hey! this is a birthday present for brogan, one of my best friends, even though we've never met in person. she's always there for me when i need her, whether or not i've had a bad day at school or i need to scream about a certain person who's name may or may not be the exact same as a famous author...
but in all sincerity, happy birthday brogan, i love you infinitely [even if you did lie about your birthday last year] ❤️❤️
fun fact: this chapter is being written sixteen days before the actual day it's published!
this story is written in entirely sota's point of view, for your information :)
by the way, if anyone else would like a birthday present for their birthday, send me a dm about when your birthday is, and who you would like it to be about!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She was always there.
No matter what competition I was skating at, she was always there.
Holding the same banner;
go sota! believe in yourself! ❤️
Whenever I saw that, I smiled inwardly to myself.
She'll never know how much it motivated me.
To know that I had one true fan.
But this was before the accident.
Or should I say: the accidents; because there were three of them. I broke my leg three times. All on the same goddamn triple lutz.
I haven't skated competitively for a year, and now I'm making not only my comeback, but also my Grand Prix debut. My senior debut.
The one I should have made last year, where I would've been at the same competitions as my favourite girl in the world, Wakaba.
But now I'm coming back.
My teammates for Skate Canada are Yuzuru, Satoko, Marin, Takahito and Kana and Chris. No Wakaba, and no Shoma either.
But that's not who I'm focused on.
Before I take to the ice for the six minute warm up before my short program, I scan the arena, craning my neck for any sign of the banner that brought my enough joy to skate the free program of my life in Tallinn, making me the World Junior bronze medalist.
There's no sign of it.
Cursing myself mentally, I decide to not let it distract me.
I know Yuzuru's here, but I'm in the first group.
All eyes feel like they're on me.
I'm terrified.
I keep popping my jumps.
Focus, Sota!
I can't. My mind keeps drifting to how upset I am that the girl with the banner has obviously given up on my while I've been out injured.
This concludes the six minute warm up.
I'm nowhere near ready, and I'm skating second. The random draw is a killer.
I could fake an injury, but that would only worry my family and friends back in Japan. I don't like them coming to my competitions, because it only adds pressure.
I guess I'm just going to have to go for broke.
Daniel's performance is a blur, and a really good one from the sounds of the 90+ score he got. 90+ at the second Grand Prix of the year - that's what two types of relatively consistent quads do for you.
Now, it's my time.
As I hit the ice, something feels different.
A familiar shout rings in my ears.
"Go Sota! Welcome back! I love you!"
My eyes widen in shock.
I look up.
Go Sota! Believe in yourself! ❤️
It's there.
She's there.
She hasn't given up on me after all.
As I reach centre ice and get into my starting position, a strange calmness washes through me.
I can do this.
It's five minutes later, but it might as well be five seconds.
"The score for Sota Yamamoto... 93.03."
