Chapter 67: Senior?

"I'm going out~"

Naoki Fukutani put on his shoes, said his customary goodbyes, and walked out. While waiting for the elevator, he put on his headphones and searched his phone for music for his commute. The playlist he finally chose was filled with the scent of early summer, and he walked briskly toward the station.

It was a beautiful morning. While it might be a bit early to call it early summer at the end of May, the return of FaOI after three years, bringing with it the memories of the annual early summer bustle, still gave Naoki Fukutani a sense of joy as life gradually returned to normal. The mask he wore made him feel less stuffy, and he walked briskly down the street with a smile on his face, radiating a cheerful mood.

I have been feeling very happy recently, and it comes from all aspects.

Even though he had to encounter a sharp-tongued senior again today, it did not interrupt his happiness.

Thinking of that senior, Naoki Fukutani suddenly felt a little worried. Not only because he saw himself gaining weight in the reflection of the train window, but also because he was really worried about this senior.

After the Beijing Winter Olympics, his messages of concern were duly addressed, but beyond that, they had no further contact. It wasn't until the reopening of the FaOI that he finally used work as an excuse to practice with his seniors from the figure skating club. In the video discussing work, Yuzuru Hanyu's expression remained normal, but Fukutani Naoki couldn't help but feel like he was just putting on a front.

"If you don't want to participate, that's understandable." After all, other colleagues in the department didn't get a clear answer when they came to confirm. Naoki Fukutani also gave him a way out with his true understanding of his senior's feelings.

"No, then we will meet again on the ice rink. I'm looking forward to it~" Yuzuru Hanyu in the video smiled with his eyes curved.

Hanyu-senpai always looks like this, smiling. With a gentle voice and a smile, he speaks with incredibly harsh words.

"When we meet, don't be so fat that you can't dance for two weeks~"

Naoki Fukutani was suddenly overwhelmed by forgotten memories. He stared at his reflection in the train window, straining to hold his breath and pull in his stomach. On the rush-hour train, the people around him were incredibly grateful for his gesture, immediately squeezing in to fill the tiny space he'd created. Only Naoki Fukutani was left breathless in a world.

Soon, Naoki Fukutani discovered that he was more concerned about his own weight than worrying about Hanyu.

He stood in the parking lot, waiting for the black van to pull up. Hanyu-san, wearing a large mask, jumped out, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and greeted him enthusiastically with a wave. As he approached, he patted his belly.

"Looks like you've gained weight... Can you still do the 2A?" Hanyu teased him with a grin. It was 50% joking and 50% serious, leaving no room for the dejection of losing the Winter Olympics.

"Senior, please don't be like that..." He wanted to confidently say he could do it, but he was afraid Hanyu-senpai would ask him to show off. His tight office trousers were restricting his performance, so he decided not to embarrass himself and begged for mercy.

Hanyu threw back his head and laughed heartily, but upon catching sight of the camera, he quickly put aside his earlier impudence and politely nodded before entering the arena. Fukutani Naoki followed him, watching him greet everyone along the way. He found a spot to change into his skates, then happily flew onto the ice like a small airplane, hugging each of the performers. The words of comfort he had been preparing for the Beijing Olympics were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't find the chance to speak.

It also seems a bit redundant.

Yuzuru Hanyu had no idea what his high school junior was thinking. He just wanted to find Detective Tanaka to get a good comeback.

Not long ago, when Yuzuru Hanyu was about to offer his condolences on the news of his retirement, he was met with a fierce display of affection from his father.

[Detective Tanaka: After retiring, I plan to coach at an ice rink. Commentary work is also good and not too busy. It's a good time to go out with my girlfriend more often and make up for the lack of active service in the past few years.]

Detective Tanaka: Going out on a date is really nice~

Detective Tanaka: Oh, yes, your long-distance issue hasn't been resolved yet. Please resolve it quickly. Isn't that sad?

That day, he looked at the message sent by Detective Tanaka and deleted all the words of comfort in the dialog box with gritted teeth.

The opportunity comes today!

After he got on the ice, he took a few quick steps to get behind Detective Tanaka and slapped him on the butt.

"Hey! I'm coming!"

Detective Tanaka's slow reaction made Yuzuru Hanyu burst into laughter. He swung his long arm around the neck of his childhood sweetheart, who was half a head taller than him, and pulled him closer to him. His mask made it hard to see much of Hanyu's expression, but the squinting of his eyes suggested he was about to reveal something confidential.

"My girlfriend moved in with me~" He lowered his voice but couldn't hide his current boastful mood.

"oh……"

"Your reaction..." Yuzuru Hanyu was a little disappointed.

"..." Detective Tanaka looked at him speechlessly, "Then should I yell now?"

"No, no! Let's keep it a secret for now~"

The childhood duo chatted as they strolled around the edge of the ice rink. Yuzuru Hanyu exuded a relaxed and cheerful vibe, even a touch of excitement. This expression naturally caught the attention of the filming camera and Naoki Fukutani. They all assumed that Hanyu was particularly excited because it had been so long since he had participated in an ice performance or seen his friends.

If they heard the conversation, their expressions would probably be the same as Detective Tanaka's, who maintained a polite smile out of his good manners.

"Living here is really convenient for attending ice show rehearsals. I don't have to get used to a hotel bed; my own bed is just so comfortable! It's only a 30-minute drive here. And, besides, my girlfriend is coming to pick me up after work today." He trotted briskly, shaking his head. "But let's keep it a secret. It's not convenient to introduce you two right now. We'll do it later."

"I've seen her..." The criminal interrupted him hesitantly.

"Oh? Really? When did it happen?"

"The 2017 World Championships," Detective Tanaka stared at the ceiling, trying to recall. "I've seen her from a distance a few times. Wasn't she the one cheering you on in the stands? And wasn't she the one who drove to pick you and your mom up?" He'd never seen her up close, only glimpsed her from afar, so he hadn't a clear impression of her appearance. It wasn't that Detective Tanaka's eyesight was bad, but the girl's face, as small as Hanyu's, was too small for him to see clearly from that distance.

"Oh yes, yes, yes! Hehehe~" Yuzuru Hanyu scratched his head with a smile.

Detective Tanaka narrowed his eyes at his childhood sweetheart, his shy smile revealing his intentions. Wasn't he just trying to say he'd already been liked? But between picking up the gag and hitting back, Detective chose the latter. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

"2017, 2018, 2019... 2022... Tsk tsk tsk..." He didn't say much, looking at Yuzuru Hanyu with eyes full of sympathy, "It turns out that for the GOAT, falling in love is harder than winning a Grand Slam."

"..." Yuzuru Hanyu shut up at the perfect moment. If he had known what had happened earlier, he might have been ridiculed for the rest of his life.

The call to assemble came just in time. The arrangement of rehearsals and interviews saved Yuzuru Hanyu from being completely stymied by his childhood friend's taunts. After finishing all the work and everyone leaving, he remained in the lounge, leisurely taking inventory of his belongings.

"Senior, you haven't left yet?" Naoki Fukutani came over and sat next to Yuzuru Hanyu. He tilted his head and looked at the packed suitcases and backpack, a little curious. "Is the driver late?"

"No," he shook his head. He had the driver take his mother to his sister's place today, and he was waiting for Le to pick her up. He glanced up at Naoki Fukutani, who didn't seem too interested in understanding what had happened, so he casually brushed it off. "Someone'll pick me up later. The driver has other work."

"Well..." Naoki Fukutani responded nonchalantly, looking at the tip of his shoe. He hesitated for a long time, then spoke with a firm resolve, "Senior, I used to think that since I had no talent and wouldn't win in competitions, there was nothing wrong with making figure skating my lifelong hobby. But after entering society, I realized..." Hobbies are worthless in the face of life... He still didn't say the words.

Even into university, Naoki Fukutani persisted in participating in national competitions. Although his results were often disappointing, he loved the sound of his skates gliding across the ice and the sense of freedom that came with his graceful skating form, so he persevered. However, until he started working, the overwhelming workload and the monotonous, repetitive life drew him further and further away from his passion, especially in the past few years...

"Everyone has worked hard over the past few years," Hanyu patted him on the back. "It's not your fault that you didn't stick with figure skating. I was just teasing you."

"Yeah," Naoki Fukutani nodded, then hesitated for a few seconds before continuing, "I'm saying...senpai loves figure skating more than I do. You need to stay on the ice longer." Seeing Hanyu's stunned expression, he suddenly scratched his head awkwardly and frantically began to reword. After repeating "I'm saying" like a tape recorder without any further explanation, Hanyu suddenly smiled with relief.

"I will consider this issue very seriously. I won't answer you now~" He raised his hand and rubbed the back of the junior's head vigorously.

"I'm sorry for being abrupt. I'm not... I..." Naoki Fukutani suddenly realized that as a CIC staff member, talking about such topics with Yuzuru Hanyu might be suspected of digging up information.

"Hahaha, I know you very well, don't worry!" Yuzuru Hanyu laughed and rescued him.

The cell phone rang at the right time. Naoki Fukutani looked down and stood up quickly.

"Um...Senior, I have an appointment today and need to leave quickly."

"Oh, you got a girlfriend!" Yuzuru Hanyu said, his face filled with the satisfaction of a senior. Looking at his junior, he felt a sense of lost time. Unexpectedly, Fukutani shyly scratched his head, and the words he spoke made him lose his composure.

"Hehe, um, actually, she's my fiancée. I proposed to her successfully not long ago, and I made an appointment with a bridal shop today. I want to accompany her to look at wedding dresses."

Yuzuru Hanyu stiffly congratulated his junior, who had taken the lead in the next stage of life, embarking on a new chapter. The junior's polite consolation left him with a mixture of inexplicable grievance and the reluctance to fall behind. Fukutani Naoki had been gone for several minutes, and he still hadn't recovered from his words, "Seniors, you should hurry up too." He hadn't noticed the message on his silent phone.

Until the ringing sound continued for three times and finally broke the silent mode.

"Big star, the parking lot at the back door. I'll only wait for 5 minutes." When He Jiu's voice sounded, Yuzuru Hanyu's brain was really confused.