𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄. 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃
Textbook Figure Skaters

WITH TIRED EYES AND SLOUCHED SHOULDERS, Kyoga leaned against the railings of the rink. Though his back was still killing him from practice and the heavyweight of homework laid on his mind, he couldn't bring himself to go home just yet. Perhaps it was because he knew his sister wouldn't be going anytime soon or because he wanted to see with his own eyes that she's okay. Kyoga had no doubts on Daichi bringing his sister home, after all, the captain is an older brother himself so he knew that his friend would take care of Minako no matter what. Still, he wasn't surprised when he went home and his mom told him that Minako had left no too long after to go to the rink. He wasn't surprised that she'd come here despite how late it is, but knowing Daichi, Minako was probably unable to shake him off to head here sooner.

      Something had sparked his younger sister in a way like never before. Perhaps it was when he took her back to the rink yesterday, but there was light in her eyes once more. Being on the ice truly transforms Minako into someone unrecognizable than the grumpy, sassy manager he had gotten used to. There was passion in every stride she made, a lightness that filled the rink as she effortlessly skated. But most importantly, Minako found a purpose for herself once again.

      Kyoga glanced over his shoulder to see his father intensely focusing on Minako. With his arms crossed and face unreadable, there was no telling what Basile Clavette thought, especially when it came to figure skating. Their father gave up his career as a figure skater not long after he got married and even then he wasn't able to skate as much with him being a stay-at-home father to take care of Yua. But his love for the sport remained and it lived inside Minako whose passion is unwavering like their father. Maybe it was because he wasn't a figure skater like the two which is why he couldn't understand why they did the things they did, but there was a change in both in them when it came to figure skating.

      Basile always babied them, even Kyoga, no matter how old they are. He's a doting father and husband, something that never changed even in the years that have passed. For example, despite being married for more than a decade, his parents always said 'I love you' to one another before they went to bed. Another example would be how he'd always kiss his kids' foreheads no matter how old they are or how embarrassed they got. 

      But ice skating was a different topic of its own. When Minako skates it's as Basile had turned on a switch, going from doting father to the former professional skater.

      "How's it looking so far?" Kyoga asked quietly in French, almost as if him speaking a decibel higher would break Minako's concentration.

      Basile didn't reply right away but watched as Minako attempted a triple salchow only for her to pop the jump and end it quickly. The former Olympian groaned in frustration, running his hands down his face before he let out a sigh.

      "She's been trying this jump for the last half hour," Basile replied tiredly. It wasn't that he was frustrated with Minako for not perfecting her jumps — though these types of jumps used to be effortless for his daughter — but because he couldn't help her in any way.

      When Minako decided that she was going to aim higher in the skating world, Basile took it upon himself to sit out. He still supported her in every competition she was in — even the ones in France where he'd often have Minako's grandmother record and email the clips to him — and made sure to give her whatever advice she needed. But Basile made it clear to his daughter that he wasn't going to coach her, something Minako has known for years. He was more than qualified to help her since he did solo skating as well as pair, but what he was like when it came to figure skating was someone far from who he is as their father. It was healthier for the two to separate Minako's career from her father, easier for Basile to be just her father than a coach.

      Kyoga doesn't blame his father for making this choice, after all, he's heard stories from his mother about what Basile was like back before they were born and when he was coaching an upcoming skater in France. From the brief snippets his mother provided, it seemed as though Basile was headstrong and was unbelievably strict, a person far from the father he knows.

      "FUCK!" Minako cursed loudly as she popped her jump once more, not even caring that her father was around to hear.

      "Hey Miko-chan, maybe we should end for the day," Kyoga suggested loudly to catch her attention. Once Minako's eyes flickered over to him, he gave her a small smile. "We do have morning practice tomorrow and the last thing I want is for you to kill me in the morning because you didn't get enough sleep."

      "One more time," Minako said as she ignored his words. 

      She glided to the center, positioning herself before starting her old routine once more. With her arms positioned and movements done smoothly, she perfected the simple sequences and glides from the beginning. With bated breath, Kyoga and Basile watch and waited until the jumps. She was always strong in many aspects of figure skating, but jumping was something that always needed refining. When it came to pair skating the most important thing was timing, the need to match your partner's speed, and every movement to the second.

      No matter how much she perfected her sequences and jumps individually, it wouldn't matter if she was alone.

      "You usually don't show up during her practices," Basile stated as he uncrossed his arms and glanced at his son. "Something happens with your date?"

      Kyoga waved it off as he watched Minako pop yet another one of her triples. Eyes trailed the figure skater as he felt his chest swell with an odd mixture of proudness and sadness. "No, it was fine. Took Yori home and headed here after mom told me you guys were here."

      The phone in Kyoga's pocket felt heavier with every second that went by. His palms grew clammy and even the cold air of the rink did little to stop him from sweating. He'd like to blame the churning of his stomach to his dinner, but Kyoga knew better than that. The third-year student wanted nothing more than for the floor underneath him to swallow him whole, to forget about what had happened in the last two hours.

      As much as he wants to prolong the inevitable, it wasn't going to benefit Minako in any way nor was it going to ease the pain she'll feel once she finds out.

      However, if he could grant her a day, maybe even two, before she finds out, then that's good enough for him.

      "Mathis just announced that he has a new partner for the new season," Kyoga murmured. Feeling his father's gaze suddenly snapped towards him, he continued, "Remember the girl that came second to Minako and Mathis in the 2009 Sectionals? Lisette Boucher?"

      "She's his new partner now?" Basile asked rather calmly, but the sudden tenseness in his crossed arms was hard to miss. "She's a good skater, very clean."

      "Not better than Minako," defended Kyoga.

      "Lisette is different than Manon, that's for sure," Basile admitted as his eyes followed Minako once more as she attempted a triple salchow. He cursed under his breath when she fell after the second spin. "Lisette is the textbook skater, clean jumps, smooth turns, and good footing. But there's no room for improvement, no individuality that made her routine with her partner any better.

      "Your sister on the other hand," Basile continued, "Makes mistakes and takes risks. Mathis and she was good partners and their level of trust is what made them able to excel at any tricks they tried. It's because they push the boundaries that make them one of the best. Your sister is a renowned skater for a reason, Jérémie."

      Basile clapped as he encouraged Minako after she popped yet another jump. And though he would've normally done nothing after such an attempt, it was all he could do as the news weighed heavy on his mind. 

      Their father tried his best to support them in whatever it was they did. For example, Basile used to make homemade posters and go to Kyoga's volleyball games in middle school to cheer for him until Yua came along. Or he'd purposely stay up at night to video chat with Minako and watch the recorded competitions she was in. The support that Kyoga received from Basile was different than the one Minako received, not necessarily better, but not the same.

      Kyoga could play a terrible match and mess up multiple times during a game and Basile would cheer him on despite not knowing anything. But for Minako, it was different. Perhaps it was because Basile used to be a professional partner skater as well, an Olympic winner, and somewhat of a legend at that. No matter how much support he poured for Minako, his bias and background in the sport made being a supportive father difficult. It wasn't long into Minako's skating career that Basile had decided to stop the idea of coaching his daughter or even putting a say into what she does.

      At the end of the day, it was her career. But that doesn't mean the prospect of Minako finding out that she's practically been replaced as a partner any easier for him.

      "I don't know how to tell her," Kyoga said. "I . . . Part of me doesn't want her to know. She's doing so well right."

      "To you. But you need to remember that this normalcy we're having right now isn't what she's used to," Basile reminded his son gently. "I'm not saying that having her here is a bad thing. But I'm not blind to ignore the fact that she isn't happy with herself. Everything you think is normal, isn't hers. The whole school life, having friends, going out after classes, she's never had this until now."

      "I know that." Kyoga smiled proudly when Minako perfected yet another complicated sequence. After the two clapped and cheered for her, Kyoga's thoughts grew heavy once more. "But is it bad that I want this to be normal? You know, having her stay in Miyagi with us, having her go to school with me. I don't want to deal with her meltdowns, her attitude problems, or overworking again because she feels the need to prove something."

       He ignored the hand Basile placed on his shoulder as he tried to contain his anger. "I know everything that happened in the last few months couldn't have been easy for you."

      "If I tell her, it's making her feel like it's all her fault that this is going on," Kyoga gritted out as his fists tightened into balls. "She just recovered from her injuries not too long ago and she's pushing herself even though she has no plans. What's going to happen when she finds out? She just going to up and leave for France?"

      "I don't know," Basile replied earnestly. He stepped down from the bleacher and stood next to Kyoga, the two Clavette boys stared at Minako whose face held a heavy frown. "The question is, what are you going to do? Are you going to tell her?"

      Tell her? Was that even an option he should consider?

      He knew that life in Miyagi is not Minako's normal and that she didn't view it as home as he does. He knew that Minako doesn't care for the convenience store two blocks away from their house as a getaway for snacks and drinks. He knew that Minako didn't care for the local park as he does. He knew that Minako wasn't used to speaking Japanese so much and that she fumbled with her words. He knew that Minako struggled to a routine centered around anything but skating.

      But Kyoga was hopeful, perhaps unrealistic in his wants. Maybe it was wrong to hope that Minako would morph her life to fit his, to have her experience the same normalcy he has.

      It was a hopeful wish, one that was irrational and something Minako would never agree to.

      "I'm not going to tell her yet," Kyoga whispered as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "She doesn't need that right now."

      Whether Basile agreed or disagreed with his decision, he didn't show it. Instead, the father of three hummed in acknowledgment before he brought his gaze back onto his oldest daughter. While many would argue that Basile should be the one to disclose the news to Minako, he knew that he couldn't deal with the situation as delicately as Kyoga can.

      "Okay," Basile agreed finally. He gave his son a soft smile to ease his nerves, "We should go home, yeah?"

      "Yeah."

      Basile cupped his hands over his mouth before he shouted for Minako to end her practice and to head on over. Surprisingly, Minako obeyed without protesting and skated towards the exit. Basile handed her her skate guards before he kissed her on the forehead and a squeeze on the shoulders.

      "Good job, you did the sequences well," he told her as she held onto Kyoga's arm for support before she placed the guards over her blades. "I'll go heat up the car for you, so you two come out whenever you're ready, okay?"

      Minako hummed in agreement before Basile walked away leaving the two. Kyoga watched as one of the maintenance guys started up the Zamboni while Minako began to pull out her shoes from under the bleachers. 

      Being alone with his sister set aflame his worries and nerves. Although he decided to wait it out and not tell her right away, the feeling of wanting to blurt it out was still very much present. Judging by the texts he received from Daichi it seemed like they had left on a good note and he didn't want to ruin the mood by telling her that her scumbag of a partner had practically replaced her without telling her. Still, he hated keeping secrets from Minako. The two never had the normal brother-sister relationship that most had due to them living in different countries. It often felt like they were friends more than siblings.

      "You're being weird and quiet again," Minako spoke up as she untied her skates. She glanced at him briefly before she took off the first one. "Why are you here anyway?"

      Kyoga shrugged as he took a seat next to her. "Date ended early and I was bored at home anyways. The better question is why are you here? Didn't Daichi take you home?"

      "Yeah, he did so don't get your panties in a twist," Minako joked as Kyoga handed him her fluffy boots that were reserved specifically for after practices.

      "Haha, you're hilarious," Kyoga rolled his eyes. "How was it though?"

      "It was . . . nice," Minako said quietly as she thought back on their snacking and talking. "He's a nice guy, I could see why he's one of your best friends."

      "I'm glad," chuckled Kyoga as Minako put her skates away in her duffel bag. "You know my friends are your friends too. Plus, I would've asked Suga or Tanaka but they both look tired and they don't live as close to us as Daichi does."

      Minako shuddered at the thought of walking back with Tanaka before she stood up. "Thank you for not making me suffer through that."

      Kyoga smirked as he followed his sister out of the rink. "Does that mean if I want to go on more dates with Yori I can just have Daichi babysit you?"

      "Don't need a babysitter."

      "Daichi wouldn't mind — "

      "Not listening."

      "I'm just saying, he's a very gentle guy and you need someone like that with your roughness — "

      "Oh my God, shut up!"

      And as Minako went on a tangent about how annoying Kyoga is or how she's perfectly capable of making her friends that don't include people from the volleyball club, all he could think about was how he didn't want to disrupt this. He wants this to be their new normal and if that meant withholding this information from her, then so be it.

      He'd rather be around his sister than some textbook skater who's shrouded in past glory.

MINAKO TETHERS BEHIND HER BROTHER as the two reached school grounds, half-asleep and very agitated at just about anything. Let it be known and very clear that Minako Clavette-Saito is not a morning person nor was she ever. Despite her morning practices for skating, there's no exception as to why she'd ever wake up around sunrise. The old Minako wouldn't complain about waking up early since it was a usual occurrence, but for the new Minako who has gotten used to sleeping in and lazying around in her room before class, it was something she had forgotten. It was rare that Minako ever attended morning practices because of her inability to function due to exhaustion and because there wasn't much for her to help out with. Kiyoko rarely attended morning practices as well which only encouraged Minako to do the same despite Kyoga's constant asking.

      But because of her late-night skating session, she was unable to finish her homework. As a result, she unwillingly forced herself to tag along for Kyoga's morning practice in hopes that with the boys' adrenaline Minako will be able to do it. Still, it wasn't all that bad considering the energy she'll receive before her first class. Plus, sometimes Ennoshita or Suga would bring her a banana or something small for breakfast since she'd often forget to pack her own. Not to mention, if Minako was that tired one of the boys would lend their jacket for her to use as a pillow and sleep on the stage. And if the screams or the sound of volleyballs hitting the hardwood floor gets loud then she'll drown it out with her headphones.

      Nevertheless, none of those things were worth her waking up to watch a bunch of boys play volleyball.

      "Practice isn't even starting for another hour, why are we here?" Minako asked before she let out a yawn. With squinted and tired eyes, she dug the lower half of her face in her fleece scarf. "Did Daichi-san change it or something?"

      "Nope," Kyoga answered before they reached the school's entrance.

      "Then why are we here?" Minako whined. "The sun just rose and everything."

      "It's not my fault you didn't sleep early," teased Kyoga as the two-headed towards the gym. "Besides, you should be grateful that because of this you have more time to work on your homework."

      Minako said nothing, but that didn't stop her from mocking her older brother behind his back. 

      She didn't regret the late-night practice she had despite how tired she felt. Although she wasn't able to jump a clean triple lutz as she thought she could, she managed to perfect some of her old sequences without any flaws. The biggest problems were her jumps. As much as Minako wants to deny the idea of her being scared, she couldn't change the reality of her current situation. After an incident like the one she had, there's no way Minako could come out of it without getting shaken up. But she's Manon Clavette — she still had difficulty responding to Minako — and no matter what slumps she may face, she was always able to come out of her rut.

      So far Minako hasn't been contacted by her coach or Matthis which left the current season out of question. Not to mention, with the new season being so close and no plan or routine planned out, them participating was out of the question. Even though she utterly despises Matthis, she needed to get better fast if she has any chance of getting back on the rink.

      "Hey, you think you're free Saturday? You know, after the game and everything?" Kyoga questioned.

      Minako shrugged as they got closer to the gym. She unraveled the scarf around her neck as she scanned through her plans for the rest of the week. "Probably not. Most likely just going to train for a bit or maybe the rink. Why?"

      "So Yori and I — "

      "Next topic."

      "Let me finish," Kyoga complained before he nudged Minako with his elbow. "Yori and I were planning another date for after the game. I want you two to click so I was wondering if you're down for a double date?"

      "Even better," Minako snorted. Double date? Out of the question.

      "Oh c'mon, it'll be like three or four hours."

      "That's three or four hours wasted."

      "We're going ice skating," her ears perked at his reply and Kyoga didn't miss it. "I was planning on taking her to the rink, you know to show off and stuff since I know the basics. Plus, you have the chance of training for a bit. I'll even pay for your entrance fee."

      "You want me to train during the free skate session and practice my jumps where there are snotty little kids around?" Minako scoffed. The last thing she needed was to run into some kind who couldn't stick to the walls and tried to go to the center where all the other. Plus, she hated skating when the rink was open to the public. There were far too many people and there was hardly any room for her to practice.

      "Think of this as your chance to stretch your legs out a bit," Kyoga proposed sweetly despite his sister being right. "And you'll get to train longer than usual since you usually skate an hour or two before the rink closes."

      "That's not training, that's you showing off to your girlfriend that the figure skating lessons you took when you were five paid off for something," Minako argued as a heavy scowl settled on her face. "Do I have to go? You still owe me for making me walk back home with Daichi-san."

      "Why? Was he terrible with conversations?" Kyoga mocked as they got closer to the gym. To Minako's surprise, the lights were already on.

      "No, but you kinda ditched me for your girlfriend."

      "Ouch. Guilt-tripping me? A dirty trick, Miko-chan." Minako scrunched her nose after her brother tapped his finger teasingly on the tip of it. "Once you get a boyfriend you'll understand. I just feel bad for not being around Yori, you know? With practices and taking care of Yua and you, we barely meet."

      "I'm not looking for a boyfriend, that's the least of my worries right now," mumbled Minako as her thoughts trailed back to the boy with the short brown hair and pretty hazel eyes, the same boy who made her feel butterflies for the first time. "I don't even have someone to go with. I'll just be third-wheeling you and Yori the entire time."

      "Bring one of the boys from the team."

      "Yeah, no thank you. But thanks for the offer — "

      "It doesn't have to be a date. Just think of it as a hangout for four people, me, Yori, you, and one of the boys." Plus, if Minako went with one of the boys from the club he feels less inclined to hound Minako's 'date' and enjoy his time. "You can have your pick too!"

      "Gee, thank you so much," Minako sarcastically said as she slipped off her shoes and replaced it with her athletic indoor ones. "How could I possibly choose?"

      "There's Tanaka," Kyoga mentioned before he bent down to tie his shoelaces.

      "You want one of the best players on the team to injure himself?"

      "Okay, fine. What about Narita?"

      "What about Suga?"

      "He's better than most of you, but at the same time I don't want him to mom me the entire time," Minako replied in a monotone voice. And if she even tries to bitch at Yori he'll most likely scold her for being rude which is the last thing she wants.

      "I'm running out of teammates to pair you up with," Kyoga huffed as he got up. He cracked a smile at the annoyed expression on Minako's face which resulted in him ruffling her hair despite the complaints he got. "What about Daichi? As you said, he wasn't bad right?"

      Kyoga wasn't wrong there. Out of all the members of the club, Daichi is the most normal, in a good way, of course. He wasn't out of bounds when it came to Minako he treated her normally which is all she could ask for. Tanaka and Nishinoya annoyed her to death. Asahi is still quite timid around her and overly polite. Suga is like a second mom with how much he nags her or makes comments that make him sound like a protective maternal figure. The rest of the second years were the rowdy bunch of brothers she never wanted. 

      Daichi is different. He never pitied her, he never went out of his way to force her into doing anything, and he treated her as more than just Kyoga's sister. After yesterday's walk, Minako got to understand him a lot better. Sure, he's still very much the boy-next-door that she first met, but there were a lot more layers to the captain of the volleyball team. He likes shoyu ramen and has an insanely big appetite — she swears that he bought enough snacks for three days and yet he somehow managed to finish them all. He has two younger siblings a bit older than Yua.

      There was so much more to Daichi Sawamura than she realized. In the beginning, Minako thought he was a bit plain and too responsible for his age. Yet underneath the image of the perfect captain is an awkward and kind guy who doesn't know how to be a normal teenage guy without all these responsibilities piled on top of him.

      "I'd ask him, but the last thing I need is for him to change his opinion of me because of this," Minako said simply. Her ears perked at the sound of a volleyball slamming across the hard wooden floor. She glanced between her brother and the door. "Did they already start?"

      Kyoga shook his head slowly before he pushed open the doors. Instead of Daichi being there, it was the two first-years Minako had met the other day, Tanaka, and Suga. The minute the other four laid their eyes on the two Saito siblings, everyone froze, not even caring that the ball almost landed on Tanaka's head.

      Daichi was nowhere in sight and neither was the other second years who wouldn't dare to miss practice if it was this early. Which left only one possible reason as to why they were all here so early: they were helping the two first-years practice for the game.

      Noticing the look on Minako's face, Tanaka quickly pointed a finger at her. "If you tell on us I swear I'll — "

      "You honestly think I'm that invested in this club that I'll snitch on you helping those two out?" Minako mused before she haughtily crossed her arms. 

      She eyed both the first-year who only stared at her back. The short, orange-haired one looked as though he was on the verge of shaking while the tall, dark-haired one narrowed his eyes at her rather than Kyoga. Now it all made sense on why Tanaka was so emotional over the other first-years they had met. He was helping his team practice without Daichi knowing and allowing them to use the gym before the team's morning session.

      "I knew it!" Kyoga exclaimed. The large third-year walked up to the dark-haired boy — Kageyama if Minako could remember correctly — and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, forcing the slightly shorter boy to bend down. "Kageyama, practicing hard as usual!"

      "Yes. I wasn't sure if it was okay to ask for your help or not," Kageyama admitted as he bowed his head sheepishly. When around Kyoga, the intimidating setter was toned down and resembled a child more than anything.

      "I forgot Kyoga also went to Kitagawa Daiichi," Tanaka commented as they all watched the third-year mess around with the first-year. "You wouldn't have known that this guy was part of a winning team if you looked at him."

      "I came to Karasuno to give my help to this team," Kyoga joked before he finally released Kageyama from his hold. He placed his hands on his hips before he glanced between Kageyama and Hinata. "So you two have been training together?"

      "Yeah because Hinata sucks at receiving," Tanaka responded. His comment earned a sharp jab to the side from Suga who glared at him. "Hey!"

      "I'll get better!" Hinata sputtered before he fumbled with the volleyball. "I'm fast!"

      "What are you two doing here anyways?" Suga asked the pair of siblings. "How'd you guys find out?"

      "Figured it out once you and Tanaka were tired during practice yesterday," Kyoga shrugged. "Plus, there's no way that Tanaka wouldn't intervene, especially since he's playing with them anyways."

      "What's that supposed to mean?" Tanaka whispered to Minako.

      Minako cracked a smile before she gave him a nudge. "It means you're predictable."

      "I hate you."

      "Ditto."

      "Besides, I figured what kind of cool upperclassman would I be if I don't help them out?" Kyoga remarked proudly. With the smug smile on his face, Minako wanted nothing more than to deck her brother.

      "You dragged me here not because of practice but so you can help two first-years?" Minako questioned, her hand settled on her hip and eyes narrowed angrily at her brother. "So I could've at least gotten an extra hour of sleep?"

      Before another fight could break out between the two Saito siblings, Suga quickly intervened. He placed his hand on Minako's shoulder and turned her around to face both Kageyama and Hinata. "This is Minako Saito, one of the managers," Suga introduced before me pushed Minako forward a bit. "She's a bit brash, but if you ever need anything feel free to ask her. She's here to help if you ever need it."

      Minako shrugged his hand off before she gave them a polite nod. "What he said. But right now I'm going to be doing my homework, so if you'll excuse me . . ."

      Without another word, the boys continued with their practice as Minako headed to the stage with her backpack. Just as she finished pulling out her folder and tools, she was quick to notice the orange-haired boy standing next to the stage where she sat.

      Reluctantly, she turned to him with a small smile. "Hinata-kun, right?"

      The first-year nodded before he darted his eyes back from the ground to the ball in his hand and finally back at her. "Just Hinata is fine. You're Minako Saito, right?"

      "Yes? Is there something that you need, Hinata?"

      "I — I was wondering if you can coach Seina Arashima in something." How does he know that?

      The older girl scratched her head before she forced a smile on her face. "I'm sorry if she asked that of you. I think you have the wrong idea, I'm not exactly doing anything special right now to help her."

      "Oh," Hinata said. "I — Seina doesn't think that way. She says you can help her."

      "I don't think I'm the right person to do that."

      Hinata lifted his head and beamed a bright smile. "I think you're wrong, no offense. But I think you're hardworking and talented. Like your brother."

      Minako glanced up at Kyoga who was helping Kageyama. As the first-year setter served the ball, she watched as Kyoga effortlessly followed after it and received it with ease. From someone who wasn't a volleyball player she was in awe at how her older brother was able to make it look so easy. There was no question about Kyoga's talent when it came to volleyball. Even though Minako wasn't able to watch Kyoga in his glory days when he was in Kitagawa Daiichi, she knew from phone calls from their parents that he is one of the strongest players in their prefecture.

      But after the car crash, everything has changed. It's unclear on whether or not her brother will be in the starting lineup for his last year. Although Kyoga is still considered one of their stronger players, his shoulder is still terrible and he wasn't fully healed just yet. She wouldn't be upset if Daichi made the decision to have him on the bench, but she's not sure if Kyoga feels the same way.

      Still, her brother looks his happiest whenever he played volleyball. And for Minako that was more than enough.

      "For now you should focus on the game on Saturday," Minako told Hinata who gave a sheepish look in return. "I don't think it's possible for me to help Seina. I hope you can understand that."

      Hinata looked as though he had more to say, but before he could get the chance, he was called over by Kageyama.

      Well, sort of.

      "Hinata, you dumbass! Come here so we can practice!" Kageyama shouted, surprising Minako with how angry and loud he sounded. But Hinata never got irritated or angry with the shouting, instead he rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. Right before he left he gave Minako a wave leaving her confused and amused at the same time.

      There was no way she could help Seina Arashima. Minako is a textbook figure skater who breathed and lived for everything skating. From the frilly dresses to always attending her gymnastics and ballet classes, she never strayed from anything that led her off the path. She was determined and hardworking, but because of her narrowed focus on the sport, she wasn't perfect. She is hardheaded and impossible to work with. On top of that, Minako's selfish so the idea of helping someone out wasn't ideal.

      Seina is sweet and the girl-next-door, something Minako couldn't be even if she tried.

      Minako wasn't ready to shatter Seina like figure skating had shattered her.

      Textbook figure skaters are perfect, but ugly in many ways.

A/N;

A slightly shorter chapter than the last, but I hope it's good nonetheless! I wanted to try to include Daichi in this somehow, but I couldn't so I hope you can all forgive me for this filler of a chapter? This is simply a buildup for future angst that'll take place haha!

Also, big big thank you to TomboyBloom1234! Your detailed comments really motivated me to push this next chapter out so I thank you tremendously for supporting me and this story!

With everything going on in the world, please remember to keep up to date with the news. Jacob Blake deserves justice and what happened to him is a tragedy. Black Lives Matter still matter and it's not a trend or a phase. Below I've included a petition to help bring justice for Jacob Blake. 

https://www.change.org/p/tony-evers-justice-for-jacob-blake-5976e1a2-f001-4739-bbac-7ce266d91728?signed=true

My friend Nihaarika has found links for different petitions and carrds with current events!

https://dotherightthing.carrd.co/

https://currentinfo.carrd.co/

Much Love Guys.

( written: august 25, 2020 )
( published: august 25, 2020 )