Chapter 22 Window Paper

"Teacher, I can't hold on any longer..." The student who was pressed on the yoga mat made a weak plea for mercy with a slightly crying tone. Only then did Le realize that the child had been pressed for two more beats, and if he continued to be pressed, he might lose his vital signs.

"Are you okay?" Le helped the student up slowly, feeling a little guilty. He had been daydreaming, forcing the child to practice.

The sweaty little girl finally sat up straight with Le's help, looking innocent, "Teacher, what's wrong with you lately? Why are you so cruel to us..."

Teacher Lele is the most gentle teacher in the ballet studio. Although strict, she never pushes anyone too hard. Her latest warm-up routine has suddenly become a deadly combination of 18 eight-count kicks, 200 short jumps, and 100 back lifts. The scariest part is, she doesn't even slack off, following along, leaving the rest of the group trembling and forced to follow along.

It was difficult to tell the students that I was really distracted just now, so I had to put on the teacher's airs, "The exam is coming soon, you should practice more to improve your skills. What else could be the reason? Have you been unstable lately?"

It’s stable, but it’s too cruel... The students didn’t dare to speak anymore and could only pout and go to the side to drink water.

Le Hou, who felt a little guilty, was extremely gentle towards the students.

It is a small habit of mine to torture myself in the practice room when I am angry. This time, I unconsciously increased the intensity when leading the practice in class, which made life difficult for these kids.

It’s all Yuzuru Hanyu’s fault. This guy has obviously started to only report good news and not bad news recently.

The night before yesterday, she went to the living room with a cup to pour water. Guan Yue, who was sitting at the dining table, was eating a midnight snack while watching a video on her phone. The moment she realized there was someone behind her, she quickly covered the screen of her phone. In her panic, she didn't stick her chopsticks firmly in the bowl, and they fell onto the table, splashing soup everywhere.

"What shameful things are you looking at?"

Being asked bluntly, Guan Yue couldn't hide it any longer. She awkwardly handed her phone to her, then guiltily pulled out two tissues and began wiping the table. Guan Yue was watching a behind-the-scenes clip of Yuzuru Hanyu's SOI ice performance. In the stills, he was showing off his knee injury to those around him. His trouser legs were rolled up above his knee, revealing the bruises, like spilled ink, covering his knee and calf. It was a startling sight.

"I feel very sad and distressed when I see this, so I'm afraid you'll feel uncomfortable after seeing it." Guan Yue explained.

"What's so uncomfortable about this? If 4A were really that easy to practice, they would be everywhere on the streets. Injuries are inevitable." After saying that, she returned the phone to Guan Yue and went back to the room with the cup of water.

In the iPad video, Yuzuru Hanyu lowered his head and bit a pen, thinking about something. He didn't notice that Le had returned to the video with a cup in his hand, mumbling something under his breath.

"How have you been practicing 4A recently? Is your knee okay?" After thinking about it, she asked.

"Pretty good." He replied without raising his head, not noticing Le's raised eyebrows in the video.

Since Yuzuru Hanyu chose not to speak, she would not expose him. She was willing to believe that he had his reasons, but she really hated this feeling.

"Le Le, have you been having any troubles lately?" Guan Yue asked her carefully after returning home from her morning run yesterday. "You've been training a bit too much lately..."

"You accepted a bribe, didn't you?" Le turned the tables, leaving Guan Yue speechless. "Did he ask you not to tell me about the asthma at the World Championships?"

"You really did know! He also said that if you didn't watch the news, you wouldn't know!"

"I really don't watch the news because I hate reporters." He pulled a bottle of ice water from the refrigerator, unscrewed it, tilted his head back and took a few sips. "But how could I not see his performance during the game?"

Guan Yue nodded and said that it was exactly as she had guessed.

"But he only reports good news and not bad news. Is it necessary for you to be so angry?"

Some of them were hard to answer. Perhaps it was because he used to say everything but now he said nothing, as if he was being excluded. Before she could organize her thoughts to answer, Guan Yue had already asked the question she had been struggling with for a long time: "Do you like Haniu?"

"Don't ask anymore." She interrupted Guan Yue's curiosity because she didn't know how to answer this question that she had avoided for many years.

Guan Yue wasn't the first person to ask this question, nor was she some naive, naive person. She had long since realized that her concern for Hanyu Yuzuru went far beyond friendship, but she was still unsure of the proper title for their relationship.

In the early summer of 2016, despite having already known about his experiences that year through LINE messages, she felt an indescribable pain when she saw Yuzuru Hanyu, his eyes filled with wariness, at the border crossing. The loneliness of fighting alone was too despairing, so she decided to give Hanyu the support she had never had, to stay by his side and teach him not to lose to anyone.

That Midsummer's Day, as she stood in front of the glass door of the living room looking at her dress, Marrku asked her if Yuzuru Hanyu was her choice for Midsummer's Day date, but she didn't answer.

At the 2017 World Championships, Yuzuru Hanyu, looking at the introductions as the 2016 WC silver medalist, gritted his teeth and vowed revenge. However, this season's short program seemed to constantly work against him. Not only did he underperform, but he also lost a point for exceeding the preparation time. The night before the free skate, Hanyu's face was etched with nervousness, leaving her worried. She snuck out of the group just in time, and by the time she reached the stands, breathless, Hanyu had already stepped onto the ice, silently muttering "I can do this." Not caring about her hair, which had become disheveled from running, she put her hand to her mouth as a megaphone and shouted, "Minus kenai de." He looked over at her from the center of the rink, and Aunt Yumi also glanced in her direction.

After the competition that day, Aunt Yumi told her that Le was really good to Yuzuru, but she just smiled and didn't answer.

In the winter of 2017, Yuzuru Hanyu, actively preparing for the Olympics, was confined to his hospital room by a foot injury. Rather than watching screens full of complaints and feeling helpless, she carefully coordinated her schedule and made sure to visit him every day. With his childhood dream of a second consecutive Olympic title at stake, Hanyu, a man of his word, felt a surge of anxiety. So when he suggested developing a training method that would allow him to maintain his form without ever leaving the ice, she surprisingly agreed to his ridiculous request to be his first experimental volunteer.

That day, Sister Saaya said, "Thank you for always being with Yuzuru." After giving it her first serious thought, she said, "I hope he never gives up his talent for any reason."

After that, she seemed to have suddenly calmed down. She successfully found a perfect explanation for herself: Suginohara Raku just wanted Yuzuru Hanyu not to lose to anyone and not give up his talent, so he stayed with him forever.

However, after the argument about retiring, she suddenly realized that her explanations were nothing but self-deception. The idea of ​​not giving up her talent and not wanting to lose were all excuses she made for herself.

So... do you like Yuzuru Hanyu?

Let's not do it anymore. This is fine now. It's the most stable and long-term way. Le thought so, packed up his things and left the classroom that was already empty.

--

[Raku: The project team has a lot of work to do now, so I won't be playing games for a while.]

Yuzu: Yeah, sure. I also have to prepare for DOI's ice performance, so keep up the good work!

It is a fact that there is more and more work to do. I don’t play games just to calm myself down. It’s not really a lie. I happily sit in the meeting room and scroll through Line messages, comforting myself in this way.

Today, Director Meng suddenly called me to the conference room, and I don’t know what happened.

"Xiao Le, have you been waiting for a long time?" Director Meng came in with a stack of documents and closed the door of the conference room. Seeing Le stand up and bow, he quickly waved, "Have a seat. Don't be so polite."

"We asked you to come this time because the Tokyo Olympics are about to open in Japan. The International Olympic Committee has extended an invitation to us as a gesture of goodwill. Director Zhang waved his hand and said we can just send a few representatives to observe. I thought you've been working hard with the project team and haven't been home for a while. Why don't you take this opportunity to go home and take a look? What do you think?"

"Hmm?" This was a bit of a mouthful of information. "Isn't it almost the busiest time now?"

"Well, let me be honest. This quota is a good thing to use anyway. I figured it would be convenient for you to get your ID and visit home, so I signed you up. This month will be fine; you can just work online. When you get back, it'll be hellish rehearsals. Be prepared." Director Meng patted Le's shoulder. She had always liked this hardworking and dedicated girl, though she didn't know why such a promising dancer would choose to pursue a career in choreography. Perhaps foreigners just think differently.

"Okay, thank you Director Meng." Le was still a little confused, but it seemed there was no need to refuse, so he stood up and bowed to Director Meng.

"Well, you Japanese people are just too polite. Don't you get tired of bowing all the time?"

After watching Director Meng leave the conference room, Le turned on her phone and looked at what she had just said to Hanyu. The words "work is getting busier and busier" suddenly became a real scam. After all, she had just inexplicably won the opportunity to visit her family at public expense?

"You are so lucky. Taking into account the quarantine on both sides, you have at least picked up a month's vacation for free." Guan Yue sent Le to the airport and handed the suitcase to her.

"You thought it was going to be great? My schedule is full of ridiculous PR activities and I have to write a lot of reports I've never seen before." The day after agreeing to Director Meng's request, Le received a huge stack of documents. She knew she couldn't just let her go; there was a lot of work to do.

"So you're really not going to tell Player Haniu about your trip to Japan?"

"There's no point in saying it. He should be busy with his performances all over the place. I should be in Tokyo. And it's better to stay away from him in Japan. There shouldn't be too many cameras."

"Okay, remember to let me know you're safe when you get there~"

"I know~"

Le went to exchange his boarding pass and check in his luggage. Guan Yue took out his cell phone from his pocket and took a photo of Le's back.

[The Moon Can't Be Confined: [Photo] Le went to Japan. It was arranged by the IOC. He should go directly to the quarantine hotel upon arrival. I heard it's in Tokyo. That's all I know.]

--

Life in quarantine was a bit boring, but Le managed to keep a regular routine. The hotel the Japanese host arranged for her was quite spacious, and her favorite feature was the small balcony. It faced an open space and a small path, but without direct access to the street, it was quiet and perfect for a good night's sleep. So, Le settled into a leisurely life of doing morning exercises, catching up on work, eating, drinking, and watching TV.

In order not to be exposed, Le didn't dare to log into the game even though he brought the Switch.

But she didn't know that she had already been betrayed by the traitor.

The boring and regular quarantine life lasted for six peaceful days, but something changed on the night of the last day.

I don’t know if it’s because the quarantine life is about to end, but the joy of regaining freedom makes Le unable to sleep. It’s already past 1 o’clock, but she is still full of energy.

She tidied up everything in the room late at night, making sure nothing was left behind before taking a comfortable bath. When she changed into her nightgown and came out of the bathroom, fiddling with her half-dried hair, she had a missed call on her phone.

It was 3 a.m., who would call her? Puzzled, she clicked into the call logs. Before she could see the source of the call, the phone interface jumped to the call request screen, with the name "Yuzuru Hanyu" flashing on it.

"Hello?"

"You really haven't slept yet! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Japan?" Yuzuru Hanyu's voice was clear and his pronunciation was distinct. It didn't sound like it was 3 a.m. at all. It seemed that he hadn't slept at all.

"How did you know I came to Japan?"

"I have my own way~" The triumphant and rising voice was digitally encoded and came through clearly, "I even know which room you live in~"

"Guan Yue must have told you, right?"

"Humph, no, I've already told you I have my own way. Don't you believe me? Why don't you come to the balcony and take a look?"

No way... Le suddenly felt her heart beating faster. She quickly drew aside the curtains and opened the glass door to the balcony.

The summer night breeze blew in through her open door, stirring her still damp hair and lifting the hem of her beige nightgown. She leaned on the balcony and looked down. Standing under the streetlight was a young man in a black T-shirt and jeans, wearing a mask and a baseball cap. His hands were in his pockets, his phone untouched, but he seemed to be talking, likely through headphones.

Le lived on the second floor, a low floor. In the quiet summer night, the sound of her opening the balcony glass door was unmistakable. Hanyu Yuzuru looked up and saw the girl he'd been dreaming of. She was wearing a beige suspender nightgown, her hair falling to her collarbone. The orange light in the room cast a gentle shadow on her. She held her phone to her ear, leaning over the balcony, her head tilted down to look at him. The nightgown's straps threatened to slip from her shoulders as she moved.

Yuzuru Hanyu suddenly felt his ears burning. He didn't answer the question on the phone about why he was here. Instead, he smiled softly, looked up at her and whispered, "Just like Juliet, Le."

"Huh?" Le was startled by what he said. She looked down at her beige satin nightgown, then at the terrace. She understood what he meant and smiled, "Ah, it really does look like the scene from Romeo and Juliet~"

Under the streetlight, Hanyu suddenly took off his baseball cap, shook his tangled hair, held the cap in his right hand against his left chest, and extended his left hand toward Juliet on the balcony. "Miss Juliet, I heard that your quarantine will be over tomorrow. How about Romeo picking you up tomorrow?"

Yuzuru Hanyu's voice, always clear and distinct, suddenly took on a more pronounced tone, his words reaching through the phone, striking Le's heart. The second floor wasn't high, and Le, leaning against the fence, could clearly see Yuzuru Hanyu's smiling eyes, as he looked up at him, as if they were filled with stars.

The summer night breeze gently brushed across their faces. The shadows formed by the night and the lights well concealed Le's red cheeks and neck. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch him. Her barely audible breathing and her answer came from the phone.

"I'm sorry, Miss Juliet needs to work tomorrow. Mr. Romeo, please wait. Also, athlete Hanyu, please don't take off your hat carelessly, or you'll be photographed."

"How heartless." The man under the streetlight lowered his head, pouting under his mask. "Then Le, go to bed early. You have to work tomorrow." There was a hint of grievance in his voice. He put on his hat and muttered that no one would take pictures at this late hour, and he was not an idol or star.

"Okay, go back quickly, I'll contact you later."

After watching Yuzuru Hanyu walk to the intersection and get into the car, Le Cai turned around and sat down on the balcony, leaning against the wall. In the quiet night, she could hear her own heartbeat. She covered her face with her hands, it was so hot...

Fortunately it was the middle of the night. If it was during the day, measuring the temperature would have been a disaster.

That's too bad.