Beyond the Sound | Yuzuru Hanyu

67.

Maya's shift had ended about an hour ago but she was still at the reception.

Her colleague who was taking over from then was staring at her after telling her multiple times to go home but Maya just muttered she was "Waiting for someone."

"Your daughter?" the girl asked.

"Yeah."

It was a little white lie, but the reality was that Kaiya was still on the rink as well.

Whatever had prompted Yuzuru's visit to Cricket, Maya was almost sure that he hadn't warned anyone.

Tracy would've mentioned something if her best-ever skater was visiting, no?

Maya was mostly pacing around, nervous about the conversation that she would certainly need to have with the skater currently being revered by every single kid in the club.

Half an hour later, she finally decided to check what the hell was going on that made them all take so long.

Yuzuru was on the ice with pretty much most of the kids from the club and it seemed like everyone was having fun around him, either taking pictures or asking him questions.

He was as patient as she remembered, taking care to listen to every request and make sure no one was disappointed by the end of the night.

Tracy, with skates on her feet, just watched the scene with a wide grin.

Eventually, the coach saw Maya watching and came to her.

"He's great with the kids, always as been."

"I can see that."

"I'm glad he came by surprise. Yuzu is just one of those skaters that everyone is always happy to see."

Maya had to smile at that. As much as they had some hidden history, she knew what an incredible man he had always been. She wouldn't just say yes to any man as quickly as she did with him.

"I can believe that."

"I will introduce you both later. You probably miss speaking with other Japanese people."

"No need." Maya said to a stunned Tracy.

"What do you mean?"

"We've met already."

"Ah, that's good."

It wasn't even hard to note that because of Tracy, Yuzuru had noticed Maya watching and talking to his old coach. As much as he tried to hide, his eyes kept shifting towards them.

Just about an hour after, the skater had finally managed to escape the kids when Tracy sent everyone home. It was already late, after all.

"Yuzuru is staying for a few days, you can ask more things tomorrow... I'm sure he needs his rest."

The Japanese skater bowed and even if he didn't want to, he nodded. 

Usually, he wouldn't just disappoint the kids, but having Maya there was too distracting and he had too many questions to ask the girl that he hadn't seen in so long.

Yuzuru saw the kids dissipate and get their things to go with each assigned parent and he couldn't help but note the small girl that ran Maya's direction. She had a daughter.

He couldn't help but feel jealous. The little girl looked to be 3 or 4 years old so it would mean that Maya didn't waste much time before moving on from him. It also hurt to see their interactions.

Maya was such a good mother...

His head was filled with what-if's and he couldn't help but wonder what their life could've been like if Maya hadn't broken things off.

Yuzuru still didn't go to Maya at the end of the session.

It seemed to him that whatever was going on, he had no right to ask or be a part of.

Still, he couldn't help but look at the little girl skating around on the ice.

Kaiya was her name and as beautiful as he found it to be, Yuzuru had been stuck in its meaning every since he realized that she was Maya's daughter.

Forgiveness.

He knew Maya like no other and he knew that the woman didn't believe in coincidences or destiny. She was the most pragmatic person he had ever met and he had often joked that it was something that balanced them out.

His unwavering faith and her pragmatism.

Maya wasn't one to give such a name, Japanese above everything, without a hidden reasoning.

That little thought had been in his head throughout the whole session.

He had watched little Kaiya in deep thought, her love for the ice and natural ability to be graceful on the slippery surface. It was almost as if she was born to do this, to skate.

As he gave attention to the other kids, his eyes would always land on the small girl and he couldn't help but think of how much she reminded him of himself as a kid.

Kaiya wasn't pleading for attention like the other kids but rather just enjoying herself on the ice against all the instructions given by Tracy. She bobbed her head to the music and he often caught her dancing as if no one was there with her.

Memories of his childhood, being scolded for not listening to his coach, and just dancing kept coming up.

But it couldn't be...

Maya wouldn't leave him if she was pregnant, would she?

Logic told him that the girl looked younger than that. He couldn't be the father.

All of these ideas in his head were merely projections of what he would love to be the truth. There was once in his lifetime that he would give anything for a future with Maya, their little happy family.

But fate, that one thing he believed in so much, hadn't allowed that to happen.

Still, the doubts still lingered. He knew that it was easy to fix with a simple question, he just needed to confirm how old the little one was. So, as the girl left the ice, he couldn't help but approach her.

"Kaiya-chan... how old are you, princess?"

"Yuzuru! I'm 5!"

The girl showed him the number adorably with her hand and he ruffled her hair with a strained smile. She had looked younger to him.

He mentally did the math as if he hadn't done that even before asking the little girl that small question.

Maya left him just a little under 6 years ago. Everything seemed to lead to one answer.

But he just couldn't believe it.