If the day before she'd been too tired to even hold a conversation, only waking up once the skater got up to put on her skates, Minjoo was determined to make up for that lost hour. As luck would have it, their schedule allowed her to do so this Friday.

It was a good thing she didn't have off-ice training that morning. She spent maybe half an hour in the bathroom arranging her curtain bangs so that they were curled enough, falling down her cheeks, perfecting her wavy brown hair. The gymnasts they shared the large bathroom with apparently still hadn't realised she was borrowing some of their products. They had so many they probably never noticed anyway. Minjoo curled her eyelashes and put some moisturising oil before slathering her perfume all over her body. Chaewon sent her outfit of the day; a high waist slim jeans and a fitted long-sleeved top, so Minjoo went with it from her baggy jeans to the same-coloured long-sleeved streetwear sweater stolen from her brother. Feeling well rested, in a relatively good mood and ready to get things done, she added a few rings, a necklace and grabbed the banana Yena took out before they left their dorm.

Finishing her plate in a hurry, done hearing the guys next table's unsophisticated conversation, Minjoo stood up, informing her team that she had to leave for important personal reasons that her life depended on. Yena and Seohan knowingly winked at her, and she replied with a boastful eyebrow raise, vacating the cafeteria.

It has been two weeks, by the way—Well, not precisely, counting the few days they hadn't talked. But Minjoo was still holding on to that ‘two weeks, and i'm yours’ thing. She liked this game between them; this waiting, this little excitement of knowing if the other was really into it, seeking each other, but she couldn't wait to finally take a new step. Walking to the mezzanine, she thought back to the first times Chaewon grabbed her hand to place it more assertively around her waist, the exchanged glances in the corridors, not daring to look her in her eyes, finding excuses to talk to her... It seemed distant all of a sudden, skating together, the white skates, Eunbi and Hyunjung, the tension mixed with concentration. She missed it, in fact. The thrill, the adrenaline, the nervousness... Minjoo wanted a little more, to feel close again.

When she reached the mezzanine, she leaned against the railing, her back to the crowd that didn't interest her until Chaewon was there. It was funny how no one, no girl, could get a bit of her attention anymore. Maybe in addition to being the world junior pair figure skating champion, she was actually a wizard who cast a love spell on her. Especially since she was capable of teleporting, because as soon as she sent i'll be there in five minutes, she was already there, prettier than the last time. 

Chaewon was obviously thinking the same thing since she stopped dramatically, one hand in front of , looking up and down at the hockey player who rolled her eyes. Well, maybe the skater had seen too much of her in NHL jerseys and joggers—and her dramatic side was a bit overreacting, but still, it was flattering. Especially since, sincerely, Chaewon approached, chuckling, coming to grab her jaw with her warm hand, "oh, we're matching! You look so good."

"Shut..." Minjoo turned her head to the side. Her determination to finally take the lead with the skater just crumbled. Clearly, she'd forgotten that just seeing her, hearing her voice and feeling her presence was enough to make her legs tremble, so of course, a compliment and such a gentle touch would finish her off before she even started. "Oh my..."

"Shut what?" Chaewon took another step forward, the heat of her body melting the taller girl's entire being. Innocently raising an eyebrow, the skater used her fingers again to turn Minjoo's head towards her. "Shut what?"

"Can you s-"

"Use your words," interrupted the pink-haired girl.

"Shut up," Minjoo yielded, finally agreeing to maintain eye contact, only to see malice in hers.

"Make me..." Chaewon tilted her head a little, looking into Minjoo's eyes, then at her lips. Minjoo bit hers, trying to keep her seriousness. Unfortunately, the skater stopped resisting first, closing her eyes in embarrassment, and the hockey player burst out laughing. Definitely, they weren't very good at keeping the same energy face to face as in late night messages. Chaewon laughed too, "I can't take this seriously."

"You sure did for a second," between laughs, further amused by the skater's offended look, Minjoo retorted, teasingly nudging her.

"What- No!" Chaewon shook her head, grabbing Minjoo's hands to pull her closer when she took another step back, pointing at her mockingly. "Minjoo, stop... That’s corny..."

"Minjoo, stop," the taller girl mimicked the other girl's sulking tone, then started laughing again when the latter took offence, dropping their hands to cross her arm against her chest. Once more, Minjoo mimicked her, imitating her pout, and Chaewon gave in with a smile, rolling her eyes. Clearly, they were at the stage when teasing the other wasn't risky anymore. The night's discussions had to stay for the night. Otherwise, they would be in trouble or dating for days already. A little daring never hurt, but not in the middle of the day on the hall's mezzanine—as if Minjoo dared a lot when they were alone in the rink's bleachers. But at least now that she was comfortable, she would try some moves. “You’re pretty.”

Chaewon smiled, though she tried to hide it, crossing her arms again, looking away for a moment, in a tone that was meant to be sarcastic but too soft not to be shy, "I know."

"Chaewon," Minjoo insisted, tilting her head, waiting for the skater to look at her to repeat. "You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

This time, Chaewon failed to contain her feelings, abandoning her facade. Her cheeks turned almost scarlet, eyes glued to the floor, a beaming smile on her face as she went to the railing. Minjoo did the same and they spent another half-hour talking about too many things. About the people at school, their practices, stories they hadn't told each other yet, their arms pressing to more contact, the skater leaning her head on the hockey player's shoulder every time she laughed.

-

To give them some peace after such a long week, Cocho, for once not being a sadist, only requested one hour of drills out of the two, devoting the second to situational exercises interspersed with briefings. Most of the time, home and away games were played on Friday nights to allow the players to go home for the weekend. However, in exceptional cases, such as playing against the Nippon Paper Cranes in Kushiro, the managers would arrange the centre's evening practices. They would all sleep here that night, with the bus to Incheon Airport scheduled for early noon the next day, giving everyone time to get a good night's sleep and be fit. Cocho took advantage of the practice to calmly review the strategies and the players who would apply them.

With a nail between her teeth, standing on her skates between Yena and Jaehyuc, Minjoo nodded at every coach's indication. As he had told her at the beginning of the previous day's practice, the game would revolve around her, Yena and Jiung playing powerful and fast counterattacks. The Nippon Paper Cranes knew the HTC team had good attackers and would focus on controlling advances on the rink. This was their strategy to keep the score gap small; they weren't necessarily looking to score the most but to prevent the other team from doing so. Once again, Cocho stared into Minjoo's eyes for a long time, his pen pointing at the blue circle representing her on the small whiteboard. The center nodded again, taking in all the information.

"Well then, I'll repeat this one," Coach Oh erased all the arrows and lines with the back of his hand, switching to a red pen. All the players focused on his lines as he added more. "Defence, you're going to get a lot of space, free time, okay? On power plays, exceptionally, I want to see you go forward, even past the red line. We're going up, right? The forwards will need to fall back, so I want you in the attacking zone as soon as the puck passes the neutral zone, understood? Otherwise," Cocho scanned the defensemen, then grinned a little, "it's going to be rough. They're going to run into you, especially the forwards, and you can never really count on their referee, so you run into them first, okay? We're going to jam, push and hit. Puck or no puck. I want you to give it your all, got it? I know I pay a lot of attention to the forwards to win, but I'm counting on you to not lose. You're the ones who are going to keep us from losing."

The defensemen nodded, jostling each other with excitement. For Cocho to ask them to go for contact... It announced a rude game, but that was the best part of hockey. Minjoo smiled at them too, pleased to see them so eager, and then focused on Cocho as he started drawing arrows again, taking up the offensive strategy from the beginning, "Yena, Jiung, Ryujin, Changmin, Yoongho, you play wide, okay? You take space on the rink to avoid getting isolated. I repeat, put care into those passes, understood? We've seen it over and over again during the week. They're going to be very present and trying to intercept everything, so you control and play smart, clear enough?" Everyone nodded, so Cocho circled the last blue circle, "Minjoo, Seohan, this time, don't handle the back. I want you forward. Seohan, always on the rebound, got it? You set the game, lead, adjust the pace, all right? I'm counting on you. Minjoo, think with your feet and your stick; I'll allow it. Actually, don't think. Attack the goal in all directions; it has to go in. Now, is that clear to everyone?" The team positively answered. "Let's finish with a game and then I'll let you go. Cold water showers and don't eat too much tonight. Dieticians planned breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. Game on!"

-

Luckily, early spring meant more practice. With that, changing the evening's schedules meant additions and deletions. Chaewon complained, of course, because she had planned to sleep early, but either way, she was already there when Minjoo came out of the changing room, sitting on the blue seat, hands in her pockets. The roles reversed, thought the hockey player, her hair still damp. If her mother saw her, she'd tell her she'd catch a cold like that, and the worst part was that she was often right about that one. But hey, Minjoo didn't want to make her pretty skater wait for her any longer.

"Hi, Chae Nara," Minjoo greeted.

The pink-haired superstar in question rolled her eyes, already getting up from her seat, "hi, Swiper."

"You're vile," the hockey player, who the skater thought looked like the cartoon character, snorted."Mind you; I actually had a crush on Chae Nara. I mean, she's cute, pretty, talented... nice."

"What are you talking about," Chaewon chuckled over her shoulder, walking up the bleachers' steps, hands in the pockets of her black Define jacket. Minjoo grimaced, and the skater smiled a little wider, "I had a crush on Swiper too."

"I know ShiningStar by heart," Minjoo argued. "I used to call you Chae Nara before you guys trapped me into doing silly things on ice. You can ask my friends."

"Oh, I'm not even surprised you had a crush on a cute cartoon character that dances... It's just like you," Chaewon scoffed again, and it was too much for Minjoo. Good thing they'd just arrived at the platform because she grabbed the back of the skater's neck, ignoring her surprise to pull her closer and quickly put her arm around her neck. Between laughs, Chaewon tried to defend herself, but only hanging out with boys—hockey players at that—Minjoo knew how to do it too well. Shifting her foot just behind Chaewon's, hauling her a little closer, holding her tightly while pushing her backwards, giving a little kick to the back of her heel and just like that, the skater lost her balance. She could defy gravity on ice but couldn't do anything about Minjoo taking her down, apparently.

"Minjoo, Minjoo, Minjoo," she said quickly, grabbing as best she could the neck of the hockey player who took great pleasure at bringing her down more slowly, ever so gently. "Minjoo, wait, Min!"

The sweet voice begging for mercy could've made Minjoo feel a bit of pity, but it didn't. She giggled as she set the skater down on the carpet floor, stepping over her to settle against the wall. It took quite a bit of patience to put up with Chaewon's sarcasm—that was part of her charm, but being put in her place from time to time could only do her good. Especially since she looked adorable, grumbling while getting up, taking back her bag and things. Minjoo followed her with her eyes until she sat down way too far, then giggling, she grabbed her arm, forcing her to move closer. Then again, who would have thought, a month ago, that Kim Minjoo of N3 could do a Judo throw on Kim Chaewon, Junior Pairs Figure Skating Champion? Nobody, not even her, really. The more real it was, the more it seemed like a dream.

And in her dreams, they were together, no matter where, but often here, in the quiet, talking, listening to music. Chaewon broke the comfortable silence, not resentful now that Minjoo had forced her to come and stick with her, "I was thinking about what you said at lunch...if it's so exhausting, why don't you skip a practice or two? I think excessive fatigue is a decent excuse."

Leaning against the railings, Minjoo had confided she was so tired even recovery was painful. Chaewon felt guilty, knowing she was keeping her up most of the night, but the hockey player had assured her that she didn't mind cramps and aches if that meant listening to her complain about anything and everything. After all, once the semi-final was over, there would be a break before the final to set up the following season, so practices would be less intense. Minjoo wasn't made of sugar, but Chaewon caring for her made her melt like sweet caramel. The older girl often suppressed her emotions, but in a sense, they showed more than she expressed. Thus, Minjoo could tell she was concerned. She shrugged with a smile, "Yeah, but I can't. I have my scholarship."

"Oh yeah," the skater pouted, "True."

"You don't have one, do you?" Minjoo turned her head, raising an eyebrow, and Chaewon shook hers. "How rich do you gotta be to not have a scholarship in a school like this..."

"I'm a millionaire," still with sarcasm, Chaewon replied. For good reasons, Minjoo almost believed her. High-level figure skaters have to be financially comfortable to keep up with a sport requiring this much investment. Not to mention the equipment—Chaewon's skates alone must have cost more than a million won—they have personal coaches, dieticians and physiotherapists following them. Of course, she profited from the centre's trainers, but she had to pay for them and the Saturday one.

And even then, it made sense. Minjoo checked her out, from the black leggings to the black jacket and probably the tank top she wore underneath, bearing the discreet rounded A logo of a refined women's clothing brand. Minjoo scoffed and, without really minding it to avoid freaking out, placed her hand on the skater's leg, "We can tell. Do you even wear anything that isn't Lululemon?"

Chaewon chuckled, innocently shrugging her hands and shoulders, "I fear I'll disintegrate if I'm not wearing Lulu's."

When it wasn't her Define jacket and workout leggings, it was her simple long-sleeved tops, hoodies and other tops. Minjoo knew that the brand was popular among skaters, and she wasn't going to complain; the clothes fit perfectly. She particularly liked that thumb hole jacket that made her silhouette so... and she let it be known, checking out a little more. Chaewon noticed and pushed her face away, again, her palm against Minjoo's warm cheek. The latter chuckled, "and you get paid, right?"

"Yeah, sponsors and competitions. You don't get everything, though," she explained. "And I'm not a millionaire, just that my parents both work at Gangnam Severance Hospital."

"Oh yeah, right," Minjoo nodded. Chaewon had mentioned it once or twice, but quite a while ago and without saying much more. In fact, she rarely did, remaining pretty elusive whenever they talked about their family, which intrigued the hockey player. She sat down more comfortably, her leg against the skater's, and said in a lower tone, "You don't talk about your parents very often."

"It's just that I have nothing to say," she replied. Minjoo frowned a little, surprised by such a cold answer, but Chaewon shook her head, reassuring her with a smile. "I love them a lot. They're... my parents."

"Oh, okay," settling for that answer for the moment, not wanting to rush the other, Minjoo resumed curiously. The more time they spent together, the more she noticed how hard it was for the skater to talk about herself without being sarcastic. As much as it intrigued her, it was a little sad to think about. "So what do they do?"

"My father’s a surgeon and my mom's a cardiologist. They both work in ERs, night shifts," Chaewon replied at first, then when she noticed the special attention the hockey player was giving her, she resumed, looking down at her shoes. "Actually, I don't see them a lot. I'm not saying they're not around. I'm the one who's not here most of the time, but... well, they're my parents, that's all. I don't have anything to say about them and don't think they can say anything other than I'm a figure skater. Like...it's not conflictual at all, but...it's like, we're like...I don't know..."

"You can say whatever you want," Minjoo reassured. Over time, she comprehended that Chaewon valued communication because she needed to hear things. She was always vague, always on the surface, in a straight line on the ice. Minjoo asserted her gaze though Chaewon was avoiding it a little, obviously reluctant about opening up, perhaps taking some weight off her shoulders. At first, Minjoo was only there to help her do it for the sake of her program but then realised she cared a lot for that cold skater. A month later, she cared even more. The girl needed support. Not an exceptional skater or a miracle, just another shoulder to lean on. "I won't charge for the therapy session."

"I hate you," Chaewon smiled, rolling her eyes, then regained her seriousness. However, she pursed her lips, then glancing towards the rink still occupied by Teddy, she finally opened up a little about herself. "I think-I think, like… You know my sister is ten years older than me and... It shows because, well, they weren't young parents anymore and they were already working a lot. I know it's for our own good. I know where I live and everything I have, and I can't complain. I wouldn't be here if they hadn't invested so much in skating-they truly support me. Like, really, they're really proud of me, but... I don't know... maybe I wish they'd tell me after coming to see me at a competition and not just in a phone call. I admire them a lot. And my sister. She gave up skating to study medicine in Yonsei and you know I'll do the same in a few years. But there's a gap between us... Sometimes, yeah, just... I don't know why I'm saying all this but as long as the therapy is free."

"Do you wish they were there for you?" Minjoo simply asked.

"They are, in a way," Chaewon shrugged, immediately looking away after their eyes met. "But like... see, my coach, Eunbi, knows me better than my own mother. She's the one who hugs me after competitions, she's the one I go to when I have a problem, she's the one I tell good news to... I'm not saying my mum doesn't care, but It doesn’t feel the same. The few times I go home for the weekend, I feel like I'm just walking into my parent's house. I'm fine about it, though. It just annoys me, to be honest. Like... They could at least come for a gala and tell me once I'm doing enough. Always 'Hello? Congratulations on winning, do even better next time. Are you coming home? No? Then see you next week, eat healthy, love you, bye' Like, ugh, anyway. At least that's a motivation because if they can't be proud of me, then we'd basically be in a business relationship."

"Do you need an answer?" Minjoo observed her.

"No," Chaewon smiled. A faint smile, but a sincere, almost emotional one. "No, thanks. Thanks for listening, you're cute."

Minjoo wanted to tell her it was normal. , she wished she could go back in time, attend every one of her competitions to twirl her around after her first places, praise her after every disappointment, and set snacks and cringe socks on her bed every Friday night. She wished she would have been there all along, but that was impossible. Instead, she knew she was there, in the present and promised herself she would be there for all the days to come. Chaewon wasn't so cold, just reserved since she grew up never feeling the way she should've. Eunbi was right; Chaewon was a genuinely nice girl. In fact, she was probably the nicest girl for whoever took the time to get to know her. She was aggravating, sometimes, but so lovely with a teasing smile. The skater wasn't rigid and uncompromising, just terrified of not being perfect. And she wasn't a millionaire, but she was still dressed head-to-toe in Lululemon every day of the week. It was unrelated, but feelings are often free electrons when they're strong, scattering a bit in all directions—Minjoo's feelings for her were.

"You know, Min," Chaewon resumed with some hesitation, breaking the silence. "I do my best, but I'm not perfect either. I don't always know how to act with you because, well, you were right, I'm more used to guys doing all the work and you make me feel things I’ve never felt. It's…I don’t know. But I’ll do better. And I, really, I didn't mean anything I said when we were arguing. Like, when I told you to stop talking to me, Jimin replied for me because I was kinda crying," she raised her eyebrows, stumbling over her words, probably not used to talking so much. "I'm not saying this to-yeah, just to let you know that I don't consider myself perfect and you're not the only one who needs to... yeah, you can expect things from me too and tell me what I'm doing wrong and... I don't know. You...hey, let's just do this, okay?"

Too shaken to answer the rest, Minjoo cocked an eyebrow, her heart racing at the revelations, "oh... Uhm-yes, do what?"

Chaewon smiled, then solemnly raised her hand, acting all serious, "I'm holding back because I like you a lot and I don't want to be hurt."

She lowered her palm, indicating it with her eyes, and Minjoo understood, high fiving it before raising hers, "I at communicating because I often say things too fast without taking the time to think. I'll fix that because you need to hear things. Oh, so, I like you too."

In turn, she lowered her palm. Chaewon gently high fived it, red cheeks and a shy smile reacting to her confession, then raised hers, "I don't open up because usually people just don't give a , but you... I feel like you do, so I'm going to open up more with you."

"It's not a feeling, Chae," Minjoo corrected, closing her fist before Chaewon could touch her hand. "I'll always be interested in anything you say, okay? We may not skate together anymore but let me be your forever new partner you can lean onto."

"Okay," Chaewon nodded, another timid smile at the corners of her lips, eyes sparkling.

She slapped her palm, and Minjoo raised it, "I doubted you because yeah, what if a guy and what if you change your mind and...but I don’t anymore."

Chaewon chuckled, clasped their hands together and then mimicked, "I doubted myself for a long time, then you came into my life, and booom, I was sure."

"What does that mean?" Minjoo felt her smile widen as the skater rolled her eyes, caught in her own trap. "Hey, what does that mean?"

"Stooop," Chaewon waved her palm, demanding the arrangement, her cheeks flushed. "I already told you that."

Minjoo got it, after all. She nodded, praying that her blush wouldn't show too much, high-fived her hand and raised her own, "I have nothing else to say but deal because I love your hands."

"Deal," the skater giggled, then raised her hand again, taking her seriousness back. "I want to be with you too. Just...I'm not saying it has to be a secret, but let's keep it to ourselves for now. I... my parents and everything. If It bothers you, tell me, and I'll work on that."

Blood rushing, heart missing a beat and then speeding up, Minjoo smiled incredulously. Oh, she shouldn't shoot until she got the puck, but now there was no goalie left in front of the net. However, the game was almost over. She was winning already. No need to rush past the blue line. She high-fived Chaewon happily, "deal."

Chaewon held her hand an instant, her eyes full of pretty things, shining, expectant, excited. Minjoo hadn't expected it, so she hiccupped in surprise when the skater grabbed her and pulled her even closer, kissing her cheek chastely, then a second time, a third time long enough and close enough to her lips for fireworks to burst in her belly. Sparks of a thousand colours waltzed with the snowflakes in her lungs as warm as it was cold, like the warm feeling on her cheek, despite the cold in the rink when Chaewon pulled away, leaning back against the low wall.

Just the two of them, listening to music as practice time approached, and the hockey player never felt better. 

Minjoo pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling like a fool, playing nervously with the gold chain around her neck. She had Chaewon's necklace and heart in her possession now, giddy, indeed. They were listening to Dean, their favourite singer, and Minjoo thought back about two weeks ago, in the same place, sitting the same way, listening to the same vocalist, to how her heart had sunk when Chaewon started talking about guys she dated. She wanted to laugh, thinking about the next day when the skater didn't dare say it to her face, preferring to type it down, admitting that it was only to test her reaction. There they were, in the same place, same position, so Minjoo bit her smile. She slowly approached the blue line, directing the puck ahead of her towards the goal.

They were already close, their legs touching, but she shifted a little closer, then pointed to her shoe with laces untied. Chaewon bent over, and Minjoo crossed the blue offensive zone line, passing the puck behind her back to avoid a defenseman. She put her arm behind the skater's back. With sharp stick handling, the puck passed a defenseman, and Chaewon leaned back onto her arm. A small smile danced on her lips as she noticed it. Minjoo turned her head to the side to bite her lips, stopping herself from squealing as Chaewon's back was against her arm. Last trick, the puck sliding rapidly from right to left in front of her, Minjoo took a breath, then shot. Slapshot, straight into the corner of the net. She finally put her arm around her shoulders, drawing her towards her. Same place as the first few times, except Chaewon was in her arms now. Yeah, like this. Holding her like she was more than the pretty pretentious girl, more than the skater she needed to help...more than a friend, more like...her girl, two weeks and two other weeks later.

Chaewon chuckled, leaning comfortably against her, placing her head on her chest, holding her phone between them. Slapshot and the decisive point. Thunderous applause for #11 in the rink, a horn celebrating the goal, her team coming to jump around her. Chaewon reached for Minjoo's hand hanging from around her shoulder, played with her fingers for a moment, and then intertwined them with hers. Yeah, a phenomenal win for this game.

-

For the first time, Minjoo stayed the entire practice. Perhaps out of pride, after having discovered the choreography with the one who made it herself, she thought It would be weird watching someone else performing it with her. But strangely enough, seeing Hyunjin holding her by the waist as she did hundreds of times for two weeks did not bother her as she thought. On the contrary, as soon as the first notes of Two Weeks resonated, and he grabbed her waist, swaying them to one side, then the other, Minjoo lost her breath. From the bleachers, she saw everything, absolutely everything. The actual program incorporated every move, every lift, and every jump. She saw Chaewon perform a double Axel, then a triple Salchow for the first time, and It was mesmerising. Minjoo shuddered when the couple landed the triple Throw Axel after a few falls that hitched her breath, even though she knew Chaewon would immediately get up and try again. , she shivered, admiring the skater spin in the air for a long time before landing and spinning as if she wasn't real. Perhaps the emotions caused by this were still too big for her. It was moving, they were enchanting, and the music was intensely captivating. Chaewon, oh, Chaewon was so stunning that when she performed the lift that they had spent several minutes working out together in the gym, struggling through the first step because of the shirt and fatigue, Minjoo felt a tear roll down her cheek. She hurried to dry it, giggling from the top of the bleachers.

Everything was back to normal. Chaewon had everything back. Her partner, her passion for ice, her confidence, her trust in her jumps, her confidence in herself. It was moving. Minjoo returned to sit against the low wall. She couldn't leave without telling her how amazing that was.

-

Chaewon jumped in surprise when, leaving the changing room, she ran into the hockey player who was usually warm under her covers at that time. Minjoo laughed as the skater covered her face, sulking because she had just gotten out of the shower. She looked adorable, dressed in a jogger and a Lululemon sweater, obviously, her hair dark pink from the humidity, thick socks in white flip-flops. Nothing like the slender figure she always had, but so endearing that when she complained about her knees hurting from the falls, Minjoo didn't hesitate for a second before crouching down.

"What are you doing?" Chaewon asked, taking advantage of their impromptu break in the rink's lobby to at least loosen her hair and hastily arrange her bangs.

Minjoo would have loved to tell her she was pretty no matter what, but she was already crouching, so she only answered as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "Therapist or personal driver, anything my lady wants. Let me take you for a ride."

Chaewon laughed but accepted, putting her bag on her back before wrapping her arms around Minjoo's neck. The gym sessions working on her legs served a purpose as she stood up and put her hands under the skater's thighs around her waist. And just like that, engulfed in the smell of her shower gel, shampoo, and nourishing oil, talking in low voices, Minjoo carried Chaewon to her dorm, telling her how good the program was and how exceptional her every move was to the point she had to lay on the floor to process it. It was night, the sky too cloudy for the stars to see how their relationship had evolved since the last time, but it was such a tender moment. Giving in to fatigue as well, Chaewon tightened her grip around Minjoo's neck, burying her head here, her damp hair against the hockey player's cheek, who shivered every time the warm breath caressed her skin. Chaewon placed a few other kisses here, and they walked.

Regrettably—though with relief for Minjoo and her weakening legs—they arrived at the door of the dorm the other had indicated. Chaewon went down gently but let her arms around the hockey player's neck. Instead, she hugged her. Minjoo combusted. Her whole body burned with a fiery fire as her hand immediately returned to the waist she loved to hold, drawing her even closer. Chaewon whispered a small thank you into her neck, close to her ear, and she responded by encircling her waist completely. Nevertheless, the atmosphere changed when they let go. Something burst again, and Minjoo her lip quickly as Chaewon still didn't move away.

"So..." the skater spoke, and Minjoo only understood by reading it on her lips. "Good night?"

Except that when the hockey player finally looked up, she realised the skater wasn't looking at her eyes either. Her stomach knotted furiously, her heart pounding in her chest so hard it thumped in her ear. The skater smiled too, bitting her lip, her gaze flicking back and forth between the hockey player's lips and eyes. It was the right time to do it, right? And especially the wrong time for voices to come from the right. A group of footballers they hadn't heard coming—there wasn't any in their own world they were stuck in at that moment, still in their training tracksuits, greeting them loudly despite the late hour, one of them even kicking a ball against the wall before retrieving it. Once they passed them, entering the dorm, the skater glanced over her shoulder, making sure they wouldn't see. Oh, the stars missed that, but clouds that were no longer in her eyes saw how Chaewon quickly pecked her lips before rushing inside, the door closing right after her. Snowflakes waltzing in her lungs, cheeks on fire, Minjoo paced out for a moment, thoughts racing, processing this even less. Chaewon climbed the stairs with the footballers. One of them faked throwing the ball into her head as a joke, she shoved him, and Minjoo smiled again before leaving, hands in her pockets, nibbling her lips to keep the sensation of Chaewon's against them for the longest time.

Only a few minutes later, as she brushed her teeth, she received a text that almost made her choke on her toothpaste. She spat quickly and rushed to bed, still caring not to bother Yena's sleep, sliding under the duvet as if it were made of candy floss.

chae1kim

soo... imagine if we really kissed lol

Minjoo smiled into her pillow, heart beating wildly, feet kicking the mattress.

can't think about anything else tbh🙄

The reply was immediate.

chae1kim

won’t see u tomorrow but can't wait for you to get back from japan

whether you win or not i'm gonna be all over you sorry i can't hold back anymore

She rested her phone against her chest for a moment, too euphoric to answer right away, taking a few seconds to calm the pounding of her heart that began to spread as soon as she read the message again and again, making sure it was real.

coming back in finale and u as my gf.. all i do is win for real😫

chae1kim

now that would be very embarrassing if u lose lol time to sleep

gn min<3

gn pretty, sleep well❤️

And with that, she fell asleep, full of determination, impatient, her heart pounding with love and adrenaline for days to come