Chapter 118 Not a pity
The night gradually deepened.
Nancheng dimmed the lights in his home, leaving only the single lamp on his desk. His computer was slowly loading footage shot during the day, the soft hum of the hard drive humming like a city whispering in the night.
It was almost ten o'clock. He made a cup of green tea, leaned back in his chair with his cat, and waited for the import progress bar to finish.
Today is Gift's official performance. It has been more than three months since he started filming behind-the-scenes footage.
He opened the newly imported video files and sorted each clip into his database, categorizing them by program segment and character. He meticulously named each folder: "First Half Highlights," "Backstage Panorama," "Dialogue," "Hanyu's Voice." He did this with meticulous care, as if concluding some invisible ritual.
Finally, he clicked on the material of "Hanyu backstage 230226 final".
That was the last segment he recorded today.
As the footage opens, the heat backstage is still throbbing. Some are cheering, others are gathering their gear, and others are saying goodbye to the directors. He zooms in on Yuzuru Hanyu, returning from the interview area, his expression still tingling with the warmth of having just stepped off the stage.
Then it was her.
Suginohara Raku sat beside a light gray suitcase, legs crossed, and whispered to Hanyu Yumi with her face tilted to the side. She was wearing a mask, so her expression was unclear, but the corners of her eyes curved slightly, clearly indicating a smile.
Yuzuru Hanyu walked over, took the bag without saying a word, and sat next to her.
There is no sound of their conversation in the picture.
All he could see was Suginohara Raku reaching out and handing him the can of Dr. Pepper. He didn't even look at her, but took it skillfully, flipping it open with a flick of his finger. The can popped open with a sip, and bubbles rose. He took a sip, his eyes narrowing.
That expression was like a child who finally got back the candy he had hidden for a whole semester - with a hint of smug satisfaction.
"Thank you for your hard work! See you at the celebration party—!"
He turned around and looked around, greeting everyone: "Thank you for your hard work - see you at the celebration party!"
At that moment, someone on the edge of the frame shouted, "Hanyu—you looked so handsome today!!"
Yuzuru Hanyu smiled and waved at him, picked up his bag, and walked out of the picture with Hele and his mother.
Nancheng didn't turn off the screen immediately. He watched the video slowly end in the dim light, finally freezing on the three of them walking away side by side, their elongated backs.
He moved the mouse, copied this piece of material from the "On-site footage", and dragged it into another folder.
[We need to find another team to confirm whether it can be disseminated externally]
He hesitated for a moment, then dragged in several previous clips of Hanyu Yuzuru and Suginohara Raku's interactions. For example, the hug after the performance, and the moment Hanyu hesitated for half a second when he saw her in the backstage corridor.
These materials did not have any particularly striking dramatic quality in terms of camera language, but for some reason, he always felt that—
There are some things in here that are not suitable to be released easily.
It's not for the sake of keeping it secret, but because those things are emotions between the two of them.
It shouldn't be accompanied by narration, nor should it be edited into the "highlight".
Nancheng closed his computer and stood up to wash the cups. Outside the window, the night scene of Tokyo was quiet, like a stage that had just ended, with the lights still on.
He drew the curtains.
The moonlight quietly left the hut, but still remained quietly in another room at night.
The room was softly lit. Yuzuru Hanyu lay shirtless on the bed, his back exposed and still suffused with heat. His head rested on the pillow, the ends of his hair still damp, as if he'd just been pressed up after a shower.
Le knelt beside him, pressing the spot of his old wound with his fingers. The ointment had been applied, and it was so cool that it made him shiver, but he didn't cry out in pain. Instead, he moved like an excited fish.
"... Seriously, let me tell you, that sense of space! Tokyo Dome isn't an ice rink, it's... it's a mix of a theater, a concert hall, and a gymnasium! Do you know how much I want to scream when I'm doing a spin—"
“The audience was breathing… you could hear the whole space breathing.”
He leaned against the pillow, his voice low but filled with uncontrollable excitement, the words pouring out all at once. Le said nothing, only pressing her fingertips against his back when he tried to lift his head again.
"Don't move." Le didn't look up and spoke calmly.
He moved dishonestly, and she immediately pressed her hand on his lower back, forcing him to fall back on the bed and remain quiet for a few seconds.
"Yes, that first jump," she said softly, "the moment it landed, several spectators couldn't help but stand up."
Yuzuru Hanyu buried his face in his arms, his voice muffled by the pillow, and laughed a little muffledly.
"It really feels like... I'm back in the game." He paused. "I thought... after retiring, I'd never find that kind of state again. You know, that moment on the ice when everything feels quiet."
He suddenly stopped talking here.
Le's movements became a little lighter, as if he was afraid of interrupting the words that were sinking deep in his heart and had not been spoken out loud.
He lay there, buried his face in his arms, and did not continue speaking.
She didn't ask either.
But she knew that the string in his heart that had been stretched the longest seemed to quietly and completely loosen at this moment.
He no longer needs to confirm anything, nor is he afraid of losing anything.
That "state", something he once thought he could only possess in competition, returned tonight - no longer belonging to the arena, but to himself.
The wind blew across the balcony outside the window, and occasionally one or two engine sounds of late-returning vehicles could be heard in the distance, as if the city was quietly ending.
Le picked up a thin towel and gently wiped the excess ointment off his back, then asked, "Is it cool?"
"Yeah." He turned over and changed his position, resting his head on her lap, his eyes not yet fully open.
He closed his eyes and whispered, "It's a bit like before."
"When?" she asked softly.
"Every time in Finland, after a game, I seem to be talking non-stop," he grinned, "and you're just there to answer me with 'hmm, hmm'."
"It's 'hmm' even now." She replied with a smile.
"Hey!" He opened one eye and glared at her, as if he had finally regained his strength. "Your reaction is too low-key!"
"Uh-huh."
Yuzuru Hanyu immediately gave up, grabbed a pillow beside him and covered his face with it, saying in a muffled voice, "You're still as calm as ever."
Le looked down at him with a smile in her eyes. Her fingers were still on his waist, which had just been massaged, and she pressed it gently.
"Ouch—it hurts, it hurts…" He cried out and obediently let go of the pillow.
"Be honest."
"Yes, yes, yes."
He was quiet for two seconds, but still looked up at her unwillingly.
"Eh... you really don't have anything to say?"
Le's fingers were still on his waist, and he paused when he heard that.
She looked down at him, blinked, thought seriously for a moment, and then slowly said, "For the celebration party... I want to invite Guan Yue to join us."
Hanyu Yuzuru was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. She's come all the way to Japan, so you should definitely entertain her. And you'll definitely feel more relaxed with her here."
"Yeah. And..." Le paused, "Hasegawa has arranged all the details of the banquet?"
"Yes. He's already reviewed it with the production team. He's also contacted the venue."
Le said "Oh" and seemed to want to ask something else.
Yuzuru Hanyu immediately straightened his upper body and said, "Wait a moment."
"Um?"
"When you said 'and' just now, your tone sounded like you were about to move on to the work report."
She didn't respond, but just looked at him innocently. The smile in her eyes seemed to be a tacit agreement, but also seemed to be deliberately teasing him.
Yuzuru Hanyu sighed, fell back onto her lap, and muttered softly, "Sure enough, I knew that your 'hmm' was planned for a long time."
She laughed out loud.
Yuzuru Hanyu closed his eyes, one hand casually resting on his abdomen. He relaxed, his breathing slowing down. Le's fingers were still on his waist, not moving away immediately.
After a few seconds, he spoke softly, "We finally finished the gift, don't you really have anything to say?"
"Yes." She lowered her head and smoothed his hair before replying.
"What?"
Le gently pressed his waist with his fingertips, as if to check if his muscles were stiff. "Does your waist still hurt?"
Yuzuru Hanyu didn't move, still pretending to sleep with his eyes closed. His tone was as natural as a chat about the weather: "It hurts. Actually, it hurt a little during the performance, but at that time, the adrenaline was so strong that... it was like I couldn't feel it."
She said "hmm".
Then she looked down at him and said softly, "That's a pity."
"……pity?"
He opened his eyes and looked at her, a hint of doubt in his voice.
Le just said calmly: "If you had said it didn't hurt just now - I was thinking, we could do it."
Yuzuru Hanyu didn't respond, but his eyes fell on her face and he looked at her quietly for a second.
She looked down at him, her eyes hinting at a smile, yet also a hint of seriousness. He suddenly couldn't tell if what she had just said was a joke. A few strands of hair tumbled down her forehead, her bare face appearing remarkably clear under the light, her brows and eyes as soft as a sheet of freshly washed rice paper. She was completely bare, yet more beautiful than ever before under the spotlight.
Then he stood up and looked at her: "Then...if you say it doesn't hurt now, is it too late?"
Le didn't move, but just tilted her head to look at him, with a slight smile on her lips.
"Adrenaline still high?" she teased him with a smile.
He chuckled softly and asked lazily, "Can you help me move it?"
She seemed to think for a moment, "Adrenaline might not work...how about trying dopamine?"
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