Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Teitan Academy of Sports and Performing Arts is Japan's most famous professional academy for sports and music. Numerous famous athletes and musicians graduated from there. The academy offers education from elementary to college; starting from middle school, students will select a major they wish to study. Figure skating and instrumental majors are the most famous in the academy. Every year, each twelve-grade figure skating student will be assigned to a twelve-grade instrumental major student and work as a group to create a figure skating performance of the skater skating to the music the instrumental major student performs as their final exam before graduating high school. All students will be gathered in the common area and wait for the teachers to reveal their partners. 

In the common area, the students from the music major are excited to see the grouping results.

"Hey, who do you think will be Ran-chan's partner, our angel of the piano?" Kazuha, a flautist asked.

"Must be a lucky person, same with the one that got the King of the Rink!" Asami, a keyboard player, replied.

"Lucky!? By any standard, you can't consider partnering up with the king as lucky. Instead, I feel pity for whoever that is! Hopefully not me!" Shiho, a classical guitarist, replied.

"Now, to think about it, I feel like only Ran-chan could satisfy him," Kazuha said.

"True that, one note off, and you'll be murdered. Why is someone with a perfect pitch in figure skating major? He should have attended the music major!" Sonoko, a cellist, said.

"I guess he can't help it; his parents are the first Japanese pair skater to win a medal in a major international competition. The moment he's born on Earth, he has already been viewed as the star skater of our generation," Kazuha replied.

"Takahiro told me that he could play the violin; he even skated to the violin pieces performed by himself in the past," Shiho said.

"Oh, yeah, I heard of that before too. It was 'Ballade no. 1 in G minor, op. 23,' and 'Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso,' wasn't it?" Asami replied.

"Yes!"

"Ballade in violin? That's something new," suddenly, a voice came from behind.

"Ran! You are here!" Sonoko shouted with a big smile.

"Sorry, the last class was extended."

"You are just in time," Shiho replied.

"What have you guys been talking about?" Ran asked.

"About who will be the lucky skater to be paired with you, and about Shinichi Kudo, the King of the Rink!"

'Oh, that's too much praise; I'm not that good."

"Once again, so humble; that's why we love you, Ran!" Sonoko said.

Meanwhile, the singles figure skaters also wonder who will be paired with their King of the Rink.

"I wonder who will be paired with our king," said Heiji.

"Do not let them cry if it's a girl!" Takahiro said while putting his arm around Shinichi.

"I won't!" Shinichi replied with an annoyed face.

"I'm pretty sure the furthest he'll go is just being picky about everything, to the point where they will wish for another partner," Sera added.

"If it's Mouri-san, she'll probably be able to satisfy him," said Makoto.

"You are right, but I still feel bad for the person to be paired with him!" Higo said from behind.

"Oh, come on, Higo. He wasn't that bad. On the other hand, Shinichi-kun can skate to any music, making it easier for his partner," Sera defended.

Before Higo could reply, the bell rang; Kobayashi-sensei, the piano teacher, and Jodie-sensei, the women's figure skating coach, got on the stage.

"Greetings, students; this will be your last assignment in high school. Every figure skater will be paired with a partner in the music department to create a figure skating routine. Of course, pair skaters and ice dancers will be put into the same group, but with two music major students," Jodie-sensei explained.

"The group in each discipline that finishes with the highest mark will be allowed to train with an overseas figure skating club and given recommendations to any music university of their choice," Kobayashi-sensei added.

"Now we'll announce the groups!" Jodie-sensei and Kobayashi-sensei said together with a joyful tone.

"Group 1, Takahiro Sanada and Shiho Miyano. Group 2, Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Tooyama."

"haha, even the school knows you guys are a couple!" Sonoko joked at Shiho and Kazuha.

"Group 6, Makoto Kyougoku and Sonoko Suzuki."

"Back to you!" Kazuha and Shiho replied.

"Group 9, Masumi Sera and Asami Tsuburaya."

"Yay!" Sera gave Asami a peace sign from a distance.

"Group 35, Rusuke Higo and Eisuke Hondou."

"Wow!" As the teachers announced the penultimate group, the room was filled with gasps out of surprise because everyone realized who would be in the last group.

"Finally, group 36, Shinichi Kudo and Ran Mouri!" Announced Jodie-sensei and Kobayashi-sensei joyfully.

"It can't be..." Shinichi thought.

Soon, the whole room is filled with chatters.

"I can't believe the king and the angel are put in the same group!"

"To think the two geniuses are put together."

"Thinking about it, Mouri is probably the only one on Kudo's level."

"Okay, now you have your groups. Here's what you'll be doing for your project. The topic for this year is a short program. Any music is allowed if you follow all the requirements and rules from the International Skating Union. After your group completes your program, you will submit your routine to us. The performance will be done in two days: the first day will be the pairs and ice dance, while the second will be single skating. Please note that you and your partner will be graded separately, but a major part of your grade is how well you work together," Jodie-sensei explained.

"Now, you may start working; please remember to grab the handout as you leave; more precise instructions and rubrics are provided there," Kobayashi-sensei said as she dismissed everyone.

As the students walk out of the common area, Ran approaches Shinichi.

"Kudo-kun! Hello, I'm Ran Mouri, your partner. Would you like to exchange phone numbers so we can contact each other quickly?"

"Sure."

After they exchanged their phone number, Ran went to the cafeteria for lunch with her friends.

"Ran-chan, I can't believe you are paired with the king!" Asami said.

"I heard he is very troublesome from Hidaka and Tashiro. Maybe you should ask for another partner," Sonoko said.

"But he's only troublesome if his partner isn't good enough; that's what Heiji told me," Kazuha replied.

"Maybe our angel would be his ideal partner, just like what Takahiro thinks," Shiho added.

"Yeah, Kudo wasn't that bad. He is just a perfectionist when it comes to skating, but overall, he's a nice guy," Takahiro said while walking into the cafeteria.

"Why are you here, Bakahiro!" Shiho replied.

"Hey, how could you treat your partner like that? I'm so sad!" Takahiro replied while wiping fake tears from his face.

"Then how about Ahohiro? Or do you prefer Bokehiro?"

"I'll take Bokehiro then."

"Oh, another quarrel between husband and wife," Sonoko teased.

"We are not husband and wife!" Shiho and Takahiro replied together.

"I still want to work with Kudo-kun. The teachers must think it will work to put us together, and I want to believe in them!" Ran said.

"Not to mention, I feel familiar with him," Ran thought.

"Good luck, Ran; tell us if that guy did anything to you!" Sonoko said.

"Okay, thanks."

After Shinichi got home from school, he sent a text to Ran.

Shinichi: Mouri-san, good evening. Would you like to meet tomorrow to discuss our project?"

Ran: Kudo-kun, good evening. Yes, I'll be glad to meet after school.

Shinichi: Is there a place you prefer?

Ran: How about Cafe Poirot at 2 pm?

Shinichi: Sounds nice. I'll see you tomorrow in Cafe Poirot at 2 pm.

"If it was her... Is it destiny, or is it a miracle?"  Shinichi thought as he put down his phone.

On Saturday afternoon, Shinichi arrived at the cafe 10 minutes before 2 pm the next day, and Ran came 5 minutes later.

"Good evening, Kudo-kun. Sorry for making you wait."

"I also just arrived," Shinichi replied as he opened the cafe's door.

"Welcome!" Azusa, the waitress at the Café Poirot, said.

"Azusa-san, good evening. Could we take the table to discuss our school project?" Ran said as she walked into the cafe.

"Of course, please take your seat. What would you like for today?"

"Ice coffee, please," Shinichi said.

"Me too."

"Two iced coffee. Could I get you anything else? I would recommend the new half-baked cake by Amuro-san."

"I'll take one, how about you, Kudo-kun?"

"I'm good."

"So, two iced coffees and one half-baked cake."

"Yes, thank you, Azusa-san," Ran replied.

"My pleasure," Azusa said as she walked away.

"Kudo-kun, is there a certain type of music you wish to skate to?" Ran asked.

"I can skate to anything, so you can choose the best piece you can interpret," Shinichi replied.

"What an arrogant guy..." Ran thought, "Well, here are a few of my favorite pieces; you can take a look at them," Ran said as she pulled out a list of piano pieces she liked.

"Otonal, Rondo Capriccioso, Swan Lake, Hope and Legacy... You are a Fanyu, aren't you?" Shinichi asked while reading the list.

"Yeah, I am. Wait, you know the term Fanyu?"

"Of course, Fanyu, a fan of Yuzuru Hanyu, it's common sense in figure skating. Oh, Ballade no. 1 in G minor, op. 23! This one!" Shinichi said.

"Oh, that's my number one favorite of all time! It's a life-changing piece for me!"

"I know..." Shinichi said with an expression softer than anyone Ran had seen.

"Eh?" 

"Now, we should work on how to cut and arrange the ballade to fit it as a short program."

"I have recorded my performance for Ballade," Ran said as she handed Shinichi her phone.

"May I hear it now?" Shinichi asked as he pulled out his headphones.

"Go ahead."

After Shinichi finished hearing the piece, he imported it into his laptop and began to edit the audio.

"Done, this is how I wish it would be," Shinichi said as he passed the laptop to Ran.

"Perfect, 2 minutes and 50 seconds. I love the fix!" Ran said after she finished listening.

"I will come up with the choreography as soon as possible. After I finish it, let's meet at the school ice rink for rehearsal. I'll send you a text," Shinichi said as he finished the coffee.

The next day, Ran visited Cafe Poirot for a girls' meeting.

"Ran-chan, how's Kudo-kun?" Kazuha asked.

"Is he being overly picky on everything and super arrogant?" Asami asked.

"Did he give you any trouble?" Shiho added.

"If he did, I'll give him a lesson!" Sonoko replied.

"No, no, no. Kudo-kun is rather nice. At first, he gave me an arrogant vibe, but as I talked to him more, he was a pretty easy person to get along with. Sanada-kun and Hattori-kun were right; he wasn't as bad as people said," Ran replied.

"That's good because I'm getting ready to test the new drug I created on him..." Shiho said, pretending to be a mad scientist.

"Huh!?" Everyone in the room gasped.

"Shiho, your science-addicted personality hasn't changed since preschool," Sonoko said.

"Yeah, I remember you once said you'd create a de-age drug when we were in elementary. The enthusiasm sure didn't change at all," Ran added.

"But you didn't create those drugs, right?" Kazuha asked.

"Of course, she didn't create it, Kazuha. It was a joke!" Asami replied with a laugh.

"Or maybe I did!" Shiho said with an evil smile.

"..." Soon, the room breaks into silence.

"Ran-chan, have you decided what music to perform for the project?" Asami asked to change the topic.

"Yes, a short program on Ballade no. 1 in G minor, op. 23 by Chopin, we have already finished the edit. How about everyone else?"

"A short program on Imaginations by Spyair," Asami replied with a satisfying face.

"A short program on Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid," Kazuha said excitedly.

"A short program on Always with Me by Yumi Kimura," Sonoko said dreamily.

"A short program on Tenkyuu," Shiho said with a smirk.

"The Japanese Koto piece?" Everyone asked.

"Yes, I'll do a guitar cover of it!"

"Well, I can't imagine Sanada-kun skating to it," Sonoko joked.

"Neither does Bokehiro himself. He wanted rock music, but I forced him," Shiho replied while remembering the moment.

"How about Fly High by BURNOUT SYNDROMES?" Takahiro suggested.

"Asami and Sera-san chose a Haikyuu opening, so no!" Shiho replied.

"Why, you love it? You have the whole manga collection!"

"I just don't want to be the same as others!"

"Why do I feel like you already have a song in mind, but instead of recommending it, you just want me to accept it no matter what after being rejected countless times?"

"For once, you are smart,"

"Hey! Well, what song was it?"

"Tenkyuu!"

"From Kono oto tomare?"

"Yes!"

"You know my style is usually rock music,"

"How mean! All I wanted to do was for you to try something and be an all-rounded skater," Shiho said while fake-crying.

"You know this doesn't work on me! Well, at least not anymore," Takahiro said with the second part in a quiet voice.

"What!?" Shiho said with a death glare.

"Alright, Tenkyuu, it is!"

"Thanks. Here's the recording of the edited version. There are three different versions. You can choose which version you would like to use when doing the choreography," Shiho said while walking away after sending him three audio files through her phone.

"So you already know I'll accept it! Huh, cute!" Takahiro said after Shiho left and was nowhere to be found, not realizing Shiho had heard everything he said, including the last line he said quietly.

"I have no clue what happened, but I feel bad for Sanada-kun," Everyone thought.

After going home, Ran received a text from Shinichi that he had completed the choreography, asking her to meet him at the school ice rink the next day after class.

"Ice rink... I guess I'll bring it too..."  Ran thought after she replied to Shinichi's text.

On Monday, Ran headed to the ice rink after class. There, she heard the sound of Shinichi practicing. She walked toward the rink and saw Shinichi performing a one-handed hydroblade as the entrance of a delayed single axle with a twizzle and counter exit.

"Oh, Mouri-san, you're here! Good afternoon!"

"Good afternoon, Kudo-kun. That delayed single axel was amazing!"

"You saw that? Thanks, I still couldn't do it beautifully like Hanyu-senshu."

"Eh?" Ran gasped.

"hmm"

"Oh, no, I'm just surprised that a genius like Kudo-kun would say something like that. I never thought you would think there's something you didn't do well enough and compare yourself to someone."

"I'm nowhere a genius, and compared to Hanyu-senshu, I still have a lot of improvement. Hanyu-senshu was already a level above me when he was my age. He has always been my inspiration and will continue to be."

"Then it's the same for us; Hanyu-senshu is also an inspiration to me. My parents sent me to figure skating classes when I was 5, but I saw his Ballade No. 1 short program when I was eight. Then I thought how happy the pianist would be when he saw his performance was being skated that beautifully. So I asked my parents to let me learn piano. But even now, I would still go to the ice rink to skate for some time," Ran said as she put on her skates and stepped on the ice.

"Want to skate together for a while?" Shinichi asked while doing a spread eagle.

"Yes!"

"How long has it been since I felt this happy while skating? Just like..." Shinichi thought after skating with Ran.

"Mouri-san, do you happen to..." 

"Isn't this the king and the angel?" Before Shinichi could finish his question, Higo appeared on the ice rink.

"Higo!" Shinichi said.

"The two of you look like a couple; why not pair up and try the pair skating discipline?" Higo said.

"Sorry, Mouri-san, but that's it for today. We'll rehearse tomorrow," Shinichi said to Ran.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, bye!" Ran said while leaving the ice rink after nodding to Shinichi and Higo.

"What do you want?" Shinichi asked after Ran left.

'Nothing, just thinking the Great King has finally fallen in love. After breaking so many girls' hearts!"

"We are not a couple!"

"Not a couple... yeah, not yet! Anyway, you guys better get the highest grade to go overseas. I know you want to do your best to impress your famous figure-skater parents, but none of us wanted to compete with you! I had enough of parents comparing me to you! So hurry and leave me alone!"

"Why don't you do your best to get first place and go overseas?" 

"And then compete with other talented skaters from around the world? That'll be even worse than staying in the same college as you!"

"It's not like I want to be born like this either..." Shinichi said without looking up; suddenly, all the memories of the pressure given by his parents came to his mind.

"If you are going to compete, you must take first place!"

"Your jump isn't clean enough! Your posture is off!"

"Do you want to shame me and your father!"

"I never wanted to be the child of the famous pair skater. I hate the pressure of needing to do things perfectly because of who my parents are! Why do the gods need to give me the talent for figure skating out of anything?" Shinichi thought while clenching his teeth.  

"Higo-san, I may not know you as a person or how close you are to Kudo-kun, but that's not something good to say. Could you apologize to Kudo-kun?" Ran said as she suddenly appeared between the middle of the two.

"Huh, how can another genius understand our feelings? There's no reason for me to apologize; see you!" Higo said as he pushed Ran aside and walked away.

"Higo-san!" After Higo walks about, he finds Shiho standing while leaning on the wall.

"You are Sanada's girlfriend and Mouri-san's childhood friend!"

"Yes, and I saw you pushed Ran aside, too," Shiho said with a charming smile.

"How about this? I'll mess up on the final project and ensure Ran's group got first place," Shiho suggested.

"Perfect! I can find a way to make other skaters perform poorly to get a good ranking after Kudo. No worries, I will make sure you still get a good grade," Higo replied.

"You jerk!" Shiho said and slapped Higo.

"Huh!?"

"You want a good ranking but don't want to compete with talented skaters while using tricks to make yourself the only one performing well. What a coward! I won't expose you to the school this time, but remember, we'll crush you in the finals!" Shiho said while facing Higo with her back, but turned around to give him a death glare while saying the last line.

After Higo left, Shiho looked inside the rink and saw Shinichi crouched on the floor while Ran watched him.

"Guess I should leave them alone for some time," Shiho thought while leaning on the wall.

"I want to show her the cool side of me, but why do I let her see the lame side of me? So uncool!" Shinichi thought.

"I never thought Kudo-kun would have a weak side like this. Even the genius skater called to be the emotionless king is still a human, not a robot." Ran thought.

"Higo was right; I shouldn't have become a figure skater," Shinichi said.

"I may know nothing about what happened between you and Higo, but I can't agree that he only can't win against you because you are a genius. Talent is something you need to blossom. Even if one is born with a mess of talent, nothing will be rewarded without hard work. Rather than a genius that doesn't work hard, I choose a have-nots that would work hard. So there's nothing to worry about, Kudo-kun. The important thing is that you skated happily for yourself," Ran said, turning her head back to look at him with a soft smile.

"I guess you are right," Shinichi said, standing up with a confident smile.

At the moment, Ran's words are like a ray of sunlight warming up a world of ice and snow to Shinichi.

Chapter Text

"Talent is something you need to blossom," Ran said as Shiho listened to her from outside the rink.

"That's right. That's something Ran would have said. Like that time, you haven't changed at all," Shiho thought about their first meeting in preschool.

"We are not going to play with someone who looks different!" A girl from their class said to Shiho, whose mother has half-British heritage.

"So lame! Why can't you play with someone who has a foreign heritage? This mindset will make you stubborn when you become an adult!" Sonoko said while standing in between Shiho and the girl.

"Let's go, Miyano-san! Would you like to play with us?" Ran said while grabbing Shiho's wrist.

"Yes!" Shiho replied. After coming to Japan, this was the first time she had met someone nice to her.

"What's wrong with these people? Imagine bullying someone for having a foreign look," Sonoko said while catching up to them.

"Agree. Can't we all just be nice to everyone? Even if we look different, we have the same red blood in our bodies," Ran said.

"Because humans are afraid of new things," Shiho replied.

"Miyano-san is so mature," Sonoko said.

"Right? She's so cool, too!" Ran said.

"Shiho, the two of you can call me Shiho."

"Alright, you can call me Ran too, Shiho!" Ran said.

"Call me Sonoko too!"

"Okay, thank you, both of you, for helping me."

"No problem! I'm just doing what I should do," Sonoko replied.

"Sonoko is always like that! On my first day of class, my dad broke my Sakura badge, and I was bullied for using a paper badge my mom made me. It was Sonoko who stood up for me!"

"To think that Ran's a master at Karate now and protecting us! " Shiho smiled as she continued to think about her first meeting with Ran and Sonoko.

"Shiho wants to be a scientist?" Sonoko asked.

"Yes, I want to create drugs that could help others. It's weird, isn't it? I was always told to dream of something like every other girl does,"

"It's fantastic, in my opinion; the thought of helping others is outstanding. It would be best if you cherished it," Ran replied.

"Thank god you haven't changed either, Ran," Shiho thought with a light smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, bye Kudo-kun! Eh, Shiho!? Why are you here," Ran said as she walked out of the rink and saw Shiho standing there.

"Waiting to drive you home," Shiho replied.

"I see, thanks! You don't have to, though."

"How can I say I came here to see what was happening because I can't trust Kudo? Then I saw Higo being a jerk, so I schooled him instead," Shiho thought.

"Shiho? Are you okay?"

"Yes, let's go. You'll be here again tomorrow?" Shiho said as she handed her a helmet of her Harley.

"Yes, I need to rehearse with Kudo-kun."

"I'll pick you up then."

"You don't need to, I'll walk back home."

"I insist!" 

"Thank you, then."

"Of course, I'm not going to let you walk home with Kudo," Shiho thought.

As Ran walked to the parking lot, she saw petals of cherry blossoms dancing in the air.

"Mouri-san, do you happen to..." 

"Could he be..." Ran thought as she caught one of the petals. She remembered Shinichi's question, reminding her of a boy in her heart for years.

After Ran got home, she changed her clothes and lay on her bed. She closed her eyes, remembering the day she met the boy she wished to meet again. 

Ten years ago, Ran was a student in a local figure skating class. One day, Sonoko invited her and Shiho to visit a fancy ice rink on the other side of town. There, she saw a boy whose age was similar to her, skating flawlessly. The piece he's skating to is Chopin's Ballade No. 1, Ran's favorite piece. But this was the first time she heard a violin version.

"You are amazing!" Ran said as she stepped on the ice.

"Thank you," the boy replied.

"This is the first time I heard the Ballade performed on violin!"

"It's performed by myself."

"That's awesome! It must be fun skating to the music performed by oneself."

"But it wasn't fun for me."

"Really?"

"I don't feel the joy of skating. I don't see the reason to skate to a piece of music. I don't feel like it's part of the program; it feels like I'm skating, and it's just a sound in the back."

"Last week, I saw the reigning Olympic Champion, Yuzuru Hanyu-senshu's new short program, Ballade No. 1. I was amazed; it feels like he's the character the song is about; he is telling me the story. At that moment, I thought about how happy it would be for someone to skate to the piano piece I performed. A skater needs to connect their emotions to the music piece. Skaters should skate to the music, not just a machine performing the techniques flawlessly while music plays in the background. If the skaters don't perform however they want, they will never feel the joy of skating!" Ran said with sparkles in her eyes and a big smile like sunshine while performing a spread eagle.

"Now I got it! I was so stupid, thank you! So, will you become a pianist?" The boy said while laughing.

"I wish, but my parents wanted me to be a skater."

"If skaters don't perform how they want, they won't feel the joy. That applies to everyone. One should choose the path they want to walk, not a path you are forced to go. You are not a bird in the cage; you are free. Spread your wings and fly high."

"You are right. I should ask my parents to let me learn the piano."

The two begin to skate alongside each other for a while. For the first time, the boy feels the joy of skating.

"Ran! It's time for us to go to the next place!" Sonoko called after ten minutes had passed.

"Got it! Well, thank you. If we ever meet again, I will become a pianist, and you will become a great skater. Please skate to the piano piece I performed at that time," Ran said as she left the rink. At the point she had yet to know, the boy had craved her name, meaning orchid, deep inside his heart.

"I should have asked his name... If that boy is Kudo-chan, is this destiny?" Ran said to herself.

The next day, during lunch, Shinichi's friend began teasing him about Ran.

"So, how did you and Mouri go?" Heiji asked.

"Go what?"

"Progress, don't you like her? Isn't she that angel that changed your life?"

"She might be her, but still not confirmed. Though that smile was like the sun, it seemed like her. They even share the same first name. I planned to ask her yesterday but got interrupted. I have to admit I started developing feelings for her."

"Then confess!" Sera said.

"What if she rejected me? We still have a project to do!"

"It's nothing! If she did reject you, then welcome to the rejected club!" Heiji said.

"Rejected club, come on. Sanada and Makoto already had a girlfriend. Sera was never interested in anyone and rejected everyone who confessed to her. Meanwhile, you and Kazuha-chan are pretty much already a couple. You just need to find your location to confess. So where is the club?"

"The one with the people I rejected," Sera replied.

"Funny," Shinichi replied.

"To think that Kudo has finally found the angel he loved for years. I wonder why you never approached her during these three years," Makoto said.

"Well, I want to keep my distance. I'm unsure if Mouri is that Ran-chan from ten years ago."

"Well, if the two of you did start dating, beware of Shiho; she's the captain of Ran Mouri Protection Squad. She might even feed you some drugs," Sanada said.

"That's a funny one," Shinichi said.

"No, I'm serious," Sanada replied, and the group became silent.

"Thanks, I will keep that in mind," Shinichi replied, shocked.

After classes, knowing it was still one 2 hours before their meeting, Ran walked to the ice rink. Today is the skater's progress report; all skaters must perform their routine to their coaches. Ran decided to come and see the last group, which consisted of Higo, Takahiro, Heiji, Makoto, Sera, and Shinichi. When she reached the rink, she saw the skaters having their 6-minute warm-up. Higo's skates' laces were broken there, and Shinichi gave him his spare ones.

"Thanks, I'll give you back the money after the performance. Why did you help? If I messed up on the progress report, it will be even better for you," Higo asked.

"Is a reason necessary? I don't know why one would hurt someone, but as for helping someone, a logical mind isn't needed, right?" Shinichi replied with a soft smile.

After hearing Shinichi's reply, Ran feels her heart pounding.

"What is this weird feeling? What is this awkward sensation in my chest? " Ran thought.

Because of this thought, Ran couldn't concentrate on watching the performances. She didn't even realize Shinichi was calling her after the reports were done.

"Mouri-san? Sorry I didn't see you there," Shinichi called as he walked toward her.

"No problem! I didn't tell you I'd come either. You did great," Ran replied with a light blush.

"Thank you! Should we start rehearsing?"

"Yes, let us begin!"

After the rehearsal, Ran decided to ask her the question Shinichi had asked her the day before.

"Kudo-kun, don't you have something you wanted to ask me yesterday?"

"Oh, yes. Did you once visit the Toudo Ice Rink 10 years ago and talk to a boy about Hanyu-senshu's Ballade?"

"Indeed, I always wonder if he had forgotten about me, but I had never forgotten about him during these ten years. So that was you, Kudo-kun," Ran said with a smile.

Seeing the smile makes Shinichi's face colored with a shade of red.

"The same goes for me; I never forgot about you, even for an instant. I doubt you know about this. But since the day we met, I've been head over heels for that smile," Shinichi said as he held Ran's hand.

"This means we are dating, right?" Ran asked.

"Idiot, of course we are dating!"

As they left the rink, Shinichi and Ran saw Shiho waiting for Ran on her Harley.

"Ran, hop on!" Shiho said as she threw a helmet to Ran.

"Wait, does this mean you are taking Ran away, and I must go home alone?" Shinichi asked.

"Of course you are. The bike can only ride two people, and I'm not driving you home, either. Besides, I already promised to drive Ran home yesterday," Shiho replied with an evil smile.

"Of course, you are not, Miyano-san, Captain of Ran Mouri Protection Squad. Sanada was right. You sure are scary,"

"Well, I guess BokeHiro was right for once."

The following morning, as Ran stood in front of her locker, grabbing out for her indoor shoes, her friends reached for her.

"Ran-chan! Good morning! Anything you want to tell us? Seems like something's on your mind," Asami said as she put her arm around Ran's shoulder.

"Asami! Good morning! The thing... the thing is... me and Kudo-kun, we..." Ran tries to reply while blushing.

"That you and Kudo-kun are dating, right?" Asami, Sonoko and Kazuha asked.

"Wait, how is the news already out?"

"Shiho-chan figured it out when she picked you up yesterday and told Sonoko-chan to ask for her opinion," Kazuha said with a smirk.

"Then, I'm almost one hundred percent sure you two are dating, so I informed Kazuha-chan and Asami-chan," Sonoko said with her trademark face of enjoying her drama.

"Well, the performance is in a week; I'm looking forward to what our sweet couple will bring to us," Asami teased.

 The night before the competition, Ran and Shinichi practiced by themselves for the last time.

"Did you reduce the number of crossovers?" Ran asked.

"Yes, I removed one before the triple axle, reducing it from twenty to nineteen crossovers."

"Twenty crossovers are already very few for complicated programs. Are you sure about this? Would you have enough speed for the jump?"

"Don't worry, if I feel the need, I'll add it during the competition!"

"Promise you won't push yourself too much."

"I won't!"

The men's singles competition will be held at night, and 18 skaters will be divided into three groups. The starting order will be from the skater with the worst to the best grade. Shinichi will be the last skater to skate. On the day of the performance, Ran and Shinichi rehearsed for the last time during the six-minute practice. Ran wore a cherry blossom pink gown for her performance, making her look like a flower on ice. Shinichi wore a high-neck, long-sleeved top with sky blue and white gradient and black trousers inspired by their idol's Ballade No. 1 costume.

"Technical elements, 55.83 points. Presentation, 46.36 points. Total 102.19 points! A new record in Teitan Academy! Congratulations to Sanada's-kun for being the second person to break the 100-point barrier! Miyano-san received a perfect score from the judges, so congratulations to Miyano-san for winning the highest grade in the classical guitar discipline!"

After Shiho and Takahiro's performance, they took over first place with a new record for the school. The style Shiho chose for Takahiro did not just fit him but worked even better than rocks. Heiji currently stands in second place, Makoto in third, and Higo in fourth, while Sera has won first place in the women's single competition in the morning. Meanwhile, Kazuha, Asami, and Sonoko also won first place in their discipline like Shiho.

"Amazing, did Shiho already see this coming and tell Sanada-kun to skate Tenkyuu? Well, it's time," Ran said as she walked toward the stage.

"Next to skate, Shinichi Kudo. Music performance by pianist Ran Mouri, Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 by Frederic Chopin," the commentator introduced.

As Ran played the first note, Shinichi began to skate to his routine. Ran's note is as clear as ice, and her melody is as beautiful as the cherry blossoms dancing in the sky, like an angel singing. The program starts with Shinichi looking up at the sky. The first move is a pivot followed by an arabesque spiral. As the choreographed steps and turns ended, he did one last crossover to gain speed for his first jump.

"Opening with a quadruple salchow, beautiful exit for the jump, majestic!" The commentator said as Shinichi landed his first jump beautifully with a counter followed by a spread eagle as an exit.

Next, Shinichi performed the flying camel spin and change of foot sit spin.

"A beautiful combination of spins, with his signature donut spin, Kudo-kun looks like a ballerina in a music box!"

After a sequence of skating, Shinichi did his trademark triple axel.

"A beautiful triple axle landed deadly on the piano's note with a twizzle entry and exit!"

"What happened? Why do I suddenly feel invisible? Maybe now, I can do it!" Shinichi thought as he prepared for the last combination jump.

"A quadruple toe loop followed by a triple toe loop! He changed the original layout of the triple lutz plus a triple toe loop! Kudo-kun just performed the first quadruple combination in his career!" The commentator said with amazement.

As the ballade reached its climax, Shinichi entered the step sequence.

"This is so fun! So this is how it feels for the musician when the skater can completely skate to the music," Ran thought.

"This is so miraculous. It feels like Ran's melody is leading me to finish this program. Like water flowing through the river, her notes show me the steps forward," Shinichi thought as he skated through his step sequence with a hydroblade and delayed single axel incorporated in. Last, Shinichi finished the program with a change of foot combination spin.

As Ran played the last note, Shinichi finished the routine with his final pose of kneeling on the ice with his left hand reaching toward the sky.

"Shinichi Kudo has just surpassed himself! The program was flawless! His musicality was extraordinary, and his technique was magnificent! The Adler Auditorium is filled with applause! His technical score is currently at 61. Undoubtedly, he'll be in the lead, but the question is, by how much?"

As Shinichi reached the Kiss and Cry, he saw Ran waiting for him.

"Great job!" Ran said with a wink.

"Thanks, you too. I can skate through the program like this only because of your performance!" Shinichi replied with a grin as he sat down.

"The score is out for Mouri-san, another perfect 50! Congratulations on finishing first in the piano discipline!"

The result brought Ran to a big smile like the sunshine.

"Even if the results are expected, does it still make her this happy?" Shinichi thought with a soft smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Ran!" Shinichi said with a big smile.

"Thank you!"

"Now for Kudo-kun's score! Technical score, 62.19 points. Presentation points, 48.17 points. Total, 110.36 points! In 15 minutes, the record set by Sanada-kun is broken! The first person in Teitan Academy to have broken the 110-point barrier! Kudo-kun has broken his personal best set in Japan Nationals!"

As Shinichi turned his face to look at Ran, he saw Ran had already broken down in tears.

"Congra... congratulations, Shinichi..." Ran said while holding back her tears and giving him a smile.

"Thanks, Ran. I couldn't have done it without you," Shinichi replied.

In the meantime, Shinichi's parent, Yukiko and Yuusaku, have been watching the competition's live stream on the Shinkansen during their trip to Sendai for an ice show. The person sitting next to them is no one else but Yuzuru Hanyu.

"Yuu-chan, do you think this is the first time we see Shin-chan skating happily?" Yukiko asked.

"Perhaps we have given him too much pressure and never cared about his feelings," Yusaku replied.

"We might have only treated him like a robot throughout the years. Starting now, we should let him skate to what we want rather than pushing our feelings on him," Yukiko added.

"True. Seems like Shinichi has met someone precious who helped him see the light," Yuusaku said as he watched Shinichi talking to Ran happily.

"Let's ask Shin-chan once we get home!"

"Hanyu-kun, as Shinichi's idol and inspiration, what is your opinion on this program," Yusaku asked.

"Kudo-kun has always been a talented skater, incorporating technical elements and artistry into his program. Just now, he has surpassed himself and broken out from the cage of musicality he was locked in. I'm honored that this program is inspired by me and to be his idol. If Kudo-kun agrees, please have him join us in the next ice show."

"I'm sure he'll be the happiest on Earth to know he could skate on the same ice as you," Yusaku replied.

"He will be even happier if you invite him yourself. We'll be calling him after we reach Sendai. If you could ask him yourself, I believe it would be the best present for winning the competition," Yukiko added.

"I certainly would love to do so," Yuzuru replied with his trademark smile.

Ran and Shinichi stood up to thank the audience and walked out of the Kiss and Cry; they saw their friends waiting for them.

"After all, I still can't beat you, huh? Congratulations, that was amazing!" Takahiro started.

"As expected from Ran, you didn't do so bad either, Kudo-kun," Shiho continued while walking toward Ran, hugging her, and dragging her away from Shinichi.

"You are still mad at Kudo-kun for stealing Ran? Anyway, I'm so proud of you, Ran! That was awesome! Kudo-kun was amazing, too!" Sonoko said as she jumped to hug Ran.

"Thank you, Shiho and Sonoko! It still feels unrealistic of what just happened," Ran said while hugging Shiho and Sonoko.

"Both of your performances were extraordinary. Congratulations, Kudo and Mouri-san," Makoto said.

"So true! Ran-chan, that was amazing! I cried while watching!" Kazuha said while swinging her hands and joining the crowd to hug Ran.

"Thank you!" Ran replied while smiling.

"Exactly, Kudo. Did you perform so well because you just got a girlfriend?"

"Shut up, Hattori! That's not it!" Shinichi replied with a blush.

"Not fair! I want to hug Ran-chan, too! Congratulations!" Asami said while jumping in to hug Ran.

"Thank you! Congratulations to the four of you, too! We'll be together in college again!"

"Congratulations! We'll go to the same skating club in Toronto now!" Sera said.

"True! Though I heard this year they will also write recommendations for second place to fifth place to join the club too," Shinichi replied.

"So we might all be together again!" Sera replied.

"Let's throw a party tonight!" Heiji suggested.

"Good idea, let's hold it at my house. My parents aren't at home this week," Shinichi replied.

Soon, he saw Shiho giving a death glare at a place before them. As Shinichi looked toward the direction Shiho was glaring, he saw Higo.

"Congratulations! I'm sorry for what I said. The achievements you have are something that couldn't have been achieved with pure talent. The amount of time you put into skating is something I can't compare at all. I always know that, but I still said something insensitive to you. I'm sorry," Higo apologized.

"We all made mistakes and said the wrong thing in our life. Word is like a double-edged sword; when misused, it becomes a cruel weapon. I'm glad you can tell me this. Would you like to join the party with Eisuke?"

"If everyone is fine with me joining."

"Consider how you realized your fault. I guess you can join us," Shiho said.

"Welcome to the party, Higo-kun," Ran continued.

"Now, let's grab Eisuke and enjoy the party!" Asami said.

"Let's go, Shinichi!" Ran called.

"Yes," Shinichi replied as he walked toward the group, remembering what Higo told him.

"The King has finally fallen in love, huh? Well, it's because, since that day, my heart has already been given to Ran," Shinichi thought as he held Ran's hand.

The innocent promise made on a precious day was fulfilled after ten years had passed.