nevertheless || yuzuru hanyu

prologue

Winning is a very confusing ordeal. You would think that it is something positive for you, but then you realize how it negatively affects your life.

Let's say one day you're walking down a smooth pathway filled with grass and flowers, and the next second you feel as though you're walking on thorns.

It's to be able to be successful in what you love, and almost lose all the ways in which you can do it, in the span of few seconds

When Gabriella Kim first made it to nationals, her legs felt weak through the extreme amount of happiness that was running through her body. The feeling was appalling, she was exhausted but then again she made it, so every body pain that she felt, every leg sore that she felt, it was all worth it.

She was always the extreme type of player. She gave everything to the game if it meant scoring and having fun. It was a part of her, something she would never be embarassed about, something that has gotten her through the toughest of times.

Through the eyes of an outsider who watched her games, one may even say that Badminton was her first and only love. She played that sport as if it was what wrote her story.

Every time there was an essay to be made in her English classes, or any time she could pick a topic to build on, whatever subject it may be, it's always about badminton. She loved the feel of it, she loved the adrenaline that came when she played it. She loved the aura of the court, she loved watching other people play as well. Just about anything regarding the sport anchored her towards loving it deeper and deeper everytime.

Her deep love was what drove her to keep competing, and after a few national wins, she began competing internationally, until she qualified as a participant in the Olympics.

During the day of her match, she was thrilled and she couldn't wait to step into the court and compete. The adrenaline was already kicking within her and the match hasn't even began. She continually ran around the player's area in excitement. Her coach even told her to calm down a few times, but she couldn't contain her determination to finally get started on the match.

On the topic of the match; it was quite memorable for many reasons, but more so, it became a very infamous match because of the events that took place during it.

And that was when Gabriella lost her grit and brightness. She lost her courage and determination to participate in matches.

Rather than a surreal experience, to her, it was... traumatizing.