After a moment of silence, Lian looked at Maya and Lucas's anxious faces. A faint smile curved his lips.
"Why are you just standing there? Aren't you going to start practicing?"
Lucas's voice trembled despite his efforts to keep it steady.
"Yes, Coach… we'll start right now. Maya, let's go."
Maya followed him onto the ice and whispered,
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so nervous?"
Lucas clenched his fists. "Didn't you see? Lian himself is going to be our direct coach!"
Maya gave a soft smile. "That's incredible. We're lucky that the best coach in Silver House is giving us his time."
Lucas shut his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "You're too naïve. You have no idea how strict Lian is. One small mistake and he could ruin your entire future."
Maya shrugged lightly. "Do you think he accepted me on the first day so easily? I was under his sharp eyes too. But now, instead of testing us, he's here to help us perform better."
Lucas smirked faintly. "I kind of like your simplicity."
Just then, Lian's sharp voice thundered across the rink.
"What kind of training is this? Are you playing around?!"
Lucas muttered under his breath, raising his brows. "See? It's starting already."
Training began, but as always, Lucas lost focus at one critical moment. His grip loosened, and Maya crashed hard onto the ice. Before she could even rise, Lian was already at their side.
"Do you think this is a comedy show? Who made the mistake?"
Lucas defended quickly. "I did everything right. I don't know what happened."
Lian's sharp gaze locked on Maya.
With a calm but firm voice, Maya said, "I held firmly. Lucas didn't grip me properly."
Lian's frown deepened. "Stop making excuses. Fix your focus."
"But, Coach—"
"No buts. Start again."
Maya shot Lucas an angry glare. He only shrugged. When they skated away from Lian, Maya stuck out her foot, making Lucas crash hard onto the ice.
"Lucas!" Lian's explosive voice roared through the rink. "Is this your first day on skates?!"
Lucas pushed himself up. "I'm sorry, Coach."
He then gave Maya a blazing look. "Enough. If we keep this up, we'll both be kicked out of this rink. From now on, no more games. Train properly."
Maya muttered under her breath, "As long as you don't start it first."
From then on, their practice grew serious. The tension between them turned into heavy silence as both tried their hardest to avoid mistakes under Lian's piercing eyes. Finally, when he saw they were focused at last, a faint, satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
When training ended, Lian left the rink. Maya and Lucas followed, still shoving and teasing like stubborn children. Watching their reflections in the glass door, Lian shook his head with a helpless smile.
The next day, Maya sat by the rink, hugging her knees, waiting for Zimo. Lusi sat beside her, smiling.
"What's wrong? You look so deep in thought."
Maya hesitated. "Lusi, has Coach Lian Victor ever been your direct trainer?"
Lusi's smile vanished instantly. "Yes. When I was preparing for the Olympics. You won't believe how meticulous he is. He even measured the angle of our fingers."
Maya sighed. "Yesterday, Mr. Victor came and said he's going to coach us directly from now on. Lucas was really nervous… Honestly, I was surprised too. Now I understand why."
Lusi's eyes widened. "What? Lian Victor himself? He usually lets other coaches handle internal training. There must be a special reason."
Maya bit her lip. "Maybe it's because of my constant bickering with Lucas. I wish I hadn't been so stubborn."
Lusi laughed. "Too late for regrets. Get ready for the hardest days of your life."
Just then, Zimo entered the rink, dressed in fresh training gear, smiling calmly as he approached Maya. Their practice began…
For two consecutive days, Maya trained first with Zimo, then with Lucas hours later. Yet something gnawed at her: Lucas's heavy gaze, watching her every moment she skated with Zimo.
On the third day, everything changed. In one routine, Zimo was supposed to lift Maya and spin her midair. But his grip lingered too close, too intimate. From across the rink, Lucas narrowed his eyes.
"What a filthy bastard…"
Maya felt the discomfort as well but kept silent—it was, after all, her last day training with Zimo.
When practice ended, Lusi approached her with a grateful smile.
"Maya, thank you. From tomorrow on, I can handle it myself."
Maya gave a cool smile. "It was nothing. We're friends, we should help each other."
Lucas smirked faintly and muttered, "Well, your training with Mr. Zimo is finally over. Time to focus on our own work."
Maya replied stiffly, "Fine. I know."
Lucas knew she was upset but stayed quiet. In the next practice, he cut down on his usual teasing. Even so, Maya kept distancing herself during their pair routines.
Unaware of the true reason, Lian's voice boomed across the rink.
"What kind of performance is this?! Maya, what are you doing?!"
Lucas quickly stepped forward. "Coach, it's my fault. I wasn't feeling well today, so I told Maya to keep some distance."
Maya stared at him wide-eyed, but Lucas avoided her gaze.
Lian's tone was sharp. "Tomorrow I don't want to see this again. Pull yourselves together."
After practice, Maya sat at the edge of the rink, pulling off her skates with frustration. Lucas sat down beside her.
"Toxic people are everywhere. Don't worry. It won't happen again."
Maya looked at him, stunned.
Lucas nodded firmly. "I know what you're upset about. You don't have to say it. As long as you're my partner, I'll protect you. I might not like you… but I despise that kind of behavior."
Maya said nothing, only drew a deep breath. For the first time, a trace of trust flickered in her thoughts about Lucas.
Without sparing him another glance, she gripped her skates tightly and walked toward the dorms. Lucas's eyes lingered on her for a few seconds before he exhaled heavily. He scanned the rink for Zimo but couldn't find him. His jaw tightened, and without a word, he strode out.
The next day, the rink was still half-empty, the sharp sound of blades cutting ice echoing in the silence. Lusi and Zimo were about to step onto the ice when Lucas suddenly appeared in front of them. He stepped forward, seized Zimo's wrist with iron force, and leaned in so only Zimo could hear his cold words.
Lucas's voice was low and dangerous: "I saw what you did yesterday. That was your last warning. If I ever see you pull that stunt again during pair dance, I won't just let it slide."
Zimo's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly masked it with a mocking smirk.
"Seriously? Who do you think you are to threaten me?"
Lucas didn't even blink. His grip on Zimo's wrist tightened like a vice.
Lucas: "If you try to get close to Maya again, I'll make sure you say goodbye to Silver House forever… You won't even get the chance to compete."
Zimo gave a strained laugh, tilting his head. "And how exactly do you plan to kick me out?"
Lucas's tone was calm but lethal. "The Olympic qualifiers are just months away. If you lose this year, you're finished. Lian Victor won't have a shred of hope left in you. And if I open my mouth about your sportsmanship—believe me, he'll be the first to slam the door in your face."
Zimo narrowed his eyes. "You're way too confident… Just because you've been selected three times, you think you'll get picked again? I've heard your training with Maya isn't going well. Maybe you'll be the one eliminated, not me."
Lucas squeezed his wrist so hard that Zimo's face twisted briefly in pain.
Lucas's words were sharp as ice. "It's none of your damn business. Just mind your own work."
Then he released him, brushed past without another glance, and walked straight out of the rink.
Zimo stood frozen, rubbing his reddened wrist, a twisted smile tugging at his lips. It wasn't confidence—it was the dark spark of revenge.