Chapter Nine - The Opening Ceremony and Fangirls
- Three Days Later -
Misaki and the Japanese team were practicing their routines with the women's team for about two hours already, not because they wanted to practice right before the opening ceremony, but so they could get over the time difference in time for the competitions to start. Competing in front of millions on the biggest stage was already enough without lack of sleep adding to it.
Yuna clapped her hands loudly to capture everyones attention, 'Everyone listen practice is over for now, we want you all to get your official team gear on and get ready for the opening games, you will all be together with other Japanese athletes, please get ready now! We will not be late!"
The men and women quickly got off the ice and into the locker rooms to change before they ran out of time, that is until ...
"Shit my team jacket is too small!' Hiroshi yelled out in complete panic. The 5'8 skater wore the official team jacket but it was barely sweeping his hips, making it look like a crop top more than a team jacket.
"Uh, maybe you have mine .." Misaki breathed out. Hiroshi turned around to see Misaki practically drowning in his jacket. The skater looked like a little kid trying on his parents clothing.
Hiroshi walked over to Misaki, quickly taking his jacket off, 'Sorry Takahashi-kun, I must have packed yours in my bag by mistake."
He and Misaki had re-packed their suitcases before going onto the plane in order for Misaki to fit his other jacket in Hiroshi's suitcase, but since both jackets were the same design Hiroshi just gave back whatever jacket touched his hand first without checking.
"Thank you!" Miskai smiled. He quickly grabbed his jacket and placed it in his bag before going to the shower room, where his roommate Jun was currently washing his hair.
"Hey Takahashi-Kun! Ya need help? You looked a little tired out there," Jun stated washing off the soap on his skin. Misaki just shook his head finally stripping the last piece of clothing and joined the shower stall next to jun.
"I'm fine, I'm just jet-lagged and my diet tires me out sometimes," Misaki rubbed soap down his body, loving the feeling of hot water on his body.
"This is the best part of practice ..." the boy thought silently to himself. He waited until the soap was completely off his body before turning off the water and wrapping a towel around his waist. He walked over to his locker, taking out his boxer, black pants and undershirt, before beginning to dress himself.
Jun finished putting his team uniform on and was finishing blow drying his hair until he saw Misaki in the reflection the mirror struggling to take off all the bobby pins, "Takahahsi-Kun, you need help?"
Misaki finally struggled his shoulder and nodded his head vigorously, "Yes my pins are stuck! I can't go out looking like this!"
"10 minutes everyone! I don't care if you're not ready, finish in the car if you need to!" A guide translated in Japanese from Russian. Misaki zipped up his olympic team hoodie, his teammate Jun walked over to his teammate to help get the bobby pins out of his hair.
"Hey Jun! You look happy helping Misaki-Kun!"Giichi yelled, causing both Jun and Misaki to blush. Hirochi threw a brush at his teammates head, which he successfully dogged.
"Shut up idiot!" The long haired skater yelled, with steam nearly coming out of his ears. Giichi only sweatdropped saving his hands.
"I'm only teasing them! Besides being the alternative I need to entertain myself!" The young skater joked. Misaki only chuckled at his teammates, even within a few days of being in Soichi he already felt closer with his teammates. Even though he spent time sleeping and skating.
Oh, and he is about to walk with all the other athletes in front of millions of people both in the stadium and live television.
"God, I can't believe we are about to walk!" Jun managed to pull last bobby pin out, leaving the long choppy hair out of Misakis skating look.
Jun grabbed his land yard walking with Misaki to the car where the other members of the team were already seated, "Misaki, you've been at the World Championships, Asian games, Junior championships and Japan games, now you are nervous crowds? Haha!"
Misaki laughed, now feeling stupid about his nervousness,or Atleast the excuse he gave, "well, I actually don't want Usagi and is relationship to become news in a super Anti gay country!"
"You're right, I-" suddenly Misaki felt his phone ring, it was a Japanese cell phone number he wou" recognise mayday ...
"Usagi?! Why now!?"
"Uh sorry, my brothers friend is calling me" Misaki stated pick8g up his phone, 'What do you want I'm with teammates!"
Misaki only heard usagi laugh, "we are at the stadium, are ready to be cheered on by your loving brother?" Misaki could hear the teasing tone in the mans voice.
"If I was there I could kill you, you pervert!" The boy whispered angerily into the phone, Jun obviously overheard him because he was looking mistaki weirdky.
"Uh, Misaki? Why are you calling your Turk a pervert?" Misaki began to sweater at the comments. Without thinking he hung up the phone with ought offering an explanation.
Misaki places his phone in his pocket while h turned to his teammate laughing, "haha! It was a spam caller! Haha!"
"Mother and father in heaven ... your son is a horrible liar!" Misaki yelled at himself in his head. Jun just struggled his shoulders ignoring Misaki as the car was moving towards the stadium in Soichi. Hiroshi and Giichi were continuing to argue with each other, about being professional or not looking like the women's team? Misaki couldn't tell anymore.
"Nii-San ... I'll confess when I get home, I don't want to disappoint you even more if I lose ... after the games are over atleast I'll be able to cheer you up with my medals if me being ... different is not acceptable." Misaki just closed his eyes, trying to keep calm moments before they were in the stduim.
- Soichi Staduim -
"Gah, the athlete march is taking so long! When is Japan coming?" Takahiro had his binoculars with him as he looked into the crowd for his little brother. Usagi looked through his phone before noticing something interesting on instagram ... Misaki was shooting a live video.
"Hey, ,' Takahiro looked at the man's phone noticing his brother and his teammate Jun in the video, 'They are still backstage, they are probably coming out soon."
Takahiro nodded happily, watching to the video, "Looks like Misaki fans are noticing too! Haha!"
Usagi turned the phone back to himself realising what his friend meant, several live comments were playing on the skaters video, some where basic comments, most however nauseating fan girl comments:
"Kya! Misaki kun for the win! #takahoshiforthewin #TeamJapan
"Come on Misaki beat the Russians at their own game! #TeamJapan!
"OMG Jun and Misaki! The best looking guys together?! Kyaaaa!"
"Misaki looks so small compared to jun O.O"
"I will never combo in about my fan girls ever again..." the man thought then again Misaki was a teenage boy, so having crazy teen girls was normal for his demographic.
'Hey I think Japan is coming up!" Takahiro shouted over the loud music and cheering. Usagi looked at his phone again and noticed that Jun and Misaki moving along with several other people.
All the Japanese athletes wore black gloves and black pants, along with their white Japan jacket, and of course all were given Russian and Japanese flags to wave around once they came out.
"Jamaica!" The English announcer boomed through tout the stadium.
"Nimonica!" The Russian announcer followed.
"Yeah, Japan is differently next, get ready Takahiro." Without further waiting the French announcer yelled,
"Japon!" The crowd for some reason was excited to see the Japanese team coming out. Several athletes were smiling and waving as they walked behind the guide. Usagi and Takahiro looked at Misaki's phone to see the two athletes yelling and cheering, only for Misaki to drop the flags on the ground before quickly picking them up.
"You klutz!" Jun was heard saying only for Misaki to laugh back in response.
"Oh Misaki, Haha, you can land a quad but not hold onto flags? Haha!" Takahiro laughed. Usagi found it funny too, then again he wasn't surprised, outside his professional skater image Misaki was just a regular teenager. A clumsy one at that.
Soon the cheering was intensifying and the music swelled as the excitement in the air grew even more.
"Russian federation!" The English announcer boomed, which only added more excitement to the crowd. As the Russian athletes came out it became clear how competitive the competition was gonna get.
"Eh? Yuna-Sama said their would be a lot of athletes for the Russian team this year, but not this many!" Takahiro explained looking shocked at the amount of athletes still pouring out of the stadium.
Usagi looked down at phone again to see that Misaki had ended his video stream. The man picked up Takahiro's binoculars to look at the athletes in the Japan seating section for Misaki, within seconds Usagi found him. Sitting next to a guy Usagi knew was named Jun.
Both were laughing and taking pictures with their phones as the announcers were beginning to speak. The man noticed that Jun was pointing at the South Korean section and he instantly knew why.
The man that had slashed Misaki's face during the World Figure Skating Championships was at the Winter Olympics.
"Hopefully he doesn't slash Misaki's face again, did he ever even apologize to him?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the althletes of the Soichi 2014 Winter Olympic Games!"
The crowd roared in excitement as people waved flag from all other countries, whether it was their own, or a country that they wanted to win.
"Ladies and gentleman, we would to introduce the Olympic mascots."
The whole stadium went dark at the center lite up and three huge figures made their way into the stadium, a giant bear, rabbit and cat made the crowd scream even more.
- In the athlete seating Section -
"Wow! They're huge!" Misaki exclaimed as he took several pictures, he could feel Jun smirking at his childish excitement. But something caught Jin's eyes.
He poked Misaki's shoulders pointing at the Korean section, "Yo, isn't that Kim Songu? The guy who slashed your face worlds?"
Misaki whipped his head in the direction of Jun's finger, to see that his teammate was correct, his works championship rival was sitting not far away, and he looked very serious. Misaki quickly turned back to his teammate with a unreadable facial expression, "I wonder if he still mad ..."
"Why would he be mad?" Jun looked genuinely confused at Misaki worry.
"Eh ... well remember I won silver and he won gold?" Misaki was playing with his fingers nervously.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Well ... lets just say people thought he slashed my face on purpose in order to win the gold. And my fans thought I should of won instead, so they went on a twitter and Instagram with hashtags like #Takahashiwasrobbed and #songsushouldhavesilver became viral for several weeks ..."Misaki began to feel more guilty as he explained the story.
Jun look surprised at first, but had a small smirk on his face," Haha, I guess your fan base is a city compared to his! Besides he shouldn't be so stupid about it, he's the one who won. Don't worry about it."
Misaki looked away from his teammate watching the opening ceremony show on full display while subconsciously touching his chin, where one of the scars Sungsu gave him.
"I can win these games! I have to ... if I come home with nothing then I will let everyone down. Yuna-Sensei ... Nii-Chan ... Japan ... and Usagi-San- EH?!' The skater felt his face go bright red after thinking about the author, flashbacks of them 'making love' flashed through his mind, 'NO! He is only my tutor and my caregiver when Niki-Chan is busy planning his wedding or at work! ... but then again ... he's the only person besides Yuna-Sensei who has noticed my injuries and my bad diet ... and the effects of these things ... maybe I like him? But-"
"Hey Takahashi,' Misaki turned to his right to see Hiroshi grabbing his shoulder, 'Are you ok? Your face is red and you look upset."
Misaki was slightly shocked, normally Hiroshi was extremely reserved and serious, this was new, "Eh, I'm ok! I'm just tired from the flight here."
"Well, I'm not completely lying ... I still have jet lag ..."
Hiroshi nodded his head trying his attention back to the show even though he didn't look instrested in the enterment.
Misaki began to feel sleepy out of where, but it wasn't like he felt when he was at the Restaurant, he felt like he did during the Olympic trials, "feel sleepy ..."
Before he knew it his whole world turned dark.
Hiroshi could feel a weight leaning against him, "Eh?'
That's when he noticed that it was his teammate passed out on him,'Takahashi?! Hey, wake up! Takahashi!"
From far Yuna could see Hiroshi struggling to wake up misaki, the woman immidatly got up to assist her skaters, within seconds she was near the two athletes, th afilly they were at the end of the aisles so getting to them was much easier.
"Is everythijng ok?" Yuna asked, feeling for Miskai pulse, he was pulsing too slowly and his body temperature was stable ... he was having low blood pressure ...
"No, he just fell asleep!" Hiroshi stayed sharply. Yuna only nodded motioning for him to pick Misaki up out of his seat. Jun turned his attention from the opening ceremony ballet show to see his team caption being lifted bridal style out of his seat.
"Hiroshi, what are doing to Misaki?" He almost got up but Yuna motioned for him to stay seated. Once Hiroshi successfully got Misaki out of his seat and into his arms, he followed his teammates coach until he noticed her stopping.
"If the press asks, just say he fell asleep from jetlag. We don't need the tabloids making a big deal over this," she instructed. Hiroshi only nodded, continuing to follow her. As they continued to walk out the stadium and into the back away from curious on lookers she called Takahiro.
- Back in the Stands -
"Ehh? Why is she calling now?" Takahiro picked up his phone after seeing it was Misaki's coach Yuna calling him. Usagi looked at his friend curiously, he didn't understand why his friend all the sudden looked worried.
'What?! Ok, ok! I'll be right there!" Takahiro sounded frantic like something terrible had happened. He quickly got up and grab his stuff, but didn't began to leave until he grabbed his best friends arm or signal him to come with him.
As both men got up and ran to the newrist elevator, Usagi was still confused and now felt his throat tighten up, "Takahiro! What's going on!"
"Misaki passed out! Yuna is bring him to the downstairs locker rooms to have a paramedic look at him! I think I already know why though ... Misaki has a habit of ... well ... not eating ..."
Usagi stopped in his tracks, Takahiro stopping running and looked behind to see why his friend stopped following him, 'Usagi?"
All the man saw was a dark aura now circling his friend of ten plus years, "are you telling me that you knew Miskai was starving himself? What the fuck were you thinking?"
Now Takahiro was glaring back, "What do you mean? Are you telling me that I didn't do a good job at raising my own brother?"
"That's not the fucking point Takahiro! There is a difference between raising a sibling and allowing a irresponsible habit to continue on-"
"You think I don't know that?!' Takahiro yelled back, now looking beyond pissed. Both men only walked in silence towards the elevators, the silence was deafening, but it was Takahiro who finely broke the silence.
'Have you ever noticed that Miskai never smiles with his teeth in photos? That's because before starving himself, it was eating so much that he would throw up and destroy his teeth and fingers.' Usagi but his lip trying hard not to completely lose it in front of his friend, 'figure skating requires little weight, why else do you think he can do quad jumps-"
"Are you stupid?!' Usagi growled, he was now facing his friend as both men were isn't the elevator.
'He is smaller than the women on the women's team! Do you really think that Misaki will magically stop starving himself once his career as figure skater ends? Or are you so blind to wanting his dream to come true that his well being is meaningless to you?"
Instead of arguing back Takahiro only chuckled silently at this, which both confused and shocked Usagi at the same time, "You think I haven't tried? That boy will go the worlds end if it meant he could compete. Starvation, over training and injuries are just small inconvinces to him. Did you see him at worlds? He competed after that skater slashed his face open, he had a concussion and had a limp, Hell, he fainted before he got his scores! So, no if I could pull him out of skating I would, but he sacrificed to much to have end like that, he never had a childhood to speak of, or school life, or anything a normal teenager life at all for that matter ...'
Takahiro paused obviously remembering some painful memories,'our parents died the night that they were suppose to go to a recital, it was his first time doing a single lutz and he begged them to make it, but it was right after both of the. Finished work. They ran a red light and crashed their car. Misaki didn't know they were killed until we came back home with cops outside our house, ever since that night he blamed himself, even after I explained it wasn't his fault, he still blames himself to this day.'
Takahiro explained, finally looking at his friend in the eyes again, 'And I will remove anyone that stands in the way of him accomplishing his goals. Included you Akihiko."
Usagi was given time to respond back. Before he knew it the elevator doors opened and Takahiro ran as fast his could to get to his brother, after a few seconds Usagi followed his tracks, but many questions bothered him.
"When did Takahiro start accepting this? Why hasn't anyone intervened? ... does Misaki even want to compete after the Olympic Games? Or is he only trying to please his brother and parents?"
Once the pair got that elocker room area, Usagi noticed Misaki was sitting on a bunch with his coach and a Japanese paramedic, who came on behalf of both the men and women's figure skating teams, working on the now awake Miskai, "Misaki!"
The skater looked up to see his brother and tutor both standing there looking worried, "Nii-Chan? Usagi-San?"
The boy had an paramedic pricking his arm with a shot of glucose, while he performed other tests on the boy, Takahiro ran up to his brother grabbing his shoulders in comfort .
Once the paramedic finished his tests he asked Miskai a range if questions, but one question that made Misaki dreading to answer was, "When was the last time you had a meal, Takahashi-San?"
Misaki grubbed the seat, not wanting to answer or just vanish into the wall at that very moment, "Eh, ... when we got to the hotel..."
Everyone looked shocked including Yuna, who has seen every bad figure skating habit known to mankind. At the moment she could of sworn she saw her late son, Choi, staring right back at him, it almost made the woman tear up on the spot.
She walked over to Miskai, he expected a hit in the head from his coach, but was shocked when she hugged his shoulders instead, "Misaki ... for now until the games are over you will come with me to eat. You are the best Japan has to offer, you need to eat just a little bit, hmm?"
Misaki only nodded, obviously ashamed and embarrassed by the situation his unintenially put himself in.
Usagi couldn't help but smile a little bit at this, "Atleast someone with common sense is around him..."
Yuna signed heavily, helping Misaki get back into his team japan gear, "Ok everyone, if we go outside I'm sure we can watch at least the Olympic flame ceremony and then the opening games will be over."
Misaki got up following his coach, along with Takahiro and Usagi right behind him. Unknown to him Takahiro had stopped Usagi from walking any further and forced the man to stay still as he leaned in and said, "That's why I don't worry so much about Misaki, because she is his coach."
Usagi didn't know how to react, he felt like this night has made made him feel dumb founded more then any other night in his life, "What else do I not know about that boy, especially his coach?"
The next half hour felt like a total blur to the man, so many questions were in his head, but one thing he did know for sure was he couldn't wait until the competition for the men's singles began.
- Misaki and Yuna -
"Misaki, there is something I want you to know,' Yuna interrupted the silence between them, Misaki looked at his coach waiting for her to respond, 'The Japanese Olympic committee wants you to carry the flag during the closing ceremony, because they believe you will win a metal, which will be the first in perhaps history for our country."
Misaki felt this eyes widen, carrying the flag was a huge honor, "Eh? But Sensei ... I might not even win gold-"
"I said 'metal' Miskai, not gold metal. I don't think you understand yet how big of deal it is to have you here, if you beat Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese and American figure skaters, even if you fall on several occasions or made a technical flaw in your program you can still medal. If you do exactly what we do at practice you will win, but I am still disappointed in you."
Misaki signed looking at his lap, he played his hands nervously not finding the courage to look at his coach in the eyes, "Because I starved myself?"
The woman signed heavily, "No. I'm disappointed because you don't realize how talented you are.'
Now Miskai was confused.
'Do you know how many skaters can do multiple quad combos? Almost none of them are here, you posses a gift that no other athlete has, but yet, you act like you're worthless or not good enough, that makes me disappointed in you," the woman stated, now looking at her skater with immense pride.
"O-Oh ... I'm sorr-" but he felt his coach put a finger to his lips. Yuna only smiled shaking her head slightly.
"Misaki ... I don't want your apologies. I want you to consider what I have said, be confident!' Yuna grabbed something from her pocket, and pulled out
"Sensei? Is that what I think it?!" Misaki was shocked to see an Olympic bronze metal from the '92 Olympic Games in women's figure skating. With her name Yuna Park engraved in the metal.
Yuna laughed at her skaters reaction, while touching the outsides of the metal, "92 was the last winter games I competed in before I had my baby and married Koichi-Kun, it was a bronze metal, but I was proud of myself because it still was evidence of hard work and confidence I had in skating. It may be a bronze, but it's my personal gold metal."
The small woman spotted closer to Misaki, gently putting the medal around the boy's neck, Misaki was still in shock as he touched the vintage medal, "Sensei ... I can't take this-"
"Don't flatter yourself, it's only till the games are over,' Yuna huffed looking slightly annoyed at the boy, 'I didn't give you this for no reason. I want you to see physical evidence of what being confident in your training does for you. If twenty something year old me can still get a bronze after tearing ACL and breaking my wrist then you are gonna to be equally great in a week when the finals happen."
Misaki and Yuna remained quiet as they watched the Olympic being lite in the stadium, neither said a word for the rest of the night both were lost in their own thoughts.
"My beloved son ... give your Umma strength. I know after what I did you I don't deserve to ask you fro any favors, but please do for Misaki! You two were always wonderful together ..."
Yuna cluthed his fists, only her eyes as she allowed herself to remember her little boy.
A eight old Choi was throwing his body into the air as landed a triple salchow, a move that he struggled to learn for months, "Tada! I did it Umma!"
The little boy cheered with his missing tooth grin and his crazy hair sticking in different directions from his raining Yuna just clapped her gloved hands letting her arms go open in hug as Choi raced towards his mother.
"Umma!" the voice of a cheerful little boy and a tearful young teenage boy said at one time.
Yuna felt herself go numb for the rest of the night.
unknown other someone else in the stadium was feeling sorrow for someone they loved, but for entirely reasons.