Beyond the Sound | Yuzuru Hanyu

78.

Yuzuru watched Kaiya in her world for a little bit, only interrupting her after a few minutes of watching her fingers try and play some random thing. It didn't seem like it was supposed to be beautiful, her mother had just encouraged her to explore the small instrument and figure things out on her own.

He said a soft hello as she noticed him and the girl jumped straight out of the bed to hug him.

"Hi, Yuzu!"

"Hey, princess. I just wanted to say hello. You can stay there and play a little longer. I have some things to talk to your mom, alright?"

"Okay!"

He smiled as she went back to her playing as if nothing had happened and soon enough, he was leaving the bedroom just as Maya finished the tea.

She handed him a cup with a smile and a kiss on the cheek and they sat on the couch.

"I'm guessing your team replied back."

"Yeah, I had a conversation with part of my legal and security team today. They monitored everything for a few days and apparently, they are still watching my devices every now and then. it's not constant but they do check."

"Oh no... I had some hopes."

"I know." he said with a gentle expression. "Well, they have an idea, but I know you won't like it."

"An idea?"

"Yeah. Luring them in."

"With bait..."

"Yes."

"Yuzuru, if this was just me..."

"I know, Maya. You're not the only one who's reticent about this. They say it's possible to reassure our safeties by making it seem like you're somewhere else."

"So I could stay here in Canada and pretend to be in another country?"

"That's just the thing. I trust my team and I know they wouldn't make empty claims, but we have to be prepared for the fact that maybe these people are better than what we think they are."

"And they might be able to tell that we're using some strategy like that."

"Yes. If you're here in Canada, there's no way of protecting you if they do."

Maya was silent for a little while as she tried to process everything he was saying.

"Then what would be the plan?"

"Going to Japan."

Yuzuru didn't even bother to sugarcoat things and sweet-talk his way into the idea. He knew what was going on in Maya's head and he knew she had to think of all the pros and cons by herself.

"When you say go to Japan, would this mean that we could keep in contact or would I have to hide somewhere far away?"

"If you come back, it's to be by my side, that I can assure you."

"Why do I feel like there's a but coming?"

"They did say that you might have to stay hidden for a while, just in case they are a bit more actively following me than what we think."

"Stay in the condo all day, you mean..."

"Yes."

"Not working."

"Probably... for a while."

"Be bored out of my mind..."

"I'm sure I could try and find something for you to do. But I do know it's a terrible situation."

"I don't care about myself, Yuzu. I've been through way more tougher things than to just stay at home hidden."

"You're worried about Kaiya."

"She's a kid, needs to have her life."

"All she does now is skate and piano, right?"

"Yeah..."

"I could try and get her in a class at Irene...someone from my team can take her, but this would mean that you would have to trust them to take good care of our girl."

"Do you? Trust them?"

"Yes."

"This is your decision too."

"I won't say I'm not afraid, Maya. I'm scared as hell."

"But if there's any chance for us to have a normal life..."

"Yes, that's why I'm willing to try it."

"Well, if you trust them, I have to trust them too."

Yuzuru stared at Maya for a few seconds. It was hard to believe that she was trusting him this much. That she was willing to risk her life to make sure they could be together.

"You would come?"

"Yeah, I would... you seem surprised."

"I am... I honestly didn't expect you to say yes this easily."

"Not that easily. There are plenty of doubts in my head but if there's anything I learned by becoming a mother is that you can't do everything alone. There was a time that I believed I would never see you again and just the fact that I have a chance to be back in your arms and share the happiness of raising our daughter with you is already a pretty big encouragement."

A smile reached his face as he heard those words. They would be alright, they could do this...

"Have I told you just how much I love you?"

"A few times, yeah."

Yuzuru didn't even look around before kissing her lips. This was a time when nothing else mattered but making sure that this woman knew that he would be by her side every step of the way from now on.

He had been away long enough.

As he considered what the future would hold for them now, the important thing was that they would be together and he could finally be the father that Kaiya needed.

They had survived everything until now, Maya had endured too many challenges to protect him.

It was time for him to step up and assure their safety.

More than anything, he realized as he looked at the woman he had once been keen on marrying that this was the time for them to be a Family.