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IT WOULD HAVE BEEN a day like any other if he hadn't received an official invitation to the Olympics. Instead, it was shaping up to be the best day of Nagi's life.
Despite getting the idea that he had a spot since he came out third at the Grand Prix, it was only after receiving the press conference notice that the new reality sank in for him. There was a difference between knowing his goal and knowing what to do with it once it was already in his hands. Just this morning, Nagi had been another skater. From today onwards, he would be an Olympic skater.
The news gave him a sudden rush, and emotions he wasn't sure he could name blossomed behind his ribcage. Nagi Seishiro had smiled very few times in all the years he's been aware of existing, but ever since he got informed, his lips had been curving in small, meaningless smiles. It was the first time he's felt so happy. His face hurt from the foreign pull at his cheeks.
Of course, Isagi had been more vocal about his enthusiasm. In comparison, Nagi didn't even look that excited. But, in all truth, he was, or else he wouldn't have agreed to a last-minute hang out at Isagi's house.
He was even able to tune out Jia's snide comments when he stopped by his house to pick up his charger. Her words would usually ring in his head for hours against his will, yet the moment he put the Federation's letter on the table, he took all the ammo for her insults and shut her up. It was probably the most gratifying thing he's done so far.
But he didn't remember he had someone else to share this with until Hiori talked, asking Nagi if he knew where Reo was and why he hadn't brought him along. Nagi's heart leaped inside his chest. He had to tell this all to Reo.
Reo, who had put figure skating on the map for Nagi, whose advice helped him pull off his first triple, and whose inflexible will had pushed Nagi on his way to the Olympic medal of his dreams. Reo needed to be there for Nagi to celebrate. They had started their journey together, and to some extent, this achievement was theirs, too.
Nagi left Isagi's party without bothering to elaborate excuses. He had searched for Reo with his eyes earlier that day when given his letter at the rink, but Reo hadn't been there. Reo wasn't doing extra practice lately, and their schedules were as disjointed as before.
Reo must have been in his parent's hotel. Tsurugi suspected some sort of distance between Reo and his parents, which meant he must have been avoiding them. Luckily, Nagi still had the old room's keycard from when he used to sleep over.
The door's handle didn't flash green when he slid the card.
He kept it in the back of his phone like an old souvenir, so he made the effort to look for a new copy Reo might have put in his wallet at some point. But there was nothing, and the door beeped in denial when he gave the trusty old card another shot.
