Yunho took Claudia on ice. The people cheered as they entered as they are one of the crowd’s favorites. They waved as they make their way to the center. Yunho and Claudia were on their positions and the crowd went still. Everybody was anticipating their pair’s performance in this round’s ballroom challenge.

Sweet sugar candyman…I met him out for dinner on a Friday night. He really got me working up an appetite. He had tattoos up and down his arm. There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm – Yunho and Claudia swung and jived to the rhythm. He then carried Claudia in his arms and moved her like a light baton around his body. Claudia made a careful landing on ice and the two glided together with their arms spread like an eagle.

He's a one stop shop, makes my drop. He's a sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman. A sweet talkin' sugar coated candyman, ooh, yeah- Claudia skated her way in front of Yunho and held his hand. Yunho then let go one of Claudia’s hand and transferred it on her waist. With his strength, he lifted Claudia over his head and the crowd cheered in admiration as he parades her around the rink.

He took me to the Spider Club on Hollywood and Vine. We drank champagne and we danced all night. We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise. The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline. – Once again, Claudia landed with grace. They rounded the rink in unison. He followed Claudia behind and held her waist. He lifted her until her feet were a few inches off the ground. Both of their hearts thumped in nervousness knowing that the next move was what they dreaded the most. Yunho threw her into the air. Claudia had never flown with such height and power. She spun on mid-air and felt a blinding pain on her ankle as she landed. The audience was shocked and so was Yunho. He ran towards Claudia who was wincing in pain. He cannot do anything but watch her be carried by the Medics away. He shook his head in shame and disbelief. I am such a failure.
 

-----

It was raining and his mood was as dark as the sky. Yunho drove home and tried not to answer any calls whether it’s for an interview about the incident or whether it’s a call from a friend who wants give comfort. He still can’t move on. He recalled his conversation with Claudia two weeks ago. “Yunhosshi, are you sure we can do this?” Claudia asked as she looks at illustrations that Yunho suggested that they’d for their next routine. “Ne. We’re a good pair. I believe we can do this,” Yunho replied positively. Deep inside Claudia, she was doubtful.  Even though she was young, she is a professional figure skater and with the other things Yunho is busy with, she knows that what Yunho want was impossible. Nevertheless, she said with a weak smile, “Ok. Let’s try.” She doesn’t trust me.

Yunho’s heart sank with the thought of not being trusted. He tried to distract himself by looking at his surroundings. All around, he saw some people with umbrellas. Some people who weren’t fortunate to bring one, stayed on under the shed. Some people who were left with neither an umbrella nor shed, just ran under the rain… except for one.

-----

Meanwhile, the clouds were dark and the sky was gloomy when Yuri and the other dancers set off from the rehearsal studio. "Seobangsshi, are you sure you don’t want to ride in the cab with us? You won’t pay much anyway. Besides it seems that it's going to rain soon," Jaewoon invited. "Hyung, are you kidding me?" Yuri looked through the cab's window and saw that her friends are squeezed in like a canned meat, almost breathing on each other's neck and almost sitting on each other's laps. "Hyung, it seems that the only space for me is the trunk. I'll just skate my way home like the usual. I appreciate the offer though, "Yuri turned down the offer gracefully.

She sat on the gutter and put on her skates. She slung her sports bag on her shoulder and plugged her ears with headphones. Yes, it was dark and Yuri began to worry. She had to get home as soon as she can to lessen the chances of getting sick from the rain or getting injured because of the slippery terrain. Yuri was used to road skating especially that it's been a year since she used that as a means of transportation. It was her exercise and her stress reliever.

The lightning made a slash on the gloomy sky. Yuri began with shorter strides and higher cadence, quickly changing weight from one skates to another. She bent her knees and then subtly shifted her weight back towards her heel. She then brought her weight forward towards her toes and pressed into the bottom of her boot, as if playing an imaginary piano. The thunder roared. She went a little faster. She kept the speed at medium-high so the vibrations from the rough surface won’t affect her balance and skate control. The heavy drops of rain trickled all over the place and on Yuri’s body. She stopped striding and started to scissor her skates to give her a fore-aft stability. Then… baaam!

Yuri felt her knees against the sharp ground. She sat and winced in pain. She looked at her skates and found that she lost a wheel. Those wheels meant to her that much. She lost one of them as if she has lost a friend. Yuri felt helpless on the roadside that she didn’t bother move under the rain. After a while, the rain stopped pouring on her so she looked up to find out why. A man with a god-like aura held an umbrella behind her and said, “Yah! How long do you intend to get soaked under the rain?  Stand up and I’ll give you a hitch! Emo.”

-----

Thank you anghel sa lupa, tzarista, tiny little moment, and mamEngluvhOney for subscribing.