And There Was Only One (Yuzuru Hanyu)

VII There was one plate

Miwa didn't know what exactly she was expecting, but this wasn't it.

The sun was beginning to rise, peeking bashfully behind the buildings, giving the last nights sky a cold look, telling it to go away. 

They were seated on the comically small balcony with barely any leg room, drinking an off brand fuzzy drink the taste of toothpaste coke, and eating yesterdays gyoza. With confidence he reheated them in a pan, a serious look on his face. 

"Your fridge is awfully empty", she pouted while inspecting it. 

"Sorry, my mom brings me food weakly. I can't cook", he shrugged, focusing solely on the gyoza in the pan. 

Miwa smiled, feeling such adoration for him at that moment that she whished to wrap her arms around his waist and squeeze the life out of him. It was the type of adoration that caused immense anger. Miwa stared at his back like that for a while, she could imagine hugging him would feel like pressing yourself against a sunbathed rock. She chuckled at that thought, having to cover her face.  

"What's funny?" he turned around for a moment, fringe getting into his eyes, forcing him to shake his head a few times.

Another pang of feeling struck her, this time banging her chest, giving her that frightening feeling; like a cold eel climbing up your back, making you want to jump out of your own skin. Why did he have to look at her like that? Why did that look make her feel this way?

After a few seconds he smiled and turned away. What was that just now? Did he read her just like that? Could he tell just how flustered she was right now? Was he all smug about it?

"I said I was good at making gyoza." he bragged as he watched her covering her mouth cause she shoved the whole thing in. 

"What you did is called reheating", she pointed out, watching him frown. Gosh he was cute.

"I bet I could make it if I tried." he crossed his arms.

"I bet you couldn't, you don't have what it takes."

"What does it take?" 

"Patience and, and, and,.... small hands."

He looked down at his hands then stretched them out before him, waving his palms in front of her face, "My fingers are slender though" he argued. 

Miwa laughed, looking at him waving around like a little kid wanting a high five, "They have to be tiny, the size of gyoza."

"My gyoza will just be a little bit bigger then," he frowned, "Let me see your hands", he demanded. 

"See" she showed him her palm faced upwards, to which he bent over it, placing a finger on his chin as if he was deciphering something written on there.

"Indeed", he nodded looking up.

"What?"

"You made that thing up, you don't need small hands to make gyoza. It makes no sense."

Miwa laughed, throwing her head back. "You may not believe me, that's fine by me." she smiled and shrugged. 

"I don't believe you, Miwa-san" he squinted.

"Alright" she laughed. "Are we on first name basis now? 

Hanyu looked away for a moment. Shy, she wondered.

"Is that okay with you?"

"Sure", she shrugged feeling somehow bold, the coke leaving an aftertaste in her mouth, "What should I call you, Hanyu-senshu?" 

He smiled a cheeky smile, raising his eyebrows, "Not that."

"Why not?" she smiled back, chills going up the back of her neck. She was becoming nervous.