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'How beautifully he skates...'
Choi Han stood on the bleachers, slowly wiping the floor with a mop. The site was already glistening clean, but Choi Han wasn't paying much attention to it.
His gaze was focused on a figure with scarlet hair gliding beautifully across the ice of the rink.
It was the famous 18-year-old figure skater, Cale Henituse. Choi Han had been watching him practice for weeks by now - he had been working part-time at the sports complex over the summer break and had seen him every day, cleaning the bleachers...
«Training is over, go home.»
There came a loud, stern voice from Eruhaben, Cale's coach.
However, Cale, not listening to him, began to come in for another lap, clearly intending to make another jump...
'Wow, a quadruple...!'
Choi Han watched the beautiful landing with a stupid smile.
Cale skated perfectly, as if he wasn't capable of making a mistake.
«Finish it! Are you going to overwork again?!»
Hearing his coach's menacing voice, Cale stopped with a disgruntled look on his face and slowly slid off to the exit of the ice.
Choi Han watched for a moment longer as Cale took off his skates, put on his shoes, and walked out of the arena.
Then Choi Han finally turned his attention to the floor, which he had probably polished to a perfect shine by now.
***
'A wallet?..'
Choi Han frowned as he noticed a certain object on the ground. A small, black-colored wallet lay near the bushes not far from the exit of the sports complex. Picking it up, Choi Han peeked inside - he expected to find out the owner's name, and possibly contact information.
'Huh...?'
The card enclosed in the wallet read.
<Cale Henituse. Call the number: +82 2 xxx-xxxxx.>
Choi Han blinked in bewilderment.
Could it be that the owner of the wallet was The Cale...?
Slowly, hesitantly, Choi Han pulled out his phone and typed the number written on the card.
And pressed the call.
For some reason, Choi Han's heart was beating a strange rhythm.
Finally the beeping stopped and a divine voice came out of the receiver.
«Hello...? Who is this?»
Choi Han gathered his courage and said.
«I found your wallet.»
For some reason that phrase sounded like he was going to take it hostage.
After an awkward pause, Choi Han added.
«I want to return it to you.»
However, there was only a rustling sound on the other side of the receiver.
«Hello...?»
Just when Choi Han was beginning to think that he had said something wrong, he was answered.
«Oh. Yes. I really did lose it. Then...»
Cale was silent for a moment.
«Where would you like to hand it over? Where should I go?»
He hesitated, but answered after a moment.
They agreed to meet at the sports center in an hour.
With a sigh, Choi Han sat down on a bench nearby.
«Have you been waiting long? I'm sorry for the inconvenience.»
Choi Han, who had been reading a book on his phone, looked up. In front of him stood Cale Henituse in person.
Choi Han quickly put his smartphone away and jumped up from his seat.
«No, it's all right!»
Silence fell.
Cale held out his hand.
Choi Han, seeing the gesture, shook Cale's hand in a handshake.
«My name is Choi Han.»
Puzzlement slid into Cale's eyes, and then he chuckled softly, covering his mouth with his free hand.
«Actually, I meant for you to hand me the wallet, but it's fine.»
Choi Han opened his eyes wide, blushing, and then let go of Cale's hand, taking out the wallet.
«I'm sorry! I... I wasn't thinking.»
Cale, still smiling softly, took his wallet.
It was a little sad that this would be the end of their brief encounter, but...
«Are you hungry...?»
The unexpected words came from Cale. And he looked surprised, as if he himself didn't know why he asked it.
It was probably just a question out of politeness, and Choi Han should have said that no, he wasn't hungry, but...
«I'm hungry.»
The truth just slipped off his tongue.
In fact, he was pretty hungry, sitting here for an hour after work.
«Huh.»
Cale gulped a little nervously, and then...
«Well, why don't we go somewhere and get something to eat, then? Consider it a thank you for the wallet.»
***
Cale was nervous.
'Why did I say that...?'
The phrase slipped from his tongue before he could think. Somehow, when he looked into those dark eyes full of some hidden sadness, he didn't want to say goodbye.
Now they were sitting together in a cafe.
«What would you like?»
Сale had already examined the menu; his choice was obvious. His favorite dish was beef steak. This cafe made it surprisingly well. After looking through the other dishes, Cale chose the apple pie.
Eruhaben's exhortations about dieting came to mind for a second, but...
'Screw it.'
...As always, Cale decided to ignore him.
Meanwhile, a waiter approached them.
«What can I get for you?»
Choi Han hesitated, but then said.
«I would like a salad, please.»
Then he fell silent.
'Huh?'
Cale looked at the cost of the salad.
And then at Choi Han, who looked like he wanted to sink under the ground.
'Ah.'
Smiling lightly, Cale said.
«Two beef steaks, two salads with pears, grilled vegetables on the side, plus pizza, two julienne, mussels in sauce, shrimp, and two apple pies. And ice cream, too. And tea.»
Smiling sweetly, Cale waited for the waiter to repeat his order and leave, then turned to a shocked Choi Han.
«My treat. I told you it was a thank you for the wallet.»
Choi Han opened his mouth, then closed it again, frowned, and said.
«But it's very expensive... I... I've never even been anywhere like this. It's... It's an expensive restaurant...»
'Damn, this is fun.'
For some reason, his mood rose with each of Choi Han's phrases.
«Do I look like a poor person? Relax, and better tell me something about yourself. Where do you study? How did you find my wallet? What do you like?»
Cale couldn't tell if he was bored of sitting in silence, or...
'Am I interested in him...?'
A sudden thought pierced Cale, making him freeze.
For some reason, as he looked at the black-haired guy in front of him, a strange feeling gripped him.
They were from different worlds, having met not more than an hour ago by sheer coincidence, but...
The eyes of Choi Han, who looked at Cale in surprise and then began to speak, looked like two small abysses reflecting the stars. It was an amazing gaze, so out of place on a young guy's face...
Cale blinked.
The obsession was gone.
The guy in front of him said that he worked at the stadium as a cleaner, and that he had actually come to the capital to study at university. That his hobby was reading books, and also...
«You know how to handle a sword...?»
Cale felt mildly surprised - the guy in front of him looked quiet and modest. It was easy to imagine him walking with his friends from university, then thoroughly doing his homework, or helping his mother around the house - but a sword...?
'Although...'
Cale quickly glanced at the palms of Choi Han's hands, noticing the calluses there. And his gaze...
'Apparently, he's not that simple.'
The picture of Choi Han with a sword appeared in his head all by itself, as if it were something natural. Wearing a cloak, boots, slightly baggy pants...
«Are you into role-playing?»
The image of Choi Han in such medieval clothing was so vivid and realistic that Cale asked the question. Cale had once been at such an event with a figure skater who liked to play the mage. Maybe he had seen Choi Han there before...?
«...W-What?»
Finally awakening from his thoughts, Cale looked at Choi Han, blushing and tense for some reason...
'А?..'
Why did he react like that to...
'Damn it...!'
Flinching and blushing, Cale awkwardly added.
«I-I mean live-action role-playing... You know, LARP...? No?.. It's when people gather together, come up with some scenario, put on costumes, and, for example, play the taking of a medieval castle.»
'Damn, that was awkward.'
Choi Han coughed, and, looking away embarrassed, replied.
«N-No, this is the first time I've heard of it. I don't really have time for entertainment... I work, I train with my sword, and in the remaining time I read. Do these events happen often...? Sounds quite interesting...»
***
Choi Han stood in the clearing in front of the Demon King's army.
Next to him was Cale with a beautiful "magic shield", a girl with sunset-colored hair to the left, a blue-eyed blond man with a spear behind her. Farther up stood a funny-looking kid almost two meters tall, but very shy and timid, wearing clawed gloves, with cute furry gray ears on his head and a tail. And to Cale's right stood a blue-haired girl with a whip in her hands, and next to him was Cale's coach, Eruhaben, who said he wouldn't leave "the unlucky guy" unattended, and somehow imperceptibly took on the role of the ancient dragon. Of course he did, for he was the oldest of them all.
'How did it end up like this...?'
Somehow he and Cale started talking about books and role-playing and nature while sitting in that expensive restaurant, then somehow alcohol appeared on the table, and here they were already calling Rosalyn, Cale's good friend, the same one who was now playing the fire mage...
And now, two weeks later, they were standing in the clearing, playing out the final battle against the Demon King.
'That's actually interesting.'
Choi Han felt a sense of excitement. Since he had moved from his hometown to the capital, he had no friends left. Of course, he still texted with his little nephew, his classmates, and his parents, but...
Now he felt as if he really had made friends here, too.
Smiling, he listened for the signal to begin.
As the script demanded, he dashed forward - the script was to kill the Demon King. He got into a fight with him, striking furiously, but here the Demon King raised his staff, pushing a button, making it glow red...
If this were reality, a torrent of scarlet flame would rush out of it now, and Choi Han stepped back - another second, and he would be wounded...
Suddenly a frail back appeared in front of him - Сale covered him, unfolding his silver shield of cloth, made on the principle of an automatic umbrella.
With a smile, Choi Han easily moved out from under the shield, stabbing the Demon King...
***
Choi Han stood on the bleachers, once again scrubbing the floor to a shine. Suddenly he met his gaze with Cale's, who was going in for the jump...
«You can do it!»
With a wave of his hand, Choi Han shouted words of encouragement, smiling.
For a second, a joyful smile slid across Cale's always indifferent face, and then...
Applause erupted from Eruhaben.
«Well done! You finally made it clean. Oh, my mentee did a quadruple axel... Ah, that was fantastic in my day...»
Cale smiled, pleased that his efforts had finally succeeded.
Choi Han, as he continued to rub the miserable floor to an unnatural shine, smiled at the fact that Cale was smiling.
***
'Thank God...'
Choi Han was at home, checking the cost of plane tickets to another country from his phone. He might have to cut back a little on food expenses, but...
After checking the tickets for the championship, Choi Han exhaled.
He had enough money.
With a satisfied smile, he picked up the brush again, throwing a slightly frustrated look at the pile of spoiled paper in the corner.
***
Cale sat on the bench.
His turn was very soon. Just a little more, and he should be out on the ice, just a little more, and in three minutes everything he'd been doing for the past year would be summed up...
No, everything he's done all his life.
Cale Henituse never liked to work hard. He liked to just relax on his bed with a book more than anything else, but...
Once he went out on the ice, a long time ago, about ten years ago, he couldn't stop anymore. The feeling of freedom as he glided forward, as he listened to the music, as he repeated its turns with his body...
He couldn't give it up. Figure skating became his new hobby, and then he was noticed by Eruhaben.
The latter was a famous figure skater who had finished his career twenty years before. He sometimes performed at ice shows, not for money or fame - just because audiences were eager to see once again the record holder for the most gold medals, the man nicknamed "Gold Dust."
And that man, after seeing Cale skate, told him he had to be a professional.
Cale Henituse was a figure skating genius.
And now he was out on the ice of the World Championships, where he could finally showcase his achievements.
However, he felt a strange uneasiness.
'If I fail, it was all for nothing.'
Professional sports is an amazing thing. It can bring you joy, but...
It can destroy what you loved and make you hate it.
And now...
'Why am I even here? Didn't I just enjoy skating on the ice...?'
Cale was beginning to feel the confidence leaving his heart.
He didn't understand why he was skating.
What he was skating.
His body remembered the beginning pose he was supposed to take, but...
'Isn't it better to just lie on the bed...?'
His soul was not here.
He saw Eruhaben looking at him with a strange look. Perhaps it was panic, perhaps he was trying to tell him something.
He saw his parents looking at him with a smile.
Cale smiled weakly back at them.
The strange feeling wouldn't go away, and his heart pounded loudly in his chest as if counting down the seconds until the program started.
Cale had no doubt that he could do it flawlessly. But...
'What for?'
Who was he skating for?
All those people around him...
Eruhaben believed in him, wanting him to get better scores.
His parents would be happy, no matter what he did.
Did anyone really care about the effort he put into this program?
Did it matter that he put his soul into it?
He was a student for Eruhaben.
He was a son to his parents.
He was an idol to the fans...
But he wanted someone to watch him from the outside. Someone who understood nothing about figure skating. That someone would just be genuinely happy for him...
Not because he's a student or a son or an idol...
But because...
'Ah.'
There was a look of surprise in Cale's eyes.
He saw Choi Han in the bleachers.
In fact, it was very easy to notice him.
He was standing near a huge poster that read:
<Gold for the Silver Wind!>
Gratitude flowed in Cale's heart in a hot wave, and an unexpected thought came to his mind.
'I am so glad you are here. I can do anything with you around.'
They had only known each other for five months, but it seemed to Cale that Choi Han had been there for him forever. Suddenly the support of the fans seemed so warm, Cale saw Eruhaben gesturing nervously, ‘Unlucky guy, stop being nervous, I'm with you!’ and his parents supporting him wholeheartedly.
Cale smiled and closed his eyes.
Then the smile disappeared from his face.
His costume this season was white with silver ornaments.
The music of his performance began to play - Vivaldi, Winter, Allegro non molto, that also called "The Horrible Wind".
A moment ago there had been anxiety in Cale's heart, but now it was as if it had turned into music - how alarming it was, so calm was Cale's soul.
He was confident, gliding across such beloved ice with a cold expression on his face.
The audience froze, watching the magnificent spins and step sequences and...
The audience gasped as they watched the perfect quadruple axel.
Cale noticed Choi Han's face again, his genuine smile.
And maybe it was ice under his feet, the music he was skating to was winter...
But in his soul, spring was blooming.