It was a beautiful day outside. For a few days now, there hadn’t been a rainy cloud or even a chilly wind that would require a warm jacket. The area around the school building was full of colourful flowers, mainly pink Japanese camellias some students would discreetly pick up to decor their room. The trees were leafing out again. Birds came to rest on the marble tables on the green lawn pecking on leftovers of sandwiches. Besides all that, the return of the good weather meant a few things; the end of the hockey playoffs, the end of the Korean skating cup, mock exams, Suneung registrations and above all, it meant that there was hardly anyone left inside the buildings.

There were still a few people in the hall though, enough for Chaewon to lean over the railings and observe them. Her hair fell over her shoulders, caressing her angelic features as she was demonically judging the unfortunate souls that walked by. She was getting creative, making Minjoo giggle a few times at her snarky comments. But Minjoo knew better now. She even felt a little sorry. Slowly caressing Chaewon’s lower back, she captured her attention, making her forget about projecting how she had always been treated onto other people. She attended enough figure skating practices to know that Chaewon’s biggest enemy wasn't this girl laughing too loud at her guy friends' jokes; it was herself—and every adult that was entitled to criticise her every move on and off the ice.

“Maybe that joke was really funny,” she said. There was no one else near the lockers, so she slipped her hand under the girl’s uniform shirt to caress the warm skin of her back. “Let them be.”

Chaewon immediately fondled at the touch, finally turning her eyes away from the hall, only to look down, seemingly lost in her thoughts. 

Her mock exams went well. They’d gone on a date to celebrate the end of this hell, eating in a small restaurant near HTC. Chaewon was pretty confident about her results. She deserved the best grade given how hard she studied, sacrificing all her free time to know everything by heart. Minjoo was proud, of course. It motivated her even. She promised herself she would study just as much if she wanted to attend the Korea National Sport University, where Chaewon and most of Haneulae’s students applied. In the meanwhile, she had no doubt Chaewon would enter. She was intelligent, hardworking and rich enough to attend without any scholarship—it helped a little.

But now that it was over, all the pressure from her incoming competition weighed even more. If studying distracted her mind enough, she was back to three practices a day, a strict diet and hard physical training. Chaewon hadn't told her, but Minjoo learned from Seohan that the pressure was so high she had an altercation with one of their coaches three days ago, getting them in trouble if Eunbi and Viderski hadn't discussed it. For, the man had criticised her program, and she, in better words, had retorted something along the lines of don’t piss me off and go redo it yourself—Hyunjin told Seohan that Viderski almost fainted hearing about the incident. But this explained why Chaewon called her late that night, asking if she could come over. The figure skater had hugged her, crying silently to avoid waking Jimin.

Minjoo remembered that horrible feeling of sensing Chaewon quiver against her, under the covers, holding her close. It broke her heart, like that practice together where Chaewon fell so much trying the Axel throw she'd given up, tears falling on the burning ice. It was as if a part of Minjoo's heart was freezing, hurting her chest to imagine how distressed the skater was. Just now, seeing Chaewon looking down made Minjoo’s heart jump, alert. her lower back with her thumb, she came closer, softly smiling even though Chaewon didn’t lift her head to see it. “Keep your head up, princess. Don't let the crown fall.”

“I wanna jump off and ruin everyone’s life,” Chaewon sighed profoundly, finally turning away from the railings. She grabbed Minjoo’s hand and intertwined their fingers, looking at her with a spark despite how grey her soft brown eyes were. “How about we go on a date tomorrow?”

Minjoo took her second hand in hers, playing with them, smiling apologetically, “I have a game, remember.”

“Where?” Chaewon asked, tilting her head.

“Here,” Minjoo tilted her head too, mimicking her, making her smile in annoyance. “Mokdong rink, you know?”

The figure skater stopped playing with their hands, and Minjoo knew where she was going with that look. Chaewon asked, obviously expecting the answer she wanted to hear, “and your game lasts the whole day?”

“No–” Minjoo sighed as Chaewon rolled her eyes, not even listening to the rest. It was probably the only truly annoying thing she couldn’t compromise with, and strangely enough, Chaewon didn’t want to either. Not liking hockey and hockey players was a thing, but acting annoyed at her passion was another. “Chae, no…”

“What?” Chaewon leaned against the railings, crossing her arms. “Relax, I didn’t even say anything yet.”

Minjoo didn't answer. She didn't feel like arguing, and she knew that yet another argument about it wouldn't change anything: Chaewon had some free time only during the weekend, and Minjoo mainly had her games on weekends. Apart from directly attacking the way things worked and sending a registered letter to the hockey federation, there wasn’t any chance to change that. For the same reason, Chaewon remained just as silent, staring blankly, fidgeting with her feet. They had already talked about it, anyway, and Minjoo was sticking to her guns.

Pushing herself away from the railings, she did not think before saying the words that were burning the tip of her tongue, “you know I love going to your practices, right?”

Chaewon hummed, and Minjoo lifted a brow, so the skater rolled her eyes, knowing where this was going, “yeah.”

“And I don’t mind you never coming to mine and all but…” Minjoo shrugged a little, assurance suddenly evaporating from her body as she was about to be the one letting her feelings out. “I don’t know, if you really want to see me on week-ends you can just come to my games. It’s not, it’s, yeah.”

The figure skater remained silent, kicking the tip of her expensive sneakers on the floor, keeping her eyes down, arms crossed. The silence lasted for a while before she simply shrugged, arranging her hair. Minjoo pursed her lips. She knew Chaewon didn’t like hockey for various reasons, and she was understanding about that. Even her mother wouldn’t clearly state she enjoys her daughter playing such a violent sport with athletic guys and being so physically exhausted all the time, but she was supportive. And Minjoo was supportive towards Chaewon. In everything, figure skating, school, coming in terms with her uality, healing from past relationships. She didn’t force it; she loved being there for her, and sometimes, she wished Chaewon would do the same. But she couldn’t force her.

She just silently nodded, trying to find something else to look at.

Chaewon sighed, coming closer, “okay, but-”

“-no, I get it,” Minjoo shrugged. 

“Ugh, let me talk,” the figure skater exasperated.

“You never let me talk,” the hockey player corrected with a fake offended laugh. “Got it, though, say no more.”

“But no more was said,” taking a step back, the older girl sighed in annoyance, making Minjoo roll her eyes this time. It was always like this with Chaewon anyway; she always ended up being the annoyed one. “Seriously, why are you making this big.”

Minjoo was an athlete. She was a hockey player, and she was used to controlling her emotions, particularly frustration and anger. In a game where being brutal and ruthless is acceptable, sometimes leading to fights for thousands of people to witness, a good player can’t let emotions take control over them. Even more, she was a girl. Even if she wanted to loose her cool and start a riot on ice, she wouldn’t go far against a guy twice her size and weight, and she didn’t stand a chance against Chaewon’s ego. 

Luckily, she was an athlete in a loving and supportive family. She grew up with a father that would scream louder than everyone else on the bleachers, an older brother that would be the goalie for hours to help her practise her shots, a mother who baked her favourite plates before and after every game, making sure everything was fine all the time. Oh, she even had a little sister that once took interest in sewing and made her and Yena matching beanies to keep their head warm at the rink—she never wore it, keeping it on her shelf like the most precious trophy. Minjoo was used to people supporting her passion, and she loved watching Minsung’s gym videos or appreciating her sister’s hobbies. Her family was all about being there for each other, just like a big team, and maybe that was a feeling Chaewon didn’t really know. 

Minjoo knew she was too warm for Chaewon’s coldness sometimes. She wasn’t mad at her. How could she be mad at Chaewon for having strict parents that provided money and means, but never the support and appreciation she seeked? She glanced at the girl who was chewing on her lips, and decided she didn’t want to melt this time. She whispered a talk to you later with a tentative smile, got ignored, and left, going outside where her friends were probably laying on the grass like most of the students.

-

She actually didn’t talk to her later. Neither did she text or anything, and Chaewon didn’t too so she just settled on her bed, watching NHL Highlights. 

Yena gave up on asking what was wrong after being glared at for the umpteenth time, grumbling something. They already discussed this, and the hockey player had shared Minjoo should just wait and see how things go in the future. It was something hard to admit, though. They were young and maybe relationships were meant to be just fun and profitable for both parties. Minjoo wasn’t considering anything negative, though. She liked Chaewon too much for that, and she knew the latter might have fallen harder. But she couldn’t just ignore every time her feelings were hurt. Even the best players have their little weak moment, right? She dismissed the thought, clicking on another video.

Knocks at the door startled them both, and after a long staring contest, Yena got up first.

“Good heavens,” she said, placing a hand on her heart. “I’ll never get used to that.”

Minjoo immediately felt lighter, just by hearing Chaewon’s giggles. She smiled too, seeing how Yena seemed embarrassed, opening the door to her long lost rink crush entering their dorm, shooting her an amused glance—of course Minjoo told Chaewon about Yena being the first one to gush over her. Throwing her phone aside, she looked up to Chaewon approaching her bed, hiding something in her back, looking as if she was about to be eaten. Minjoo couldn’t help but roll her eyes, biting her cheeks, sitting on the mattress. 

Before she could say a word, the figure skater pulled a flower from her back, holding it out to her, cheeks as red as the japanese camelia. Minjoo laughed, and Chaewon handed her the cereal bar she was holding in the other hand. She looked like a kid that came to apologise after emptying a bottle of juice on white carpet, or a dog after being scolded for ruining a couch. Minjoo’s heart entirely warmed, and she quickly captured her in a big hug. They were both clumsy in their own way, and Chaewon could make mistakes too. She was, in fact, not so perfect. But Minjoo loved her for that. 

“Girl,” Chaewon managed to say. “I can’t breathe.”

“I missed you,” Minjoo tragically cried, holding the warm body closer before letting go, already having the skater on her bed. “Being mad at you for three hours was way too long. I was starting to get dehydrated, my vision was blurry and all.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t talk to me,” Chaewon smiled, looking down at her lips, but a cough interrupted her as she was leaning in.

Yena coughed a second time, side-eyeing them, slowly putting on her headphones. She growled when Minjoo quickly put her forearm around Chaewon’s neck, pulling her in with a giggle, making as much sound as possible when kissing her. Yena begged for compassion on the other bed, and threw a pillow at them when the two ice lovers’ amused smiles disappeared—they got too into it—reminding them she was, in fact, still here in the room with them. Chaewon threw the pillow back, sitting more comfortably on Minjoo’s bed. 

“One more time and I'm ruining both of y’all’s careers,” the other hockey player glared before putting her headphones back on. 

Minjoo only grinned, sitting up too, resting her chin on Chaewon’s shoulder. Breathing in her scent, feeling the soft fabric of her shirt, she forgot about everything else. She trusted her, anyway. The falling and getting up thing went both ways, and she wasn’t even surprised when Chaewon said, “I’m coming to your game, by the way. I’m sorry for making you feel like I’d rather die than do so.”

“You don’t have to if you d-” Minjoo got interrupted by a kiss this time, but she couldn’t complain.

“Going with my best friends,” she said, looking over her shoulder, their nose bumping. “It ends too late to be back before the curfew and I don’t want to go home. I’m sleeping at Yunjin’s place.”

Minjoo’s heart skipped a beat the moment she pronounced the words, “you wanna come over to mine?”

Chaewon almost choked, and Yena laughed, then squinted at her screen when they both stared at her—as if they weren’t in her room. Minjoo knew it was a bit out of nowhere, but she didn’t think too much into it. She didn’t tell her parents about literally dating the pair figure skating junior world’s champion, and they would never mind having friends over considering how Yuri practically lived with them for years. She’d forgotten how her games were usually late in the evening, always ending past the centre’s curfew. Even if she wanted to, Chaewon couldn’t attend them without having to sleep outside. 

“I don’t want to bother,” the figure skater shyly looked away, fidgeting with Minjoo’s covers.

“My parents don’t care about having people over,” Minjoo reassured. She knew it was a cultural thing to not let people in the family’s space, but her parents were cool with that—enough to invite a whole team of teenage boys to celebrate her birthdays. “I’ll just say a friend needs somewhere to sleep.”

Chaewon hesitated a little and finally nodded, biting back a smile. She looked flustered, but she hid it, passing a strand of hair behind her redden ear, looking away. Minjoo suddenly brought her close, making some MMA fighter sound, throwing her body on the bed. The figure skater giggled, and didn’t fight back, hugging her instead of trying to move Minjoo’s arms away from her neck. Yena smiled fondly, quickly glancing at them cuddling—she knew from the beginning Minjoo didn’t accept the weird request just to annoy her, anyway. 

-

This was the last match before the Asian Cup playoff final, and one of the easiest. The High1 team did not qualify to play in this competition, but that didn't mean that they did not have some very good players. On the contrary. Coach Kwak was a former player of this team, not having been selected in Anyang, and Chanwoo played there before being recruited by HTC. Again, talent and training would make it easy, but in the game, anything can happen. Coach Oh always made sure to motivate them without claiming victory; they had to earn it, not take it.

Wearing her pre-game hoodie and sweatpants, Minjoo diligently went through the warm-up movements dictated by Coach Kwak. Although it wasn’t a truly important game, only for the national championship, the team was determined, ready to take on any challenge. They were there out of passion anyway. The Haneulae Training Center was recruiting players who would enjoy playing against much stronger and weaker teams, only for the love of hockey and the sense of the game. So Minjoo huffed and puffed, practising a series of cossack squats.

From there, she could hear the music playing at the public session where many children came to have fun on that Saturday afternoon. Although she was focusing on her game mindset, she couldn’t help but remember all those afternoons spent at the Doksan ice rink with her friends and family. Younger, she was already as reckless and bold on ice, skating fast between the beginners and having fun stressing them by tricking them. She came there with her own skates, avoided the queue with her membership card, and then aroused the admiration of those who didn't even know how to skate away from the borders—often, Minjoo would take the time to give them some advice and show them a few tips. She loved sharing her love.

She loved it.

Minjoo loved everything about the rink and hockey, even the awful smell of the locker room—humidity, sweat and no windows. As usual, Jiung's speaker was playing drills, shaking the walls. Jaehyuc was dancing in the middle of the room, only wearing his hockey pants, while Chanwoo was filming him, still in his boxers. Just like Jiung at the game against the Busan team, he must have been excited to play against his former teammates. Minjoo smiled as she watched them, tapping her shin pads.  Skate guards on, she helped Yena take her hair out of her jersey before leaving the changing room, heading towards the rink.

As the public session gave way to the match, many curious people stayed in the stands, making the game even more exciting.

Following the guys to the other side of the rink, near the benches, Minjoo observed the stands—she didn’t have her phone to check if Chaewon texted, but she knew she’d come anyway. Bubbling in impatience, she fidgeted with the tape falling off around her stick, watching the Zamboni prepare fresh liquid ice for their game, bobbing her head to the loud music. Since Coach Oh was busy registering players' names with the referees and stewards, Chanwoo sneaked out to meet his friends wearing black High1 jerseys. Ryujin and Yena were comparing their sticks, Daehyeon was still complaining about his chicken suit and Seohan was trying to meditate, giving up on making them focus. It was all part of the fun anyway. 

Until Coach Oh finally clapped his hands, and the whole team stopped moving.

“Everyone listen up,” he said, observing each one of them, hands in the pockets of his suit. He looked confident, of course, but he couldn’t just say nail them and witness it all with a smug face. “Remember even if this isn’t for the playoffs, it’s still a good exercise. I want you all to play fair and give the most. If we can’t play with our best now, how bad will it be in the finale? Do you think Anyang wouldn’t give their all at any time? Right, now we know this team has many strengths. Chanwoo, give us a word?”

They all glanced at the winger who scratched the back of his head, holding his stick with the other hand, “well… Our training was focusing more on speed than distribution and the goalie is a good one.”

“Exactly,” Cocho bobbed his head, silked black hair not moving an inch. “They’re really fast and I need the defence to catch up. They have two girls, be careful on charges—in general.”

The defensemen nodded.

“Centers and wingers? What do we do when a goalie is a good one?” The coach looked at the mentioned players, lingering a little more on Minjoo as he slowly pronounced the words. “We think.”

Yena scoffed, and Minjoo bit her cheek trying not to let out a guilty smile, looking down when Cocho glared. She knew she was supposed to think before a slapshot, but she couldn’t help it, making her coach bite his fist in pure delight and anger. Thinking or not, she was a few goals away from being the top scorer of HTC, and she had two weeks to nicely kick Taeho out of his place before the new season. Regaining her composure, she nodded at the rest of the instructions, feeling that excitement building in her.

The music was still loud as the Zamboni left the ice. Looking at the stands, her heart warmed, recognising her parents sitting under a heater—her mother always complained about rinks being too cold for people who just came to watch. Of course they would come, and she waved her hand, smiling brightly before putting on her helmet. Chaewon wasn’t here yet, but it was time to step on ice so she forgot about everything else, rejoicing at the feeling. 

They started skating, making loops around half of the rink while the High1 were already doing drills. She let the speed come gradually, her heartbeat going faster and faster, focusing her attention on her feet and stick. Seohan announced a turn loud enough, and the whole team stopped to skate the other way, starting the warming up. She accelerated, turned, went backwards, skated on one foot, switching to the other one after a quick stop, smiling all along. Intak and Donghee positioned themselves in front of the goal, and they started the first drill of turns and shots.

Minjoo went after Yena, as usual, watching her skate backwards, handling the puck and doing a wrist shot Intak stopped. She smiled to herself, going in for her turn. Cocho would get mad, but she turned around, skated backwards and faked another quick turn, tricking the goalie before scoring—she really couldn’t help it, and Seohan hit her with his stick, making her almost trip and laugh. 

After a good ten minutes of intense drills, the referee whistled, a buzzing sound announcing the last three minutes before the beginning of the game. Going back to the benches, after the last series, she grabbed a bottle of water, already out of breath as Cocho was scratching his two days beard, looking at the timer. It buzzed, and he instigated the team handshake before slapping the back of each player who entered the ice. 

Minjoo didn’t have the time to look at the stands, but she could just feel it. Her stomach wiggled with excitement, and she shook hands with the opposing players, exchanging knowing smiles with those she knew. Sung Hyeri, wearing a High1 jersey, offered her a wink, which she promptly returned. Playing against each other for years and being girls on guys' teams, they had become good friends—a little more, back then. Hyeri was really pretty, but also very skilled, and Minjoo couldn’t wait to play against her again, knowing it would be a challenge. 

The game started while she was on the bench, as it usually did—the captain always realising the first playoff. Just like at the game at the centre rink that Chaewon couldn't attend because of a gala, Minjoo felt a kind of strength come over all her senses as she entered the rink. She knew she potentially had Chaewon’s eyes on her, and it was as if she could do anything in the world. So she intercepted a pass, went around a defender, sent the puck to Chanwoo and immediately retrieved it, sending the puck into the top corner of the net. The horn buzzed, people applauded, and she smiled, gliding on one foot, going back to her position after opening the score to her team.

And so the first half ended 1-0 to HTC.

“Good game, Mingu,” Hyeri teased as they walked towards the bathroom to fill their water bottle. The game was friendly enough for players to walk around during ice resurfacing. "That's just because I wasn't there."

"You played for ten minutes and your team still hasn't scored," Minjoo retorted, wiggling her eyebrows at the girl. "You can't be pretty and good, sorry."

"Is that why you're so good?" The opposing wing said.

Minjoo only responded by throwing water in her face, backing away before her old friend could get her revenge. Giggling, they left the bathroom right when other High1 guys entered, a little more concerned about the game that was looking bad for them.

Going back around the rink, having enough intermission time before the next period, they joined some of the players from her team who were in the stands. She waved at her parents since she couldn’t walk up to them with her skates on, and followed Jiung and Yena to the other side of the benches, leaning against the border, watching the Zamboni. She didn’t turn around to the stands after doing so and not finding Chaewon, and she couldn’t let this preoccupy her during a game. So not thinking about it, she teasingly pushed Hyeri, making her stumble on her skates. 

And right when she felt it in her stomach, she turned around when a door opened to three girls laughing out loud. Her heart missed a beat, and the whole world started spinning way faster the moment she locked eyes with Chaewon. Her smile immediately escaped her, and she straightened up, feeling more nervous than ever. Well, maybe having Chaewon, in real life, at her game was more intimidating than she thought it would. Even more so when she was out of the centre, making her a normal girl and not just an HTC skater. A normal girl. wearing baggy jeans, a black crop top and a bomber jacket, loose brown hair falling straight on her back, wearing pretty makeup, laughing around with her friends, holding a cup of bubble tea.

Minjoo gulped down, not daring more than a quick look to the two girls who were also looking at her in excitement. She knew about them, of course, and she never thought seeing someone’s best friends could be this terrifying. Even more embarrassing, she bowed when they came closer, making Chaewon laugh.

“Hi,” she managed to say, holding out her hand to the most pretty girl she ever laid her eyes on—Chaewon shook it with amusement. “You’re late, world champion.”

“No we’re not,” the girl shook her head. “You just didn’t look our way and we went to grab bobas."

Minjoo felt kind of dumb for assuming something again, and she shrugged apologetically, exchanging a smile with the two other girls. She didn’t let go of Chaewon’s hand though, holding it as it filled her whole body with warm energy.

“You’re tall,” the girl with big brown eyes and a mole on the nose wearing a white jacket commented with a smile, looking up and down at her. This was probably Yunjin, and something told Minjoo the girl already knew a lot about her, the way Yena and Yuri knew about Chaewon.

“Oh,” Minjoo almost stuttered, pointing at her skates giving her extra height. “Not so mo-so much.”

“Yunjin, you’re making her nervous,” Chaewon mocked, glancing at her friend, gently caressing Minjoo’s fingers. 

“I’m not nervous,” denied the hockey player. Yet, she raised her eyebrows and Chaewon noticed it, quickly bringing her closer with a chuckle. 

“Don’t be shy around us, we’re chill,” Yunjin laughed too, holding her bubble tea. She was the stylish and chill type of girl from what Chaewon told about her, and Minjoo knew she had this bubbly energy that helped Chaewon on her gloomy days. Until she suddenly made a serious face. “Unless you wanna talk about when you made her cry and that time you called her an annoying conceited ?”

“I never said that,” Minjoo freaked out, blood turning cold.

“I may have exaggerated that a little,” Chaewon giggled. 

Minjoo wanted to glare at her but maybe that wasn’t the best defence, plus Chaewon was still playing with her fingers, smiling fondly at her despite all the poep–all the people around? Minjoo remembered they were, in fact, during a game, with everyone around. The intermission was almost over, and she finally minded her own friends starting to walk towards the benches. She widened her eyes at Yena who'd turned around—the girl was probably also stunned by the diamond pack Kim Chaewon and her best friends at their game—finally finding a way to escape facing three intimidating girls and losing her mind over her girlfriend—It just hit hard how Chaewon was her pretty girl, with pretty friends, coming to watch her play hockey. She couldn’t be distracted.

She quickly glanced around, brought Chaewon’s hand to and kissed the back of it before leaving without another word, catching up to her teammates. Next thing she knew; she had to give her everything. Like always, but even more.

And so she did, going faster than everyone, handling the puck so easily it seemed glued to her stick, tricking defensemen, making them swear every time. Cocho screamed at her from the benches, but she scored right after that, and she knew he was probably holding back a proud smile. Yena scored, celebrating with a little dance that annoyed the black jersey players, and Minjoo scored another time after that, ending the second period with a 4-1 score. Coach Oh insisted on them staying focused and not thinking too much ahead. They didn’t win as long as the game wasn’t over. 

For this reason, Minjoo didn’t venture to the stands this time. Staying on the benches while the Zamboni refreshed the ice, she calmed her breath down, playing with her stick. However, Yena dropped next to her, gushing about the three girls that came for them—Minjoo pushed her away, feeling her ears getting hot. But Yena kept going so much that at one point, Minjoo had no choice but to pretend to go fill their bottles to escape the jokes. She glanced at Yena over her shoulder and gave her an amused smile, then walked along the edge of the rink until she entered the corridor of the bathrooms where a few players were walking around, helmets in hand. Entering the girls' bathroom, she came across a High1 player. Despite the adversity, they exchanged a few words about the refereeing and the game. 

Hyeri came out of a stall, then gave her a defiant look, "get ready because we were only warming up, Mingu."

Minjoo faked shivering at the threat, which didn't intimidate her in the slightest. It was a good game. Hyeri and the High1 were really good, actually. They were indeed fast enough to take several shots that Intak was able to stop, but they were slightly lacking in puck control, where Minjoo excelled. In hockey, speed and reactivity aren’t enough; technique makes a lot. And while the HTC's many practices were demanding and exhausting in this respect, the players realised how important it was in such situations. So Minjoo wasn't too concerned that the High1s were more determined to close the score gap. She was confident, and even more so when Chaewon entered the bathroom with her hands in her bomber jacket’s pockets.

"We were only warming up, Mingu," she mocked, grimacing. "Where's Daehyeon when I need him?"

"You need Dahyeon?" Minjoo smiled in disbelief, filling Yena's bottle. “Someone slipped something in your boba?”

“I need to tell him to charge this girl for me,” Chaewon shrugged, coming closer. She always looked so serious when she was talking nonsense, and Minjoo laughed even harder when the girl got offended by her lack of reaction. "What's so funny, Mingu?"

"Don't distract me," Minjoo slightly pushed her back, using her thick elbow pad to keep the other from getting closer—the skater was so pretty she suddenly got nervous. There was still a period left but it was getting harder and harder to think only about the puck. "What are you even doing here?"

"Oh that’s a question. Who wanted me to come?" Chaewon tilted her head. 

She was annoying. Chaewon always had the last word, always right, and always had her hand on her. The proof, Minjoo couldn't even resist on more second, placing a hand on her waist, under the jacket, slowly pushing her against the door so they would know if someone tried to enter. Chaewon grinned even more, running a hand through her hair, not minding the sweat and humidity from the helmet. If Cocho found out what she was doing in between periods, he would bench her for all future games. But then again, he had also told her she wouldn't play if she kept doing unnecessary tricks, and yet. So she used her height—thanks to the skates—to grab the brunette's jaw, kissing her as if she were all the motivation she needed before returning to the ice. 

If she'd known that Chaewon's presence would cause her so many sensations, the likes of having her parents in the stands loudly supporting her team, then Minjoo would have forced her to come more often. Well, not too often either, otherwise she would have thought more about her annoying smiles than about the puck. She felt invincible now, as if no goalie could stop her shots, as if no defender could slow her progress. She smiled, biting her lip before pulling away, just enough to take a good look at her.

Really, she looked at Chaewon leaning against the washroom door, and she realised how Yena was so right; she was lucky. 

She remembered those first moments weeks ago, in the rink’s coldness, waiting impatiently for the door to open on the skater in leggings and thermal jacket, wearing elegant white skates, hair neatly tied. She remembered feeling so nervous whenever Chaewon was near her, even though there were several seats between them, and how she thought of ways to talk to her for hours at night. Minjoo smiled almost unconsciously when Chaewon raised an eyebrow, leaning against the door, looking as nonchalant as usual even though her cheeks were as red as those lines on the ice. Minjoo wished she could go back in time and whisper in her own ear, sitting on a seat in the rink, that the champion she was about to skate with would one day be at her game, kissing her in the bathroom.

The thought made her all giddy, and she giggled shyly, hopping on her skates to the skater who immediately closed her eyes, accepting the gentle kiss.

"Okay," Chaewon finally said, one hand on Minjoo’s shoulder pad, hitting it softly. "Score two more times for me. If you don't that means you'd rather date that girl than me."

Minjoo raised her hand to her forehead, saluting, used to make deals with Chaewon anyway. That made her remember how the girl had always been supportive towards her—the first time they talked outside practice literally started off with Chaewon congratulating after her game. Feeling kind of guilty for doubting that the day before, Minjoo presented up her palm, and Chaewon gave it a high-five before stepping away from the door, letting Minjoo go back to her team with fresh water and butterflies in her stomach.

Ignoring Yena's insistent gaze, Minjoo entirely focused on her mindset, visualising how much more she could give to do her best. Chaewon's love and support warmed her whole body, enveloping her with such energy that Cocho felt it. He nodded, pointing at her, signalling she would enter for the face-off.

The Zamboni left the ice, the clock buzzed, the music turned down a little and the public cheered. Once again equipped with her gloves and helmet, Minjoo watched the stands through her visor. There were a lot of people. Some were wearing High1 scarves and jerseys but most were curious skaters that didn’t leave after the public session or waiting for the next one to start. Kids were running around, pretending to be players, parents grumbling about the cold and HTC supporters were wearing white and blue scarves, chanting. Minjoo felt that little fire in her belly as the referees prepared for the face-off while High1 N3 players entered the ice. She found her parents and waved—they responded by blowing their cheering horn, and she quickly looked away, a smile hidden under her helmet, as touched as she was embarrassed. Finally, Minjoo peeked at the top of the stands, her heart immediately racing when she finally noticed where Chaewon was sitting, laughing with her friends. 

The other players entered the ice, and the referee skated forward with the puck. Minjoo looked in her direction one last time, already having her attention on her. Chaewon pronounced a fighting in the distance, raised her fist in encouragement and Minjoo nodded, just like that first game at HTC. Two goals, too easy—Chaewon even knew how much she needed to surpass Taeho in the ranking. The referee raised a hand in the air, announcing the third period, demanding a fair game, puck in the middle, and she took a deep breath. 

Knees bent, eyes glued to the black biscuit, focused on the game, Minjoo didn't even hear the cheers of her teammates as she realised the first face-off, retrieving the puck. 

She immediately sent it to Jaehyuc who made his way into the opposing team's defensive zone, rushing through black jerseys quickly retaliating. Minjoo moved forward in turn, forced by a defenseman agile enough to follow her movements. Leaving the puck to Chanwoo, she moved out of the way enough to widen the playing range, preventing a clump of players. The white players attempted a shot that was narrowly intercepted by the goalkeeper, and Minjoo hurriedly skated towards the High1 forward who handled the puck. 

The pressure allowed Daehyeon to regain possession of the play, sending it to Minjoo just as quickly. The black jersey players were quite spread out and although they were fast, minjoo was even faster, crossing the whole of the defensive zone. Without thinking for a second, she tricked the defenseman, just like in practice—Cocho probably swore in annoyance—and shot a backhanded shot. The puck hit against the metal, the goalie unable to stop the goal.

The horns buzzed, the crowd applauded wildly, the supporters’ horns sounded and some of her teammates patted her back, proud to have such a player on their team.

She smiled, gliding on one foot, hitting her stick on the ice before going back to her position, staying humble, focusing on the face off. The referee blew his whistle, the black and white players fought over the puck and the action ended with Jaehyuc charging at the High1 center. They made a change, and Minjoo could only rejoice when Hyeri came in. The High1 girl immediately picked up the puck, Minjoo trying to steal the biscuit away from her. She needed another goal for Chaewon and her parents, so she quickly went backwards, speeding in front of Hyeri who lost control, their bodies colliding, sending the smaller girl to the ice. Immediately a HTC wing stole the puck, the crowd reacting to the action with several shouts. It was the game, after all. Minjoo patted Hyeri’s helmet before rounding her, darting quickly towards her attacking zone. 

Perhaps her nasty move aroused some hatred in the High1 defensemen, as one of them did not hesitate to try to charge her. She narrowly dodged it, skating backwards, then avoided another before passing the puck to Chanwoo. The game gained speed in their offensive zone but the High1 goalie was really good, quick on his feet and reactive, quickly getting down on his knee when Ryujin attempted another shot. As a center, Minjoo had to lead the game. She announced a retreat widening the game, creating more opportunities for movement. Thus, the black jersey forwards got the puck back, applauded by their supporters. 

Intak stopped them from scoring and the tables turned again. Minjoo went up, handling the puck near a border. She saw it coming but could not avoid a defenseman charging at her. Her body crashed against the glass but she caught her balance, until her head buzzed and she fell on her . For some reason, opposing teams always mistook her speed and little tricks for provocation—it kind of was, and always ended up taking their frustration on her. She was used to it, but it was never pleasant. Dahyeon and Chanwoo helped her get up, asking if everything was okay as she nodded. The dizzy feeling would disappear after a few minutes, and to the applause and cheering horns of HTC supporters, she skated back to her bench, clapping Seohan's hand as he took her place, engaging in power play.

Minjoo removed her helmet, grabbed her water bottle and closed her eyes for a moment, seeing stars. Cocho put a hand on her shoulder, and she assured once again everything was fine, catching her breath, ready to go back in as soon as Seohan tired. She was invincible tonight, driven by a strength that could not be taken down—plus that felt like a hug compared to how harsh the Nippon Paper Cranes had been a few weeks ago. Just the thought of Chaewon and her friends in the stands, surely worried about her leaving the ice after being body checked against the hard border to the point of dizziness, motivated her to calm down. Her parents were there too, and she couldn't let her mother complain for the whole week-end about how dangerous the sport is another time. So she put her helmet back on, fastened the strap tightly and waited for her time to go back on ice.

Coach Oh knew what he was doing when he put Yena, Jiung and Minjoo in after the first High1 goal. Despite all the team-based efforts, these three knew all too well how to run their own game. Jiung had the strength, Yena the quick thinking and Minjoo the recklessness to finish anything. The number 4 got the puck and immediately passed it to Jaehyuc. Everything went very quickly. Minjoo handled the puck to the goal, sent it across the blue line to Yena, and then got it back. She didn't think for a second, shooting the biscuit with the end of her stick at a blind spot, not realising it was in until the public cheered. Yena hugged her, and she smiled again, returning to her center position. She had her two goals, but that didn't stop her from putting in another one before giving way to Seohan.

And so the game ended on 7-2 for HTC, and they all celebrated together on the ice, waving their sticks, jumping around their leading scorer. It was a warm moment, and although Minjoo only wanted two things at that moment—running to her parents and Chaewon, she hand-shaked the opposing players, locking eyes with Hyeri, offering a bright smile the girl reciprocated, accepting the silent apology for the body check and accepting the challenge to get her revenge next time.

There is nothing better than that temporary euphoria after winning a game. A team is one in evolution and defeat, but it's in the victory that the strength of each player sublimates; the wingers' precision, the speed of all players, the center's agility and the shooter's skill. An honourable gap in the final score reveals the power of the goalie and the defensemen. And it would be when they would lift the playoff cup as Asian League champions that the team would value how much everyone's hard work led them here. However, HTC was only the beginning of their career, and together, they celebrated their final moments.

So Minjoo sang along, enjoying the last few games with them before they moved to different teams. They threw their equipment on the floor, banged the sticks against the foam and celebrated each other's victory. Before leaving the changing room to shower somewhere else with Ryujin and Yena, Minjoo still got treated to a nasty shower gel attack—she tasted men's all-in-one gel and almost threw up. 

But despite the cheerful mood, Minjoo hurried on. She quickly washed her hair, applied a moisturiser, laughed with her teammates, put on a clean tracksuit, some perfume and greeted the girls before leaving the changing room. Her heavy, thick bag weighed on her shoulder, but it was as if it vanished when she encountered Chaewon and her friends in the small, heated hallway under the bleachers. She smiled, placing her stuff on the floor, greeted by warm smiles and applause.

They chatted there for a while, and Minjoo fell a little more for Chaewon.

It wasn't the first time they'd seen each other outside the centre, and still, they were in an ice rink, but this time was different. There, in the hall, with her hands in the pockets of her bomber, Chaewon was not at all what she was for the HTC. She was that eighteen-year-old girl giggling with her friends about undoubtedly anything but program components and plyometric workouts. Dressed in something other than her leggings and defined jackets, she looked just as confident but free from all the weight that weighed on her shoulders when she was only the world champion and the nation's treasure in her discipline. Minjoo grinned as Chaewon burst out laughing at Yunjin's joke, slapping her shoulder, Kazuha pushing both of them.

Minjoo smiled because she was familiar with Yunjin and Kazuha, after all. Chaewon often talked about them and always said that they would get along, but Minjoo didn't think she would be intimidated. Of course, Chaewon had friends at the centre, and Minjoo knew them well by now. But these friends knew her through skating, not through what she would be laughing at since she was a kid whose life didn't revolve around rotations and spins. It was strange to meet the friends who already knew everything about the girl Minjoo had taken so long to approach. It warmed her heart, making her want to build something even stronger with Chaewon. To keep making her laugh hard and giving her confidence like Yunjin and Kazuha did simply by their presence—and banters.

Also Minjoo wasn't spared. The stylish girl about the way she looked at Chaewon. Heart eyes, apparently. She couldn't help it anyway, biting her lip to keep from smiling too much, caught in the act, turning her head away as Yunjin kept telling her to stop looking at her best friend like that. Chaewon chuckled, her cheeks getting a little red as she was the one getting embarrassed.

Although she wouldn't have minded getting to know Chaewon's best friends, Minjoo had to see her parents while Yunjin and Kazuha had their bus to catch, so after a few last words, they parted ways.

Alone with Chaewon again, Minjoo felt lighter than ever after a game. Usually, every step was torture because of the soreness. But not this time, as she refused to let Chaewon carry her heavy equipment bag. She felt light, as if on a cloud of happiness and serenity. Her heart fluttered as her eyes met the skater's. Chaewon raised her eyebrows with a pout, hands in her jacket again, looking much less confident than she was a few moments ago. Her cheeks were even redder, and Minjoo brushed one of them with her hand, faking a punch.

Chaewon smiled, pretending to get hit before stepping closer. "Can we get home so I can properly congratulate you?"

"Anything my lady wants," Minjoo smiled back, making the other roll her eyes.

Nevertheless, they still took a moment to push the door open. Chaewon wouldn't admit it, firmly denying the statement, but her nervousness was evident. She took a deep breath, then pulled back at the last moment, prompting a chuckle from Minjoo.

"It's not funny," Chaewon huffed exaggeratedly, almost breathless, running a hand through her hair—she sighed a second time, now having to correct that. "I don't care we're just friends or whatever. It's still your parents."

"They're really cool," Minjoo reassured as best she could. She helped Chaewon fix her bangs, not only because she was impatient but because the skater was adorable. "We drive Yena home almost every Friday night. They really don't care, don't worry. You're so pretty."

"Let's just go," she finally said, stopping nervously bouncing around. "I'm going behind you."

Minjoo kissed her chastely before pushing open the door that hid them from the world. The excitement of seeing her parents again after a week and a win slightly overshadowed the fact that Chaewon was with her. But after all, she had introduced her with a "hey, my friend from Haneulae needs a place to sleep after going to our game to see Yena, Seohan, and me," and being nervous about it would mess up their performance. She had to play it cool anyway, so why not just be? Actually, the most stressful part was walking to her parents in front of all the other players, carrying her big black CCM wheelie bag, with world champion Kim Chaewon following her. To her relief, already noticing a few curious looks and Chanwoo gasping, she spotted her parents drinking coffee by a heater and chatting with Yena's parents, as usual.

Forgetting the people around, she glanced over her shoulder at Chaewon, amused to see her shy as she rarely was—Minjoo didn't know what to think of her girlfriend being more intimidated by her parents than by Viderski and Chi Hyunjung. She smiled at her one last time, and Chaewon nodded, biting her cheek. They were skaters, but they also needed to be good actresses now.

Minjoo hugged her parents, getting showered with congratulations on her outstanding performance. She also greeted Yena's parents, who asked what their daughter was doing to take so long—probably singing in the shower—and then gave way to Chaewon. The skater bowed respectfully, more docile than ever. Minjoo had to fidget with her sneakers to avoid pinching her cheeks and telling her how cute she was for being so shy.

Minjoo's father grabbed the bag to walk to the car, and her mother was chatty enough that Chaewon just listened and chuckled. Minjoo looked at her every time her mother turned her back, and each time, the sight of her ice princess keeping her head down with rosy cheeks and looking smaller than ever, made her melt. In a good way this time. Approaching the car, she teasingly bumped into Chaewon, making her stumble to the side, her backpack falling off her shoulders. It relieved some tension, though, and Chaewon, who was now nothing like the girl she'd been laughing out loud with her friends a few moments earlier, gently pushed her back.

Sitting in the back of the car, Minjoo unfolded the blanket she'd always share with Yena—they were ironically chilly after playing for hours in the cold. She placed it on Chaewon's legs, loving seeing her so silent, looking out the window. And maybe because of the blanket, Minjoo finally felt the fatigue of the game set in, making the car the most comfortable place to sleep. Theatrically wishing goodnight to everyone, she couldn't help but laugh at the distressed look Chaewon gave her. Wiggling her brows, she sat back more comfortably against her window, rocked by the voices of the people she loved so much.

"So you're a figure skater, Min, told me," she heard, keeping her eyes closed.

Minjoo's father said, "Why are you asking her if you already know?"

"You're being rude," said the woman—Minjoo still didn't open her eyes, but it was hard not to smile when she heard her mother grumble and turn around in her seat, probably directly addressing her girlfriend. "Don't mind this grump."

The grump laughed and said, "Don't mind her. She's a real chatterbox. Come on, let the kid sleep too."

Minjoo held back a little more of a smile at her parents' quarrell, and somehow she was glad that Chaewon witnessed how chill they were, even in her presence. So as the road fell silent for a moment, she slipped her hand under the blanket, poking Chaewon's side. She felt her fingers slide between hers. And thus, fingers intertwined on the middle seat, holding hands under the blanket, Minjoo fell asleep to the gentle caresses of Chaewon's thumb on her skin and her voice politely occasionally conversing with her parents.

-

The house welcomed them in a warm atmosphere, and Minjoo rushed to lead them to her room, trying to be discreet to not wake up her sister and Minsung if he was already home. She turned down the handle and let Chaewon go in first, closing the door behind them and turning on the light.

There was, as usual, a small bag of snacks on the bed with, this time, a new white grip tape. Minjoo threw it in the air before skillfully capturing it after it swirled, then tossed it to Chaewon—she could land triple rotation jumps but couldn't catch something. Not like her usual nonchalant self, the skater looked exhausted. Maybe she hadn't just played hockey for more than two hours, but she'd had a tiring week of three practises a day and had gone to an early afternoon ballet class. A real boss, in her way.

She sat on the edge of the bed, curiously looking around. Minjoo did the same. Her Doksan jerseys hang on the dark grey walls next to a whole collection of her old sticks and pucks. Pictures of Doksan and HTC decorated the room between some NHL and music posters. Above the wooden desk were several medals and trophies, a bottle of maple syrup, and a souvenir from Canada. Chaewon smiled as she noticed the shelf where a few albums were stacked, and she rolled her eyes at the Eunseo postcards.

"Sharing a room with the other woman?" She said, glancing at Minjoo.

"She knows you're just a friend," she said, shrugging, immediately receiving a slap on the shoulder.

"Don't play with me," Chaewon said, clicking her tongue.

And just as they expected, the door opened to Minjoo's mother dropping off a mattress and blanket—they hadn't gotten close yet, just in case. Chaewon assured her that she could take care of the bed, but the older woman declined with a laugh, thanking her for her politeness. Minjoo bit her lip, containing her smile, knowing Chaewon would definitely not sleep on that mattress on the bedroom carpet. But she appreciated the attention. She knew the hospitality could only make her reserved skater feel more comfortable.

Yes, Minjoo discovered the Chaewon that Eunbi had described to her on the first night: a reserved and shy girl. It was easy to mistake it for disdain, but now Minjoo knew Chaewon well enough. She was a top athlete, used to being scrutinised by a critical audience and uncompromising judges. She was always subject to being judged and ruled, so much so that all that confidence would melt like cold, hard ice under the sun every time she wasn't in her comfort zone—away from coldness, strictness, and stress. She didn't doubt landing a double Axel and didn't fear getting lifted over the ice, but she didn't dare go to the bathroom until Minjoo offered.

And it was a little sad, but Minjoo was making it personal; the strength and confidence Chaewon offered her, she had to give them back. Just like when her bold confession helped Chaewon commit more to her throw.

Returning from her turn in the bathroom, she finally closed the door. Now it was just the two of them. Minjoo didn't waste a second before doing what she'd been craving for a week—collapsing on her bed. She lay down with all the soreness evaporating from her body and smiled as Chaewon crawled excitedly on top of her.

The figure skater intertwined their fingers, and Minjoo lifted an impatient brow.

"Good game, Mingu," Chaewon congratulated, leaning away, bringing Minjoo’s hands to her waist, making her sit up. The hockey player merely rolled her eyes at the sarcasm, asserting her hold on the hockey player like she didn’t dare when they started practising the program. I'd quench that thirst. She looked up at her with vivid admiration, watching her flip her hair to the side before cupping her cheek. The figure skater was about to say something else, but Minjoo interrupted her, unable to wait any longer before feeling her.

After some kissing, Chaewon pushed her away, whining, "hold on. Oh my goodness. Let me be nice for once because you’re gonna be complaining about—"

Minjoo chuckled. Yeah, she would complain about having to force nice words out of Chaewon’s mouth most of the time, but right now, she would let it pass. Instead, she slipped her hand under her shirt to feel her body’s warmth and traced kisses along her jaw down to her neck. She loved it when the figure skater couldn’t talk for some reason—a few moments of peace the apprentice figure skater Minjoo wouldn’t believe she needed—feeling her nails on her nape. Sensing she was starting to breathe a little deeper, she backed away, softly slapping her belly and saying, "Okay, I’m listening."

"Shut up," Chaewon brought her closer by the back of her neck.

"Watch your words," Minjoo resisted, pinching her waist and making her squeal. "Minimum fifty."

Chaewon sulked. She even faked a cry when Minjoo fell back on the mattress, watching her teasingly, waiting for her credits. After all, she didn’t play her best against a team below her level for nothing—she was always playing her best, but she may have done a few unnecessary tricks to flex a little.

The figure skater sulked again, her fingers trying to lift the hockey player’s shirt in vain. "C’mon."

"Did you see when I did a sharp turn on that guy? Like I just went fffshh, and he missed, and then I passed it. Did you see that?" Minjoo raised her eyebrows, recreating the action with her hands shoved in Chaewon’s face.

"Yeah, that was sick." The girl rolled her eyes, unable to suppress a laugh, pushing Minjoo’s hands away from her before trying again with the shirt. She laughed, whining, "take it off."

"Oh, and have you seen that? When Yena did that," Minjoo used her hands again, imitating a reverse shot, making the other cry in despair. "Like, she went-this, and then she did that, and the puck went straight like-goal!"

"Goal!" Chaewon mimicked her voice, sitting down on her stomach. "Sorry, I was only looking at you queen top scorer."

"I said fifty words," said the hockey player resting on her elbows, letting wavy hair fall around her face, a cheeky smile exposing her rosy cheeks. "That's like ten, but we’re getting there. You can do it."

"I don't care. Give me a kiss," the figure skater insisted, dainty fingers grabbing her jaw. Minjoo shook her head, pursing her lips, and Chaewon hit her shoulder. "Don’t piss me off."

"I love you,” Minjoo said.

“Uh?” Chaewon almost choked, eyes widening as billions stars shined in them. Minjoo turned her head away, feeling her heart about to explode, the words still burning her chest with how natural they came out. She said it just like it was the only thing she could think of at that moment—it was. “I…”

"Yeah, I know." Minjoo spared her. She knew Chaewon meant it but wouldn’t dare say it out loud yet—the more she got were ily’s when they were texting, but she didn’t feel like waiting anymore. Actually, Minjoo didn’t even know why she waited so long, and seeing how emotions glinted in the skater’s eyes, she couldn’t help but say it. "I love you."

"Me too," said the figure skater. She looked down shyly, losing composure for a moment before she held the hockey player’s jaw again, moving her head in every direction, probably distracting herself. "Can I get my kiss now?"

Minjoo nodded—Chaewon tilted her head up and down—and closed her eyes, accepting the softness that spoke louder than words.

Eventually, she took off her shirt and gave it to Chaewon, who beamed, taking her own off to wear this Osaka Tournament one instead. Minjoo grumbled, wearing the dumbo shirt, but she soon forgot about it when the skater slipped her leg in between hers, closing every distance between their bodies. Minjoo smiled at that, her heart bouncing in her chest. She gently passed her fingers through soft brown hair, feeling a hot breath hitting her neck, until they fell asleep.

-

Minjoo was in the middle of the sweetest dream—chocolate protein bars, snow, and some more things—when a hand shaking her body woke her up. She groaned first, hiding her face under the covers, but her disturbance lost her patience, shaking her twice more fervently, repeating her name too near her face, urging her to wake up. She groaned again, pushing Chaewon away, giving up as soon as the girl fought back by pushing harder.

"I’m so embarrassed," Chaewon sulked, slowly making her way into Minjoo’s arms, grabbing on to put it around her since the hockey player was too sleepy to do so.

Minjoo didn’t open her eyes yet but naturally let her fingers run along the skater’s back. "Mh?"

"I went to brush my teeth, and I saw your brother," said the girl, her fresh minty breath tickling Minjoo’s ear. Maybe she was used to her early morning practises being up this early on a Sunday morning, and Minjoo buried a little more of her face in the pillow, trying to grasp a few more moments in her dreamland. "Well, I hope that was your brother. Are you listening? Hello?"

"Mh," she groaned again when the figure skater started playing with her ear. It felt like waking up in Yuri’s bed with her cat annoying them until one would get up and give him food, in a way. Only, as far as Minjoo knew, Yuri’s cat couldn’t talk, and Chaewon talked a little too much sometimes—it was cute, though, how comfortable she became to say whatever went through her mind.

Chaewon resumed, "So, as I was saying, I went to the bathroom, and I saw your brother, and he looked at me weird, y’know? And–"

"Weird?" Minjoo interrupted her, suddenly not so asleep anymore. She knew well how Yuri would be gushing over him every time she came over or the way he thought it was so funny to hit on the hockey boy’s sisters at her game. Bringing Chaewon home as a friend was risky, and she’d forgotten the whole having a playful older brother thing—and the prettiest girlfriend ever. 

"Like, weird," Chaewon smiled as soon as their eyes met, letting her fingers follow Minjoo’s hairline. "And he said I had a nice shirt. He doesn’t know, does he? Do you think he knows?" 

Oh. Yeah, Chaewon was wearing her most treasured shirt. 

But truthfully, Minjoo had nothing to be worried about. Actually… Minsung knew about her having a very, very close friend since a few weeks ago—he just didn’t know who exactly. He might’ve just connected the dots after seeing a pretty girl wearing his sister’s shirt in their bathroom. For a fact, Yuri and Yena kept their own clothes when they came over the weekend. Closing her eyes again, she even let out a smile, thinking about how Chaewon probably muttered a swear when Minsung appeared in front of her first thing in the morning. She scooted closer to her, staying silent.

"I almost got lost and opened your sister’s room," the girl said again, playing with the hockey player's hair, following the flow of a few strands. "Thank God, I saw that do not enter sign. Is she emo?"

"Mh," Minjoo couldn’t develop an answer as to how her little sister wasn’t emo but a thirteen-year-old discovering the vast and curious world of Japanese rock bands. She will, though, later.

"Mh as in mh yes, or mh no?" Chaewon insisted, and Minjoo buried her face in the pillow, knowing that a visible frown would only make her girlfriend question her feelings for her—the girl once got mad because Minjoo sighed when she asked if she would still date her if she had a hairy tongue. "My quantum physics doesn’t observe your morning ‘mh’s."

"I don't know," Minjoo whined. 

"Fifty words," Chaewon mocked, slightly deepening her voice to match hers, but Minjoo didn't have the capacity to bother. "That's like three, but we're getting there."

Even if she wanted to preserve the half-sleep she was in, Minjoo couldn’t help but let out a laugh before whining into the soft pillow. It was actually worse than waking up to Yuri’s cat biting her legs and massaging her stomach with his paws—she would fight with him when Yuri was asleep and unable to take his side, but she knew she would end up single if she just kicked Chaewon out of her bed. Instead, she chose the safest option: imploring.

"Chae, can I sleep just a little more?" She asked into the pillow in a last hope to have her usual Sunday late morning that was necessary for a good week—ditching her jogging around the neighbourhood.

"She can talk?" Chaewon chuckled, softly hitting her back before letting her hand slip under Minjoo’s shirt’s sleeve, her shoulder. "Just because you made me the proudest yesterday, I will accept that it's over between us. I’ll wake you up in an hour. Ready, set, go."

Again, Minjoo let out a laugh before planting a quick kiss on her lips, tasting mint. After that, she shifted under the covers, snuggling as close as possible to the skater who turned enough for her to place her head on her chest. A contented sigh escaped Minjoo’s lips smelling Chaewon’s scent on her Canada Hockey shirt, feeling her warm embrace as she hugged her, sensing her laugh at videos she was watching on low volume on her phone. And so, Minjoo finally got her peace, falling back to sleep in a minute, only to wake up with the skater sleeping as well.

-

Minjoo didn't quite realise yet that the girl currently doing her make-up in her room, sitting on the floor in front of a big mirror, was her girlfriend. She was slowly accepting that one of the most popular girls in school was her girlfriend, but this Chaewon, and how she effortlessly whistled the highest notes of this song... Yeah, that was still unbelievable. Sitting on her bed, already dressed in baggy jeans and a grey hoodie, Minjoo watched with a smile, despite Chaewon's complaints—she'd been ready for a while and had nothing better to do. Still, Chaewon looked at her through the mirror, lifting a brow, singing along in a low tone, not that lonely to love you—obviously insisting on the last part, moving her shoulders in rhythm as she focused back on her eyeliner. Minjoo fell back on her bed with another reason not to believe how lucky she was.

In the late morning, they finally left the room, taking the dangerous path to the living room where a cheering crowd—the hockey player’s parents—were to await their improvisation show—probably watching a boring TV show. 

Minjoo stopped before entering the living room, turning around and catching Chaewon's hand, hugging her as she hugged her boy teammates—in the most platonic way ever. The skater almost got startled, cringing but still accepting the bro-hug before running a nervous hand through her hair. If she hadn't held back at the last moment, Minjoo would have annoyed her by ruffling her bangs, but it wasn't worth making the skater go insane before seeing her parents in daylight. 

"Morning," she announced, one hand under her hoodie, shuffling her feet to the kitchen. Chaewon followed suit, bowing multiple times. 

Her mother looked away from her phone, sitting on the couch, offering them a warm smile, "good morning. Chaewon, did you sleep well?"

The skater seemed a little taken aback by the attention, but she smiled shyly, one hand coming to grasp the new locket that adorned her neck—Minjoo bought it when they went out on a Wednesday afternoon. "Very well, thank you so much for receiving me."

Unable to hold back, discreetly reaching behind her to the snack cupboards, softened by the interaction, Minjoo pinched the skater's waist, making her squeal in surprise. As for improvisation, they still had some practising to do, but for the moment, acting-wise, it was working.

"You’re welcome," said the woman. "Min, what are you doing? Do you want to eat here or go out? I can make some rice."

Minjoo turned to Chaewon, who heavily shrugged, her eyes actively saying she wouldn't be the one to decide. Sensing she was starting to stress her girlfriend, Minjoo decided to eat here and save some money, giving them time to choose their activity for the afternoon. Spending the whole day cuddling in bed would have been ideal, but maybe it wasn’t the safest option. And since they were together outside the centre, they would at least make the most of it. So with a small cake in hand, they made their way back to the room, thanking the woman who was already standing up to prepare a meal.

Only, when Minjoo went back to grab another two snacks, she stopped by the kitchen counter, eating a little cake, to chat with her mother. She quickly talked about her session at the physiotherapist's for her knee and assured her she would normally resume all practices. Her mother asked her a few more questions, which she answered excitedly, and then, as the conversation drifted to her friend, Minjoo realised that if other people were to watch their performance, they would boo and throw tomatoes. As Minjoo was about to walk away, her mother gave her a small, suggestive look, saying, "I have a feeling we'll see this one around."

There was no point in acting out anymore. Minjoo simply shrugged, turning around to hide a smirk, giddily running to her room. But as luck would have it, a nuisance was already at her door, roughly dressed in gym shorts and a tee shirt she once stole for several weeks. She sighed as deeply as she could, pulling the boy away by his shorts and getting violently shoved back—she always forgot that her twenty-three-years old brother could lift her with one hand. He sneered smugly, staying at the door.

"What do you want?" Minjoo sighed, sitting on her bed where Chaewon was perched, smiling at how effortlessly Minsung ejected his little sister.

"Properly say hello to your friend," he said. However, Minjoo knew he was teasing her, not Chaewon, so she sighed again. He usually never got up before it was time to eat, but no, the bear had to come out of his den and bother them in hers instead. "And take back my possessions."

"I didn't borrow anything this week," Minjoo defended herself. Instinctively—to make sure—she put a possessive hand on Chaewon's thigh, squeezing it a little, just a little more than a friend would, and the girl came closer, her cheek grazing her shoulder.

Minsung noticed that and grinned a little more, moving towards the bag despite his little sister's protests. He immediately pulled out a pair of sweatpants that belonged to him, presenting them as clear evidence of guilt. Minjoo tried to come up with a credible defence, but he pulled out another shirt stolen from his closet, and she admitted defeat as he continued his inspections. At least he'd realised that—he realised?

Perhaps the two ice prodigies must've been bearing the same expression as the young man mirrored them, his eyes darting back and forth between the two girls. Chaewon raised an eyebrow, less intimidated in front of the parasite than in front of their parents. Minsung's gaze fell to the hand on the other girl's thigh, and he crossed his arms against his chest. Knowing him well enough, Minjoo hurried to push him out of her room, closing the door behind them. She was used to being around him and guys in general, and she knew she didn't want Chaewon to hear whatever he was about to say.

"You'll tell your friend to give you some makeup tutorials," he said with a mocking smile. She was about to take offence, saying they share the same genes, but he clarified, pointing at her with his chin. "Cringe."

Minjoo raised a confused eyebrow, looking down at her hoodie—it was hers, for once. Minsung clicked his tongue, indicating his neck area rather suggestively. A sudden heat seized the hockey player's cheeks, and she hastily pulled the hoodie up around her collarbone. He had the eye, but hey, she scored too many goals not to get a little recognition.

"Uh-uh," she scoffed, her ears probably as red as an emergency button she'd like to press.

He grasped her hand in a solemn grip, nodding slowly, closing his eyes in respect. Minjoo responded, confused before he spoke, exaggeratedly impressed, "the first one you bring home is a world champion. I'm blown away. The student has surpassed the master."

"You're embarrassing," she said, rolling her eyes, accepting the embrace. Then she couldn't hold back a small, proud smile, remaining the student of this master. In a lower voice, she bragged, "but oh my God yes. She's so, like, she’s so, she's-ah."

"I connected the dots this morning, so I won't comment on that," Minsung held up his hands. "Wishing you two the best."

He offered to drive them if they wanted to go out during the afternoon and finally let her go back to her girlfriend, but not without a slap on the back of the head. Unrelated, but It felt all light in her chest as she locked the door, realising that her brother knowing about them—her mother too, probably, just made their relationship a bit more serious. A warm feeling spread as she went on top of the skater who'd been waiting.

"Thanks for remembering I exist," Chaewon grumbled, agreeing to be crushed, hugging her back.

Minjoo giggled between her neck and the sheets. Once again, she thought back to those cold evenings in the ice rink’s stands, Chaewon sitting three seats away from her without sparing her a glance, inaccessible. So inaccessible that the hockey player took her revenge, taking the warm skin between her teeth. The skater giggled, trying to push her away before giving up, her breath pressing against Minjoo's body. The girl smiled, loving how the heartbeat was blasting under her lips. She stopped with several kisses, making Chaewon giggle again, trying to escape. Now, they were both cringe—those on the stomach didn’t need concealer.

-

Finally, after much thought over a bowl of rice with kimchi and eggs, they opted for an unusual date. Well, definitely out of the ordinary. They were looking for something new, something innovative, something they had never done before, something that would surprise them. They had scoured several websites for ideas on what to do and even asked the parents sitting in the living room for their opinion. It was a place of great challenge and discovery, unknown. After about ten minutes of extensive research, the rice getting cold, they decided to go on a date at the ice rink.

Minsung laughed at them as they got into his car, saying that their choice was as unexpected as it was not so surprising. They fell in love on the ice, after all.

So they drove to the Doksan ice rink where Minjoo spent her childhood. From the car park, which definitely didn't have enough space, to the ticket booth run by club members, she remembered everything she had experienced here as if she had never left. She greeted Noh Gyuwon, a hockey player selling tickets for the public session that day, and took Chaewon's hand to guide her to the wall of trophies and pictures.

With a heart full of emotion, she showed the skater her first championship win with the Doksan team. Although she was ten years younger and wearing a large outfit, Chaewon recognised her immediately, her eyes shining, full of fondness. She also recognised Yena without difficulty as they stood arm in arm, sticks in hand, teeth missing. Minjoo continued to show her the photos and news articles, telling a few anecdotes she hadn't had a chance to tell yet. The trophies only fit on a tiny shelf, but holding Chaewon's hand here at Doksan, she knew she could win hundreds more. And she planned to do so very soon, at the Playoff's final.

To spice it up a little, they took up the challenge of not taking their million-won skates and going for the blue rentals as hard as rocks. Not surprisingly, it was a busy Sunday. Laughing at the disastrous quality and comfort of the rock-hard, poorly adjusted skates, they finally stepped onto the rink. To have even more fun, they chose to act like actual beginners, pretending to get on the ice for the first time in their lives—hoping that none of Minjoo's former teammates would be there to mess up their plan.

In fact, their performance as beginner skaters was much more convincing than pretending not to be in love. Holding on to the border, Minjoo let her gaze go over her girlfriend from head to toe. From her white socks pulled over her Lululemon leggings—so she wouldn't risk disintegrating—to her blue ODSD sweater, she just looked so... her. Minjoo had to physically contain herself from grabbing her jaw and bringing her in for a kiss, instead faking a punch that landed gently on her cheek. Chaewon acted like she got hit, as she would every time, then darted onto the ice first, one foot after the other, without letting go of the border. Minjoo laughed before joining her, doing her best not to supposedly fall on her .

"Do you think we can do it without holding the border?" She asked at the end of the first lap around the rink, which took them at least three minutes to complete—not to brag, but Minjoo would usually do it in less than fourteen seconds, and she won the fastest skater at the Asian League skills competition. Two times. 

"I don't know," Chaewon fixed her bangs. A playful smile lit up her face as she held out her hand.

"I should've just said I didn't know how to skate so you could hold my hand back when you thought I was a loser that didn’t deserve your attention," joked the hockey player, slipping her fingers between the world champion of figure skating—who couldn't skate without holding onto something this day.

"No, I think I would've had a nervous breakdown," the skater confessed truthfully, holding her hand tighter. They glided in harmony, letting people go around them, probably thinking they were really sluggish. "Slow down, girl, slow down."

"You know I almost passed out when you helped me get up the first time?" Said Minjoo. Then she shook their intertwined fingers and remarked in a falsely emotional tone, "look at us now. Who would've thought? I walked through the fire and s—"

"Slow down," Chaewon repeated, stopping near the border as someone almost skated straight into them. "I thought we were supposed to not know how to skate. Why are you going so fast?"

Minjoo shook her head, holding back both a sigh and a laugh as the other showed no amusement. She even let go of her hand to cross her arms across her chest, lifting a brow, looking as serious as ever. The problem was that Minjoo thought she looked too good when she had that attitude, so she could only play it off by performing a little trick, "ta-da."

"Don't ta-da me," the skater even had her utterly annoyed face, disdainfully curling her lips where the little scars were. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"Every day, every hour, every second, I want to impress you," said Minjoo approaching, remembering just in time that she was supposed to be unable to skate. So she slipped, falling dramatically into the arms of the girl who had the decency to hold her back and spare her the humiliation.

"No, but I'm serious." Chaewon still pushed her away. If she was going to act like this, there was nothing else to do but get through it. "You were playing to impress that Hyeri girl at your game so I don't know."

"Come on," the hockey player sighed, spinning around a little, giving her girlfriend a little fist bump on the cheek when she faced her. "Come on, Serious. Come on."

"Which one is it?" Chaewon scanned the entire rink, eyes squinting, one hand in a visor, the second keeping Minjoo at a distance as the latter laughed. She loved it when the skater would be her annoying self. "Which one? Blue sweater over there?"

"I actually know her," Minjoo admitted, regretting it the moment Chaewon closed her eyes, crushed by emotion as she pretended to cry, overwhelmed by the terrible situation. When it came to being dramatic, she could be a good actress. Minjoo laughed even harder, taking the opportunity to reach over. "I mean, one of my friends dated her."

"How come you know everyone?" The skater used her hand to fan her eyes—without any trace of a tear in them, obviously devastated. "Why can't I be the only one in your life? Why must I suffer?"

"But you're my favourite," the hockey player assured, once again physically restraining herself from doing something she conceivably shouldn't be doing here. Instead, she pulled her against her before she could say anything back, trapping her in a hug if she couldn't shut her up with a kiss. "My princess."

"Ew," Chaewon grumbled, still accepting the embrace. Maybe figure skating had made her eternally dissatisfied, or maybe she really wasn't romantic, which suited Minjoo, who wasn't very good with that either. And so she moved aside enough to grab Chaewon's cheeks with one hand, moving her head around before finishing with several small pats. "What am I? A dog?"

"No, you're the prettiest girl ever, the best ice skater, the smartest girl, and funny," the hockey player smiled smugly, her eyes full of love and admiration. "Sometimes."

Chaewon smiled too before rolling her eyes and starting to skate again, holding out her hand, "tell me something I don't know."

"Okay," Minjoo chuckled again, interlacing their fingers again, her thumb through the glove. "Did you know that, at first, skates were made of animal bones? It was thousands of years ago in Russia. We should ask Viderski, she was probably there."

The graceful, intelligent, funny and best skater in the world turned around and laughed, telling her she was silly. Her cheeks were flushed, and Minjoo knew it wasn't her historical fact or her joke about Viderski that had caused it—despite her airs and attitude, Chaewon would still get flustered after a compliment. And so they completed their second lap in just two minutes this time, giggling every time the experienced skaters came around them at full speed. Minjoo joked about this being extremely humbling, and Chaewon agreed that she at least expected people to cry and scream their names.

In the end, they enjoyed their time on the ice for another hour or so, occupying the middle space to do jumps and figures now that they were comfortable enough on their skates, forgetting about their little game. It wasn't a wild crowd, but two little girls had come to shyly ask if Chaewon was indeed the figure skater who had been on TV, and Minjoo almost teared up as she took a photo of them posing with her girlfriend after they eagerly asked for it. The little girls couldn't believe their eyes, excitedly saying that her hair was so pretty, that she looked so cool in her glittering dress and that they wanted to be champions too when they grew up, just like her. It was a touching moment, and on the bus ride back to the hockey player's place, Chaewon lost the war of not caring about her emotions, hiding her face between her palms as she cried. Minjoo hugged her—laughing a little, kissing her forehead and reminding her she deserved this and everything in the world.

Even though June was slowly approaching with the Playoffs' finale, the Korean Skating Cup championships and leaving HTC for summer vacations, Minjoo couldn't wait for it all. Cold evenings brought them together, but warm days were coming to make them stronger.