Short-Short: The Skating Man Who Never Slips

Something that looked obviously dangerous was coming toward me from over there.

“Skating Man, reporting for duty!”

It’s best not to engage with this type of person.
“Hey, hey, ignoring me isn’t good, you know.”
…Damn it, why did he have to set his sights on me?
“Now that I’ve arrived, you can rest easy!”
There isn’t a single element here that makes me feel at ease, though.
“After all, I am the ‘man who never slips’!”
Wearing skates and saying you “never slip”—what kind of joke is that?
“Hahaha!”
Hey, don’t try to laugh it off.
“Say, is there anything you’re worried about?”
I’m worried right now, actually. In more ways than one.
“Hmm. So you’re right in the middle of the entrance exam war, are you?”
Listen to me. Well, that’s true, though.
“Leave it to me, I can see right through everything.”
No, I just walked out of a prep school, so anyone could figure that out.
“I’ll tell your fortune to see if you can pass your target school.”
Tell my fortune? What do you mean?
“What is your first choice?”
I haven’t decided yet, but maybe something like XX University? Though I think that’s impossible.
“Hmm. That’s quite a difficult school. In that case, it’ll be an Axel jump.”
What does that mean?
“I’m going to perform that move right here. If I succeed, you’re guaranteed to pass your target school. If I fail…”
You mean there’s a high chance I’ll fail the exam too?
“In terms of probability, it’s more accurate than a mock test result.”
That sounds fishy.
“You only get one chance. Are you really sure you want me to predict for XX University?”
…Wait a second.
“Hmm. I’m a busy man, you know. Make it quick.”
I don’t seriously believe him. I don’t believe him, but if he were to fall right in front of me, that would be a terrible omen.
Um, what about YY University?
“That would be a Lutz jump.”
I think a Lutz is lower in difficulty than an Axel, right? I remember vaguely. Then, what about ZZ University?
“That would be a Loop jump.”
The difficulty just got even lower. It feels like it’s proportional to the deviation score.
What about the XX Vocational School? Out of the ones I’ve vaguely considered, that seems like the easiest.
“That’s a single toe loop.”
Alright, I’ll play it safe and go with that.
“Understood.”
The man took a deep breath and straightened his back.
“—Here I go!”
With his eyes wide open, the man started to move slowly. After gliding backward without a sound, he picked up a little speed and switched his feet. As he slowly touched his toe to the ground, he kicked off with one foot. His upper body rose high, completed a smooth rotation, and then—
“Ah.”
—He landed squarely on his butt. Seriously, man.
“Honestly, my apologies.”
Don’t “apologies” me. What do you mean by failing the easiest jump?
“No matter how safe a bet you choose, there is nothing in this world that is one hundred percent certain.”
That might be true, but still.
“For someone who lowers their own hurdles because they’re afraid of failing, this result is only natural.”
You’re the one who failed, so don’t talk to me like that.

“Those who stop falling are only those who have given up on growing. Don’t you forget that.”

Saying that, the man left. …What was that all about?
“The man who never slips, huh.”
His words had a strange sense of persuasion, but I’m not convinced.

“In the end, he was slipping all over the place, wasn’t he?”

—Both physically and in terms of his act.