves jumps. He never feels so free.
Triple lutz triple toe combination. He’s mastered this by now. Quad salchow. A fall. Fuck. He’s up. Oh that hurts like a bitch. Triple axel double toe. Could that have been a triple? Doesn’t matter now. Keep going. Flying camel spin. Donut spin is his favorite. Change foot spin. Okay okay he can do this. Another triple axel. Nice. Good. Triple flip, loop, triple salchow. Keep going. Double axel. Don’t wobble. Choreo sequence. Relax, you’re a good skater. Triple flip. Oh that was good. Okay. Step sequence. This has to be level four. His Ina Bauer is better than anyone else’s. Change foot combo spin and done.
He’s done.
Kiss and cry. He has no thoughts currently. Smile and wave. Scores for Yujin Han, Republic of Korea.
He’s fine. That fall was bad. Very bad. He can feel the sting in his side. He’s not winning any medals today, but the experience is enough. He’s only 16 years old anyway. No one expects him to win, not even at Junior Worlds. He bows to the camera and lets his coach lead him out to the room set up for athletes.
He collapses into a chair, and his coach brings him some water. He’s so tired that he could just pass out right there.
Jiwoong stares down at him, a stern look on his face. Yujin really doesn’t want to hear it, but he knows that the lecture is coming.
“How many hours did you sleep last night, Yujin-ah?” He’s suddenly very glad that he is the only Korean in this competition, but especially in this room right now. No one else can hear the berating that he is about to get.
“Four…. And a half?” He says, lying a little bit. The death glare that Jiwoong gives him makes him shrink down in his seat.
“Three…”
“Yujin-ah.” Jiwoong pinches the bridge of his nose. He always does that when Yujin stresses him out. Which is a lot, if he is being honest. “That’s why you fell on the salchow isn’t it?” Yujin nods. He was already tired, he’s still tired.
“You can’t think that you can get even close to the podium at Worlds with three hours of sleep, Han Yujin.” He knows that, and he knows that Jiwoong knows that he knows that. “You’re banned from practice for two months. You can skate, keep your stamina and legs fit, but no rehearsals.”
Yujin understands.
–
First Week of March
His classmates stare at him when he enters his classroom. He ducks his head and goes to his seat. It’d only been a few weeks at most that he had been gone, but being the only National Team athlete in the school comes with the price of everyone knowing when you compete.
“Yujin-ah, are you okay?” “Yujin-ah, did the fall hurt?” Of course they saw his performance. It’s not that often that people from his school are on the news anyway. Being on the world stage is a big deal after all.
He just shakes his head with a smile. 12th place isn’t a bad placement for someone his age, especially with the fall. He’s fine, anyway. His side stopped hurting a few hours after the free program had finished.
They give him space after a little bit. Yujin sighs, leaning his head against the window. During lunch, he picks his way to the cafeteria, a little dazed. He’s not used to school, not during competition season. But today’s lunch is pho, and he can’t believe it’s a coincidence that the menu on his first day back from Junior Worlds is his favorite food.
Gunwook has saved him a seat at their usual table as always, and Yujin plops down next to his classmate gratefully. Gunwook mumbles a greeting, his mouth full of noodles. Yujin glances around the table, seeing lots of familiar faces from last year, and then his eyes fall on an unfamiliar face.
The stranger is tall, Yujin can tell even from his sitting figure. Handsome too. Plump lips and playful eyes, a bright smile. The glint in his eye intrigues Yujin. Everything about him intrigues Yujin.
“Who’s this?” The stranger asks Gunwook, and Yujin is a bit taken aback. He’s used to being recognized, although maybe not too much, but definitely at school. The fact that this person doesn’t know who he is, is a surprise.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Yujin bites back, but there’s a hint of playfulness in it. The stranger laughs, his dark hair falling in his eyes.
“Kim Gyuvin, 3rd year. I moved here from Apgujeong during winter break. You are?” Gyuvin. Yujin likes the way his name sounds in his ears.
“He’s Han Yujin.” Gunwook speaks for him before he can reply. “He’s a skater. Just came back from Junior Worlds. 12th right?” Yujin shoots him a glare. Why does he feel the need to start with his mediocre placing?
“I’m in my second year, like Gunwook. We’re classmates.” He adds.
“What kind of skating? Like… short track or something?” Gyuvin says nonchalantly, looking at Yujin curiously. Yujin feels an anger bubble up in his chest.
“Why, you think men can’t do figure skating?” He snaps back, his voice cold. He has to fight for ice time with the speed skaters as it is, he doesn’t need people assuming that he does their sport as well. Gyuvin holds his hands up in surrender, a surprised look in his eyes.
“Woah, woah, woah, I didn’t say that!” Yujin bristles, his jaw still set in bitterness. “I don’t know anything about skating. I’ve only seen some here and there from the Olympics and stuff. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Gunwook pats Yujin’s back and smiles sympathetically at Gyuvin. Gunwook knows him too well, damnit. “He’s got some sort of complex about speed skaters, don’t take it personally. But yeah, figure. He’s damn good too. When he’s not falling on his ass.” He’s teasing Yujin of course, and Yujin rolls his eyes and shoves Gunwook’s shoulder.
“Gunwook, don't be an ass. I still came 12th even with two falls. Imagine what I can do in a few years once I make it into Seniors with Hanbin hyung.” Gunwook makes a soft noise of admission and nods.
“That’s pretty good though, isn’t it?” Gyuvin asks. Yujin turns to look at him and smiles, nodding.
“Considering my age and the fact that I fell on my only quad jump-” Gyuvin’s eyes widen and Yujin shakes his head. “I’m fine, I fall all the time, it’s not a big deal. Anyway, I fell on my only quad jump and I still did pretty good. So I’m satisfied with my results this year. I can’t train for a few months anyway.”
Gunwook barks out a laugh, looking at Yujin. “You got in trouble again huh? Sleeping issues this time too?” Yujin sticks his tongue out at his friend.
“Shut up. I’m just banned from practice for two months, that's it. It’s more of a rest anyway. After that I have to prepare for the season.”
“What got you banned?” Gyuvin asks, taking another bite of his pho. Yujin rolls his eyes, heaving a sigh. He’s being dramatic, he knows.
“I only slept for three hours before my free skate at Junior Worlds, and my coach Jiwoong hyung got mad, and now I’m not allowed to do run-throughs for two months. It’s whatever, honestly. My new programs won’t even be ready by then. I can jump and spin and stuff still anyway.” Gyuvin looks intrigued.
“I’ve never really watched figure skating before, if I’m being honest. What I watch during the Winter Olympics is snowboarding. But this isn’t an Olympic year is it?” Yujin shakes his head with a smile.
“No, it’s not. But we have competitions every year, like Worlds and Grand Prix. I’m currently standing as number 7 in Juniors in the world. But that will change in the fall. Some people are aging out, moving up to Seniors, and some did better than me at Junior Worlds. It’s my last year as a junior this coming season, but I’m training with my hyung who is the National Champion for Seniors, and he’s gonna help me move up to Seniors after next year!” He can’t help but preen at the stunned expression on Gyuvin’s face when he says his World Ranking. He’s quite proud of it if he does say so himself. He worked damn hard for it.
“Do you think that you can qualify or whatever for the next Olympics?” Gyuvin asks curiously. Yujin can’t help but love that all of this hyung’s attention is on him. He hums, tilting his head to the side, his dark bangs falling over his forehead.
“I think I will be able to! I’ll probably be second behind Hanbin hyung if I do, and it really depends on everyone else in the team as well. I’m not the only junior! I’m just the National Champion.” He grins. The look on Gyuvin’s face is impressed, and Yujin preens more.
“That’s really cool, honestly. I feel honored to be in the presence of a National Champion.” There’s a teasing lilt to Gyuvin’s voice which makes a flush creep up Yujin’s neck.
“You two are gross, go flirt somewhere else before I hurl into my delicious soup.” Gunwook fake gags, and Yujin shoves his shoulder. Gyuvin just laughs, and they spend the rest of the lunch period cracking jokes and talking about everything Gyuvin needs to know about his new school.
–
Mid-March
Yujin doesn’t like to make a big deal out of his birthday. He’s never been one for theatrics, and honestly, it just feels like another day to him. Nothing special. Gunwook had learned the hard way that Yujin doesn’t really like it, having made a big deal out of leaving a cupcake on his desk.
He doesn’t MIND the attention, sure. But he’s always been someone that everyone in the school already knows about due to his status as a National Team Member, and drawing that much attention to himself over something as inconsequential as his birthday makes his skin crawl.
Gunwook had conveniently forgotten to mention that to Gyuvin, it seemed.
Ever since Yujin had offhandedly mentioned that he liked banana milk, Gyuvin had taken to leaving him one every single morning. Today, that was coupled with a small pink box, and Yujin could see the chocolate frosting of the cupcake in it. He reaches out to open the note taped to it, and he can’t help the smile that takes over his face.
Happy 17th, Yujin-ah. Whatever you want today, hyung will take care of it.
-KGV
“I’m sorry that I forgot to- is that a SMILE?” Gunwook gapes at him as he walks up to Yujin, his backpack slung over his shoulder. Yujin closes the note quickly, dropping it onto the desk like it’s a grenade.
“What?” Gunwook looks at him, his eyes narrowing.
“I was going to apologize for not telling Gyuvin-hyung that you don’t like to celebrate your birthday, but judging by the big ass grin you have on your face, I shouldn’t do that. Maybe I should have told hyung that you like grand romantic gestures on your birthday. I wonder what he would have done.” Yujin shoves his friend’s shoulder with a whine, shaking his head.
“Wook, no! It’s just nice, you know? I haven’t known hyung for that long, but he really cares for me. He’s a really good friend.” Gunwook looks him up and down with a suspicious glance. “What!”
“Friend. Hmm. We will see about that.”
Yujin knows he will never hear the end of it.
–
Mid June
“Noona, get OFF!” Yujin complains, making the older girl laugh. She just relaxes more of her weight onto his back, making his stretch deeper.
“If you want a Biellmann, you’re just going to have to DEAL, little Yujin!” An Yujin crows, resting her chin on Yujin’s back. “You’re not there yet, but you’re close! Have you been stretching with Hanbin oppa?” He grumbles, pushing his back up, making the older girl tumble to the floor. He goes to answer, but the reply dies in his throat as he looks up.
Hanbin is laughing behind his hand, but the look on Gyuvin’s face is unreadable. Gunwook had ducked out of sight behind Hanbin, his squeaky laugh echoing through the practice room. Fuck, how embarrassing.
“Hyung!” Yujin says, standing up quickly. He staggers a bit from the sudden level change, and An Yujin reaches out to steady him, her hand on his back. “I didn’t think that you two would be here with Hanbin hyung!”
Gyuvin eyes him and An Yujin, who just levels her best Olympic skater smile at him. Yujin hates that gleam in her eye. She knows too much already. “Ah, you must be Gyuvin! My Little Yujinnie’s new friend from school. I’m An Yujin, Big Yujin.” She bows, and Gyuvin bows back automatically.
“Yes, I am Gyuvin, Yujin’s friend. I didn’t realize we were interrupting… something.” Gyuvin mutters, and Yujin blinks in surprise. He’s not heard Gyuvin sound like that ever. He glances at Gunwook with a questioning look, and the other teenager just shrugs like he doesn’t know.
“I ran into Gunwookie and Gyuvinnie in the parking lot, and they were looking for you, HanJin.” Hanbin comments, crossing over to the front of the dance practice room to set his bag down. “They were confused because it’s an off ice day, so they weren’t sure where you were going to be.” Yujin looks over at the pair of them again, and sees a sports bag in Gyuvin’s hand.
“Oh! I must have left that at school today! I was looking for it earlier!” He exclaims, rushing over to Gyuvin with a grateful smile. “Thank you for bringing it to me, hyung.” He says, and Gyuvin’s eyes soften a bit.
“It’s not a problem, Yujin-ah.” He says gently. “Gunwook found it and asked me to come with him to bring it to you. So you should be thanking him anyway.” Yujin looks over at Gunwook, who just winks at him with a grin. He makes a face at his friend, who just laughs. “I have to go to the study room with my friends to do some practice tests, so I’ll see you tomorrow at school?” Yujin nods, and Gyuvin ruffles his hair before saying his goodbyes and leaving the room.
Gyuvin is gone for all of two seconds before Gunwook is bursting into laughter, the force of it nearly making him lose his balance.
“Oh my god, I’ve never seen KimGyu look like he’s eaten a whole lemon before! He was so jealous! This is the best day ever, I can’t wait to tease him about this for the rest of his life.” An Yujin looks at Gunwook like she’s been personally affronted, her eyebrows knit in confusion.
“Jealous? Of what?” She asks, and Gunwook jabs at Yujin with his thumb. Yujin gives him a sour look.
“Those two are in some weird situationship, dancing around each other.” Gunwook replies like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and Yujin snorts, shaking his head.
“What are you talking about, Wook. We are NOT.” Yujin retorts, and Gunwook rolls his eyes, looking at An Yujin again.
“He totally thought that you and Yujinnie were dating when we walked in. I could see it all over his face.” Gunwook says, a laugh coloring his words. Yujin huffs, crossing over to set his gym bag down next to Hanbin’s in front of the mirror.
“Is it not immediately obvious that I have zero interest in women?” He comments, taking his water bottle out of the bag. “Plus, Big Yujin is like my sister. Even worse than a sister. She’s like my MOM. No offense, noona.” An Yujin shrugs, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
“I would never date a 17 year old, sorry Little Yujin. Plus, I know you’re gay, Gunwook knows you’re gay, Hanbin oppa has always known. Have you NOT told Gyuvin?” Yujin looks at her like a puppy who has been kicked.
“I never had to tell anyone before, everyone just assumed it because I’m a male skater and I didn’t feel the need to have to correct them.” She sighs, walking over and rearranging his bangs into something that resembles neat hair. She really does treat him like his mom does sometimes.
“I think that you need to actually have that conversation with him then, don’t you cutie? Hmm? You like that hyung of yours huh?” Yujin shrugs his shoulders. He’s not even really sure what he feels about Gyuvin at this point.
“He does.” Hanbin and Gunwook say in unison, which makes both Yujins look at them, An Yujin in amusement, and Han Yujin with a glare.
“Hyung! Gunwook!” He complains, and An Yujin just pats his shoulder with a laugh. “I do a little bit, but I dunno, noona. I’m so busy, and he’s so… I just don’t want to deal with it when I should be focusing on the season. Plus, I don’t even know if he likes boys or wants to deal with my craziness.” Gunwook just snorts, shaking his head.
“Well, while you wallow in self-deprecation and stretches, I also have to go study for midterms.” He clicks his tongue, saluting the skaters playfully. “Yujin-ah, mom said that you can come by sometime before your season starts to get your pre-season meal from her and stay the night. Just lemme know when!” Yujin waves him off, standing back up so that he can crack his neck.
“Hanbin hyung, can you and Yujin noona help me with the Biellmann stretch? I can’t do it on my own.” Hanbin laughs softly, patting Yujin on the back.
“Of course I can, kiddo.”
He wants this more than he can explain. What exactly it is, he’s not sure.
—
Mid-July
“Come on, I’m not going to let you fall, hyung!” Yujin says, holding out his hand from on the ice. Gyuvin looks at him apprehensively, his fingers digging a groove in the boards of the ice rink.
“Somehow, I don’t believe you.” He says, inching closer to Yujin, but not leaving the boards. Yujin just laughs, skating smoothly over to where Gyuvin is. He stops in front of the older boy, a sweet smile on his face.
“Hyung, I really, really promise. I won’t let you fall.” He takes Gyuvin’s hand in his own, squeezing gently. Yujin tugs on his hand lightly, coaxing the older boy out onto the ice. He can see how much Gyuvin’s legs are shaking, so he keeps a hold of Gyuvin’s hand. “See! You’re doing so well!”
He had brought Gyuvin out during one of the free ice sessions that the National Team uses, so Hyein skates to a stop next to them, giggling softly.
“Yujin-oppa! You finally brought Gyuvin-oppa out! I thought it would be ages before you convinced him.” Gyuvin looks at her in confusion, and Yujin blushes furiously. Goddamnit, why is everyone on this team hellbent on embarrassing him?
“Hyung, this is Hyein, she’s the junior champion for the National Team like me.” Gyuvin makes an ah sound, nodding his head.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Gyuvin-oppa. Yujin talks about you SO much I feel like I know you well already.” Hyein says with a glint in her eye, and Yujin realizes she is on a mission. A mission that really does involve embarrassing him like he had thought.
“Okay Hyein, bye Hyein, go skate over there Hyein, thanks bye!” He says, kicking her away with his foot before she can say anything that he would have to explain. She laughs, moving away before his skate can hit her leg.
“Have fun!” She crows, skating away from the pair. Yujin sighs, a dark scarlet blush over his cheeks. He turns back to Gyuvin, hoping that the other boy doesn’t see just how bad he’s flushing. He supposes that he can blame it on the cold of the rink if he needs to. Luckily, Gyuvin doesn’t seem to have noticed that anything was amiss. Good.
“Do you think that you can stand on your own without me? And try to move?” Yujin asks, looking at Gyuvin carefully. Gyuvin shakes his head, clutching onto Yujin’s hand tighter.
“I really think that I’m going to fall if you let go of my hand, Yujin-ah.” He says, his voice a little wobbly out of anxiety. Yujin just laughs, grabbing onto his other hand as well. Might as well go all in.
“Okay, hyung. Let’s go!” He pushes off, skating backwards while tugging on Gyuvin’s hands. The older boy squeaks in surprise, but he follows after Yujin, trying to copy the younger boy’s movements.
Gyuvin catches on quite quickly, all things considered, and it isn’t long before he has less of a vice grip on Yujin’s hands, which he is very thankful for.
“See hyung! I knew that you could do it!” He laughs, a grin on his face. Gyuvin laughs as well, though weakly.
“How do you do this all the time, Yujin-ah? I feel like I could fall over and die at any minute. These are so thin!” Yujin just shrugs his shoulders.
“I’ve been on skates for as long as I can remember, hyung. You’re doing really well for not ever doing this before! Do you want me to let go, or do you want me to take you back to the boards so that I can practice a bit?”
Gyuvin shakes his head, waving one of his hands dismissively.
“I know that you need to practice, and I don’t want you to babysit me. Let’s go back to the boards so that I can sit down for a bit.” Yujin nods, dragging Gyuvin over to the entrance, helping the older boy off the ice. Gyuvin sits down on the bench, putting the guards on his ice skates. Yujin watches him for a bit, but Gyuvin waves him away.
“Go practice, Yujin-ah. I’ll be fine.” Yujin blinks, a flush creeping up his neck before he quickly turns and skates away.
Gyuvin leans against the boards, watching Yujin skate around. He’s quite in awe of the younger boy, having never seen him skate in person. Of course, he’d gone and watched videos of Yujin after learning that he was a skater. He still doesn’t know much about skating, but he’s gleaned information just from osmosis and talking to Yujin for a few months now. What different spins are called, different jumps, complaints about his flexibility and takeoffs. He could probably identify the jumps by now, but the way that Yujin whips around so quickly in the air leaves him dizzy sometimes.
The younger boy is truly incredible.
He watches Yujin set up for the jump that he hates the most in the world. He’s often listened to Yujin complain about the lutz, and he knows that he has been trying to land a quadruple one, but that it hasn’t been consistent, so he can’t add it to his programs yet. Gyuvin always holds his breath when Yujin jumps. It’s terrifying to him.
Something goes awfully wrong this time.
Gyuvin clutches onto the boards again, a gasp leaving his lips.
Yujin goes off his axis, and he hits the ice. Hard.
Gyuvin watches for a minute, willing Yujin to get up. He’s moving, so that much is good. But he sees Hyein glance over at Yujin, her brows furrowed, and that’s all it takes for Gyuvin to move.
He runs onto the ice, doing his best to keep from falling. Yujin has sat up, but he’s leaning over the ice, clearly winded.
“Yujin-ah!” Gyuvin exclaims, skidding to a stop near the younger boy, nearly slipping. He kneels down, cradling the younger’s head in his hands. He searches Yujin’s eyes for any sign of something wrong, but the other boy just shakes his head, wrapping his fingers around Gyuvin’s wrist.
“I’m okay, hyung. I didn’t hit my head. I’m fine.” He says, though his voice comes out in a bit of a wheeze. “I just hit the ice a little too hard. Give me a second and I’ll be able to get up.” He looks down at Gyuvin’s feet, and a laugh leaves his lips. “Hyung, you don’t even have skates on. I’m okay, really. You didn’t have to run out here.” Gyuvin frowns slightly, sitting back on his heels.
“I’ve never seen you fall before, Yujin. That was the scariest thing that I’ve ever seen. And you didn’t get up. Hyein looked concerned too.” The younger girl skates over to them, her long hair swishing.
“Yujin, are you okay? That fall looked really hard.” Yujin sighs, getting to his feet, still a little bit unsteady.
“I’m really fine, but I’m going to get some water and take a small break. If it will make you and hyung happy.” Hyein crosses her arms, her expression mirroring what Gyuvin imagines his own.
“You should rest because you are tired, and because you have a packed schedule. Go sit down with Gyuvin oppa and drink half a bottle of water okay? I’ll tell Coach Kim otherwise that you’re overworking yourself again.”
Yujin rolls his eyes, but complies with the words of the younger, skating off to the boards. Hyein helps Gyuvin back to the side of the ice so that he doesn’t fall. She gives him a sympathetic smile before going back to her practice.
Gyuvin turns to see Yujin sitting on the bench with the huffiest expression on his face, but he has a water bottle with him, sucking on the straw like it tastes horrible. Gyuvin knows it doesn’t, that the younger is just in a bad mood, but he can’t help but laugh. He goes over to the younger and strokes the back of his neck as he drinks water.
“You can go back in a few minutes. You just need to take the best care of your health, okay? Yujin?” The younger boy deflates, leaning his head on Gyuvin’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry I scared you, hyung. I don’t have a lot of friends outside of the skating world, so I forget how scary falls can look to people who aren’t used to seeing them. I was just dazed, and the wind got knocked out of me. It wasn’t as bad as it looked, I promise.”
Gyuvin stays quiet, just running his fingers through Yujin’s sweaty hair. There’s a funny feeling in his chest that he can’t quite explain, but he shakes his head, chalking it up to the adrenaline and fear that had coursed through his body.
“It’s okay, Yujin. Just be careful okay?”
All the younger boy can do is nod. Gyuvin knows he can’t promise anything.
–
Late September
Yujin has never felt so stressed out in his entire life. He can’t even imagine how the seniors feel, since he’s nowhere near Olympic level training. He leans over the ice, sweat dripping down his cheek, falling from his hair.
He’s panting, exhausted.
Hanbin skates up to him, a concerned look on his face.
“Yujin, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Taerae might be back in time for his assignment.” Yujin shakes his head, pushing his bangs out of his face.
“Taerae hyung is probably out for the rest of the season, at least until Worlds. You know how bad this is, Hanbin hyung.” Hanbin sighs, resting a hand on Yujin’s back.
“I know that, Yujin-ah. But that doesn’t mean that you have to do this to yourself. It’s not going to kill ISU to give the spot to someone else. I don’t even know how they got around the rules to let you do it. I know you want to do more senior events, but you’re only 17. You’re moving up next year anyway. You should take it easy.” Yujin shakes his head.
“How am I supposed to prove that I can handle senior events if I can’t even handle this?” He says, and Hanbin frowns at him. Yujin knows that he sounds desperate, but he is. He has to prove himself. This is the best way to do so.
“Yujin. You have the most packed schedule out of all of us. And you’re still in high school. Juggling Juniors and Seniors events… on top of all of your school work. You’re not superhuman. You can’t handle this on your own. I really think that you should talk to Coach Kim about withdrawing.” Yujin shakes his head, pushing the older boy’s hand off of him.
“If you’re just going to berate me for wanting to do this, don’t. I don’t want to hear it. I’m going to do this and I’m going to prove myself, and I’m going to do well.” Hanbin just sighs, dropping his hand.
“Okay, Yujin. You know that hyung just worries about you. We all do.” Yujin shrugs.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m not a child. I’m 17 and gonna be a senior. I’m not the little kid in novice following you around like a lost puppy. I’m all grown up now.” Hanbin’s expression is unreadable, but Yujin doesn’t let it bother him.
“Just take care of yourself, Yujin.”
Of course he will.
–
Late October
“Mom! Yujin’s here!” Yujin shifts from side to side as he hears the voice from the other side of the door. The door swings open to reveal Gyuvin, and Yujin swallows, wrapping his fingers around the strap of his backpack.
The older boy is out of uniform, which of course Yujin is used to at this point, but the sweatpants hanging low on his body coupled with the shorter tee leaving just a sliver of skin… Yujin averts his eyes, tilting his head up to look at Gyuvin’s face. The older boy just grins at him, completely unaware.
“Come in, come in, it’s getting cold, don’t just stand outside.” Yujin squeaks as Gyuvin grabs his arm, pulling him into the apartment. He’s not been at Gyuvin’s house before, but the older had promised to help him study for his math test that he had been stressing about. Gyuvin had called it a study date, and Yujin had spent the last like 6 hours thinking about that as he packed his school bag.
“Hello Yujin! It’s nice to finally meet you! Did you come from the rink?” Gyuvin’s mom says, wiping her hands on her apron as she walks to meet them in the living room. Yujin bows slightly, nodding. He has his sports bag with him as well. She’s observant.
“Yes, I was at practice for a few hours before coming here.” He says politely, a small smile on his face. Gyuvin’s mom is really pretty. She hums, crossing over and handing him a packet of cookies. They’re chocolate chip, Yujin’s favorite.
“Gyuvin told me that you had a competition last week, and you have another one soon, yes?” Yujin glances at Gyuvin, who just beams at him, and laughs softly.
“Yes, in a month or so, I have a senior competition that I’m replacing one of the other hyungs at, since he hurt his ankle. I was told a few weeks ago about it, but I still have a lot more practice to do. Gyuvin hyung promised to help me study for my tests though, so I think I will be okay.” He’s really not. He’s so stressed out that he can feel his heart in his throat every day, but Gyuvin helps. He really does. Even though he doesn’t know how much stress Yujin is under. He doesn’t want to burden hyung like that.
“Well you are always welcome here, Yujinnie.” She pats him on the top of his head, and Yujin can’t help but smile at the affection. He can see where Gyuvin gets it from. “You two can head back to Gyuvin’s room. Ah, but Gyuvin…” The older boy looks at his mother with wide eyes. “Door open.”
Yujin blinks, looking at Gyuvin’s mom and Gyuvin alternatively. Does she think…
Gyuvin just nods, tugging on Yujin’s hand to pull him down the hallway.
No way…
Gyuvin’s room is simple, but still has a high school vibe to it. He’s considerably neater than Yujin had thought that he would be, and his room is larger too. Yujin glances around, and Gyuvin tugs on his backpack as he observes the room.
“C’mon, let’s get to work. We can sit on the bed so you can rest against the pillows. You said yesterday that your back was hurting, right?” Yujin stares at Gyuvin’s back as the older takes his backpack to the bed. How did he remember that? Or even take notice of it? It had just been a passing comment. There’s a pang in his heart. What. He shakes his head, crossing over to sit cross legged on Gyuvin’s bed, his back up against the plush pillows leaning on the headboard.
Gyuvin bustles about his room, taking out his materials to study. Yujin does the same, but he takes his time, watching the way Gyuvin moves around the room. His hyung is a little bit clumsy, if the swearing when he stubs his toe is anything to go by. The action makes him stifle a giggle, and Gyuvin whirls on him to stick his tongue out at the younger. Yujin repeats the action with a laugh.
They fall into a comfortable silence after a while, Yujin sometimes leaning over to ask Gyuvin to help him with a question.
~
“Yujin-ah? It’s getting late. Do you want to- oh.” Gyuvin stops, looking over at the other boy. He hadn’t expected that. His eyes soften at the sight of Yujin, his head rested against the pillows at the head of Gyuvin’s bed. He's clearly asleep, probably for a while. Gyuvin stands up. He carefully starts cleaning off the bed, moving all the school materials away from Yujin’s sleeping form. He places Yujin’s things back into his backpack, zipping it up quietly. He puts the bag on the floor before turning back to pull the blanket over Yujin.
The younger boy’s cheek is pressed against the pillows, his lips settled into a pout. Gyuvin blinks, letting his gaze rest on him for a while. Have his eyelashes always been that long? The bridge of his nose that high? Has there always been such a pretty natural blush on his cheeks? Gyuvin shakes his head, looking down at his hands. He hesitates before reaching out to brush some of Yujin’s hair out of his face carefully. That’s when it hits him.
He finally understands the feeling of panic that he had when Yujin fell on the ice the time that he went to see him practice. The way that his heart leaps out of his chest whenever Yujin smiles that beautiful gummy smile at him. The fire that he had felt coursing through his fingertips when Yujin’s had brushed against them handing him a book at school.
He looks down at Yujin again before pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Nothing out of the usual for them at this point, but there is something settling in his stomach now that he has come to this realization.
He steps out of his room, holding his phone in his hand. Once he closes the door behind him softly so that he doesn’t wake Yujin, he quickly makes a call to Yujin’s mom, explaining that Yujin had fallen asleep and asking if it would be alright for the younger to just stay over. She readily agrees, and thanks him for taking such good care of Yujin. A deep blush settles over his cheeks, and he politely ends the call, collapsing on the couch with a groan.
His mom looks at him over her glasses, a soft chuckle leaving her lips.
“Did Yujin fall asleep? He looked dead on his feet earlier.” He nods, running a hand through his hair. She hums, closing her book and looking her son dead in the eye. Gyuvin stares back at her, confused.
“What.”
“You know what.”
“No I don’t.”
“Yes you do.”
Gyuvin pouts, blinking at his mom.
“Moooooom.”
“You like that boy.” Gyuvin’s mouth pops open, his eyes wide.
“But I didn't even-”
“Do you think that I don’t know my own son? The way that you talk about him, the way that you take care of him. I could see that you liked him, but I knew that you didn’t realize it yet, so I decided not to say anything.” She says calmly. Gyuvin just stares at her, and she shrugs her shoulders.
“You’re not subtle when you like someone, Gyuvin-ah. You never have been. It was just a matter of time anyway. I could always hear it in your voice that you cared for him. Your heart is so big and full of love and care for others. Yujinnie needs someone like that. He has such a burden placed on him from such a young age as a talented athlete. He needs someone in his corner, someone who isn’t on his team. Someone to remind him that he is just a kid.” She reaches out to ruffle Gyuvin’s hair.
“Do you really think that I can be that someone for Yujinnie?” Gyuvin asks after a while, his voice quiet and unsure. His mom just smiles at him gently, tapping his nose with her finger.
“Of course I do, Gyuvin-ah. You have always been someone that takes care of others, and you already take care of Yujin. Regardless of what happens in your relationship, I think that you will always be that person for Yujin. You will always be someone to lean on for him.” Gyuvin looks down at his hands.
“I don’t know if I should tell him that I like him. It’s all so new to me, liking him. And he’s got so much on his plate. He’s running himself into the ground, mom. I don’t know if I should burden him with my feelings.” His mom just looks at him sympathetically.
“Just take your time, Gyuvin-ah. There’s no rush. You are both just kids.” She smiles, and kisses the top of his head. “Now, you should go get the extra bedding from your room so you can take up on the floor. Don’t wake up Yujinnie while you are at it.” Gyuvin nods, standing up.
“Thank you, mom. For everything. For talking to me about this.” She just smiles and waves her hand.
He’s nothing without his mom.
–
Early November
I need to talk to you. - Yujin.
He sent Gyuvin the note, so why is he so nervous? Yujin fidgets with the sleeve of his uniform jacket, looking out over the schoolyard.
“What’s up?” Gyuvin says, plopping down next to him. He hands Yujin a banana milk, which he takes gratefully. Yujin opens the bottle and takes a sip, trying to collect his thoughts.
“I had to withdraw from the Senior Grand Prix.” He says, and Gyuvin looks at him in alarm. Yujin can feel his eyes scanning him, looking for any outward sign of injury. Yujin just shakes his head, leaning back on his hands with a sigh.
“I was trying to do run-throughs yesterday, and I couldn’t even get through one without falling. I popped almost every single jump. I was so tired that I could barely keep myself upright on the ice. Jiwoong said I need to take a break so that I can do well at Junior Grand Prix Final, so he contacted KSU and told them that I would be withdrawing, and they gave that information to the ISU. I wasn’t really supposed to compete anyway, since I’m in juniors, but I guess they bent the rules, and are happy they can bend them back to normal.” Yujin shrugs. Gyuvin’s expression doesn’t change.
“You were that stressed out and tired? Yujin-ah, you should have said something. I could have done something. I could have-” Yujin shakes his head, taking another sip of his banana milk.
“I hid it from you on purpose, hyung. This is what my life is like. I train until I drop and I have to withdraw from things sometimes. It’s not easy, the life that I have chosen.” Gyuvin doesn’t look convinced. “But Jiwoong hyung said that I should do something to destress, so he said it would be good to ask you what I should do. Or something. I dunno why exactly. He was being very cryptic.” Gyuvin laughs softly, reaching out to ruffle Yujin’s hair.
“Should we go to Everland? I know that it’s winter, so it’s getting pretty cold, but I think that it would still be fun to go. You’ve never been right?” Yujin nods, looking up at Gyuvin with big eyes.
“Would you really take me there? Just us?” He asks, and Gyuvin grins at him.
“Of course I would, Yujin-ah. I would do anything for you.”
“Hyuuuung.” Yujin whines as Gyuvin carefully arranges his hair underneath the bunny ear headband he had placed on his head.
“Stop whining, this is what people do at Everland. Plus, you look adorable. I have ears on too!” Gyuvin exclaims. Yujin huffs. He’s right. Gyuvin has dog ears, and he also looks adorable. “Just be glad I didn’t say we should come in uniform.”
Yujin technically is in uniform, but his National Team uniform. The black track pants, and his Team Korea puffer jacket with his name stitched on the collarbone. He had cried the first day he had gotten it. His proudest moment.
“I got us some of the fast passes for T-Express, but we can’t ride it until after lunch. So we can wander around and look at everything first, and get some snacks. My mom gave me extra money today, so don’t even THINK about paying for anything. This is a healing trip for you. Let hyung treat you today.” Yujin can’t help the laugh that bubbles in his chest. He nods, the ears shifting a bit with the movement.
“Okay, hyung. I’m just going to follow whatever you do. You’re the one that has been here before!” Gyuvin hums, before grabbing onto Yujin’s hand. Yujin looks at him in surprise, before looking down at their intertwined fingers.
“Sorry, I should have asked.” Gyuvin says sheepishly, going to remove his hand from Yujin’s, but the younger just grips onto his hand tighter.
“No, no. You just surprised me, is all. I don’t mind.” He says, looking up at Gyuvin. Gyuvin just grins down at him, squeezing his hand.
“Let’s go!” Yujin can barely breathe before he’s being pulled like a dog on a leash.
Yujin’s seen fireworks before, of course, but there is just something that feels different about sitting on the ground surrounded by other people and the bite of the cold air, looking up to see the beautiful colors.
Gyuvin is leaning on his shoulder, and he can feel the older’s breath fanning against his neck, making a shiver run up his body. Gyuvin’s chewing on a piece of a churro, and he holds the rest of it up, offering it to Yujin. Yujin laughs softly, leaning down to take a bite of the churro. He hums happily, savoring the cinnamon sugar.
“Good?” Gyuvin asks, and Yujin nods. He likes cinnamon, and sharing the treat with Gyuvin is nice.
“I like cinnamon. Anything sweet actually. I have a little bit of a sweet tooth.” Gyuvin snorts, his breath visible in the cold November air.
“Yujin-ah, my mom gave you a dozen choco chip cookies and you ate them in 20 minutes. A LITTLE sweet tooth?” Yujin huffs, rolling his eyes and pushing Gyuvin’s head off his shoulder. The older boy just laughs, sitting up straight. His eyes focus on the fireworks, and Yujin stares at him for a bit before he turns his head back to the sky as well.
The walk back to the bus through Everland is weird at night. Most of the lights of the rides are turned off, and all Yujin can hear is the sound of footsteps. He breathes in deeply, watching the way his breath fans out around him like a dragon breathing fire.
“I- Hyung?” He turns to talk to Gyuvin, but the older boy stands still a bit behind him. Yujin stops walking, looking at Gyuvin in confusion. Gyuvin’s expression is unreadable, and Yujin furrows his brows, walking back to stand in front of him. “Is something the matter?”
Gyuvin just shakes his head, but he grabs onto Yujin’s hand, tugging him out of the main walkway to somewhere a little more secluded. Yujin just lets him be dragged, staring at Gyuvin in confusion. The older boy runs a hand through his hair, clearly nervous.
“I need to tell you something.” Gyuvin says, his voice quieter than Yujin has ever heard it before. Yujin just nods, looking up at Gyuvin with big expectant eyes.
“Sure, hyung. I’ll listen to you.” Gyuvin heaves a big sigh, and Yujin can feel his palms sweating. What has his hyung so stressed out? Wasn’t today supposed to be fun? Did he do something wrong?
“I like you, Yujin-ah.” Yujin blinks at him. What. “I think that I have for a while, but I didn’t realize it until you fell asleep at my house. When I realized that all my worry and concern for you was coming from a place of wanting to protect you and be someone that you can lean on. When I realized that I want to hold your hand in the hallways and do more stuff like this.” He waves his hand. “Dates. I want to take you on actual dates. I debated on even telling you this, because I don’t know if you feel the same and you have been so stressed lately that I didn’t want to burden you with my feelings. But watching you have so much fun today, I needed to tell you.” Gyuvin’s rambling, and Yujin can tell how nervous he is. He just stands with his hands in his jacket pockets, blinking up at Gyuvin.
“Hyung, I-”
“Don’t feel obligated to like me back, or lie to me, or anything. I just needed to tell you.” Gyuvin buries himself in his scarf, looking more relaxed now. Yujin takes a moment to sort through his thoughts, scuffing his shoe on the ground.
“I can’t say there is nothing there.” Yujin finally speaks, his voice calm and level. “But… I don’t have the capacity to even think about this right now. My life is filled with practice and school, and traveling abroad at least once a month. I’m so TIRED, Gyuvin hyung.” Gyuvin frowns at him, his eyes a little shimmery. “I’m sorry that I can’t say anything right now. I can’t sort through everything when my life is falling apart right now. But I need you still. I can’t think straight without you. I’ll try and sort through everything when I don’t feel like I’m breaking into small pieces, okay?” Yujin can feel the shakiness of his own voice, but Gyuvin just smiles at him, reaching out to ruffle his hair affectionately.
“I’m not going anywhere, Yujin. I promised to come see your Grand Prix Final anyway. Now, c’mon. We should get out of here before they close the gates. Last one back pays the bus fare!”
Yujin’s never ran faster in his lifetime.
–
Early December
They've only been settled in their seats for about 15 minutes before someone comes stomping up the bleachers to meet them.
Gyuvin stares at the teenager in a glittery red costume who stops in front of him, the younger boy clearly uncomfortable. He looks like he's scanning Gyuvin, looking for something.
"Sorry to bother you, but-" the teen speaks in English, and Gyuvin blinks. This kid had clearly lived abroad. "Is one of you Gyuvin Kim? Coach Kim said that you'd have a Korean flag and one of Yujin’s bags. He told me to find you, and that it was urgent." Gyuvin turns to glance at Ricky, who just shrugs. He doesn’t have a clue what it could be about.
"I am. Why did Coach Kim ask for me?" He remembers that Coach Kim is either one of the girls' coaches or… Yujin's. What’s Jiwoong’s last name? Was it Kim? He’s suddenly terrified that this kid is talking about Yujin.
"Oh um… it's Yujin. He's um… Coach just told me to bring you to the skaters area. He gave me his badge to get you through." The teenager holds up two badges. Jiwoong Kim, Coach, Republic of Korea (KOR), one reads. The other badge says Oliver Liu, Skater, China (CHN). That must be the kid's name.
"Sorry, Ricky. I'll be back as soon as I can." Gyuvin apologizes to his friend, who just waves him off.
"Go see what it is, I'm plenty entertained here." Ricky says, matter of factly. Gyuvin smiles and pats Ricky on the shoulder before following Oliver down the stairs.
They make it past the security with a flash of badges, with Oliver explaining in broken Korean with help from Gyuvin why he has Jiwoong's badge.
Once in the warm up center, Gyuvin spots Jiwoong talking with another skater, a worried look on his face. Gyuvin recognizes the other skater as Zhang Hao, someone Yujin had mentioned as one of his older friends from competition, one of the senior skaters for China. Gyuvin makes his way over to the pair, Oliver not far behind.
"Ollie!" Hao exclaims as the pair approach. He turns back to Jiwoong, putting his hand on the other man’s shoulder. "I will go get my extra pair from the hotel. I'll try and be back as fast as I can. If he agrees to it, he can use them." Jiwoong nods, running a nervous hand through his hair.
"Thank you, Hao. Quickly, please. We don't have a lot of time." The younger boy nods and takes off, leaving them behind.
"Has he come out of there yet?" Ollie asks, and Jiwoong shakes his head, turning to Gyuvin with desperate eyes.
"Yujin tore a massive hole in his skate today in practice." Gyuvin sucks in a breath. Not good, he remembers Yujin saying. Tearing a skate is not good. "He locked himself in the office there and refuses to come out. I need you to talk to him. He will listen to you. Hao went to get his extra pair of skates for Yujin to skate in, if he is willing." Gyuvin heaves a sigh and nods, crossing over to the locked door that Jiwoong had motioned to.
He sees Jiwoong pull Ollie away, murmuring quietly about something. Gyuvin turns his focus back to the wooden door, the faint sound of sobs coming from behind it.
"Yujin." He says softly, but loud enough he knows the other can hear him. "It's hyung. Can you let me in?" He hears the sniffling get louder, and the door lock turns with a click. Gyuvin pushes the door open and enters the room, quickly closing it behind him. He barely makes it into the room before he's engulfed in a flurry of dark hair and sparkles.
“Hyung!” Yujin sobs, burying his face in Gyuvin’s chest. Gyuvin stumbles slightly, before deciding it’s best to sit on the floor. Yujin doesn’t stop crying, his frame shaking from the force of it.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you. You can cry it out, Yujinnie.” The younger boy does just that, his fingers curling into Gyuvin’s hoodie. Gyuvin doesn’t protest, just props his chin on the top of Yujin’s head, letting the younger boy’s emotions run their course.
It doesn’t take long for Yujin to run out of steam, and the cries turn to sniffles. Gyuvin pulls back a bit to look at Yujin, cupping the other’s face in his hands as he wipes tear tracks away. There’s the faintest bit of black smudged into his bottom eyelashes out of place, and Gyuvin cleans it up with his thumb.
“What am I going to do? I fucked up my skates and I didn’t bring an extra pair like Jiwoong hyung said I should. This is all my fault. Hyung, what should I DO? I’m so screwed.” Yujin says softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. Gyuvin makes a sympathetic noise, gently arranging Yujin’s hair so it doesn’t look so messy.
“You’re going to take Zhang Hao’s skates, drink some water, and kill your program. You’re going to have the best skate of your life just to spite the world for trying to break you. You’re brilliant and beautiful and the best skater I know. You can do this, you know that right?” Yujin’s eyes are filled with still unshed tears.
“You think I'm beautiful?” He says in a watery voice, and Gyuvin just laughs, pressing a kiss to his nose. Oh how he adores Yujin.
“Is that all you got out of what I said?” He teases, and Yujin huffs, shaking his head. “Good. You are. You know that. Now go show the world just how beautiful you are.”
Yujin nods and wipes his nose with his sleeve, standing up. He crosses the room to pick up his national team jacket, the flag of Korea embroidered on his sleeve, Yujin Han on his collarbone. Gyuvin knows how proud he is of that jacket.
Yujin stops after putting on his jacket and moves back over to Gyuvin, pulling him off the floor and into a big hug. Gyuvin just laughs, wrapping his arms around the younger boy, engulfing him in the biggest hug that he can muster.
“Thank you hyung, for talking me down off a ledge.” Yujin mumbles against his chest, and Gyuvin just hums, letting the sound reverb through the room.
“I’d do anything for you, Han Yujin. You know that by now surely.” The younger boy nods and pulls away, a shy smile on his face.
“You should go back up to the stands hyung. I can take care of myself now.” Gyuvin pinches Yujin’s cheek, pulling the soft skin gently.
“See you later with a gold medal around your neck.” The sound of Yujin’s laughter follows him out of the room.
The medal that Yujin comes home with isn’t a gold, but Gyuvin can’t help but still be proud of him. A “small medals” gold, something Yujin said was because he came first in the short program, and a bronze for the overall competition. Yujin Han, Republic of Korea, Junior Grand Prix bronze medalist. He likes the sound of that.
He likes the smile that won’t leave Yujin’s face even more.
–
Late February - Junior Worlds
Quad Salchow. Triple Lutz and Triple Loop in combination. Flying Camel Spin. Triple Axel. Oh my god. Keep going. You can do it. Keep going. Change Foot Sit Spin. Is he really doing this right now? Step Sequence, you have a great Step. One more spin, Change Foot Combo.
Done.
What has he done.
Scores for Yujin Han, Republic of Korea.
Personal best. 1st place.
Did he just win the short? Holy shit. What?
No no. Focus. You still have the free. Two more days.
He doesn't remember what he did for those two days. Only a suspicious video call with Gyuvin and lots of sleep. So much sleep. And practice. More sleep.
More stretches for the Biellmann spin. He really wants this more than anything.
The free program.
He’s up last, since he came in first during the short program. Everything depends on this. Yujin takes a deep breath as he waits off ice. You’ve got this. Jiwoong pats his hands and his head as a send off before he skates off to the center.
Representing the Republic of Korea, Yujin Han, skating to Beautiful Part 3 by Wanna One. He loves this song. It reminds him of Gyuvin now.
Go.
Quad toeloop. Okay, good start. Keep it together. Quad Salchow. Triple lutz and Triple loop. Relax into the Step Sequence. Flying Camel Spin. He hears the roar when he shifts into the Biellmann. Men don’t do the Biellmann. He can’t help the grin that appears on his face. You’ve got this. Choreo Sequence. Oh, they’re clapping along! Focus. Triple Axel and Double Toeloop. Another Triple Axel. Hit after hit. Is he going to go clean? Triple Flip, Euler, Triple Salchow. Oh that could have been cleaner. It’s fine. Triple loop. Jumps are done. Clean. Clean. Clean. Change Foot Combo Spin, Change Foot Sit Spin.
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
Clean. He’s fucking clean. Bow. Get off the ice.
Scores for Yujin Han.
He’s crying. Jiwoong is crying.
Yujin Han of the Republic of Korea has taken the gold medal at the Junior Worlds Figure Skating Championship.
Oh, he can’t wait to tell Gyuvin.
Jiwoong leads him off to the athletes room to rest for a bit before the medal ceremony. Yujin reaches to open the door and Jiwoong just stands there. Smiling. Like he’s not going to go in with him.
“What.” Yujin looks his coach up and down. Jiwoong just laughs, stepping back a bit.
“You have 15 minutes while they set up the medal ceremony.” Yujin looks at him in confusion.
“Yeah, I know that. Why are you being weird.” Jiwoong just shrugs and motions him forward. Yujin just scowls at him, pushing the door open. It’s strangely quiet inside. Normally at least one other athlete would be around. He squints, closing the door.
As soon as the latch clicks, he’s pulled into someone’s arms, making him yelp in surprise. But the cologne that surrounds him is familiar, and he can’t help but relax when he smells it.
“Hyung! I thought you were in Korea… your graduation!” He says, turning in Gyuvin’s arms to look up at him, his dark eyes wide. Gyuvin grins down at him, taking his cheeks in both hands.
“I graduated. Took the next flight here. I made it maybe about an hour ago? Just in time to see you fucking KILL it. I am so proud of you, Yujin-ah.” He says, and Yujin can hear the emotions in his voice. Hyung really means it.
“Hyung, you made it. You watched me skate.” Yujin says, and he can hear how wet it sounds. He really shouldn’t be this close to crying again.
“Of course I did. I told you that I would always make it whenever I could.” Gyuvin says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Yujin can’t help the tears that spill down his cheeks again. He’s so emotional right now, he’s sure it looks awful. “You could never look awful, stop that.” Gyuvin says, wiping Yujin’s cheeks. Oh he said that out loud. A flush takes over, creeping up his neck. This time he’s sure that Gyuvin can see it. There’s no way, not with him being so close to him.
He decides to throw his arms around Gyuvin’s neck, pulling him into the tightest hug physically possible with how tired he is. He feels Gyuvin’s arms wind around his waist, pulling him impossibly tighter. His heart is so full right now, he feels like he could throw up. Before he can even think, words are spilling out of him.
“Hyung. I like you. I like you so much. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it to you sooner, but I like you. I like when you come to my competitions. I like when you hesitate to run out onto the ice when you see me fall because you aren’t used to how often it happens. I like when you help me stretch by pushing my back down like Yujin noona taught you. I like when you ruffle my hair and tease me in front of Gunwook. I like that you flew 14 hours the day of your graduation just in time to see me achieve one of my biggest dreams. I like you, Gyuvin hyung. I like you too. I can finally say that now.”
His chest heaves like he has just run a mile, and to be fair, he had just had the most exhilarating performance of his life. Maybe he was just that tired. But the glitter in Gyuvin’s eyes, the beautiful grin that appears on his cheeks, blinding white teeth flashing, that makes it all worth it. Gyuvins squishes his cheeks together slightly, coaxing a laugh out of Yujin.
“I like you too, Yujin Han of the Republic of Korea, Korean Junior National Champion and Junior Worlds gold medalist.” He coos in English, making Yujin huff. “I like you too, Yujin-ah.” Gyuvin repeats in Korean. Yujin just buries himself deeper into the hug, inhaling deeply.
He’d won more than just a medal today.