And There Was Only One (Yuzuru Hanyu)

I There was only one rink in Sendai

"Try these."

"Mmmmm... these are nice." she mumbled appreciatively, covering her mouth in the process. "Are they for the spring menu?"

Her aunt gave out a big sigh and shook her head, "We're closed off for the spring, and now the Olympics are canceled..." she sighed once more for good measure, "Your uncle and I hoped to get rich this summer, I already planned our trip to Taiwan next year... And now, we're trying to figure out how to do deliveries..." She shook her head again, placing it in between her palms in the end.

"Is Hiroshi helping out? I could too, now that the rink has closed..."

"Oh the rink..." The older woman now almost whined, "Only a few months ago it was full of visitors and the school was running well..."

Miwa nodded in compassion and carefully took one more brownie. When her aunt came over to whine about this and that, or gossip, Miwa was only consoled with treats she brought from the family coffee shop.

"Did you hear what your silly grandmother said?"

"No, what?" Miwa straightened up, catching her aunt's expression. Was it time for gossip?

"She said Yuzuru Hanyu's mother came by the rink last Friday." she ended that with a challenging pout.

"Hmmm..." Miwa considered, "I think Canada is about to close down."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if the borders are to close, who knows when they'll open again... It's possible she came back." Miwa considered grabbing one more brownie but she counted she already had her fill and felt obliged to leave the rest for her brothers.

"So if she came by the rink, that means Hanyu-senshu* is back as well?" aunt's eyes widened suddenly.

"Hmmm... is that how it sounds? I guess, maybe..."

"But the rink is closed down."

"Because grandma and others can't risk running it now."

"True... Too bad the staff is elderly... Ugh, all the young ones ran off to Tokyo." she sighed again, and Miwa guessed they were done with gossiping and were moving back to complaining.

All the young ones ran off to Tokyo... Only Miwa stayed. She sighed, wishing she had a right to whine about something to someone too.

*

"I don't really understand." Miwa mumbled nervously, she hated when she felt like a burden.

"I would ask someone more experienced, but they're either too old to expose themselves to the risk, or they've returned home. The school is closed, all the coaches have left."

"No, I didn't really understand my working hours..." Miwa mumbled now completely embarrassed. She'd never really spoken with the rink owner, and now she feels like a complete teenager. She felt her face going so red it started to heat up the screen of her phone.

"Oh that... Well, I didn't really get that either. I'm guessing it's all going to be up to him. As I understood, Hanyu-senshu will be paying for five hours of ice and gym time."

"Off days?"

"He didn't mention."

"Oh, so you, sir, talked to Hanyu-senshu?"

"No, I spoke with his mother and his manager. But don't worry, as far as I understood, it's only going to be Hanyu-senshu at the rink, and he's gone through quarantine and tested negative a couple of days ago."

"So no coaches?"

"They need you to test as well." The owner seemed distracted at that point. Miwa stopped with the slightly probing questions, and only murmured a confirmation.