"It's no big deal... he helped me and that's it..." the younger youth murmured with a somewhat icy tone, even though inside he was dying of fear. He was terrified by the thought that his opponent might want to know something about him, entirely unaware that the Canadian was actually consumed by guilt and regret over what he had done.
"Oh, yes... I'm sorry... I hope we can talk later, Aibek..." the Canadian pleaded, withdrawing in silence while the photographers continued with their work, now focusing on the other skaters. It was only a matter of time before the two of them became worldwide news once again.
"He looks quite downcast..." the Kazakh's representative murmured, lowering his gaze for a moment to reflect on his next words.
"I don't want the same thing from back then to happen again..." Bek mentioned softly before closing his eyes for an instant to try and relax, while rubbing his ankle a bit where he had taken the hit. Although it wasn't a serious injury, it throbbed; he needed to be fine before the short program.
"Well... I think it's time to go have breakfast... I mustn't expose you to another fall. I will send in a permit so you can practice in private this afternoon; that way you can train and adapt to the rink calmly," Taishi said, jotting everything down in his planner and organizing the times so the Kazakh could rest.
"Always so organized, Taishi-sama..." Bek shook his head slightly while taking off his skates and putting on his sneakers to go have something delicious for breakfast.
"That's right... if it weren't for me, you would be in limbo with a disaster of a schedule, just like the first time I met you," he commented with a sweet, calm smile. He held a great respect for his pupil, and for that reason, he treated him with such sweetness; the Kazakh truly brought out a lot of tenderness in him, he was so cute that he couldn't help but spoil him.
"Oh... that time... how you found me... everything was chaos..." Those had been good times, but it also relieved him to have discovered his guardian, because now he had an organized agenda for every step he took.
"But now it isn't; you are more than focused on your activities... although I don't justify that time you disappeared for two days and had me searching for you like crazy," Taishi recalled. That was when his pupil had gone off with the Canadian, and he had to find out through social media that his protégé was with that man. He couldn't help but smile softly, though mentioning that seemed to revive something horrible for Aibek.
"You shouldn't..." the Kazakh murmured softly, closing his eyes. He began to fidget with his hands, looking somewhat lost; he didn't like thinking about Jake, not now when they were on such complicated terms.
"I'm sorry. Come on, let's go get something delicious for breakfast," Taishi whispered as he carried the younger youth's backpack and helped him stand up. For their part, most of the skaters watched the dark-haired youth with curiosity; they were surprised that he would leave so soon after a fall, since he never gave up. But then, as if reaching a collective conclusion, they all looked at the Canadian, who was skating in circles without any fixed direction, and they understood everything. After all, seeing them so close on social media and now so distant raised many questions.
"Where are we going, Taishi-sama?" Bek asked, calmer now as they left the venue, while putting on his scarf. It was cold, but he didn't mind; he liked that freezing sensation hitting his face and moving his hair, as if the wind were dancing with him.
"For some delicious coffee. Soon you will know the theme." With a smile, the coach opened the car door for him, let him in, and climbed in afterward, setting the backpack aside.
"Theme?" Bek asked after a few minutes of silence. A themed coffee shop? Yes, he knew they existed, but... what would it be about? With that doubt, he confined himself to looking at his guardian.
"Yes, themed... so calm down. Come on..." he requested, handing him the art notebook so he could draw while they headed to the place.
As soon as they arrived, the Kazakh didn't start drawing immediately; first, he observed every detail of the surroundings with a nostalgic gaze. He missed his Canadian very much, and it made him happy to think of him as "his Canadian." When they settled in, Aibek opened his pad, stopped at a blank page, and began to sketch Jake's face—the Jake he had seen that morning, so different, but still very handsome.
"Bek, I ordered you a chocolate, a sandwich, and a strawberry cake, so you must eat," the man mentioned calmly upon seeing that he kept drawing. He only received a nod from the younger youth, which made him smile sweetly; he looked focused and happy.
"Thanks..." he replied after a few minutes in silence, smiling as he set down the notebook with his finished drawing, entirely unaware that someone had secretly taken a photo of him to publish it under the title: "Aibek Kenes drawing in the coffee shop."
The news was immediate and began to be shared everywhere. It reached a certain Russian, who growled with genuine rage as his gaze lost itself in that drawing; he knew perfectly well who it was, and without hesitating for a single second, he smashed his phone against the wall, shattering the screen. It was his third phone in six months, for he had destroyed the previous ones upon seeing so much of his Aibek with that foolish Brown—the Canadian who had stolen his Kazakh.
Someone else also received the news: the owner of the face in the drawing. Jake was contemplating how the sketch detailed his features, making his purple eyes shine, and he couldn't help but blush. To his misfortune, the other skaters were watching him at that exact moment. He looked like an oddball, but even so, he felt so proud to be able to remain Aibek's muse. His Beky was the best in the world, so he dedicated himself to skating a few laps with the phone in his hand, never taking his eyes off the photograph that showed the artist and the drawing; he was truly happy.
"Wow... I'm going to have to throw a party," murmured the Kazakh's coach, who let out a sigh with a sly smile upon seeing his pupil get lost in his thoughts.
"Why?" Bek asked, looking at him with surprise before hesitating as he heard the older man's laughter.
"You're trending topic again..." was all Taishi murmured amidst laughter.
It was then that the younger youth blushed so deeply he almost fainted from embarrassment. He didn't want to be the center of attention again; he ended up crying in frustration while hiding behind his sandwich.
"Calm down... it's not that bad if you think about it, so just relax..." Taishi told him with a calmness that not even the Kazakh himself could find.
"Why do you say it like that?" the Kazakh asked with small tears in his eyes, feeling a real fear; he hated being the center of attention.
Taishi let out a soft laugh, extending his hand to give his pupil affectionate pats on the head.
"I say it because, if you look at it from another perspective, this shows that the public adores you and that your art is capable of moving people, Bek. Besides..." the coach paused, lowering his voice with a conspiratorial tone, "that drawing made it very clear to whom your inspiration belongs, and believe me, a certain someone has already found out. You have no reason to hide; on the contrary, let them see how strong and talented you are."
Aibek wiped his tears with the back of his hand, feeling his cheeks burn. He looked at the drawing of Jake in his notebook and then snapped it shut, cradling it against his chest as if it were a forbidden treasure. He knew Taishi was right, but the panic of having the eyes of the world—and Jake's—fixed on him was overwhelming.
"I don't want him to think I'm a stalker... or that I'm still begging for him," Bek whispered with a hollow voice, taking a small bite of his sandwich. "It just... came from my heart."
"And that is what makes it valuable, little bear," Taishi sentenced, indicating with his gaze for him to finish his strawberry cake. "Now, eat. We have a private training session to prepare for and a Grand Prix to win. Let social media talk all they want; your only response must be on the ice."