Spin-off!

Prologue

It was a snowy Sunday morning on a January in Sapporo; a girl in her teens, sitting in the passenger seat, looking out the window while humming her favorite tune. Along with her beloved grandmother who was driving, they were on their way to an ice-skating rink for a big competition.

"Are you nervous, perhaps?" the older woman asked.

"Not a bit, obaa-chan," the girl answered with confidence in her tone and smile.

"Oh, my, that's good to hear. But always remember to- "

"Enjoy every second, feel every moment and just have fun," they both said in unison.

"I know, obaa-chan. I won't ever forget," she smiled widely. "I want to become like you someday and win medals!"

"I'm glad to hear that, my dear," she patted the teen's head with her free hand. "As long as it is what your heart desires, grandma will always support you all the way."

"Thank you, obaa-chan!"

When the lights turned green, the grandmother started to go forward, without knowing that a drunk truck driver was accelerating on their direction and hit the driver's side of their car. As someone with a mother's instinct, her urge to protect her granddaughter was her utmost priority at the moment. She covered her head as to avoid the scattering broken glasses from hurting her treasure.

"Obaa-chan!" the girl cried one last time before everything went black.

A week after, the girl, who was now wearing her school uniform, held a funeral for her late grandmother. She had sustained injuries from the accident, albeit only scratches and bruises on her arms and legs. Thanks to her beloved and the only family she had. Her parents divorced and went on separate ways when she was at the mere age of 6. They were people who attended the funeral with her, her grandmother was a people-person after all, so everyone from their neighborhood knew their little family.

"My condolences," one of her grandmother's friends bowed to her.

She only bowed silently in response to their kind sympathy for her. When everyone was gone and the place was quiet, she would cry her eyes out, painfully mourning the sudden loss of her loved one. After offering a ceremony in the cemetery to send her grandmother off, a woman in her 30's approached the grieving girl.

"Where are you going after this? Would you like to live with me and my family?" the woman asked with kindness in her voice.

"Thank you for the offer, Hiyori-sensei," she slightly bowed. "As much as I would love that, but I don't want to impose on you and your family. I don't want to add up to your expenses."

"You're not imposing. I'm sure your grandmother would be assured if you live with me."

"I'm sorry, sensei but I'd like to decline your offer."

"Okay then. I don't want to force you. What are your plans, then?"

"I'll try going to my father in Canada and live with him. I think I still have his contact somewhere since he and grandmother stayed connected until few years ago."

"I see. I will support you as much as I can. Don't use up all the condolence money offered given to you."

"Thank you, sensei."

"What about figure skating?"

"I will quit."

"Why is that? You still got more potential."

"I don't think.... I can do it anymore," she stated with full of sadness in her eyes.

"I won't force you but if you ever feel like coming back, I'll be here."

Come February, the girl just landed at Vancouver International Airport. Dragging her luggage with her, she hailed for a taxi, got in and handed the driver a piece of paper which contains the address of her destination. After about twenty minutes, they arrived at the address which was a two-story apartment complex. She got off the taxi, got her luggage and looked for the apartment number her father was living in. When she found it, she pressed the doorbell and after a few seconds, a Canadian woman in her 30's greeted her at the entrance.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she asked in English.

The girl, albeit not fluent, tried her hardest to respond back in the same language.

"I am looking for Dr. Amano," she said.

"Oh! Are you his daughter, Shiina?" her eyes sparkled in excitement. "Wait for a minute, I'll call him. Honey!" the Canadian went inside leaving the door open to look for the said Dr. Amano.

The moment she heard 'honey' her heart sank, and she immediately knew that her father already had a family on his own here in this foreign land she was in. She thought her parents' divorce did enough damage on her, she wouldn't be able to take it if she lived with her father's new family, so she decided to leave before the couple saw her being miserable.

While walking down the street and carrying her luggage, her phone rang. She sighed in exhaustion as she reached for her pocket to answer who it was that called her.

"Hello, who is this?"