Toe Loop - 1

Edges and Toe Picks

A/N: I'm back! With another story for all of you. 

Let's​ meet one of our heroines, Krystal Jung. 

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Comments are welcome 😉

 

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Toronto, Canada


"Soojung! Wake up..." I heard unnie's voice outside, knocking on my door. I buried my head deeper in my sheets to muffle her voice. My arm reached for my phone on the bedside table bringing the screen on my face.


ing 5:00 in the morning. Really, unnie?!


There's nothing to wake up for. My leg is healing from the surgery, my dream of entering the Olympics came crashing down on the ice, my Dad dropped me from his training pool...


Mom isn't here and she's never gonna be here.


What's the use of therapy and all if I can't skate anymore?!


The knocking continued making me sigh. I know her patience for me is up to the roof since my 'accident'. Unnie is known for being impatient and strict, but after my surgery she changed.


I feel sorry for her. For having a sister like me... Pain in the little sister who does nothing the whole day but live with Netflix. It's literally 'Netflix and Chill' for me... They should get me as an endorser since what I'm doing right now is an exact example of their tag line.


I've never been this immobile, this inactive. I was always the determined kid who wakes up early for her skate training and exercise. It all changed after that day.


I can't even go to the bathroom without my crutches. Worst of all, I have a scar on my knee, a reminder of that fateful day my dreams died together with one of the people that I love the most. Now I wear knee braces to cover the scar and my knee be safe.


It's been 6 weeks since the surgery and my therapist Johnny has been doing a great job in helping me get back in shape. I can already do some light exercise but I'm still afraid to overdo it. 


Now it's home-hospital-home for me. I got one of the worst injury a skater can have - torn ACL. I'm just thankful it's nothing like a spinal injury or hip injury.


That one landing mistake cause my ACL to tear and made me roll on the ice clutching my knees because it's so painful all I can do is cry. Add to it that the performance was my personal tribute to Mom and it failed that's why I cried. 


Knowing that unnie won't stop at what she's doing, I unwrap myself from the burrito roll I did and stood up using my crutches heading to the door.


"I swear Soojung if you don't open this--" she stumbled on the door when I suddenly opened it. I didn't know she was leaning on her back hehehe....


Unnie's hit the floor making her wince. It's not my fault she's leaning on my door! She should have thought about not doing it while banging my door.


"SOOJUNG!!! WHY DID YOU OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! ! MY HURTS~" I chuckled at unnie's facial expression. It's near tearful and controlling her anger. She carefully stood up rubbing her bum with her other hand and the other one raising her fist threatening me like when we were still kids.


"Unnie... You told me to open the door. It isn't my fault you're practically leaning there like making a music video. And gosh! Unnie! It's just 5:00 am.. what the hell were you thinking?!"


Jess took a deep breath and waved her hand at me telling me to follow her. She went to the couch on my room and sat down. I followed her and plopped myself beside her like a kid, leaning my head on her shoulder.


"Soojung.... I got a call from Korea University. Coach Mike Peterson wants me to take the spot of Assistant Coach and Trainer on their hockey team. I accepted it." She said to me while patting my head affectionately. I turned to her with wide eyes and I saw her big smile. 


My unnie is Jessica Jung Sooyeon. A former figure skater herself. Member of Cal Figure Skating Team representing University of California, Berkeley. Won State championships and once a one-time Junior World Champion and World Champion. She retired early from skating when our mother was diagnosed with Cancer.


Mom was a former figure skater too, once she almost represented Korea on the Winter Olympics if she didn't lose with just 2 points from her opponent. She married our Dad, her coach and trainer.


So you see, skating runs in our blood. Unnie devoted her time with assisting Mom on her road to recovery and also overseeing my training with Dad. She said she's not that serious in skating though and only joined the team at UC Berkeley to have friends and see some techniques. Unnie wants to be a trainer like Dad.


"Oh my God! Jess! Congratulations!!" I hugged her side feeling proud for my unnie. I know she deserves it and I'm happy for her because finally she's going to do what she wants.


"Soojung-ah..."


"Yes unnie..."


"Soojung-ah...."


"Unnie......~"


She tighten her grip on my hands and spoke clearly.
"I want you to get back to shape and fulfill your promise to Mom..." I absentmindedly bit my bottom lip on what she said. Remembering Mom and her smile brings tears to my eyes.


I cleared my throat and a tear dropped on her hands over mine.


Can I still do it?


"Unnie.... Please don't make me do something I can't anymore."


She returned my hug and placed her chin above my head.


"It's your and Mom's dream... I know you can recover from this injury and skate again. I believe in you Soojung-ah.."


I mumbled my words to her trying to control my emotions "It was our dream unnie... It was."


"It is still your dream Soojung and I will do everything to help you. You know how much unnie loves you.." I'm so lucky to have a big sister like Jessi. She always looks after me. She was my biggest fan and I am of her too.


I chuckled at what she said and poked her cheeks "Yeah... You love me so much it's creepy you know that unnie?! And please stop treating me like I'm 10 years old.. I'm--"


"I'm already 22 and capable of taking care of myself.." she sniggered at me ending my sentence. "But still, you're my baby sister and nothing will change that."


"As if I have a choice.. haha.." she tickles my side while I try to bite her arms. This is how we play and we came to get used to it.


Silence. It was a comfortable one... Something we like a lot.


She's the only family I have left.


She broke the silence and made me face her by holding my shoulders.


"Soojung-ah... Dad said if you recover he will add you again to his training pool. Would you like to go back to Dad and train with him?"


Dad. The word makes my stomach turn around.


"I don't want him unnie. Not anymore. The moment I lost Mom was the moment I lost my respect to him. He's not my father anymore.


"But Soo--"


I cutted her off "Let's get some breakfast unnie. Why don't you cook my favorite? I miss your burnt toast.."


I tried to get up but of course I'm on crutches and unnie is fast. She held my shoulders making me look at her again. She smiled warmly at me and wiped the tears on my cheeks. Why does unnie have to look like Mom? Now I'm really mess up, my emotions are messed up.


"Soojung-ah... Let's start our life all over again. I want you to come with me in Korea. Let's go home.."


Home.


Home was when our family was still complete. When Mom is still alive and Dad is still a devoted husband and father.


Maybe it's time to leave this place. The place where our home came crashing down.


The 5 years I spent training my off in this place is over. I lost someone dear to my heart and I lost my will to compete again. I don't even know if I can still put on a skate and glide on the ice again.


"Unnie... I want to go home.." I nodded at her and buried my face on her shirt. "I want to get out of this place, this country as soon as possible."


She wrapped her arms around me and patted my back. Unnie's hug is so much like Mom's affectionate hug, it comforts me.


"That's why I woke you up this early. We got a week to fix every thing we will leave here. Our tickets are ready and the apartment that the University provided is going to be ready too. Soojung-ah, you'll see your childhood friends again!"


My friends. I don't even know if they still remember me. I've been busy with my training before and my home schooling that I never had the chance to ask them how they are. Although there are birthdays that they will send a message to me saying that they miss me and wishing me luck.


"I don't want to go back here again unnie. Please?"


"Don't worry Soojung-ah.." she smiled warmly at me and patted my bandaged leg "We will not return on this place again. We're gonna go home in Seoul and stay there for good."


I winced on what she did...


"UNNIE!! Don't tap on my bad leg!"


"Oh shucks! Mianhe Soojung-ah mianhe.."


We laughed at our silly banter and we know we have come to a decision.


"Unnie let's cook breakfast then I have a therapy with Johnny later. Better tell him that we're leaving."
"Ne, and about your leg therapy, I already asked a friend of mine to look for a therapist for you. We'll meet her when we get there." Jessi stared at my leg thinking about all of the things she has to do just to make me better.


She doesn't even have time for herself anymore. I don't even know if she dates or goes to night outs with her friends like she used to do.


"I heard the hockey team there is very good. With you entering their team, I don't know what will happen tsk tsk..." I jokingly shook my head and click my tongue. She pinched my sides and started to tickle me again "Yah! Don't you have faith in your sister!? To quote Michael Weiss--"

"Jessica Jung is one of the greatest skaters ever with an analytical mind and superb skating skills. Yeah, yeah I get it. But still.." I dodge her tickle attacks and poked her forehead "You're ability to burn a toast and our kitchen is also a skill."


She huffed in annoyance remembering what happened last week when she tried to cook roasted lamb for dinner and ended up using our small fire extinguisher in the corner of our kitchen because the forgotten lamb is already burning in the oven. We settled for take out sushi and ramen that night with laughter all over the house.


"I didn't know you still get in touch with your former coach in UCB. Geez! I don't even know you play hockey."


"Coach Mike is like a father to me.." she looked at me and I understood what she meant "He's more of a father than a trainer. Training with him in UCB gave me freedom to do what I want, he gave me freedom to be creative and taught me the techniques he learned through the years. And he cares for me like his own child. 


"About the hockey part?"


"Well he also handles the hockey team before so sometimes we have joint skating sessions. I serve as his assistant while they are in training. He teaches them the right moves and glide in the ice..."


"Where's the hockey part there for figure skaters?!"


She laughed at my eagerness and ruffled my hair. "Sometimes I get to release my stress by doning their gears and tackling them all to the board. Coach said if he didn't know me, he could have mistaken me for a hockey player with the way I skate and tackle those hockey guys sending them kissing the board of the rink."


I looked at her incredulously. Her petite frame can tackle hockey guys shoving them to the wall?! What the hell did she take when she's in UCB?! A pail of gummy bears soaked in steroids while training !? She saw the look in my eyes and flicked my forehead. Ouch.

 

"My forehead is not as huge as yours, please don't." I snickered at her tapping her forehead too.


"We have the same huge forehead, deal with it." I leaned my head on the back of the couch and sighed.


I don't even know where to begin again. I'm not even depressed... I just lacked motivation and inspiration. I'm also afraid.. that I will not be the same Krystal Jung in ice once again.


Krystal Jung, dubbed as Yuna Kim's successor.


Now I'm ashamed to even talk to Yuna unnie even though she called Jess a lot of times checking my condition.


"Don't worry baby sister, Korea University has an indoor skating rink. I asked Coach Mike if we can use it after training and he agreed. Soojung-ah... Do you trust unnie?


"Of course! No doubt about that."


"I want you to be better Soojung.. even if you decide to retire from the skating world I will still support you. But please just this once Soojung, I want you to find yourself again and go back to where you belong." 


I thought about what she said. Certainly I don't have any plans of retiring it's just that I'm not in a good shape.

 

 


Maybe going home to Seoul is the best decision ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AnthroOutlaw
#1
Chapter 1: I’ve been away from kpop fanfics for a while, and have been sifting through a few pages to find one that caught my eye. I know this is classed as an older work now, but I really like the premise and the way you write. You don’t rush the interactions between the characters, and it feels like you really understand how to put a story together. I’m looking forward to reading the rest.
bluesky2275 #2
Chapter 56: Awesome, me rereading it while waiting for authornim to update.

Note : authornim any update for this story. Does kryber add in new addition to their family, any progress on Dani and Jackson plus the rest of the characters. Update, please.
exiguousnobody #3
Chapter 56: awesome story!
Feichin #4
Chapter 20: ?so sad mike ?
moonsun750 #5
Chapter 45: Oh maaaannnn jessiiiieeee awwwhhhhhhhhhh
moonsun750 #6
Chapter 13: Aww^www it happened my heart... Damn it danii
moonsun750 #7
Chapter 12: OH NOOOOOOOO NO NO DONT PLEASE GOD NO
moonsun750 #8
Chapter 7: Awwwhhhh
moonsun750 #9
Chapter 6: KRYS SWEETIE WHAT? I THOUGHT U DIDNT KNOW HOW TO FLIRT JEEZ.. ALSO JHONNY REALLY WOW
Emjey012 #10
Chapter 55: Nice story as always author-nim!
I don't know much about figure skating and ice hockey but I really enjoyed reading this fanfic.
Kryber having RV as their kids is so cute (^.^)