The Family of Lightning and the Family of Snow
*thunder rumbles*
(A thunderstorm… They always come when I get involved with him.)
It’s as if he’s sitting next to me, even now…
…What is it?
Status update, Boss.
We’ve investigated the recent behavior of the wolves, as requested. As you have predicted, it seems that they are using underhanded methods to invade Lurong territory.
They don’t seem to be after the Lurong family’s long-time associates, but rather the ones who have newly moved in. We believe this to be a deliberate move.
…I see. Sojun.
Yes, Boss?
Do you think that their actions can be considered extreme? Or…do you see them more as petty, childish pranks?
…I do see them as quite childish, however…they seem to have connections to Homare, a tertiary organization that opposes the Lurong family.
…If they’re willing to go that far, there’s no doubt that they have more power than we previously thought. I’d expect that from him.
…Tch. We’re running out of time.
Should we deal with them…?
……
Liguang, I’m hoooome!!
Wha— Why’s it so dark in here?! Turn on the lights, geez!!
Linxing…
Ugh, if you’re talking to Sojun then just keep the lights on! You start drifting off into a different dimension as soon as you sit down to think about things!
My apologies.
Oh, my god, Liguang, you’re gonna go to that dorm place tomorrow, right? I already taught Sojun!
Taught him what?
How to braid, duh! I’m always the one who does it for you, so I taught Sojun how to do it now that you’re gonna be living in the dorms!
You’re gonna be seeing each other at the office, like, every day, right? So let him braid your hair! Don’t let your pretty hair go to waste.
Rest assured, Linxing-sama. I remember the basics you taught me. I will do the duty of braiding Liguang-sama’s hair.
Awesome, thanks! And Liguang, you should learn how to braid from Sojun while you’re at it.
Sojun needs his days off, so you should be able to do it when he’s not around!
*sigh…* Fine. You better not cause any trouble for our family while I’m gone.
I won’t, sheesh! Oh, also, Mom told me that you’re gonna be roomies with Kamina Yukikaze!
……
Acting like you didn’t hear me won’t work! Big Sis knows too, so I’m not letting you weasel your way outta this.
*sigh…* What do you want?
You read my mind! I knew I could count on you, Liguang! Can you get his autograph for me?
I need four, so it’s one for me, one for our sister, one for Mom, and one for my boyfriend!
…Did nobody teach you that bothering strangers is rude?
But Yukikaze isn’t even a stranger to you, he’s your roomie! That basically means you’re friends, right?
Oh, my god, can you tell him I’m his biggest fan? And that I loooove his step sequences! Especially when he did “La campanella” for his program last year…
Fine, I’ll get his autograph. But I’m only getting three.
Whaaaat, lame!
Linxing.
Hm? What is it?
……
Nothing, just remember to do what your mother and sister tell you to do… Don’t do anything dangerous.
Aw, what’s that all about? I listen to them all the time.
Besides…if I get into anything dangerous, you’ll protect me, right?
Yeah, I will.
I’m gonna go and tell the other two about the autographs!
……
Sojun.
Yes, Boss?
Strengthen the watch on Linxing while I’m gone.
(I’ll protect her… I won’t fail. Not this time.)
……
(A relaxed axel… Next, a butterfly jump…into a sit spin…)
(These moments when I become one with the music and dance across the ice are when I’m happiest.)
(Focus on your spin variations and step sequence instead of landing quads… To truly express myself in my skating, I…)
Achoo.
Phew, I should take a break.
I think you’ve warmed up enough. Don’t just do doubles. You need to be practicing your quads too.
Thank you, Dad. I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll get to them after my break.
Your biggest weakness right now is in the timing of your jumps. Your speed, height, and rotations are all up to par, but it feels like something’s holding you back from keeping up the momentum.
Yes, you might be right.
You have the technical ability, without a shadow of a doubt. If you could tap into that during competitions…you’ll start to see your medals change. Do you plan on getting second place forever?
…No, I don’t.
You’re leaving to live in those dorms starting tomorrow, right? Doing PR work is essential if you want to continue skating, but you don’t need to worry too much about your mayor work.
All you need to do is show up. Since I was the previous Ward 2 mayor, I can handle all of those responsibilities behind the scenes for you.
…But I… It’s something I get to do with
Hm? I’m sure he knows how important skating is to you, so there shouldn’t be an issue.
……
The work you do as mayor will be seen favorably by the JPN Skating Federation, since it helps improve the image of their competitions. That’s why I agreed to become mayor myself.
Your purpose in life is to win gold medals. Your mayoral duties will act as a stepping stone towards that goal, so take them seriously.
…I understand.
(My only purpose is to win…? Being able to work alongside
(I need to focus on my skating career too. Still, does that career really mean nothing outside of collecting medals?)