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 kitchen was very well equipped. A mixture of western and traditional Japanese. There was a stove with a fish grill, an extra oven, microwave and dishwasher. A fridge-freezer would certainly make her life easier. All in all: perfect for conjuring up delicious dishes for her special employer.
Integrated into the kitchen was a small pantry of sorts, which was well stocked. Yumi had thought of everything. And so it took less than five minutes for the rice to boil and Ayame was already chopping the vegetables for a curry dish.
It had only taken her half an hour to be on duty in the kitchen! She was proud to put her own needs on the back burner. For now, even though her official start of work wasn't until tomorrow, she wanted to be there for him and make his life easier.
As she cut a huge eggplant into bite-sized pieces, she remembered the bad stories from Yuzuru's past that Sakura had told her. The difficult marriage, the stalking from some individual fans, the lies in the media, the divorce, ... his video was still a painful memory for her... maybe someday she would be able to ask him what it had really been about, and if her impression had been right.
She was so lost in her thoughts, and the cooking noises did the rest, that she again didn't notice that Yuzuru was suddenly there, leaning against the fridge. He was watching her work and was just as taken with her focus on cooking as she had been with his concentration on the car ride.
When she finally noticed him, she was a little startled, but quickly composed herself. "Oh, Hanyū-san! I didn't hear you at all!" "I'm... I'm sorry! Ebihara-san, I didn't mean to sneak up on you and scare you again. But it smells so good already, I came down earlier," Yuzuru said apologetically.
"Oh, that's all right!" Ayame smiled at him. "Do you want to make yourself a little useful?" she asked, a little cheekily. "The table still needs to be set. But the food will be ready soon."
Yuzuru nodded, looking like an eager little boy eager to help his mother. After taking a look at the dishes, he fetched bowls and chopsticks from the cupboards and drawers. The familiar carafe of water and two glasses followed. It went quickly and everything was ready.
Only now did he realize that he hadn't even asked where she wanted to eat. "Ebihara-san, you don't mind if we eat in the living room, do you? I usually only sit here at the counter in the kitchen for breakfast." "Anything is fine with me, Hanyū-san, I'm very flexible and happy to adapt to your needs." Yuzuru seemed relieved.
In no time at all, the two were sitting opposite each other at the low coffee table. Yuzuru had laid out two cushions for them to sit on.
"I also have a dining table, but I almost only use it when there are international guests. Somehow I can't get off the floor," he laughed. She joined in his laughter, guessing what he might mean. She herself had also spent a large part of her life on the floor - away from traditional living habits - on yoga mats for warm-up exercises, for example. A side effect of sport.
Ayame had served the steaming bowls of curry, rice, a few smaller ones with fresh raw vegetable salads and soy sauce and had now settled contentedly on her seat cushion. It felt strangely familiar and she looked at Yuzuru very deliberately now. His eyes wandered intently over the bowls, and she saw them flash with excitement for the first time.
"Oh, this is wonderful, wonderful!" he exclaimed, almost a little too enthusiastically.
"It's just a very simple eggplant curry, radish salad, carrots with sesame seeds and rice, nothing special," Ayame tempered expectations. "But it's fresh and specially prepared, and that gives it a special weight," Yuzuru replied with conviction. It was nice to hear him say that with such appreciation.
"Well, let's eat then! Itadakimasu!" added Ayame, taking her chopsticks. Yuzuru folded his hands and did the same.
They ate in silence, Yuzuru only occasionally uttering a sound of pleasure; it obviously tasted delicious to him. Ayame didn't try to start a conversation. Just like earlier in the car, she had the feeling that he was slowly getting used to her company. And she felt the same way.
She had always had a friend by her side in Sakura, who was also like a sister to her, and it was normal for them to communicate during all the activities in their shared apartment. But this was something completely different! Now it wasn't difficult for her to give Yuzuru and herself the time they needed.
When they had finished eating and Ayame was about to get up to clear the table, he suddenly touched her arm briefly to hold her back and she paused.
He looked so openly into her eyes that her heart suddenly beat faster. She felt as if his gaze was slightly clouded with tears.
"Please, don't call me Hanyū-san anymore... just call me Yuzuru!"
Ayame gulped. This moment was so filled with gratitude and, yes, a kind of tenderness too. Gratitude for a good meal, her company, and that she had taken care of him. It hadn't been much trouble for her, but it had obviously been a lot for him.
And now he wanted her to call him by his first name. Even now, after such a short time! She didn't think twice before answering,
