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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They sat together in the living room with a cup of peppermint tea, Yuzuru still in his training clothes. He hadn't even showered yet and now looked a bit battered. Ayame didn't leave his side and sat very close to him.
"I don't want to disturb you any longer," Toshiro-sensei began", but I want to get a few things off my chest!"
Yuzuru and Ayame, who were sitting there with their hands intertwined, nodded to the doctor.
"Yuzuru, you really are the only patient I have - no, ever had - who manages to pull himself out of such a crisis so quickly by your own.
Ayame-san, you should know: This form of therapy is a method that I got to know during my year abroad in Sydney. It has to be applied very selectively and not every patient is suitable for it. I've been able to use it on Yuzuru several times now. And you can see for yourself, it's almost like a miracle!"
It was true. Yuzuru looked clear and calm. His eyes shone again and his skin looked smooth and no longer sallow. Ayame felt the strength in his hands and his body radiated a pleasant warmth. It was hard to believe that he had been in such a bad condition just a few hours ago.
"You have an incredible connection to the ice, Yuzu" the doctor continued. "It gives you something that nothing else and no one else can give you. All the answers to all your questions. And it heals you every time!"
"Yes... that's why it was so difficult when I suddenly lost that connection..." said Yuzuru thoughtfully. "But now I can feel that it is firm and immovable again!" He sounded very convinced.
"However you do it, I don't know... but it works! It makes you who you are! And once again, I take my hat off to you!"
The sensei bowed very deeply to Yuzuru in a sitting position and remained in this posture for a while. Yuzuru returned it in the same way.
For Ayame, there was something magical about this moment. Two men, friends who admired each other very much for what they did and how they did it, were showing each other their respect and appreciation.
She was very touched and waited quietly until they had straightened up again.
"Now for the practical things! Please, go to bed early, both of you! Turn off the alarm clock, cancel appointments if you have any. You need to give your nerves a chance to process all this in peace, and sleep is the best way to do that. If anything is wrong, call me, even in the middle of the night!"
The doctor was very specific.
"Stay together, feel each other, I've seen what that does to you both. Your connection is at least as intensely visible as Yuzuru's to the ice!... Fascinating..." said Toshiro-sensei, becoming a little thoughtful.
"But please, refrain from sex... that would be too intense and stimulant now, in every way!"
The two nodded in agreement.
"We'll have to wait a little longer anyway," Ayame whispered a little shyly, but she trusted the doctor completely. "I still have my period..."
"Well, I trust you anyway, I'm sure you're doing just right... Now I'll leave you to it. And, Yuzuru?" The doctor had already stood up and Yuzuru had also risen from his seat.
"Yes, sensei?"
"We'll take care of your mother tomorrow! But I'll call Yumi right now and let her know how things are going."
"Oh... good... I think that will be best. I... I'll be able to talk to her tomorrow..." Yuzuru looked confident, but still a little anxious.
"Don't worry about it now, will you? Of course you can sort it out. I'm absolutely convinced of that. Now I'm off!" He turned to leave.
"Thank you, Yashida-sensei, for being with us so quickly. Thank you a thousand times over," Ayame bowed deeply to the doctor.
"Of course, Ayame-san. I am very happy to have met you now, even if under these difficult circumstances! I very much hope we can do this again soon in peace and under different conditions. In any case, it was an honor!" And with that, the doctor said goodbye.
***
"I'm so sorry to have to say this to you again, but I'll try never to do anything like this to you again..." Yuzuru whispered to Ayame as they lay in Ayame's bed, finally reunited in peace. They had decided to sleep here. Because Yuzuru's room still looked a mess... they hadn't had the energy to clean it up yet.
She lay snuggled up to his chest again, he had his arms around her. Now he kissed her hair, pressed his cheek to her forehead.
"You say 'try' because you can't promise this will ever happen again, can you?" asked Ayame.
"Right... I'm only a human being, even if some people would like to claim that I'm some kind of divinity, which is just stupid... because I'm not! I have my faults, my bad qualities, just like everyone else. And anger and rage are two of them! I can almost always control them, but only almost...", Yuzuru described.
"I was just scared for you! I didn't know what to do... because you wouldn't let me get close to you anymore... that was the hardest part for me" Ayame was thoughtful.
"As long as I have access to you, I can do something for you! We both feel that we have this special connection. Yashida-sensei does too. But we must never sever it completely!"
"Yes... Aya... we have to protect this connection. And that includes dealing with my mother tomorrow. But, I'm calm and I'll take it easy. I'll call her right after breakfast."
"Yumi and you, you're an inseparable unit. Neither can last long without the other..."
"That's true... but, I want you to be in on the conversation too!" said Yuzuru suddenly.
"Oh... ok?" Ayame was a little surprised, but then she quickly realized the meaning behind it. "You want her to apologize to me, right?"
"Yes! She did accuse me of falling for your supposed scams, or of doing so in the future. That alone is unbelievable! But first and foremost, she called you a cheater, a marriage fraudster and I don't know what else. And that is absolutely not okay, to say the least... that's not like her at all! I don't know what got into her!" he got angry.
"Shh, shh, Yuzu, please don't get upset about it again. We're supposed to keep quiet." Ayame caressed his chest, where she was still snuggled up.
"Yes, you're right! It's just... oh, I don't know! Let's just try to sleep now. Doctor's orders!"
