Unspoken Definites

06 Delighted

"PLEASE take care of yourselves. Wear warm clothes in this cold weather." Mrs. Shizuka, the class adviser, gave the class her final instruction before the beginning of her maternity leave tomorrow.

The class president stood up, "We wish you a safe delivery of your baby, Mrs. Shizuka"

"Thank you, kids." The teacher said with tears in her eyes. "I'll see you again in 3 months."

"Class!" The president shouted and the whole class stood up. "Bow!" Everyone bowed their final greeting for the teacher and the school bell rang right after.

Krinngggg

It was the last class of the 10th Grade students in Tohoku High School. Some students are preparing themselves to go home, others to play and fool around, some are heading straight to study lounges- except for one.

She hastily wore her thick jacket to brace for the cold breeze outside, tied her shoulder length hair in a ponytail then her shoe laces tightly before checking her watch.

3:30 pm

Twenty minutes shall be enough for her to reach her destination. She tucked her undershirt, securing it to the black leggings she had worn discreetly under her plaid skirt. She wore her backpack.

"Are you leaving now?" One of the girls sitting in the front row of the classroom asked as she walked by them.

"Yes. I can't be late." She said with her game face on.

"Take care!" Another girl wished.

She nodded and ran out of the classroom. As soon as she left, one of the boys in the classroom asked, "Where is she going, Kyoko?"

"I wonder where..." Kyoko answered with a smile.

---

Kim Yuna estimated her time quiet well. The run from the campus to the station and the station to Sendai Local Ice Rink was not far, she arrived at exactly 4:00.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Watashi!" She greeted the personnel at the reception area of the ice rink. "Are they done?" She tiptoed to take a better view of the rink. She could not see him.

"Good afternoon, Yuna!" The lanky man greeted her too. "They started late today. Someone from Tokyo Broadcasting interviewed them. You came on time today though."

Yuna guessed that they would go home later than the usual today.
She surrendered her back pack but brought her books and notes. "Yes, the teacher released us early."

Mr. Watashi smiled at her apologetically. He had been manning the rink for years now and it was the first time that he saw such dedication from a high school student. She would always go in the rink after her classes but she was not there to skate. Not even once she had worn the blades.

Unlike its other patrons, Yuna would go there and study. She would patiently wait for the training sessions of skaters would be over.

"Go inside, Yuna. He must have been waiting for you too."

The high schooler smiled shyly and left.

Yuna sat by the bleachers and saw the skaters doing their thing. Her eyes fell to where he was. The tall young man was busy doing his routine. His legs were long but flexible as evident how he spun on the ice. His hair felt soft to touch from the distance. He moved gracefully, almost breathtaking. He was like a ball of sunshine in the midst of the ice.

Their gazes met despite the distance-- he waved his slender arms at her. She waved back too, acknowledging his presence. Then he went back to practicing his loops, and so Yuna opened her books and went back to studying her lessons.