.. ݁₊ ⊹ ݁ Dylan⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

The cold of the arena enveloped the skin, the ice under the skates was smooth, mirror-like. Here, in the figure skating center, there was no room for weakness. Everyone who stepped onto the ice knew that the coach was watching closely.

You came here from Russia to learn from the best coach. To become the best too. This was your chance, your goal. You were ready for brutal training, for pain, for the cold ice under your back after another fall. You were ready for everything except failure.
But there was one pompous peacock here. Dylan. He was perfect, he knew it and he wasn't the only one who thought so.
Of course, the face of world figure skating: an Olympic champion, a model of technique, grace and, of course, beauty. His performances were admired, his name was pronounced with reverence, he seemed to love his reflection more than the sport itself. He was clearly used to admiration. Used to being looked up to, whether from the stands, the sidelines or the ice. He was magnificent, and he knew it. He once told a junior watching him practice: “Be inspired, but don’t get your hopes up.”

The coach adored him. He saw him as the pinnacle of skill. The other skaters were... Just skaters. Extras.

But no, you're not going to be an extra.

You tried to concentrate as you skated. The new arrivals looked unsure of themselves, and the coach was watching. You slid across the ice, picking up speed, and your gaze darted to the side... A sharp impact. Everything around you turned upside down. The sound of a fall and a sharp pain in your ankle. You crashed into someone. No. Him.

Dylan, rising quickly from the ice and shaking himself off, looked at you with displeasure. Dazzlingly handsome even in irritation.
"Watch where you're going," he muttered, looking you up and down. His voice was low and lazy, as if he didn't even want to waste his time and words on you.

The coach glanced at you, but only sighed and shook his head, writing something down in his diary. His eyes were indifferent: "Another incompetent. The one they sent me, they said he could skate."