Beyond the Sound | Yuzuru Hanyu

45.

"Is that him?" Maya heard on the other side of the call. If she did, so did Yuzuru, even if he didn't understand Italian.

"Yeah..."

"is that your mom?" he asked as soon as he heard the Italian language.

Maya just nodded and he whispered "Can I??"

"I think so. Mom, you want to see him?"

"Of course I do."

Giulia surprised Maya by answering in Japanese, and she wasn't the only one with wide eyes.

It had been a long time since the Italian woman tried to speak the foreign language, but it seemed as if it left her with ease.

Yuzuru didn't waste much time before sitting next to Maya and looking at the screen.

"Hello" he said with a smile.

"Hello, young man. Maya, you weren't joking... Just like Yumi."

"huh?"

The poor man was as confused as Maya had been a few minutes poor and the girl couldn't help but kiss his confused cheek and whisper in his ear "Apparently, our moms are old acquaintances"

"Are you messing with me?"

"No, you can ask your mom. Please send my love to her. It's been so long since I've spoken to her." Giulia said with a smile.

"Why are things with us always this crazy?" he said making both women laugh.

Only with that comment did Maya remember that his presence was odd. He didn't tell her he was coming to Tokyo.

"No idea, Yuzu. What are you even doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"In Tokyo?"

"It's where you live, Maya..."

"But did you have anything to do here? I don't remember hearing about it."

"I don't. I just came to see you, silly."

Guilia laughed, making her presence known since the couple seemed to have forgotten with their small banter.

"Sorry, mom."

"It's fine. So... Yuzuru."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Please call me Giulia, you make me feel old with ma'am."

"Alright, Giulia-san."

Maya laughed and he tickled her belly in retaliation.

"Maya tells me you still skate."

"I try" he answered with a smile.

"Your mom always said it was your dream. I'm happy you managed to keep going."

"It's crazy that you know each other... "

"She's alright, yes? Healthy? happy?"

"yes. She sacrifices a lot for me and Saya but..."

"It's a mother's thing."

"I think so."

"I miss her a lot, you know?"

"With phones and internet, there's no reason for you to. I'm sure we can find a way for you to talk"

"You think so?"

"I'm sure she will be excited as well... Actually, you know what? Let me call her."

"Isn't it a bit late?"

Yuzuru looked at his watch and figured she would still be up at that time."

Taking his phone, he quickly found his mother's number and called it.

"Okaasan... No, everything is ok... Listen... Huh... Do you happen to remember someone named Giulia?"

Maya didn't need the phone to be on speaker to realize how excited Yumi got at hearing her mother's name.

"Well, give me a second, I will explain in a bit... Let me video call you."

He messed with his phone for a few seconds while the two women watched and soon enough, after he asked them for a bit of silence, his mother's face was on the screen.

"What's going on, Yuzu? Why did you ask about Giulia? Weren't you going to meet Maya?"

"Maya is here." he said pointing the camera at her.

"Hi, Yumi-san."

"Hello, dear. Is everything ok?"

"Just allow Yuzu to explain."

"So... Let me just turn the camera again. There is someone you will probably want to see"

Yuzuru turned his phone and showed the image on Maya's laptop.

"Oh my god, Giulia!"

"Yumi! How are you?"

"I... How?? I have so many questions."

"Well, our kids found their way to one another before we did." Giulia said and Yumi widened her eyes in realization.

"Your Ma-chan is???"

"Maya, yeah. "

"oh this is lovely! What are the odds?"

"I know you have a lot to catch up on, so how about you exchange numbers and get on a call?"

"Yuzu..." Maya muttered, knowing that their mothers would see right through that.

"What?"

"You know, Yu-kun, you could just admit you want some time with your girlfriend instead of hearing us catch up." he heard from his phone.

"Okasan, I just think it's easier for you to speak that way."

"And you want time with Maya."

"Obviously..."

"Hum, hum... It is still a good idea. We can gossip better without you kids listening."
Giulia said, making Maya whine right away.

"Mom!"

"Relax, Tesoro. We have a lot to catch up that is completely unrelated to you two."

They ended up doing just that and soon enough, Yuzuru was turning his call with Yumi off and they were saying goodbye to Giulia.

"Have a good night, you two. Yuzuru... Take good care of my girl, alright?"

"I will, Giulia-san. I will do my very best."

"Well, don't be a stranger, I want to see you often."

"Alright."

"And Maya?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"What we were talking about before... I think you're right about him. You're ready for that."

Yuzuru looked at Maya as if she had grown two heads and noticed her gulping nervously as her mother said that.

"Thanks mom, Bye."

As she turned off the call, Maya knew from his looks that she would have a lot to answer to, and to be quite honest, she just wished he took it nicely.