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 party location was great! Yuzuru had rented the small ballroom in their hotel and his team had prepared everything perfectly for the party according to his wishes. It looked breathtakingly beautiful!
There were quotes from the show everywhere, whether in the colors of the costumes or as photo projections on the walls, there were floral arrangements, opulent candelabras, and the lighting was perfectly coordinated with everything.
The music from the show could be heard in the background. And last but not least, the buffet was just waiting to be opened.
Yuzuru had chosen the guests carefully, because it wasn't supposed to be a huge party. But everyone from the inner circle and a few special guests had been invited. Of course, the entire management team and all the show's stage and backstage staff were also on the guest list, which was a given!
In particular, those from his inner circle who had not had access to him during the final, hot phase of the production because he had been in his bubble and in total focus were now to be given the chance to celebrate the great success with him.
This included his parents, his sister Saya with her husband and Toshiro Yashida. They were all happy that Yuzuru had overcome his crisis and were grateful and overjoyed at how well everything had turned out in his life and what a great job he had done again.
They all knew that this was by no means a matter of course after everything he had been through in the last year.
Yuzuru's leading show team was present. Choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne was talking to Designer Satomi Itō and Director Mikiko-san. The three women reviewed their part in the show's success together. They had all known each other for years through their collaboration with Yuzuru and had become friends.
In the middle of it all was Ayame's friend Sakura, who didn't know where to turn first with all the famous faces around her! Although she initially felt a little lost among the many people who were prominent in the world of figure skating and the ice show business, but were still strangers to her, she then discovered Keiji Tanaka and approached him.
It was easy to strike up a conversation with him, as she knew a lot about figure skating and his career. What they also had in common, they soon found out, was that they were best friends of Yuzuru and Ayame! They laughed about this nice commonality and had a good time.
Of course, Yuzuru's entire close-knit team was also there, and Kai and Kaori had their hands full keeping the guests happy until Yuzuru finally joined them. Masanori was keeping an eye on the ongoing projections, the music and the lighting in the hall and Ryū was already preparing some posts for social media, which he would only upload in consultation with Yuzuru.
And then there were a few very special guests: Kurumi, the girl from the café in the ice rink, who could hardly believe she was here and enjoying the special atmosphere. Honda-san, the caretaker of the house on Lake Tazawa, had also been invited to the show and party with his wife and had traveled all the way here. The two of them seemed overjoyed to be part of this special moment, obviously feeling very comfortable and chatting with Keiji and Sakura.
Last but not least, the staff of the show team and the band members were there, many of whom had accepted Yuzuru's invitation. They all wanted to celebrate his success with him - and also their own work, which had contributed to the success of the show.
The atmosphere was cheerful and exuberant, but of course everyone was now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the star of the evening.
***
Ayame stood with Yuzuru in front of the closed doors of the ballroom.
He had insisted that he only wanted to attend the after show party with her and had asked her about it beforehand. He had explained to her that he wanted to honor her work for the show and her support for him, and he wanted everyone to see that!
So she had gladly agreed to go with him and not wait for him with the other guests.
Yuzuru looked great. He was wearing a midnight blue, tailored suit, without a tie, casual with a collarless, silver-grey shirt with the top button undone. The leather shoes in a matching shade harmonized perfectly with the ensemble. With his hair slightly slicked back, he looked simply stunning. His tiredness, which he was already feeling a little, was nowhere to be seen.
And Ayame? She was beautiful! Yuzuru had given her a new dress as a gift especially for the occasion that matched his suit perfectly. It was also midnight blue, with silver pearl edging at the neckline and hem and glittering sequin straps. She had pinned her hair up and decorated it with a silver hair clip. Her feet were in equally midnight blue, rawhide flat ballerinas, which she could wear comfortably for a long time without her feet hurting.
"You are so beautiful, Aya, my flower!" he whispered to her. She could tell from his amorous look that he would have loved to kiss her, but they were standing in the passageway that led directly from the hotel lobby to the elevator. There weren't many guests here at the moment and the onlookers had been successfully banned from the hotel by security, but they were still in public. So he held back...
"Thank you, my heart! And you look just georgeous..." she breathed to him, giving him an encouraging look.
"Ready?" asked Yuzuru, looking at her questioningly.
"Yes... let's go!"
Yuzuru suddenly took her hand firmly and Ayame looked at him in surprise. He gave her a reassuring nod and finally opened the door.
