Dangerous Lines | Yuzuru Hanyu

44. Acquaintances

The name of the man by her side was weirdly familiar.

Yaeko couldn't exactly remember when she heard it or in what context but it was likely that Yuzuru had mentioned this man in one of their long conversations.

There were always so many different topics that she couldn't possibly remember everything in detail but it didn't matter either.

She hesitated, longing to use her real name, but being fully aware that she couldn't.

"Nakamura Yumi" she quickly introduced her cover name to the man at her side.

"Ah, you share a name with Yuzu's mom. Maybe I should introduce you."

Maybe for most people, the whole idea would be a dream, but not for Yaeko, who was trying to keep her distance despite her presence there.

Laughing, she dismissed him politely.

"I wouldn't want to be a bother."

As much as the man by her side seemed to want to continue the conversation, the show seemed to find the perfect time to start.

She was drawn to the whole experience from the very first moment. The little details that made the show so special started from the very beginning and most of the time, Yaeko couldn't figure out what she loved the most.

From the way he skated to the well-crafted video interludes, everything seemed perfect from the very beginning.

Just like the first time she saw him skate on the TV, Yuzuru always fascinated her completely.

There was no way she could ignore how incredible he made her feel, no matter the circumstance. It was almost like magic.

By her side, the stranger enjoyed the whole thing as much as she did. Yaeko found him occasionally gesturing with his hands, whether like a conductor or as if he was absentmindedly playing the piano. Maybe it would have been weird if it wasn't so obviously natural to the man.

Once it was over, her fellow companion was smiling even more than previously.

"Ah, this was amazing. He outdid himself again" she heard.

"I agree. Hanyu-san was quite incredible."

With a lack of better words, that's exactly how well she could describe it. Yuzuru was certainly one of a kind. Watching him live just made her understand even better how unique he was.

She kept the small talk with the man by her side, eventually figuring out that he was, in fact, a pianist. The man himself eventually admitted that he did a few arrangements of songs for the show.

As she spoke of his relationship with Yuzu, a few memories of conversations with the skater just kept popping in her head.

She now remembered why the name was familiar. Yuzu had mentioned working with the musician for a few of the songs he was doing so it was a common conversation between them.

Eventually, after quite a while, the man seemingly remembered an important detail.

"I never got to ask you... Are you here with any sponsor?"

"Huh... Not really..."  Yaeko wondered for a few seconds, choosing to just answer truthfully after a while. "My neighbours said they had friends in the arena and offered me tickets for today. It was an incredible opportunity to just miss."

"Wow, I need your neighbours! Mine just gossip" he joked right away, making her smile.

"They're great! Those ladies were my rock when I first came to Saga."

"You seem happy with how things are now."

"Yes, for sure. I have grown to love this place like a second home."

As much as it was small talk, it was quite easy to note how much interest there was on his part.

It wasn't even surprising that she found Kiyozuka-san to be easy to talk to.
Once she left her reservations aside, it was quite easy to get lost in conversation.

He told her about his partnerships with the skater and how often they had been working together.
She couldn't lie, it was a whole different experience to know Yuzuru through the lens of someone else, someone who saw mostly his work side.

In a way, the Yuzuru she was hearing about seemed very different from the one she knew so well. The different environments and situations commonly led to a different approach.

All at the same time, little details only reminded her that this was, in fact, the man she knew so well.

While attacking the catering table, Yae loved that experience. This was yet another reminder of the life she might be able to live once the trial was over.

Even if she hadn't crossed paths with a certain skater who changed her life, she was still more than happy to be there. Seeing him skate live was worth every little moment of anxiety.

With the light conversation came laughter, something that she hadn't experienced in a while but it was certainly worth it.

It was when Yaeko was laughing like a madwoman that another lady entered the room, one that made Shinya instantly brighten up.

"Ah, Mikiko-san!"

They hugged like two old friends and Yae found herself like a third wheel for a good few seconds, not because of any romantic or sexual tension but rather because those two seemed to be in perfect professional sync while discussing the show.

It was only a few moments later that Shinya seemed to realize that he left her to stare at the walls.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Yumi!" he instantly apologized. "This is Mikiko-san, she's the show director.
Mikiko-san, this Nakamura Yumi, a friend I made today"

"Nice to meet you" the woman answered with a big, warming smile. "You enjoyed the show?"

Yaeko's face brightened up at the question but as she was getting ready to answer, another voice echoed in the room, one that she recognized well.

"Mikiko-sensei?" The man uttered before stopping completely in his tracks as he noticed the presence of someone special.

Standing right there in front of her eyes was the man she longed for, one that she was both hoping to see and avoid all ay the same time.

"Ah, Yuzu-kun!"

Shinya hadn't been able to read the room, but the tension soon became very obvious as they both stared at one another as if waiting for the bubble to burst.

In the end, he was the first one to talk.

"Yae?"