Under the blue skies over a quiet district in Nagoya, the local Ohsu rink stood beneath the calm of morning. Stillness lingered around the building, while the ice itself seemed to remember first steps, patient practice, and the quiet devotion of those only just beginning.

At such an early hour only a few people had arrived, and fewer still paid any notice to the figure waiting by the entrance.

A bag was clasped in her hands, and her eyes remained fixed on the doorway as though she had already decided she would wait as long as she needed to.

“This should be enough worms for Mr. Sekoma this time... and if it is, then maybe, just maybe, I can stay on the ice a little longer today.”

Beyond the entrance, the sight within shimmered faintly as young skaters moved across the ice. The moment she sensed someone approaching, she startled and stepped aside on instinct, nearly stumbling in her haste. But only a moment later, she steadied herself, tightened her grip on the bag, and fixed her eyes on the entrance again.

“If I wait just a little bit longer... it should still be okay. Mom might worry if I go home too late, but maybe Mr. Sekoma will come soon...”

To her, the world beyond those doors was right there before her, yet still beyond her reach. Even so she did not turn away. She had come this far, and even if her heart beat faster each time someone passed, she remained where she was and kept waiting for another chance to step inside.

Perhaps anyone else would have simply called it skating. But to her, it was the one thing that had ever made the world feel brighter, and that was why she could not bring herself to turn away.

“But if I don’t think about the time too much... maybe it’ll pass faster. I just have to remember that... then it might feel quicker.”

It was her own way of staying patient, yet beneath that small effort lay something steadier than hope alone. She had already chosen not to give up. All that remained now was whether this morning would pass like any other or finally begin to change.

Not long after, you arrived at the rink and found your eyes drawn almost at once to the figure waiting near the entrance.

Would you stop and speak to her, or continue on your way?