Dangerous Lines | Yuzuru Hanyu

43. Saga

With the day of the show slowly approaching, her nerves also started increasing.

Yaeko couldn't really describe what was going on with her but every little feeling seemed to be amplified. Every sensation of fear, every little emotion, and most of all, all of her nervousness seemed to be over the top.

None of this was normal in her eyes, it hadn't happened before.

The truth was that she didn't have the time to think much of it, not when she was so concerned about the upcoming show.

In a way, she couldn't wait to see him skate live but also, it seemed oddly dangerous to attend the whole thing at the same time.

Not that it would change anything, she was obviously still going there.

When the day finally came, Yaeko wondered if she should try any sort of disguise just in case they crossed paths.

In a way, part of her wanted to desperately be close to him while the other just wished to be far away.

The whole thing was hard to handle, especially with this recently acquired sensitivity to everything that Yaeko still couldn't explain.

On the day of the show, she stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, wondering what she should wear and how she wanted to look for the event.

It was just an ice show but at the same time, she was going to the VIP zone.

Truly, she had no idea how such an area would look like in a place like that but the least she could do was look nice. The neighbours had told her to look good, after all.

With a knee-length dress that clung to her body, Yaeko finally settled on her look. The high neck adorned her skin perfectly, hiding all of the tattoos on her body and a few accessories just sealed the whole outfit.

She felt like a completely different person as her feet slid in the chosen high heels but it was a good thing. Yaeko had a new identity and it was time to act like it.

Yae had always been one to care for her appearance but it was always to please someone else instead of looking good for herself so this was certainly a change.

Once she left her home, the eyes of her neighbours were instantly on her. They were almost like little CCTV cameras ready to watch her every move.

"You look very pretty! I knew you would listen to us" one of them said with a wide smile.

The whole thing instantly brought red to her cheeks. Yaeko could only think of what the show would be like as she ran through all of the compliments they gave.

It took a little bit longer than she expected at first but soon enough she managed to leave their sight and get in the taxi that had been called to take her to the arena.

Once she finally arrived, the whole place was already filled with people waiting in line to enter the venue.

It was still very clear that Yae needed to learn a lot about how famous he really was. Every single time she was reminded of it, the whole thing still felt unreal.

Eventually finding someone to provide help, the girl found the way to the VIP entrance.

One could almost believe that this would be a place for those closest to the performer, friends, family, or even lovers but when it came to this man, nothing was ever that obvious.

In the room settled for the guests, Yaeko found that most people present were invited by sponsors and didn't have a single connection to the skater. Weirdly enough, that made her calm down significantly.

With no one knowing him there, it was highly unlikely that he would take the time to go there.

Alright, maybe it was both good and disappointing at the same time, especially when she missed him so much.

Trying to convince herself that this was truly for the best, Yaeko just took full opportunity to enjoy every detail of the experience. From amazing food to the little small details like welcoming videos from the man himself, Yaeko could see why the experience was so loved by those who got to live it.

One thing was certain, the man she loved was incredible in one very important thing: detail.

He knew very well how to make people feel special and you could also be certain that he would take the time to make things worthy of the experience.

It seemed like time went by very quickly inside that room. So much so that even after arriving with 2 hours in advance, the time of the show was approaching quickly.

She settled in her reserved seat and instantly found the person by her side making conversation.

"Exciting, huh? Ever been before?"

Yaeko was a bit surprised by the sudden words but still, she recovered quickly.

"Yes... And no, I have never watched Hanyu-san live"

"You're in for a treat then. I've watched him several times and it only seems to get better every time."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely. Yuzu-kun has this way of moulding to the environment perfectly. Whether it's the melody of the song or the feelings of a certain performance, you can always feel it deeply."

Yaeko looked at the strange man in the eye for what felt like the first time and found him looking at her. It wasn't hard to realize that this was someone who knew Yuzuru well, especially given the informality of his speech.
Her curiosity was killing her.

"You seem very familiar with Hanyu-san"

Maybe it was a bit too obvious, but Yaeko couldn't hold it.
The stranger laughed almost immediately, something that she found to be heartwarming.

"I guess you could say we're friends." He started, seemingly in thought before continuing. "I'm Kiyozuka Shinya, what about you?"