#going from 2nd in the junior competitions to not even placing at all because while i improved i didn't improve enough

[thisisaname-whatahappyname]

sushi soucy did not need to pop off this hard ive been in shambles for two days now

[theskategatsby]

3A: From the dream team to catastrophe

Aliona Kostornaia, Alexandra Trusova and Anna Sherbakova, better known as 3A, are 3 Russian figure skaters coached by Eteri Tutberidze.

While they were juniors, they were always seen dominating competitions by placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Only losing to each other.

Alexandra Trusova, popular for starting the quad revolution in women's figure skating, was seen as the 'leader' of the group, she was expected to start winning everything when she turned senior. Aliona Kostornaia was seen as the most artistic, graceful and theatrical one, she can't jump any quads, but she does have a triple axel. Anna Sherbakova on the other hand, can jump quads, yet she is the least talked about in this trio.

They all turned from juniors to seniors at the same time, and contrary to what most people expected, Aliona Kostornaia starts winning all the competitions. In May 2020, it was announced that Alexandra (also known as Sasha) would be leaving Team Tutberidze for The Angels Of Plushenko. Only a month later, it was announced that Aliona would also be leaving Team Tutberidze for The Angels Of Plushenko. Eteri Tutberidze and Evgeni Plushenko had a dispute not long before this about another skater, Evgenia Medvedeva, and they were still not on good terms.

Sasha mainly moved to Plushenko so she could be #1 at the camp and have all the attention on her, specifically from Sergei Rozanov, who is a coach who previously worked at Eteri's camp, but moved to Plushenko. He is the coach that helped all of 3A to get their jumps, this is another reason why Eteri and Plushenko are rivals. Sasha was unhappy about her main competition, Aliona, also moving to Plushenko and being coached by Sergei. A schedule had to be made where neither of them could see each other on the ice or even leaving/entering the rink. Because Sergei started coaching Aliona again, Sasha didn't want to be coached by him anymore and she started working with a different coach.

A few months later, Aliona decided to move back to Eteri, but she was given a very hard time. She was forced to give an interview on Russian state television apologising for what she did and practically begging Eteri for forgiveness. Sadly, Aliona got infected with COVID this season, which took her out of most competitions this season. Eventually, Eteri allowed Aliona to return to her camp under one condition, she had to get her triple axel back within 2 months.

Sasha also moved back to Eteri later because of the Eteri bonus, which basically means that those coached by Eteri get higher scores in competition. This switch was just in time for the olympic season, for these olympics, there were only 3 spots for the Russians, and one of them was already taken by Kamila Valieva. There were 6 more olympic-level athletes who had to battle it out for 2 spots to go to Beijing. Due to the level difference between Russian figure skaters and the rest of the world, going to the olympics almost guarantees coming home with a medal. After Sasha showcased her 5-quad record breaking performance at Russian test skates, she was also set to go to Beijing. This whole season, Eteri's team spoke very negatively of Aliona during press conferences, calling her lazy and saying that her personality is the reason she can't land quads. Suddenly, Aliona posted a picture of a broken arm, which knocked her out of the battle to go to the olympics. There was still a battle between Jelizaveta Tuktamysheva and Anna Sherbakova over who would go to the olympics, but because the federation has a preference for Eteri girls, Anna was chosen to go. At the time, Anna didn't even have any ultra C elements in her programs, but she ended up performing ultra C elements at the olympics.

These heartbreaking olympics ended with Anna in first place, Sasha, heartbroken, in second, and Kamila, the favourite to win gold, in 4th place. I have a more detailed post about Beijing 2022 on my blog if you're interested.

These olympics marked the end of the dreamteam that was 3A, and this will go down in history as the death of figure skating.

[tutuandscoot]

Thought of the evening:

I’m only just now becoming OBSESSED with Sui/Han (the pairs team from china 🇨🇳)

They for me are the VM of the Pairs worlds, and I don’t just mean their GOAT status (if not then by far one of the best ever) athletic prowess.

I mean they have what TS have- that thing that some claim to be madly in love (but not that), or that once in a million years magically unexplainable connection (my take on it), and an intimacy/chemistry on the ice that can’t be created out of thin air- it’s some written in the stars kinda shit.

They make me feel a similar way to TS do. Like time stands still, like they truly are in a bubble, like the air is thinner and only they can hear the music. Everyone watching is holding their breathe, you don’t want it to end, it’s so seamless, there’s never a major struggle.

As well as all that there is a tonne of uncannily similar stuff. They were paired up very young (not quite as young as TS but maybe even more so in pairs being put together then staying together from a young age is so rare because growing, teenage years etc..) I’m not sure if they were each other first partners, if not have obviously never separated since being put together. She had very serious injuries (both ankles) that required surgery and were potentially career ending (before the first surgery where they placed 2nd at worlds in 2016 he said they may not be competing ever again if the surgery doesn’t work). They have a very distinct lack of height difference (and height in general for pairs) which was something that always seemed to be a thing about TS- their lack of height difference and especially growing up if she got too tall it wouldn’t work out. It’s in fact a super power of both teams.

They are both the only two ‘couples’ skaters (pairs and ice dance) to win a Super Career Grand Slam (every major international competition in both juniors and seniors).

To be fair it’s not that I’m only NOW becoming obsessed. I desperately wanted them to win the olys this year- after their mission impossible SP I was like wholly fuck! And then their Bridge Over Troubled Water FP (which I later found out they re used the music but the program is totally different), and while I hate the fact that is was not the S+G version of the song I’m still in love with that program.

I’m essentially going down a rabbit hole like I did with VM the (2nd, 3rd time I got obsessed with them.. can’t remember) but I’m going so slow coz I just keep watching the same programs over and over.

Rn I CAN NOT stop watching their Rain In Your Black Eyes FP from 2019 worlds. I’ve watched it maybe 6 times and I’m borderline crying/ have chills every time.

Their chore in general is amazing!! Laurie Nichol does chore for lots of skaters but this is another instance like with VM where the very very best make actual magic from their chore.

They just have this intimacy and while it’s not as emotional and romantic as TS’s it’s still so moving and draws you in and gives you those feels that last for ages after you’ve watched them- that feeling that you really want to give them a hug afterwards coz you feel like they really laid their hearts on the line for you and you just want to make sure they’re ok.

It’s that thing like with TS that you can feel them communicating- not just talking (apparently SH also talk in their programs) but you can FEEL them communicating.

I’ve never felt this way with any other dance team and I honestly didn’t think I’d ever feel it from a pairs team at all. And honestly it is so surprising it’s a Chinese team illiciting this reaction. While trying not to play into stereotypes, it’s hard for me coz I’m so invested in geo politics but I’ve always found it hard to root for countries like china (also Russia and USA) and along with that in terms of artistic sports it is just typical that those eastern (block) teams are more technical and in general less emotionally compelling. But SH do not feel like any typical eastern block team. It’s almost astonishing their emotional presentation. They can be (in their own way- not the same a TS) sexy, seductive, romantic, intense, vulnerable. All those things and sometimes all at once and it’s amazing it’s giving me chills writing about it.

I even feel like I have a vague recollection of reading that SH are very inspired by TS and the way they move and they get a lot of inspiration from their innovation in lifts and dance chore (coz SH have insanity beautiful choreographic moments) Idk I could be making all that up to justify my obsession but I really do feel like I have (If someone knows what I’m talking about please hmu with facts)

The way they are in their partnership as well- and this is piggy backing off some commentary, he sets her off- he makes her the star, she is a star, but he makes sure people know it (just like Scott does with Tessa) but to be that good- to not distract from your partner but be soooo good in your own right in every part of it makes him just as good as her (same as TS). Their connection, they way they handle each other (out of chore) has similar qualities (again going back to the stereotypes talk is so refreshing to see from a Chinese team) once again not the exact same way but just this comfort and trust in each other that only comes from being together so long (but even then other long time partners don’t have this- it’s soooo rare).

So so far I’ve watched their 2016, 2017, 2018 2019, 2022 (these are the worlds/oly years) programs. Their shorts are always fire I’m obsessed with all of them. Their frees my faves are RIYBE (2019) and BOTW from this year in particular. Oh and turandot from 2018 olys (wasn’t perfect but is brilliant as well).

So fear not this is not gonna stop being a TS blog, I just need to say this coz while I watch a tonne of FS (mostly in the background while I sew) i don’t particularly love it or connect to a lot of it- there’s alot that bothers me about it (it’s relation to dance and now that I’ve learned about the more technical side of it the flutzers and the likes really piss me off..) but SH are special like TS are and so I just need to say it.

This post is for anyone else obsessed with SH- I’ve now boarded the ship (that maybe/has departed.. are they gonna keep competing, what’s the story with china are they banned like Russia- I didn’t think so but typical I fall in love with a team after they retire). And for anyone else who isn’t really a FS person and is just here for VM please go watch this team if you want the closest possible thing to TS but more ‘tricks’ (that’s the other thing about pairs I find it hard to connect to coz the elements are more ‘circus-y’. And generally less connection even compared to the most bland of dance couples).

Ok there. I’m a SH Stan. They make me (almost) cry and honestly that there were several times their career nearly derailed just like TS makes me so emotional.

Here’s a RIDICULOUSLY cute moment that’s something like TS would/does 100% do (not in public tho coz the crazies would legit just think T was pregnant with S baby 🙄).

[ichigoichiesworld]

Interview with Japan Daily News - The Mainichi - Maeda Kentaro - It’s cool to make dreams come true 

(Rough Translation)

We asked Maeda Kentaro, who plays the main character Igarashi Ikki in "Kamen Kamen Rider Revice," how to become cooler. 

“I believe that people who work hard and diligently are the coolest.”

Maeda began practicing karate in kindergarten and continued for about 15 years. He is a Nidan (2nd dan) karate master, and when he was in his 3rd year of junior high school, he won the first place in the whole country’s karate kata team competition. 

“During the summer holidays before important competitions, I would get up early and run, I practiced in the morning and in the afternoon, and even at night, so there was not much time to eat.“

Maeda recalled, "In high school, I did not achieve good results. However,” he says, "It is important not to give up even if you don't make it, and to keep going without thinking that it was a waste of time.”

Maeda believes that even if your efforts did not directly bear fruit, there will come a day when they will be useful somewhere else. 

Maeda said, "I believe I was able to become a Kamen Rider because I had all the right conditions, including karate and my skills, and my own life up to this point is accumulation of the past. If I had lacked even one single thing, I am sure I would not have been able to become a Kamen Rider.”

Never give up and keep challenging yourself

Maeda has wanted to be a Kamen Rider since he was a child.

When he was a freshman in college, he took part in a contest to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor, but was unsuccessful. However, Maeda did not give up.

When he was in his third year of college, as the people around him started to prepare for job hunting, he decided that if he was going to work, he wanted to do what he wanted to do. He decided to challenge the path of acting again, saying, "I’ve had a goal of becoming one of the best actors in Japan since I was learning karate, and I would do my best with such a big goal in mind.”

Then he’s got the leading role in Kamen Rider series.

“Be it sports or anything other fields. The way you challenge yourself to do what you want to do is what makes you cool. And that will surely one day make everyone's dreams come true!”

It has been almost a year since "Kamen Rider Revice" was first broadcast on TV.

Maeda told us about the time when he heard that he had been chosen to play the leading role, "I was so surprised that my mind went completely blank. Of course I was happy, but I had no idea what was going on. For a while, I felt as if I was not myself.”

Maeda said, “It was very difficult at first.” However, “everyone in the cast were my friends, and since we were together almost every day for a year, we were like a family, and when things got really tough, someone was always there to help out.” He said he was supported by the warmth of the people around him.

“As was the case with karate, the friends you’ve shared both painful and enjoyable experiences with are your most precious possession.”

The confidence to continue practicing karate

Maeda cited his karate experience as another thing that supported him.

“At first, my body didn't move the way I wanted since I was kinda new to it. Compared to the current state-of-art, I often feel that I should have done more. But action is my appeal point, and above all, the confidence I have gained from continuing to do this for so long has been a great support for me. It is a part of my heart that told me not to give up nor give in.”

In the movie that will be released this summer, he performed action scenes with the mind and body that he has cultivated through karate.

“Whether or not I have confidence in myself, I did my best, and I hope you will see it.“

The footprints in history

Maeda talked about the main character of Revice, Igarashi Ikki, "It's cool how he is able to act immediately to save someone."

“Someone who is willing and able to do anything for others’ sake is wonderful, right?”

Maeda then reflected on the past filming sessions and said, "If we look cool in front of the public, it is because of the hard work of all the staff involved in the production of the film. The staff members are really cool.”

“It’s not always easy to see from the outside, but it is not only those who are out in the open that are cool. We are here because there are people who support us.”

In closing, Maeda proudly stated, "Thanks to everyone who was involved in the production and everyone who supported us, I believe we have left our mark on the 50-year history of Kamen Rider.”

[tutyayilmazz]

Translation of a nice interview with chuso:

After receiving the title of Honoured Coach of UZB she wants to open her own gym even more. The president promised to make this happen, and that it will be the best club around.

They show the silly dance she does on her Insta at the meeting of the President & UZB team and says that shows her typical daily mood - she's very a very positive & happy person

They ask whether the title makes up for the incident with the flag at the OG. She says you can't relate the two. She's not the person to hold a grudge and has let it go and moved on.

Her brother did gym and started taking her with him she she wouldn't be at home alone. For the first while she trained with the boys because she liked it better with them. When she was 8 she moved to the girls group.

It's just coincidence that she ended up in gymnastics as she doesn't have a sporty family, had never seen gym on TV or watched the OG. When people asked her as a kid what she wanted to be she would say "a policeman" as she had no concept of being a gymnastics champion

She was first noticed by the national team at the Komsomolka competition in Tashkent, a jnr comp for KMS level, she thinks in 1987. Aleksandrov was the head coach at that time. She won the AA and was invited to Round Lake for the 1st time

She actually didn't like the 1st training camp at all. It was a different regime and expectations, and she also felt the other girls weren't very nice. Now she understands that it was because it was very competitive to get on the team

When the USSR collapsed she never had any thoughts about going to compete for Russia. She came back to UZB and only thought about competing for them. Her parents were actually working and living in Russia, but she stayed in UZB

Her coach was in UZB, she had grown up as a gymnast there. She never actually wanted to compete for another country.

She's asked what kind of official privileges etc her titles have granted her and she's not sure! She says she will find out as now she has time to :) She knows that you do get a lifetime pension for titles and Olympic medals.

Toyota was the sponsor of the Bundesliga club she was competing for at the time her son was ill & provided the guarantee for him to get a place in the hospital. They needed this in case they didn't manage to raise the funds to prove that the cost of treatment would still be paid.

After she got her citizenship there was never any pressure on her to compete and win medals for Germany, it was completely up to her whether she wanted to or not.

Her coach in Germany was Zhanna Polyakova who is originally from BLR. Oksana credits her with teaching her how to get enjoyment from and love gymnastics.

She always planned on returning to UZB once her son was better. The host says many people might be surprised at this decision after having lived in Germany. She felt the opposite :) She loves Tashkent & adores UZB, it's her home.

There was no issue transferring back to competing for UZB, Germany gave the release and UZB accepted, no animosity from Germany for leaving and UZB happy to have her back!

She just knew Tokyo would be her last time competing, and not that she doesn't love gymnastics any more, just that it was time.

Oksana thanks the host for being the first to name & describe all her own elements correctly! She explains that most of them came about spontaneously, ie doing the twist in the 1st salto wasn't working so they tried it on the 2nd.

They never purposefully tried to be innovative, didn't always know if they were the 1st person to do it etc.

She is asked to explain how difficult her skills are to the layperson. She uses the HS 540 vault as an example and says there are only about 5 people in the world who do it. Asked to name them, she says Moreno, Steingruber, the Korean gymnast, Akhaimova & her.

She doesn't consider herself a legend or a hero. She's a person who does something she enjoys. Asked how she would label herself in the sports world she says "just a good person".

Her decision to finish after Tokyo felt easy until her last performance when she got the standing ovation and had tears in her eyes. Then she realised it wasn't that simple! [I'm gonna cry again 😭😭😭]

Re flag incident. Still doesn't know the reason that happened & so doesn't have much to say. Thinks if they weren't sure they shouldn't have announced it. Athletes are sensitive, take things to heart and that the officials didn't think about how much that could affect someone.

She cried a lot that night and was really upset about it. It's still very painful, and you could see it in her eyes in the interview :(

It did affect her performance. She didn't have the same fire in her eyes & same adrenaline as usual. During the OG she didn't read any media about her etc. Mentions she spoke with Nemov, Boginskaya later - they know her well enough to leave her alone at the time.

The host compliments her and says she saw all the photos of her with the RUS, USA team etc at the OG and that she looks amazing. Oksana says "I know!"

She jokes about how in warm up etc the younger gymnasts are so respectful to her, sometimes they offer for her to go ahead of them etc and it's like letting elders get on the bus first :)

Her plans now are to live a full life, open her gym and enrol kids, raise new stars, and enjoy life.

Asked about current situation with gymnastics in UZB she says they have good juniors and so it's okay. Explains its very hard to qualify a team. Doing so for 2024 isn't realistic but they will try to do so by 2028.

She will try to enrol as many kids as possible at her gym as she knows the more you start with, the better chance that some will continue to a high level.

She names upcomers in UZB as Dildora Aripova, Anastasiya Mishnichenko and also that they have new seniors next year so should have a full team at the Asian Games.

Asked what is the meaning of life. Oksana struggles to think of an answer, but decides it is to make the world a kinder place. It's not sport, that's a hobby. She knows that people are kind, just sometimes they don't know it themselves :)

[mxtcha-tea]

happy birthday

✎desc; happy birthday riseki :)

✎pairing[s]; riseki x f!reader [pls remind me if i miss any]

✎word count; 1.8k [not proofread]

✎genre; fluff

✎language[s]; english

✎chef note; Okay, so, today's the birthday of the extra underrated character, RISEKI!! Happy birthday riseki :D

Everyday, everyday is just the same to him. Waking up, going to school, studying and then going back home. It’s an endless cycle that doesn’t seem like there’s an ending. That is until, Riseki graduated junior high and rolled in high school.

But this time, he wanted to end that cycle and live up a more exciting life, something he woke up eager to do. It’s something that may change his life point but it’ll be worth it, he will learn volleyball. He had only seen it as a sport or hobby in his old school and thought nothing of it.

That’s until he tried it himself. From all of his experiences, Riseki had never felt so exhilarated and nervous at the same time while playing a sport.

His mind is all over the place and he feels like crashing down from the adrenaline, but he keeps trying to avoid the ball from hitting the floor. That’s when he smiled and said to himself,

“That was fun…”

Now, his mind is heading through a positive mindset right now when he steps foot inside Inarizaki High and applies as a 1st year student in the volleyball club. It was all coming true, he’ll be able to learn volleyball properly again and hopefully enough, he’ll make it to the starting players.

A big smile plastered on his face when he was heading towards the gym for the meeting of the freshmans. It was swiftly wiped away when Riseki saw how intimidating the players were.

Even with the 2nd years, who were just 1 year apart from him, are well built than what he expected. Not to mention that the 3rd years are very, VERY scary. Their figure, their voices, pretty much everything about their presence is alarming for anyone. That causes him to feel self conscious about himself, especially after seeing how they play.

It’s so aggressive and he thinks he knows why exactly Inarizaki’s Volleyball Club is one of the most feared volleyball teams throughout Japan. Thankfully enough, they don’t need to play today since it’s their first time.

Riseki sat on the floor, staring at his seniors playing volleyball. Despite their aggressive play, they still have a smile on their faces and look like they’re having fun.

But then again, this sport is not only for fun but also for competition. From all around the prefecture, and maybe even the country. He started feeling like this sport isn’t for him, they’re more skilled than him and he can’t help but feel small around them.

He looked down onto the floor, in embarrassment? In fear? He don’t know himself but all he can do is look down in sha-

“Hey, you okay?” Riseki flinched a little as he shot his eyes open and looked up towards the source of the voice. And then he found you, crouching in front of him with both a curious and worried look.

His eyes went wide as red started decorating his face. He tried to look elsewhere and avoid eye contact but wherever he looked, his eyes would still look back at you. He doesn’t know why, but your presence brings comfort and makes him feel…

...safe.

Riseki’s mouth kept on opening and closing, trying to get a word out but yet, he couldn’t say anything, “I-um, wha-” You blinked, before laughing a little at his tone and expression. His heart started beating faster as his cheeks turned into a more deeper colour of red,

“Calm down, it’s okay,” You offered him a smile, standing up from your spot and for some reasons, he did the same, “Yer a first year, right?” “Uh- yeah! I’m, Riseki, I mean, Riseki Heisuke!” You nodded,

“Yeah, I know that,” That’s when he noticed the clipboard in your hand, and then he remembered the whole meeting all over again, “Remember me? [y/n]? You look like yer spacing out during the meeting and I’m just checking if you’re okay, Riseki,”

He skipped a beat when you said his name, it felt nice, “Um, I...sorry, I don’t remember,” You chuckled, “That’s okay, I’m yer manager anyway,”

Holding out your hand for him to shake. He hesitated a little to take it before taking it and slightly shaking your hand,

“Nice to meet ya and welcome to the club!”

And at that moment, he knew that it’s going to be better here than he expected. The smile he put on earlier before entering the gym appeared back as he nodded,

“Thanks!”

BAM!

The ball hitted the floor with a loud sound echoing throughout the gym, “Nice, Riseki!” The ravenette high fived with Ginjima, wiping out the sweats falling down from his forehead.

He jogged to the bench, Kita handing him a towel and water bottle. He thanked his captain and gulped down almost all of the water inside, sighing in content after, “That was a nice spike, Riseki. The improvement is very obvious and I hope you can keep it up,”

He nodded, “Of course!” Then, Akagi butted in with a towel on top of his head, “Ya should take a rest, Riseki-chi! That was a pretty exhausting practice just now and I bet ya feel the need to go outside for some fresh air,”

Riseki looks at his senior (who’s shorter than him but he wouldn’t point out on that) with a confused look, “Akagi-San, I think I’m fine, I don’t think I should-”

Before he can even finish his sentences, Akagi quickly pushes him all the way to the outside of the gym whilst yelling, “OUTSIDE!” and running back to his other 3rd year friends.

He stands there dumbfounded but obliged with his senior’s request, it’s considerate of him to worry about him anyway. He sat down on the small stairs, ruffling his hair with the towel while breathing heavily out of exhaustion.

Another day, another practice, just like any other days. It’s almost been 3 months of him in the volleyball club right now and Riseki already felt tired with only these training sessions.

But he had to admit that it is fun. He got to make friends along the way and bond nicely with his seniors. He was content with his decision of joining the volleyball club. Then again,

Riseki looks down at the ground, kicking rocks that’s in front of him before looking ahead of him. All of this happened all thanks to you. If you haven’t approached him that day, he would’ve quit right there right then.

You’re the one who gave him the courage to continue and bond with the players despite their scary looks. And...you gave him motivation,

“Just remember that you’re doing this for someone, okay?”

He recalled you saying those words to him, rather to make him know that he should not only do this for himself, but for someone. And that someone is you, he wanted to do this for you and make you proud,

“Oh god, what are you thinking Riseki…” He groaned to himself, covering his already red face with his hands.

Ginjima watches him from a distance as he looks to his left and finds you coming out from the door at the other side of the gym, “[y/n]-San!” He called over as you look at him, well, them as you jogged over to their direction,

“So how’s it doing?” Aran asked, a worried look plastered onto his face. All you can do is sigh and cross your arms, “They’re taking much more long than expected, and ‘Tsumu says that we should distract him more before they arrive,”

“Well, then I think we should let you do the job then,” Akagi said, pointing his thumb towards Riseki who’s still sitting at the entrance. A smile appeared onto your face,

“With pleasure,”

And with that, you walked towards where Riseki’s sitting and sat next to him, “Hey,” He flinched and looks at you with wide eyes. Just like the first time, “[y/n]-San, I-”

“Wait, wait, no don’t talk yet,” He closed his mouth in an instant and waited for you to say something, “Okay, how do I say this...well, today’s your birthday right?” He blinked,

“WAIT, YOU REMEMBERED?” “Of course I remember! How can I not? I’m even waiting for it to come,” Riseki can feel his cheeks heating up all over again, but then he looks away,

“Why, would you wait for my birthday? I mean, there’s the other birthdays you can wait for,” A frown appeared on his face, fiddling with his fingers. He heard you chuckled before taking his attention back at you,

“Think about it Riseki, why would I actually wait for yer birthday?” “. . .I don’t really know,” “It’s because I care about you,” His fingers stopped moving as you continue,

“If I haven’t waited for it, then that means I don’t specifically have the feeling to care about you, right? Sure, I do care about the others, but for some reasons, I have the feeling to care for you more, to know if you’re actually feeling the same emotions as me,”

“And because…”

You turned your head around to look at him. Riseki’s already looking at you, waterfalls falling down from his rosy cheeks. All you can do is smile, holding his face in your hands and wiping out the tears with your thumb,

“I like you, Heisuke,”

He sniffled, a burst of euphoria went off inside him when you said those 3 words so easily. It felt like a dream but at the same time, it’s not. But he wished that he won’t wake up after this, it’s better like this anyway,

“So,”

Bonus

“Hey! C’mere you two lovebirds!”

Riseki flinched at the nickname as he looked at his seniors, ready to be embarrassed by them but instead, he was greeted by all of the seniors and friends from the same year, all huddled up together with Osamu holding a cake,

“They didn’t forget about your birthday too,” You said, helping him stand up and dust his shoulder. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Atsumu hitting Osamu in the shoulder and yelled at him,

“We had to wait much more longer for the cake and me and Suna had to stop yer fat ass from stealing a taste,” “Well, in my defense, I was just making sure that it tasted good and we’re not poisoned,” “In what situation exactly is the cake gonna get poisoned?!”

“Okay, that’s enough you two,” Aran separated them two, sighing at their antics even during their junior’s beloved birthday. You chuckled, and then hold your attention back at Riseki as he did the same,

“Now let’s start your day birthday boy,”

For once in his life, a big and warm smile reached into his lips as he nodded, both of you walking towards them as the boys of the Inarizaki Volleyball Gym cheered.

‘This is fun…’ Riseki thought to himself, and it’ll always be fun.

[lgcmax]

hellooooo my legacy loves !! i hope life’s been treating you all well ! i know right now things are still pretty difficult ( as been all of 2020 tbh ), so i just wanted to flood the dash w a little positivity !!  you know, sometimes i feel bad because it seems that i can’t connect with everyone as much as i’d like, and it sucks !! but between my spotty activity at times and bad response times i didn’t want you to think i loved you all any less. so !!! below you will find a love letter to all of you lovely muns as well as some individual comments about my favorite thing about your muses everybody ! also, if you have lgc friends who aren’t really dash scrollers feel free to share this with them so that they can see !! anyways, go ahead and enjoy 😇💖

dear legacy,

okay - let me start by saying - i care for you sooooo so much !! and that goes for ALL of you reading this !! even if we’ve never talked, or you just joined, or we talk like every other month but never seem to catch each other at the right time ? i care for you !!! and don’t you ever forget it. honestly, legay is one of the healthiest places i’ve been in to develop my muse in a safe space, void of any judgement or just weird vibes. and that has to do with all of you, and i’d like to thank you for that !! our mods, of course, get a special hug for all that you guys do - i know that things can get hard, and we test your patience sometimes ... i get it !!  but to us, you’re kinda like our rp parents ?? we might nag, joke, and annoy but it’s all out of love, we promise ahaha !! anywho, once again everyone i’ve met in legacy, has no lie been so special to me ?? and i want you guys to know that !! literally all of you, even if it was just a quick message, have made an imprint on the great rp experience i’ve had here and i’d like to thank you for that ! and no this isn’t me leaving, i promise i’m gonna stick around for a loong time to come ahaha. but honestly, who would’ve thought ? i was bouncing around from rp to rp, and i didn’t recall, if i’m being hoenst, expect anything to come out of me giving this place a shot for the 2nd time ? but i’m so grateful to have gotten such a wonderful experience that made me not want to leave. there’s always things to do, muses to meet, and it’s crazy how well everyone keeps the dash flowing ! i’m always excited to look at what you and your muses are up too, and honestly i’m lowkey invested in all their little relationships lol ?? but that’s what makes this place so special ! the friendships, the enemies, the romance, and everything in between has made this into such a unique writing atmosphere to be a part of. so for that, i say thank you. and here’s to more legacy for years to come !!

now for the special portion of my letter !!! in alphabetical order, you will find a compliment of mine for your muse below !! phew, here i go :

(  and pls ... if i forgot u ... i apologize 20000x !! PLEASE tell me lol !! obviously this is for muses who are here at the time of writing this 10/2/2020, and i may update ! but if your muse is here at that time and you don’t see them PLEASE tell me i want to write them something but i might have accidentally deleted someone’s in the process of writing so many ! )

phunsawat kannika first of all i have the fattest crush on her fc ojoijjoioij !! anyways, i love the commitment to all her pages, all her character inspos are my favorite, and i’m really interested to see her adjustment to korea ! i think she’s doing a great job already and will show that she can go even further !

yoon aria i haven’t got to say it yet but i LOVE how much of a meme she is oijoiiooij !! esp since she’s a model, it’s fun to have one who’s this cool model on camera but honestly so real and fun ?? like it gives her so much depth and i’m sure she’ll develop a loyal fanbase of like-minded goofs ? i want her and nari to interact tbh haha !!

lee benji my KING ! i love seeing benji develop his sense of purpose and try to see what he wants to become in the long run, and also how he’s stayed true to himself even after mocing to a whole different country ! and of course, his commitment to caring for others !

pongsak tee i ship jinseo and tee oijojoijoij !!!!!! anywho we love the thai representation, i really have enjoyed seeing tee’s progress over the past few months and how he’s adapting to slowly coming into the starlight ? it seems he’s still managed to maintain his kindness and i really enjoy that about him !

im nari is void because she is my muse but i love her very much hee hee !!

kang eunho first off as i’m writing this i see eunho’s first words for his babysitting solo is him flipping out over how cute babies are and i just think that’s adorable lol. but anywho ! eunho’s such a little sunshine and def gives me baby energy ?? light of my life. he’s like legacy’s daily dose of vitamins !

im bomi hana ... my favorite girl who i’m in love with ojjojjoijioji !! i think hana is so weird and goofy in the BEST ways and she’s an example of someone who’s not a famous girl, but a girl who happened to get famous ? i love her for her quirks and all her uniqueness, gamer girls ftw, 10/10 main character material !

hwang minjun i also love shinha and minjun too lmao !!! they are ... v cute !! i love how warm minjun’s heart is from what i’ve seen, and how open and accepting he is to all types of people and welcomes them to his warm fuzzy heart !!! also i would like to personally thank him for taking max in when they were in tokyo max DOES NOT deserve !

kim jinah ah i love her sm !! i know it sounds like max talking, but i love how she’s basically one of the bros lmao ?? but really ! i love her dually embracing of her cuter side and her more casual one, and how she just seems like the type of person you can have a drink and a good talk with ? and her interactions w junghwan stand out and give her an unexpected soft side !

lee yushin i feel like yushin is the younger brother we all wish we had but don’t deserve !! just a real fresh breath of air, definitely a little goofy but just as sweet ?? has the capability to win over even the coldest muses hearts ! and i am rooting for actor yushin 100%. you got this bud !!!!

kim nami somehow nami always pops up first on my dashboard but i’m not mad about it at all lol !! and i think nami is actually very multi-dimensional ! she already seems pretty sure of where she wants herself to go, and i think she’s going to make a really good senior to mentor junior trainees once she’s debuted for a bit ! she def will come correct !!! 

lin yue the way i’m SO invested in guessing what she’s eating but never can .... ahh !! also she loves martial arts which means nari would love her if she knew her uwu. anyways to me she’s quite the baddie, i feel like she’s got her toes dipped in a lot of things and therefore will be very versatile in what she can do ? i really love that ( outside of her outstanding visuals ) she actually has a v good personality and niche interests !

ahn dohwan i have promised myself i wouldn’t put any emphasis on fcs but since vernon is one of my ults i literally have to say: TASTE. anywho lmao !! dohwan gives me cafe boy vibes ?? hear me out. could totally see him making someone a macchiato while listening to their problems and offering advice ? he just seems like a v good listener & adviser ! i think once he debuts for real for real he’s gonna have a lot of bf material made by fans haha !!

leong charlotte first of all i just need to comment i saw a while ago on the dash when charlotte covered i wait and that was ?? iconic ??? we stan ??? streamday6pls ahem anyways ! her being in a band itself makes her an instant baddie, but beyond that she also seems v kind & passionate from what i’ve seen ! she’s got the cute & the fierce, and because of that i think she’ll be fierce competition in the industry once she debuts !

choi max is my muse however as my first bb here i love him deeply heart heart !!

jung ahin i will not lie i did not know seungwoo before i saw ahin, then realized he kinda looked like wonwoo and started to simp ?? IOJOIJOJ anyway this is more of an ooc note but thank u ahin’s mun for bringing me to the light 😇anyways !! i want ahin to do more things to make himself happy bc i think he really is this close to living his best life !! i want something really really good to make him super happy yk ? also i support his english learning journey !

kang jaemin HI ME REALIZING I NEED TO MESSAGE U BACK I’M SORRY SCREECH anyway !! he has a very warm presence, i feel like even when he debuts he’ll be the approachable type ? but also he’s just so smiley and i love it !! such a little fuzzball !! i do feel like more is going on in jaemin’s head than people would think, though ??

lee jaewoo listen jaewoo is my baby ok ... and he’s nari’s too ! also btw did you ever get that birthday text from her own his acc ? anyways i’m going wayy of topic let’s regroup lol !! i honestly admire the level of passion and drive he has so young, and he’s already come so far ? jaewoo has a lot of love in his heart for people and i hope he keeps that even after years of acting ! he truly is the light of lgc agency uwu !

seo yura i feel like yura is v real ! i think she only hides the things she feels are nessescary about herself, but to me she still comess off as really genuine ? it seems she has many types of connections present in her life, which i really like ! i think she’ll do really good at holding her own once it’s time for her official debut and i’m excited to see what’s ahead !

kang jun i think jun doubts himself far more than he realizes just how much he’s capable of !! jun is so adorable and he might hate me for saying that but it is what it is !! i don’t think he’s recognized his true power yet, and though that’s sort of good at humbling him, i think he will be a beast when he becomes fully confident ?? and i believe he will !! i think getting a proper fanbase will show him just how much he can do !

 ji haneul okay haneul made it to type zero, so tbh he already has his life together more than half of us ?? IOJOIJOJ no but for real i think haneul is a true  ✨professional ✨even if he wouldn’t believe me if i told him ? although HE might not be so confident in it, i think haneul’s growing into his more mature self well and it’ll actually help him in the long run as he starts his journey in the idol industry !

kang jina you know what ? i think jina would be a really good leader in her group, if she were to debut as an idol ! i think she has really good communication skills and seems to just vibe with everyone around her ? which is important, as a leader ! but i also feel like she could lighten the mood and kay down the rules depending on which is needed ? that’s just how i feel ! i think she’d do well <3

seo geonwoo first of his theme is so aesthetically pleasing wow ?? anywho ! i do really enjoy geonwoo and honestly need to pay him more attention !  i honestly respect the fact that he knows his own power, and isn’t afraid to be confident in himself ? he just seems v sure of how he wants to live his life which makes him seem v stable, and def in the right direction ! i think he most often knows whats best for himself, and that’s a really valuable skill to have !

ok miyoung first off i DEFININTELY whole-heartedly ship miyoung and hunji, i do !! 😌 but yes miyoung def has romcom protagonist vibes, and i mean that in the best way possible ?? like she’s got quite a lot of things going on for her simultaneously, all while trying to discover things about herself too ?? i empathize with the level of chaos in her life but i think she’s handling it all very well and it’s exciting to read about !

son nabi nabi my ANGEL. i didn’t even know nabi too well prior to us plotting but now i’m so glad that i do !! she has the kindest heart and is willing to go out of her way, even for people she isn’t that close to, just out of the good of her heart ? and i think that’s so powerful ! she’s so baby and i vow to protect her from all the horrors of the entertainment industry because she’s a prime example of light amongst darkness !

ahn jaehwa you knowww jaehwa’s my girl 😚 i just love her adventurous spirit, and how she definitely is filled with more mischief than she may show on first impression ? i think she can use that to her advantage, and it will translate really well as charisma !! her and max’s first interaction showed me just how much of a daredevil she can be and i love it ! psa, we need to plot again !  

lee yohan first of yushina nd yohan’s broken friendship is some .... tea 🍵 i’m intrigued ... really i am !! i kinda wanna give him a massage chair for his birthday because i feel like there really is a lot of internal conflict going on in his head ? def hoping he achieves the dream od getting famous before he’s forced to enlist and drop his dreams, and in return for my support i am expecting free starbucks coffee on him, lol !!

bae nathan i honestly didn’t even realize just how iconic nathan is until we started plotting ? him and max share a lot of similarities, which i love, but beyond that he just is such a real dude who kinda just seems ... ok with being not perfect ? and i enjoy that ! he’s accepting the fact that he makes mistakes and knows that that’s ok. i feel like in the future he’d have a fire podcast ?? like i just feel like it’d be so real and entertaining !

han allie first of all, happy ( belated ? ) birthday to allie !!! second of all, producers in general are always just so interesting to me ? i feel like even though she’s still finding it, allie’s rather focused on creating a sound for herself and making it different ? def has the drive to make her dreams a reality, and i know she’ll do well ! allie, fighting !

kim junghwan i think junghwan has a heart of gold ! he’s good at working with others and def would have nice personality to just sit and talk about life with ! i think he also has a lot of hobbies and interests that are v cute and soft boi, so he’s definitely gonna attract the soft stans !! he’s another person i feel would make great leader material some day. also ship him and jinah all the way 😉

kim alex first off i LOVE luna she is my pride and joy .... i feel v embarrased i think we were supposed to thread and i forgot ! but that beside the point !! i feel like he does have crazy duality ?? at some points it’s like “wow, nice man, pet parent of the year” and other times it’s like “wow this man is wilding did he just say that ??” but ... the way i love both !! it’s so interesting seeing his conflicts and how he deals with other people, but maybe that’s the messy mun in me 🙊

ahn jaesun jaesun !! a king. first off i said it to danbi’s mun before but i am just putting it out there i love him & danbi together i do, i ship it !!! secondly i think, maybe because he’s been around for a quite awhile, but you ( the mun ) seem to have a very good grasp on his character ? i think he’s had really significant but gradual development, sort of coming out of his shell and expanding the things he’s willing to take on ! and i love that for him.

yoon shinha let me repeat that minjun and shinha - i ship it !!! i don’t even know hwo to describe it but i just love the energy shinha exudes !! it’s fun, playful, and full of energy, and i think that’ll transfer really well on stage !! he’s the type of guy who’s just down for whatever and i feel like he could befriend anybody if he really wanted to ! i like that about him and think he’ll have no problem getting along w whoever he works with in the future !

kyo miyeon my queen .... oh how i love her ! 😣❤ i think miyeon’s got a cold exterior with a soft interior ?? like she’s sososo composed and a little cold on the outside, but in reality she’s just over here loving animals and the simple things in life ? i think once she debuts she’s going to have fans have v passionate debates about whether they like her cool or soft side more since they’re both so prominent and so good !!

løvehjerte emil first off emil being from denmark and his name immediately stood out to me when he was accepted, and to me makes him v unique ? also doyoung rights ;) i like how well he seems to adapt to the situations presented to him, even if they’re new and unfamiliar to him ! i think he has his ability to keep his cool, but is still learning a lot from being a trainee and proving he can definitely grow beyond what he’s already accomplished !

jung miso miso is the baddest b no one can change mt mind oijoijoijo !!!!! but no for real i always have admired miso even if i haven’t got to interact w her on my muses too much ? at first i def got vibes of the popular girl everyone wants to be just like ? but i’ve realized she’s a loot more ! she has ( shrek vc ) layers, and i think it’s good to see someone who has a lot of things people would see as ideal, but without being unobtainable !

nam yunho yunho intrigues me so much !! i’m sad max hasn’t gotten to interact with him yet lol !! i feel like in this i keep comparing muses to character types but - just take a journey with me ok soijioiofoijfio !! i so see yunho as one of those guys in the movies about small town who’s family has has a business there for years and he’s the chill guy who shows the main character around town ? AND THAT’S A GOOD THING LMAO ! i feel like he’s just immensly chill and always is just vibing and down for a good time ! <3

jo jiwoo i think jiwoo is so exceptionally cute !! but don’t underestimate her because to me she also does have a very fiery spirit ?? and i love it !! def would have the potential to be a maknae on top and i am here for it !! but since she wants to be an actor i def see her even stealing the hearts of the staff ?? the best example of a puppy in real life i’ve ever seen !

na sera first of all being a twin is automatically cool so there’s that ?? but also !! i like how hard she’s fighting to prove her own, individual self worth ! i’m definitely excited to see how she’ll find her “thing” that really riles her up and makes her feel passionate ? and that maybe she’ll decide the idol thing is for her and go forward with it as a career !

min soyoun i think soyoun’s definitely go the girl next door charm, she defintiely seems like the type who you could be friends with easily, and i think she’ll maintain that even when she’s more famous ! she gives me free spirit vibes, and i think that even if she doesn’t know how, life will somehow work to make sure she always does well ! she’s defintiely proved her individuality and i think she’ll stand out from most around her !

geum danbi ugh danbi ... the way i’m obsessed with her ! i mentioned this already but her and jaesun ? cute we ship it !! i am a stan, i am ! anyways i think that danbi is so powerful, and i don’t mean that jokingly ! she does hold a very commanding presence for me, and i really respect her resilience in continuing to fight for her debut, even after being discouraged numerous times in the past ! i think that’ll make her debut all the more worth it, as she has taken the time to get even better and improve her skills !

jang taesung taesung ... the way i really am fascinated by him ! i don’t even interact w him on my muses but he’s still so entertaining to me !! he’s so casual and i just enjoy seeing his interactions ? he isn’t afraid to be authentically him, and though he doesn’t really show it in his words all the time he’s got a lot of emotions swirling around there ! he do ... he do be messy sometimes i get it ?? he’s a lil problematic ?? but it entertains me so we will take it !

song ahri ok i don’t want to claim this bc i’m not COMPLETELY sure but do i have permission to ship her and geonwoo .... i saw their thread on the dash and they’re so cute what 😚💖 ( revision : they are together i can say this lol !!! ) anywho onto ahri things ! she just seems like the sweetest person EVER she’s v gentle with her words and actions, and definitely seems like a comforter of sorts ? i think that, whoever she gets close to, would def have her to lean on in hard times ! she’s like 

son seolmi first of congrats on seolmi as the new musical actress !! we need more of them >.< but i feel like when seolmi looks back on her training experience she’ll be very proud of herself ! she has made a lot of improvements over her training period, found her passions, and worked to prove herself ! but i think, although she’s working v hard, she’s also doing twice as good at maintaining her friendships and being good to the people around her !

seo minseok minseok a true angel !! i know we haven’t gotten to write together in a while, but seeing his thread w nari we had i saw how kind he was ! he’s loyal to the people he calls friends, open to trying new things, and i think in the future when he gains experience he’ll be a really great mentor to the people who he precedes ! 

oh max ok first off i feel like i cannot not say this everytime i see him on the dash or a thread with him i’m constantly in a state of confusion about which max it is oijoioiiojaojoi ?? but !! i’m despite their names, they’re actually pretty different ! because unlike max choi, oh max is has a very loving and warm personality, and even though he comes from money you couldn’t really tell by his personality ?

park dohyun i def want him and max to interact together, side note !! because they’re both goofs and, of course, we need as many lgc boys connections as we can ! but anywho, i love dohyun, as i feel muses such as him are v necessary ! he definitely provides comic relief, and even though he doesn’t like to reveal his emotions, that just reveals another component to his emotional depth ! even if he isn’t someone who is vulnerable, i think it is great he does his best to make others happy !!

lee jiho i mean can i pls just adopt jiho as my child ?? he’s so cute oijjoijoij !! i think all though he’s ambitious and knows what he wants in life, he’s also realistic with himself and knows what he can expect and how to work toward a clothes ! it’s a trait not everyone has so i like that he does ! i think he’s also enough of a positive thinker that throughout any troubles he may have, he’ll get through it with a nice mindset !

lee hanbyul i think that once debuted officially officially, hanbyul will definitely grow in popularity almost immediately ! she’s already done well at gaining the hearts of fans even when she was a trainee, and with so many friends and opportunities under her belt she’ll get big in no time ! i think she’ll definitely be well known and that she’ll bring multiple fandoms together because it’s just hard not to like her !

jung jihye i love jihye !! she’s so raw and rolling with all the punches life has given her ? even after a rocky start to her career, she’s ready to give it a second chance, and although she went through a lot of bullying discovered a newfound love for acting ! i think that her dedication to being happy will show in her passion for whatever she acts in in the future, and i’m excited to see how the public perceives her !

tsai sunisa isa is the ultimate chill dude haha !! i think that he’s very calm and level-headed, while not coming off as careless ? although he’s very casual, he clearly does care about the other’s around him, and i think for him that shows in the little details rather than the big things ? i think he’s the type of person who does well at picking up on the energies of others, and noticing small details about them !  v v cool 💖😌

shin yeseo u KNOW me and max are collectively whipped for her oijoijoi !!! no but honestly, from what i’ve viewed of yeseo from an outside perspective, she’s goes beyond the socially required level of thoughtful ? she really does listen to everyone’s perspective and do what she thinks is best for everyone involved and i really like that ! i also like that the simple things are enough to make her very happy, and that she puts her all into the ones she cares for ! 

kang yonghwa i love how in love yonghwa is in with life, and how bright his spirit is !! he has such a ... sunshine spirit ? that’s the best way i can put it ! he’s just so positive the majority of the time, and i feel he has the ability to see the best traits of others and bring that out of them ! i also love his sense of adventure, and i think he’ll be a favorite for fans in no time ! kang yonghwa, 10 / 10, our best boy !!

kim hyunbin hyunbin reminds me of a cartoon character, in the best way ! he’s definitely very theatrical, and also has a more playful, teasing side to him ? i think that everyone needs a hyunbin in their life because he’s very considerate of the emotions of the people around him, and on top of that has a lot of interests and boosts any social scenario !

choi jinyoung jinyoung ... an angel ! it’s so my fault we don’t but we should plot more ! uwu anywho ! first off, happy belated birthday to him ! i noticed that during our to the max thread, despite being a little overwhelmed by human tsunami max choi, he stayed very polite and was open to trying a new experience out, and for that i really gained respect for him ! i think he’s a v soft boy but i don’t think he’s weak at all, in fact maintaining his kindness for others has shown my just how strong he is !!  😇😇

oh eunhye just like her article says, eunhye has a real knack for entertaining and i think it’s already begun to show ! i think her authenticity easily transfers to the camera, and that it makes people love her all the more ? she has the type of hypnotizing personality that makes people want to get to know her, and i don’t think it’s coincidence that she’s had the opportunities that she’s had already come to her !

oh gitaek congrats on becoming a producer gitaek !! clap clap !! hehee but i think gitaek is very adaptable ! even in environments when he doesn’t want to do anything, he’s going to push through - like dancing, for instance ! also him and hyunbin’s dynamic ?? v interesting. i’m invested on seeing where it goes ! i think gitaek has a lot of potential, much of which he’s already showing, and i think he’ll have no problem discovering himself fully and becoming big !

son alec just gotta say i always mix him and alex up on accident i wanna scream oijooi !! but also while scrolling his page and saw this: “ old people are amazing, is the conclusion he’s come to yet again  ” and i just wanna say i love him for that ojojoioij !! but anyways, alec gives me the vibe of a young adult still sort of finding their way, and i really love that ! he enjoys what he does but still has doubts, and i think that little back and forths very important ! i hope he becomes a super famous actor and achieves all his dreams !

son jieun i love how much jieun cares for her friends !! she was bold enough to straight up call taesung out for mistreating allie and tbh ... kinda in love with that energy ?? i think her bravery goes beyond even just this though, as she’s already tried many new things that others may have strayed away from in fear ! her sense of justice and determination is something i admire and honestly i feel like if it wasn’t for her obvious career path she’d be a great lawyer haha !!

nam jueun it’s the way i want to claim that i indeed am one of seojin & jueun’s biggest fans ... i am 😌✌ but listen !! i have to respect jueun for the way that she’s managed to repair a damaged relationship AND work on herself and her career at the same time ? and both are going good ! she’s also got a real edge to her, and i feel like she doesn’t realize just how cool she is ?? we stan !

park seojin now we alr know ... seojin is one of the muses i am most whipped for in legacy i cannot lie i’m sorry !!! listen ,,, i love my tsundere !! he’s had exceptional development, but in really small yet significant ways, and he’s grown so much in the time he’s been here ! in terms of max, he’s definitely starting to take on a more nurturing role, and in term of himself, getting a better idea of who he is as an artist and a person and i think that’s gonna really show when his band debuts ! also think he’ll be a strict yet incredibly respected mentor when the day comes ? anyways i’ll just say i l*ve park seojin and go 😭💔

lee jiae lee jiae, the apple of my eye !! i was astounded how much kindness could be fit into one small body ?? even in situaitons she doesn’t like, she maintains her bright spirit that brings people to her in the first place, and i think that comforts the people around her if they’re having a hard time as well ! but i think she also does have a bit of a chaotic side when panicked and i do love it i do !! do not underestimate lee jiae everyone i am betting all my money on the fact that she can beat some ass !!

hwang sori first of all her theme made me gasp it’s literally so incredibly gorgeous omg ?? but !! the first thing i read was hwang sori is an ugly crier and that made ME ugly cry with laughter LMAOWAOOA !!  even though she’s relatively new i’ve already come to love how out of the box and unapologetically her she is ! she has so much to offer, both on and off stage, and i know she’s destined to be a star ! i’m already so invested and excited to see what she does in the future !

lee aaron aaron !! our dad of the year sobs. of course, my favorite thing about aaron is how nurturing he is ! he has no problem taking care of others, and i think that although it’s easy for younger / less experienced trainees to be intimidated by those above them, aaron removes that stigma completely ! truly a gentle soul. my only complaint about aaron is that he’s so selfless that i feel he sometimes forget about himself, so aaron please eat more and take care of your health oijoijoioij !! 

lee youngmin the way i love youngmin !! i was so touched by his patience when he helped my baby nari get herself together when it came to learning lines for cram school ! it proved to me that he’s a v caring person, and even if acting was sort of a sore subject for him, he still went through with helping her ! and that brings me to my next point - congrats for joining the actors youngmin !! i admire him for giving something he’s apprehensive about another shot, and i’m so incredibly excited to see how it goes for him !

song yifei ok even though i don’t know yifei too well yet seeing her intro did help me see why i’m going to love her so much !! i appreciate her adaptation to such an unusual environment like korea, and although i’m sure she’s homesick and a little lost she’s already doing her part to adjust to life in korea ! starting so young, i have to admire her work ethic and her strength by not giving up ! i’m excited to see what she can offer us all ! 

hwang minsik ok so !! even though minsik is quite the introvert, i think it’s v cool that he has worked past that, and although it may have been uncomfortable, got more comfortable performing in front of others ! i think that being in his head for the majority of the time will actually prove to work in his favor, as it’ll be easier to transfer all the emotions he’s feeling into his music when he locks down and pursues his dream of being a producer !

tsuchiya mitsuki from what i’ve seen, mitsuki seems to be very considerate of others, and i like that she celebrates other’s accomplishments outside of just her own ! the entertainment career can be a very risky and sometimes scary one, but i think that she’s doing a great job at rolling with it and putting her all into forming it into a serious career path for herself !

yamashita ichika i think she put it best - she’s new to korea, but not this world !! i love love LOVE how sure of herself ichika is, and though it may come off as blunt, maybe y’all aren’t just ready to accept the truth she’s spilling ... 👀 lMAO no but for real !! she’s a woman who knows what she wants and i never will be mad at that ! you can never say that ichika doesn’t keep it real and i think that’s something we need to learn from her !

hwang subin i think subin is incredibly self-aware, which really is such a super important trait to have ?? he’s had a lot of conflicts over his training period, but he’s overcame them, and to me he holds a lot of grace even in those scenarios he has this sort of ... calmness to him ? idk maybe that’s subjective but that’s how i feel ! i think in the end he’s going to turn the pain into power, and he’ll be one of the people really idolized for their resilience !

kim minjee i feel like along her path to fame, she’s learning all sorts of new things about herself in the industry, and that feeling of self-discovery is awesome ! i think she’s a really good example of the changes people go through throughout their path toward stardom ! i think she does her best to embrace both the highs and lows life brings her, which i think is preparing her to be a really steady person when it comes to being famous !

im hyunjin my baby !! the way i love him beyond measure !! he gets along with max so well and i love how well they balance off each other’s energy ! he’s got a boyish charm that helps me remember that yes, a lot of the trainees are still kids at heart, and that reminder is v refreshing ! though a lot has been thrown on him with this trimester, he’s been a good sport, and i think he’s such an accurate representation of someone who’s growing up in the spotlight ! i think it’s enough for me to excuse him mixing up the maxs. 😚😌

okamoto akira what a wonderful soul ugh !! he really did impact nari’s heart with his unconditional kindness. i think he’s grown even in his time in the rp alone ? he’s so kind to others, and i love how he holds interest in other people and their stories ! even though he’s still getting adjusted to life in korea, i think he’s doing a great job at getting his name out there while making a good impression of himself. but like i said about aaron pls, akira, take care of yourself more !! you deserve the best, heart heart !!

jeon haeun haeun has such an intense drive when it comes to her love for dance and performing, and i hope she never loses that ! it’s the most important thing, after all ! she’s got such a spunky personality, which will work in her favor as it will keep eyes on her even after she’s off the stage ! she’s a baby, being so young, but already has proved herself to have a worthy place in legacy, and i think she’s even got the capability to teach the older trainees a thing or two, haah !

park viggo i definitely respect viggo, because of the insecurities that have developed from his biological parents putting him up for adoption, he’s shone so brightly already at such a young age ! and i just read his solo w / his encounter with his biological father and - literal chills ?? but .... phew ! i’m so impressed by how he’s had so many horrible experience influence his life, but not let it overtake him ? he’s so strong and if he can handle what life has already thrown at him, i know he’ll have nothing but good to look forward to from now on !

techaapaikhun kit i don’t think i’ve had the chance to tell you yet .... but god i LOVE kit oijoioi !! he’s such a loveable ball of fluff ! he has a very big heart, and i feel like even when he doesn’t know exactly what to do or what’s going on he’s still very much 😊💖✨ ?? you would never think he’s a foreigner because he just seems in high spirits ! also him and daehyung’s interactions ? 10 / 10 in terms of entertainment, definitely deserves a read !

ahn yein i love the short queen energy this woman exudes !! her duality is already quickly becoming my favorite thing about her ?? she’s so this and this ! i truly cannot wait to see how she’ll let her musical style influence the type of music she produces, and i think she’s a producer full of energy who has the potential for being famous for her music and her own personality !

seo yumi though yumi did go through a lot of hardship with her first debut, i really respect her for fighting to prove she deserves a spot in a group for a second time, even if the first time wasn’t even her fault ! i think because of it, even if her light’s dimmed a little, her enhanced discipline will work in her favor, as well as her prior experience, and potentially give her a step up among others ! which, hopefully, will make the hardships she went through not to be in vein !

han insoo insoo’s gone through quite a bit, and though i’d imagine that to be incredibly tough on him, he hasn’t lost his shine ! he still has a brightness to him when interacting around the people he loves, and i think that’s what it takes to be in a band ! i wish nothing but the best for him, because honestly, i think he’s just trying to get by and have a good time, and i really have to respect it !

choi jongsuk okay so from what i see jongsuk is a tad manipulative in the way he interacts with people ... and yet ... i stan ? obviously this isn’t a very good trait, but it is entertaining, especially for a messy mun like me haha !! i think, if he wants to, he can actually use his particularly good social skills to his advantage, and become a charmer among his fans !

choi daehyun omg prince daehyun rise !!! i always love the spoiled rich boy types, because to me, they have the most room for growth ! if i’m being honest with you as ... awful as he  might be i think he’s one of those trainees who would 100% give everyone a run for their money ? because if he doesn’t have anything ( beside money ofc ) he has confidence, and well .... confidence is a dangerous thing !! i’m really really anticipating seeing how he’ll get along with the other trainees, and his journey in legacy !!

chwe hunji phew .... my adoptive son !! i admit i am slightly biased to hunji i am i am what about it !!! 😌💖 i gush about him all the time so i’ll keep it ( relatively ) short - i don’t think hunji realizes, but given the whirlwind of events that’s happened in less than a year, he’s doing a fantastic job of both grieving and growing !! he’s been able to look out for those who need him most even in his darkest times, put up with max’s shenanigans even amongst trying to decipher his feelings for him, and adapted to a ever-changing climate that comes with being a trainee in his hardest year ! not to mention how much he’s grown since his arrival !! his development ?? chef’s kiss !

kang dongwon first of all already massive respect to dongwon for doing school and training at the same time ?? that’s already difficult in itself ! but i think he’s taken a lot of risks despite not necessarily wanting to, like expanding outside of activities he’d expected that he would do ! it’s good for him to dip his toe into numerous places, and he’ll be less thrown off if he’s asked to do something unexpected in the future. also him & his relationship w his siblings is the best haha !!

park sarang first off seojin and sarang together are such a cool duo !! the concept of siblings in the industry is honestly so cool ?? but anywho ! but i soso admire sarang !! even though she was initially was following her brother’s dream, it’s gradually morphed into her own, and she really has developed an individual name for herself, which shows her passion and determinism ! i also love how they have a healthy relationship, even with normal sibling fights, without getting into super super competitive territory ?? that just shows her capability to love & that’s great !

kim jinseo first off !! his familial relationship w shinha ? we love to see it ! cutest cousins on the block ! but what i admire about jinseo is how stable he is ! i think he can help people and handle his own problems without getting too stressed, he’s a good problem solver and i think he can calm down and figure out the best way to approach a situation ? also once again him & tee ? cute, we ship it 😊

kim ara first off, friend of the year award goes to ara for helping hanbyul through her breakup and working around processing her emotions ! and also that she’s pretty mature in handling her own breakup w / nathan ! that brings me to the point that i feel ara is a thoughtful person, who definitely sees the good even in bad scenarios and tries to think of the positives that come out of her life, even if it can be difficult to do so !

jin eunji now we know that’s my queen !!!!! i honestly love seeing eunji’s development, and she’s much more of a deep character than she shows on the outside ?? and there’s even more left for others to discover about her ! she’s trying to work through her shit but I like her because she’s the realest depiction of someone who’s growing - because it’s not particularly nice or cute ?? it’s rough but it’s real, she’s struggling to grow and move through her emotions but she’s growing nonetheless and i love that for her !!!

park seon seon is def the type of girl who is just sort of taking it day by day, and i respect it so much !! she has a lot to discover of herself and what she wants to do, but quite honestly i like that about her !! i think that she’s still young and def doesn’t need to stress about it, and i like that she’s just sort of flowing in whichever direction that life wants to take her ! i can only imagine how far she’ll go when she discovers her true potential !

lim sanghyun i feel like sanghyun really is prepared for any situation that’s thrown at him, even if he feels like he can’t do it !! i mean, since birth he’s had tons of bad cards thrown at him, and yet he always manages to turn them into something good ? although it may seem like he doesn’t have good fortune, to me, it seems he has the opposite, because he always finds a way out the trenches !! i think sanghyun’s legacy’s phoenix !

choi daehyung omg daehyung has been a favorite of mine since he came !! i love peeking at the many relationships he has bc they’re tbh so interesting !! he's honestly fit to be a main character in a show ? and i think, despite what daehyung thinks, he’s grown a lot in the time he’s been here ! to me, he’s more aware of his emotions, and more reflective of the choices he makes ! sure he’s got some things to work on but let’s be real .... don’t we all ?

lau mike mike is such a breath of fresh air !! def a roll with the punches kind of guy - reminds me of those popular kids where it’s just like ... dang, things always seem to be go well for them ?? i’m jealous ?? but i think more of that has to do with mike rather than him just having good luck ! he does good at adapting & working hard, from moving to korea, to changing careers, to now training ! he seems to excel and everything he does and i have no doubt that will help him out in the long run !

li zimeng meng is so pretty !! but she’s also SO much more !! this whole thing of her feeling average, and like she didn’t really stand out in comparison to the other trainees .... it’s so real !! and honestly, so good for her ! even though she doesn’t feel special always, i KNOW she is, but i think it’s also great she has this good foundation ? because rather than being good at only 1 thing and realizing in the long run she hates it, zimeng has the potential to be super well-versed and i think she’ll be more aware of what she needs to work on to improve !

tsai king truly our king ... and i don’t mean that ironically !! i looove king’s development, i truly love to see it !! though he’s still got his pride, i think he’s transformed his confidence from blind cockiness to a reason for him to want to work hard and succeed ?? king definitely had things to work on, but he has worked on them, and i think he’s truly proved his place in legacy in the long time he’s been here !! also thoroughly impressed w how much he’s done !

bae doha i think that if I had to describe doha, it would be “ proceed with caution ” !! he’s a cautious person, i feel, who wants the balance between having a good life and keeping himself grounded ? which is a really good type of personality, and I think it would make him a leader for those around him ! he’s also very observant, and i think that will make him much more meticulous of a person as an actor !

song shaun first of all i gotta still thank shaun for doing tiktok dances with max back in the day !!!! that was iconic and i will never forget it lol !! and i'm so glad he’s back. anyways, i think shaun is definitely the type of person that’ll stay true to himself even after becoming famous, he seems v carefree, but also w/o not losing that ambition to work hard ?? 

pongsak arinya arin is so freaking adorable !!! i think she’s like a puppy and I love it !! she’s so curious about the way around her, i think she just loves what life has to offer her and in turn life loves her ?? she has such a playful and optimistic light about her and to me, it’s impossible not to want to be her friend !! her fans will easily love her <33

jeon haru to me, haru seems like a team player !! he listens to the input of other’s, and i think before rushing to do what he wants to do, it’s in his spirit to think of how his actions affect other people ! and i think that’s shown in how he’s babysitting on the show, even though he’s a little panicked ! i also think he’s a good self-soother, he’s good at helping calm himself down and make himself feel better, and to me that’s so great !!

liu jiao I think she’s doing a great job at making her reality one she enjoys ! she’s struggling to find the differences between her dreams and her moms, what she wants and what she doesn’t ! and still, i believe that she’s doing well and spreading love to those around her despite ! i hope she finds full inner peace and that she can live a life of happiness ( and a little wrecklessness tbh ) without any worries !!

[my-fragment-of-peace]

hi, so this is a very long message (apologies!) but i felt i needed to insert some somewhat depressing context.

they definitely should have worded that better but... as a woman who's been a fan of f1 since i was a kid, they're not wrong.

by comparison, for the demographic of who's watching f1 races, there is a much larger number of boys/men watching than girls/women.

yes, the female audience has increased in recent years as liberty media have moved away from the more "macho" stereotype that bernie ecclestone instilled in the sport, but there are still overhangs on that with the current audience.

say it's still a 70/30 split between boys/girls watching f1 who are young enough to get into the karting scene at the right age, and *then* have the resources to compete properly all the way up, the numbers diminish rapidly. to then find a driver with enough talent to win championship after championship up the junior ladder, or to come damn close and display some amazing speed, whittles the numbers down even more. then there's the circumstances of the current f1 grid, and the lack of available seats.

no one from the current f2 grid is looking likely to get into f1 this year. de vries didn't manage it even though he won the series. often it's only the top two/three that are even considered for an f1 seat, and that must be achieved within 2 years for a "good" reputation on the cv. unless they have massive backing, like m*zepin, and there's a team that needs the money enough, anything lower isn't seen as "good enough" for f1.

the pool of talent to pick female drivers from is not nearly as large as that of the male pool. and thus the likelihood of striking 'gold' is less likely than it would be for boys, just because of a pure numbers game. the numbers go down for every step you take closer to the f1 grid.

then there's also the issue of "driver level". i love w series dearly, but for the f1 junior series ladder, the majority of the field is already too old to go through the f3/f2 pathway as all drivers should, and have to, before they get to f1; they'll definitely get more opportunities in wec/endurance as there's more accessibility there (look at richard mille's womens team at le mans this year! they did quite well before being punted out) but that's true for both male and female drivers.

jamie, who's now a 2x w series champion, is one of the women that we've recently seen in a competitive field alongside male drivers in the prospective field during the 2020 freca championship. she was undoubtedly in the best team on the grid, prema, and her teammates petecof, leclerc and rasmussen finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively, while jamie finished the season in 9th. with 80 points to their totals of 359, 343 and 343... barely a quarter of their points. 4th place was 53 points behind third, just solidifying how good prema were that year.

this doesn't take away from the fact that jamie is a talented driver, nor that she managed to finish within the top ten; but when the only somewhat reliable method of comparison and assessment is through comparing her performances to her teammates, it's clear that jamie is unfortunately not on the same level just yet. that could change, but as of now she hasn't displayed that raw talent and speed that any driver should be getting into a full time f1 seat for.

i hope she gets the chance to try again, maybe in fia formula 3 or formula 2, but right now she's the best barometer we have for the level of drivers on the w series grid as their only champion. many of them have come out from different jobs after not racing for years or had a lack of opportunity to race in other series, so the series is a good jumping off point to gain funding (a la the $500,000 cash prize for winning) and super license points (for possible fp1 outings that could make for example, jamie's work with the williams simulator more valuable to both her and the team!).

it will take many years before the prospective pool of talent is more balanced in terms of gender, and by that point we *should* see many more girls get a chance for f2/f3 and a real chance of being signed to a junior academy for a direct pathway to a race seat in formula 1 itself.

there are already more girls joining the regional f4 grids, and getting into karting, but the pathway from there to f1 is at least 5-6 years. many of them won't be talented enough to win the championships they need to get to f1, like the majority of the boys competing in the same series.

with any luck, and further work to get even more young girls watching f1/motorsport, and on the karting track to junior formulae, we should start seeing better representation.

but there's a way to go yet. w series is a spec series just below f4 in terms of the car and engine, but for those women to get opportunities like f3 and lmp2 wec testing we'll be seeing more women in mainstream motorsport, *and* doing well in the coming years. it'll take longer for f1, as it always seems to, but it should, and will, happen.

<333

Want to preface this by saying that I'm a very straightforward person, so I'm not trying to be bitchy or come across rude, I'm just stating my opinion on things matter-of-factly, but I respect that you have your own opinion even if I do disagree.

To start off, why should a particular demographic determine whether or not women can race? You can't even see the drivers when they're in the cars, so as far as that goes, it seems kind of pointless for choices to be made based on audience demographics. So why should there have to be a majority women audience/or largely women audience in order for women to have a chance in the sport? Just because a small percentage of men might only want to see men drivers, that shouldn't override the opportunity for women to have a chance in the sport. Assuming you're focusing on this because it highlights the audience interest in participating in the sport, 30% of an audience isn't 0%. It's still a large enough number for there to be a quite a few people to be interested. And let's not forget all of the leagues throughout the world women are currently participating in...there's a large enough pool of women drivers who would want to participate and with the right training and access to opportunities, could do it.

You said there's essentially a lack of talent with the resources to get to F1...yet acknowledge there are currently a lack of seats available due to drivers with the talent and financial backing to be there...so which is it? It can't be both. Drivers from other leagues weren't turned away because they weren't talented enough, they were turned away because the current teams (with the horrible exception of Haas and M*zepin, who should've been switched out imo) all have a driver lineup that performs to their liking, who they think will continue to bring in results. The current grid is all phenomenally talented, in many case despite cars that lack in performance. There were teams who switched drivers of course, but that happens all the time and I wouldn't really count it as teams bringing in new drivers because they're already actively in the sport.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter which pool of talent is larger. There are girls and women who would love the opportunity to make a career in F1 as a driver. They would be willing to put in the work to hone their talent and be at the top of their game. I said this earlier in another response, but boys and men who are in karting/a different racing league do not have some sort of innate talent that is unachievable by the girls and women. The boys and men have more opportunities to improve their skill, which is the root of the issue. But saying there aren't any women who could currently compete? Nonsense. Unless you've seen every single girl and woman who could be an F1 driver and been able to compare their stats in an F1 car to the starts of current men drivers, that assumption falls flat. It's not a measurable statistic without real data.

9th place is still a hell of an accomplishment. Again, it has to be considered what opportunities she had in comparison to her competitors. It has nothing to do with her innate talent as a driver vs. theirs.

I just think saying there aren't enough talented girl and women drivers out there for there to be a single woman driver in F1 is a bad take and I do not agree with it at all. As I've said, I do think there's a power imbalance regarding available opportunities but...the word talent needs to stop being thrown around with the implications that women drivers aren't as good as men. I have no doubt there are plenty of women drivers who are talented enough to compete with at least a handful of drivers on the current grid, they've just never been given the opportunities (or the car) to compete within that environment and hone their skill to the extent it would need to be.

[chicagosfinest2021]

nosy anons let's go

(I know people are supposed to anonymously send these to people but most people usually don't bother so I'm just going to answer them myself because I can :-P )

0: Height-5'3"

1: Age-Old enough to know what a pager is but young enough to never have actually used one before X-D

2: Shoe size-9

3: Do you smoke? No

4: Do you drink? Occasionally/socially

5: Do you take drugs? Just benadryl for my allergies

6: Age you get mistaken for? Early to mid 20's

7: Have tattoos? No

8: Want any tattoos? No, I like my chocolately skin the way it is :-)

9: Got any piercings? Just my ears

10: Want any piercings? I might get one or two more

11: Best friend? My sister

12: Relationship status? Happily unattached

13: Biggest turn ons? Men who have money and spend it on me

14: Biggest turn offs? Broke men who are looking for free sex and free therapy

15: Favorite movie? An Indian movie I just watched on Netflix a few months ago called "Queen". I saw so much of myself in the main character, it was amazing.

16: I’ll love you if… For men, you consistently make the effort to make me happy and make sure I'm taken care of(which includes respecting my time and my presence in your life). For women...we just have to bond and genuinely enjoy each others company, that's really it. Women earn my love much more easily.

17: Someone you miss? My grandmother, I'd probably give up a lot of good things I have going for myself right now in exchange for having my grandmother back.

18: Most traumatic experience? (*Trigger warning*) My sexual assaults, especially the second one because it was someone I'd known since I was a kid.

19: A fact about your personality? I've been introverted since childhood. I like either small intimate settings or being alone, rarely do I enjoy being in big groups.

20: What I hate most about myself? That it took me so long to come out of my social anxiety and had low self value for so long. I think that if I had conquered all of that sooner, I'd be a lot further ahead in life.

21: What I love most about myself? I'm more secure in who I am now than ever before. There's certain things that I used to tolerate that are unthinkable to me in the present, and I don't have "haters" because anyone that might be throwing negative energy my way doesn't register.

22: What I want to be when I get older? A luxurious Black woman with my own condo and living in an upscale neighborhood. I want to be saving money, making wise investments, and spoiling myself and my niece <3 I also want to have a tight group of girl friends I spend time with regularly.

23: My relationship with my sibling(s)? I have one full sister who is like my twin and we're very close, and a younger half-sister who's 8 years my junior whom I love but don't relate to too much. We have different mothers and (through no fault of hers) we grew up in very different environments: me and my oldest sister are a lot more "bougie" as a result of our suburban upbringing, but our little sister grew up in the 'hood and applies "hood logic" to a lot of things. The type of men we're attracted to, the type of music we like, the company we keep. . .it's like trying to talk to someone who speaks a foreign language.

24: My relationship with my parent(s)? I'm a daddy's girl. Even though my dad and I don't see eye to eye on everything he's the reason why I have such high expectations from men. My mom and I only recently started getting close, she and I tend to bump heads more often than me and my dad.

25: My idea of a perfect date? I show up to a 4 star Italian restaurant and my date meets me with roses and a small gift. We sit down and he's a gentleman, we eat, chat, makes jokes, and have a few drinks. After he pays the bill but before we get up to leave he passes me an envelope under the table. I take a look and see that it has $700 in cash inside of it. I accept it and thank him. Before we part ways he requests to see me again soon and I tell him I'll have to check my schedule. My Uber ride pulls up and my date opens my door for me before taking my hand and kissing it.

26: My biggest pet peeves? Men who want maximum benefits for minimal effort and the women willing to give it to them. Also trap music, just. . .in general. Oh and Black people who still insist we're "taking the sting out of the N-word" by using it casually amongst ourselves, it's just such a problematic and counterproductive mindset and I can't even pretend to entertain it.

27: A description of the girl/boy I like? I don't currently have anyone that I like but ideally they'd be well groomed, witty, intelligent, stable mentally, emotionally and financially. Someone who likes jokes but isn't vulgar, and notices the little things about me (how I make eye contact, my natural scent, the way I carry myself when I walk, sit, stand, etc). Being physically attractive is always a plus, but things that I find physically attractive in a person is very broad.

28: A description of the person I dislike the most? Rude, unkempt, body odor, someone who doesn't respect personal boundaries, ungrateful, uninteresting, someone who talks incessantly about things they don't actually know or can't comprehend.

29: A reason I’ve lied to a friend? I can't remember the last time I lied to a friend about anything.

30: What I hate the most about work/school? My current position is uninteresting, tedious and not in a field I was working in previously. Also I'm doing work that realistically should be performed by 4 or 5 people but of course they expect one person to take care of everything. It's really just a temporary gig to make money to save up for a new place, so I'm trying to suck it up because I know I won't be here long.

31: What my last text message says: My cousin said she got her 2nd covid vaccination today so I responded with "Hip Hop Hooray!" LOL

32: What words upset me the most? "I'm just looking to have fun. . ."

33: What words make me feel the best about myself? When another pretty Black girl gives me a compliment, I immediately feel invincible.

34: What I find attractive in women? High self esteem and a sense of security, not seeing other women as competition, women who are cultured and have multiple interests, and who enjoy learning new things as well as sharing her wisdom with others. I also enjoy creating bonds with women who are child-free by choice like myself.

35: What I find attractive in men? Their ability to spoil me and give me pleasure.

36: Where I would like to live? North side of Chicago maybe around Lincoln Park. Outside of the US I'd like to live in England or Ireland in the future.

37: One of my insecurities: I am a short woman with large breasts (double D's). I've been buxom since a very young age and being well endowed has made me the center of negative attention on more than a few occasions. I'm constantly battling between wanting to highlight my curves without "advertising" too much either.

38: My childhood career choice: I believe I wanted to be a writer. I'd love to be a travel blogger actually.

39: My favorite ice cream flavor: It used to be cookie dough but now it's mint chocolate chip

40: Who I wish I could be: Sade

41: Where I want to be right now: Sitting on the balcony of my luxury condo, sipping wine and watching the lights of the city while smooth jazz is playing on my record player.

42: The last thing I ate: A slice of my dad's birthday cake (red velvet)

43: Sexiest person that comes to my mind immediately: I have this picture of this male model saved on my phone who looks like a "stereotypical" sugar daddy to me: tall, caucasian male, white/silver hair, piercing blue eyes, mid to late 50's, full beard and mustache, about 6 feet tall, muscular build.

44: A random fact about anything: Countries with more irreligious people/atheists/non-believers tend to also be the most peaceful and prosperous.

[reynaacero]

SEA Games 2019: PHL VS VIE Volleyball Womens Opener

COURT DIMENSION

The match is played at Mall of Asia Manila the volleyball court 18 meters (59 feet) long and 9 meters (29.5 feet) wide, divided into two 9 m × 9 m halves by a one-meter (40-inch) wide net placed so that the top of the net is 2.24 meters (7 feet 4 1/8 inches) for women's competition (these heights are varied for veterans and junior competitions).

EQUIPMENT

The different equipment’s used in UAAP are:

Solid Ball(MIKASA)- color blue and yellow a heavy medicine ball type that allows setters to strengthen their fingers.

Jerseys( sleeveless/ t-shirt and cycling shorts)- The Philippines wore a jersey that is color blue while their libero wore a jersey that is color white and all of them having different jersey numbers at the center in there jerseys , while the Vietnam wore a jersey(t-shirt) that is color red and white while their libero wore a yellow and black jersey with and jersey numbers at the center.

Knee pads- are protective gear worn on knees to protect them against impact injury from falling to the ground or hitting an obstacle, or to provide padding for extended kneeling.

Proper Footwear- it can be observed that each player wore a comfortable and proper volleyball shoe for the match that enables them to be nimble.

Elbow Pads- Elbow pads are protective padded gear worn on the elbows to protect them against injury during a fall or a strike. I can observe that not all player wore this equipment it really vary to the comfort of the player.

BASIC SKILLS-

The six basic volleyball skills are passing, setting, spiking, blocking, digging, and serving.Passing is often thought of as the most important skill in volleyball. If you can't pass the serve, then you won't ever put your team in a position to score a point.The importance of serving is often undervalued. Many coaches don't teach players to serve aggressive and use this opportunity to give the team an advantage for scoring points.Blocking is perhaps the least taught skill in volleyball. Players can get away with poor blocking skills because not blocking isn't going to hurt the team as much as being poor at executing other skills in volleyball.Digging is another skill that isn't focused on quite as much as most skills in volleyball.The setter position is considered to be the most important position in volleyball. The setter basically runs the team offense. The spike is a great attacking tactic. A spike is a lethal fast shot in a downwards motion that would score you most of your points and if it doesn’t score you a point it still scrambles your opponent and puts pressure on them.

TECHNICAL & TACTICAL SKILLS-

The Philippines

Serve- it can be observed in their matched that almost all of their serves are in and they don’t use underhand serve, mostly jump overhand serve or overhand serves.

Passing- their passing is immaculate and almost by instincts, they precisely pass the ball to the person that they want to receive the ball.

Digging- they frequently use the dig during the match due to the fact that their opponent is very powerful when it comes to spikes.

Setting- this technical skill is frequently seen in the match it is due to the fact that they frequently use spike as their attack, they always use setting and pass it to their renowned spiker which is Valdez.

Spike- spikes are very frequently seen in the later parts of the match when the score is heated and both teams became more aggressive in playing to pass/catch up the score of the other team.

Diving, rolling, sliding- this is usually seen especially if the teams receives a spike or a drop ball, the players can’t help but to tumble just to save the ball and pass it to their teammates.

Communication- it can be clearly seen that the lady eagles has a great communication it can be observed in their way of passing, setting, serving and even in their mistakes, you can see that they’re movements are honed through thorough trainings.

 

The Vietnam

Serve- it can also be observed in Vietnam that almost all of their serves are in and they don’t use underhand serve, mostly jump overhand serve or overhand serves.

Passing- just like in the Philippines team their passing is immaculate and almost by instincts, they precisely pass the ball to the person that they want to receive the ball, and their instincts and movements are very automatic.

Digging- they always use dig in their gameplay because of the spikes nd blocks of the Philippines which moves the ball to fall directly at the floor.

Setting- they also frequently use setting in their gameplay especially after receiving a pass from their teammate, the setter then set the ball to the spiker specially their mvp which is jersey no. 3.

Spike- just like in the other team the spiking in this team can also be observed in the later part of the match where the game is heated they are now mostly using spike as their attacking tactic to pressure and get the opponent off-guard.

Diving, rolling, sliding- they usually do this especially if they encounter a spike or a surprise drop ball from the other team.

Communication- their communication is also good as the other team, you can say that they have great bonds that are honed through different their experiences and training together, they are professionals, and you can really observe that they don’t need to shout they just need to signal each other in order for them to understood each other’s minds.

RULES OF THE GAME

*6 players on the floor at any one time - 3 in the front row and 3 in the back row

*Maximum of 3 hits per side

* Points are made on every serve for wining team of rally (rally-point scoring)

* Player may not hit the ball twice in succession.(A block is not considered a hit.)

* A ball is out if it hits an antennae, the floor completely outside the court, any of the net or cables outside the antennae, the referee stand or pole, the ceiling above a non-playable area.

* Ball may be played off the net during a volley and on a serve.

* A ball hitting a boundary line is in.

* The match goes to a fifth set this game is only played to 15 points. In order to win a set, a team must win by two clear points.

* New ball introduced for the first time at the Olympic Games with complete new design, two colours and a complete new panel design. New ball has only 8 panels.

* For FIVB and world events for senior teams there is the possibility introduced, within the Specific Sports Regulations, of up to 14 players being nominated for the final team roster. Where a team chooses to register more than 12 players, it is mandatory to register two liberos: the coach may for any reason exchange the original libero with the reserve libero – but only once in the match.

* Quick substitutions system implemented.

* Net fault: only hitting the top band of the net or taking support from the net classed as interfering with play. Contact with the opponent’s court with any part of the body above the feet also permitted, in conjunction with the net rule. This extends current centre line rule. But if the contact interferes with an opponent physically, or with the opponent’s ability to play the ball, then it would be considered a fault.

*Check ball if any of the opposing opponent touched the ball any part of their body may it be arms hands or fingertips the score will be from the other team.

OFFICIATION OF THE MATCH

A first (or main) referee, second referee, a scorer and two line judges are required to umpire an official game of volleyball. Just like most sports, the main referee upholds the rules throughout the whole game and their decision is final. A volleyball team is allowed to make a formal protest with the scorer. The second referee stands opposite the main referee and is responsible for all substitutions, timeouts and the actions of the scorer's table. The official scorer keeps track of the score throughout the volleyball game and they also note down all the players' names. two to four line judges are needed to govern each game but in this match they have 4 line judges.

Analysis

1st set (Philippines)=both teams are quite stiff, maybe because of the nervousness I can observe that both of their plays are mostly contain serve and spike not much interaction/passing to the both teams, and another reason is maybe they are still observing each other’s strengths and game play,both of the teams are neck to neck but Philippines

2nd set (Vietnam) = in here both the teams are now warmed up they can now get the spikes of each other, I can also observe that no. 3 of the Vietnam team is a good strategist and spiker, because the early spikes that she made are explosive but she the changed it quickly and turned it to a drop ball to disorient the defense of the Philippines, there was a time where the Vietnam was in the lead and the Philippines began to play aggressively to make up the points that they are lacking but in the end Vietnam still won the 2nd set.

3rd set (Vietnam)= Vietnam won the 3rd set due to their very explosive spikes , nice digs and also very nice blocks.

4th set (Philippines)= the Philippines are now aggressively playing with their deadly spikes and their nice digs which earned them a big lead, but kudos to Vietnam for being level headed despite the pressure they are experiencing.

5th set (Vietnam) = in this set the Vietnam has already strengthened their defense which enables the deadly spikes of the Philippines to pass through , as the game progressed I can observe that the Philippines are weakening their defenses, while Vietnam began to play aggressively thus the outcome of Vietnam being the winner of the match/gameplay.

[thisisaname-whatahappyname]

sushi soucy did not need to pop off this hard ive been in shambles for two days now

[rika-kihira]

Rika Kihira - Athlete Conditioning Magazine interview

Rika Kihira Interview from Athlete Conditioning Magazine (taken during the off season, before FS Season 2019-2020 )

Q: In the 1st senior season, you got amazing results. The length of time for a program is longer than in the junior era, there is also the addition of one more technical element inside the program. There was also the change of it being a longer season. What kind of thoughts do you have?

R: In September 2018 I won Ondrej Nepela Trophy in Slovakia, my 1st competition of the season, but since Japan Nationals (2nd place) ended until the end of the season in April 2019 I felt really exhausted. Compared to Jr, Sr period of competition is longer. In such a long period of time, it was the first time I kept competing continuously, so I didn’t understand how I should adjust properly to match with the competition, it was really hard to maintain my condition and my motivation. Before Worlds 2019 in March held at Saitama Super Arena, there was some adjustment in order to get myself used to new boots. After Worlds there was also WTT held in April (Japan got 2nd place), I felt like I had used all the strength that was left in me, I never experienced something like this sensation before. But using this experience, I want to try my best in putting forth my energy until the end of this season.

Q: In the middle of such exhausting feelings, it was a surprise that you managed to update SP score into World record score of 83.97 points while attending WTT. So in order to display good performances continuously, it is essential to adjust the condition. What are the things you are paying attention to regarding your meal and sleep?

R: I am calculating the calories in my meals everyday. Nutritional balance is important. Protein is a must, but I also pay attention to eat fruits and vegetables which consist of many vitamins. And then before morning and noon practice I consume carbohydrates. If I don’t eat properly I won’t be able to exert my energy because of the feeling of an empty stomach, that is what my condition will become. About sleep, I am managing it with a smartphone application. I understand the difference in my physical condition during the times I had enough sleep and the times I didn’t, so I use it as a reference. Everyday, I am keeping notes of what I am doing and I came to understand what kind of condition came (from the activity), so managing my condition has also became fun.

Q: So it is important to know things you experienced with your body, like for example, what kind of condition it will be when you do a certain amount of exercise?

R:  Indeed. There are times when I can’t do the personal training my trainer gave to me, so on off days I do body care and muscle training by myself. I am adjusting so my condition will not fluctuate by much. I keep it as a habit to maintain a stable condition as possible.

Q: Not only competition, I think you also go to training camp overseas, are there things you pay attention to in your trip where the body condition easily changes?

R: It is cold inside the airplane and it is easy to catch a cold there, so I prepare mask and blanket. Before, I had to compete in a competition when I caught a cold. I thought, I don’t want to experience the same thing twice so from that time onward I am especially careful of that. Inside the plane the air is also dry so it’s easy to get a sore throat, so I am paying attention to drink water frequently. After that, I do light stretching a few times. My senses on the next day are different depending on whether I do it or not, so I am doing all the things I could do. 

Q: In order to compete at the top level of the world, working on elements with high difficulty level at practice is a must, but no matter what it is hard to avoid struggling with injury. In order to compete in the season there’s no possibility of long-term total recuperation, there is also the need to do training and injury treatment at the same time. The schedule in off season is also pretty busy with performing in ice shows and training. It is necessary to care for light injuries so it will not turn into worse injury. At the final stage of the last junior season (2017-2018 season), on January 2018 you suffered a bone fracture on your left ring finger, in your senior debut season, in February 2019, while experiencing dislocation in the same place, as Kihira who even managed to get good results, we wonder what kind of care you are doing daily. Mostly we wanted to ask about (Conditioning) and (Self-Care), but normally what kind of self-care are you doing?

R: In order to compete until the end of season, I definitely must not get a heavy injury. Consulting my own body condition, I am going to practice like usual while thinking about the next thing. I must not get injured on the next day by overdoing it. But just by resting the circumstance will end up resulting as me being unable to put forth my strength in competition. So I think it is important to keep a tight line of balance (between the two). On a regular basis while doing stretching, if there was a little bit of pain, I use a small type of ultrasonic theraphy medical equipment to treat it and then go to practice, I am taking care of it.

Q: This medical theraphy equipment, since when you are using it and on what occasion?

R: At the time I had a bone fracture in my left hand, in January 2018, I came to use ultrasonic medical theraphy equipment in order to make recovery time faster on the bone. I heard other athletes are also using it. Not only bones, it can also make the pain from straining loose muscles go away. Especially for the part around the ankle and above. As the effect of fixing the skate boots, after the jumps, it is easy to feel pain after the landings, but it’s painful when I tried to ease the tension by myself, and there is also the possibility of inflicting unnecessary pain, so I am caring for the parts that I feel are painful by using ultrasound medical equipment. I am also using the other one for my knees. They are small and easy to be carried around so it’s convenient. I am using it daily when I feel pain at practice.

Q: Are there ways to refresh your mentality aspect?

R: When I become tired I feel irritated, in that condition challenging and practicing end up losing their meaning so I find things to turn into positive feelings and face the practice. To switch over my feelings I listen to music many times. Before the performance I listen to the music I use for my programs. When I am doing stretching and warm up, during my movements I am relaxing by listening to songs that are not related to my program.

Last season, Kihira, who competed until the end in the first senior season, was rewarded with the 2018 JOC Newcomer Award, succeeding brilliantly in her senior debut. Starting this autumn she will challenge her 2nd senior year. In October she will compete in a 3-team competition, Japan Open, held at the Saitama Super Arena. In the GP Series she will compete in the 2nd competition, Skate Canada, and the 6th competition, NHK Trophy. Her new SP for this season is Breakfast in Baghdag, a song with a rithmical melody. She went to Shae-lynn Bourne who also managed (Seimei) the free skate program performed by Yuzuru hanyu (ANA) at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where he acquired a gold medal. For the FP she went to Tom Dickson for choreo. Song with mysterious melody (O Virtus Sapientae ). In competition, with hard level of jumps and subtle expressions, she will show an evolving program. Lastly, we asked about her resolution for the future.

Q: In 2019-2020 season, your 2nd senior season, you have stated about challenging quad jumps, but what about conditioning to adjust your presentation?

R: Now there are a lot of ice shows in the weekends where I perform my exhibition program, but Monday to Tuesday I am practicing my new FP program and quad training. Regarding jumps, I am including 3A in ice shows, the percentage of success is improving. I am also adding the quad jump in my training camp in America, and I’m also including it at ice show practices, so I have good confidence. It is still in early condition to include in competitions yet, but overall senses from jumps are better than last season. Both the SP and FP are programs with more difficult presentation than last season, but if I can do the  jumps and the presentation properly in practice, I am sure I can improve. In order to get used to new programs, I am doing runthrough with song in practice as much as possible. I came to understand how to match the timing to catch my breath with the song interval, I felt that energy to skate the program thoroughly is improving. That is why, even in the off-season, like now, when I practice for ice shows for 45 minutes practice I put it on four times. And so on, assertively doing runthrough with song while practicing.

Q: Looks like you are doing adjustment very well, I am looking forward to it. Is it what it means by doing preparation from making good use of the experiments from last season?

R: Now I am able to work on various tasks, but if the season is approaching, I must go on while matching my condition with the competition, that is the difficult part. But I think surely I can use my experience from last season, I want to aim to perform the best program in any kind of situation by adjusting. Last season I had good results in early GP Series (winning NHK, IDF, and GPF). This season also, I want to get better points than last year by performing my program properly since the beginning. If I can do that, it will become the motivation to do my best until the end of the season and my confidence. By gaining self-confidence I want to rise to the podium at Worlds Championship in the end. 

Q: In the world of ladies figure skating in Japan, Shizuka Arakawa shone brightly in Torino Winter Olympics achieving the gold medal, and various athletes appearing one after another in some numbers. Kihira-senshu, what kind of skater do you aim to be?

R: I want to be a skater who is able to show my best real ability in the biggest competition with a tense atmosphere. Also, not only jumps, but spins, steps and presentation, I want to be a skater who can do all of it. 

Q: Lastly, please tell us your goal for the future

R: Winning Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is a dream I have been thinking on from long time ago. To speak of there are some athletes who (are aiming for the 1st place and managed to rise to the podium), if I set my goal less than achieving the 3rd place medal I might end up with 5th or 6th place, so I have the goal to be the winner at the highest place. However if I end up with injury, only that will turn it into a really difficult goal that cannot be realized. I want to fulfill my own dream.

[sandriinehebert]

the lombardi family

FATHER: CHRISTIAN LOMBARDI

Christian was born in a wealthy family of business men. They made their name in managing hotels and restaurants, making money just by breathing. He was promised to a similar future, but his parents divorced when he was still a kid and the situation was no longer the same. He spent the rest of his childhood living with his mother who wasted all the money his father saved for their future on lottery and pointless things. Through various jobs, Christian managed to pay for university tuition, but he failed to meet the required grades to pursue his studies. His biggest dream was to open a restaurant, and he was hoping a degree from the Institut d’Hôtellerie du Québec would help him out. Instead, he worked several jobs and saved as much money as possible to suffice himself, and eventually his girlfriend. He knew from their first date that he would marry that pretty waitress. There was something so magical about Monica, something that made him promise he would never let her go. And he never did. They raised two children together as best as they could and now that they’re all grown up he runs a little restaurant in La Petite Italie. He hopes he can retire soon, pass it on to his sous-chef and enjoy the last couple of good years with his wife.

MOTHER: MONICA “NIKKI” LOMBARDI née MARIANO

Monica was very different from her older brothers, Luciano and Frederico, she had no interest in big studies nor in leaving the country to find better jobs. She dropped out of high school and started working at a restaurant as a waitress alongsides Christian, who was then working in the kitchens. While still working there, she also helped her parents at the hair salon. A couple of years before Christian and Nikki welcomed their children, Nikki helped a childhood friend open her own kindergarten. She kept the three jobs for as long as she could, supporting both her own family and her mother. When Adamo was born, the parents decided that Christian would start working a little less. The decision for Christian to become a stay-at-home dad became official with the birth of Alessandra. He had to postpone his dreams so that Monica could fulfill hers. Eventually, she slowed down a bit, but it was hard for her. Nikki absolutely loved working and she did not regret it one bit, even though she sacrificed a lot of family times for the sake of providing for her children wom she loves deeply.

GRANDMOTHER (deceased): CORINNA MARIANO née SIMEONE

Born in Italy, she immigrated with her family before World War Two. The Simeone’s established in Massachussetts, precisely in Boston, where they ran an Italian delicatessen. She was born in a large family of 7 children, three sons and four daughters. Corinna, aged 18, moved to Montréal, Canada, when she met her husband, a veteran from the Canadian army named Dominic Mariano whose family were second generation italo-québécois. She started a hair salon in La Petite Italie and ran her business with the help of her husband until she hit the respectable age of 70 years-old. Corinna and Dominic had three children, Luciano, Frederico and Monica. The first two moved back to Massachussetts and opened a law firm together. Dominic died long before Corinna, whose favorite hobbies were to listen to clients at the salon and take care of her grand children.

She was especially close with Sandrine. Despite not agreeing to most of her life choices, and not knowing about Sandrine’s bisexuality, she was the closest she had ever been with her Nonna. She did not have to befriend anyone, since she had the only best friend she needed. That could explain why she is so terrible at initiating friendships nowadays. Her death was one of the saddest moments in Sandrine’s life, because she lost her confident and her mentor. She came to Boston to try and glue some puzzle pieces of her grandma’s past back together.

BROTHER: ADAMO “ADAM” LOMBARDI (faceclaim: skylar astin)

Adam Lombardi is a 35 years-old hockey player for the Boston Bruins. He graduated from the Université de Montréal in communications. He’s working on retiring from the hockey team very soon so he can go back to his roots. He was approached by a local Bostonian TV channel to join as a commentator for the games. Growing up, Adamo was a decent big brother. He would defend his little sister at school and help her learn how to skate, since he was so naturally talented at it. He was big into sports, but also in anything that demanded communication. He did improvisation in high school and that was when he knew he wanted to pursue into communications. however, life had other plans and his dedication to hockey took over his other ambitions. He was recruited by junior teams until he graduated university, and eventually by the Boston Bruins. He was not mad about it, considering how Montréal Canadiens was one of the worst teams in the whole league. He was approached by the Golden Knights of Las Vegas at some point, but the Bruins offered to increase his pay check to keep him around. And it worked.

Adamo and Alessandra have a very complex relationship. Growing up, they were extremely close. They were like soulmates. But when fame got to Adamo’s head, and when he moved to Boston for early trainings, he was never the same. He became entitled and noisy. He was not nurturing or caring, he was indiscreet and limitating. He still supports Sandrine with her projects, but they have their moments where they can’t stand each other. She loves him and could not see her life without him, but there is a lot they need to figure out in order to fix their relationship.

ABOUT THE KIDS LIVING AWAY

The Lombardi’s travelled at least twice a year to Massachussetts, so it was inevitable that Adamo and Alessandra developped a connection with this land. They appreciate the fact that Boston is not that far after all, so it’s easy for the parents to stop for a visit. They have this tradition of celebrating Christmas two times (their father is jewish, but after years of living among Italian catholics, they kind of grew to love Christmas). Mom, dad and big brother will all stop by Sandrine’s place for Christmas eve and day, leave on the 26th and the siblings will travel back to montréal from December 31st to January 2nd. This tradition might change though, but that’s usually their thing.

Alessandra visits them around once every two months and takes a whole week off to catch up with her parents. Adamo stops for a weekend less often. He grew to be more independent than his sister.

The parents respect that their children have ambitions, but they hope they will come back home eventually. Alessandra feels this pressure more than her brother, and it affects her. Even after 5 years in the states, she still does not really consider it a home. She does not understand one bit how anything works in the USA, much less the healthcare system. Her heart belongs in Montréal with her parents. She’s like homesick in her own house whilst Adamo is having the time of his life as a Bostonian. That’s another thing that causes them to drift away; he adjusted well while she is still struggling.

FUN FACTS

Adamo is surprisingly tall, compared to his sister and his parents.

When they were younger, Adamo and Alessandra used to play hockey in the street or on an ice ring. She was actually a talented shooter and, him, a terrible goalie. He taught his sister how to ice skate, focusing on speed and power rather than grace and ease. Therefore, it explains why Sandrine was the fastest student in all of her skating classes and competitions.

When she started competing across the province and needed a partner to rehearse her dances, Adamo did it. He was, again, surprisingly good at it.

In their house, there was an antique piano that belonged to Corinna’s family. She used to play it until she was too old to do it. She taught them how to sing along the melodies, hence why both can actually bat a tune.

Being a hair stylist (even without proper education), she taught Alessandra the basics of it. Quickly, Sandrine was cutting her mom’s and her brother’s hair. She got some skills that encouraged her to add a hair salon part to her business.

Adamo is very much a mama’s boy, while Alessandra gets along with both parents equally. Even if Christian and Monica tells them they have no favorite, Adamo clearly is.

The parents forced their kids to attend French speaking schools, which is unusual for italo-québécois. Historically, most Italian immigrants chose to learn English. But the Lombardi parents wanted them to fit in the province. They spoke very little Italian at home, only what their Nonna taught them, and learned French easily. All the way from elementary school to superior education school (called CÉGEP), they had second language English classes. Adamo is talented with communications, but it turns out Alessandra is better in languages. She was at the top of her class, both in French and in English. Her first career choice was not business or beauty related, it was translation.

Growing up, the siblings had the dream to build a large house in the suburbs of Montréal so they could live with their parents and eventually with their respective families.

They also had a dream to become both politicians and rule whatever they would rule together. Let’s be honest, they would fight too much and put the world into anarchy, but a dream is a dream.

Adamo is the only person who is aware of Sandrine’s bisexuality. He supports it and will not reveal this “secret” to their quite traditional parents.

[kettlewrites]

cardiac surgeon!minho (lee know)

[ 3K / not proof-read but what’s new, sort of a weird ending but overall soft ]

for a guy who uses febreeze as cologne and is a little ditzy,, lee minho was one of the top students in med school

no one really knew how,, honestly no one questioned it because everyone was more focused on 1. getting out of here and 2. why such a handsome person decided to become a surgeon instead of a model or idol

and honestly at this point, minho was tired of hearing these questions or comments

which is why when he hears his classmates or even other residents talking about his features, minho pushes himself harder so that instead of his looks his hard work and talent could be noticed

you had known minho for a while now,, as you two had become friends during your first year of uni when you both were made partners in that cursed eight a.m biology class

at first you were just like the others,, you made slight jokes about how minho could probably cause a heart attack from his strikingly good looks before you put a stop to them when you found out how much he hated them

*cough cough* it wasn’t hard to notice after seeing it written all over his journal

plus it worked out for the better when you acknowledged his hard work,, you also were able to realize how great of a friend and lab partner he was

almost nine years down the line,, you and minho were still the best of friends

you couldn’t have ever imagined being able to graduate alongside your best friend but also get into medical school and graduate med school with him too? you were just ecstatic minho was still by your side

along the way, you had met jisung and woojin during your journey

jisung was the very clumsy and almost ditzier med student who bumped into you your 2nd year of med school,, spilling coffee on your notes and causing a whole scene to try to apologize

whereas woojin was your senior and three years ahead of both you and minho but he still was a great friend who provided advice and even stopping by to give his three favorite juniors chicken during exam season

and you held these three boys close to your side and your heart as well,, as you never believed you could have found a family in the most competitive environment ever

now here you were,, running rounds with minho years after all the painful nights of studying for exams and the little to no hours of sleep you got (but let’s be honest you don’t even get that much now during your shifts)

but you couldn’t change it for the world

you could remember it like it was yesterday,, having the conversation with minho one day during your undergrad years

it was probably around three or four a.m as you both sat working on the bio final probably pumping energy drinks into your veins

“what’s your dream?” you asked out of the blue

your eyes were met with minho’s tired ones,, his gorgeous brown eyes droopy opposite of the corners of his mouth that turned into a smile

you’d never tell him how pretty his eyes were though

“to become head of cardiac surgery.” his eyes had brightened opposed from his previous droopy look, the smile on his face could brighten the entire room

you felt your heart race as you just watched minho’s entire face brighten when he said his dream but still you’d never tell him that

instead you gulped down to try to slow your heartbeat down and smiled with him

“out of all the specialties why cardiac?” 

“because i grew up breaking so many hearts, might as well fix them too.” he laughs

and you couldn’t ever say how much you loved his laugh but you did and it was a secret you would always keep to yourself

you laughed with him before sealing this moment in a special place in your heart and moving back to work

it had been years since you two had that conversation,, years and minho’s eyes still brightened whenever you or jisung brought up his love for cardiovascular surgery

even the mention of a heart would bring the boy to a bright smile and would cause him to jump up to say a fact or something quirky about the heart

then at a certain point, you start thinking that jisung (who was although dense but somehow very observant) was starting to just say them to watch you squirm as minho’s smile and upbeat voice while spouting out another fact about the heart brings your own heart beat to a very unhealthy speed

but that was very besides the point

jisung does however still bump into the two of you to crack a joke and even takes time out his day to go different routes to run into you to joke about your very obvious  crush on lee minho

minho was loved by all of his patients,, and even all of the attending

the head of cardiovascular surgery had taken a giant liking towards minho and you couldn’t be happier for him

you had always been ecstatic to see when minho would come out of his hours long surgeries with a giant smile on his face because he was able to fix another broken heart and hear about how amazing the surgeries went

although,, just because you were happy for him (as he was getting closer to his dreams) doesn’t mean everyone else was

there had been several occasions where you had gotten into arguments with the other residents over this so called favoritism 

you had always defended minho until woojin (remember him? he’s one of the attending now) had to pull you out of the arguments even then you would still voice your point as woojin would sometimes have to literally hurl you over his shoulder and carry you across the hospital to look at newborn babies until you weren’t bright red with steam rushing out of your ears

minho never knew about these arguments, jisung made sure of it always

however there was one day where minho was scheduled to scrub in on a valve replacement surgery

as you had finished up with the rest of your patients for the day which had went by fairly quickly since you didn’t have anything serious to go over you noticed a few nurses snickering under their breathes as you walked by

“did you hear that y/n is doctor lee’s little love sick puppy?”

“all they ever do is defend him even when he’s in the wrong.”

“i hear they even finish his paperwork because they’re in love with him.”

at first you were phased by these comments because you’ve hear it all the time

you heard the comments during your undergrad, during med school and you didn’t expect anything different since your entire first year of residency you were thrown around and treated like his puppy by the other residents

the first year of residency, a then-senior resident woojin had to tell all of the other first year interns to back off of you for minho’s number or even just trying to switch teams so they could be on the same one with minho

you had gotten used to it and it stopped bothering you even if it was annoying

but there was one comment that stood out to you

“i heard the only reason he got the job was because of his looks.”

and with that last comment you snapped your neck and stopped in your tracks, looking at the snooty blonde nurses at their station

“did you need something?” the tallest one asks

you nodded, a pretty blank look on your face as you felt that forced smile you gave patients creeping onto your lips

“first, it costs you nothing to give me the respect i deserve and call me doctor. second, it literally costs you nothing to give doctor lee the respect he deserves as well.” your tone was blank, as you didn’t have the energy to get heated into an argument

“or what you’ll go running to your little boyfriend to tell on us? not like he’s a true doctor if he got in for his looks.” the one sitting smirks

“looks can always get you so far,” you start to feel your blood boil, “doctor lee was top in our class because of people like you. people like you who only acknowledge his looks instead of the blood, sweat and tears he pours into his craft and his work.”

“you’re just mad because we’re insulting your little crush.” she says again, gaining laughs from her fellow nurse friends

“i am mad because no one acknowledges the hard work he and i have poured into this program! like i said it literally costs you nothing to give us the respect we deserve which is a lot less than patients here spend!” you raised your voice slightly, but not enough to cause a scene like you had done before

you both had continued to go back and forth, unknowing that minho was right behind you

his eyes wide and mind running as he’s never seen you act like this before

“doctor y/l/n.” he says, taking the bickering to an end abruptly

you turned to see a very confused minho and instantly felt the world coming straight down onto you

“could i have a word with you?”

you let out a groan before at first hesitantly going with him as he dragged you to a supply closet

“you finished early.” you sulk in guilt, it wasn’t a good thought knowing minho had caught you fighting with the staff

“it was messy,” he sighed, “but we finished early because it was simple to clean.”

you begin to pace around due to your rising anxiety of what minho wanted to say to you, you couldn’t read his face and you couldn’t read minds and at that moment you wished to every god in the universe that you had one of those abilities because right now minho was completely blank

“you still argue?” he laughs at first before getting more upset, “why do you stlll argue y/n?”

“they weren’t calling me doctor.” you were still afraid of saying the other reason, so you tried pushing the smallest issue first

“for a petty reason?”

“minho.”

“you’re lying. i heard my name getting thrown in it.” his eyebrows furrow in annoyance, he was already aching from standing for hours and his head was throbbing in other words, minho needed a deep slumber after his shift was over 

you let out a sigh before breaking down your wall, “they said you got into the program because of your looks and they called me a lovesick puppy for always defending you.”

“always defending me? so this isn’t the first time you’ve been fighting?”

“it’s happened all throughout med school and now.” you had given up on hiding everything from him, what was the point he was bound to find out sooner or later

somehow you just wished it was jisung instead of you who had to tell him

“just. forget it y/n.”

“forget it?”

“forget it! stop defending me when i can defend myself!”

you had never experienced minho raising his voice. never at anyone, especially you. you were flabbergasted at what to do or even say

“minho i-”

“forget it y/n.” and with that minho angrily walked out of the closet and left you baffled

you had walked out several minutes later, unluckily running straight into jisung who was doe-eyed and looking genuinely confused, before turning his confusion into a suggestive smile

“did you and minho? in the supply closet?” his smirk grew under your skin before you shoved him away

“i take that as a no. damnit i’m never getting that ten dollars from woojin hyung.” he mumbles as he watched you walk away from him

it had been days now since you and minho last spoken. you both didn’t make any type of eye contact during rounds, you both didn’t even speak to each other if you were stuck in the same elevator

it was silent and you hated it.

“talk to him.” woojin suggested as he took a bite into his sandwich, “not like you both can go forever without speaking.”

“maybe we can!” you didn’t expect your voice to be so loud, but you could tell it had surprised jisung when he choked on his smoothie

“y/n, you and i both know that isn’t true. just talk to him, he probably will explain why he got so upset.”

you kept the conversation in your head as you walked down the hospital halls mindlessly as you waited for a page or even the sight of minho

you stopped at the surgery board, seeing that you were booked to scrub in within a few hours and no sight of minho on the board whatsoever which was odd to you

“were you looking for me?” the familiar voice had sent chills down your spine

you turned to be instantly met with those gorgeous brown eyes you had fallen for years before

“n-no! i- i was just checking the time i was,, uh scrubbing in!”

“like you would forget.” he chuckled, and you felted your heart begin to speed hearing his laughter in your ears again, “we should talk.”

and that’s how you found yourself in a supply closet with minho again

“what did you want to talk about?”

“i’m sorry for blowing up on you the other day. it’s just i’ve always known that you were fighting with the other med students back then and even residents now because jisung can’t keep secrets to save his life. i just didn’t want you to continue burdening yourself by trying to defend or even protect me.”

“burden myself?” you were still confused as to where he was heading with this

“yeah, you know i just don’t want you risking your job or even place in the program plus i know how hot tempered you can get. i just don’t want you to be burdened cause i’ll feel worse.”

“minho i do it because i like-” you stopped in the middle of your sentence, “i like you as a friend and i’m always here to protect my friends. especially you, since you’ve been by my side the longest and i know how hard it gets for you when people don’t acknowledge your hard work.”

“only as a friend?” minho’s lips curl into a sly smirk, “kind of hurts y/n when i’m over here fixing hearts and you’re breaking mine.”

you tilt your head in confusion, at a loss of words because you had no idea what he was implying

“maybe you’re just as dense as jisung is,” he laughs with his eyes upturning into soft moons, “i’m saying that i like you and i have ever since you asked me about my dreams. i am also saying, please don’t go turning your residency into a fight club.”

you were definitely now at a loss for words

the guy who had made your heart race a mile a second for years now was now confessing that he liked you

“you don’t have to say anything i know i.. said a lot.”

and you didn’t know what to say but you did know that your hands went to grab his lab coat and did what you had been dreaming of doing since you first laid eyes on him well,, after you were fully awake and coherent during your eight a.m bio class

which was kiss him, kiss the boy who made your heart race (the boy who was a heart fixer but continuously made yours suffer)

“hey woojin hyung was asking for you and- OH! I’M GETTING THOSE TEN DOLLARS FINALLY!”

you both pulled apart instantly at the sound of jisung screaming at the top of his lungs, laughing as you watched the boy bounce up and down at the sight of you both kissing

“finally?” minho questions

“i placed a bet with woojin hyung last year that you both would hit it off in a supply closet.”

“that’s so specific....” you mumble

“that’s jisung for you.” minho chuckled before placing a kiss on your forehead before following a giddy jisung who was excited for his ten dollars

years down the line,, after you both had finished your residency and even after jisung finished his own residency

you had greeted your now boyfriend of several years with a smile and a kiss on the cheek before rushing to the O.R to get your booked surgeries completed

even with your busy schedules,, and even more hectic lives as the years pass with your jobs you both made time for each other and even celebrating your promotions

minho had become the head of cardiacs like he had always dreamt of while you had become to head of neurosurgery

everyone had always praised how the both of you had become a complete power couple that ran the hospital,, to which the two of you laughed because it wasn’t even true

even as much as jisung wanted you both to believe whenever he got completely plastered at your hangouts with woojin and him

but you wouldn’t change it for the world because hey, you were dating your best friend

you still had that hot temper which you now did not put towards fighting anymore

“good luck on your surgery later.” you say with a smile before waving your boyfriend off

“as to you.” he smiles

and you really don’t regret asking minho what his dreams were all those years ago, especially one days like this where you did the thing you love with the person you love

[nanoka12]

Kaori Sakamoto “I want to see the view from the podium”; Mai Mihara “Even so, I will not lose heart”

Their thoughts upon the Olympics-- Together they aimed for the grand stage of the Olympics, as close friends, and also rivals who devoted all their youth to figure skating. One of them grasped her dream, while the other did not fulfill her dream. Both of them overwhelmingly full of words of gratitude towards the other. And then once again, they will start their journey towards their respective dreams. 

(Translator’s note: for context, this article was published in early February 2018, just before the PyeongChang Olympics)

They are always smiling when they are together. Meeting when they were in elementary school, for 10 years they have encouraged each other along they way and worked hard together in training until now. 

This season, both of them envisioned the same target, and had moved forward with the vow of standing on the grand stage together.

“My only full day of rest was on 1 January. The solid sense of becoming Japan’s representative welled up greatly within me, and I began to think “Let’s do it”. ”

Two weeks after the Japanese National Championships, on 6 January, Kaori Sakamoto said this with a laugh.

The Japanese National Championships last December had also served as the selection for the representatives to the PyeongChang Olympics. Sakamoto, with a perfect performance in the SP had headed into the FS in 1st place. In the FS, amidst the further pressure of being the last to skate, she skated cleanly except for an underrotated jump and finished in 2nd place overall. Splendidly, she had won one of the spots to the PyeongChang Olympics.

“I thought there was no greater pressure than to be the last to skate. While thinking that I’ll definitely be nervous, and in reality, in the interval until the FS, unknowingly I had become very nervous, to the extent that I thought I’ll surely fail if I continue like this.  However, when the time came for my coaches to send me off at the rink, the moment that Nakano-sensei said to me “Kao can definitely do it. You have practiced for it, haven’t you?”, I thought to myself “Ah, indeed, because I’ve worked hard in practice it will be ok if I perform it just like in practice”, and the excess energy just fell away.”

Last season she had won bronze medals at both JGPF and Junior World Championships. For this season in which her Senior debut overlapped with the Olympic year, Sakamoto set her eyes on “Going to the Olympics” as her goal.

“The Youth Olympics (in 2016) was the first time I saw uniforms, bags, and the ice rink with the Olympics symbol on them, and it brought forth thoughts of “Ah, this is the atmosphere of the Olympics. I want to compete at the real Olympics”.”

Within herself, the sense of anxiety was tremendous. What bewildered her the most was the atmosphere of Senior competition.

“It’s completely different from Juniors. For example, at last season’s Junior World Championships, the two Men’s skaters and the three of us Ladies’ skaters, as well as the representatives in Ice Dance and Pairs, all of us would gather together and go for meals, and it was all very friendly. However, in Seniors everyone does things on their own. When I go to the rink, the atmosphere felt prickly and it was difficult to get used to it. I could not focus at all, was unable to move as I intended and was swept away by other skaters and so on...”

As Sakamoto was not exempted from having to qualify for the National Championships, she had no other option than to start competing at regional competitions within Japan. As she was also competing at international events, she competed at more events than anyone else this season. Looking back at it later, this had the beneficial effect of making her get used to competitions.

“I became able to think that “I will also perform it” and made my way here. However, although I pretty much got accustomed to it...”, she said with a wry smile. 

For Sakamoto who felt a sense of loneliness during competitions, she had a friend who became a support. This was Mai Mihara. Being together at their daily training became strength for her. As the competitions they were assigned to were different, they were separated when either traveled to compete. During those times, they exchanged messages via SNS, sometimes they were congratulations, and sometimes they were words of encouragement.

 “I think I am here because Mai-chan is here.”

The first meeting of the two of them who have formed such strong bonds traces back to 10 years ago. When Sakamoto, who had started skating at age 4 was 7 years old, Mihara who was one year older joined the same club she was in.

“A child with a strong spirit has come here.” In her words, this was her first impression (of Mihara).

“She had extremely strong feelings of hating to lose, ever since she was small Mai-chan was a child with the sentiment of absolutely wanting to be number one. As for myself, at that time I really did not have any such feelings of “I absolutely must win”, and was just skating without any purpose. (laughs)”

Mihara’s presence induced a change in Sakamoto’s attitude.

“Although she entered the club later, she became skillful earlier than me. One of the barriers in figure skating is whether one can master the 2A or not. Although I took two and a half years, Mai-chan got her 2A after just slightly more than a year. At that time her speed of improvement was totally different from mine, and as she was also the one who got her five triples first, since then I’ve been chasing after her.”

She describes Mihara who made her take skating seriously in these words,

“We are always training together, she is a rival who is always close by. There isn’t a more beneficial environment than this. Although she is a rival, at the same time she is a friend. I really think every day that it is great that Mai-chan is here.”

She had changed her hairstyle after the Japanese National Championships. 

“I think it was on 29 December, around that time I had it cut. I got my fringe cut by about 20cm. As there’s no parting, it felt fresh. Perhaps I cut it as a fresh start.”

Mihara who said these words smiled wryly at Sakamoto’s description of her as “ A child with a strong spirit”. 

“I wasn’t that strong in spirit. Although I don’t know why she has that image of me. (laughs)”

Her first impression of Sakamoto was “Someone who rotated with ease, a skillful child.” She also wanted to become similarly skillful.

Last season, Mihara as a first year Senior achieved her debut and first victory at the Four Continents Championship. At the World Championships, despite starting far behind the leaders in 15th place after the SP, she finished in 5th place overall after a performance in the FS that brought the arena to its feet in a standing ovation. Along with the fact that she very rarely made mistakes, she had left a striking impression.

However at a turn, this season had become a year of struggles.  What had become the source of her stumbles was her SP. She would make mistakes in it during competitions, and even though she would make up some of the lost points in her FS, her results faltered.

She had thought since before the season began that the SP was an issue to tackle. The level of difficulty of transitions between elements had been raised, and so had the overall level of her programme. Separately, she struggled with expressing the genre of tango. Although her choreographer requested for her to express “the psychology of an adult woman”, for her “I couldn’t really visualise it...”. When asked whether it was a case of there being aspects she could not engage with despite trying hard, she denied it, saying “The choreographer chose it as he believed I could do it; it’s only that my level is too low.”

After intense practice following her 4th place finishes at both the Cup of China and Internationaux de France on the Grand Prix Series, she was determined to have “no mistakes” at the Japanese National Championships. However, she made a mistake on her 2A in the SP, and was not able to fully overcome it.

“I think I rushed into the jump. I was extremely anxious. It wasn’t even the first jump, and moreover I had not made a mistake on the axel previously, and I wondered why (I made this mistake).”

She was in 7th place after the SP.

“I was really frustrated, and thought about a lot of things. It was difficult to put it out of my mind and refocus. But the theme of my FS was the image of an angel skating and hoping for peace, and from the moment I thought that there isn’t any angel who would skate with a sad face I calmed down.”

She said she had only one thought in her mind as she went into the FS,

“I thought that not just the Olympics, but I probably would not be sent to the Four Continents or the World Championships as well, so the FS at the Japanese  National Championships will be my last performance this season.”

With a superb performance, she was 3rd in the FS, and finished in 5th place overall. 

“But I was regretful. Especially about the SP. I wanted to do this season over again. Once again, from the time we started choreographing the SP.”

Mihara murmured these words softly.

The moment the Olympic representatives were announced, Sakamoto looked fixedly at the ground

For the two of them who had set their eyes on the same goal, their paths separated on the final day of the Japanese National Championships, 24 December.

At 10 pm, the competitors from all the events were gathered in one room at the venue. Sakamoto recalled that the top 6 finishers in the Ladies category were told to be there.

“The skaters, their coaches and JSF officials were all there in one room. I waited nervously while thinking hurry up, hurry up. My confidence regarding being chosen or not was fifty-fifty. I had not really achieved great results to date, and it was also my first year in Seniors.”

The announcement of the representatives to the Olympics, the World Championships, and the Four Continents Championships began.

“It felt like which competition, Ladies’ singles, who and who, were read out briefly without waiting for the words to settle.”

The announcement started with the representatives for the PyeongChang Olympics. After Satoko Miyahara whose spot was already confirmed as she had met the criteria (of winning the National Championships), she heard “Ladies singles, Kaori Sakamoto”. However, a smile was nowhere to be seen on Sakamoto’s face.

“I was like that before my name was called, and also after my name was called.”

She kept her eyes on the ground. Because skaters who were not chosen to be the representatives were in the room. And Mihara was also there. 

“I could not look directly at Mai-chan.”

As the skaters selected to the Olympic team were to be presented to the audience at the venue, they were asked to quickly prepare to go onto the rink. 

“As I rushed to get ready, I thought it was good that there was no time and I had to return to the rink. In the end, I did not see her expression even once.”

Mihara had the following recollection of the same scene,

“I was happy just to be able to go to that room, and very happy when I was chosen for the Four Continents Championships.”

But there was something that made her even happier.

“It was when Kao-chan’s name was called. I thought it would be great if Kao-chan was chosen.”

Mihara called out to Sakamoto who was putting on her skates in the backstage area behind the rink. She said “Congratulations. I am happy that my friend who trains together with me will go to the Olympics.”

Sakamoto’s reply to these words were “ “Thank you.” In any case, there was only thankfulness.”

Sakamoto describes her thoughts regarding the Olympics in these words,

“I don’t have any pressure. It’s a lie, there totally is. (laughs) I was chosen as I did not make major mistakes at Skate America and the Japanese National Championships and this was regarded well in appraisal. Therefore I think it is unacceptable if I don’t perform well. Just like at the Japanese National Championships, I want to be able to be joyful together with Nakano-sensei and Graham-sensei in the Kiss and Cry.”

And then, she said “Just for one day, I would like to try becoming Hanyu-kun. I want to know how the view that can be seen from the podium is like.”

As for Mihara, she revealed her ambition for the Four Continents Championships. “I think the reason why until now I have not really been able to get into my SP in competitions is more due to emotional rather than technical aspects. I am really weak. And I think I don’t have strengths that other skaters do not have.”

She let out the word “weak”. This was a word I had never heard her say in any of her past interviews. However, at the moment someone admits their weakness, they are no longer weak.

“However,” Mihara continues, “no matter how weak I am, I will probably not lose heart. I think that will only happen when I’m near death and am dying. I think if skating is taken from me there will be nothing left.”

She added with a tranquil expression, “I will not lose heart. If I continue not losing heart, perhaps one day I will even enter the Guinness book of records? (laughs)”

During official practice at competitions, Mihara always climbs to the highest row of the spectator stands. 

“At the time when I was not certain whether to start skating, I went to watch a competition. I have the memory of the rink looking very small from a seat in the higher sections of the stands, and I climb up each time in order to verify how the people seated at the seats furthest from the rink see the performances. I want to convey the joy and happiness of being able to devote my life to skating, and to become a skater who can give a performance that touches people. I think if I can give performances I am able to be satisfied with the results will come, and I want to go to the Beijing Olympics (in 2022). But first, I want to skate my SP perfectly at the Four Continents Championships.”

And then, she talked about Sakamoto in these words, 

“I am always able to laugh when I’m with Kao-chan. Although I think we look like a comedy duo (laughs), she is kind and considerate, and therefore I can smile whenever we are together.” 

Sakamoto thinks of Mihara in the following way,

“To me, she is someone I cannot do without even from now on. If Mai-chan did not come to Kobe, I would not even have become a JSF-funded skater*. It is great that she is here.”

At the Four Continents Championships in late January, Sakamoto made her debut at the event and won it for the first time, proving that her performances at the Japanese National Championships were not just momentum. Mihara gave her best performance of her SP of the season, the SP she has struggled with, and with an overall 2nd place finish, etched out a start towards four years later.

This time, their paths parted. Nevertheless, what is unchanged is their believing in their respective futures, supporting each other, and encouraging each other along the way as they continue their journey. With thankfulness for meeting the best companion.

*The original term is 強化選手, which literally means skaters to be strengthened/developed. As far as I am aware this involves funding from the JSF so have chosen to use the less awkward phrase of “JSF-funded”.

Original article by Takaomi Matsubara, published in Sports Graphic Number vol. 945

[tadakixd-blog]

Hanyu Yuzuru Press Conference 13/2/18

I wanted to sub it but er it seemed a bit weird because the English translation followed immediately after. Mostly I wanted to convey all the nuances that were missed due to lack of time and Yuzu's machine gun talk. So, translation ala the good old text format XD (English questions were not translated)

ahh initially this was supposed to go out 10hrs ago but tumblr wouldn't let me post for some reason...

Organiser: We will start with the Press Con for Hanyu Yuzuru. First off, let's have a comment from Hanyu, and then we will take questions.

Y: Um, even if you ask me to give a comment I don't know what to do but um, whatever it is, umm it's been 3 months since I was injured. I was really only able to watch the competitions... and the days of not being able to skate were long. I went through a very tough period but right now, being able to safely skate at the main Olympic rink like this is something I am very happy about. Umm, it's still a while before the competition starts and well...I don't have any intention of letting my energy go cold so whilst concentrating steadily I want to do the things I can do properly one by one.

Y: Sorry, can I add one more thing? Um, really, when I was injured, it was a painful time for me but really, even after the New Year's, there were many, from many different people, I received so many messages. Right now I am really filled with feelings of gratitude. The competition is not over yet so saying this now might be a little strange but really, thank you very much for all the messages. And, I want to translate the power of those messages into my own performance as well.

O: Next, those who would like to ask questions? Q: I'm Ishi from TBS. "The past and the future, those don't matter" You often say this but, with the 2nd consecutive win on the line, what is pressure to you, Hanyu Yuzuru? Also please tell us your feelings about Pyeongchang as well. 

Y: Um... doing it like this.. what is it... being surrounded by so many people and being interviewed.. I think not every skater gets to do something like this. And it's not just the number of people present... this will spread from everyone here to even more people, be it those who watch me through the media and so on, and well there are people here who were in the audience seats as well. In that way... a great many people will be able to see my skating... i'm filled with feelings like that. That may be something you could call pressure but, to me... a competition, after so long...I am able to skate in a competition so conversely I'd like to take in all of that power with everything I have. And also, to the many people who have been waiting to see me, and I think from here on that number will really increase a lot...to those people too I would like to work hard to put up a performance that makes them think "ahh, it's good that I watched him, it's good that I waited for him.

O: Mr Goto Y: Mr Goto...(/n: He's laughing at the way the name is said) asahi news.. Q: I’m Goto from Asahi newspaper. Thank you for your hard work, we have been waiting for you. Y: Thank you for your hard work (t/n: set phrase) Yes.

Q: When were you able to start jumping triples and quads and under what kind of situation was it? And at that point what were you focusing on? For eg the position of your hands or the angle of your feet?

Y: Please give me a moment (fiddles with phone) Y: Um... The things I paid attention to.. I'll talk about that first.. sorry um...(fiddling with phone) Paid attention too...Um, up until i could jump, or rather up until I could even enter the rink to begin with, up till that point it took a really long time so in that time, off ice, be it the form of my jumps or the image of them, things like that, I particularly - the things that I could firm up on I firmed up and paid particular attention to things like that. When I started again on the ice and began to start jumping again, essentially I took that image and migrated it to the ice and did it. That was what it was like. And um.. when I started jumping again...it was.. 1, 2.. triples..triples was..3 weeks...1, 2, 3. The 3A was 3 weeks ago. And then, the quads were...that would make it.. 2 weeks.. 2 weeks... about 2 to 2 and a half weeks ago, from what I remember. Yes."

Q: I'm Suzuki from World Figure Skater. Coach Brian Orser came earlier to korea, so in that time in Toronto, who did you train with and what kind of training did you do?

Y: Umm, there are a lot of coaches in the club so um, first of all... Tracy..coach. With Coach Tracy I practiced my skating skills properly and um, Coach Grishlan was always there with me so with Coach Grishlan things like the form of my jumps, umm, the way of jumping...how do you say it, be it the form or the feeling of it, I practiced with those things as key points.

Q: I'm Reese from Reuters. From what other skaters have said, it seems like many of them have said that after going through struggles they become stronger both mentally and as a skater. What do you, Hanyu, think of that?

Y: Um.. mmm...I don't really have any special feelings about that (becoming stronger after injury), I don't have any special feelings but, there was about a 2 mth period where I couldn't skate, and during that period there were a lot of chances to learn things that I probably would not have had the chance to learn if I was still skating. It's precisely because I couldn't skate that, whether it was things I managed to do off the ice or...what is it...there were alot of things that I was able to think about so in that sense, um, I think those 2 months were not wasted at all. In fact I think that there were again, many things that I was able to learn.

Q: Good afternoon, Yuzuru. Alexandra from the Olympic channel. (Eng Qn not translated)

Y: Yea... (this qn was translated very briefly as first of all, why are there so many people here like this and why do you like winnie so much?) Y: ummmmmm (laughs) Umm.. I don't know how to say... umm...Why is it that way hmm.. In any case, at the Olympics, after winning at the Sochi Olympics, at that time, even those who hadn't normally watched Figure Skating had watched it then I think, so as a result many people began to develop an interest in Figure Skating and have started to watch it, which I think is a good thing. Also, about Pooh.. well um, really, since I was a junior...well, really it was since I was really small but anyway since I was a junior I've always had Winnie as my tissue case and so.. somehow..And then the fans started... throwing alot of them for me... and then somehow...inside my room... became filled with Pooh-san...something like that, yes!

Matsuoka Shuuzo: Hanyu thank you for coming back. Y: Thank you very much

M: Honestly, I too had the same injury so, I'm sorry to say this but I thought it was impossible (for you to come back). But I think, when you faced yourself you must've doubted yourself thinking "this is impossible!". How did you overcome that?

Y: (laughs) What is it hmm...I didn't really think specially about whether or not I'd be able to come back... definitely right after I got injured...umm.. really during NHK trophy I thought that even if I'd have to inject painkillers I'd still turn up but... in the first place I couldn't even move my ankle so it wasn't even about the pain... and so after that 2 months passed and when I started skating again of course there were some things that were quite difficult for me and many times i thought, will this heal? ...but now I am actually skating like this,  and mm. I think that is everything. Um, in the past I thought of a lot of things, and yes of course it may have all been about negative things but right now, like this, I am talking in front of so many people, and to top it off it's not bad news, i'm in front of everyone talking about good news, so in any case the things i can do now...Right here in pyeongchang, on the stage that really, I have dreamed of in my dreams, I want to give the performance that I have also, dreamed of in my dreams.

M: I will support you with optimism Y: Thank you very much

Q: Uchida from FujiTV. Thank you for coming back, we have been waiting for you excitedly. Y: Thank you very much

Q: Skating in the main Olympic venue here, what kind of thoughts does it bring up for you and have you had any changes in those thoughts? Also, heading into the Singles, there is still some time left so what adjustments are you planning to make?

Y: Umm well, first of all, well this goes for the main rink too, first of all skating like this on korean ground, and it was like this last year too for 4CC, I thought that it really feels very good. Umm, of course I'm still making adjustments so there are stil many jumps that I haven't done and many elements that I haven't tried, things like that but slowly slowly I...well I have my own plan too so while following that plan, I want to stay flexible (ie play by ear) to create my own peak as i go forward. There is still a finite (lit: measurable) time till the competition so I want to use my time efficiently and align my peak with the Singles competition.

Q: Phillip Hersch of Ice network (this question was translated pretty much verbatim)

Y: Um well for Sochi, first of all, I didn't really weigh myself then so I don't know, but compared to 4 years ago I've improved on my muscle power so I think my weight has also increased a little. Um.. about the loop.. mmm. I don't really have anything to say I think..Well I think having a battle plan is really important and I really have alot of choices I can make, and of course, I have within myself the confidence that if I skate cleanly I'll definitely win. I really think like that. In order to skate cleanly, what should I put in that program...is something that I want to decide on as I continue to improve my condition

Q: Sorry, excuse me. Um, I heard that you started on-ice again about 1 month ago. I think it was a short period of time but during this period what have you been focusing on the most and also what did you struggle the most with?

Y: I was worried especially about my stamina and also, well I wasn't on the ice so I worried about my own feel for the turns (of the jump) and well figure skating isn't something you can do on land so be it the feel for the ice or the feel for skating.. I had worries about things like that. It's just, but, well, skating like this, after 1 month, well I am here right now so, I was able... to  have practices where I felt that I could qualify/perform for the olympics so...I don't think there is a problem. Also, things that were difficult... even if you ask me... I don't really have any (while laughing). I have just, singlemindedly done what I've needed to overcome that and... I can't practice beyond what I have already done (literally i have been doing things that have nothing further/no next level) so... not a single...I don't have any sliver of concern. I only, simply, at this place, want to do what I can do.

O: Ok it is time so we will end the conference.

Y: Thank you, thank you (In japanese). Kamsahamnida. Thank you. Merci. Spasiba. Y: (to the translator) Thank you very much, sorry, I was somewhat long winded, thank you.