Ski Jumping Imagines II✓

Ryoyu Kobayashi

Pairing: Ryoyu × reader
Warnings: gif by @whereisyourpippinnow on tumblr💙
Word count: 1792
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He was a Japanese ski jumper and you've known each other for quite a long time. The only problem was that he was really shy and taciturn, maybe because his English knowledge wasn't really the best. You exchanged a few words here and there, stole some fleeting glances from each other, but that was it. Did those tiny things that could easily be neglected even have any meaning? You had no idea.

You were working as a physiotherapist in the Russian ski jumping team so the sport by itself was very close to you, basically a part of your everyday life. You were still very young, yet smart and ambitious. You were pretty much used to the hectic lifestyle you had, constant rushing and travelling from one world cup competition to another. It was also how you got to meet him. You usually weren't really into Asian looking kind of guys, but he made your heart pulse raise all the way up the same second you saw him. His dark brown eyes and a smile that appeared on his face each time he jumped far, almost as if he was from another planet - those were the things that made you fall for him immediately.

You wanted to talk to him so badly and there were plenty of moments when you were just a poor reach of a hand away, but he slipped away every single time. His rising fame had its cost. Even though he stayed humble and always got away with just a few short sentences when it came to journalists and their tedious questions, he was always surrounded by them. "He can't speak English," his translator explained to them when they couldn't get an answer out of him without stuttering. Or so people thought. You weren't stupid. You heard him speaking to other non-Japanese athletes plenty of times, but you stayed quiet. It was your little secret. Maybe he just doesn't want all the attention, you thought as you continued stuffing Klimov's jumping boots into his bag. They were huge.

You also remembered that one time when you got lost in the crowd and pretended to be a fan. As he came by, you plucked up all the courage you had and asked him for the autograph. You weren't completely sure whether he recognized you or no, but the smile he gave you as he signed the Japanese flag you were holding told you that he did.

But then came this party. Well, why the hell not, you thought and sent everything straight to hell. You were tired, both mentally and physically, and a little relaxation was just the thing you needed. Letting it all go. You put on your black cocktail dress and matched it with a pair of black combat boots. You were normally wearing trousers and sneakers so the others definitely weren't used to see you like that, but you wanted to create a little stir around yourself. So that he could finally notice you. And you could finally speak to him, more than just a few basic English phrases. Alone and without all the annoying newsmen.

However, something was still bugging you. Was he even gonna be there? You knew Japanese culture enough that the fact they didn't drink was no surprise to you. After all, you still decided to go and at least give it a try. You could still leave if he didn't show up.

***

A loud sound of K-pop hit your ears as you opened the heavy door and entered a room, full of people. You surged to a table with drinks and grabbed the first plastic cup you saw. You didn't even care what kind of alcohol was in it, you just wanted to lose yourself. As you emptied the first one, you picked up another right away. And another and another... You were still as sober as you were before when Evgeniy joined the table and started teasing you soon after. It was getting on your nerves when you first joined the team, but by now you pretty much got used to it. It was almost like a tradition and you actually became really good friends.

"What is a beauty like you doing alone on this wild night?" he asked you and chuckled as he poured himself a glass of beer.

"Why don't you rather tell me where Ryoyu is?" you asked him in Russian and rolled your eyes, "You'll be more useful."