Jikook Oneshots

88. Go Big or Go Home pt. 7

By: @serendipityswan

The crowd is buzzing around the ice rink as the first group begins their quick warmup around the rink. Jimin is among them, weaving his way around the ice to get a feel for it and testing a few jumps as well. Almost every time he goes to do a jump though, another skater flies past him very closely, startling the blonde. And as the other skater goes on, they turn their head with a smirk as if they are intentionally trying to scare him.

He feels so small on the ice in comparison to everyone around him then. He decides to cut his warmup short, and he can feel every glare, every smirk, every sneer, and every scoff as he goes past his competitors. A lump forms in his throat but he pushes on, forcing himself to focus instead of giving attention to his competitors.

The short program begins and Jimin waits his turn like usual. But when the skater before him takes the ice he can't stop himself from watching.

Fuck stop it!

His inner chastising doesn't work as his body is being pulled like a magnet towards the rink. The closer he gets the faster his heart rate gets and the more panic he feels. The current skater is performing flawlessly, and with ever jump landed and crowd cheer, Jimin gets more and more nervous. But he can't move, can't even turn his head to look away or close his eyes.

What the fuck is happening?!

A roar of applause startles Jimin from his trance and it is now his turn to take the ice. He tries to calm down, taking repeat deep breaths as he is introduced and takes his opening position. The gentle harps begin and so does he, gliding across the ice as usual. He approaches his first jump sequence and just as he digs his toe pick into the ice he can already tell it feels off. He comes crashing down onto the ice hip first, a sharp pain searing through him but he gets up and keeps going. As he goes, he sees all of his competitors lined up along the barricade sneering at him.

He goes for his next jump and he comes crashing down again on the same hip and he can feel the pain surge through his body, but he gets up again and keeps going. That is when he hears the laughs and the whispers.

"Knew he wasn't as good as every says."

"His wins were his coaches doing."

"Maybe he bribed the judges to get here."

Jimin grits his teeth and pushes on with one more jump sequence; his most difficult one. He has to land this. He has no other choice. He begins his approach, focusing on being on the outside edge of his skate before launching himself. He feels good about it until he lands on the inside edge and tumbles to the ice again. He lets his body slide, the ice abrasive against the exposed skin of his arms and hands. The physical pain is a lot, but the emotional pain is worse.

The laughter gets louder and the whispers become full on mockery. It's so loud it is all he can hear anymore. Looks up desperately to find someone to help him, but all he sees are smirks and looks of disgust.

Taehyung! Jungkook! Anyone please!

No words actually come out of his mouth when he opens it, and his panic ignites even more. He tries to get off the ice but he can't. And then he sees a man approach him on the ice and his heart stops.

Jimin lifts his head slowly until his eyes meet his ex-coach's. The man eyes him pitifully before his whole being becomes smug, as if the downtrodden Jimin was a reward to him.

Jimin's eyes snap open and he sits up so quick he gets dizzy. His heart is pounding and his breathing erratic as he looks around him. He is in his hotel room in complete darkness and it takes him a second to realize what just happened.