If someone would've told Hayami that she'd became the manager of a volleyball team she wouldn't have believed them.
And there she was.
Becoming a manager, a teammate, a friend, a sister.
But mostly, an ice skater.
A strong one.
A National Star.
She...
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September came and Hayami felt like she could breathe again when the first autumn's leaves started falling, painting the city in the grey, red, and orange that characterized the new season. Sure, she loved summer, the beach, the sand under her feet, the salt on her skin, and her messy air able to dry with the hot breeze, but the cold was her true element.
Skating toward the ice ring with her scarf wrapped around her neck, the school uniform plus some dark high-socks to keep her legs covered, and her warm leather jacket on her shoulders, she never felt more alive; cutting inside a shortcut to avoid the usual Tokyo's traffic, she sprinted inside a big park, avoiding people and animals on her way, smiling at the little kids looking at her in awe.
Those previous four months were something incredible: she never thought she would've found a group of friends and someone to fall in love with, in the same period. She was in Tokyo to practice and become the perfect athlete, not to waste time hanging out or being the manager of a volleyball team, but still, her world was turned upside down.
A right turn, though.
Her chest was lighter, her heart was full, and her brain was not in fight or flight mode for once.
After living all her life not knowing if she should open up to people surrounding her, ending up in more delusions than appreciation, she just let it go, remaining with herself.
She never needed anyone else except herself for a long time, but now, she was discovering that it wasn't bad having someone supporting her back and kicking her ass if she needed to return with her feet on the ground.
Fun was a word she always associated with her sport and family, not understanding that it could apply to strangers too, and that was what transformed them into friends.
Fun, trust, love, kindness.
Four pillars she never found more essential.
Yeah, she was living her teenage life.
Finally.
Hayami didn't know she missed it until she had it back inside her hands.
Now, it was time to figure out what her pretty boy had inside his mind. She didn't want to ruin what they had, but she knew he was feeling the same push towards her as much as she was pulled to him. They were opposite magnets that the strong calamity was unable to keep apart.
Despite wanting to win their game, her knees were getting weaker and weaker whenever they were close to each other, and she could feel her senses picking up everything they could of him. How he smelled, how he was dressed, how his hair was based on how much he slept the night before, how his eyes observed all his surroundings, analyzing people, strategically never stopping on her. All that mixed with the unconscious small gestures he started doing without realizing it, she was sure; he started by sitting down beside her during their homework dates, not in front of her anymore, scooping even closer whenever he needed to explain her something slightly harder, invading her personal space with his usual selfless attitude, during practice he came often behind her, reading her notes, his chest so close she could feel him breathing, both confronting their ideas and strategies for the upcoming games, he started walking with his back straighter when he was with her, finally looking up and not on the tip of his shoes, but the cutest thing was the gentle playing with her long hair when they hang out with the rest of the boys, his fingers twisting and twirling the locks, being careful not to create knots.
