Sakiko and the other staff then proceed to the free skating press conference even though she's still in shock while she reads the words on TV screen behind the rink. Ojiro Korishima fell in second place, making him the figure skating world championship's silver medalists while the new skater from the U.S flashes his bronze medal with Austin Brown standing in the middle, flexing his gold into the camera.

In the press conference, Sakiko, together with Daisuke-san, NSF's respected official attends to accompany their medalist. They stand together beside the presscon table for the skaters.

The winners took pictures together, before they started. They are seated in front of sports journalists from all over the world that are permitted to ask them questions about their experience with the skating season that were about to close.

They ask the gold medalists first, asking him about the preparations he did to dethrone the unbeatable Ojiro Korishima. Austin happily shared his workout routines and then one of the journalists asks him jokingly, "Is there anything that makes you more inspired in this season? A someone? A person perhaps?"

A series of laughter breaks from the crowd of journalists. Sakiko knows it's just a random question they casually ask, not meant to be taken seriously but they throw this question in hopes of digging something into these athletes' personal lives.

Though Austin knows he can dismiss it, he still answers it. "Thank you for reminding me I'm single," he said, making everyone break into laughter. "But hey! It's the end of the season. I can finally play around now," he laughs. "But seriously, If you want to know about speacial someones, you should ask this guy beside me," he continued, nodding in Ojiro's direction. "I heard somewhere that he got a girlfriend." He wiggles his eyebrows, teasing.

Everyone whistles in their laughter.

Sakiko holds her breath, eyes widening in panic.

No, no, no. This is so bad.

She turns her head to Ojiro, who answers his rival with a smile. It seems like only she can be able to see through that smile. On the side of her eye, Daisuke-san is also smiling, but his eyes are looking directly at Ojiro, waiting for the skater's answer.

Everyone's eyes fall on Ojiro. The cameras shifted immediately to him, laughing along with Austin. Someone from the U.S. team went up to Austin and whispered something.

"Oh, it's just a rumor? My bad," he says, making a movement copying the Japanese way of bowing. Ojiro bows to him in return, and then they bow to each other again and again. The media watches the two athletes in delight.

I swear to God...this Austin. Sakiko exhales in relief, knowing how they both try to lighten up the mood.

One media person takes his turn to ask a question and tells them that it's for the silver medalist, Ojiro Korishima. He congratulated him, and Ojiro bows to the journalist, ready to take a question.

"So, speaking of inspirations. Compared to last year's worlds, the quality of your performance this season has failed to defend your title. We all know about this rumored romance between you and this woman named Maria Louisia Diaz. It has been going around. Does this have an effect on your preparations for the world?"

Of course, they will always grab the opportunity to ask the question to Ojiro that everyone is dying to hear, and Sakiko is just too stunned to react quickly.

Sakiko holds her breath again. She looks to her left and right as if asking for help.

Who asks questions like that here?

But everyone is already waiting for Ojiro's answer. Cameras are flashing, all focused on him. As his manager, it's just natural that her first reaction is her need to do something and defend him, but her body freezes on her spot.

Maria Louisia Diaz. The name does ring a bell.

When she got back from overseas work with Korishima-senshu's kaa-san, she was welcomed by all her managerial work. Emails, collaboration requests, sponsorships...and a dating scandal. She hasn't stopped digging into it ever since, and she should be walking towards the press conference's coordinator and tell him to stop asking this kind of question, but a part of her wanted to know what Korishima-senshu had to say about this.

"Thank you for taking your time to formulate such a question for me." He holds his mic, turning directly to the media personnel. "Can I ask which studio you're from?" He asks the man, smiling sweetly at him.

"TVNihon desu," the man makes bowing movements.

"TVNihon," Ojiro nods. "Such a shame. I had a wonderful relationship with this network for many years now." He smiles. "It's been a long time. Maybe you and everyone in here need a reminder that the only purpose of my presence here is to talk about my skating journey this season alone?"

Everyone fell silent as they listened to Ojiro's deep voice, like they'd fallen into a trance.

"Me, including these athletes here with me, worked our asses off for that podium," he continued. "We starved ourselves; we broke our bones. It was all our blood, sweat, and tears to just get bombarded with such unprofessional questions."

Sakiko's jaw, drops. It's very unusual for Korishima-senshu to talk back in such a tone, and in fact, she only remembers him like this when his family got involved, but that was very long ago, and he's too young at that time.

One thing that Sakiko loves about Japan's hero is the kindness that he possesses. Even if the media goes overboard most of the time and she wants to make them pay for it, he always reminds her that they're just doing their jobs. Yes. Being exposed to this industry is sickening, and Sakiko has always looked up to him and respected him even more because of how the way he handled things with care.

Sakiko makes a move in her feet, stomping it, and whispers, "Yatta! Go get them!" She notices Daisuke-san beside her, throwing her a side eye, so she moves up her hands, making a sign to Ojiro that he should calm down.

"I respectfully request everyone to please refrain from asking personal questions from now on. I will truly appreciate it. Arigatou." He bows from his seat a bit longer.

The room is silent from the weight of his words. They haven't recovered yet from what he said, and then he added.

"I am apologizing to all those who supported me in going into this trouble, and regarding that person, you mentioned." he nods to the journalist that asked him the question. "I don't want to hear that woman's name in a public event like this...ever again."

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