Chapter 57 Deviation

Yuzuru Hanyu has always been a man of plans and strategies, but sometimes, plans cannot keep up with the speed of change.

For example, now, as he looked at the box of handmade plasters handed to him by Xiaojie, he didn't feel any satisfaction at all for receiving the goods on schedule.

"What are you doing? I have completed the 50 plasters you asked for within the deadline. Thank me quickly. When will you introduce the ballet girl to me?" Xiaojie shook the box in his hand and winked at Yuzuru Hanyu.

"Would it be useful to introduce her to you? The ballet girl is in Yokohama, far away from you." Yuzuru Hanyu snatched the box from his hand, opened his small suitcase with a crackling sound, and threw the box of plasters in.

Seeing the plaster he'd painstakingly made over several days being treated so roughly, Xiaojie didn't know what to say. Hanyu Yuzuru's words weren't referring to the unknown ballet dancer he'd introduced him to; they were clearly referring to his own ballet dancer.

Today is Sunday, but Suginohara Raku has not returned.

Morimoto Kosuke still remembers the Thursday night when Yuzuru Hanyu announced he'd moved up his Friday practice time to 8 a.m. and had already booked a session at the ice rink. The excitement and anticipation in his eyes at that moment were like the anticipation he'd have during the final gala of the season, when he'd look forward to eating his favorite chocolate afterward. But on Friday, when he finished practice and came in for a massage, he didn't look well.

"Are you rushing to the station to pick up Le-chan? Then I'll just give you a little relaxation today?" Xiaojie checked the time, rolled up his sleeves, and asked him. Hanyu, who was lying on the massage bed, rejected his plan and asked him to continue with his usual massage.

"I'm not going to the station."

With just one sentence, Xiaojie understood. Our national treasure athlete was stood up by his girlfriend.

"What's the matter with Le-chan this time? Is she stuck with work again?" This wasn't the first time. It had been a month since Le-chan left for work in Yokohama, and every weekend she'd say she'd come back, but she'd never come back.

Rehearsals of ballet, meetings with investors, temporary collaborations during the performance season, etc.

"She said that investors were visiting, there was a banquet on Saturday night, and there was an open rehearsal on Sunday. She really couldn't leave..." The voice came out muffled from between the elbows that were lying down, full of dissatisfaction.

"She can't leave. You're off-season now, why don't you go find her?"

"That's what I said!" Yuzuru Hanyu became a little angry when he mentioned this. He quickly sat up from the massage bed. "But Le said that the apartment she lives in now doesn't have much privacy and poor soundproofing, so he told me not to go there."

What's the deal with the soundproofing? As is his usual habit, Xiaojie would have definitely seized on this point to criticize it, but considering Hanyu Yuzuru's downbeat mood, he kept his complaint to himself.

That day, he not only listened to Yuzuru Hanyu's complaints, but also tried his best to comfort him, and still completed the 50 plasters he had promised on time.

But obviously, Yuzuru Hanyu's mood has not improved in the past two days.

"Instead of being sarcastic in front of me, you'd better hurry up and arrange your accommodation in Yokohama." Xiaojie patted Yuzuru Hanyu's shoulder, left the massage room and sat at his desk.

"That's what's going on..." Yuzuru Hanyu sighed helplessly.

After Suginohara Raku didn't return for the second week, Yuzuru Hanyu quietly began preparing to find a base in Yokohama. He was very grateful that the K team was located in Yokohama, where he had trained before, and the ice rink manager was also familiar to him, so living there would not affect his daily training.

Just finding an apartment that was conveniently located near both the ice rink and the dance troupe was not easy, and the rental process took longer than expected.

Morimoto Kosuke was absentmindedly sorting out the medical records that he had not finished today. Yuzuru Hanyu's silence suddenly made the clinic quiet, and this silence made Kosuke's curiosity, which he had tried hard to suppress, even more amplified.

After all, before Yuzuru Hanyu came today, he had just seen an amazing video editing video on Twitter.

I really want to know if Yuzuru Hanyu, the 8G surfer, has seen such an amazing video!

I couldn't help but look up at the person still in the massage room. He was sitting on the massage bed, stretching his body. He looked calm, though clearly in a bad mood. But knowing him, if he had seen the video, he would definitely not be in this state now.

"Xiaojie."

The sound of his name startled him, and he immediately lowered his head to continue reading the notebook in his hand.

"You've seen me several times. Just say what you want to say." He walked out of the massage room with his neck stretched, dragged a stool and sat in front of Xiaojie's table, looking like he would not give up until he got the answer.

"Ah...that's right, I saw Le-chan's video." Xiaojie scratched his head and chose to test the issue in a roundabout way.

"Have you seen it?" Yuzuru Hanyu, who was sitting across from him, suddenly slammed the table excitedly, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Isn't it amazing? I even edited the background music for this piece!"

This unusual reaction puzzled Xiaojie. He rubbed his head and thought for a moment, but he couldn't believe it. Was there something wrong?

"You're talking about...that..." Morimoto Kosuke tilted his head, flexing his fingers as if trying to find the right words in the air, "That's, right, the mermaid, the mermaid video?"

"What else?" Yuzuru Hanyu frowned.

"Did you edit the background music?"

"Yes. Is there anything strange about this?" Yuzuru Hanyu raised his chin and glanced proudly at Morimoto Kosuke who was in surprise.

It was just a piece of music, what was so great about it? Strictly speaking, the inspiration for the story of this work came from him! Thinking of this, he straightened his back even more proudly.

Three weeks ago, when Yuzuru Hanyu got up from his sleep and cleaned his room, he received a photo from Le.

It was a selfie taken in the dance studio. The setting sun streamed in through the window beside her, kissing her cheek. The picture looked peaceful and gentle. Even her long, red hair, like that of Mera, the Queen of the Sea, made her skin appear even whiter, and even her facial features seemed more delicate and three-dimensional.

Wait? Red???

Yuzuru Hanyu immediately put down the vacuum cleaner in his hand, held the phone in both hands and quickly sent a message.

Yuzu: Are you off work now? Video?

Not long after the message was sent, Le called her via video. Her hair was still black in the video, just like last night.

"What's wrong? Doesn't the photo look good?" Le looked at Yuzuru Hanyu's complicated expression in the camera, guessed the impact the photo had on him, and asked deliberately.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"It's beautiful, but!" He made this transition very quickly, dragging out the words and deliberately emphasizing the tone. If he could, he would have typed a bold text bubble. "Just look at the picture, there's no need to dye it for real."

Le always had a strange anticipation and obsession with her hairstyle. Because she'd previously worked as a dancer in a dance company, her hairstyles were quite restrictive. So, the first thing she did after leaving her dancing career and arriving in Tokyo was to cut her long hair short and dye it lighter, much to Yuzuru Hanyu's regret. He loved seeing her hair down, its slightly curly strands cascading down her shoulders, her fair neck glimpsed through her hair, a delightful sight like a painting.

Later, she found that long hair was easier to tie up, so she slowly grew it out again. After satisfying her rebellious mood, she still felt that black hair suited her better, which made Yuzuru Hanyu very happy.

But now... this red...

"Didn't you say it looks good? My colleagues all said it looks good today~" Le teased him deliberately.

"Why are you suddenly using a filter to try out hair color?" He decided to avoid her question.

"After rehearsal today, I was chatting with some of my fellow actors in the dance studio and talked about hair color. They said that there are very realistic filters now, and I can try bolder colors." She smiled and told him the story that happened with her colleagues today.

In order to facilitate the character modeling, actors try not to make any appearances that are too abrupt. Now, these realistic technological means can be regarded as a way to satisfy their curiosity.

"But I'm not an actor, so why don't I dye my hair? Many directors and screenwriters have avant-garde hairstyles to show their personality!" Le teased him deliberately, and found it interesting to see him frowning in confusion in the video.

"Actually...it's really pretty, and looks like a mermaid." He said hesitantly, "If you really like it...then...just go ahead and dye it!"

"Hey~ You said that too, my colleagues also said she looks like Princess Ellie... But you know, my favorite princess is Belle~"

The two chatted idly until Yumi's mother called him for dinner. Before hanging up the video, Le didn't mention changing his hair color again, presumably just teasing him on a whim. Hanyu Yuzuru sat at the dining table, pulled out his phone again, and flipped through the photo she had just sent, examining it carefully.

If you look closely, the light and shadow atmosphere of the sunset is excellent, making her look like a mermaid princess who is about to turn into foam and disappear at any time on the rocks on the shore.

Yuzu: Le, for that first vlog you were struggling with, why not try a mermaid theme? I'll find some music for you.

The first video on Le's first social media account was a modern dance piece called "Shaking Mermaid." Accompanied by music edited for her by Yuzuru Hanyu, her performance was mysterious and ethereal.

How could Yuzuru Hanyu not be proud of this? He even quietly grabbed a sofa with his trumpet.

"I can't believe you've made it, Hanyu!" Xiaojie slapped his thigh with emotion.

"It's nothing. Seimei is the music I edited myself." Yuzuru Hanyu waved his hand modestly.

"Who talked to you about music? I mean, I didn't expect you to sacrifice yourself to this extent for Le-chan's art. You're so generous! I admire you!" Xiaojie said it with his mouth, and also exaggeratedly gave a thumbs up.

"What are you talking about? I didn't sacrifice anything..." He realized that maybe they weren't talking about the same thing. "I'm talking about the first work released on Le's social media."

"Le's SNS? She even posted her work on her own SNS? What's her account? I'll follow it."

"So what did you say?"

"I'm talking about this. Let me make it clear first! I searched for Le-chan's entry purely out of my basic concern as a friend, not to dig up any dark history." Xiaojie pushed his phone in front of Yuzuru Hanyu and raised his hands to his ears in surrender to prove his innocence.

He frowned as he watched the video on the screen.

The video is clearly edited, based on Le Jiang's "Shaking Mermaid," but besides the main track she released, there appear to be some additional footage. This MAD video features a different music track and filters. Against the eerie, ethereal music, the once gentle and mysterious mermaid princess transforms into a sea siren. The story doesn't stop there; additional characters have been added.

And Yuzuru Hanyu recognized this added character, the sailor who was bewitched by the siren, at a glance.

Isn't this Tohara Kazuki? ! ! !