"...The moment you've been waiting for! Everyone, please welcome U-know Yunho!" The MC announced. I kicked my skates and skated towards the center of the ice rink. I struck a pose and the lights dimmed. In a millisecond, the music started, the spot lights shone, the crowd cheered as my performance started.
The beat to "Rising Sun" echoed in the hall and I dashed towards the crowd. Only turning at the last second before I jumped and gave a triple rotation in mid-air. The audience cheered and clapped. I danced on the ice rink, following the rhythm of the music and feeling the emotions. I performed a few spins and more jumps.
Then towards the second verse of the song, my partner came out. Claudia dressed in fiery red skated towards me and I caught her. We spun together and the audience went wild. As the beat of the song changed to a faster one, I threw her and she spun mid air. Landing swiftly after that, she made another jump and rotated twice before I caught her hand and we continued dancing.
As the second chorus end, she bowed and skated away. I was alone again for my final act. I had to do a continuous jumps of triple-rotation. I calmed myself and waited for the right tempo to synchronize with my heartbeat. And then... I started the chain of jumps.
"Jump, One, two, three... jump, one, two, three... one two... "
One moment, I was in the air, twirling. The next, I made a careless landing and slipped. I fell knee first onto the cold hard ice. Something cracked.
My mind went blank. The crowd went silent. I froze in a kneeling position as I dare not move. The staffs scurried towards me. My coach, Changmin was way ahead of them. He and the staffs helped me from a kneeling position to sitting on the ice. My coach checked my knee, barely touching it or moving it.
"We'll have to bring you to the medics. Immediately." He said and I was brought to the hospital pronto.
"I'm not going to tell you to be depressed or optimistic. But you'll have to brace yourself for whatever the results." Changmin said as we waited for the X-ray results. I knew he wants me to expect the worst. Since he, once a medical personnel, must've known how serious was my knee.
"I'm afraid I have bad news..." The doctor came in with the x-ray results. He then revealed that there was a big crack in my knee... as well as a badly twisted ankle and... ...
...never ice skate anymore...
The words I never wanted to hear came.
"Can you check again doctor?" I said immediately, disbelieved, anger flowing through my blood.
"Yunho, calm down." Changmin said and held me down so that I won't stand up.
Changmin and the doctor talked a little longer. I was given the basic explanations. What to do, what not to... how to heal it... but I wasn't listening anymore.
I sank into an endless pit. I am stopped from doing what I've been doing all my life, what I love... what my heart is... I can't ice skate anymore...
Changmin drove me home that day. He didn't say much. He just told me follow what the doctor said. As the car stopped in front of my house, he told me to rest early. Using the new crutches given by the hospital, I dragged myself out of the car and bid goodbye.
For the next few days, I stayed at home alone. I was practically doing nothing since I had to lessen the movements of my leg. I was constantly watching TV or lecturing myself for being so careless. Alcohol seems to be such a good companion when you're being down. Yet, somehow, miraculously, I have prevented myself from touching the bitter juice in the fridge by imagining Changmin staring at me with his eyes bulging out with fire. Only now I realized how dependent I am towards my coach. I would turn on my phone every morning, hoping to get a text or a missed call from him. However, Changmin being my manager as well, went to sort things out with the media and endorsements. Of course he would be busy...
It was almost a week I stayed in the compound of my house. Locking myself from the outside world. Not knowing what is going on out there. I knew I had to get up and not be depressed. I mentally slapped myself for being so grey.
Well, they say jogging helps you to clear your mind. But I'll have to improvise a bit. Changing my clothes and wearing a cap, I took my crutches and left the house for some fresh air.
I walked through the streets. Admiring the weather, the buildings, old and new, the new shops, the stalls... Watching people busying with their things...
How long ago was it when I walked through the streets? For almost 10 years ago? It's been quite a long time huh? I've been ice skating my whole life... what should I do in the future? What can I do?
Before I could find an answer, my stomach growled madly. I looked at my watch and it showed 2pm. Seems like I've skipped breakfast and lunch...
The next shop was a small grocery stall owned by a sweet old lady, Mrs. Kim. I used to come here with my mom before I went to train as an ice skater.
"Welcome!" Mrs. Kim greeted and I smiled. She hadn't change that much, just a few small wrinkles. I smiled. Seems like she doesn't recognize me anymore.
I explored the store a bit. It wasn't a very big store, it wasn't small either. There were so many shelves and different variety of foods. I admit, I was quite lost. I didn't know what to look for first.
I was staring at a bunch of purple round things when I heard...
"Yu..Yuu..Yunho-sshi?"
I turned to see a petite girl with a pony tail. She looked at me with her small but twinkling eyes. Somehow, I have this feeling that I've seen her, a lot of times... but I didn't say anything, what was I suppose to say?
"Umm... could you tell me what is this?" I picked up the purple round thing and asked.
"Eh?... It... It's a mangosteen." She was surprised but still answered.
"O...okay... Thanks..." I said awkwardly. What was I doing? A week out of socialization and I can't talk anymore?
"Umm... Yunho-sshi, I'm a fan of yours...can... may I have you're autograph?" She asked timidly.
And suddenly, it hit me. She's the girl in the crowd that cheered for me, supported me since the beginning. She's the girl I laid my eyes on for every skating performance I had. For almost every performance, I would share an eye-locking moment for a person in a crowd. Even if it was just seconds, it was always with her. How could I have forgotten?
"I'll sign an autograph, but before that, could you do me a favor?" I asked, still unsure of where I'm going with this conversation.
"Eh?... Okay." She nodded and smiled widely.
"Could you accompany me for a late lunch?" I asked abruptly.
"Huh? What...?" She was surprised of course.
"Please? I really want to talk to someone, someone who's always been supporting me, someone like you." I pleaded.
"O... okay." She accepted. We shopped for some groceries and went to look for a place for some late lunch.
We went to a local restaurant famous for their traditional Korean food. We chose a table at the corner of the restaurant and ordered food. After the waiter left, I then asked what was her name.
"I'm Hyesun. Um... Yunho-sshi, are you feeling okay?" She asked earnestly. the worry in her eyes were unshielded.
"I'm fine. My leg's healing a lot." I said and smiled.
"No... I saw the news that you... you can't skate anymore... Yunho-sshi, I'm asking are you feeling okay here?" She asked while her hand pointed to her heart.
"I... I'm trying to adjust to it... I know I can, just need a little time..." I said honestly.
"Yunho! hwaiting!" She cheered and her cuteness made me smile. She was naturally cute, and it made her shine.
"Hwaiting!" I cheered as well.
"Yunho-sshi, not to be offensive, but have you thought about what are you going to do in the future?" She asked me when we were eating.
"I haven't decide anything... do you have any ideas?" I kept on chewing my food since my stomach had been empty for such a long time.
"Hmm... since you're still studying... just continue?" Hyesun ended with a question mark.
"Yeah... I guess that's what I'll do for now." I sighed at the thought of the future, starting all over again with something other than ice skating.
"Don't worry, you'll find your way eventually." Hyesun gave me a smile that warmed my heart. She just knew what to say to make me feel better...
We talked more as we ate. Later I know a bit about Hyesun. She's 3 years younger than me, studying business management at Gwangju University. Even thou she's still studying, she already had a small business. She has such a bubbly personality, just that she doesn't show it much since she's quite shy. Throughout the meal, I talk a lot and she listened to me blabber too.
As we finished our meal, I thanked her and gave her an autograph like I promised before. She bowed and said thank you a lot of times.
"Can I have your number?" I took all of my courage and asked her before she left.
She nodded. Her face went red as she typed in her number into my cell phone.
"Thank you Hyesun. Thank you so much." I said as she boarded the public bus.
After that unplanned lunch, I decided to continue my studies in Seoul National University as Changmin also agreed that it's a good decision. He said that I can still be in the ice skating scene, not as a performer or athlete, but as a coach. He said that I have potential in coaching and encouraged me to give it a shot. I would follow him for the training sessions and learned how he taught them. What should I be focusing on and what should I be doing. It wasn't what I expected but I am content.
And Hyesun? I contacted Hyesun whenever I can. We became good friends. After she graduated, we decided to start a proper center to teach kids to ice skate. We're still in the process of setting up the center. And do you know? As we spent more time together. I realized, I like her a lot... Should I ask her to be my girlfriend?
~END~
Happy belated bday~ coffee~
FYI, I joined the competition... :D
<3 <3 <3 dont know what to comment~~~ but i like it!!
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