This is the story of Ayame, a young artistic gymnast who, due to a stroke of fate, can no longer practise her sport. In search of a new purpose in life, she comes to Sendai from her home town of Sapporo by chance to work in the house of a famous fig...
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The women froze when they read the signature.
"HANYŪ???" Sakura asked in amazement and stared at Ayame in disbelief. "Are you telling me you will work for the Ice Prince and earthquake ambassador?"
Ayame couldn't get a word out. Of course she knew the name Hanyū, and how many professional athletes from Sendai actually had a mother called Yumi? She could only think of one, Yuzuru Hanyū.
The two-time Olympic champion and Grand Slam winner in figure skating had managed to create his very own format of ice shows as a professional skater from 2022, which were unique in the world and thrilled millions of fans. He had also been campaigning for earthquake victims in Japan for many years, not least because he himself had been a victim of the great Tōhoku earthquake at the age of 16. At 16... like Ayame back then in Sapporo.
He had done a lot of good, comforted people, helped with generous donations and was a shining light for many, even outside Japan. And she was now supposed to work for this perceived superhuman?
"I can't believe it," Ayame stammered. "Do you really think it's Yuzuru Hanyū's mother who's looking for a housekeeper for him?" It seemed so absurd to her. "Looks like it," Sakura said thoughtfully. "I can imagine that he might need someone to take care of the household. As far as I know, he's no longer married."
Sakura was a fan of figure skating and had a soft spot for Yuzuru, like so many others. In her eyes, he was the master of enchantment on the ice. So she had always followed what he did a little.
"2023 wasn't his year in terms of personal life," she continued. "He had gotten married, made it public, and that was a mistake... some crazy fans had basically made life hell for him, his wife and his family. Especially the media, with completely absurd reporting full of lies and false allegations, even fake interviews."
"Seriously? That's terrible!" Ayame was dismayed. "Yes, it really was! The fans and reporters stalked them in the worst possible way, even followed them into their apartment and so on... of course, again, I only know this from the media, and you have to be careful what you believe. But when he announced his divorce on his Social Media account just three months after getting married, it became a fact. They hadn't granted him the relationship!" Sakura had become really angry. "And then he posted a video on his official channel... it made me cry when I saw it."
Sakura sniffled a little and she suddenly had tears in her eyes. "It must have been shortly after the divorce that he posted that online. He seemed so sad skating there on his rink in Sendai, to a piano piece you could cry to. You know what, I'll show you!"
And with that, Sakura took over Ayame's laptop and searched online for the video described. When she pressed the play button, they both fell silent.
Yuzuru, as so often in black, without frills and costume on the ice. A piano number by MoppySound, he skated, fell, got up again, lay on his back, hands stretched to the sky, tussled his hair. Then he hit the boards of the ice rink, crashed into them, went to his knees and you had the feeling that all the suffering and despair of the last few months was expressed in these images.
"I think you might be right about that," Ayame said quietly when the video was over. "The way you told it, it would make sense. Aah, I feel so sorry for him!" "Hm, hm... it's been a few years, and he hasn't let anything about his private life get out since then. But I can imagine, with his work ethic, that there's not much room or time for a new relationship anyway," Sakura said with conviction.
"You know what, I'll go to the interview, and if they hire me, I'll find out!" said Ayame protectively. "If he really is alone and I'm actually going to be his housekeeper, then we'll find out soon enough. And then I'll make sure that nothing like this happens to him again. It can't be that the poor guy isn't allowed a private life!"
Sakura laughed out loud. "That's my Ayame! When someone is in need somewhere, your protective instinct kicks in! No matter whether it's the neighbor's cat or a world figure skating star!" "Yes....," said Ayame, blushing, "that's just the way I am! I can't stand it when people are hurt so openly, especially when they don't deserve it!"
And with that, it was a done deal. She would accept the appointment for the job interview on the spot. The next step towards her new future had been taken!
