Skaters 101 (but without the skating)

A New Start

The air was crisp and still, the smell of morning dew overhanging the atmosphere. The sky was still dark, however, some early birds were awake and chirping.

Yuzuru dragged his luggage across the school yard. He stopped to look up at the big grey building that would be his home for the next 2 years of his life. Technically, the student hostel would be his home, but according to his sister, who graduated from the school a few years ago, he would be spending more time in the school itself than in his room.

Although Yuzuru had missed the student orientation, he was quite confident in navigating the school grounds, due to having to attend his sister's many prize giving ceremonies. The only downside was that, he missed the chance to be introduced to a bunch of other students, but that was okay. He was quite certain he could make friends easily and quickly.

After checking in at the student hostel office, he dumped his stuff in the room allocated for him. He also heard that he would be expecting a roommate in a few days time. Yuzuru couldn't wait. He knew he would be a good roommate.

Yuzuru looked at his watch. 7.05am. He still had an hour to kill before class started. Deciding to explore the campus further, he packed his bag and left the room, tucking Pooh-san under his arm.

As he climbed down the stairs, a man wearing a tracksuit came, quite literally, flying up. The speed he was moving at was incredible, not to mention that he was lifting a big piece of luggage over his head, at the same time chugging down a liquid from a plastic bottle. The man was so intent on his drink that he failed to notice Yuzuru.

BAM!

The luggage crashed to the ground. The liquid in the bottle escaped and ended up all over the floor.

"Hey, watch it!" The man snapped at Yuzuru.

Yuzuru was taken aback. Everything had happened so quickly that he was still processing it. Instinctively, he replied, "Oh, sorry."

The man suddenly grinned. "I'm just kidding. Sorry for smashing into you."

Yuzuru mentally noted the strong Spanish accent that was already prominent despite so few words spoken. He grinned back at him, "That's alright, It was my fault too."

"It's cool. Hey, I'm Javier Fernandez, nice to meet you." Javier stretched his hand out, offering him a handshake.

Fernandez. The name rang a bell in Yuzuru's mind. "My name is Yuzuru Hanyu." Yuzuru took Javier's hand and shook it firmly.

At the mention of his name, Javiers brows knitted together and he appeared to be deep in thought. "Do you-"

"Have a sister that studied here before?" Yuzuru finished for him.

They both looked at each other in shock before starting to laugh.

"Hey, that was great mind reading on your part." Javier replied. "I did have a sister studying here a while ago. Her name is Laura Fernandez."

"Laura Fernandez? Wasn't she the top athlete in her year?" Yuzuru looked at Javier with new eyes. The earlier collision flashed back, and he began to see slight sense in Javier holding his gigantic luggage over his head with one hand.

"Yup. She set a pretty high bar for me to beat. Who's your sister?"

"Saya Hanyu."

"Wasn't she the girl that got crowned "Most helpful person of the year?" Javier frowned, having trouble recalling the countless awards she received. Luckily he remembered in particular that award, having found it bordering on ridiculous.

"Yes, that's her. Wait, let me wipe up the mess." Yuzuru pulled some tissue out of Pooh-san and used it to soak up the liquid on the ground.

Javier had only noticed Pooh-san there and then. "Cool! So you have a customized tissue box too!" He picked up the fallen luggage and opened it up. After digging around for a bit, (which consisted of lots of 'manly' grunts when trying to shift the weights while looking for his tissue box.) Javier finally pulled out a Mickey Mouse tissue box.

"Ah, so you like the Mickey mouse?" Yuzuru nodded his head.

" Mickey, please stick that nose back inside and,-Yeah"

Javier answered, while wrestling his tissue box back inside his luggage.

"I said stick that snout back in there!" Javier ordered, as he repeatedly tried to squash Mickey's nose that was sticking out, into the luggage.

Just then, he had a bright idea.

Unzipping the luggage fully, he took out one of his heaviest weights, stuffed Mickey there an put the heavy weight on top of it, weighing the plushy tissue box down.

Javier let out a sigh out relief as he finally zipped the luggage, succeeding in making Mickey submit to his command.

Appalled, Yuzuru struggled to digest what had just happened.

"You... keep Mickey in a luggage?"

Yuzuru asked carefully, the treatment of the innocent tissue box still fresh in his mind.

"Mhm. Why do you carry it around?" Javier replied.

"Pooh-san would rather be acknowledged as "him", instead of "it", thank you very much." Yuzuru replied rather huffily.

Struck a sensitive chord there, Javier thought. "Sorry."

"It's ok. I have him with me more than 90% of the time, and I don't think Pooh will like being in the stuffy, dark luggage." Yuzuru looked down at Pooh as if it was alive and they were having a conversation.

"Uh.. yeah."

Javier looked at the Japanese man weirdly. It wasn't every day that he'd meet a man who talked to stuffed toys as if they were living beings. (Not that he would like to admit that he did it too.) He decided to change the subject. "Anyway, do you want to meet up after you've got your stuff in your dorm? Like, because I skipped the student orientation and-"

"Ended up not knowing anyone? Same." Yuzuru finished.

Javier looked at him in awe. "You psychic! Way to go, man!"

Yuzuru laughed. "I think it's because we're meant for each other."

Javier smiled, and picked up his luggage, ready to continue his run to his dorm. "So I'll see you in about 20 minutes?

"Just at the front gates of the school? Sure." Yuzuru answered. "Make it quick, though, because-"

"The earlier we are, the less likely we're gonna be swept away by a bunch random students." Javier countered. He laughed. "Looks like you're not the only psychic around. I'll see you later!"

"Bye!" Yuzuru waved, and proceeded to walk down the stairs. As soon as he reckoned that Javier was out of earshot, he held Pooh-san to his face. "DID YOU SEE THAT! I MADE MY FIRST FRIEND HERE! LET ME TELL YOU THIS: JUNIOR COLLEGE IS GOING TO BE GREATTTT!!!"