Three

Chasing After Perfection
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NBC Sports Live in Moscow

November 9th, 2016

9:22am

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re a true figure skating fan, then you know it’s that time of the year again.”

 

“Yes, yes. This weekend is the weekend of the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, Russia --- the bloodiest competition in the Grand Prix Series.”

 

“Mostly because of how dominant Russian figure skaters are.”

 

“For those of you who are unfamiliar with how the Grand Prix works, there are six competitions in the series worldwide. The Rostelecom Cup is one of the six. Skaters are assigned to compete in two of the six competitions, and only the top six overall scorers can compete in the finals.”

 

“That’s absolutely right, Bob. The ladies start off the competition in two days with the free skate. Bob, can you give us a rundown of who we should expect to see and who we should watch out for?”

 

“Well of course. The top lady contender for the gold medal is none other than Taeyeon Kim from South Korea. Ms. Kim had previously won gold at Skate Korea a couple of weeks ago, putting her at a comfortable position to qualify for a spot in the finals.”

 

“Yes, setting a new best personal score too! If she keeps up this momentum, she will have a good chance of winning the Grand Prix all together.”

 

“As long as nothing happens again like last year.”

 

“Right. Last year, Ms. Kim was in a strong position for a podium finish when she fell on both twice on her free program, bringing her down to sixth place.”

 

“Kim will have a hard time winning this Cup though. Nearly the entire Russian team is competing.”

 

“I’m sure they’re hoping for a home turf advantage.”

 

“No doubt. Kim’s number one competitor is Alyona Ivanov. Last season, Alyona came in second at the Grand Prix Finals after Taeyeon’s little mishap dropped her out of her silver standings. Alyona also managed to win silver at Worlds with a personal best total score of 232.18.”

 

“I believe that score lands her as the sixth highest score overall for the ladies.”

 

“Taeyeon has scored higher than that before, with a personal best of 234.29 from her last competition.”

 

“This is going to be a tough win for any of these girls.”

 

“The competition seems to be more intense this year.”

 

“I reckon this has to do with South Korea’s Jessica Jung’s decision not to compete in the Grand Prix.”

 

“How so? Shouldn’t it be the opposite? How can having one less competitor make things more intense?”

 

“Well, Jessica Jung wasn’t just any competitor, was she? Every time she competed, a gold finish was almost always guaranteed for her. All she had to do was to make sure she finished without any crucial mistakes. That meant that the main competition was always between silver and bronze, but of course people paid less attention to that. Now that Jung is out of the picture, the skaters that could only win silver or bronze before are finally getting attention.”

 

“I see. When you put it like that, it makes sense. Basically the competition has always been intense, but we just never noticed it as much because it was always for second and third place. But now it’s being brought to light because the gold medal is added into the mix.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“This is a good chance. With Jessica Jung out of the picture, I’m sure these skaters are all desperate to snatch that first place.”

 

“Who do you think has the highest chance of winning it this year?”

 

“My money is still on Jung’s teammate, Taeyeon Kim. Her performance in Korea showed that she has what it takes to continue the legacy Jung started for Korea. I don’t think I’ve seen a more flawless program from her. As long as she doesn’t choke like last year of course.”

 

“The pressure is definitely on for her.” 




 

A knock on the door is all Taeyeon gets before the door to her hotel room is opening and her coach pops her head in. She takes one long look at the television program Taeyeon is watching and turns to shoot a stern disapproving frown at the young athlete.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re watching this again. What did I tell you about doing this to yourself?”

 

Taeyeon puts on her best innocent face. “What are you talking about? I’m just practicing my English for the press conference later. This is the only channel they had.”

 

Her coach only rolls her eyes. “Yeah right. Anyways, get up. What are you doing still moping around in bed? It’s our turn to use the ice in an hour. I want you down at the rink, stretched and ready to go before then.”

 

“Yes ‘mam,” Taeyeon groans, sinking deeper into the hard hotel mattress. 

 

“And stop watching that crap!” her coach yells over her shoulder as she leaves to get ready as well. 

 

Taeyeon lets herself sit there for a second after the doors slam shut, eyes glued to the American sports channel. 

 

“I’m not going to choke this year,” she says to an empty room. And as expected, there’s no response. But she repeats it anyways. “I’m not going to choke.”

 

Feeling a little silly afterwards for talking to herself, Taeyeon forces herself out of bed to get ready. 

 

By the time Taeyeon is stepping into the ice rink, team Russia is just finishing their team practice. They walk past her silently. Most keep their head down with earphones shoved in, drowning out the rest of the world. 

 

Pleasantries can come after the competition. Now is the time to focus. 

 

A few of them do meet Taeyeon’s eye and nod at her in greeting. Among them is none other than Alyona Ivanov, who gives Taeyeon the smallest of smirks. It’s almost provoking --- as if Alyona is saying ‘Good luck beating me’ --- and all Taeyeon can do is nod back.

 

Normally, Jessica is by her side, silent but reassuring, and everyone acknowledges the blonde first before shifting their glance to Taeyeon as if just remembering that she is there too. Some don’t even acknowledge Taeyeon, too busy either being enraptured by Jessica or trying to challenge her to glance at Taeyeon. 

 

It feels weird, that this time, there’s no one else except her. And not for the first time since Jessica declared her inactive status, Taeyeon feels too seen. 

 

 

 


 

Rostelecom Cup, Moscow

November 11th, 2016

7:01pm

 

The short program goes by without a hitch and Taeyeon sits comfortably in first with a five point advantage over Alyona. 

 

The Russians are terribly mad about that of course. But Taeyeon doesn’t worry too much about it. After all, there’s not much they can do except beat her and Taeyeon’s definitely not letting that happen. 

 

She might’ve spent years being second best to Jessica Jung, but that doesn’t mean she can’t hold her own in a competition like this. If her competitors had thought that she would be an easy target just because her other half isn’t here, then she’ll prove them wrong. She’s here to win this whole thing. 

 

Her coach comes by to give her a few pointers but ultimately ends with a pat on the back, telling her to keep up the good work for the free skate in two days. Taeyeon smiles, tight-lipped, before glancing down at her phone. 

 

Her phone lights up to show her screensaver. She scrolls through her notifications. There’s a ton of congratulation texts from her friends and family back home and her heart warms with all the support she has. She’s lucky she has all them. She truly is. 

 

But it’s not enough. 

 

There are no new messages from the person she most wants to hear from. 

 

The last message she’d sent to Jessica is from four hours ago which reads: “I’m going on soon! Wish me luck!”

 

There is no reply. 

 

Taeyeon stares at the delivered stamp and wills for the three blinking dots to appear. 

 

They don’t. 

 

Taeyeon can’t help but feel a little disheartened. She remembers clutching her phone anxiously in her hand all the way up to the sidelines, desperately hoping for a reply, anything at all really, even as her coach is murmuring things she needs to be aware of --- things she really should have been listening to. Instead, she was preoccupied with a text. 

 

A text that never comes. 

 

And then Taeyeon realizes she is being absolutely silly. Her mental game is not so weak that it can be broken by a single unreplied text. So she blocks everything out, all her worries, and even her hopes. There is nothing in her mind except her routine and what she needs to do.  

 

And all too quickly, her name and country is being announced and Taeyeon is pushed onto the ice into a crowd of watchful eyes. 

 

Taeyeon skates into the middle of the rink and takes a second to just clear her mind. For a moment, she feels...nothing and the crowd quiets with her. Then, she lets herself feel heavy hearted, let’s the disappointment from before rush in. She lets it fuel the character she must turn into --- a girl hurt from unrequited love. 

 

It’s quite apt, if you ask Taeyeon. She carries the character well, skates through the moves like she knows how a broken heart feels like except that’s impossible right? She’s never dated before…

 

The scores come out and Taeyeon breathes a sigh of relief as her coach pulls her into a big hug --- she doesn’t let herself feel too relieved yet though because her job is only half way done.  

 

The score is not as high as the one she got from Skate Korea, but it’s high enough and gives Taeyeon a solid lead going into the free skate. 

 

She smiles through all the congratulations thrown her way a little easier and even the press seems to ease up on her after her performance in Skate Korea

 

She doesn’t glance at her phone. 


 

 

 

 

Rostelecom Cup, Moscow

November 13th, 2016

11:41am

 

Taeyeon winces as she falls yet again against the harsh ice. Her hips are surely bruised by now, but she’s less worried about that than the familiar dull pain that’s back in her right ankle. She moves it slightly and is relieved to feel that it’s gone.

 

Hopefully it’ll stay that way. 

 

“Brush it off! You’re fine!” she hears her coach yell from somewhere on the other side of the boards. She hears a skater skate past her and she knows that all eyes are on her. 

 

She pushes herself up carefully and dusts off the ice before resuming a lazy stride. She watches as other skaters around her pull off their jumps and spins. 

 

She ignores them and skates to her coach. 

 

“You okay? Do you feel off?” her coach asks immediately, handing over a bottle of water. 

 

Taeyeon isn’t thirsty but she takes the water anyways and takes a sip. She shakes her head. “I’m fine. Feeling a bit off, but nothing I can’t shake off.”

 

“Okay, good. That’s good. If you feel up for it, you can try that triple axel again. But if not, that’s okay too. I don’t want you to push it,” her coach says, eyeing her worriedly. “How’s your ankle by the way?”

 

Taeyeon jumps in place in an attempt to loosen her muscles. God, why did everything feel so tight today? She’ll need to roll herself again before she goes on. 

 

“It’s fine,” she deflects. She decides not to tell her coach about the little reminiscent pain just now. She’s fine. It happens all the time. It’s probably just phantom pain. A mental thing. 

 

“Remember!” her coach yells to her as she skates back to join the others. “You’re a y beast! Seduce us!”

 

Taeyeon smiles wryly at her, glad that no one else around them really spoke Korean. 

 

She tries to focus again, to recenter herself, and pretends she doesn’t see the way Alyona lands her triple toe, triple lutz combination in the corner of her eyes. 


 

 

 

 

She loses to Alyona in the free. 

 

But just barely, putting her combined total score still at first with only a three point difference. It’s not as high as Taeyeon would’ve liked --- it certainly isn’t as high of a lead Jessica would have if she were competing --- but it serves its purpose. And with two firsts under her name, Taeyeon is guaranteed a spot in the Grand Prix Finals. 

 

Now all she has to do is win it. 

 

She finds herself back onto the ice after it all ends, after the award ceremony, and the exhibition gala and the post-competition banquet. 

 

She’s alone on the ice, but isn’t that what it’s always like. 

 

As she skates around the rink absentmindedly, she can’t help but think that figure skating is a lonely sport. 

 

Excuse her sentimentality, she’s a little drunk from the champagne at the banquet. 

 

She thinks of Jessica, who is all the way on the other side of the world, and she goes through her short program again --- channels her loneliness into her routine. It comes out differently and as she finishes, she finds herself tearing up. 

 

She’ll do better at the finals. There will be no room for debating who will win. 

 

‘One more competition. Just one more.’

 

 

 

 

Toronto, Canada

November 13th, 2016

9:42pm

 

The world spins dangerously before Jessica lands and everything comes to an abrupt stop. She feels the harness around her body tug, telling her to go again, but she puts a hand up, telling Brian to stop. He does and Jessica all but collapses. She’s bent over, hands on her knees for support, chest heaving as she fights her spinning head and stomach. 

 

“I think I’m going to be sick,” she moans. 

 

“Finally at your limit?” Brian asks. “Good. I was beginning to wonder if you had one.” He rubs his own arms, sore from pulling Jessica’s weight so many times. He’s never had such an insistent student before and is slowly starting to regret. He doesn’t know if he can keep up with Jessica. 

 

Jessica undoes the straps keeping her secured and makes her way to the ice rink. She sits on the bench and begins putting her skates back on. 

 

“Uh, what are you doing?” Brian asks, concern coloring his voice. “I thought you said we were finished.”

 

“We are,” Jessica states. “As soon as I attempt it once on ice.”

 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Brian asks, walking up to stand next to her. He towers over her as she’s still bent down, tying her shoe laces. “Your legs are probably tired from all that jumping practice we did just now.”

 

“I’ll be fine,” says Jessica as she straightens up. “Besides I finally got a feel for it. I have to try it now before I lose it, no?”

 

Brian frowns slightly. Sometimes he can’t tell if Jessica is joking or not. The girl’s logic is interesting, that’s for sure. 

 

“Okay, but be careful. If anything goes wrong, and I mean anything, I’m taking you off the ice. The last thing I need is for you to tear your ACL or crack your ankle landing wrong.”

 

Jessica rolls her eyes and pushes herself onto the ice. Brian worries too much. She knows how to read her body and it’ll hold. 

 

She takes a few seconds to just glide around the arena, picking up speed while testing out her leg strength. 

 

They do feel tired, that’s for sure. She feels them protest even with the slightest push. But she’s been doing this for years now and she knows it’ll be okay. Her body can still handle much more. 

 

So she closes her eyes, lets her instincts guide her on the ice for a second even at such dangerous speeds as she imagines the jump in her mind --- goes through all the motions, the take off, the spin, the landing, until she can feel them in her body. 

 

Suddenly her eyes are open and everything around her seems to slow down. 

 

She pushes off the ice with everything she has and almost surprises herself with the amount of air she’s managed to gain, but she’s focused. She spins. She tightens her core and twists herself into the most aerodynamic pose she can muster. And she’s spinning. 

 

She feels her bun loosen midair. Her hair flies out in all directions, but she pays it no attention. 

 

She anticipates the landing a split millisecond before it happens and braces herself for the impact on her outer edge. 

 

It connects with a beautiful sharp ring and her body naturally glides out of the jump. Without even thinking about it, she digs her left toe pick hard into the ice. 

 

She’s in the air again. 

 

She spins another three times before landing back onto the ice. Her right leg remains sturdy the entire time, another perfectly executed jump. 

 

She’s smiling widely, and she can sort of make out Brian’s enthusiastic clapping from across the rink but she can’t really hear him. Not over the loud thumping of her own heart in her ears. 

 

She’s done it. She’s actually done it. 

 

Suddenly, everything comes rushing back to regular speed and all Jessica can do is look up slowly. 

 

Brian Orser is absolutely beaming at her, his arms punching the air wildly. “Beautiful! That was absolutely beautiful! The most textbook perfect quadruple lutz! And followed by a flawl

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Sosh_022
I feel like two more chapters? And then we're done.

Comments

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SammyHwang09
#1
Chapter 5: I'm still mad that this story is incomplete like THIS IS A ING MASTERPIECE. From the way you introduced Jessica and Taeyeon, their friendship that turn into something, the build up in the story, and of course in a figure skater theme. This will always be my favorite athlete taengsic au. Hope you have time to visit this story authornim and maybe maybe update? Hehe
taey_swz
#2
Chapter 5: God, I really hope this story will get picked up and be continued. As a figure skating fan and a Taengsic stan, I am so incredibly enthralled with this story.
shinji409 #3
Chapter 5: Just reread this after watching the winter olympics :) Hope you are doing well
pieceofpopcorn
#4
Now that my excitement for olympic kicked in all over me that tokyo 2020 started... i started to remember this fic again and feeling all sad that you just dumbed the story there and here like that, authornim. I really hope you come back soon and finish it >< Good day to you, authornim :)
anon1317 #5
Chapter 5: i really love this story so far. your characterizations of both taeyeon and jessica are beautiful, and i especially love how jessica silently loves and encourages taeyeon in the background. i'm excited to see how it ends!
Brielievers
#6
Chapter 5: Thank you for this story
Vonyir #7
Chapter 5: Their relationship is so beautiful...
pieceofpopcorn
#8
Chapter 5: Omg Authornim, your sentiment in your writing describing every hook things inside jessica's and taeyeon's minds here got me hooked all the way up! it have been sooo long since i've been this excited to leave a comment on a story. The genuine one, that is this one. The special bond between Taeyeon and Jessica, I can specially get how Tiffany never leave a slack to a non-stop teasing and and observing over every little things taeyeon and jessica do for each other/together. I'm really cannot wait for the next freaking chapters you have for us! Really, maybe this time, Taeyeon can instead give Jessica a little 'teachings' or more to 'teases' of seduce me and a little kiss on the right corner on the lips as well? lol. I'm having so much fun on this one. How can they really hold themselves and stay still on mere 'bestfriends' still? Their mental strength on that one amaze me. Your professional 'sport' pov story telling skills got me more hooked to this story, really! Idk why, all of a sudden i'm so into this skating sport thing for taengsic now... never passed my mind on how much I actually need and appreciate for you to write this for taengsic. I'm looking forward for the next one!
Rpr363
#9
Chapter 5: Its need long way for taeyeon to understand her real condition...i'm glad that jessica soo patient with taeyeon..stubbron taeyeon...well sica stubbron as well...(◠‿◕)
"I will give up my entire figure skating career for her"
That word make me feel....just can say "wowww sica i love u"
And how taeyeon act when jessica will leave her...its soo cuteee taeyeon
Thanks for ur update...
Rpr363
#10
Chapter 5: Its need long way for taeyeon to understand her real condition...i'm glad that jessica soo patient with taeyeon..stubbron taeyeon...well sica stubbron as well...(◠‿◕)
"I will give up my entire figure skating career for her"
That word make me feel....just can say "wowww sica i love u"
And how taeyeon act when jessica will leave her...its soo cuteee taeyeon
Thanks for ur update...