Chapter Twelve
As the plane to England weaved through the clouds, and the fuselage shook slightly, Yuzuru instinctively shrank closer to Yukimura, his forehead still resting against his shoulder.
If it weren't for Yukimura's almost obsessive pleading and cajoling over those few days, she would probably still be staring blankly at her drawing paper in Japan.
"Would you like to rest for a while?" Yukimura's voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of a smile. He gently caressed her slightly cool hand in his palm, his fingertips tracing the delicate lines on the back of her hand.
Yuzuru had just replied with a "Okay" when a gust of cold air swept by, and he couldn't help but shiver.
Yukimura immediately looked up and called out to the flight attendant, "Excuse me, could you please bring me a blanket? Thank you." He carefully unfolded the blanket and gently covered her from her shoulders to her knees. His fingertips inadvertently touched her slightly cool neck, and he then pulled the blanket up a little higher.
Yuzuru snuggled closer to him, inhaling the familiar scent of cedar on his body. His eyelids grew heavy, and the two leaned against each other, drifting into a light sleep amidst the low hum of the engine.
The crowds at London Airport were filled with the clamor of different languages. As Yuzuru and Yukimura walked out of the arrival gate, they heard a cheerful English shout: "Hi, Seiichi! Over here!" Not far away, a blond, blue-eyed man was waving, his smile as warm as a rare sunny day in London.
Yukimura, pulling a suitcase with one hand and holding Yuzuru's hand tightly with the other, walked slowly over. "This is my manager, Leon."
He turned to Yuzuru, his eyes filled with tenderness that could melt hearts. "Leon, this is my wife, Yuzuru."
"Welcome to England!" Lyon gave Yukimura a hug, then gave Hanyu a friendly smile. "I've heard Seiichi mention you before, it's a pleasure to meet you."
As the car drove away from the airport, Lyon said while holding the steering wheel, "You said before that your studio apartment was too small and you wanted a place with a study to use as an art studio. I found you a new one. You can stay here for now, and we'll find another one if it's not suitable."
He pointed to a small red brick building not far away outside the window, "Look, that's the one. I'll take you there to see it tomorrow."
The car stopped downstairs at the apartment building where Yukimura usually lived, and Yuzuru thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your hard work and for taking care of so many things."
"Don't mention it," Leon waved his hand. "Call me anytime if you need anything."
Yukimura led Yuzuru into the apartment. It was a one-bedroom apartment with simple, almost austere, decor. A checkered rug was spread on the light gray sofa, and the kitchen cabinets were clean but clearly hadn't been used much.
The two had eaten some food on the plane and were not hungry at the moment, so they tidied up a bit, washed up, and then rested.
When Yuzuru was awakened by the faint light outside the window in the early morning, he went to the window and found that London was shrouded in a thick fog. The milky white fog enveloped everything like a light veil, and the visibility was less than a few meters. The buildings in the distance could only be seen as blurry outlines.
Looking at this unfamiliar scene, a sense of bewilderment suddenly welled up in her heart—in her previous life, she had never traveled far from home, but in this life, she had followed him to a foreign land and seen completely different scenery.
A pair of warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and a warm chest pressed against her back. Yukimura lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, his voice full of satisfaction: "Thank you for coming to be with me, Yu. I'm really happy."
Breakfast was eaten at a small restaurant downstairs. The apartment was completely empty, without even rice, oil, or salt. Clearly, Yukimura usually ate at the club or ordered takeout, and the kitchen was just for show for him.
Yuzuru looked at the plate on the table. Sausage, bacon, fried eggs, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms were neatly arranged, along with a spoonful of baked beans and a piece of toast.
She never liked sticky beans, so she quietly transferred the baked beans from her plate into Yukimura's bowl. Yukimura noticed this, smiled, and ate them all without making a sound.
After breakfast, Lyon came to pick them up to see the new house. It was a two-story apartment with a small garden. There was a spacious room on the second floor, with sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, perfect for use as an art studio.
Both were very satisfied and moved in that very day—after all, Yukimura had already used up his vacation days, leaving them little time to spend together.
After settling their luggage and purchasing daily necessities, Yukimura took Yuzuru to the British Museum in the afternoon. Looking at the artifacts that spanned thousands of years, Yuzuru would stop from time to time, his eyes full of curiosity.
As evening fell, they boarded the London Eye. As the Ferris wheel slowly rose, London gradually revealed its full panorama through the fog, with the Thames River meandering like a silver ribbon.
Yukimura held her hand and whispered in her ear, "In the future, I want to take you to see more beautiful scenery."
The night was always particularly tender. The two, who had just tasted love, were inseparable. Yukimura's kisses landed on the top of her head and her eyebrows, so gentle that it was as if he was afraid of disturbing something.
The next morning, Yukimura was about to go to the club for training. Before leaving, he kissed Yuzuru on the forehead and told him, "Call me if anything happens."
Yuzuru nodded, watched his figure disappear through the door, and then turned and walked into the newly renovated studio.
The sun was shining brightly, so she took out her drawing paper and pencil and began to conceive a new picture book, "The Bear Family".
As soon as the audio live streaming equipment sent from Japan was unpacked, Yuzuru Hanyu couldn't wait to set up a temporary workbench in the corner of his studio.
The microphone, sound card, and monitoring headphones were all put back in their places. She tested the equipment and the familiar static seemed to transport her back to the time when she was doing live broadcasts late at night in Japan.
Besides my regular radio programs and magazine columns, I've been receiving a constant stream of offers since a few songs I casually composed became a minor hit on the platform.
In order to prepare for her college entrance exams, she mostly declined, only choosing two or three songs that suited her taste. Unexpectedly, the response was exceptionally good, and subsequent collaborations followed one after another.
Balancing the gentle companionship of radio broadcasts, the literary depth of columns, and the bursts of inspiration for composing music has become a daily challenge for Yuzuru Hanyu.
That night, she nestled in Yukimura's arms, frowning as she listed the things to do. As Yukimura listened, he suddenly got up, pulled out his computer, and pulled her to make an Excel spreadsheet together.
Different colored blocks distinguish between priorities: radio broadcasts are marked with a soft pink, column deadlines are marked with a striking yellow, and composition projects are marked with a refreshing green.
Looking at the well-organized table, Yuzuru suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and pecked Yukimura on the cheek: "You're really something."
The days that followed went smoothly. Yuzuru would be busy in his studio until sunset every day. After recording live broadcasts and revising scores, he would turn around and see Yukimura coming back with a light sheen of sweat from his workout, perhaps carrying the strawberry cake that she had mentioned a few times.
Their nights were always tender and passionate. During the day, they were each busy with their beloved careers. When they had a rare moment of free time, Yukimura would take her to explore the streets and alleys of London—watching the sunset on the banks of the Thames, feeding pigeons in Hyde Park, and browsing for trinkets in vintage markets. He would look at the scenery, but his eyes would always reflect her smile, and when she looked at him, her eyes would be full of tenderness that she couldn't hide.
This period of time was as fulfilling as a jar filled with sunshine, but the British food gradually made Yuzuru lose his appetite.
The endless cycle of sausages, bacon, and baked beans made her miss Japanese ramen and her mother's sushi terribly.
Just then, Miyamoto Mina arrived in Germany. The two hit it off immediately during their correspondence and agreed to meet in Munich. Yuzuru packed his bags and, without hesitation, "abandoned" Yukimura, who was busy with training, and boarded a flight to Germany alone.
At the arrival gate of Munich Airport, Yuzuru immediately spotted Mina Miyamoto in the crowd. She was wearing a simple sweatshirt and jeans and was waving excitedly at him.
Yuzuru ran over quickly with his suitcase, and the two of them hugged tightly, ignoring the stares of those around them, as if they wanted to squeeze all the longing they had felt over the past few days into their embrace.
"I miss you so much, Yuzuru!" Mina Miyamoto buried her face in the crook of her neck, her voice trembling with joyful tears.
"I missed you so much, Mina!" Yuzuru patted her back, looking her over carefully. "You've lost so much weight?"
"Really?" Miyamoto Mina's eyes lit up, and she immediately straightened her back. "I've been training with Kunimitsu lately, and it seems to be working incredibly well!"
Yuzuru smiled and turned to look at Tezuka Kunimitsu, who was standing next to Mina. He still had that composed demeanor, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and exuding a cool and aloof air. "Good day, Tezuka-kun."
"Good day, Yukimura-san." Tezuka nodded slightly, his tone calm yet polite.
For the rest of the journey, Tezuka was completely relegated to being a "tool," silently carrying Hanyu's suitcase and following behind. Hanyu and Mina walked ahead hand in hand, chattering away, talking about everything from their recent lives to the bizarre food in England, their laughter never stopping.
Just as Yuzuru got into the car, his phone rang. It was Yukimura calling. "Hey, Oichi, I've arrived. Don't worry, Mina and Tezuka are here to pick me up."
She smiled broadly into the phone, "Okay, okay, I'll take good care of myself."
After saying that, she handed her phone to Tezuka beside her: "Tezuka-kun, Oichi is looking for you."
Tezuka took the phone, held it to his ear, and only occasionally responded with a few "hmm" sounds, his tone remaining concise.
Not long after, he handed the phone back, and Yuzuru took it and heard Yukimura's gentle words of advice: "Be careful, Yuzuru, remember to call me every day to let me know you're safe."
"Okay, you should train hard too, don't overwork yourself." Yuzuru replied softly, his cheeks still slightly flushed when he hung up the phone.
The short-term rental apartment that Tezuka found for them was exceptionally thoughtful. It was a one-bedroom apartment that was spotless, and the kitchen was fully stocked with rice, flour, oil, and salt, while the bathroom had samples of skincare products. It was clearly a carefully prepared place.
After seeing them off at their apartment, Tezuka gave them a few brief instructions before turning around and heading back to the club for training.
As soon as the door closed, Yuzuru sidled up to Mina Miyamoto, raising an eyebrow and gossiping, "Wow, Mina, Tezuka-kun is so thoughtful! How are things going between you two?"
"And you're one to talk!" Miyamoto Mina blushed and immediately changed the subject, reaching out to tickle her. "You and Yukimura-kun are the ones who are together, right? You've been together for so long, haven't you... you know...?"
"Ahhh, don't talk nonsense!" Yuzuru's cheeks turned bright red, and he reached out to cover her mouth. The two of them playfully rolled onto the sofa, their laughter almost lifting the roof off.
After a long and tiring day, they finally settled down. After washing up, they squeezed into the same bed, sharing the same blanket. In the darkness, their breathing was clearly audible, as if they had returned to the days they spent together in Japan.
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