Chapter Text
Eighthgeardisaster is now live.
"Hello hello!"
The camera shook as it was being set down onto a surface before a redhead appeared on screen. His usual blue headband was crooked but his smile was bright and wide. Brown eyes were sparkling in excitement as he held a box in his hands on the bottom of the screen.
"So I'm gonna give people a second to show up.. I know I don't usually go live at this time but it's a special occasion!"
Langa adjusted his headphones while kicking off his shoes at the entrance to his apartment. The redhead's voice was in his ear as he made his way into the kitchen for a post-practice snack.
"I just got my mail. The thing I've been waiting for came and I'm literally going to explode. Oh hey, demonskater, good to see you in the chat this early as always."
Langa was earlier. He had hit the notification as soon as he got it. Langa set his phone to stand up on the counter, against a stray box of cereal as he moved the kettle off the stove and turned to the sink to fill it with water.
"Bro I know!" The redhead said in elation before an adorable giggle. "This box is huge but trust me I didn't order another novelty board bros. This is special!"
While the kettle was heating up, Langa took out two cups of instant ramen from an upper cabinet filled with junk food and set them on the counter before grabbing his phone off its makeshift stand. He leaned with his lower back against the sink to watch what exactly had his favorite content creator doing an impromptu live stream.
The chat wasn't moving very fast at the bottom of the screen. It was the usual usernames from everytime eighthgeardisaster went live.
demonskater12 special?!?!
RosesofRivers Hey! I am not a bro.
Pieseagull2 HELLO HELLOOOOOO
"Sorry dude! Dude is a gender neutral term right?" The redhead smiled and tilted his head just enough for his messy hair to fall in his eyes. Realizing his headband holding it in place had moved he took his hands off the top of the box to fix it. "Nice to see you roses and Hello pie! Oh god there's like, already 20 of you here. All so fast on the notifications. Hi! Okay so definitely enough to open this and if you are missing the live and watching this later don't worry too much."
"Again, for those of you just joining I just got my mail and I'm so freaking excited." He tapped the top of the box as more messages flooded in.
RosesofRivers Thanks cutieeeeee. You can call me dude anytime.
Pieseagull2 WHAT'S IN THE BOX
Kinkilicous REKI. OMFG u go live?????? Wht is ths abt?!?
demonskater12 did you see Chinen's fucking gnarly pop shove it yesterday? He's going to take the gold this weekend.
CrookedF no way idiot. Joe is going to.
Pieseagull2 NO CHERRY IS WINNING
"Okay okay." He laughed and put his hands up in defense. "Settle down. One, yes of course I saw Miya's trick, I was there. Who do you think recorded it?" The teasing smirk he gave was stupidly attractive.
Langa almost gave into the urge to type into the chat box at the bottom of the video feed to let those people know who was actually going to win gold.
"Second, we all know who's going to win. Joe and Cherry are insanely talented and I have no doubt they'll put on a great show. I'm really looking forward to attending it!" The wink after was even more attractive.
"On that note." The redhead took his focus off his phone to look down at the box. There was a jingling noise as he brought a t-tool up to cut through the tape at the top. "Unboxing time."
Langa ignored the chat going wild in arguments of which hometown skater was going to win and watched as the streamer's eyes lit up in delight as he unfolded the cardboard instead.
"This is super rare.. for a skater to release something like this. I'm not one for buying brands, you guys know that.." He gave another smirk. "I make my own stuff. Which is why I admire this move so much."
He seemed to struggle with the object he was trying to lift out. Stretching his arms down into the bulging cardboard box while he continued to ramble about business decisions. His hair was falling over his gorgeous amber eyes as he seemed to get a grasp on whatever it was.
"Oh my god it's so much cuter in person!" Another wide smile accompanied the almost squeak he made in delight. "Okay dudes, don't tell on me for buying three of them.."
Langa understood the pause for dramatic effect but internet culture could be so dumb sometimes. He wanted the cute boy to get the point, impatient to know what had him so excited.
The next smile he gave was the brightest one yet. He brought both hands out of the box in front of him with an exclamation. "Ta-da! It's so soft too..what the hell."
"No fucking way.." Langa said to himself. It was drowned out by the poorly timed scream of the kettle. He turned to get it off the burner quickly so he could hear what the man on his phone was saying.
Blue eyes snapped back to the small screen in his hand as soon as it was off the heat. The redhead was nuzzling a small white plush with his face as he continued on talking.
"-Freaking cute little yeti! Looooook!" He almost whined and shoved the small stuffed creature right in front of the camera. Langa laughed lightly in disbelief as his own merch was now filling the entire screen.
"Dudes!" The redhead squeaked out before bringing it back to his chest where he gave it one more squeeze before setting it off to the side. "Seriously I know I shouldn't be saying this as a general skateboarding thing type channel and I try not to play favorites but I do have one.."
The chat was all caps of Langa's name.
"Langa Hasegawa." He smiled and a light blush dusted his cheeks that he immediately hid by digging back in the box. "Like I said, I had to get every size.."
The next plush he brought out was the medium sized one. He gave it a quick kiss on the cheek before setting it off to the side and Langa was surprised at how jealous that made him.
His brain was stuck on a 'that's my merch!' loop as he watched his favorite skateboarder take out the largest yeti before kicking the box to the side. It was almost as big as his entire chest, which he immediately pressed it into. He wrapped his yellow sleeves around the plush before setting his adorable face right on top of the cartoon yeti's head with a happy sigh.
"This is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life."
Langa's eyes were wide and he could feel his own cheeks start to heat up as the streamer was absolutely beaming in happiness holding his merch. That was the cutest thing he had ever seen, he was so adorable.
"So yeah, Langa is definitely taking home gold this weekend. He's the best skater and with the addition of a special vert series there's no way he's not winning!"
The kettle was going cold on the stove behind him but he couldn't tear his eyes away from his phone as the praises continued on from eighthgeardisaster. Langa was confident before with an immense desire to win a competition on his second-home soil but now he needed to.
"Time for the announcement!" His shining eyes glanced at the chat. "Oh god, so many. Hello!" He waved the plush yeti's long arm with a big smile. "I'm also competing this weekend! So if you're in the Tokyo area come check it out!"
"He's competing?!" Langa asked his empty apartment in excitement. "Oh shit..he's competing."
The rest of the redhead's usual sign off faded into the background. He could meet him. This clever and adorable streamer that he'd been following for months. (It would have been longer if Langa hadn't forgotten the name.) The skater who had the best analytic videos and tutorials he didn't need to continue watching after going pro but he did anyway. (Langa watched every single one of his videos.) The skater who he had an embarrassingly large crush on. He was going to meet him.. tomorrow.
A female voice yelling in his headphones had his thoughts snapping back to reality from a very inappropriate daydream.
"Reki, are you serious?" Someone off screen laughed.
The redhead gave the camera an exaggerated grimace. "Who told on me? Snitches.." He joked with a light huff of a laugh before looking off to the side at whoever it must be talking to him in a mumble. "Right, but like.. in the middle of a live stream."
If the chat had been going crazy before it was worse then. The messages flew too fast for Langa to really make out but he saw his name a few times.
Pieseagull2 OH SHIIIIIT BOYYYY HES IN TROUBLEEE.
CrookedF can't believe you're going up against the muscle god of skating. He's going to beat you so bad.
RosesofRivers oh my..
Kinkilicous MY HEART BREAKS. ｡:(;´∩`;):｡
Pieseagull2 LANGA IS GONNA TAKE THE GOLD AS YOU FANBOY OVER HIM HAHAHAHAH
demonskater12 Good luck bro!!! Can't wait to see you and Chinen tomorrow!
His soft voice drew Langa's attention back to the middle of the screen where he gave a shy smile. Still holding the yeti but he was reaching for his phone with his free arm. "Cutting it short today. Expect a lot of content from this weekend though. Bye bye!"
The live stream ended abruptly and Langa let out a breath. A half baked and almost silly idea cooked in his mind as he poured his now lukewarm water into the cups of ramen. He was even more excited for the event this weekend.
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HasegawaLanga
[Image description: Langa standing against a brick wall covered in colorful graffiti. He's wearing a black hoodie holding the largest yeti plush available in his arms blocking the graphic on his clothes with a soft look on his face.]
Snow the Yeti is now available for general sale. If you missed the pre-order window, HURRY because these adorable plushies are only available for a limited time. All proceeds go towards Rainbow Connection, a charity helping LGBTQ+ teens around the globe in a massive online support system.
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Reki hit the end button before shoving his phone into the pocket of his hoodie. He turned to Kei with a sheepish smile on his lips. "Sorry. I didn't know you'd be home this early."
"No, it's my bad, I didn't know you were streaming." She pulled her long brown hair to one side of shoulder before fiddling with the necklace around her neck. A long sigh escaped as she looked him over with soft violet eyes. "It's super cute but it's not sleeping in our bed."
"Are you suuuure?" Reki teased with a wiggle of the yeti in his hands. It's fluffy fur bounced with the movement as he held it with outstretched arms towards his girlfriend who looked unamused. "He's super soft!"
Kei leveled him with a blank look. "Yes I'm sure. We barely found enough room for all your stuff here as it is. Why did you buy three?"
He barely held in the sigh of disappointment at her lack of enthusiasm. Reki repositioned the large plush under one of his arms so he could gather the other two. "It was for a good cause. Shit, I totally forgot to mention that on the live.."
"You shouldn't be promoting other people on your channel anyway. Especially not that one."
"He's a pro-skater." Reki clarified with a bit of a defensive attitude that he regretted when Kei's pretty face fell into a frown. "I just mean that his merchandise should be on that channel. All the proceeds go towards charity.."
He mentally kicked himself for getting too excited and forgetting to say the details. He'd make another video later, actually showcasing it and not just gushing about Langa.
"Again, it's not your charity." Kei sighed and set her purse on the entryway table while she kicked her heels off. Putting her less at eye level and back to her short stature. "The lighting in the genkan is horrible, shouldn't be making videos out here anyway."
"Right.." Reki conceded softly. He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. "Welcome home."
"Thanks baby."
She leaned up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek before walking fully into their apartment. Reki filled his arms with stuffed yetis before kicking off his own shoes and following behind. The genkan led into their small living room with an attached kitchen. He set the plushies onto their tiny couch, hoping that was a good enough spot for now and that the cat wouldn't immediately lay on them.
"I could do a give away?" Reki said the first idea that came to his mind when he stood next to Kei looking into the fridge. He was able to open the freezer door right over her head to grab what he was planning on cooking for lunch.
She grabbed a drink and ducked out of the way anyway. "Sure." Kei took a seat at the bar top counter and smiled softly at him. "You're excited about tomorrow, yeah?"
"Course I am!" Reki confirmed with a big smile. "Miya and I went over the route I picked and he even said it was decent. Which is Miya speak for phenomenal."
His girlfriend laughed lightly before setting her chin into her palm. "You're gonna be amazing. Always are. I'm excited to cheer for you."
The compliment made him blush so he spun around on his heel. "Thanks Kei."
"Course Reki! Now about the video I have planned for your other channel…" She jumped right into the explanation of the trend she wanted him to do while he cooked.
Reki tried to pay attention the best he could. It sounded.. different than her usual ideas and he was pretty apprehensive. Especially because it involved him removing his clothes.
"Just your shirt!" Kei clarified when he started to whine about it. Reki handed her a bowl of food that she traded for her phone so he could see the example.
"Oh. This isn't that bad." He admitted handing it back to her and grabbing his own dish to sit with her at the counter. "I thought you were saying like, stripping or something." He said with a laugh.
"Nooo." Kei giggled. "I wouldn't want you stripping on the internet, just being a little sexy. Trust me it'll be so popular with how hot you are."
Reki teased her with a mouthful of food. "You think I'm sexyyy."
"Yup! And a little gross.."
"Gee thanks."
They both laughed and continued eating lunch together before Kei said she had to go back to work to finish up some things before the weekend. He saw her off with a wave that she insisted turn into a kiss. Reki gave in and when she left, he was alone in their apartment. Well the cat was there but thankfully she wasn't out in the main area. He didn't get along with her.
Reki might as well work on the videos that needed to be posted. He sat on the couch next to all his yetis and opened his laptop with a sigh. It was easy to post the one on his much more popular account, he had edited it the night before. He still needed to make one for Langa's merch on the skating account and he probably should get started on that sexy one Kei suggested.
The other account had started off as an excuse to do some of the fun trends and dances but it exploded in popularity when he went viral for a reason he still hadn't figured out. Reki was ecstatic and so was Kei. At first. It felt like a chore to post on that one now, he'd rather put his effort towards the eighthgear accounts.
However, any publicity was good publicity when it came to trying to get his name out. If his marketing major girlfriend was to be believed, which she was. That was her job. So Reki followed instructions and got to work on maintaining an audience. He just needed to find a red light..
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Regularly.Reki
[Video description: A loud and cheery k-pop intro plays before Reki slides onto the screen. He's got a large smile as he follows the trendy dance. When he messes up, he laughs brightly and does some improvised movements. A quick cut to him sliding in again, this time he falls right in front of the camera with a loud thud. Another cut and he's got a cat in his hands. He's singing the lyrics to the very annoyed looking feline.]
Blooper reel in celebration of 800k followers!! TYSM for all the love.
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Eighthgeardisaster
[Video description: Reki shows off Langa's merch. Overly cuddling each plush while he explains the charity. Letting the audience know they can find the links to everything in the comments.]
Links below to my favorite pro's amazing merchandise. #independentsponsors #skating #tokyoskatingscene #tutorials #tokoyosk8 #langahasegawa #rainbowconnection
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Reki strapped his skateboard to his backpack with a loud clack of the front buckles before shoving the tiny yeti into the middle pocket to keep it hidden from the world. He covered it with the paperwork needed for entry to the amateur set and quickly zippered the bag. For whatever reason bringing the little plush with him felt like a good move, he didn't want anyone to know about it though.
"Kei, we have to go."
He called from his seat on the wooden ledge in the entryway before he slipped into his scuffed skating shoes, lacing them as fast, but also as accurately, as possible. The last thing he wanted to happen was messing up a trick due to a idiotic error like a loose shoelace.
"I'm coming!" Her sweet voice called from their bathroom.
Reki checked the time on his phone, making sure they had enough time to get to the venue for the open practice. Miya was going to kill him if he was late. "Kei seriously I don't want to get murdered today. Then I wouldn't get a good score."
Her small hands found his shoulders from behind. Kei's sudden appearance made him jump and made her giggle. "I told you I was coming." She teased with a ruffle of his hair. "I wanted to look good."
"You look good all the time." Reki told her honestly as she pushed past him to reach her high tops.
Kei flashed him a soft smile before taking a seat to lace up her shoes. Her tight jeans were cuffed right above the top of her bright red shoes which matched the design on her shirt. It was one he had made and she was wearing it with pride to his first serious competition. Little gestures like that made it very easy for him to overlook all the other issues they had lately.
"I know but I have to look even better than usual. Especially if I'm going to be competing today too!" She stood up with a laugh.
"Wait- what?" Reki tilted his head and copied the movement, making sure to grab his backpack off the foor. "You said you didn't want to enter with me.."
"You're lucky you're cute." Kei brushed a stray hair off his nose before she turned away. "I meant for your attention. As I always have to do when it comes to skating but especially when it comes to Langa."
Reki swallowed the sigh that was brewing. "I don't ignore you for skating. Ever."
There was a time when they did it together and she never complained about his obsession/hobby/job/dream before. Why now? He kept his question to himself and just tried to assure her with a gentle kiss that she met with a smile.
"I like that you didn't say anything about being distracted by Langa." Kei teased before her tone switched to excitement. "Will we get to meet more of the pros?"
"Maybe!" Reki ignored the first part and focused on the second. He was excited too. "Miya for sure. I don't know about anyone else."
"This is why I wish you'd just focus on your popular channel." She slung her miniature yellow backpack over her shoulder as he opened the door to their apartment. "You'd have sponsorships for skating as well as ads. Then you would be one of the pros, it's what you want right?"
He really wanted to avoid this conversation that had been happening too often for his liking. She just wasn't understanding, or she wasn't listening. "I'm working on it."
Reki needed to get out of the negative headspace her reminders put him into and back into a positive one. Today it was all about skating. A chance to show off his own brand, his own board. He didn't need to worry about anything else.
The atmosphere at the venue when they arrived immediately lifted his spirits. It was surprisingly electric for how early in the morning it was. There were people everywhere. Reki was expecting a much smaller crowd for practice but he was wrong. It was unlike any of the other local competitions he had participated in, this one had cameras everywhere too.
Once he found Miya, Kei left to go hang out with her friends so he could focus. His friend immediately made him start memorizing the layout of the street space. It had a bunch of rails and ramps all connected by perfect concrete.
Reki needed to finish the route he planned on taking for his run and Miya helped him out with pointers on what would work best. He only had an hour of practice before he had to register and he was going to make the most of it.
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DynamiteFlower
[Image Description: Shadow is holding up a ‘rock on’ hand symbol next to his face which is spread into a huge smile at the bottom of the screen as he is posing with a fan. Behind him is Langa, surrounded by short girls, looking very uncomfortable as he signs an autograph.]
C’mon ladies.. We know who the real star is!!!!!!
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"Shit." Reki said under his breath as the papers he was trying to grab back from the registration person flew out of his hand onto the asphalt below him.
Miya snickered off to the side, making no effort to help him gather everything up. Reki knelt on the ground, plopping his now open bag next to him to try to pick up the loose sheets before they got stepped on. Another pair of hands joined him and amber eyes shot up at the unfamiliar helper.
Except they weren't unfamiliar, they weren't unfamiliar at all.
His own hands immediately paused, dropping the small stack he had gathered straight back to the ground when he realized who was across from him.
LANGA
Langa fucking Hasegawa.
He was crouching right in front of him with his icy blue eyes staring right at him. A hint of a tiny smile on his lips. A dusting of pink washed across his cheekbones as his gaze darted to the side when he cleared his throat. "Um, you dropped them again."
Reki was frozen but his mouth started to stutter in an attempt to reanimate himself. "I uh, I- oops."
His own glance went straight to the ground where he quickly and carelessly shoveled the papers into his hand. Reki stood up quickly, almost tripping over himself and falling into Langa. The taller man stood up soon after but his eyes were still on the ground as he handed over the ones he had collected. "Here."
"Oh. Thanks!" Reki grabbed them with a much more careful movement this time. He could feel his cheeks turning bright red in embarrassment. "I was just putting them away and they flew out."
"You brought.." Langa started to say something but decided against it with a shake of his head."You have my merch."
Reki's eyes blew wide in surprise when he realized what Langa's gaze was stuck on. His open backpack, still on the ground, yeti plush inside of it on full display. He shoved the papers into it before snatching it off the ground to hold against his chest. The board attached hit him in the chin but he didn't feel it. All he could feel was his heart going crazy, pounding in his chest like a drum.
"Yeah I pre-ordered and everything." Reki explained for no reason. "It's for a good cause." His voice lifted at the end as if he was unsure about that actually being the case. He was nervous. "Um and it's adorable."
That made Langa's small smile widen as his focus was now fully on Reki. Perfect, as he was blushing like a schoolgirl.
"It is." Langa said in an even tone before tilting his head ever so slightly. "So you know my name but I don't know yours."
"Reki." He gave up the information immediately without thought. "Kyan. Reki."
"Good luck today Reki." Langa's gentle smile made him feel some sort of way. He was even more handsome in person. "Or do you go by your surname?"
"Nope." Reki shook his head softly. "Just Reki. I dunno why I said it.. but I don't have any cool nicknames like you. Or Cherry Blossom. Or Joe. Or-"
A small laugh from Langa interrupted him. "Shadow?" He correctly assumed the next name. "You know I don't even know his real name either?"
"You don't?" Reki asked in disbelief. "Isn't he your social media manager?"
"Yep." Langa nodded and his hair fell into his eyes. He brought his hand up to brush it back before he spoke again. "I just pay him cash. Easier."
Reki smiled at the nonchalant shrug the taller boy gave. A bump into his back from someone trying to get around him brought the environment that had disappeared the moment Langa appeared back into view.
"I should get out of the way." Reki huffed a laugh and stepped closer to Langa in an attempt to avoid getting run into again. "I can't lie, I have a million things I want to ask you but the line for registration isn't the best place to talk and I'm sure you have to go practice so I'll get out of your way too."
"Well you're not in my way." Langa said, putting a hand on his elbow to gently lead Reki off to the side out of the crowd. They were mostly on the edge so it was only two steps before he dropped his hand back to his side. "You can ask me whatever."
"You serious?" He was so surprised at the offer Reki barely processed the fact he was just repositioned let alone touched.
Langa wasn't exactly known for how much he talked. His interviews were notoriously short, only providing the basic information needed and never elaborating. The complete opposite of himself, always providing details. Reki still read them all, he liked the matter of fact way Langa went about things.
"Yeah." He confirmed with a nod.
"Don't you have to practice?"
"I can practice later. I don't mind, if you're free."
Reki shifted on his feet. "I mean.."
"He's not." Miya answered for him with a nudge into his shoulder. "You messed up your last grind, you need to do it again before your run."
Reki turned to look up at the younger boy next to him whose recent growth spurt had him now taller than him. Even more reason for the glare he gave Miya that was only met with a mischievous smirk. Langa didn't need to know about the failed trick.
"Langa, stop distracting the noobs. You're attracting a crowd." Miya chided with a wave of his hand in annoyance.
"Hey Miya." Langa said with a light laugh. "I'm not distracting anyone. Reki said he had questions and I offered to answer them."
Miya's bright green eyes lit up in amusement. "I'm sure he does."
"For the channel!" Reki asserted before his friend could embarrass him any further. Miya knew far too much about his number one fan status. "I need content too, dude. I'm going to win regardless of how much practice I get in."
Langa grinned. It was the largest smile Reki had ever seen on him, he didn't even know he was capable of smiling that big. "How about I just give you my number? And you can ask your questions whenever you're free and then after you win.. I'll help with your channel in any way you need."
"Thought you hated social media." Miya commented from the side.
"I do." Langa shrugged again. "Guess you could say I'm a fan of his though."
Reki couldn't take his eyes off the man in front of him. In shock and not because he was blindingly bright. "Of me?! Why me? I don't even-"
"Maybe it's your regular account." Miya teased and it was like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped onto Reki's head. That would be..embarrassing.
"Here's my number." Langa tapped his fingers gripping into his backpack with a small card of paper. Reki flipped his hand over to take it without looking away from his face. "I'll let you go practice. Good luck."
He watched Langa walk away after a small wave. He watched him all the way until he couldn't see blue hair in the crowd anymore. Reki ignored Miya's teasing about being a fanboy and looked down into his hand at the paper Langa had given him.
It was Langa's phone number, hand written on the back of a business card for a major brand, one he wasn't signed with. The numbers were all too close together and if Reki didn't have experience reading little kid's scribbles, he probably wouldn't have made any of them out.
"Miya is this real?" Reki finally acknowledged him. He looked annoyed but amused, Miya's usual expression. His friend pinched his cheek, hard. "Ow dude."
"Well if you feel pain, you're not in a dream." Miya shrugged.
"I meant his number.." Reki clarified with a wave of the paper in Miya's face.
"Oh." He snatched it and green eyes scanned over it before he nodded. "Yep and looks like he's not planning on signing with Acere. Seeing as he gave you poor.." Miya paused to read the name on the front. "John Johnson's number. That's a stupid name."
Reki laughed at the name and at the situation before he grinned. "Very stupid name. I can't believe he gave me his number! I can't believe he said he'd help with the channel. I can't-"
"Believe you aren't heading back to the practice space! Let's go slime!"
Miya made him practice until the grind giving him trouble earlier was perfectly executed many times in a row. Reki wasn't going to complain too much about the coaching. He was lucky to have it.
The amateur set was the first event of the day and Kei found him right before it started with a huge smile on her petite face. "Reki!"
"Hey!" He smiled right back and when she got close enough he wrapped her up into a hug. "For good luck." Reki explained with a squeeze as she giggled before he let her go. "Guess what!"
"Wait wait wait." Kei's small hand rested right over the graphic on his t-shirt. "I was going to say the same thing. Guess what."
"What?"
"I saw Langa!" She beamed and hopped slightly. A reminder they were both excitable people because he did the exact same bounce.
"Yeah? I did too! He-"
The starting announcement interrupted him. Reki was second so he needed to get ready. He gave her hair a tiny kiss before skipping back. "I have to go, I'll tell you the good news after I win!"
"There's that confidence I love." Kei looked up at him with bright eyes as she gave him a thumbs up. "Good luck!"
Reki smiled wide. Even if he was confident he couldn't help the slight twinge of nerves before his run. Every trick he had picked was one he could do in his sleep, hoping for a high score because of how well he could execute them. He wasn't necessarily looking for points from difficult ones. Although there was the surprise slide, that should wow the crowd and the judges. At least that's what Miya had said when he insisted on him putting it in. In the amateur set they only had one run to get the best score possible, he had to be perfect.
He watched the entire three minutes of the first competitor before it was his time to shine. The crowd didn't bother him, in fact he barely noticed the noise. Focusing on only the board under his feet and the concrete under his wheels.
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Eighthgeardisaster
[Image Description: Reki is smiling so wide his eyes are closed. He’s posing with his board in one hand and making a peace sign with the other. A gold medal hangs around the redhead’s neck, it’s small enough to sit in the center of the gear design on his yellow shirt. His score of 88.00 is displayed on a screen behind him.]
GUESS WHO WON GOLD?!?! Look out Tokyo, no one can compete with my boards. My contact info is in the bio if you want one of your own. Commissions are open!! #EighthGearBoards #independentsponsors #skating #tokyoskatingscene #tutorials #tokoyosk8
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The crowds had gotten bigger as the day went on. Probably because the vert competition was at the end. The highly marketed part of this event, for good reason, was flashy and high stakes. Unlike street skating, if a skater fell there was no way of just getting back up and trying again. If they fell, their run was over. The ramp was just too big to get back on top of, as it was designed for maximum speed and air.
Reki couldn’t stop bouncing on his feet as he stood next to Miya in the spectator space. He had begged and pleaded with the younger guy to get him a spot close to the ramp to watch the set. It was his first time being able to see Langa skate in person and he would have given anything to be as close as he was. A week of being Miya’s ‘dog’ seemed worth it to be right in front of the half pipe.
“Settle the heck down.” Miya nudged into him with a laugh. “You look like you don’t belong. Which you do, because I’m an amazing coach and you’re almost guaranteed a sponsorship after that run.”
“I can’t.” Reki tried to plant his feet but they wouldn’t stay still. “I’m too stoked.”
“Because of your crush?”
Reki instantly went red. “Not a crush. I admire him.”
“More like adore.”
“Keep your voice down, dude.” He pulled his headband over his eyes and took a deep breath to try and reset his nerves. It made no sense that he was more nervous now than he was when he had competed. “People might get the wrong idea, and my girlfriend isn’t here to defend herself.”
“She’s with Akane?” Miya asked with one eyebrow raised when Reki restored his vision.
“Yeah. Watching the women’s. I’m already being accused of being a misogynist.” Reki joked but it fell flat.
Miya just hummed in response and crossed his arms. He didn’t like Kei, at all. Reki thought it was probably just because of how similar he and her were in personality. Loud. The quiet boy barely tolerated Reki at times.
The first skater of the vert set was a young kid. Only twelve years old and Reki definitely saw how scrutinizingly Miya watched him. This kid broke the record for the youngest competitor in the series, taking Miya’s old spot from when he was thirteen.
“Look at his placement on that fakie, smooth!” Reki couldn’t keep his commentary to himself but he kept it quiet, in hopes of not making his friend regret the decision to bring him along. “That was a decent first run, would have been great if he hadn’t slipped right after. He’s got so much potential.”
He commented on everything, maybe because of his experience doing reaction videos of competitions, maybe because he was so excited. It was an endless stream of talking all the way until he saw Langa take position on the side ramp. Then the words got stuck.
Langa stood like a statue, looking completely calm as he waited for the skater before him to exit off the wood. He held his signature yeti board atop his shoe in one hand while the other tucked the longer pieces of his hair back into his helmet. He was the only one wearing a white one but it suited him, matching his plain shirt. The only logos he wore were two small stickers, one for his shoe sponsor and the other a drink company on the side of his helmet. Barely noticeable advertising, unlike his snowboarding apparel which was covered in his sponsors.
Reki watched him in awe. The first rotation he did was higher than any of the other competitors had done, it was insane. The way he flew was ethereal, like he belonged in the sky. He could feel his lips part in surprise when Langa landed from the difficult trick with the grace of an angel. Seeing it in person was a completely different experience than recorded tricks. Watching him complete his run with no mistakes had Reki absolutely enchanted.
When Langa ended at the top of the wooden ramp, he brought the bottom of his shirt up to his forehead to wipe the sweat and Reki felt his mouth go dry. His cheeks started to heat up at the glimpse of pale skin, and he felt faint when they made eye contact. Langa winked. He winked and Reki was for sure going to pass out.
Once the man he couldn't take his eyes off of left his field of vision, Miya's snickering brought him back down to Earth.
"You do realize you have to watch three more of those.." He said with a clear of his throat.
Reki turned to him, mouth still agape and blush thoroughly covering his entire face. "Uhhh.."
Miya snickered even harder before it was drowned out by the sounds of wheels clacking on the wood.
"I think I um, need water or something." Reki commented quietly, his gaze everywhere but his friend's amusement. His mouth was still dry, must be the weather. It was warm, making him dehydrated. "The sun is hot."
"Here." Miya had stopped laughing to shove a water bottle right into his nose. "Sure is, under this covered space that we are standing in."
He gestured up once Reki took the bottle from him. He followed Miya's pointing, looking up to see they were indeed standing under a tent.
"Yep." Reki confirmed before downing half the bottle and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sure is."
The rest of the runs were impressive but there were a lot of falls. Reki had continued his commentary after recovering from whatever that was after Langa's first run and was able to be a somewhat normal human being. His feet had stopped bouncing as the series went on. By the second run for Langa he was actually able to name the tricks he was performing.
Four rounds went quicker than Reki thought they would and the winners were announced immediately. Langa took first, some dude took second but surprisingly the young kid took third. After the pros got their medals some of them joined them in the spectators area to meet with friends or family.
Reki congratulated the young teen in passing, his bright grin warmed his heart. He turned to a grumbling Miya with a smile. "I remember when you were that big!"
"I wasn't ever that short." He countered with a huff. His narrowed green eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of something behind Reki's shoulder. "Langa!"
Reki spun around to see him right behind him. Appearing out of nowhere with a smirk. "You are incredible!" The complement flew out of Reki's mouth before he could stop it. "Like, seriously amazing. Congratulations on the gold!"
"Thanks." Langa smirk grew a little bigger. "Congratulations to you too. I watched your run."
"Langa doesn't usually watch the amateurs.." Miya chimed in from the side.
"You saw?" Reki beamed in excitement. "How dope was that slide?"
"Very dope." Langa confirmed with a small laugh as he tucked his helmet higher under his arm. "You're just as amazing. Why are you not pro?"
"Uh-" Reki started to stutter, not really knowing where to start to explain the whole story of why this was his first competition. Thankfully Miya jumped in from his side to save him. Langa's presence made it hard to think.
"He will be soon." Miya's tone had more confidence than Reki deserved. "Just needs a sponsorship. And he will get one after the run I choreographed."
"Shut up." Reki laughed instead of getting annoyed. "I'll give you all the credit for the slide but the rest of the tricks were all me." He set his hands on his hips and smiled.
"So, you needed help with something?" Langa raised one eyebrow before he bent down to remove his knee pads.
"Well not help! But since you're offering.." Reki chimed, swaying back on his heels. "An exclusive interview with professional Langa Hasegawa could be pretty cool."
"I think an interview with soon to be professional Reki Kyan could be cool too." Langa stood up as he said that and why did him saying Reki's name make his stomach do something funny. "Wanna go get food? I'm done for the day."
"Um yes! Hell yeah. Wait-" Reki started before he remembered he couldn't just leave Kei. Miya would understand but he promised her expensive sushi after he won. Shit. "I told my girlfriend I'd take her out.."
"Girlfriend." Langa repeated with a lower tone. "Okay well you have my number. So just text me then."
"No! I mean. Hold on. Let me just-"
Reki fumbled while removing his phone from his front pocket. He unlocked it to see a message from Kei saying she was leaving with Akane to go somewhere. She wasn't specific which was a little concerning but whatever. It meant he was free. He texted back a confirmation to meet at home later before he looked back up at Langa.
"We can go." He told him with a smile. "Got any favorites in Tokyo?"
Langa returned the look of happiness before he nodded lightly. "Tons."