✔️ Body and Mind 2

SP

Anya was sitting in the arena in one of the front row seats, right next to Emily and her assistants.
She was nervously squeezing the fabric of her pants, wiping the sweat from her hands in the process.
There was still an hour left until the final group would go for their warm-up and she felt like there is no chance she will make it that far.
She just wished she could pop some strong sleeping pills into herself and wake up after all this would be over, just being told that Yuzuru has won.
Thanks to her new look, she didn't even have her braid to calm herself down. So she ended up playing chess on her phone but constantly winning in just a few moves as none of the opponents were any good. She was wondering what must be now going through Yuzuru's head and a second later text message popped up on her phone.

Yuzuru
14:02
-Are you sure I can win?

Anya
14:02
-Trust in your talismans and my science ♥ ♥

Yuzuru
14:02
-I will....I really liked your kind of science 😁😁

She chuckled but didn't message him anymore to make sure he stays focused on his preparations. She then started to wonder about Nathan. She didn't see him ever since the party and wanted to apologize to him, now realizing she really wanted to do it before his skate so that he knows they are alright and there are no bad feelings.
She asked Emily if that's possible and she just pointed on the lanyard Anya had around her neck, telling her that this will get her anywhere within the arena.
Anya nodded and was on her way to one of the gyms where Nathan was preparing himself with some other skaters.

He was happy to see her and took her aside.

-I am really glad that you are here, especially before my skate, I really wanted to apologize.

-No need to, I came to apologize to you. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I am sorry. And you were really nice to me the whole time at the party, so thank you for that.

-No worries.

And he smiled at her, thinking that she looks really pretty with all the make-up and hair up like that.

-Do you have your phone here? I have something for you.

He pulled out his phone and handed it over to Anya who started to download a chess app on it and then through his profile added her ID in there.

-This app lets you play chess with your friends without any time limit. So anytime I make a move on our chessboard, you will get a notification, and then it's your turn. You can then take days to make your move.

-Oh, that is so cool! Thank you!! And will you promise not to let me win? That you will really play to your best ability?

Anya was silent and avoided his gaze.

-I know you were prolonging the game we had at the party. I noticed you could have finished me right at the start after my fifth move but didn't. I first thought you just overlooked it because you played so fast, but after the game....seeing how smart you are....I figured you ignored it on purpose to make the game longer and not to make me feel stupid.

-You are not stupid!

-I know, but I am also nowhere near your level. Were there any more moments in that game where you could have finished me sooner?

-....Yes.

-How many?

-Fourteen.

-Damn I'm bad!

-You are not. But if I won't ignore some of your mistakes, none of the games will have more than ten moves.

-I don't care, I won't learn otherwise.

-Then play against somebody who is just a little bit better than you. Not me. You won't learn against me.

-I want to play against you.

Anya sighed and agreed she will play against him without ignoring his mistakes.

-You know that is something you have in common with Yuzu.

-What is that?

-You both don't know when to give up.

Nathan grinned at her and she shook his hand, wishing him good luck. She was at the door when he called at her, asking if she meant the luck for the Short program or the future chess games.
She turned back at him with a smile and just said:

-Both.

And with that, she was gone and Nathan started to wonder how he feels about her.
He liked her looks and he was absolutely stricken by her intelligence, yet he wasn't much fond of her introverted personality. He always preferred out-going girls and knew that her shyness would soon drive him crazy. Yet anyway he couldn't help to think of her here and there and being slightly envious of Yuzuru, wondering if he himself will ever meet a girl that he would care about as much as Yuzuru cared about Anya.
He then shook his head to get those thoughts from his head and continued with his off-ice exercises.

___________________

The last group's warm-up ended and Yuzuru was now having his last chat with Brian at the barrier.

Anya was squeezing the cold metal railing in front of her seat, trying to cool down her hands. Emily was looking at her with a worried face.

-Are you okay Anya?

-No.

-He is going to be fine. We watched some of his practices, he is in perfect shape.

-He is not. His foot really hurts.

-I am sure he will skate perfectly. Just lean back and enjoy it.

Anya did lean back in her seat but was nowhere near enjoying anything. She just wished for it to be over.

The announcer called Yuzuru's name and he skated in the middle of the rink.

Anya looked up onto the ceiling of the Arena and had a little conversation in her head.

"Okay...so here is the deal. I don't believe you exist. But that said, we still don't know what happened before the 10^-43 seconds of the creation of the Universe. So just in case, which I doubt, but just in case....if it was actually your doing (which wasn't)....please, please make Yuzuru skate well.
And if you do, I promise I will never have another conversation about your existence with one of your believers. Okay? Obviously, I will never admit to ever talking to you, especially because you don't exist, but....please make him land all of his jumps.....thanks."

The tones of Chopin's ballade filled the Arena and Anya's eyes were fixated on his motionless body in the middle of the rink.
After what seemed to be an eternity, his head finally moved, followed by the rest of his lean body.

Without realizing it, Anya was nervously grasping Emily's forearm and leaning forward in her seat. Yuzuru started to go into the entry of his first jump and as soon as he landed it, she gasped for air, now noticing she forgot to breathe.
Anya started to clap with the rest of the audience and even though she was relieved he landed the quad Salchow so well, she still spent the rest of his performance anxiously clenching her fists and digging her nails into the bottom of her palms.

As soon as his program was over, she stood up and clapped, catching Yuzuru's quick glance at her and beaming him the happiest smile. She then collapsed back to her seat, softly panting.

-That was the best and the worst moment of my life.

Emily was laughing seeing how invested Anya was in the skate and then just advised her to go back to the hotel so she calms down before Yuzuru gets there. Anya just nodded and after the score was announced and Yuzuru went straight to do his interviews, she left.