Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Hikaru-chan is amazing.

Inori, much like the other times she had watched Hikaru perform, had tried to study her techniques and her jumps, but it was no use. She couldn’t stop being amazed by Hikaru and her performance. She felt as if another miracle had occurred.

Except, this time, this performance, this miracle, was for her sake.

… That was what Hikaru had said, right? That she’d skate for her?

(At the time, she wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been imagining things. She hadn’t understood why Hikaru would do that after watching her embarrassing performance.)

She still remembered sitting on the cold grass and feeling the cool wind blowing through the area, warm tears pouring down her cheeks. She still remembered hoping, maybe even praying, that Hikaru… wouldn’t find her. She didn’t want to face Hikaru. (She hated herself for thinking that. Not only was she a coward, but she was blowing a chance to talk to Hikaru again when normally, she’d jump at the chance to talk to her.)

After that performance, that embarrassing performance, all she had wanted was to go back to her hotel room. Maybe… Maybe in the privacy of her room, she might’ve cried.

(Her sister would be with her, of course. Like last time, they shared a hotel room, and she didn’t think she could hide her tears from her.)

The last thing she wanted was to see Hikaru. The last thing she wanted was for Hikaru to see her smile like that.

Of course. Of course Hikaru managed to find her.

To her surprise, Hikaru not only stuck around, but she… got closer and held her hand. Told her she’d skate for her.

Hikaru’s hands were as warm as hot milk. She couldn’t forget that warmth even if she tried.

That warmth had spread from her hand to the rest of her body, causing her to feel warm all over. She had barely felt the cold ground and cool wind. Not with Hikaru’s warmth near her.

It was all Hikaru. Hikaru was the only one who could do this and the only one who could do this to her.

It had been confusing at first. Before she started skating, she hadn’t had any friends and hadn’t been interested in many other things besides skating. She didn’t know what these feelings for Hikaru meant, and it took her a while to figure it out.

She liked Hikaru. Really liked her.

She wanted to get closer to Hikaru. Wanted to be the one closest to her. Wanted Hikaru to keep touching her and not stop. Wanted to run her hands through Hikaru’s hair and hold her hand and feel that warmth again. Wanted to hang out with her outside of skating and talk to her every day.

She wanted… to kiss her. Wanted Hikaru to kiss her.

She flushed, shaking her head to clear her head, missing Sensei’s confused and almost concerned look.

No.

While it was nice to think such thoughts, realistically, it would never happen. (It’d only happen in her dreams. She remembered waking up from multiple dreams of her and Hikaru with such a fierce longing it made her start crying.)

Because… Hikaru didn’t feel the same.

She didn’t know if Hikaru even liked girls, and even if she did, why would Hikaru like her?

She was Hikaru’s friend and rival. An important one for sure, but nothing more.

Hikaru wouldn’t be hers, and she needed to respect that. Needed to ignore these feelings and hoped they disappeared.

(… Did she really want them to? After discovering she liked Hikaru and knowing how happy Hikaru made her, did she want to forget about these feelings and pretend they never existed?)

No one could know about her feelings for Hikaru, least of all Hikaru herself.

She wanted to see Hikaru again, even though they had just seen each other not that long ago. Not only for the chance to see her and talk to her again, but she… needed to thank her. Give her reaction to Hikaru’s performance.

Sensei (and several audience members) had been surprised when Inori ran out of the stands. She had looked all over for Hikaru, much like the time at the Meikou Cup, but couldn’t find her.

She didn’t have any way to contact her either. No way to meet up or talk. Would it be alright if she asked for Hikaru’s phone number? No. Maybe that would be too selfish? Hikaru was busy after all. It’s just… She didn’t get to see Hikaru often enough, and with Hikaru living in Tokyo now, she wouldn’t see her in any nearby rinks like she used to.

They were still friends and rivals. She wanted to see her purely out of friendship.

Liar.

All she wanted, needed, was one chance. A chance to see Hikaru again. To thank her.

Tsukasa knelt in front of her, causing her to look up from her lap, her heart dropping at the concern in his eyes. Great. She had worried him. “Inori-san, is everything alright? You seem… distracted.”

No.

No.

No.

That was the last thing she wanted. She didn’t want to disappoint him or make him regret coaching her.

“W-What are you talking about, Sensei?” Inori swallowed heavily, tempted to laugh a fake laugh. Her mind flashed back to the last time she laughed a fake laugh, almost causing her to wince. She forced a smile onto her face, hoping to reassure him, briefly clenching her pants. The smile hurt just as much as the memory, but she forced herself to keep smiling. “I’m just tired.”

“Inori-san.”

She froze at his serious look.

“It’s alright to have off days. I know I’ve had times when I struggled to accept something.” Accept? Was he talking about her performance or something else? “I’m here if you want to talk. I promise I won’t judge you.”

She blinked furiously, trying not to cry, warmth growing inside her chest at his kindness. He was very kind to her. He should be scolding her for not paying attention during an important lesson, especially considering the Junior Grand Prix Final was next month. Not being concerned over her. He was always like this. Always kind and there for her. Always willing to listen no matter how crazy or selfish her thoughts were. Always believing in her and wanting her to do her best. He would probably listen to anything she wanted to say. Even… her feelings about Hikaru. “Sensei, I—”

“Ah! Tsukasa-kun! Inori-chan! There you are!”

She looked away to see an excited Hitomi approaching, unsure whether to feel relieved or guilty she didn’t manage to finish what she was going to say.

No.

Even she didn’t know what she had planned on saying. Not the truth. Definitely not. She didn’t plan on telling anyone about her feelings for Hikaru anytime soon.

The only one who knew was her sister, and it would stay that way. Not that she had told her. Her sister had somehow found out on her own, although Inori had to admit she wasn’t too surprised she had managed to. Her sister knew her well. She, of course, had supported her but had also told her to think more positively.

Tsukasa glanced at her one last time before standing up and turning to face Hitomi. He blinked, as if belatedly registering her excitement. Hitomi was beaming at them, excitement in her eyes. Inori couldn’t remember ever seeing her like this before. Something good must’ve happened. “You’re in a good mood. Did something happen?”

“Get packed! We’re going to Tokyo!”

Inori and Tsukasa blinked. “Eh?” A few moments later, their eyes widened. “Eh?! Tokyo?!”

Hitomi smiled, amusement briefly appearing in her eyes. “As always, you two are in sync. It’s good to see.”

Tokyo…

Ever since becoming a figure skater, Inori had traveled to a lot of different places in Japan. Despite traveling all over, she had never been to Tokyo before. Plus…

Her heart raced.

Tokyo… That was where Hikaru was. She’d be in the same city as Hikaru again. Would they get to meet up?

… No, maybe that was too much to hope for?

Tsukasa scrunched his face, confused. “But why are we going to Tokyo?”

Hitomi looked at Inori, her smile still on her face. “Inori-chan’s been invited to a special four-day winter training camp.”

Training camp? She didn’t know they had winter training camps. Memories of her last training camp came back to her, causing her to almost wince at how angry and bitter she had been with Hikaru.

If she got lucky enough to see Hikaru again, she needed to thank her and smile at her.

“A winter training camp? That’s rare.” Tsukasa sounded as surprised as her. “I didn’t know the Federation held those.”

Hitomi shook her head. “It’s not being sponsored by the Federation. One of the local clubs is hosting it.” She tapped her chin, a thoughtful look on her face. “Seems like they want to raise the level of figure skating. Everyone from the All-Japan Junior should be there.” She gasped, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide, as if she had said something she shouldn’t have.

Inori stared at her, not seeing her. Her heart wouldn’t stop racing, although she couldn’t tell whether it was because of the thought of getting to see Hikaru again or the mention of the All-Japan Junior.

She swallowed heavily, her performance coming back to her.

… That was right.

Why?

Why did they invite her after what happened? After her embarrassing performance? She hadn’t even qualified for the free skate. She clenched her fists, scrunching up the fabric of her pants, aware of their eyes on her.

She didn’t deserve it. That thought kept echoing in her mind like the loud ringing of her alarm clock.

“Inori-san.”

She gasped, quickly standing up and smiling a fake smile. “Tokyo, huh? I’ve never been there before!” She forced enthusiasm into her voice. “I can’t wait to see the rink!”

Tsukasa exchanged a concerned look with Hitomi, something flashing in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself at the last second. She hated how she knew why they looked concerned and how she couldn’t do anything to make them feel better.

Inori already knew what Tsukasa wanted to say, and it didn’t make her feel any better. “When do we leave?” She forced those thoughts away.

Hitomi exchanged another concerned look with Tsukasa before looking at her, her smile, albeit a softer one than before, returning to her face. This time, it was more of an apologetic smile, sympathy briefly appearing in her eyes. “In a couple of days.”

“Are you sure?”

Inori froze, looking back at Tsukasa, who had knelt in front of her again, that serious look on his face.

“Are you sure you want to go? We don’t have that much time before the Junior Grand Prix Final. Plus…” He glanced at Hitomi, concern briefly appearing in his eyes, and Inori somehow knew her performance from the All-Japan Junior popped into his head.

Inori already knew what he wanted to say, and while she dreaded the pitying and scornful looks, she refused to let that stop her. She wanted to become stronger. Strong enough to overcome her nerves and all the pressure. Strong enough to stand on equal ground with Hikaru. Strong enough to prove Tsukasa hadn’t made the wrong decision.

She gave him a determined look. “That’s why I want to go. I want to get stronger and become an even better skater. Sensei’s always telling me how I need to make my own decisions. This is one I know will help me get even better.” She didn’t know who all planned on attending, but if it were anything like the ones she had attended in the past, she knew the top skaters around her age would attend.

Including…

Tsukasa didn’t say anything for a few moments, studying her, as if trying to see how serious she was or if she was lying. “Got it.” He stood up, giving her a determined look of his own. “In that case, I won’t say anything more. Let’s go.”

Relief and that familiar warmth swept through her. She knew he’d understand. She gave him a genuine smile, the smile lighting up her face. Tsukasa and Hitomi gave her surprised looks, which was no surprise. She knew she hadn’t smiled that many genuine smiles today. “Yes!”

A couple of days…

She’d see Hikaru again in a couple of days. It was strange. She felt conflicted about seeing her again.

A large part of her desperately wanted to see Hikaru again. She still needed to thank her after all. Another part of her couldn’t help but remember her embarrassing performance and how she had cried (again) in front of Hikaru and dreaded her reaction.

Hikaru hadn’t said anything about her performance. Why? Was she being considerate of how Inori felt? It wasn’t out of pity or disappointment, right? Then again, after how Inori reacted, maybe Hikaru didn’t want to make things worse?

Now that some time had passed and both had time to dwell on her performance, Hikaru might treat her differently. Her heart dropped at the thought of it. It ached at Hikaru being disappointed in her or ignoring her.

No.

She needed to stop. Hikaru had never done anything like that before. She wouldn’t start now.

… Right?

ZZZ

“Whoa! So this is Tokyo!” Inori couldn’t stop looking around in amazement. “This is amazing! So cool!”

It was finally here. The winter training camp.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it!” Tsukasa shared in her amazement, looking around as much as her. He hadn’t been able to look around as much he wanted when they arrived as they had drove there. They had left their car in the hotel parking garage, as the rink was close enough for them to walk to it. “Ah, Inori-san! Look! That’s the Tokyo Tower!”

“Eh? Where? Where?”

Hitomi stood nearby, sweat dropping at their antics. “You two are acting like a bunch of tourists, especially you, Tsu-kun.”

Tsukasa turned to face her, still beaming, excitement in his eyes. “I can’t help it! Look at this place! I can’t believe Inori-san’s going to train in a city like this!” He sniffed, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes. “I’m so proud of her. Look at how far she’s come.”

“Stop it already, Tsu-kun! You’ve already said that five times this morning!” Hitomi rolled her eyes. “Honestly.” She looked at Inori, smiling a soft smile. “We better get going. We don’t want to be late.”

Inori grabbed her backpack and walked over to her, smiling at her. “Yes! I can’t wait!”

They left Tsukasa behind, Tsukasa quickly catching up and no longer in tears, much to Inori’s relief.

“You said a local club’s hosting this camp? What’s it like?” Inori questioned, her happiness and excitement dying down and making way for her nerves. She unconsciously tightened her grip on the straps of her backpack.

Hitomi smiled a soft smile, sympathy and something Inori couldn’t tell appearing in her eyes. She had no doubt noticed her nerves. “It’s a club that hasn’t been around long, but it’s been slowly getting more attention over the years. Mainly due to their coach and skaters.”

Inori’s eyes widened, her eyes sparkling. “Wow, that’s amazing! They must have a big rink!”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” Hitomi agreed, glancing behind her. “One of their skaters in particular is quite famous.”

Just like Hikaru.

Come to think of it…

She’d get to see Hikaru again soon.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, although she didn’t know whether she felt nervous or excited.

Hitomi glanced behind her again, causing Inori to furrow her eyebrows. What was she…? “Inori-chan, I hate to stop in the middle of our conversation, but I need to go check on Tsu-kun and make sure he’s alright.”

Eh? Sensei?

Inori quickly looked behind her, eyes widening at how Tsukasa lingered behind them, muttering to himself, his serious look on his face. Even as she continued watching, his expression changed from serious to suspicious.

What was he thinking about?

“I’ll go with you,” Inori offered, feeling a pang of concern, wanting to make sure Tsukasa was alright.

Hitomi smiled an apologetic smile. “No, it’s alright. You can keep walking ahead of us. Just make sure we can still see you.” She pointed down the street. “We’re going to keep walking down this street then take a left. The rink should be in front of you.”

“But—” Inori froze, her eyes widening as she belatedly took in Hitomi’s apologetic smile and the brief reluctance in her eyes. She recognized that look. She had seen it often enough at school and even a few times at home. That look told her to run along and let the adults talk. She swallowed heavily, clenching her straps of her backpack, her eyes moving from Hitomi to the ground in front of her, missing Hitomi’s concerned look. “Yes, Sensei,” she murmured.

While Hitomi dropped back to talk to Tsukasa, Inori continued walking by herself, occasionally glancing back at them.

They were talking about her, weren’t they? That was why Hitomi wanted to talk to Tsukasa alone.

Maybe… she was overthinking it. Maybe they were talking about coach stuff?

She was worrying over nothing.

No matter how much she tried to reassure herself, she couldn’t erase this uneasy feeling.

ZZZ

“Tsukasa-kun, what are you doing back here by yourself?”

He looked up from the ground, furrowing his brow at seeing her walk back to him. Without Inori. “Where’s Inori-san?”

Hitomi gestured up ahead where Inori walked by herself, her shoulders slumping. Still in eyesight, much to his relief. “I told her I needed to talk to you.”

His eyes darkened. He already knew how Inori had reacted and what she was probably thinking. “I see.”

“So…”

He sighed, looking away from her and at Inori. He knew she wouldn’t let this go. “I was thinking about Inori-san and this training camp. It’s strange.”

“What’s strange?” Even as she asked, he knew she knew what he meant.

He narrowed his eyes, giving her a scrutinizing, almost accusatory look. Now that he thought about it, they should’ve had this conversation back in Nagoya before they left. Why didn’t they?

Oh, right.

He had been too excited about going to Tokyo and Inori getting invited to another training camp to inquire about the details.

Shit.

“I’m proud of Inori-san and believe in her,” he began. “She’s gotten a lot stronger from when we first met, and she’s become a beautiful figure skater. But…” He forced himself to say the next words, knowing it brought up bad memories. “Her performance at the All-Japan Junior wasn’t her best performance. She didn’t even qualify for the free skate, so why was she invited to this training camp?”

Hitomi hesitated, glancing over at Inori. “They told me they didn’t invite skaters solely based on their All-Japan Junior results but their overall results.”

That made sense, he supposed. While Inori didn’t perform well at the All-Japan Junior, she had performed well in all the other competitions, albeit not as well as they would’ve liked.

Still… Something about it felt off. Almost suspicious.

“They told you that?” Tsukasa raised an eyebrow before giving her a suspicious look. “You’re not telling me everything.” He had a bad feeling. “What’s the club’s name?” She had been pretty vague about the club, the coach, and even the skaters this whole time, and he didn’t know why.

(He didn’t know whether to feel irritated or amazed, as she had somehow answered all of Inori’s questions on the ride here without giving anything away.)

She hesitated again, this time for a longer amount of time. That was rare. She didn’t normally act like this. Even when they had been a team, she had never hesitated to let him know what she was thinking. “I didn’t want to tell Inori-chan, as I didn’t know how she’d react. You know how she’s been acting recently. I didn’t want to make things worse, especially after what happened at the All-Japan Junior.”

“I understand. I don’t blame you.” Was it that bad? He didn’t know why she didn’t just tell him.

… Hang on.

A club in Tokyo…

One that had been gaining more attention over the years…

One that had a famous skater…

One that she didn’t want to tell Inori about…

He froze, his eyes widening, a shocked look on his face. “It can’t be…”

ZZZ

Inori glanced behind her before turning the corner, her eyes widening at the size of the rink. The building looked larger than their rink back in Nagoya.

As expected of Tokyo.

Hitomi and Tsukasa caught up with her, Tsukasa looking pale for some reason.

As they continued walking together, Inori hung back with Tsukasa. “Sensei, are you alright?” She knew Hitomi had already talked to him. Even so, she wanted to make sure he was alright.

“Eh?” Tsukasa blinked before looking at her and flashing a reassuring grin. “Don’t worry, Inori-san. I’m alright. This place is amazing, huh?” Her heart hurt at his fake enthusiastic grin. “They must have a big rink, too. I can’t wait to see it.”

He still looked pale. Was that her fault?

(She knew it. They had been talking about her.)

“Sensei…”

Tsukasa shook his head, regret briefly appearing in his eyes. What…? “Inori-san, I’ve got to tell you something. This isn’t just some random club in Tokyo. It’s—”

“Ah!”

Inori froze at the familiar voice, those butterflies from earlier returning to her stomach.

No way.

She’d recognize that voice from anywhere. That voice… was special and affected her in ways no one else could. It was one she wanted to hear more often but also one she dreaded hearing.

She knew, of course. Knew she’d run into her here, especially after Hitomi mentioned the skaters around her age.

In fact, she had just thought about her not too long ago, so why was she surprised?

She looked away from Tsukasa, missing his shocked and almost ashamed look, her heart racing, making eye contact with those yellow eyes.

Of course.

She should’ve known.

A local club in Tokyo with a famous skater?

Why didn’t she realize it sooner?

Much like many of the times before, Hikaru beamed at her, waving at her from her spot on top of the stairs. She stood next to her coach, Reilly Fox. “Inori-chan!” She made her way down the steps, dressed in her all-black training clothes, her hair already in a ponytail.

Inori managed to snap out of it, waving back, a weak smile on her face. Her heart dropped as Hikaru stopped in front of her, still beaming.

Why? Why couldn’t she smile back at Hikaru? She had promised herself she would. Hikaru deserved more than a weak smile, especially after Hikaru’s last performance.

Something flashed in Hikaru’s eyes. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, causing Inori to wonder if she had imagined it. Hikaru’s smile faltered for a few moments before strengthening. She gestured behind her with a wave of her hand. “Welcome to Starfox FSC!” She bowed her head to Hitomi, smiling a polite smile. “It’s nice to see you again.” She looked at Tsukasa next, her eyes hardening, those yellow eyes as sharp as a wolf’s fangs. Her polite smile took on a sharp and dangerous edge, Inori almost shivering. "It’s nice to see you, too, Akeuraji-sensei.”

Much to her surprise, Tsukasa glanced away from her, almost looking… uncomfortable. “Ah, likewise.”

What… What was that about?

Inori knew she hadn’t imagined any of it. What did this mean? Did Hikaru meet Tsukasa before? She didn’t remember ever introducing him to her. What was with this tension between them?

Hikaru looked away from him, making eye contact with Inori again, her eyes softening and back to their normal soft color she was used to seeing. She smiled at her again, this smile somehow even softer than the one from before, causing Inori’s heart to race. “It’s good to see you again, Inori-chan. I’ve been waiting for you.”

This… This was her chance. Her chance to redeem herself from earlier.

Inori felt her cheeks flush, keeping eye contact with her. “Y-Yeah. It’s good to see you, too, Hikaru-chan.” She tried to smile again, this time managing to smile a small one.

Worry briefly appeared in Hikaru’s eyes, causing Inori’s heart to drop. Her smile quickly returned to her face, although it almost looked… weaker than before. Inori hated herself for doing that to Hikaru. “Everyone else is already inside. Come on.”

She had failed. Again.

Hikaru turned to go up the steps, Inori’s eyes widening at the familiar sight, fear appearing in her eyes.

It reminded her of one of her dreams. In it, Hikaru walked away from her. Sometimes, she skated away from her or kept climbing steps on a staircase. No matter how many times she tried to close the gap or called out to Hikaru, she couldn’t catch up. She always woke up from those dreams in a cold sweat, crying.

(She refused to think these dreams had a deeper meaning to them. She would catch up to Hikaru and beat her. One day.)

She didn’t want Hikaru to leave her behind. Not now.

Not ever.

She quickly and impulsively reached out, holding Hikaru’s hand. Hikaru, who had already climbed a step and was about to climb another, let out a soft sound of surprise before stopping and turning to face her.

Hikaru must’ve seen the fear in her eyes as her eyes softened. She stepped back down the steps, standing in front of her again, much to Inori’s relief, concern appearing in her eyes. “Everything alright, Inori-chan?”

No.

No.

No.

Why? Why did she do that?

She should know better than to do that, and yet… She couldn’t help but notice that Hikaru… hadn’t protested. Didn’t look uncomfortable. Didn’t turn around and leave her.

What did this mean?

… No, she could think about that later. Hikaru was more important.

Inori swallowed heavily, her cheeks warm, her hands sweating. Honestly, what… had she been thinking? Doing this here, of all places? She quickly let go, not missing the way Hikaru adorably scrunched her face in confusion, causing her heart to skip a beat. “Um, Hikaru-chan, I… I wanted…” What did she want? She didn’t think about this at all. All she knew was that she hadn’t wanted Hikaru to leave yet. Wait… She… wanted to thank Hikaru, right? She felt like an idiot for forgetting about it until now. “I just wanted to—”

“You’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you!” Reilly walked down the steps, smiling at her.

Ignoring her disappointment at not getting more time with Hikaru, Inori bowed to her. “Good morning. It’s good to see you again.”

“Thank you for inviting Inori-chan. It’s an honor to be here.” Hitomi briefly bowed her head.

Reilly laughed loudly, waving off her gratitude. “You don’t need to be so formal. It’s an honor to have her here.” Inori flushed, looking away and making eye contact with Hikaru, who smiled at her, something that looked like pride and happiness in her eyes. She wasn’t imagining things, right? She quickly looked away from her, feeling more than seeing Hikaru’s confused look. “I’m sure she’ll motivate a lot of the skaters here.”

Inori couldn’t stop the frown from forming, her left hand grabbing her right arm. She didn’t know if she believed that. Not after her embarrassing performance. Her eyes widened at feeling a hand squeezing her own. She looked up, her eyes wide at seeing Hikaru giving her a reassuring smile, her hand letting go, much to Inori’s disappointment.

“And of course, it’s good to see you, Akeuraji-sensei.” Reilly smiled at him, a mischievous light entering her eyes. “If you ever reconsider, you know where you can find me.”

What? What was that about?

Hitomi glanced between them, giving Tsukasa a suspicious look.

Much to Inori’s surprise, Tsukasa almost looked… uncomfortable. He glanced at Hitomi, paling at her suspicious look. “It’s good to see you, too, Reilly-sensei.” He briefly bowed his head. “Thank you for inviting Inori-san. As for your offer, I thought I already refused.”

Reilly laughed again. “I’m just teasing. I had to have some fun with you.” She gave him a teasing smile, the mischievous light from earlier entering her eyes. “After you turned me down.”

“You did what?” Hitomi accused Tsukasa, her eyes narrowing.

Tsukasa paled, holding his hands up in surrender. “Hang on! It’s not what you think! It was a coaching offer! Of course I refused!”

Inori swallowed heavily, tightening her grip on the straps of her backpack, unintentionally tuning out their conversation.

Reilly had… asked Tsukasa to leave them? Leave Inori to coach at her club?

Inori hadn’t heard about this at all.

Unbidden images of Tsukasa leaving her entered her mind. Not only that, but Tsukasa teaching Hikaru and making Hikaru even stronger.

She didn’t like that thought. At all.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t happen. Tsukasa had refused to leave. She believed him.

“I’m sorry, Inori-chan.”

She blinked, relaxing her grip on the straps of her backpack, looking up at Hikaru. “Eh? Why?” To her relief, she spoke normally.

“Reilly-sensei,” Hikaru elaborated, smiling an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry she’s teasing your coach… and tried to take him away from you.” She said the last part almost reluctantly.

Remembering what happened earlier, Inori frowned. “You don’t like Sensei? I didn’t even know you two knew each other.”

Something flashed in Hikaru’s eyes. Anger? Her eyes hardened for a few moments before softening. Her smile returned to her face, although this time, it looked stiff. Inori had never seen Hikaru like this before. What happened between her and Sensei? “We’ve had a few conversations, that’s all. Don’t worry. I would never take him away from you.”

Somehow, Inori knew Hikaru wouldn’t tell her what happened even if she asked. Maybe Sensei would tell her?

Inori glanced at Tsukasa, Tsukasa waving his hands back and forth as he talked to Hitomi, a nervous look in his eyes. “Yeah, I know.”

She would beat Hikaru one day. Together with Tsukasa.

This training camp was a good chance to get stronger. She needed to do her best.

ZZZ

Much like last time, the coaches divided them into groups, and Inori ended up in the same group as Hikaru.

Mike ended up in a different group than Inori and hadn’t taken the news well, wanting to be together. Inori, while happy she felt that way, managed to placate her with a promise to eat lunch together.

Reilly had invited not just the skaters who participated in the All-Japan Junior, but also some of the promising Novice skaters, something Inori hadn’t known until she saw Mike and Ema. Riou was there, too, of course. He immediately made his way over to them and greeted Tsukasa, treating Inori like an afterthought. So mean.

After what happened earlier, she didn’t know if being together with Hikaru was a good thing or not.

One thing she noticed immediately was the amount of attention their group received, and she knew it wasn’t just because of Hikaru.

“Can you believe it?”

“What’s she doing here?”

“She’s got a lot of nerve showing up here after what happened.”

She had known going into this training camp, of course, about how people, her fellow skaters, might whisper about her. They all looked like they were around her age or older.

(According to Reilly, they didn’t have enough staff to help with the training camp, even with all the coaching staff, so she had asked the rest of her skaters to help.)

It… was alright.

She could do this.

She was used to receiving attention. In fact, she still received a lot of attention to this day from her fellow skaters and the other skaters’ parents back home in Nagoya.

“Inori-san.”

She looked away from some particularly harsh gazes, trying to ignore them and making eye contact with Tsukasa.

He studied her, as if trying to see if they had affected her. She stood up straight under his scrutiny, not wanting him to worry or have second thoughts about coming. “You alright to start?”

Everyone else had already started skating, the skaters’ respective coaches calling out critique and praise as well as instructions. Inori had been observing everyone skate, her eyes lingering on Hikaru and her graceful and beautiful jumps when her ears picked up the whispers.

“I’m alright.” Inori gave him a determined look.

Tsukasa didn’t say anything for a few moments before nodding. “Then go ahead. We’ll start with your favorite jump.”

Inori lit up, her genuine smile returning to her face, her eyes sparkling. “Yes!” She skated away from him, catching sight of the skaters from earlier. The three girls whispered to each other even now.

No.

She needed to focus.

Her favorite jump. One she hadn’t gotten to do in a while.

“The strength of my fingers… The weight of the wind…” Inori felt eyes on her, and it wasn’t just the skaters from before. She knew why, of course. Everyone wanted to see her jump— no, make sure she could still jump, even after her embarrassing performance. “The light’s reflection in my eyes… The ice’s sound…” She jumped, spinning in midair before landing cleanly on the ice.

Silence enfolded around the rink, and it wasn’t just the skaters from earlier. Everyone had stopped talking and moving, even her fellow skaters. All she could hear was the sound of her skates against the ice.

“Alright! Good job, Inori-san!” Tsukasa called out from beside the rink, seemingly oblivious to everyone’s reaction. She knew differently, of course. They had expected this reaction. “That was a perfect quadruple salchow! Let’s keep it going!”

She looked over, making eye contact with him and smiling. “Yes!” Her eyes gravitated toward Hikaru. Her eyes widened when Hikaru’s eyes met her own, Hikaru beaming at her before skating away from her.

Hikaru jumped, spinning in midair before landing cleanly on the ice. A perfect quadruple toe loop. She made eye contact with Inori again, grinning a competitive grin, causing Inori to feel a sudden chill, one she knew had nothing to do with the ice.

Hikaru-chan is amazing.

It felt like they were the only ones here. She couldn’t stop staring.

Even though it had been only one jump and not a performance, Hikaru had been as graceful and as beautiful as ever. People had told Inori how she came alive and transformed while on the ice. It was the same for Hikaru. It felt like watching magic… or a miracle. She didn’t want to look away. Plus, that competitive grin… That was meant for her and her alone. Her heart raced, and she knew it wasn’t just because of the exercise.

Everyone else started skating and jumping again, a competitive atmosphere filling up the room and replacing the tension from earlier.

Hikaru skated away, breaking their eye contact, causing Inori to flush.

What… What was she doing? This wasn’t the time to gawk at Hikaru.

She needed to work on her jumps and get stronger.

Namely her triple lutz.

Everyone else landed their triple lutz. She was the only one who couldn’t do it.

It was still unstable, and she couldn’t figure out why. She had managed to do it several times before in practice and even in the official practice before competitions, and yet, she still hadn’t managed to do one in an actual competition.

It was frustrating.

She tried once more, losing her balance midair and slamming onto the ice on her butt, causing her to wince.

“Remember your timing!” Tsukasa called out.

One more time.

She got up, trying it again, this time managing to land on her feet, although it wasn’t a clean landing like everyone else.

The rest of the practice continued like that, Inori practicing her triple lutz and triple axel and not landing either of them perfectly. At a certain point, she became aware of the whispers again, those whispers easily carrying over the ice and to where she practiced, almost as if they had spoken at normal volume.

“Is she serious right now?”

“Everyone else can do it. Why can’t she?”

“She’s not even that good.”

Focus. The timing was important.

She needed to focus on her jumps. Not what people thought of her.

She knew going in that this might happen, and it didn’t bother her. Like she had told Hikaru not that long ago, she wasn’t afraid of people mocking her for her failures.

Even when she got better and kept passing badge test after badge test, people at the Osu rink, namely a lot of the parents, made comments about her. About how she was still too late and unlucky. About how she was wasting people’s, especially Tsukasa’s, time.

While Inori tried not to listen to them, the comments about Tsukasa always managed to cut in to her. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t true. She hated the thought of wasting Tsukasa’s time. Hated knowing she… hadn’t delivered yet and won the gold medal.

They took a break from skating, everyone cooling down and stretching together. Inori took a deep breath, clenching her fists.

This time for sure, she would talk to Hikaru. About what, she didn’t know.

She walked over, her heart still racing. Hikaru didn’t have a partner yet. They could stretch together. Hikaru had her back facing her. All she needed to do was call out.

“Inori-chan, want to be my partner?”

She jumped, turning around to see Yuunagi smiling at her. “I was hoping…” She turned back to face Hikaru, her face dropping in disappointment at seeing Hikaru stretching with Ako. Great. She was too late. She turned to face Yuunagi, smiling back, hoping Yuunagi didn’t see her disappointment. “Yeah, thank you.”

They had a class on nutrition just before lunch, and while all the talk of food made her hungry, Inori forced herself to focus and listen to the coach in charge.

Hikaru was already sitting with Riou when she finished picking out her food.

Inori stared at the table halfway across the room. It would be easy, so easy, for her to walk over and join them. Riou wouldn’t be happy, of course, but she knew Hikaru would defend her. She took a few steps in their direction.

“Inori! Over here! Over here!”

She paused, noticing Mike, Ema, and Yuunagi sitting at a table a couple of tables away from Hikaru’s table. Mike waved at her from her spot before getting up and running over to her, briefly hugging her arm.

“Inori, I missed you! Come sit with me!”

… Oh, right.

She had promised to sit with Mike at lunch, hadn’t she?

She smiled at Mike, hating herself for feeling disappointed. She hoped it didn’t show, as she liked Mike a lot and didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “I missed you, too, Mike-chan.” She walked with Mike to their table, passing Hikaru’s table on the way and missing the way Hikaru’s eyes followed her.

They had a lecture on stage expression after lunch, and when it came time to choose partners to work on their expressions, Yuunagi grabbed Inori and Ako grabbed Hikaru before Inori even managed a step in Hikaru’s direction.

She didn’t think they did it on purpose, so she tried not to dwell on it. This training camp wasn’t just about talking to Hikaru after all. She needed to get stronger, and that involved working on her expressions.

The last lesson of the day was on the ice again, although this time, the coaches wanted to work on their skating.

Inori finished changing and grabbed her gloves, standing up with a smile and making her way over to the changing stall door. She reached out for the door and froze, hearing laughter nearby.

Not just any laughter. Those three girls from earlier.

“She’s so annoying, isn’t she?”

They were talking about her. She knew it.

“What was up with earlier? She wasn’t even trying!”

Inori stepped backward, not even realizing she’d dropped her gloves, her back hitting the wall, her eyes wide.

“I know, right? Everyone else can do it! Why can’t she?”

“She’s not trying hard enough! Did she even realize how foolish she looked?” One girl laughed. “Talk about embarrassing.”

They laughed, and Inori slowly inched down the wall, sitting down and pulling her knees to her chest. She tightened her grip, blinking furiously. She knew she shouldn’t listen, and yet, she couldn’t stop.

When?

When would she stop letting what people say about her get to her? She was used to comments like this, of course, so why did comments from people she didn’t even know bother her?

“Speaking of not trying hard enough… Did you see her All-Japan Junior performance? Now that was embarrassing.”

Inori froze, her mind already bringing up what happened and drowning out the laughter. Before she knew it, she was back in the Shin Yokohama Skate Center.

She found herself standing under the spotlight, sweat pouring off her. She breathed heavily, her heart racing, as if she had done three performances in a row rather than just one. Her side still hurt from when she landed on it. She couldn’t stop shaking, and she knew it had nothing to do with the cold. For once, the empty stage belonging to her and her alone felt too large.

She had nowhere to hide. Everyone kept their eyes on her, and she forced herself to keep smiling, even as she bowed to the judges and the audience. Even when it was so quiet she could hear her breathing over the few people who clapped for her.

This wasn’t it. This wasn’t how she had wanted it to go.

How could she face Hikaru now? No, not just Hikaru. What about Iruka? Iruka had gotten injured but had still wanted her to do her best.

Everything came crashing down. Like that bowl she had dropped when she was young. Except this time, Inori herself crashed to the ground, her performance in literal pieces, and unlike the bowl, she couldn’t do anything to piece it back together.

She had failed. Embarrassed herself. In front of everyone.

She had done her best. She always did her best. This time, it… wasn’t enough. She didn’t get another chance to prove herself.

Another chance to fight on the ice.

She had blown that chance. Blown the chance to get the gold medal she had promised herself she would get not just for her sake, but for Tsukasa’s sake, too. Blown the chance to skate against Hikaru again.

Warm tears poured down her cheeks, and the cold floor reminded her of the cold grass in the park.

Maybe… Maybe she had tried to convince herself she was over it when really, she wasn’t.

Someone opened the changing stall door, light coming in from the outside room.

Inori looked up, tears in her eyes. While it was hard to see through her tears, she recognized the long black hair tied into a ponytail. She let out a watery laugh despite herself, shaking her head.

Of course.

Of course she’d find her here.

ZZZ

Hikaru quickly made her way back to the changing stalls. She had already put on her black training clothes and skates but had forgotten her gloves. Thankfully, she still had some time before they started. She didn’t want to keep everyone waiting, and she wanted to try and talk to Inori before the lesson started.

She frowned, almost pouting.

Other than when they met outside, she hadn’t had any chance to talk to Inori, and it bothered her.

(She didn’t count how they made eye contact at the rink earlier. No matter how good it felt to have Inori’s undivided attention. No matter how good it felt to respond to her jump with one of her own.)

She needed to make sure she was alright, especially after what happened at the All-Japan Junior. Not just that, but she… wanted to talk to her again.

Inori was special to her. Had always been special to her.

Ever since starting figure skating, she had multiple rivals and not many friends. She didn’t blame anyone, of course. She knew that when she shined, people would fall into her shadow, and a lot of them resented her for it.

She also knew that… wasn’t the case for everyone. She had multiple new rivals. Rivals who wouldn’t just let her win and made her work for it. Rivals who kept her on her toes.

While she respected them for it, none of them were Inori.

Inori was her friend and rival. Her scariest rival. She had the power to make Hikaru’s heart race, and it wasn’t always out of fear.

No, she had realized her feelings for Inori a while ago.

She wanted to get closer to Inori. Be the one closest to her. Wanted her to keep chasing her. Keep looking at only her, as she didn’t know what she’d do if Inori stopped looking at her.

She wanted to run her fingers through her hair. Inori had started growing her hair out, and it looked good on her. Her heartbeat raced at the thought of Inori wanting long hair like her. She wanted to hold Inori’s hand again. Hold it not just out of comfort but because she could. Hold it and never let go.

She wanted to kiss Inori and make her smile. She wanted Inori to kiss her. More than anything, she wanted to see her smile.

Her eyes darkened.

That fake smile and fake laugh from that day lingered in her mind like a bitter piece of candy slowly melting in her mouth.

She hadn’t wanted to see her like that. While she, of course, never wanted Inori to cry, she hadn’t wanted to see her smile like that.

She’d rather take Inori crying out of frustration and anger than that fake smile any day.

After watching Inori’s All-Japan Junior’s short program, she knew she needed to wait for her and talk to her. She didn’t know what she’d say. All she knew was that she had to see her.

She remembered waiting in the cold, waiting for Inori to leave the building. It didn’t matter how long she waited. She would’ve waited until midnight or even later if it meant she got to see Inori.

(Not that Inori would leave that late in the first place, but still. Reilly hadn’t been too impressed with her staying out late, but Hikaru couldn’t find it in herself to care.)

At that moment, nothing was more important than Inori.

After her free skate, she had looked for Inori, wanting to see her reaction. She had desperately wanted to know if her performance affected Inori, and while she had felt confident in herself and in her performance, she couldn’t help but feel a little… worried she wouldn’t get through to Inori. That it wouldn’t be enough to light up her longing to skate.

That she’d… lost her.

Much to her surprise and disappointment, Inori had already left the stands. (Without Akeuraji, who had looked surprised at Inori’s sudden departure.) She had looked for Inori, of course, although she didn’t get to look as long as she wanted, as the kiss and cry as well as the awards ceremony took up much of her time.

They didn’t get to meet up again after that, and she had no way of knowing if Inori continued skating. Continued to work hard.

Until Reilly brought up the training camp.

(Honestly, Hikaru was surprised Reilly managed to finalize all the details and everyone’s participation so quickly. Contrary to popular belief, Reilly had come up with this training camp idea only recently. Even Hikaru (and the rest of her clubmates) hadn’t known about it until Reilly made an announcement a few days ago.)

Reilly hadn’t asked her about Inori or her relationship with her, even though she had been expecting her to question her, especially after she had run after Inori that one time. Hikaru didn’t know what to make of it. Didn’t know how to feel… until recently.

While explaining about the training camp and answering everyone’s questions, Reilly had mentioned the skaters around her age. The skaters who had participated in the All-Japan Junior.

She hadn’t said anything more, and while she had winked at Hikaru, Hikaru didn’t think anyone else noticed.

She had known then.

Inori.

Reilly had invited Inori even after what happened at the All-Japan Junior. (Did she do it because she acknowledged Inori as a skater? Or did she do it because of Hikaru? She didn’t know.)

She would… get to see her again. Get to talk to her again.

… Or that was what she had thought.

This training camp wasn’t just about talking to Inori. Hikaru wanted to become stronger and an even better figure skater, and for that reason, she needed to work hard.

Still, she felt frustrated.

Like the last training camp, they ended up in the same group, and at first, Hikaru thought she’d get to talk to Inori as much as she wanted. That... wasn't the case. Everyone kept getting in her way.

(She didn’t think Ako and Yuuna had done it on purpose. Not like last time.)

Why was this happening?

… No, everything would be alright. Today was only the first day of the training camp after all.

She’d get to talk to Inori sometime during the duration of the training camp. She just knew it.

“I don’t get why Reilly-sensei invited her.”

Hikaru froze, stopping herself from turning the corner.

“Does she truly believe she deserves it? Especially after what happened at the All-Japan Junior?”

“Why did Reilly-sensei invite her? Why couldn’t she just allow one of us to take her place?”

Those three girls from earlier.

They had been whispering and mocking Inori almost the whole time earlier, and Hikaru had to stop herself from confronting them.

What gave them the right to badmouth Inori when they didn’t even qualify for the All-Japan Junior? They hadn’t even qualified for the All-Japan Novice Championship.

Her anger flared up, and Hikaru turned the corner, a part of her taking delight in the way they flinched at the sight of her. She kept her polite smile on her face, not allowing the anger to show in her eyes.

“H-Hikaru-chan! Going to practice now?”

“We were just…!” One girl exchanged an uneasy look with another. “We were just about to leave!”

Hikaru continued smiling at them. She didn’t want to cause a scene or make enemies out of her clubmates, even if these girls weren’t people she wanted to get along with.

“Yeah! Reilly-sensei asked us to set up the rink for the next lesson! We should get going!”

They scampered off in the opposite direction of the rink, exchanging nervous looks.

Hikaru let out a quiet huff before making her way over to the changing stalls.

She really didn’t want to make enemies out of her clubmates. She had enough enemies as it was, and it would be easier if she got along with everyone at her club, especially considering she hadn’t been at Starfox that long.

If they badmouthed Inori again, though, she didn’t care. She’d change her mind. They would regret making an enemy out of her.

(Such a shame those girls didn’t compete with Hikaru. Hikaru, for once, would’ve enjoyed the sight of them being devoured by her performance.)

She approached the changing stalls and froze.

Familiar yellow gloves sat under the crack of one of the nearby changing stalls’ doors. The yellow gloves lingered in the darkness of the room, as if forgotten.

What about the girl who wore said gloves?

Hikaru had a bad feeling and immediately changed direction, striding over to the door and opening it, allowing light to enter the changing stall and lighting up everything in it.

Including… Inori.

Inori, who sat huddled against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest, looked up with tears in her eyes. She let out a watery laugh at the sight of Hikaru, although Hikaru didn’t know why.

Hikaru picked up Inori’s gloves and made her way over to her, kneeling in front of her. Somehow, she already knew why Inori had been crying. She glanced at Inori’s hands, her hands twitching with the urge to reach out and hold her hand… like she had done not that long ago.

“Sorry, Hikaru-chan.” Inori didn’t even try to wipe her tears. She tightened her grip around her legs, Hikaru’s heart clenching at the pain and sadness in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want you to…”

She understood. Of course she understood.

More than anyone, she knew why Inori was in tears and why those comments hurt her as much as they had. Those girls’ words had brought back some bad memories, ones she now knew Inori was still struggling to move on from.

Hikaru immediately shook her head, not even trying to hide the anger or concern in her eyes. “You don’t need to apologize, Inori-chan. They don’t know what they’re talking about.” Her voice was firm, and if Inori tried to argue and accept the blame, she wouldn’t let her.

Inori was allowed to blame herself for her performance at the All-Japan Junior, although Hikaru hoped she wouldn’t dwell on it. What Hikaru didn’t want was for Inori to dwell on anything else those girls had said.

Because they were wrong.

Inori deserved her spot here as much as Hikaru or anyone else.

(Of course, that could be just Hikaru’s bias speaking.)

“It wasn’t so much what they were saying.” Inori took a shaky breath, her body shaking. She wiped her tears away, briefly looking away from Hikaru. “I’m used to similar comments back home. It’s no big deal.” Hikaru’s eyes darkened. “It was mainly that… they were right. Everything they said was true.”

Hikaru frowned, biting back her immediate retort. She and Inori both knew how Inori’s All-Japan Junior performance went. Inori didn’t need nor want Hikaru’s empty reassurance, even if Hikaru didn’t fully agree with what the girls said. “Inori-chan—”

“What hurt the most was that I felt like I didn’t deserve this chance!” Inori cried out, tears pouring down her face again, causing Hikaru’s eyes to widen. “Even though I knew this was a great opportunity! Even though I knew I need all the help I can get!” She broke eye contact, moving her head down and looking at her lap. “Even though I knew I’d get to see you again. I’m sorry, Hikaru-chan.” Her voice was quiet.

Hikaru felt like someone glued her tongue to her mouth. She didn’t know what to say. She knew she needed to say something. Wanted to say something. Seeing Inori like this was heartbreaking, and it hurt even more knowing she… couldn’t do anything to help.

A promise came back to her. One she knew Inori hadn’t forgotten and was still trying to honor even to this day.

Much like last time, Hikaru couldn’t stop herself from leaning in and holding one of Inori’s hands in both of hers. She gave her a determined look. “You can still prove yourself. Don’t you remember our promise?” Inori’s teary eyes widened. “You promised me you’d win the Junior Grand Prix Final.”

Inori leaned in closer and set her hand on top of Hikaru’s, initiating contact for the first time, causing Hikaru’s heart to skip a beat. “That’s… You still…?”

“I still believe in you, Inori-chan.” Hikaru’s voice was serious and full of conviction. “I know you’ll keep your promise.” She wanted… No, she needed Inori to know she still believed in her, even after what happened.

Inori stared at her, her tears stopping. “Hikaru-chan…” She let go to wipe away her tears, pulling away from her.

While she felt disappointed, Hikaru let go of her hand and pulled away, standing up and allowing Inori to do the same. She belatedly remembered something. “Oh, here.” She held out Inori’s gloves.

Inori smiled a small smile, her eyes soft and appreciative. She still wasn’t back to normal, but this was a start. “Thank you, Hikaru-chan.”

Somehow, Hikaru knew she wasn’t thanking her for just the gloves.

Hikaru managed to find her own gloves and walked with Inori to the ice, tempted to grab her hand… like she had done the second time they met.

“This reminds me of the second time we met,” Inori murmured, glancing at her hands almost shyly.

Hikaru smiled at her, her heartbeat increasing at her glance. “That’s what I was thinking. I was happy to see you again.” She… hadn’t imagined things, right?

Inori lit up, her first genuine smile appearing on her face, her eyes sparkling, causing Hikaru to flush. “Me too! I’m glad we became friends!” She gasped, her eyes widening, briefly placing a hand over her mouth. “And rivals, too!” She gave her a determined look, causing Hikaru to grin a competitive grin. “I don’t regret that for a second.”

Good. Hikaru was glad that while Inori still struggled with what happened at the All-Japan Junior, she still wanted to skate. Still wanted to skate against Hikaru and beat her.

Anything Hikaru could’ve said died in her throat as they arrived at the rink, everyone already standing on the ice and waiting for them. Whispers broke out amongst the skaters at seeing them together, Yuuna and Ako looking… nervous for some reason.

“Sorry we’re late,” Hikaru called out, putting on her gloves and taking off the skate guards.

“Sorry we’re late,” Inori echoed, copying her.

One of the coaches at Starfox stood in front of their group, a patient smile on his face. “It’s unusual for you to be late, Hikaru-san.”

Hikaru waited for Inori before skating over, keeping her smile on her face. “I’m sorry, Sensei. It won’t happen again. I couldn’t find my gloves.” Inori let out a soft sound of surprise beside her, Hikaru feeling her eyes on her.

Sensei let out an understanding sound, his eyes briefly looking over Inori, concern appearing in his eyes at seeing her red eyes. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything and gestured to the cones in front of him. “Lucky for you, Hikaru-san. We haven’t even started yet. Come and join me.”

Wanting the spotlight to remain on her instead of Inori, Hikaru obeyed and skated over to him. She recognized the drill as one they had done before, waiting for his signal before taking off and executing a perfect jump. She landed in the designated zone cleanly, a part of her relieved at hearing gasps and noticing everyone’s attention was on her.

Perfect. Now no one would pay any attention to Inori until it was her turn.

Hikaru was used to the attention after all. It was the least she could do, as she knew Inori didn’t want everyone to know she had been crying.

Inori, much to her relief and satisfaction, didn’t dwell on what those girls said and managed to execute a perfect jump, her clean landing immediately quieting the girls from earlier.

Good.

Maybe she had been worried over nothing. Inori was still motivated to skate and wanted to get better.

She still wanted to talk to Inori again and get her thoughts about her free skate performance from the All-Japan Junior, but that could wait for now.

While today was almost over, they still had three days left of this training camp. Hikaru wanted to use this opportunity to get stronger.

She also wanted to get closer to Inori.