Frozen Rose (Langa x reader)

Chapter 80

(Y/n)'s POV

The night air was chilly, though the heat and throb from the crowds drowned out any feeling of coldness. The atmosphere was hazy yet alive, pumping with the adrenaline of the skaters. I plastered a smile on my face as my fans greeted me.

"Hey Rose!"
"I love you, Rose!"
"Teach me some tricks!"

Reki held his hand up for a highfive as I skated to a stop beside him. He nudged my shoulder, indirectly asking if I was okay. A small nod was all he needed before he began acting his normal self.

Loud roars from the crowds indicated that Cherry and Joe had just arrived. A small pathway split in the centre to allow them to pass. I stopped both of their skateboards as they hopped off and butted heads, throwing baseless insults at one another.

"It never gets any more peaceful with you guys," Miya commented.
"A real man knows peace in times of chaos," Shadow exclaimed.
"And that's you?" Reki questioned skeptically.

Joe suddenly draped an arm over my shoulder. I rolled my eyes, mentally cursing him for this. His fans were glaring daggers into my eyes, willing me to die from gaining the attention of the love of their life.

I then thought I caught a flash of snow blue hair moving through the crowd. The sight disappeared once I blinked. My heart constricted, knowing that my relationship with Langa was in tatters, utterly broken and laced with poisonous betrayal.

A surprised yelp escaped my mouth as I was pulled from under Joe's arm and into another pair of arms. Girls swooned and sighed over this mysterious person who thought they could simply lay a hand on me without getting hurt.

"Hey princess."
"You- what the hell are you doing here?"

It was Ryota, the guy who had taken the job from Ruka to split up Langa and I. My friends tensed upon seeing this stranger who had his arms wrapped around my waist, ready to tackle him at the first sign of danger.

"I'm a skater too. Did you forget? Though this is my first time at S," he replied.
"You just came here to spy on me," I muttered under my breath.
"Good guess, sweetheart. But let me have some fun while I'm here."

I elbowed him in the stomach, making him move away. Seeing my casual interactions with him, my friends relaxed though Cherry still appeared slightly wary of the male. I flashed a reassuring smile though that did nothing to quell his sharp intuition.

Ryota donned a devilish smirk and turned to face me. Suspicion pooled in my stomach as he slowly walked forward. We were but a few mere inches apart when he finally spoke.

"I challenge you to a beef," he said casually.
"Damn, is he a good skater?" I heard Reki ask.
"I'd like to think I'm good but even I don't know if I can beat one of the top skaters at S," replied Ryota.
"If you win?" I asked.
"You give me a kiss. A proper one, sweetheart. Not some half-hearted peck on the cheek."
"...and if I win, you're not allowed to touch me without my permission again."
"Deal."

Cheers erupted from the crowd. The people were craving for a heart-pounding beef, thrills and intoxication mixed into their blood. A large grin gathered on my face as I stepped back from my opponent and told him to do his worst.

"Good luck," Joe called.
"You guys don't even seem the least bit worried that she'll lose," Ryota commented.
"You said so yourself, that you weren't sure if you would be able to beat her. And plus, she's as good as us and I can't imagine myself being beaten by you," replied Cherry.
"Ouch."

Ryota and I lined up by the starting line, waiting for the countdown. He offered a challenging smile before bending down. Another flash of blue caught my gaze but I was given no time to ponder over it.

The lights flashed green and we were off. I was sprinting and then flipping onto my board. Ryota was hot on my heels, vying to get ahead though I effortlessly blocked his path.

A corner was coming up. He accelerated and skated over the heightened ledge forming a wall, jumping down to get in front. An irritated smirk graced my face as he proceeded to block my path. The pounding, however, was absent.

I was skating against a formidable opponent during S. I had fans cheering for me. Yet my heart was eerily still, frozen in an endless snow storm. Maintaining this facade for Langa, keeping secrets from my friends; how long would I be able to pretend?

A slow breath left my lips. My eyes narrowed as a small opening appeared. I accelerated, leaned low and skated past Ryota, almost turning fully sideways. A large stone structure stood in the middle of the path.

Without wasting another second, I went up the slope, using it as a ramp. The moment my skateboard left the ground, I flipped over the edge as Ryota skilfully rounded the sharp bend.

I was a while ahead of him, though he soon caught up. The abandoned factory loomed over us, threatening to devour us whole. Ryota snaked an arm around my waist, startling a yelp out of me.

"You can't escape me, princess," he exclaimed in a low tone.
"Too bad, I'm not your princess and I'm definitely not your prisoner."

He spun us around, drawing our bodies closer as the path narrowed. The path would drop to several flights of stairs, making for an irritating inconvenience with Ryota's strong arms keeping me close.

Surprise widened my eyes as I caught Langa's gaze in the thundering crowd. His expression was set in stoic indifference though I saw the raw emotion in his ice blue eyes. Despite everything, he wanted me to win.

I gritted my teeth, spinning Ryota around. We jumped off, avoiding the stairs and into the air. He immediately separated from me, allowing me freedom in movement. I hurriedly grabbed a beam and utilised the momentum to fling myself forward.

Whilst Ryota had just landed due to my having thrown him into the air, leaving him flustered and unbalanced, I crossed the finish line. Roars descended as I pulled to a stop, almost stumbling when Reki came and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Still as merciless as ever," commented Shadow.
"Really? Seemed like she was going easy on him," said Miya.
"But our Rose won. Good work," Joe exclaimed.
"It's a given that she'd win," Cherry replied.

Whispers rose among the crowds. We turned to find the only person influential enough in the skating community to silence a throng of hungry, ambitious thrill-seekers.

"Little Rose, when should we hold our promised beef?" asked Adam.