Hearts in Ice: a Yuzuru Hanyu Fanfiction

19: Lovers in Pyeongchang (Part 1)

Yuzuru's POV

The soft morning light that filtered through the curtains woke me up.

Today was our last day in Pyeongchang before traveling to Seoul for Sakura's piano competition. I had initially planned to take her somewhere after breakfast, but I changed my mind when she told me she wanted to practice. With a sigh, I went back to my own room and sat down on the sofa.

I opened my phone to check the news. Aside from the Olympics, I was surprised to see a familiar name as I scrolled down.

Chiyo Sakura: The Return of the Prodigy?

Before I knew it, my hand had already clicked on the news article.

Sakura Chiyo, the once-famous piano prodigy, has been listed as one of the representatives of Japan in the upcoming Korea Piano Competition. However, her early retirement from the music scene after a humiliating event at the Chopin International Piano Festival has left some critics doubting her abilities. The once undefeated Sakura has now been replaced by her long-time rival, the talented Rachel Jeanne Parker from the USA.

Despite the doubts surrounding her abilities, many people are looking forward to seeing Sakura play once again. Her early retirement has been a topic of discussion among music enthusiasts, and many are wondering if she will be able to perform at the highest level like she used to.

Rachel Parker, on the other hand, is confident that she will beat Sakura Chiyo. Critics and enthusiasts alike predict that she will win this year's competition.

Will Sakura Chiyo be able to regain her place at the top of the piano world, or will history only repeat itself?

I clenched my jaw as soon as I finished reading the news. "The one who published this article must have been an anti," I thought to myself.

"How dare they try to humiliate my wife like this!" I hissed angrily. "If only they knew how much work and effort she has put into this competition."

I felt sad and angry for Sakura as I continued to read some recently published articles about her. Most of them revolved around the incident that occurred three years ago, which made them doubt her ability to play. Some netizens even tried to call her derogatory terms that were far from the truth. They called my kind and talented wife a "good-for-nothing narcissist" who deserved to disappear, which broke my heart.

I wondered how Sakura must be feeling about everything, as I had been in her position before. People I barely knew called me different names. Many people doubted my abilities and some even rejoiced at every mistake I made. There was constant pressure for me to win and prove myself worthy, which soon became really stressful. Thankfully, I never let anyone take away my love for figure skating. I just hope Sakura never loses her passion for music.

"What's with that look on your face?" A voice suddenly interrupted my train of thought. I looked up to see Sakura standing in front of me.

"Nothing," I lied to her as I switched off my phone. "Is everything okay? Are you alright?"

"I am." She nodded. "I just finished practice."

"I see," I said, not knowing what else to say. We both fell silent for a while until we spoke at the same time.

"Are you sure y-"
"Would you like to-"

"You go first," I told her.

"I-I was just wondering if you'd like to go out with me today," Sakura said, her cheeks turning pink. "I wanted to go down the streets and have a look around if that's okay with you."

"Of course!" I exclaimed, rising from my seat.

'O-Oh okay," she glanced at the view outside before looking back at me. "Didn't you have something to say? What is it?

"I'm proud of you, Sakura," I said, pulling her close to a hug. I placed my hand on her hair and gently stroked it.

"Y-Y-Yuzu..." She whispered my name.

Slowly, I broke off our embrace and cupped her cheek. I could feel my heart beating so fast as I stared into her eyes.

"You have me now," I assured her. "I'll always be here for you no matter what."

Sakura was silent and we remained in that position for a while. My gaze soon shifted to her lips and I felt an urge to kiss her. I saw her cheeks turn redder as she met my eyes.

Our noses touched as I moved closer to her. I could feel her breath on my face as I gazed at her lips that were only an inch away from mine.

"I-I-I better prepare," Sakura stammered, breaking away from my hands and bolting towards the door. I immediately jumped on the bed and rolled like crazy.

"Why did I do that?" I groaned in embarrassment under the sheets.

Sakura's POV

My heart was pounding like crazy when Yuzuru almost kissed me. I didn't know what to do or what to feel. I was paralyzed on the spot as I stared at his lips that were an inch away from mine.

"Ahhhhhhh!" I screamed, burying myself under the pillows. The memory of his face close to mine kept replaying in my head.

"Miss Chiyo, are you alright?" I heard Makita-san run towards me. "I heard you scream. Did something happen?"

"N-no. Nothing happened," I lied, hiding my face under the pillows.

"How am I supposed to face him later?" I wondered. If only I could hide my face from him forever, I would.