Ginban Kaleidoscope:Volume1 Chapter3

III - One More Chance?

The Grand Prix series, German competition.

My rival Shitou Kyouko came in third and got to stand on the award platform. She's about ten centimeters taller than me, has slightly long legs and arms, and she has the appearance of grieving for a deceased family member. Her slender, long eyes that show how strong her spirit is would, to a Westerner, give off the impression of the Orient being full of secret gods.

She's a young, rich heiress at the age of 23, and adding up her for-sure talents and precision, she also has careful expressiveness that extends to her fingertips. The frequency of which she uses classical music is high, and that's what most people are using this season. Except in her free program, she changes a little meaning, and she creaes elaborate programs that give off the image of her as a princess in a secluded inner room of her manor during the early Meijji period. About three years ago, she performed Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind, and it was comprised of her original personality coupled with her splendid reputation. And again, she succeeded using her charm.

"This is difficult..."

Even I couldn't help ooing and aahing when I saw her performance on TV. At the HNK tournament three weeks earlier, I competed against her directly, but it seemed like even here, there was a big difference, and I have no hope of making it to the Olympics. If I don't win, or at least catch up to her...

Her smile is gorgeous. Unlike a certain someone I know.

"Shut up. All this woman has is her appearance."

That's right. That's where I and Shitou would be opposites.

As a beautiful athelete (Q.E.D, but I can't keep up with her), popular, and with a great inner strength, to put it bluntly, she and I are colleagues who look similar.

Whether or not it's consequence, our relationship can't even be described as flattery, and we make it a point not to speak to each other as much as possible. Besides being rivals fighting for Japan's top spot, it's a convenient arrangement.

There's only one aspect where she beats me, and that's in how well other people accept her. She keeps public and private life separate, without bashing her opponent, and unlike me, who says what she thinks with no filter, she reds the situation and doesn't say anything that doesn't need to be said.

She treats the stupid mass media with calm and grace and has a face that even a first-class diplomat would envy. She conceals her true feelings cleverly, doesn't make unnecessary enemies, and is a very rational woman. That's what I don't like about her.

Furthermore, this victory at the German tournament was during the World Championships last season. Essentially, eight months ago.

At the tender age of fourteen years and two months, Russia's genius girl Ria Garnet Juetiev has climbed to the summit. (Garnet is her nickname.) She's a young master of the ice.

With blue eyes that are almost studded with stars, her long, thin, and slight nose and lips, she was blessed with both a slight body mass as well as an indigo blue short haircut. That, coupled with her small face, gives off the impression of an elaborate doll without her even trying. Her white skin seems almost weaved with snow crystals, and her high purity certainly helps. At times, she only sparkles white and blue on the rink.

Adding up her excellent abilities and her beauty that has no faults, it's no wonder she's soaring the ranks of popularity. It's not hard to see how the media adulates her. They would probably all write unanimously: "The Olympic champion is none other than Ria Garnet!"

Except she and I have a strange thing in common. We're both beautiful, and neither of us is very expressive. Not only at the after parties of competitions, bu even in private photos in figure skating journals, we're thoroughly expressionless. In that regard, she's even more of a strong person than me. But... when she's on the ice, she transforms.

Less than one hundred and fifty centimeters in height, with a figure that has not yet reached maturity, and at the age of fourteen... She has a smile and gaze that give off the air of self-righteousness, bringing with it the desire in the judges, guests, and even the people watching on TV to not stop looking at her.

Without argument, she's got world-class skills with an intimidating air, but that's why she's unstoppable. Sometimes, even I will watch her moves and choreography and try to imitate them. I have a respect and admiration for her greater than for myself.

However... no matter how you look at it, that sort of calm expression and body language is impossible for me.