CHAPTER 10: The basics of skating

I had promised Chen that I would show up the next day outside the big arena with the local ice rink opened. I had promised Hwayoung we would go shopping in the afternoon and we would eat dinner at a restaurant. But here I was, laying in bed doing absolutely nothing while I was being kept at home for catching a cold. Yesterday, I was unable to feel any symptoms of the cold crawling up on me but when I woke up this morning with a sore throat and coughing until I felt completely dry in my throat while having a headache - I knew I would be unable to try skating today. In the end, I had to call both Chen and Hwayoung to cancel my plans. After laying in bed for almost two hours, I started to pity myself. I didn't deserve to be put up with this. I deserved so much more. But apparently not.

I guess the only thing I could do was to binge watch series. I started of by watching the Hwarang and the latest episodes of The legend of the blue sea. I had to do the best of the situation even though I would've have wanted to try ice skating today. For lunch, I just cooked myself some noodles and in the end I spent the whole day in bed. I did the same thing for two more days. On the third day, I started to feel better, having being isolated for three whole days. So I called Chen and we decided to meet up at 12 o'clock outside our dorm. He told me to dress warm.

So I changed into my gym clothes, my white fleece jacket, my red scarf and matching mittens. When I walked out from the dorm, Chen was leaning towards the brick fence with folded arms. He was wearing his grey coat and his blue scarf with black jeans. I looked ridicolous next to him. 

"Are you waiting for your girlfriend to show up?" I raised my voice and ran down the stairs to meet him. He turned around and smiled towards me.

"Do you feel better?" He put his arm around me and ruffled my hair. I shook him off. "Yeah, finally."
I took a step forward, turned around and watched him standing there. I was still pretty surprised he hadn't gotten himself a girlfriend yet, he was so good looking that I could almost hear the girl whispering about him when they walked past us. He was a natural beauty. But Chen didn't seem to be intrested in seeing girls. "Are you as good as you said you was on the phone?"

"I'm not sure. It's been years since the last time I skated."

"At least you've tried it before." I said, coughed a little before I started to walk. "I didn't bring my camera today because I think I'm going to fal a lot today."

"I'm sure you will." Chen grinned and walked behind me.

"That's not encouraging at all." 

"No one is good at something they try the first time."
"I guess you're right."

***

Chen held the door open for me when we arrived at the ice rink. We walked over to the desk and paid for the visit before we was being showed a room filled with iceskates and helmets. "You're going to need a helmet so you don't hurt yourself, miss." A man said and gave me a helmet. "What's your shoe size?"

"39." The man looked over to Chen. "43." 

"Do you need a helmet?" The man asked Chen but he shook his head. The man got the wink and went inside the room and looked on the shelves for the right sizes.
"Why aren't you using a helmet?"

"Because I'm not a beginner." Before I was able to think of a comeback, the man arrived with our skates. So we thanked him and went to the ice rink. It was pretty crowded as we arrived around lunch time. We sat down at a bench that wasn't occupied already and Chen started explaining how things worked.

"So you have to start by working on your balance. You see the black kind of floor we're standing on?" I nodded. "It's to prevent the skates from get worn out. Here, let me help you." I took off my shoes, and Chen helped me put on the skates and tied them securely. "Do you feel like they fit you? They shouldn't hurt at your toes for example. And by the way, it's good you brought your soc