Edge of the Rink: Where Pride Meets Passion | jakehoon

30

Third Person Pov

Jake decided to take Chan's offer, even though part of him felt uneasy about it. He knew he couldn't stay stuck in the past forever, and skating with Winter might be the push he needed to move forward. Still, as he walked into the rink the next morning, he couldn't shake the lingering doubts.

Winter was already there, gliding across the ice with the kind of effortless grace that made her look like she was born to skate. Jake paused for a moment, watching her. She was a natural—elegant, poised, and completely in her element. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself that this was a good idea, the thought of Sunghoon nagged at him.

"Hey, Jake!" Winter called out as she noticed him, skating over with a bright smile. "Ready to get started?"

Jake forced a smile in return. "Yeah, let's do this."

They began with some warm-ups, skating side by side. It felt strange to have someone else matching his movements. Winter was talented, no doubt about it, but the energy he'd had with Sunghoon wasn't there. Their timing was off, their steps not quite aligned. Jake couldn't help but compare every move, every lift, to how it had been with Sunghoon.

They worked through a few basic routines, trying to find a rhythm. It was frustrating. Winter was patient, though. She never once let her smile fade, even when they stumbled through a particularly clumsy lift.

"We'll get it," she said, her voice calm and encouraging. "Let's try it again."

Jake nodded, though his frustration was mounting. They reset and tried the lift once more. This time, it was smoother, but still far from perfect. Jake found himself getting lost in his thoughts again, his mind drifting back to all the times he and Sunghoon had effortlessly nailed these moves.

Winter must have sensed his distraction because she skated closer, her expression softening. "Hey, are you okay? You seem a bit... off."

Jake hesitated, unsure of how much to share. "It's just... different," he finally admitted. "I'm not used to skating with someone new."

Winter gave him a sympathetic look. "I get it. It's hard to adjust, especially when you've had a strong partnership before. But we'll find our rhythm. It just takes time."

Her words were reassuring, but they didn't do much to ease the knot in Jake's chest. Still, he appreciated her effort. They went through the routine a few more times, and while there was some improvement, the magic that he'd once felt on the ice was missing.

After the session, they both sat on the edge of the rink, catching their breath. Winter sipped from her water bottle, looking thoughtful. "You know, Jake, it's okay to miss what you had before. But maybe this can be something new, something different."

Jake nodded slowly, knowing she was right. But moving on was easier said than done. The weight of everything that had happened with Sunghoon still pressed heavily on him, and skating with Winter only highlighted how much things had changed, and despite only skating with sunghoon for a month or so, he had already felt so attatched to him.

As they parted ways, Winter gave him a small smile. "Don't be too hard on yourself. We'll keep working at it."

Jake smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thanks, Winter. I'll see you at the next session."

Walking home, Jake couldn't help but replay the day's events in his mind. He'd been given an opportunity to start fresh, to create something new with Winter. But no matter how much he wanted to embrace it, the past kept pulling him back.

When he got home, he flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The quiet of his room felt suffocating, his thoughts racing with everything that had happened. Part of him wanted to believe that he could move on, that skating with Winter could be the start of something good. But another part of him was still stuck in the memories of Sunghoon, what could have been.

He knew he couldn't keep living in the past, but the future felt uncertain. The choice to move on wasn't just about skating with someone new—it was about letting go of everything he'd hoped for with Sunghoon. And that, more than anything, was what made it so hard.