Loli, at first, was an absolute disaster on ice, clinging to Hugo like her life depended on it.
But as the minutes passed, something changed. The sheer terror in her eyes slowly shifted into determination, her grip on Hugo's arms loosened bit by bit, and the trembling in her legs reduced.
Of course, there were still moments when she nearly wiped out spectacularly, and Hugo had to swoop in like some heroic figure to steady her, but with every small victory, Loli's confidence grew.
It was kind of adorable, actually.
Hugo couldn't help but be amused by how serious she was about learning, her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to mimic his movements.
"Alright, now try to push off with one foot, then glide with the other. Don't stomp, just slide," he instructed smoothly, skating beside her.
Loli nodded with deep focus, biting her lip. "Push, then glide. Push, then glide. Got it."
She tried it. The first attempt was a mess—she wobbled so hard that she nearly face-planted, and Hugo had to grab her wrist before she ended up on the floor.
But the second attempt was… better. Not perfect, but she actually moved forward without looking like a chaotic baby deer.
"I did it!" she gasped, looking up at Hugo with wide, excited eyes.
Hugo smirked. "Look at you, going from total amateur to semi-amateur. I'm impressed."
Loli rolled her eyes. "I hate you."
"No, you don't."
She huffed but didn't argue, too busy focusing on skating. Before long, her movements became smoother.
Instead of constantly clutching onto Hugo for dear life, she started using his hand more as guidance than as a lifeline.
The fear was gone. In its place was something else; exhilaration.
Loli started experimenting, trying to move with more confidence.
A laugh bubbled out of her as she spun just a little too hard and nearly lost balance, but she recovered on her own.
She looked up at Hugo, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"This is actually kind of fun!"
Hugo chuckled. "Wow. Ten minutes ago, you were screaming about how you were 'fighting for your life,' and now you're enjoying yourself? Talk about character development."
Loli smacked his arm, but she was grinning. "Shut up and let me have my moment."
Hugo skated beside her, watching as she gradually became more playful, more free.
She would attempt small spins, reach out and twirl herself around him dramatically, or even try to race him only to screech when she realized she wasn't that good yet. And all the while, Hugo was just… watching.
Damn.
Loli was breathtaking. The way her hair flowed behind her, the way her eyes shone with excitement, the way her laughter rang in the air—it was all mesmerizing.
Hugo had always thought she was beautiful, but something about seeing her so unguarded, so alive, made his stomach feel weird.
Like a warmth was spreading through his chest, a realization creeping into his mind that he was almost afraid to acknowledge.
Then, it happened.
Loli let go.
For the first time since they had stepped onto the ice, she moved away from Hugo's grip, skating entirely on her own.
Her arms wobbled slightly, her feet were still a little unsteady, but she was doing it.
"Hugo, look! I'm actually—"
And then, as expected, she lost balance.
Loli yelped as her feet skidded, and in the next instant, she was barreling straight for him.
Hugo barely had time to react before she crashed into his chest, sending them both stumbling backward slightly.
His arms instinctively wrapped around her, steadying her before she could completely fall. And suddenly, they were too close.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Loli's face was inches from his, her warm breath fanning against his skin.
Her wide eyes stared up at him, her lips slightly parted from the shock of almost falling. Hugo felt his heartbeat pick up.
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Without thinking, he reached up and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
"Careful," he murmured, voice unusually soft. "I'd hate to lose my best student so soon."
Loli's cheeks turned pink. She quickly looked away, stepping back and clearing her throat. "W-whatever. I wasn't even that close to falling."
Hugo smirked but didn't argue, letting her have her pride.
The moment passed, and soon, they were back to skating together, moving side by side.
As they glided across the rink, Loli looked up at him curiously. "So, tell me more about yourself. You never really talk about personal stuff."
Hugo shrugged. "Not much to say. No dad, only sibling, and I live my life however I want."
Loli raised an eyebrow. "That's it? That's your whole backstory?"
Hugo chuckled. "What, did you expect some dramatic tragic past? Sorry to disappoint."
Loli hummed in thought. "Well, it's only fair if I tell you about me too." She hesitated briefly, then continued. "I'm an orphan. My stepfather raised me. That's about it."
Hugo noticed the slight shift in her expression. Her voice had remained casual, but when she mentioned her stepfather, there was something… off.
A tension in her shoulders. A flicker of something not so pleasant in her eyes. He didn't push, though. Read new chapters at Freewebnovel
If she wanted to talk about it, she would.
So, instead, he simply nodded. "Sounds like we both have pretty simple stories, huh?"
Loli gave him a small smile. "Yeah. Simple."
The conversation shifted, moving between teasing and random small talk.
They went back and forth, laughing about dumb things, enjoying the moment. But then—
Loli accidentally let something slip.
"Yeah, well, at least I had years of therapy to help me get over it."
Hugo blinked. 'Wait, what?'
Loli froze.
There was a beat of silence before she quickly tried to brush past it. "Nothing. Forget I said that."
But Hugo couldn't forget it. His mind instantly went into overdrive.
Therapy?
Years of therapy?
Oh, this was definitely connected to whatever big secret she was hiding. And now, Hugo was torn.
On one hand, he really, really wanted to ask. This could be his chance to finally figure her out, to piece together the mystery of Loli.
The puzzle of secrets gave him a a clue, but he wanted to find out the real truth!
But on the other hand… was it really his place to pry?
_____
Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!