Chapter 110: Holiday Preparations
Click——
A crisp clapping sound rescued Uchimura Kohei from Hanyu Yuzuru's rambling chat. He breathed a sigh of relief, stood up from his chair, and subconsciously jumped to stretch his body after sitting for so long.
Really good at chatting...
Kohei Uchimura tried hard to suppress the emotion that was about to come out of his mouth, and did limited stretching exercises within the constraints of his suit.
Before Hanyu arrived in Sendai, a sports journalist he knew had kindly warned him about his prolific ability to lead conversations. Unfortunately, he ignored it until he saw his jam-packed schedule, including designing the ice show's program, costumes, and even recording the talk show. Only then did he realize something was amiss.
While stretching his neck, Kohei Uchimura secretly glanced at Yuzuru Hanyu on the other side of the acrylic baffle.
He stood up and stretched. His already slender figure looked even taller in the close-fitting suit. Stretching like this made him even taller.
"It really looks like a cat..." The inner complaint slipped out accidentally.
"Hmm? What did Uchimura-san say?" Yuzuru Hanyu blinked in confusion, his own shadow reflected on the acrylic screen. His overly innocent expression overlapped with the image of Uchimura-san frantically waving his hands across from him, giving him the illusion that everything was a scheming scheme. He wanted to explain, but glancing up at the time and the night light filtering through the gaps in the curtains, he could only smile and hurried to the locker room to change.
Uchimura Kohei finished greeting the program staff and turned around to see Yuzuru Hanyu, who had changed back into the sportswear he wore when discussing program design. He was concentrating on collecting the medals from the display board one by one, carefully placing them in a small box he had customized and then tossing it into his backpack.
"Hanyu-san, isn't your assistant here?" Uchimura asked casually, probably more concerned about the safety of the medal.
Yuzuru Hanyu raised his head upon hearing this, his hands still moving as he smiled slightly. "Yeah, it's Christmas, so I gave him a day off. I can handle these little things myself."
"That's quite surprising," Uchimura watched as he strapped his bag onto his back. His movements were quick and expert, yet still radiated a seriousness. The staff around him finished packing, and the two of them chatted as they headed out.
"Hmm? I actually prefer to arrange these things myself..." Yuzuru Hanyu scratched his head.
"I'm just a little surprised you take Christmas so seriously," Uchimura explained. Hanyu Yuzuru had already thrown his bag over his shoulder, seemingly not wanting to continue the conversation. Seeing his nanny car not far away, he asked, "Do you need a ride? Hanyu-san doesn't drive, does he?"
"No need, someone will pick me up~" Yuzuru Hanyu smiled somewhat complacently, turned around to thank the staff, and waved, "Thank you for your hard work, I'll be leaving first~" After that, he quickly walked towards the parking lot.
Uchimura's eyes followed his steps until they came to a discreet black car parked at the edge of the parking lot. Hanyu Yuzuru swiftly opened the back door and placed his backpack inside. He then walked around the back of the car and bowed again before climbing into the passenger seat. Under the dim streetlight, the figure in the driver's seat could be vaguely seen: a woman with loosely tied hair and a soft, calm profile, clearly someone with a gentle demeanor.
The car door closed, and Hanyu and the driver didn't seem to exchange any unnecessary words before the car smoothly drove out of the parking lot. Uchimura was a bit stunned as he watched the car gradually disappear into the night.
"That's Hanyu-san's girlfriend, right? They're so close, she even came to pick us up..."
"What a shame! I was hoping I could see them hugging up close, or at least see them clearly. That photo they published last time was so pretty!"
"Of course I am. I thought I'd run into her during the NS preparations. Isn't she also the director? What a pity..."
The staff behind him were whispering, and what they said seemed to be Uchimura's own thoughts.
"There should be a chance." Uchimura interjected, interrupting the staff's conversation and got into his own car.
The person over there was also the topic of conversation between the two people in the car over here.
The car's heater slowly cleared the mist from the windows. Yuzuru Hanyu leaned back in his seat, his eyes sparkling as he spoke excitedly, "Mr. Uchimura asked me today, 'How did you come up with that 4 T3 A?' He said gymnastics never had that kind of train of thought."
Le smiled and followed his tone and asked, "And what did you answer?"
"I said, 'I learned this from listening to Chopin.' He laughed incredibly hard and said I was undermining the confidence of ordinary athletes."
"Well, it's really discouraging." Le joked lightly.
Hanyu didn't catch her teasing and continued, "Also, before the recording ended, he asked me what my Christmas plans were. I said I had it all written down in my schedule. Then he teased me, 'You haven't even figured out your dates yet, have you?'"
"So what did you answer?" Le asked, trying not to laugh.
"I say, only after you have calculated it can you speak confidently and not worry about your girlfriend being kidnapped." He looked at her with a smug smile.
Le couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're not going to be liked by others if you speak so meanly."
"Huh?" He was stunned for a moment. His brain raced for a few seconds before he slapped his forehead. "Damn it! I swear I didn't mean to mock the recent news! Damn it! This is a huge misunderstanding... I said this because he asked me if I was worried you'd be kidnapped!"
"Isn't Uchimura-san as stingy as you think?" Le said casually, flipping the turn signal. "Don't worry too much."
Yuzuru Hanyu scratched his hair. "Forget it, let's not talk about me anymore. How are you? Are you tired after coming from Tokyo today?"
"It's okay. I even had a good sleep when I got home," Le suddenly changed the subject. "However, Mom and Aunt Yumi were super busy at home today, and I didn't even have a chance to help in the kitchen. I feel like it's going to be a very important Christmas dinner~"
She deliberately emphasized the word "important" in her tone, and caught a glimpse of the frozen smile on Yuzuru Hanyu's face in her peripheral vision with satisfaction.
"What are they preparing for?"
"What can I prepare? Traditional Christmas dishes, of course." Le said casually while concentrating on driving, but his tone was deliberately casual. "However, my mother mentioned today that if you dare to be picky about food, she might ask you to come into the study to talk."
"Study?" Hanyu Yuzuru sat up straight, his expression visibly tense. "She said...really?"
Le almost laughed out loud, coughing to hide his mischievous mood. "Well, maybe. Don't forget, my mom has never supported or indulged your picky eating habits, especially on such an important day as Christmas."
Yuzuru Hanyu paused gripping his seatbelt, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin. The words "traditional Finnish cuisine" struck him as strongly as ever. Memories of those summer nights in 2016, when he'd been trying to trick himself into giving himself special treats, suddenly hit him hard, leaving him with a helpless pout.
He lowered his head and tugged at his seat belt, his tone hesitant: "I'll be careful..."
Le finally couldn't help it and glanced at him sideways, his face full of an unconcealable mischievous smile: "Hanyu Yuzuru, your face has betrayed you."
He raised his head and looked at her helplessly: "Are you teasing me on purpose?"
"Guess?" Le smiled even more happily, turned back to driving, and said in a softer tone, "Don't worry, Marrku is here, my mom won't make things difficult for you. Don't think too much, just relax."
Yuzuru Hanyu was stunned for a moment. Looking at her frown, the tension in his heart seemed to be gently soothed. He sighed, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly: "I hope so."
"So, have you prepared all your gifts?"
"I think we should go buy something... No, let's go get some dumplings for takeout first. I want to put them in my bag."
"...I'll file a complaint..."
The streetlights outside the window flashed by quickly, and the air inside the car gradually grew warm and relaxed. On the way home, the car quietly turned a corner and went to a nearby shopping mall. Then, a dumpling bento was quietly added to Yuzuru Hanyu's backpack. Feng and Yumi, who were busy in the kitchen, were unaware of this.
The two of them are still busy at home.
The kitchen lights are soft, casting a warm glow across the neat wooden cabinets. On the stove, a steaming pot simmers meat and vegetables, the bubbling sound and gently wafting steam intertwining into a warm atmosphere. Light Japanese seasonings exude a rich aroma, and the white porcelain bowls beside the pot, filled with soy sauce, miso, and rice wine, occasionally gleam with a subtle sheen.
Near the stove, Feng was concentrating on removing the finished pudding from the mold. Her movements were careful, but not very smooth. The pudding's shape was not satisfactory. With a little force, the pudding in the mold was tilted and almost collapsed.
Yumi, who was standing next to her, couldn't help laughing when she saw this. "You've never been good at making pudding since high school, so why do you have to make it today?"
Feng frowned, but still didn't give up. He lowered his head and continued to fiddle with the pudding mold: "It's all for your kid! I didn't make his favorite dumplings today. If he's unhappy, he'll go knock on Le's door in the middle of the night and ask her to cook for him."
"There is such a thing?" Yumi was a little surprised.
"That was the year you sent him to Finland for the summer vacation. As long as the food he cooked wasn't his favorite, he would eat it in such a polite manner that he was ruining the dinner. Finally, when he was hungry in the middle of the night, you asked Le to make him an egg sandwich. You thought I didn't know." Feng criticized him, but his hands moved more steadily.
"This kid is really troublesome." Yumi couldn't help but change sides, "I'll teach him a lesson later."
"Don't be so naive. Think about it now. When he came to Finland to compete, you asked us for help. Wasn't that part of your plan for today? You schemed everything!"
Yumi laughed even more happily: "You are talking nonsense, it is obvious that you also feel sorry for our Yuzuru."
Feng glared at her: "Who cares about your son?"
Yumi scoffed, glancing at the busy Feng, her heart warming. She knew that Feng might deny it, but in her heart, she had already considered Hanyu Yuzuru a member of her family. Watching her busy figure, she couldn't help but tease softly, "You're always tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. It's a pity the kids don't know this; they're probably nervous seeing you now."
Feng ignored her and continued to playfully touch the pudding that was about to be deformed. Suddenly, he sighed softly, "I'm so tired. Making a pudding is more tiring than making dinner."
"Don't worry, I will emphasize when we eat it later that this is the pudding you made specially for Yuzuru, and he will cherish it." Yumi said as she prepared other dishes with a gentle smile on her face.
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