courage dear heart | Yuki Ishikawa

29

"I like being with you too."

I felt Yuki leaned on me.

"Chō, your turn!" Ayumo's voice cut through my daydream, snapping me back to reality.

I blinked, realizing I was still in the middle of snowboarding practice.

"What's up with you today? You're totally spaced out, that's not like you," he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Nothing, I just woke up before my alarm this morning."

Ayumo gave me a surprised look. "You? Up before the alarm? Is the world ending, or do you have a fever?"

I shook my head, trying to focus. "Yeah, sorry... I'm fine," I muttered, more to myself than to Ayumo, as I adjusted my stance and prepared for my turn.

But as I went for the jump, my mind still fogged by the earlier distraction, my focus wavered.

I hit the ramp wrong, losing control in mid-air. I landed awkwardly, my body twisting as I fell hard onto the snow. A sharp pain shot through my hand.

"Shit..." I winced, cradling my wrist.

Ayumo rushed over, worry written all over his face. "Hey, are you alright?"

I sat up slowly, flexing mu fingers, my hand throbbing. "I think I just twisted it... I'll be fine," though the sting in my hand told me otherwise.

But I knew this wasn't just about the fall—it was the distraction that caused it. My mind was still on Yuki, and it had cost me my concentration.

Nabi, focus!

I felt frustrated for being so distracted. For the alarm going off and ruining this morning's moment. For running away from Yuki and not even having the courage to look him in the face.

But more than anything, I was frustrated with myself because I didn't feel like I had control over my own thoughts.

I moved off to the side of the slope and leaned back, letting myself lie down for a moment, hoping the cold snow would help me calm down.

I had been so excited to try the trick on the snow for the first time, and instead, I ended up hurting myself.

I checked the time and saw the day was almost over.

I didn't get anything done today.

I heard the swoosh of a snowboard approaching. Then someone sat down next to me.

I opened my eyes to see who it was.

Kaito took off his mask. "Did you hurt yourself?" he asked.

I glanced down at her hand, slowly rotating my wrist. "It's ok" I said quietly, my brow furrowing.

Kaito gently reached for my hand, inspecting it carefully. His touch was firm but careful, as he moved my wrist slightly to check for any serious injuries.

"It doesn't seem too bad," he said after a moment, meeting my gaze. "But I think you should have it checked out, just to be sure."

I nodded, appreciating his concern. "Yeah, you're probably right..." I sighed, still feeling the pain pulsing in my hand.

I managed to make it down the slope without any problems, but I was careful not to forget about my sore hand by avoiding tricks and jumps on the way down.

Reira helped me take off my gear and load it into the van.

When we arrived at the dorm, Kaito took my things, thinking it wouldn't be right to make little Reira carry them.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked as we walked towards the snowboard storage to drop everything off. I didn't feel right letting him carry my things alone, so I went with him.

"Not too much, I hope the pain goes away soon... Let's see what they say at the infirmary."

The coach had called someone to check on my hand, so I didn't need to go to the hospital since it wasn't anything serious.

After dropping off our gear, Kaito insisted on coming with me to the infirmary, saying he had nothing else to do in the two hours he was supposed to be training with us.

We entered a small room with an examination table, a desk, and a cabinet filled with medicines and other supplies for quick visits.

"Good evening, Chō. I'm Dr. Matsumoto. Your coach told me you injured your hand. Please, have a seat," she said.

"Good evening," we greeted, giving a slight bow.

I sat in the chair the doctor indicated while Kaito remained standing near the door.

I turned to him and said, "If you want, you can go."

He gave a half-smile and replied, "Nah, I'm fine here."

I shrugged and turned to show her my hand.

The doctor examined it, pressing on spots that were painful.

"It's not broken, but you've strained it pretty badly," the doctor said, standing up and reaching for a medical brace. "You'll need to keep it still and wear this brace for about a week. After that, you should be fine." She began wrapping my hand in a bandage, then slid the brace over it to secure the injury.

I sighed heavily, the frustration bubbling up inside me. "A whole week without training? This is gonna drive me crazy..." I muttered under my breath, wincing slightly as the brace tightened around my hand.

The doctor gave me a sympathetic smile. "I understand it's frustrating, but you can still do some lighter exercises. Just avoid putting too much pressure on that hand."

Handing me a prescription for painkillers, the doctor glanced at Kaito, who was waiting nearby. "Luckily, you've got someone to help you," she said with a playful grin. "Your boyfriend can give you a hand."

I blushed immediately, about to correct the doctor, but Kaito beat her to it, flashing a smile. "I'd be more than happy to help," he said smoothly, shooting me a wink.

I rolled my eyes.

As we left the infirmary, the weight of a week without full training still hung heavy on me.

As we walked out of the infirmary, the tension of the situation still lingered in the air.

Suddenly, Yuki came sprinting toward us, still dressed in his volleyball gear, his chest rising and falling rapidly from the effort.

His hair was damp with sweat, and his face was etched with concern.

"Chō!" he called out, his voice laced with worry. As soon as he reached me, he gently cupped my face with one hand, his breathing still heavy from running. "Reira told me what happened. Are you okay?"

The warmth of his touch and the genuine concern in his eyes made me feel instantly lighter. The frustration and stress of my injury began to melt away in his presence. I gave him a small smile, nodding softly. "I'm okay"

Yuki's gaze softened, and he let out a relieved sigh, still keeping his hand tenderly on my cheek. "I was so worried..." Resting his forehead against mine.

Kaito, standing off to the side, shifted uncomfortably. Clearing his throat, he gave a brief nod to me. "I'll let you two talk. Take care of that hand, okay?" he said, offering a quick smile before turning and walking away, leaving me and Yuki alone.

I sniffed Yuki and looked at him with a frown. "How come you don't even smell bad after a workout and running here? You actually smell good."

He let out a small laugh and shook his head. "I'm worried, and you're focused on how I don't smell bad?" He continued to gently stroke my cheek.

"Of course! I feel gross after workouts!"

He smiled, sniffing me. "You never smell bad to me. I really like the way you smell."

I pulled back slightly. "That's not true! I still need to shower!"

He hugged me, being careful with my hand. "Come on, I'll help you shower."

I hugged him back with one arm, feeling better.