1
As long as I could skate, nothing else mattered.
That was always the point for me. Who you were, why you were here, or how long you could endure… none of that meant anything on the ice.
I realized that on that day.
Some people were not meant to stop if they wanted to keep skating.
“Ilyan, tell me something. What has his father been asking from you all this time that you keep refusing?”
I had been watching the black-haired boy on the rink through the glass, losing his balance every few seconds, when my father’s voice pulled me back. He would hold onto the barrier to catch his breath, then step onto the ice again. He looked exhausted, but he didn’t quit. He kept skating, stubbornly.
I turned around to face my father and took a deep breath.
“Dad… okay, I get it. It’s not a big deal, but why me? Am I a babysitter?”
“Because you are my son, and I’m asking this as a favor,” he said. “And you’re the same age. Don’t act like I’m asking you to look after a little kid.”
He was starting to get annoyed, but I didn’t care. I had my own plans. I didn’t owe fake kindness to someone I didn’t even know.
“Dad, I’m busy. I don’t have time for this. If you want it that much, then you—”
“Ilyan.”
He didn’t shout. His expression didn’t even change. He just said my name.
I realized I couldn’t argue anymore, so I turned my head to the side in frustration.
“Fine,” I said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Andrei is new here. As you can see, he didn’t come for any course. He’ll come twice a week, just to skate for half an hour.”
He paused.
“You know that I’m your coach as much as I’m your father. I also know your schedule. All you have to do is keep him company while you’re here.”
“So you want me to be friends with him until he gets bored and quits.”
He waved his hand dismissively, picked up his cup, and took a sip of his coffee.
“Call it whatever you want. He has about four or five months of skating experience. If you want, you can show him a few simple moves. It’ll be practice for you too.”
I just nodded. I thought the conversation was over, but this time his voice turned serious.
“However,” he said.
I looked up.
“Only simple moves. No jumping. And don’t push him on spins either.”
As if I was going to teach him a triple axel.
I didn’t say that out loud.
“Okay,” I muttered.
My father clapped his hands once and stood up.
“Then go warm up and get on the ice. I’m glad we understand each other, son.”
I didn’t reply. I left the room and walked toward the locker room.
Everything had been going perfectly fine, and now I had to deal with this. I couldn’t understand why I had to spend time with someone who came here just to skate for half an hour as a hobby. Even more ridiculous was the fact that my father normally didn’t accept anyone who wanted to “just skate” except on weekends, so why had he accepted this boy?
I was still thinking about that while doing my warm-up.
I put on my skates and tied the laces tightly. When I stepped into the corridor, the rink was quiet today. Coach Aoi, a few students… and that black-haired boy.
His hair was strangely black. I couldn’t tell if it was dyed.
Not that it mattered.
The moment I stepped onto the ice, I skated straight toward him. He was holding onto the barrier, catching his breath. He looked surprised that I came up to him.
“Hello?” he said in a hesitant voice.
Up close, his face was almost baby-smooth, except for a few moles scattered across it. He wasn’t particularly fit. His voice lacked confidence too.
“Hi. I’m Ilyan. You must be Andrei”
I held out my hand. He looked at my hand first, then shook it loosely.
“Yes… do we know each other?”
I lowered my hand immediately.
As if I invited you here.
“No. But my father knows you. He wanted us to hang out a bit.”
He stared at me blankly, then let out a small laugh.
“How old are we that someone would ask for something like that?” he said. “Also, who is your father?”
“Ivan.”
His eyes widened.
“Oh… Coach. He’s your father?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, now I understand.”
He shrugged.
“You said Ilyan, right? It’s fine, you can go. I’ll just skate alone.”
I let out a deep breath. My father would definitely not allow that.
“It’s not a problem for me,” I said reluctantly. “We can meet properly. Being friends is better than skating alone.”
“No need,” he muttered and turned toward the ice.
I grabbed his arm without thinking.
We both looked surprised.
“I can show you a few moves,” I said. “I’m professional enough to compete soon.”
His expression changed.
For the first time, he really looked at me.
“Really?” he said with a childlike excitement.
“Yeah.”
“Then… I guess we can be friends a little.”
“Let’s talk while skating,” I said. “You’ve been on the ice before though.”
His face fell.
“Yeah… but I was very young. It’s been a long time. I can only skate.”
A brief silence fell between us.
“How old are you?” I asked.
“Eighteen.”
I cursed between my teeth.
“Nineteen.”
“I see.”
The air turned awkward.
“Then let’s start,” I said. “Today can be free. I’ll teach you some things later.”
He just nodded.
I greeted Coach Millie and started practicing my spins. From time to time, I glanced at Andrei. He was gliding aimlessly in the middle of the rink. He kept stopping, then skating again.
For some reason, my eyes kept drifting back to him.
But I didn’t dwell on it.
I turned back to myself.
When I was on the ice, there was no room for anyone else.
