courage dear heart | Yuki Ishikawa

36

The first day was unforgettable.

I think I'll always be grateful for this opportunity they've given me.

Today is the second and final day before the competition.
I woke up feeling super pumped to get started.

I needed to make the most of this short time to learn new things from other snowboarders from different countries.

I changed, paying close attention to the jersey I was putting on. Today, we'd be taking the photos they'd use during the competition.

I decided to wear my black baggy pants and a matching jacket.
As I finished getting my things together, I got a message.

I hadn't had much time to be on my phone, except for quickly replying to a few messages.

Yuki: 'Hey Nabi, we're about to board the plane. I caught some clips of your training live. Nice jersey :)'

Nabi: 'Safe travels, do you like it? It's my favorite!'

I tossed my phone into my bag and ran to catch up with the others.

I headed down to breakfast with my team, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves about the day ahead. As I sat down at the table, Kaito, Ayumu, and Reira were already chatting about the previous day's training.

Kaito grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Yesterday was wild, huh? All those snowboarders showing off their best tricks. Can't believe how good everyone is."

Ayumu nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, but I think we held our own. Chō, you were killing it out there. Zeb was seriously impressed."

Reira, who had been scrolling through her phone, looked up and smiled at me. "You really did stand out. I bet today's photoshoot will go great."

I couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Today was the first time I'd be showing my face to the rest of the snowboarding community and the public.

During training, I'd always kept my mask and neck warmer on, but now, for the official competition photos, there was no hiding.

After finishing breakfast, we made our way to the photoshoot area.

The atmosphere was buzzing with energy—snowboarders chatting, cameras flashing, and officials giving directions. As I stepped forward for my turn, I could feel the eyes of the other snowboarders on me.

I hesitated for a second but then slowly removed my mask and neck warmer, revealing my face for the first time.

The reaction was almost immediate. I noticed some of the snowboarders who were talking moments ago suddenly going quiet. A few of them exchanged glances, clearly taken aback.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of them nudge his friend and whisper something, his gaze fixed on me. Another guy looked like he'd seen a ghost, his jaw dropping slightly as I walked by.

Kaito smirked, noticing the stares. "Looks like you've got yourself some fans, Chō."

I felt a bit flustered but kept my cool. Being a tall, green-eyed, Asian girl, I wasn't exactly used to blending in. And today, apparently, was no different.

Ayumu gave me a teasing grin. "Told you you'd turn some heads."

I rolled my eyes. The whole situation was surreal—being surrounded by top-tier athletes, finally showing my face, and realizing that I belonged here.

As we were heading out to start training, one of the guys participating in tomorrow's competition approached us.

"Hey, you're Chō, right?" He was a tall, blonde guy with light eyes, probably under 30.