Wings of Change | Yuzuru Hanyu

Epilogue

The heavy weight of the medal that was placed on her neck brought a smile to her face, she had done it, like her father did in the past.

Naomi Sofia Santos Hanyu was an Olympic champion at the age of 19.

After spending her whole junior career using only her mother's last name to avoid attention, it was with pride that she stood as a senior on that podium as Naomi Hanyu.

She looked into her parents' eyes, her faithful coaches, who stood right at the rinkside through the duration of the competition.

It was the first time her father stood there, surprising everyone when he showed up. His name was still written in history and would be for many more years. Hopefully, hers would be too someday.

Naomi was lucky to have them by her side, no matter what. A silent support in a cruel sport that they knew so well.

She owed her mother everything, despite being a world-recognized doctor in the field of Sports Medicine and was often requested for high-profile athletes, she occasionally refused jobs in order to be with her at competitions, giving her face when Naomi tried to run away from her father's heavy shadow.

The first time Naomi touched the ice, she was only 3 years old, her dad had been too enthusiastic and bought her skates as soon as she was grown enough to fit the smallest pair. She was a natural, it was expected given the talent of her parents in the same field, but the hard work she put out was truly the secret to her success.

They never wanted her to compete, almost begged her not to, Skating was changed into a very athletic-focused sport but she liked the old days, or better, she loved her father's skating. It meant that to win and keep up with what she liked, she had to be the best of the two worlds.

The gold medal on her neck could be the start of a positive change, of a comeback on skating skills development, on difficult transitions and steps that brought beauty into the jumps.

Pride overfilled her as the Japanese anthem played, she looked at her parents, watching from below, and waved with a huge smile on her face.

Leaving the podium, she took the medal from her neck and placed it on her mother's.

"For you mama, the Olympics you deserved to win"

Joan bawled her eyes out, this girl had the ability to make her cry every time, just like her father.

Naomi left her medal there and went to her best friend for a hug. A Canadian skater from the Cricket Club who managed the bronze medal in the men's. Yuzuru wrapped his body around his wife as they watched the interaction with a knowing look.

"Think I should scare him away?" Yuzuru asked.

"I think he's already scared enough by the whole skating legend thing, Zu. Leave them alone, she's an adult now."

"Not sure I like it, I remember when we were that age"

"We figured things out, they will too"

"Hum, we will see what you say when she breaks the news that she's moving to Toronto"

They laughed together at the thought. Yuzuru looked at the shiny medal on his wife's neck with love and joy, reminiscing how he felt back in the day.

"Careful there, look at it a bit more and I will think you're planning to compete again"

"Could be fun"

"That would be a great way to end up in a wheelchair"

"I bet you my triple axel still looks better than the men's gold medalist"

"With a back counter"

"And twizzle exit" he concluded as they laughed away with pure happiness.

惚れた病に薬なし (horeta yamai ni kusuri nashi) - There's no medicine for falling in love.