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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Nature did not give them the pleasure of ending their anxious wait on Sunday morning. Unlike Yuzuru, Ayame wasn't too unsettled about it yet.
"I kind of expected it," she said. 'Unfortunately, my cycle is so irregular that it can happen and it's not unusual for me to be several days over my due date" she explained to him. "Especially when you're going through a lot emotionally or are under stress..."
"I see..." Yuzuru just nodded.
Ayame tried not to let it worry her any more. Her body signals were not at all clear this time. She put it down to the major changes she was experiencing, including hormonal changes. After all, she suddenly had a sexual relationship, which had a lot of effects on her body and soul.
"It's no use, Yuzu! We have to hang in there and wait and see."
"Yes, I guess we have to," he sighed.
***
Although Yuzuru's mother had sent a message that morning inviting Ayame and Yuzuru to the Hanyūs' house for Sunday dinner, the two of them wanted to avoid a confrontation in this unclear situation at all costs.
"My mother will know the moment we walk through her door," Yuzuru looked desperate. He couldn't do that now. So he gratefully and apologetically canceled the family dinner.
Just seconds later, Yumi called in.
"Well, your sister and her husband are here, but if you two don't want to come... I'm sure there will be something left over. I'll bring it over to you..."
"No, no... it's okay, Okāsan. We have a lot of food at home, Ayame wanted to cook today and it would be a shame to waste the groceries..."
Ayame had moved closer to Yuzuru in the meantime and could now hear the conversation to some extent.
"Hm... my son? What happened? You sound like you were determined to keep me away from the house?"
Yuzuru knew it, his mother smelled a rat... and he gave Ayame a panicked look.
"Okāsan, it's all right. But we have other plans," he tried to sound as calm and reasonable as possible. Ayame raised her thumb.
"All right, I don't want to press you. But I hope you're doing well together? I don't want Ayame to feel your stubbornness now!"
"I hope so! See you soon then, get in touch, will you?" Yumi wanted to leave it at that.
"Of course, Okāsan, as soon as I know something worth telling!"
The moment Yuzuru had said that, he knew he had made a mistake. He hadn't meant to make it sound as significant as it did now. But it was said now, and there was nothing he could do about it! Ayame had raised his hands in shock and was waving them around wildly.
"What could be worthwhile?" His mother had picked up on it immediately and was now probing. "What's something important that you could tell but don't know yet?"
"Well... it's... I'm a bit embarrassed," Yuzuru fumbled around, while Ayame slowly sank into the sofa. Then he had a flash of inspiration. "When you were at the ice rink the other day and watched me... well, in my new expressions..."
"You mean the sex on the ice?" Yumi was direct as always.
"Y... yesss... right!" Yuzuru was happy, the diversionary maneuver seemed to have succeeded. Ayame also breathed a sigh of relief.
"I... I've thought about a lot of things in the meantime and organized my thoughts a bit. The topic is huge. The range of emotions is enormous... but I think I'm on the right track."
He paused for a moment and listened to see if Yumi had actually bought that his statement was only about the improvisations in the ice rink.
"Hm... you've already included one or two sexy elements in 'Fantasy on Ice' in the past. The only semi-nude photo of you is still circulating on the web!"
Yuzuru knew what she meant. "I was young and needed the money..." he mumbled.
"Don't joke about it!" Yumi was very serious. She was worried, she had seen for herself what could happen... She continued a little more calmly.
"You know I love you and I definitely don't want anyone to hurt you again. Just be careful what and how you reveal things about yourself. That's the only thing I ask of you!"
"Of course, Okāsan, thank you for caring about me so much!"
"That's all right, Yuzu. I have to go to the kitchen now. Have a nice Sunday, you two!" Yumi hung up.
Yuzuru looked at Ayame.
"What do you think?" she asked him, a little doubtfully. "Did she take it from you, or does she suspect something?"
"I don't think so, you heard how I just managed to get my act together... but she's put things in a nutshell again. Nothing new, but it scares me every time she brings it up."
"You mostly mean the one with the sexy scenes and... wait... she was talking about a nude photo?" Ayame was surprised, because he hadn't told her about that yet. "Or does she mean your artistic photos?"
"Mhm, no... she means something else... but she's basically right about everything, once again..." Yuzuru had become thoughtful now.
"I think she needs to realize more clearly that you're in the middle of the process and that your improvisation was really only meant for me. You have to explain it to her in detail soon! Then her worries will go away too."
"Yes, that's become clear now. I'm only at the beginning of my own thoughts on this subject, but Yumi was always used to me including her in my ideas, and I have to do that again now!"
"Good, very good!" Ayame confirmed his decision.
"Now we just need to clarify the baby thing..." he swallowed a little. The topic couldn't be pushed aside so easily...
"Yes... I hope it will be soon!" Ayame was thoughtful.
