A million thoughts flashed by in Siwon's mind as he contemplated the appropriacy of his impending action. He was experiencing a classic example of what one would call "the conflict between the mind and the heart". His mind rationalised not to overdo it while his heart said to go for it. And as everyone always assumes, the heart overruled the mind and was giving him the extra push to be a little bit more adventurous. His heart was flipping and a warm feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He inched closer and closer towards the alluring lips till he was sure he could feel the other's hot breath fanning his face. Tightening his grip that he had around the petite waist he was about to close the miniscule amount of gap in between when a blaring alarm jerked him and he came back to his senses and pulled away. He immediately opened his eyes in a flash and saw that Kyuhyun was equally shocked. The sound of the alarm seemed to be coming from within Kyuhyun's bag and Siwon saw him quickly approaching it and searching for the object causing the sound. Grabbing his mobile he quickly switched it off before smiling sheepishly.

He said "Um..Sorry...Its to remind me to take my medicine." Siwon saw Kyuhyun breaking open a tiny blister pack that contained his pill, popping it in his mouth and swallowing it with a mouthful of water.

Siwon was beyond mortified. Just a moment ago he seemed to be too lost in his own world that nothing mattered to him. To think that he'd gotten so close to stealing a kiss from the gorgeous figure skater and the golden opportunity just slipped from his fingers in the blink of an eye was enough to frustrate him and embarass him altogether. He tried desperately to say something to alleviate the awkward atmosphere that hung heavily between them at the moment but failed. Hence with no other option left, he silently watched Kyuhyun pack his things to go home.

Meanwhile Kyuhyun was lost in his own world of fantasies. Surely he hadnt expected something as wonderful as this happening out of the blue. Siwon's gentle caresses and kisses that left his skin tingling had all but left a warm and indelible impression in his mind that he was sure to cherish for a long time. Thinking of everything, he smiled before slinging his backpack on his shoulders and facing a flustered Siwon. He chuckled seeing how much this gesture had deeply affected Siwon that he was not able to face him properly without blushing. Boldly going forward, he reached up and placed an innocent kiss on Siwon's cheek which made the situation worse. Siwon's face bloomed like a red, ripe tomato and his eyes went wide in utter shock. Kyuhyun smiled in return and said "I'll see you again tomorrow." Shying away, he dashed out thus failing to see how Siwon was sliding on the icy floor in pure ecstacy. 

Oh...What the....Did it happen for real? He kissed me????

Thats it! I cant take it anymore. I need to confess anyhow. 

I'll do it tomorrow when I come to the rink. Yes! I can do it!

Mentally, hi-fiving himself he left for home wondering if his feelings would indeed be reciprocated tomorrow.

~~~~~~

Kyuhyun came skipping back home humming some unknown tune. This however did not go unnoticed by his mentor who was currently holding a piece of paper in his hand. Though Hankyung found it strange, he didnt give it much thought and instead approached his protege who was currently lounging on the living room couch still humming the tune in deep thought. 

"You seem happy!" Hankyung began and Kyuhyun turned his attention towards him.

"Yeah...welllll....th..the practise...the practise went well today. S...So I am happy" Kyuhyun made up an excuse but Hankyung knew for sure what really was the reason behind it. 

"Hmmm.. I am really glad that you're taking this seriously Kyu. How about your medicine?" he asked.

"I took it on time. No need to worry." Kyuhyun smiled. Somehow Kyuhyun's smile just made everything right for Hankyung and gave him hope. The smile was so pure and innocent that he thought that nothing could possibly go wrong. And that was one of the reasons why Hankyung just couldnt bear to see his talented student in pain or in any kind of misery. The oneness that he had felt with Kyuhyun for so many years transcended that of a mere teacher-student relationship. In all these years of knowing him, Hankyung had always treated him like his own little brother. A frail but nevertheless a mentally strong person who just needed someone out there who could understand him and guide him in the right direction. And he made sure that Kyuhyun's well being took precedence every time. He sincerely prayed every single day that some day Kyuhyun would be able to overcome every single obstacle and would be able to live his life devoid of worries and anxieties. He didnt know for how long he had been lingering in those thoughts when a hand jerked him back to reality. 

"Whats that you're holding in your hand?" Kyuhyun asked curiously.

"Huh...Oh! This....I almost forgot. This is the official schedule for the prelims. Take a look" Hankyung said and handed it out to Kyuhyun. Taking it, he thoroughly went through the dates. Apparently the prelims were scheduled to commence from next month.

"Thats excellent. Wow. Now I'll work doubly hard for it seonsangnim." he beamed and hugged his teacher tightly. 

"You'll do well kid. Just be sure to take care of yourself while you're at it." Hankyung said and playfully ruffled the soft brown curls.

"Ahh! Jeezz...Am not a kid anymore. I am already 22 years old." he pouted cutely while crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well a 22 year old is definitely a kid for a man in his late 30's. Man! I am old!" Hankyung reasoned while Kyuhyun chuckled.

"You need to apply for it tomorrow. There's a registration event online and the only thing you gotta do is fill in the registration form and submit it." Hankyung added.

"Ok. I'll be sure to do it first thing in the morning." Kyuhyun said and got up.

"Alright. You go and freshen up. Dinner will be ready in 10." Hankyung said as Kyuhyun bounded upstairs. And as he saw his student's retreating back, the only thing that he could wish for was for him to always be this happy and beaming. 

You deserve this Kyu! I know you can do it. Dont fail on me now!

The next day morning, Kyuhyun woke up early to fill in the registration form before heading to college. His college was reopening that day and he didnt want to be late on his first day of his final year. And as he logged onto the registration portal, Hankyung soon joined him as well to guide him. He filled in all the basic requirements such as name, age etc, and stopped when a field had asked about the list of disciplines that he wanted to participate in.

"Just select Men's short program and pair skating." Hankyung instructed but Kyuhyun was puzzled but nevertheless selected it.

Pair skating??? Me? With who?

"I know you're concerned about pair skating but dont worry you're in expert hands!" Hankyung assured. And after filling in the form, he clicked on "submit" and logged off. He came downstairs for breakfast along with his teacher and asked "Who will be my partner for pair skating?"

"Song Qian. She has agreed to pair up with you. She seemed to be quite piqued about the idea considering how much she loves seeing you perform." Hankyung said and Kyuhyun couldnt believe his ears.

"Song Qian? a.k.a Victoria??? Seriously? She likes seeing me perform?" Kyuhyun squealed and Hankyung chuckled seeing how his student was over the moon. He knew just how much Kyuhyun idolized Victoria aside from him.

Song Qian, fondly known as Victoria, was Hankyung's niece and was 4 years older than Kyuhyun. She was beautiful, highly talented and trained in some of the most prominent dance forms known to mankind. Being an elegant danseuse herself, she had taken a liking towards figure skating after seeing her uncle perform many times. Hence when Hankyung permanently moved to Seoul, she had accompanied him and even enrolled herself in his academy. Hankyung regarded both Kyuhyun and Victoria as his star pupils who were born to outshine anyone but his fondness for Kyuhyun exceeded a little bit more than for hers as he considered Kyuhyun to be a genius who could learn any move so quickly whilst she took time to learn them properly. But considering Kyuhyun's health, he then decided to tutor Kyuhyun privately within the comforts of his home rather than seek his help through the academy. Thus stemmed a sense of rivalry after seeing such favoritism being showered upon Kyuhyun but in all sense it was a healthy one. Though Victoria regarded Kyuhyun as her ultimate rival, she was indeed very warm and welcoming of him, always being caring and considerate. Kyuhyun had had the chance to meet up with her a few times in the past and had even seen her perform and was completely impressed by it. From then on, he knew that he had to perfect his skills if he ever wanted to surpass her.

And the same went for Victoria. She had wanted to see for herself just how good was Kyuhyun that he deserved such special attention from her uncle. Once she had the privilege to witness for herself when she dropped by the rink. She was bowled over when she saw Kyuhyun perform a short program with so much grace for Ave Maria. Ave Maria was the very first piece to which she had performed years ago and now seeing how Kyuhyun so effortlessly executed some of the most intricate moves brought back vivid memories of her routine.

"I can see why you decided to move in with him and tutor him privately." she had said as she approached her uncle from behind.

"He is so young and yet.......world class. However that doesnt hide the fact that I am still miffed at you for leaving me alone with the maids and butlers, uncle!" she said with a pout.

"Stop behaving so spoilt. I do visit you every now and then. And besides, you know Kyuhyun is..." he began.

"I know I know. He needs you more than I do." she said with concern.

"If there's such an opportunity, I would like to be paired up with him." she had expressed her wish to him and Hankyung silently nodded and smiled at the idea.

Both will deliver the most scorching performance that anyone had ever seen.

And now she was willing to participate alongside Kyuhyun. Hankyung felt everything fall into place as his second dream of having to witness his two best students winning the competition was yet to materialise.

After finishing breakfast, Kyuhyun proceeded towards his college. He was hoping that Siwon would come along with him as usual but was disappointed to notice that he hadnt shown up yet. He wanted to wait and see if he was running late but decided to go ahead as it was getting late. Thankfully he made it just in time to board the bus.

Meanwhile Siwon was indeed running late. It was totally uncharacteristic of him but he had managed to sleep in somehow. If it hadnt been for his mom waking him up he would have slept in a bit more. He hastily got ready and downed a glass of orange juice before scurrying outside. He ran in hopes of catching the bus to his office only to see it depart from the bus stop. He came to a halt as it seemed too foolish to catch up to the bus now that it had left. Frustratedly running his hand through his hair, he cursed at himself for being so clumsy. Right then, he received a phone call from Donghae.

Answering it, he said "Not now Donghae. I missed the bus today and I'm in a hell of a trouble..."

"Whoa whoa...hold on there bud! I am heading to my office right now. I'll give you a ride." Donghae said.

"What? But...." Siwon stuttered. "Just tell me where you are." Donghae urged.

"Me? I...I am at the bus stop." Siwon replied.

"Great. Just hold on. I'll be there in 5" Donghae said and immediately hung up. And so with no other option left, Siwon decided to wait. And as promised, Donghae arrived within 5 minutes. Siwon quickly got into the car and Donghae sped off in the direction of his office.

"Whats gotten into you today?" Donghae asked as he kept his eyes on the road.

"I slept in this morning. And didnt you say you have office today?" Siwon asked and readjusted his tie.

"I do. Your office just so happens to be on the way." Donghae said. Both of them talked about various other things when Siwon told Donghae about having a pet over by this weekend.

"What? Ha ha. I didnt know that you were into these things." Donghae teased.

"Of course I am. And besides he owns one too. So I thought..." Siwon blushed.

"Ha ha ha ha. This is rich. I didnt think I'd live to see the day you blush like a high school girl thinking that you and your crush would be proud owners of "couple pets"" Donghae teased further.

"Ha ha. I forgot how to laugh!" Siwon said and smacked his best friend's arm.

"So you've finally decided to confess huh?" Donghae asked as he made a swift left turn.

"Ya thats pretty much the plan. And I've decided to do it today evening when he comes to the rink." Siwon said.

"The rink? You mean he comes there often? Why havent I seen him before?" Donghae asked curiously.

"He comes to the rink every day. He is an aspiring figure skater and is planning on competing in the Olympics later this year." Siwon said.

"Ha ha. Funny how the guy I am in love.....Whoa! Watch where you're going !" Donghae yelled at a truck driver who was about to hit him.

"I swear Donghae. You're gonna get us both killed. I should have known better than to have come with you." Siwon nagged.

"Wow! Some friend you are Choi Siwon. Here I am saving your from your boss for tardiness and what do I get? A truck load of !" Donghae nagged in return. Both laughed and then settled in a comfortable silence for a while till Donghae decided to ask him about meeting Jessica.

"Sooo....about Jessica.." As Donghae began Siwon butted in and said "I am meeting her today evening. She said she wanted me to come to the hospital. She's undergoing treatment at the moment."

"Oh..I see. Umm..Are you ok?" Donghae asked and Siwon was caught off guard by the sudden question.

"Well..I dont know what to say except to apologise for putting you through something that you're clearly not ready for." Donghae confessed and Siwon smiled as he realised just how much Donghae was concerned for him.

"Thats alright. To tell you the truth, I have long forgotten about my bitter past with her. She's just looking to redeem herself and I thought why not give her a chance. Atleast she feels sorry for it." Siwon said.

"Good to hear. Oh look, here we are!" Donghae stopped the car in front of Siwon's office. As Siwon got off, he thanked his best friend for being a life-saver.

"Anytime buddy! See ya." Donghae waved and sped off towards his office.

~~~~~~

Meanwhile in college, Kyuhyun was surrounded by swarm of students who were excited at the fact that their fellow college-mate was competing to qualify for the Olympics this year. Every one of them came up and congratulated him and promised to root for him during the competitions.

"Whew! You're a star Kyu. Just look at all these girls shaking your hands." Jonghyun said and Kyuhyun rolled his eyes in return.

"So tell me. Who did you go to the festival with huh?" Jonghyun nudged him for a response and saw Kyuhyun blushing madly.

"So who's the lucky girl?" he urged again.

"Its not a girl. Its a guy." Kyuhyun said in an impulse as Jonghyun's mouth hung open in shock. Sighing heavily, Kyuhyun narrated the entire story.

"Dude! I didnt know that you were into guys." Jonghyun said in a whisper. Kyuhyun was getting restless. Right from morning he had been constantly chatting up with his classmates and juniors that he really felt the stress and burden of having to carry the hopes of so many people on his shoulders. He was shaking from pre-tournament jitters and it was making him uncomfortable.

"*sigh* Anyway I gotta go to the washroom now. And please keep this to yourself." Kyuhyun said as Jonghyun gave him a thumbs up. He left for the washroom as he became increasingly aware of his shortening breath. He didnt want to create a scene in front of his classmates and get them worried as well. Upon reaching, he quickly latched it from the inside and clutched the sides of the sink to support himself. He let the intense bouts of cough wrack him from the inside as he gagged and heaved for air to fill his starving lungs. A few drops of blood along with sputum dropped into the sink and this time the amount of blood was quite appreciable. Tears filled his eyes as he repeatedly wiped his sweaty and clammy forehead. He stood there for a couple more minutes until his hazy vision cleared for the better. Rinsing it away, he straightened himself up and proceeded towards his classroom with only one thought in mind.

This has gone for far too long! I gotta consult my doctor before situation gets out of hand!

So here I am with another update for this week. This particular chapter will consist of two parts the other part of which I will be updating in a while. So please do read and dont fail to drop your comments on what you thought about the story so far. If it is realllyyyy dragging do let me know and I'll speed things up. But as per the wishes of many of my readers, I would like to stretch it a bit till it reaches...say 25 chapters before giving it a permanent closure. Again the figures are mere assumptions, so it may take another 2 to 3 chapters more.

I am really glad to notice that this story of mine has received so much support and love that it has indeed become one of my own favorites after AAA. And please take notice that I wouldnt be able to update any of my other stories till I'm finished with this one. So stay tuned...See ya.^^