MONTH ONE

A brisk breeze grazes Si Jin’s cheeks, but he welcomes it with pleasure, along with the cold. To him, it signifies his first time out of the hospital. The cold, fresh air fills his lungs with vigor.

The only thing he would change about it would be the crutches. As per doctor’s orders, he is not allowed to put any weight on his injured leg. In the brief journey from his hospital room to the outdoors, he would give anything to allow his arms and legs to rest.

He finds it painfully ironic that someone who has spent his life training to glide on impossibly thin blades can only stand on one leg. His skates were an extension of himself - and now he feels like he’s living in someone else’s body.

He turns to observe Mo Yeon, who had insisted on being there for his discharge and subsequently, his first physiotherapy session. She faces the sun like a flower, blooming under the sunlight. She catches him staring - again - and smiles.

“I believe you owe me a date,” She says, and in response, Si Jin’s back straightens and his mood instantly brightens, a grin

spreading across his face. Mo Yeon smirks. “At the physiotherapist!”

Si Jin pouts and slouches over his crutches, but heads to the physiotherapist with her regardless. She suggests taking the bus, which he offers absolutely no oppositions to.

The street where the physiotherapy centre is lacks the heavy traffic and high rises of downtown Seoul, and the building sits squeezed between a convenience store and a coffee shop. At least five different health services are stacked on top of one another in the building, with physiotherapy, luckily, on the first floor. Mo Yeon holds the doors open for him as Si Jin hobbles in.

To his surprise, his physiotherapist is already awaiting his arrival.

“Dr. Song, nice to see you again,” Si Jin waves, almost dropping his crutch. “Though I wish it were under different circumstances.”

His eyes crinkle upon seeing a familiar patient, revealing the light crow’s feet on the corner of his eyes. His smile is kind and understanding, washing a feeling of reassurance over Si Jin.

“It's nice to see you too, and who might this be?” Dr. Song eyes Mo Yeon with a glint in his eye.

Mo Yeon jumps slightly, before bowing and introducing herself.

“Kang Mo Yeon. I'm Yoo Si Jin’s friend.”

The doctor nods, casting a playful look at Si Jin. He pretends not to notice it, and hopes that the heat he feels travelling up his body is purely internal.

Dr. Song guides them over to a private room, taking Si Jin’s injured leg and gently squeezing down the calf. After a couple minutes of silence and a contemplative expression, he starts to walk Si Jin through several stretches. Mo Yeon watches attentively as he bends Si Jin’s leg and places it in strategic positions, encouraging Si Jin to push himself further. He winces at certain angles, but holds his stance regardless.

“Keep practicing what I showed you, I have to check on my other patients. I’ll be back soon,” Dr. Song says as he ducks out of the room.

Si Jin immediately goes limp, staring up at the ceiling and breathing heavily. Mo Yeon crosses her arms and stands where Dr. Song was just moments ago.

“What are you doing?” She demands.

“Resting,” Si Jin replies simply. He is tired. He is frustrated that he is tired from just stretching. He feels as if his body won’t listen to him.

Mo Yeon sighs, gripping Si Jin’s leg and slowly bending it back. He complies, feeling like a child who has just been forced to eat his vegetables.

“Tell me when to stop,” she says as she pushes his leg further and further back, trying to find the point of resistance. He grunts when she finds it. She holds his leg in that position for several seconds, before allowing him to release.

She cycles through the stretches that were shown to them earlier, and is halfway through the last one when Dr. Song reenters. He falters upon seeing Mo Yeon tangled between Si Jin’s limbs, holding his leg. He relaxes when he processes the situation, smiling.

“Very good technique. Have you ever considered a career in medicine?”

Mo Yeon is so caught off guard that she drops the leg she was holding. “Thank you, but no - I’m a figure skater.”

“She’s going to the Provincial Championships,” Si Jin adds proudly.

“Equally as challenging. Best of luck,” Dr. Song wishes, sending a wink in her direction.

MONTH TWO

Despite the fact that he’s been told the water is heated to prevent his muscles from tensing, Si Jin is still apprehensive about going into the pool. He sits on the edge, dipping his legs knee-deep. He is just starting to miss Mo Yeon’s encouragement and support when she comes through the door, scanning the venue for him. Startled, he slips into the water, the splash revealing his location to her.

She rushes over to the pool, where Si Jin is trying to downplay his fall by starting his hydrotherapy. He looks up at her outfit - which currently consists of sneakers and her shimmering free program costume.

“Why are you here?” He asks in disbelief. “The competition shouldn’t be over yet.”

“Singles went first, and I’m not attending the medal ceremony.”

That was all the information needed. She didn’t place, and she didn’t advance. Surprisingly, her shoulders don’t seem to carry any burden, and if anything, she looks relieved. For once, Si Jin cannot find a way to empathize. All he can do is nod, and practice walking with weightless legs.

“Skating is too lonely now,” she murmurs to herself.

MONTH THREE

Si Jin mentally reminds himself never to take putting both feet on the ground for granted again. Dr. Song examines the state of his leg, and finally, finally frees him from non-weight bearing status. He trades in his crutches, a tinge of sadness running through him. They were the only things that had been by his side more often than Mo Yeon. Yet simultaneously, he feels so elated that he may not ever touch the ground again.

Today, he will learn to walk again.

Two bars line up before him, providing handholds to rely on as he puts one foot in front of the other for the first time in ten weeks. Mo Yeon, standing at the other end of the bars, can feel excitement bounce off the balls of her feet.

In reality, all he has done is take a step. But the single step is so monumental. The sensation of his foot on the ground, not simulated underwater, but really, truly, making contact with the floor, is so astounding that it almost shatters him. He gasps, unintentionally, as he gains validation for the long weeks of physiotherapy - what he's been working so hard for.

Eventually, he makes it to the other end of the bars, into Mo Yeon’s awaiting arms. It is the slowest walk the speed skater has ever done - and yet the hug he gets makes it more rewarding than any medal.

“I'm so proud of you,” Mo Yeon whispers into his shirt.

She really is proud, and yet she can't ignore the guilt sticking to her lungs with every breath.  Every day, Si Jin is making progress - and yet she remains stagnant. The new figure skating year looms far ahead, but she has no idea where she belongs anymore. More than anything, she wants to compete in the pair skating division again, and yet, it is the one thing she can’t have.

MONTH FOUR

Mo Yeon skips around in the sun, which filters through the clouds much more often these days. Si Jin follows closely behind, imagining what the passersby think of the two of them. They were two people whose actions failed to represent their age - one prancing along the sidewalk, the other walking with a cane. As they approach the crest of the hill, he sees a familiar building in the distance.

“The ice rink? Why are we going there?” Si Jin asks when he figures out the destination.

“Yoon Myung Ju asked for a favour,” Mo Yeon skips a couple steps forward, eyes alight with amusement. “She wants to have a date with Seo Dae Young, but she’s supposed to be practicing for Nationals. So you are going to be ‘training’ at the gym, while she and I are - coincidentally - also there.”

Si Jin nods slowly. He eyes his cane, and wonders if anybody would believe that he was capable of training the way he used to. Finally seeing Haesung Rink face-to-face after several months feels almost foreign to him, yet he is able to navigate the hallways with surprising ease.

The training facilities reside in a room as expansive as the rink itself, with exercise machines lining the floor, and pyramids of weights scaling the walls. As always, SI Jin’s eyes go straight to the far end, where the floor splits into four trampolines. His exercise regime seldom included trampoline work, but it didn’t stop he and his team from looking at it like it was forbidden candy.

Meanwhile, Mo Yeon goes straight for the trampoline, almost tripping over her excitement. As soon as she launches into the air, she is easily performing triple jumps. The sound of her laugh travels up and down along with her. Si Jin looks on enviously, his hand gripping his cane a little tighter.

“Join me,” she calls from the apex of another jump, using her hand to call him over. “This is probably the safest place to be jumping. The trampoline absorbs your fall.” And it’s true - she and Chi Hoon used to practice on the trampoline before transferring to the ice.

Si Jin glances at the door, confirming that nobody else has intruded on the two of them, and  willingly obliges to her request. At the edge of the trampoline, he bends down to set his cane on the floor, watching Mo Yeon from the corner of his eye. Her eagerness takes control of her feet and she jumps a little too forward, and she yelps as she finds herself descending almost directly on top of Si Jin.

Pure instinct overrides all of his senses, and all he can hear is his adrenaline. He takes a slight step forwards onto the trampoline,  aligning himself to her point of impact. His arms outstretch without a single hesitation, easily catching her in his arms as the trampoline fabric stretches down to absorb the shock. He can feel her panting against his chest.

Mo Yeon looks up into Si Jin’s widened eyes, and she realizes she is so close that she can see her own surprised expression in them. She gasps - it suddenly feels much too hot, as if her entire body is flushing red, and she - quite literally - rolls out of his arms.

What does she say? Thank you? Sorry for landing in your arms when you’re still recovering from a major injury? Both?

“Wow, so cool,” Myung Ju breathes, standing at the doorway with her father. Mo Yeon is starting to suspect that she has a penchant for surprise entrances.

To have witnesses - her coach, no less - to her plunder sends a whole new wave of embarrassment crashing through her, as she stutters a thank you to Si Jin, who shakes it off and, of all things, asks her if she’s okay.

“Am I okay?” She repeats in disbelief. “Is your leg okay?”

Si Jin pats it lightly and fakes a wince. “You’re pretty heavy, but luckily, my leg and I are very strong.”

“What’s going on in here?” Says the last member of their “training session,” a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

Myung Ju rockets towards him with unprecedented speed. Dae Young, at a loss of what to do, drops his duffel bag and looks helplessly at the two people on the trampoline.

“Seo Dae Young, catch me!”

MONTH FIVE

This is it.

The moment of truth.

For the first time in almost half a year, Si Jin is reunited with his speed skates. Dr. Song and Mo Yeon spectate from the sidelines, unabashed smiles gracing their faces. He can walk, he can run, he can even do some of Mo Yeon’s ballet moves. All he has to do is skate five laps. Albeit short, this first skate determines his future, cements his status as fully recovered.

Everything comes down to this.

Every time he passes by her, Mo Yeon counts down the number he has remaining. Despite the five-month hiatus, he still skates with an unthinkable speed. Though he is almost a blur on the ice, she can make out a smile - a special smile reserved for speed skating. She remembers the contempt she felt when she was witness to the triumphant smile when they first met, but now, it instills hope.

His smile falters a little on the third lap. On the fourth lap, his knees buckle and he comes to a screeching halt. There is no pause as Mo Yeon rushes onto the ice in her sneakers, Dr. Song following close behind.

“Are you okay?” She demands as she inspects his leg, before realizing her place and quickly allowing Dr. Song to exercise his profession.

“I’m fine, but my leg cramped at around the third lap,” he says in defeat. He doesn’t have to see Dr. Song’s face, he can feel it in his gut, stabbing at his heart. “I can’t speed skate anymore, can I?”

Dr. Song shakes his head, confirming Si Jin’s suspicions.

The Haesung Speed Skating Team has a captain who can’t speed skate. And Si Jin knows, deep inside, that it is his duty to rectify that. He sits in on practice, where a newbie named Kim Ki Bum has been practicing with them since his hiatus.

At least that’s taken care of, he thinks. It doesn’t lighten the weight in his stomach.

He waits in the locker room for them, sharing a hug with each of his team members when they enter. Dae Young and Woo Geun seem to sense the situation.

“It has been an honour skating with you all,” he bites his lip. “I hereby pass on my position as team captain to my deputy captain, Seo Dae Young. Please take care of him.”

It’s a painful, torturous goodbye. He steps out of the locker room before anybody can see the tear spill over his lid. At least, that was his goal. Si Jin finds himself face-to-face with Coach Yoon.

“Would you care to spend some time with me in my office?”

SI Jin assumes he’s figured out that his daughter is dating, and that Si Jin is an accomplice to the crime. Though he is no longer a member of the speed skating team, Si Jin is nothing if not loyal. Sitting in Coach Yoon’s office, he’s prepared to go down swearing that Myung Ju and Dae Young have never even met.

The coach pours him a cup of tea, which Si Jin sips cautiously. Don’t let him crack you. Coach Yoon pours himself a cup, sitting directly across from him.

“Have you ever considered figure skating?”