Chapter 59 Social Skills: This kid's chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) has struck again...

After the women's singles match, Xia Yuezi took Yang Yiyan for a post-match interview, while Meng Xin, carrying a prepared lunchbox, went to the stands to find Feng Simai.

There were less than two hours between the women's singles and men's singles matches. Feng Simai played in the last group, and there wasn't enough time for him to travel back and forth to the hotel. Fortunately, the location of this leg of the competition was in Japan, and the restaurants had plenty of food that was easy to take away, such as rice balls and sushi.

More and more people gradually appeared in the backstage warm-up area, and the sounds of the nearby interview area could be faintly heard. Feng Simai ate a rice ball and went to warm up, while Meng Xin cleaned up the unfinished food and stayed with him nearby.

Not long after, Yang Yiyan finished her interview and returned backstage to remove her makeup. Xia Yuezi took out a lunchbox from her bag and placed it in front of her.

Yumikawa Ria was standing behind her. Seeing Yang Yiyan pick out the sushi and put it in another takeout box, she asked in confusion, "Yang-chan, don't you like sushi?"

She spoke in English, and before Yang Yiyan could react, Xia Yuezi explained in Japanese: "That's not how it is. Compared to raw food, we Chinese prefer cooked food. Xiaoyan's stomach isn't very good. If she eats too much raw food, I'm afraid she'll have a stomach upset during the competition."

That was just an excuse. Yang Yiyan has a very good digestive system and a good appetite. If she were to build muscle, she could eat more than an average adult male.

Japanese sushi often features various sashimi on top. Although most of the food served in hotels has been tested and is safe for athletes, Xia Yuezi was still worried that her child might not be able to handle it, so she reminded them in advance.

Yang Yiyan, who didn't understand what Xia Yuezi was saying but understood the question, nodded to Meng Chuanliya. Anyway, the coach wouldn't harm her, so she just needed to confirm it.

Yumikawa Ria expressed her understanding, since Ms. Chishima would also strictly control her diet when she went out to compete.

She then asked, "In that case, after the competition, would you like to try some Japanese udon noodles? I know a really good restaurant. Come to think of it, we've never had a meal together before. It would be a good opportunity to invite Fujiwara-kun and Feng-kun as well, and I can show them some hospitality."

Yumikawa Ria is a competitor from Sapporo. Her home is not far from the competition venue, so she did not stay in a hotel for this competition.

Xia Yuezi translated it once and gave the choice to Yang Yiyan. The little girl's eyes lit up, and she was about to agree, but then she remembered something and hesitated, looking at the coach.

The Chinese team has very strict management of food consumption. Not to mention abroad, they also have to report it at any time in China. She heard from members of the short track speed skating team that their seniors bring their own food from the cafeteria when they appear on variety shows.

"It's up to you to decide what to do. You're already an adult competitor, so you should have your own social space, and I believe you know how to behave appropriately at parties."

If the invitation came from a European or American player, Yang Yiyan would want to go, but Xia Yuezi would really have to hesitate. However, if it was Mengchuan Liya who invited her, Xia Yuezi felt that a little prompting would suffice.

After all, Asian athletes tend to have more disciplined private lives than European and American athletes, and Yumikawa Ria is an old friend of Xia Yuezi, so she trusts Yumikawa's character.

In addition, there is a figure skating party after the senior A-level competition. Besides the athletes and coaches, there are many brands and invited photographers. Many figure skaters' commercial collaborations are negotiated at this time.

At parties, Yang Yiyan always needs her own private space. The two of them can't always be tied together, so this is a good opportunity to practice their social skills.

With the coach's approval, Yang Yiyan's eyes lit up again, and she replied in broken English, "Okay, I'd love to go."

Yumikawa Ria smiled happily: "After the men's singles short program ends, I'll go talk to them and then send you the address."

She paused, then looked at Xia Yuezi: "Japan has very strict regulations on the management and protection of minors. I will finish my performance before 8 p.m. on the night of the skiing performance."

The exhibition skates start at 3 p.m., and the morning is reserved for the athletes to train. Athletes from other countries will be flying away the next day, so they can only have dinner together on the evening of the exhibition skates.

After the two finished their meal, the loudspeaker suddenly announced that the men's singles players should take the stage. Xia Yuezi glanced at her watch and gently patted Yang Yiyan's shoulder: "Let's go, the men's singles match is about to begin."

After watching Yang Yiyan take her seat in the stands, Xia Yuezi walked towards Meng Xin and Feng Simai in the aisle.

She asked, "How is Smy?"

"He has mastered several jumps in six training sessions, and he is more relaxed now than last season."

Xia Yuezi nodded, her gaze falling on Feng Simai. He was wearing headphones, listening to his chosen music for his short program with his eyes closed, his fingers lightly resting on his thigh as he counted the beats, his expression calm and focused.

"That's good. The competition in men's singles is fierce this year, and mentality is more important than technique."

In the recently concluded preliminary rounds, a group of male singles athletes practiced quadruple jumps. Although their performances were not very consistent, some of them had already completed the quadruple jump.

The men's singles short program officially began, with Feng Simai scheduled to perform third to last.

Most of the contestants ahead of him had a 3A configuration. Before his appearance, Feng Simai took a look at the rankings on the big screen. The highest score so far was 213 points.

Feng Simai's costume was a suit-style outfit, with a vest tightly fastened to his body and his hair combed into a three-seven part. As soon as he appeared, a round of applause broke out in the audience.

This program has already been performed at the China Cup. Although Xia Yuezi has not seen his performance live, she has already enjoyed it during training.

Her only comment on the show was—"That brat's delusional behavior has struck again."

The music begins with a very heavy electronic drumbeat. Feng Simai raises his hand and slides it across his face, moving forward while constantly brushing against his hair and face.

After the show was released, Xia Yuezi did not design his makeup, but only used shading to make his facial features look more three-dimensional.

The music drowned out the sound of the ice. The 4T landed steadily, drawing a long arc. Feng Simai turned around and did a rock 'n' roll walk on the ice, while posing as if holding a sniper rifle, his eyes both eccentric and sharp.

Yang Yiyan couldn't help but laugh out loud from the stands: "Coach Xia is right, there's really no cure for chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)."

This set of movements was designed by Feng Simai himself. When the two coaches first saw it, their reaction was the same as Yang Yiyan's. However, they had to admit that it was surprisingly appropriate to put it together with the background sound of gunfire.

In fact, Feng Simai felt something was off when the show was first being rehearsed, as some of the expressions conflicted with the music.

He immediately suggested revisions to the choreographer, but the choreographer was in France helping Anthony revise the program. By the time he was free to address the issue, his client had already finished revising the program with the coach.

If there's anything wrong with this program, it's that the time for practice was a bit short. During the actual competition, the venue was very empty, and there were cheers and applause from the fans, so sometimes I couldn't hear the music and had to rely on my muscle memory to keep skating.

The length of time required to get used to a program depends on individual characteristics. For Feng Simai, the time to get used to a short program is usually two weeks. However, before the start of the season, Feng Simai made new revisions, and as a result, he almost forgot the program arrangement at the China leg.

This led to Meng Xin telling Feng Simai right before he went on stage that if he forgot the choreography for the match, he should look at the two coaches, who would remind him.

Xia Yuezi asked, "Has this kid been rewatching 'Mission: Impossible' lately? His acting style seems a bit different."

Meng Xin nodded repeatedly, having personally witnessed Feng Simai watching movies on his phone after training.

The next 3A was equally clean and crisp. After sliding out, he spread his arms wide and tilted his head back, like a secret agent who turned the tide in an impossible mission.

As the music grew more and more exciting, Feng Simai leaped into a front squat turn, maintaining his gliding speed. He then lifted his body upwards, turning into an inverted pancake shape. However, instead of placing his hands between his legs, he left them open on either side of his body.

After this move, the most familiar music from "Mission: Impossible" played. Feng Simai treated the ice as his own stage, showcasing his newly learned modern dance to the audience. Every turn and every hand gesture was precisely timed.

This section incorporates a lot of choreography, which Feng Simai is fully capable of handling given her current skating skills. In order to better showcase the characteristics of the program, the athlete herself also added some hand movements.

The ice hockey fans in the audience clapped along with the music, and Feng Simai's performance became more and more immersive, as if he had really transformed into a secret agent in a movie, with every movement full of tension.

Wayne stood by the aisle, a deep smile in his eyes, and whispered, "Cool boy."

In the last combination jump, Feng Simai pulled back his outstretched arms, pressed down on his left foot's ice blade, and decisively landed a 3LZ. Without hesitation, he followed up with another 3T.

Xia Yuezi lowered her hands that were giving instructions, and the applause mingled with that of the ice hockey fans: "This program is a bit cringey, but it's pretty cool when you watch it like this."

Meng Xin watched the charismatic young man on the field and chuckled to herself, "Don't you think this kid is starting to learn how to capture the audience's hearts?"

Hearing this, Xia Yuezi's smile was somewhat helpless: "You can learn this skill, but don't use it normally."

After the music ended, Feng Simai knelt on one knee, his right fist wrapped around his head and rested on his shoulder, while his left hand hung down by his side, like a warrior who had completed his mission.

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, and ice skating fans stood up and threw their plush toys onto the ice.

This program, which is very popular among figure skating fans, scored over 80 points, placing Feng Simai's short program in the top three.

The three high-fived each other in the waiting area, and Feng Simai also breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that the judges would not like it if the style of the program was changed to be more prominent.