Okay, Shinkan

11

Third POV

Catalina was back in the village about half an hour til midnight. The tabloids losing their wits over a fellow competitor of hers, no Kamila Valieva. Who tested positive for a banned substance this morning. 

Lord, just when I thought nothing could go wrong.  Catalina stormed in her mind.

Security let her through the entrance after checking her back in. She made her way to the elevator when She heard music coming from the activities center. There was a group of Athletes surrounding someone who is wearing a VR. They all are from the Korean delegation and the person playing happens to be Daishinkan.

Catalina silently approached the group, waving at them. All they could was wave back. She brought her index finger up to her lips to motion the group to be quiet. Daishinkan had his arms out to balance himself on the platform the game showed him. A thousand feet over a city.

A flag waited on the end of the platform. His skin formed bumps as he tumbled in fear of falling to the side. Though he laughed and joked around with his group. One of the guys pushed him lightly resulting in Daishinkan screaming. In Korean he told his teammates to stop fooling around. 

Coming closer behind his back, Catalina drew her arms around Daishinkan's torso. He squirmed at this touch, immediately calling out his friends. But they only giggled.

He gripped the foreign arms around him, knowing they are way thinner than his teammates. His first thought was Hana, but she is in the fifth dream cloud last he checked. Nobody would just hug him from behind out of nowhere. Daishinkan continued to feel the arms until his hands reached behind him and felt a small waist. 

Inside the VR his eyes dilated. Cheeks flushing. I'll Just to be sure this is the girl he believes it is, he reached higher and passed her shoulders and touched thick hair. 

"Catalina," he called out. At this time Catalina laughed, removing her arms from around him.

Daishinkan discarted the VR to his teammates.

He gazed upon her, shutting down his joy to see her. He had missed having her around to talk nonsense or say insolent things that would make him chortle. "Where have you been? I texted you." Were the first words to escape his mouth.

This made Catalina blush as she thought she was being scolded. "I had no signal, Shinkan. I was at the Biathlon cluster."

"Ahh you managed to get out of here."

"I had the interview remember."

"How did that go?" He glared at his teammates who got the memo and bid their goodbyes.

The both of them began to walk along the activities center. Their hands would brush occasionally as Catalina told Daishinkan of the interview. "Then we went to see Karson cross the finish line." She finished. "I watched it too, saw him shoot those targets with deadly accuracy."

"Karson's really good. I admire that."

They both walked in silence and eventually got in the elevator. So involved in their conversation about the doping scandal going on that they went to final floor. "Tomorrow's my final free skate, in the morning. Medal ceremony is right after." Daishinkan says without looking at Catalina as soon as they stop in front of his door. "I'll be there. Just like you've been there for me."

He smiled, "what I really want to say here is uh, thank you. For doing this, for coaching me, and giving me really good pointers. I've skated so much better thanks to you." Catalina's face is turning red, though she's not sure what of the million reasons it could be.