* ˚ ✦ sidelines then skateparks (sk8 the infinity x male oc) * ˚ ✦

our infinity

"Can you believe it's happening?" Reki asked, working on something at Dope Sketch. "You're up against Adam."

"Mhm..." Ayaka hummed slowly as he swept the floor with a broom.

"Have you thought of a strategy yet? You'll need one."

Ayaka slowly stopped moving the broom. "Do you know why Adam got into skating?"

"Huh?" Reki asked, lifting his head up from a skateboard. Sketchy bit Reki on his hand which made his shout in pain. He grabbed his hand and gasped, looking back at Ayaka.

"I've never thought about it."

"I heard he's been alone for a long time."

Reki picked up the skateboard and examined it closely, running his fingers over the smooth surface of the deck. "Makes sense with that personality."

"I was just wondering." Ayaka mumbled.

Reki placed down the skateboard. "I guess he started because..." He looked over at Ayaka and smiled. "Well, because it's fun. I mean, there's not really any other reason to get into it, right?"

Ayaka rested his palms on the top of the broom stick, placing his chin on the back of his hands. "Well—I didn't start because I thought it was fun."

Reki raised an eyebrow. "Thought you did?"

Ayaka sighed. "I started—well—because you made me—and because I wanted to uh, I don't know..." he trailed off, looking to the side. "Prove that I wasn't scared. I feel like we had this conversation before." Ayaka mused. "What, do you not remember?"

Reki shook his head. "Guess not." he mumbled. "But—you kept skating because it's fun, right?"

Ayaka smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

————

"Your injures healed suspiciously fast." Miya said, looking over at Shadow who's head was still bandaged but in his S attire.

"I can't sleep my life away in a hospital."

"Amen to that." Cherry mumbled, driving the van he, Miya, Shadow, Reki, and Ayaka were in, the two latters being in the back. Joe was riding his motorcycle from beside the van.

"So, do we think Ayaka can win this thing?" Shadow inquired.

"I thought he did pretty well in the match he was in the other day," Miya mused.

"But Adam wasn't fully invested then," Cherry stated.

Reki listened to their conversation, his mind wandering. He had been thinking a lot about Ayaka lately, wondering how he was doing and how he was coping with everything. He knew that Ayaka had a lot on his plate, and he hoped that he was taking care of himself.

He started to wonder if some of Ayaka's headaches were being caused by this.

"What do you mean?" Miya asked.

"You guys have probably seen him at his max a lot." Shadow said.

"Nope. Not once," Cherry said firmly, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "He's never felt the need to prove himself to anyone."

Adam wasn't the kind of person who felt the need to prove himself to others. He was confident in his own abilities and didn't care about impressing anyone else.

Reki held up Ayaka's board and handed it to him. "Alright. That should do it."

Ayaka took the board in his hands and looked over it. "Wow." he sighed out. "You're so talented. It's beautiful."