On top of the world

The Look of Love

"I know that look," Katya sang as I flopped into bed. "You're in love! Who's the lucky guy?"

"Yuzuruuu," I sang back dreamily.

Katya's smirk dropped instantly. "Uh oh. That's not good -- that is, if you actually expect him to return your feelings. You're way to young for him."

"I know." I sighed and gave her a melancholic smile. "'It's a tragedy of Elizabethan proportions.'"

"Okay, you don't have to be so dramatic about this!" Katya couldn't help but laugh. 

"Unrequited love is ever so romantic," I spewed, continuing with my melodramatic soliloquy. "Tragedy is beautiful. Therefore, my life is beautiful, but sad. Why is Time so cruel? What did I ever do to him? Oh, the horror! I shall be doomed to live forevermore alone (or perhaps with some cats), with my heart belonging to someone I cannot have. Oh, it's more than I can bear!" 

Katya let out rolls of uncontrollable laughter while I ranted. That was intended, because I wanted to make fun of the terrible situation. I laughed along, but inside, I was still pretty peeved at my heart.

"Girls! Time to go to bed; it's an early day tomorrow!" Katya's mom called to us.

"Ok, good night!" we called back to her.

"I have to tell you about this conversation Yuzuru and I had a while before you arrived here," Katya whispered to me. 

*********

"So Yuzuru, are you interested in looking for a romantic partner anytime soon?" Katya asked.

Katya's speech was translated into Japanese by my updated app. Then, Yuzuru responded: "Actually, I want to focus on my figure skating career first above all things, as well as schooling. Plus, I have someone back in Sendai that I intend to get with when I finally choose to settle down."

Katya then knew that any chances of her and Yuzuru getting together were zero to none. 

"Are you interested in me?" Yuzuru asked back, waggling his eyebrows.

"I've been a fan of yours for a while," Katya admitted. "So I'd be lying if I said I weren't interested in you. But I know you have many other fans too, and you can't start dating all of us. I would completely understand if you didn't want to date me."

"Thank you for understanding," Yuzuru replied. He chose his next words carefully. "But, just because I don't want to date you doesn't mean that you are not very beautiful, talented, or dateable. You have many admirable qualities, and I'm sure someone would love to be yours one day." As the speech was being translated into English, Nam strolled by Yuzuru and Katya while listening to music from some fancy headphones Yuzuru had given him for his 16th birthday. Katya watched him go and became curious to know what he was listening to. 

"I'll talk to you later, Yuzuru," Katya said absentmindedly. She started to walk in the direction Nam went when she suddenly turned back around and threw her arms around the Japanese man. "Thank you for boosting my confidence, and for leading me in the right direction," she said when she pulled away from the quick embrace.

Yuzuru smiled a knowing smile and patted her on the head, then let her go.

********

"It turns out Nam was listening to the Beatles 1 album. Who would have known he had such good taste in music?" Katya exclaimed as her story came to a close. 

"So the point of the story was to show how you and Nam got together?" I asked.

"No! Well, that's part of it, but it is also meant to show you that Yuzuru is taken...by figure skating, as well as his lady friend back at home."