Chapter Text
There it was.
That feeling.
The hot lights of the arena were hot against her skin. Itsuko Aiuchi was born to bask in the limelight. This was her life and she needed to be right here. It was the final event of the Olympic All Around. She just needed to stick the landing on her floor routine.
Run.
Jump.
Flip.
She made sure her legs were glued together as she ran for another flip. Itsuko made sure to move to the beat her teammates picked for her. She banged her fists on the mat, moving her hair over her shoulder. She had heard the names Netizens had for her. They called her the Slut of the Slums, just because she grew up in a less fortunate part of the Okinawa Prefecture.
She took a deep breath, before running into a front layout that would lead into a front handspring, then a front tuck, and then a split. Stick the landing , she chided herself. Don’t quit. Itsuko stared at the lights, at the crowd—this was for her.
Be victorious , her mother had told her right before she left for UCLA in the United States. Now, at twenty-seven, this could be her last Olympic games. She had attended three already. This was her life, her legacy. This was all she needed to do. If she wasn’t in the gym, then she wasn’t living anymore.
Raising her hand to the sky, Itsuko blew a kiss to the audience. Just one more pass until she was done. Itsuko threw her body to the ground, doing a split as her back rested on the ground. Relaxing the muscles in her body, she ran forward. She just needed to do a front double somersault into a split. Without hesitation, she jammed her feet to the ground as she stuck the landing. With a smile, Itsuko spun on the ball of her foot, bringing her leg to her forehead.
The beat came to a halt, then a pause, and then it stopped. Itsuko was sitting in a split, hair tangled around her finger. The arena erupted in screams and cheers. The Olympics were set in Athens this year. She raised both her hands in the air, waving at the crowd.
Her long indigo-blue hair was falling out of its ponytail, covering her dark skin with a subtle shadow. She raised her head to the ceiling, blinding herself with the lights. This was all she ever wanted.
Japan won the Gymnastics titles of All-Around Champion and the team final. Gold medals were placed on the girls who worked their whole lives for this moment. Itsuko grinned at the flashing cameras, her world spinning.
There was another flash of the camera.
And another.
Something was wrong.
Then the sound of an explosion filled her head as she tumbled to the ground. This time, not on her own accord.
She remembered that day like it was yesterday, while in reality, it was only a month ago. They called it the Athens Slaughter. Twelve thousand people were killed in this accident, including all of the Japanese gymnasts. Itsuko had survived because of the sacrifice of the youngest gymnast’s life. Her name was Omi Kei. She was a baby who wanted nothing more than to go back to school and study in Shikestu’s support course.
Itsuko donated two hundred thousand yen in her fallen teammate’s name. People liked to say she was only alive to give back to the rest of the community. Itsuko agreed with them. She was a doomed soul, wandering the Earth. The explosion had taken her leg, leaving nothing but her left leg fully intact.
Doctors told her she would never compete again.
She lost her will that day too.
She was lost.
Itsuko remembered when she had a life ahead of her. It was perfect. She was perfect. She had a dream, a goal. All she wanted to do was do gymnastics. Itsuko Aiuchi was going to be the first Japanese woman to medal at every Olympic game she had participated in.
She just needed one more event.
One more Olympics.
One more moment.
She wished she could still do anything.
Itsuko walked down the street, gripping her cane with a frustrated expression. She desperately wanted nothing more than to toss her cane into the street and break into a run. Itsuko wanted to run away. Everyone offered her pity, some offered her choice words she would rather not repeat. All she wanted to do was cry.
She turned the corner, walking down a pretty populated street. Her cane banged along the concrete, allowing people to avoid her. They knew her name, they knew her face, and yet, no one knew what she wanted. Itsuko avoided interviews, news outlets, and her social media page. She didn’t want to be seen anymore.
If she faded into obscurity, would they let her die?
Itsuko entered the corner store, sighing loudly. She grabbed a bottle of overpriced sake and a box of condoms. She trudged to the counter, placing everything down. The clerk wasn’t the usual one. He was different, and Itsuko should’ve noticed that looking back at it now.
“You must have a very exciting night planned,” the clerk mused, checking everything out. Itsuko didn’t smile. She didn’t even giggle. It wasn’t funny. Sure, this could’ve been some sort of self-sabotage, but she was twenty-seven years old for crying out loud. She could do whatever she wanted. “I hope you enjoy.”
“I will.”
She walked out of the store, passing by an alley before pausing. It seemed shady, a woman resting in the center. She seemed so off-putting, not completely there. Itsuko looked around, before entering. She walked in, banging her cane on the walls. The woman didn’t make a single sound.
“Hello? Lady? Are you good? Should I call someone for you?” Itsuko was starting to feel nervous. It wasn’t right. This woman should have at least reacted to her cane. She inched closer, and closer. Her heart leaped to her throat.
The woman’s head lolled to the left.
She jumped forward, using all the strength in her left leg to get closer. She reached down, before letting out a scream. The woman in front of her was dead. Itsuko looked around for a form of identification, but she couldn’t find any. The woman was dead, and her identity was unknown. Itsuko’s hands shook as she grabbed her cane. She needed to call someone.
Placing her bag of ‘groceries’ down on the ground, Itsuko took out her phone. She barely reached her home screen when she heard another sound. Someone was behind her. Itsuko Aiuchi slowly turned around, gripping her cane and phone tightly.
Itsuko raised her cane to defend herself before something filled her lungs. She clawed at the walls of the alley, though her nails caught onto nothing but air. Maybe she would join her teammates? She was going to die, and she welcomed it with ease.