Ready to Show Them All

The Olympic symbol stood proud behind the news anchor. The woman behind the desk looked fierce as she began her announcement. Or at least, all reporters looked fierce to Ayaka.

“The three representatives for Japan in figure skating are as follows.”

The anchor woman some shuffled papers as if she was going to read them, but never looked down.

“In spot one, Tanabe Saki, she earned this position by taking gold at this year’s All Japan.”

This was the most straightforward spot; it was never in doubt.

“In spot two, Fujimoto Ayaka, she earned her place through a combination of medaling at All Japan and her excellent international competition record.”

Ayaka blinked. “Did they just say something nice about me without a ‘but’?”

“The final spot goes to Mori Kanae, earned through the highest average score in qualified competitions.”

Kanae hugged her, practically bouncing. “We get to do this together again.” There was no denying her excitement.

Ayaka hugged her back. The selection was not much of a surprise; they had used the same criteria for years. Then again, Kanae was not exactly the type to look into it.

Kanae pulled out one of her magical juice boxes to celebrate. Ayaka still could not figure out where she hid them. At this point, she had mostly given up and decided it was real magic. It made for a better story anyway.

The two skaters walked down the hallway, drinking juice boxes in celebration. They spotted Saki talking to her coach; it was obvious that simply being selected was not enough for them. Ayaka turned to Kanae.

“Shouldn’t you be going to see your coach?” Ayaka asked. She didn’t have to worry about it herself; she and Reiko had already planned for this. Their training had started the day before.

Kanae shook her head. “My coach is out of town till Thursday. I get to rest while you are working hard.”

“Not sure that’s how it works,” Ayaka said.

Kanae’s shoulders slumped. “I have to work with Emiri and her coach,” she admitted.

Ayaka placed a hand on Kanae’s shoulder, then looked down and shook her head solemnly. She stepped back, lit imaginary incense, and bowed three times. Kanae shoved her away, and they both burst into laughter before parting ways.

Kaito showed up at the rink with a celebratory drink. Ayaka was too absorbed in her phone to notice him.

“Give Emiri a shot, Ayaka will just lose again.” 

“Clearly rigged. Emiri got silver; she only got bronze.” 

“Can’t the old hag retire and let the young skater have a chance?” 

“She must be getting privileges from dating a two‑time Olympic medalist.”

It was not that she hadn’t expected it. She sighed and looked up, then nearly fell backward when she realized someone was standing over her. He had a way of sneaking up on people.

“Teraku is right,” she muttered.

Kaito gave her a confused look as he handed her the bottle. She took it, started to open it, and then froze when she noticed the label.

“Are you giving me a drink or you?” she teased.

He grinned. “Maybe both.”

She admired his image on the bottle before taking a sip. It was probably better for her than the juice, but she was used to a more fruity flavor. She glanced back at her phone and sighed again.

“Planned protest in front of the Ajinomoto National Training Center.”

“I’ll probably be forced into seclusion again,” she said. “Should I just become a monk?”

Kaito studied her for a moment, then nodded. “You’d look good with a shaved head.”

“I look good in anything,” she replied, nodding in agreement.

Ayaka stood up and walked to the rink. She pulled the covers off her blades and stepped onto the ice. She began skating an improvised routine, a private show just for Kaito.

Kaito watched as she slipped into her comfort zone, the place where she truly shined. Ayaka’s leaps, spins, and dances each mesmerized in their own way. The routine was probably not competition‑compliant, but to Kaito it looked beautiful.

She finally came to a stop and rammed gently against the boards, staring straight into Kaito’s eyes. The seriousness in her expression made him nervous. Then she pulled back.

“I’m thinking of trying something I’ve never tried in competition before,” she admitted.

He knew the comments could not rattle her; she had seen too many of them to be shaken now. He simply nodded, ready to support whatever she said next.

“Do you believe in me?” That was all she needed to ask.

Kaito smiled. “I know that if it’s on ice, you can do anything.” He pointed to her crown. “You’re the queen out there.”

Ayaka let out a long breath of relief. She adjusted the imaginary crown on her head.

“I am the queen. I am the queen.”

She twirled once more, and when she stopped, she looked up into the empty seats, pointing at an imaginary crowd full of her haters.

“I hope you’re all ready to see what a queen can do.”

Then she returned to Kaito. She gave him a confident look as she studied his face.

He smiled, relieved to see her resolve return. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you.”