Chapter 23: Hanyu's Confession Campaign
After a day of listening to the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony plan, I practically escaped the venue. I shook my swollen head. The day had been a real shock, but I had signed a confidentiality agreement and couldn't complain. It was incredibly difficult. I glanced at myself in the mirror. The combination of the airtight conference room and the mask had stained my eyes with smudges of eyeliner and mascara, and my bangs were a bit damp, losing the freshness I had in the morning.
The phone placed next to the sink lit up silently. I picked it up and took a look. It was a message from Yuzuru Hanyu.
Yuzu: Miss Juliet, is your work finished?
The three words "Juliet" brought Le's thoughts back to that midnight balcony, the gentle moonlight, the warm white street lights, and the young man who reached out to her under the street lights.
She took off her mask, revealing her slightly red cheeks, which were not sure whether they were suffocated by the mask or burned by memories. She looked at herself in the mirror, took out a few tissues to wipe off the mottled foundation on her face, found powder and lipstick from her bag, put on a simple touch-up of makeup, and fiddled with her bangs.
After I finished tidying myself up, I looked around in the mirror. Hmm, I looked presentable again.
Yuzuru Hanyu has not received a reply yet. He sits in the nanny car, glancing at the entrance of the building across the street from time to time, turning his mobile phone screen on and off again and again. The poor mobile phone switch is wasting its life in the owner's unnecessary anxiety.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. The glass doors of the building across the street opened, and several men in suits and carrying briefcases emerged. A touch of lightness stood out amidst the dark, formal attire. A pair of perfectly draped beige trousers perfectly accentuated Le's impressive proportions. A matching vest complemented her skinny, square-necked white T-shirt, showcasing her beautiful neckline without appearing forced. She looked capable yet relaxed.
Watching her standing at the building entrance, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with those people, Hanyu Yuzuru dialed the phone. The person across the street glanced down at the phone, smiled slightly, and put the phone to his ear.
"Thank you for your hard work!" Hanyu said happily. Seeing Le took two steps forward, she put the bag on her shoulder and raised her hand to tuck the hair around her ears. "I'm here to pick you up~" he said and patted the driver in front, who honked the horn lightly.
Hearing the sound, Le looked around, crossed the road and came to the car door. The door was opened from the inside, revealing Yuzuru Hanyu's smiling face.
"Romeo is here to pick you up~" He poked his head out slightly, and just as he finished speaking, Le pushed his forehead with his palm and stuffed him back into the car.
"I know, come in quickly." Le got into the car and closed the door.
"Hmm! Can you be a little gentler?" Hanyu rubbed his forehead and pouted, looking aggrieved. "What should I do if I get hurt?"
"If you were injured, it was from falling while practicing the 4A. Don't try to trick me into believing it." Le glanced at him. Hanyu shrank his neck, observing Le's expression with a guilty look.
The light inside the car was not bright enough, but it was the first time in a while that I could see his face up close. Without the processing of the video image, it was the real Yuzuru Hanyu.
Due to his long-term reversed day and night cycle and spending most of his time indoors, Yuzuru Hanyu's skin is fair but not rosy. Perhaps because he recently finished his ice performance, the slight bluish tint under his eyes betrays his fatigue. Indeed, he was even seen on the balcony downstairs at 3 a.m. yesterday. It's unclear if he rested during the day.
Le sighed and didn't want to argue with him anymore.
"You come to pick me up, and then what?"
"Hey, I have a plan!" Seeing that Le wasn't going to settle the score with him for hiding his injury, Yuzuru Hanyu suddenly perked up. He leaned over the driver's seat and said a few words to the driver before the car started and pulled out of the parking space.
He did have a plan, and a big one at that.
Seven days ago, when Guan Yue's message arrived, Yuzuru Hanyu was scowling as he received a massage from Grandpa Kikuchi. His recent training hadn't been going well. Not only had he made no progress on his 4A, but even his 3A had inexplicably slipped out. Grandpa Kikuchi repeatedly emphasized that if it hurt, he shouldn't endure it and should speak up, but Hanyu remained silent, gritting his teeth as if punishing himself.
Knowing that the boy was stubborn, Grandpa Kikuchi could only sigh and observe his expression while paying attention to the strength of his hands. Under such close attention, the surprised expression on his face when he checked the news naturally did not escape Grandpa Kikuchi's eyes.
"Is this a message from Xiaole?"
"No, it was sent by Le's friend." He muttered with his head down, clicked on the sent photo, and stretched the phone in front of Grandpa Kikuchi, "Le is coming ~ Hehe!" The haze on his face was swept away, and his face was full of smiles.
"That's great! Is Yuzuru going to confess?" Seeing him like this, Grandpa Kikuchi deliberately wanted to tease him. He thought he would see his face turn red and hesitant, but surprisingly, he didn't succeed.
"Yeah!" His eyes were clear and firm.
Regarding his previous confession, which failed before it even began, Yuzuru Hanyu thoroughly reviewed everything from the timing, planning process, and even the energy stone necklace he wore. This time, with this golden opportunity, he must carefully plan and eliminate all unfavorable factors to confess to Le in the most suitable atmosphere.
The first condition for the right atmosphere is a beautiful scene.
Yuzuru Hanyu diligently Googled and found a spot that 99% of people would find absolutely stunning: the Shibuya rooftop observatory. Coincidentally, during the pandemic, a separate reservation system was available, which won the heart of Hanyu, a public figure.
The black nanny car drove into the underground parking lot of Shibuya Sky. Le was gently awakened by Hanyu, and followed him out of the car and into the elevator in a daze.
The 14th floor is the ticket hall? This building is really strange. Le grumbled silently at the elevator buttons. Only after she followed Hanyu around and into the second elevator did she realize they were probably going to the rooftop observation deck or something.
"Le, do you want me to take a picture for you?" Yuzuru Hanyu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 46th floor and waved to Le who was standing at the door.
She just smiled and shook her head, then took out her phone from her pocket and said, "Let me take a picture for you."
"Okay~" Hanyu took off his mask, raised his hand to his eyes and made a "yeah" sign. Hearing a click, he trotted over to her and leaned over to see the picture she had taken. Because it was still bright outside the floor-to-ceiling window, he looked a little dark in contrast.
"Hmm, it seems like I'm standing too close to the floor-to-ceiling window, so it's hard to take a picture." Hanyu said, took out his mobile phone, took two steps back and pressed the shutter button towards Le, "Ah~ I took a good picture~" He happily handed the candid photo to Le to see.
The floor-to-ceiling windows and the blue sky behind her became the background of the person in front of the camera. The camera captured the moment when she looked up, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. The half-smile expression made the photo look like it had a sense of story.
"Let's go, it's better upstairs." Satisfied, he stuffed his phone back into his pocket, grabbed Le's wrist, and continued along the building's design to his planned destination. He didn't notice that Le's hand, holding the phone, was constantly fiddling with the edge of the phone case.
Following the signs, they finally reached the glass sensor door to the outdoor terrace, the place Hanyu had been looking forward to the most during his pre-research. He was the first to reach the sensor door. The moment the door opened, the heat from outside rushed in, causing Le, who was afraid of the heat, to wrinkle his nose.
"It's so hot, don't go out, okay?"
"No, it's beautiful outside!" He dragged Le outside without saying anything. Because they were on the top floor, the temperature outside was indeed a bit high. Yuzuru Hanyu, a sweat baby, soon began to sweat. The moment the sweat beads began to fall, Yuzuru Hanyu suddenly realized that something was wrong.
Damn, Le is also very afraid of heat, and she usually gets in a bad mood when it's hot...
I carefully turned back to observe Le's expression. He seemed calm, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
After enduring the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors for a while, it became less uncomfortable. The outdoor terrace was surrounded by tall glass walls. The afterglow of the setting sun spread from the distant sea-sky boundary, casting a light orange light on the buildings throughout Tokyo, creating a hazy feeling.
Yuzuru Hanyu pulled Le up the escalator and released her wrist. He pulled his phone from his pocket, intending to record the stunning scenery. The moment he raised his hand, he felt a sudden tug at the corner of his shirt. Following the force of his shirt, he saw Le standing sideways on the next step of the escalator, her head lowered, not even glancing at the distant scenery. She lowered her eyes to her toes, biting her lip nervously, one hand behind her back on the escalator handrail, the other clutching the corner of his shirt tightly.
Alarms instantly went off in my head. Are you afraid of heights? !!!
His clever mind quickly began to ask himself questions, but he couldn't find the answer. But what did the answer matter? She was indeed afraid.
He put his phone back in his pocket, put his arm around her shoulders, and gently embraced her in a protective gesture. The height difference of the escalator steps allowed Le's head to rest right on his chest. Yuzuru Hanyu let her rest her forehead on his chest and gently stroked her hair.
"It's okay, I'm here," he whispered, apologetically. The moment she leaned into his arms, he realized Le had been trembling slightly. "Now you won't be scared anymore, will you? I'm sorry, I didn't realize Le was so scared just now. I'm sorry."
The person in his arms shook his head and said nothing.
The sightseeing escalator was set to an extremely slow speed to allow everyone ample viewing time. Yuzuru Hanyu turned his back to the viewing area, encircling her with his chest, giving her a small, safe space. He whispered softly in her ear, shielding her from the creaking mechanical hum of the elevator and the rustle of the wind through the tall buildings.
"The elevator is almost here, it will be here soon."
"The sun is about to set. The sunset is beautiful. You can see it just by looking up. Do you want to see it?"
The person in his arms shook his head.
"Okay, then when the elevator gets here, let's take the stairs down inside, okay?"
The person in his arms nodded.
True to his word, Hanyu immediately led Le down the stairs when the escalator arrived. The elevator staff at Shibuya Sky, perhaps having never seen a guest with a special reservation make such a perfunctory visit, looked a little surprised, causing Le to suddenly apologize.
"I'm sorry, it's a rare opportunity for you to come out and play, and you didn't have enough fun." Le said apologetically, but before he finished speaking, his bangs were messed up by Yuzuru Hanyu's hand.
"Don't say sorry, I didn't know you were afraid of heights... When did you start being afraid of heights?"
"I discovered it while traveling in Barcelona." That year, she went to Barcelona with her group for a performance and visited the renowned Sagrada Familia with her colleagues. She was still chatting and laughing with friends when she boarded the elevator to the spire, but by the time she walked through the corridors of the twin towers, she was completely exhausted. On the way down, she held onto the wall for support, crying uncontrollably as she sat on the handrail-less spiral staircase.
Naturally, I never told Yuzuru Hanyu about such an embarrassing thing.
Listening to her talking about her past embarrassing moments with lingering fear, Yuzuru Hanyu sighed helplessly.
Confession Plan A had failed. He now understood why 99% of people liked the view from the Shibuya Observation Deck, because that 1% was probably people like Le who were afraid of heights.
If fear of heights was considered an accident, then Plan B's failure was what really made Yuzuru Hanyu roll his eyes in his heart.
During the ice performance, Yuzuru Hanyu asked his friends for good restaurants in Tokyo and made reservations in advance. He had no idea, however, that the restaurant Tomono-kun praised so highly was actually a small, internet-famous establishment with no private dining rooms. The long line outside proved Tomono-kun right; the food must be delicious, but it was clearly not a suitable date spot for Hanyu.
What a mistake, a complete mistake, Hanyu thought in frustration as he sat in the car. He wanted to get off, but as soon as he saw the crowd, Le firmly refused his request to get off with him.
"I'll go take the order and then take it away. You just sit in the car and don't go out." After saying that, Le got out of the car and went into the store, leaving Hanyu sitting in the car alone and complaining to himself.
Just as the driver heard Yuzuru Hanyu's 43rd line, "Hateful!", the girl who had just gotten off the bus finally emerged from the restaurant, carrying two large bags of packed food. The alleyway next to the shop was a windy one, and the draft ruffled the girl's hair as she passed by. She was carrying things in both hands, and without a second thought, she hurried to the car door.
Yuzuru Hanyu opened the car door and saw Le's hair, messed up by the wind and some stuck in her mask. He couldn't help but laugh at her disheveled appearance. Le glared at the smiling man in front of her, put the packed food in the car, and got in.
"What's so funny?" Le ruffled his hair and glared at him angrily.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Looking at Le Ding's hair which was still messy after the ineffective tidying, Yuzuru Hanyu apologized while trying hard to hold back his laughter and moved closer to her, gently using his fingers to smooth out her bangs and the back of her hair.
Le didn't move. She held her breath and looked at the face that was approaching. He was conscientiously fixing her hair, completely oblivious to the way Le looked at him.
"You always say that bangs are troublesome, but you insist on keeping them. Why?" Yuzuru grumbled as he separated her bangs from the loose hair on her temples, and inserted his fingers into her hair from her forehead to help her straighten her hair.
The hot breath he exhaled as he spoke hit Le's face, making her face feel a little hot.
"Alright, alright, I'll do it myself." Le turned to face his reflection in the car window and quickly fixed his hair before ending the farce. The driver checked the rearview mirror to make sure everyone in the back seat was seated before starting the car and heading to Yuzuru Hanyu's resting place in Tokyo.
"Where are we going?"
"Come to my place to eat. I live with Sister Sha Ling now."
"Hmm? Is Sister Saaya in Tokyo?"
"Well, my brother-in-law works in Tokyo, so my sister came over with him. But they're both away from home lately, so I'm staying here. It's more comfortable than a hotel, after all."
Now, Yuzuru Hanyu has no plans and he can't think of a better place to go. He can't take Le to the ice rink, right?
After dinner, they didn't want Le to go back to the hotel. Fortunately, it was still early, so he suggested they go see a movie. After much deliberation, they chose "A Bouquet of Love," a highly rated romantic film released earlier this year.
"Are you sure you want to watch this?" Le was a little confused. He didn't watch Infinity Train or EVA, but he actually wanted to watch a romance movie?
"Let's watch this, I heard it's pretty good." Yuzuru Hanyu was still making some calculations in his mind. A horror movie was definitely out of the question. Although he really wanted to be supported by Le again, he couldn't bear to see her frightened. After all, the atmosphere of a romance movie shouldn't be a problem.
"Love Like a Bouquet" has a slow pace, with the protagonists engaging in everyday conversations, acting out a story that could unfold on the road at any time. Amidst the gentle music and conversation, Yuzuru Hanyu gradually loses consciousness.
Her shoulder suddenly sank, and Le turned her head to see Hanyu's sleeping face, resting against her shoulder. His narrow eyes were lightly closed, his long eyelashes trembling slightly with his breathing. Beneath his high nose bridge were his lips, which opened and closed with his breathing. From Le's angle, she could see a slight bluish tint in the shadows beneath his eyelashes.
He was so exhausted from the two-day ice performance, yet he insisted on staying in Tokyo to play with her. Le couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at his antics. She gently lifted his head and let him lean against the back of the sofa. While he adjusted, the furry head on her shoulder hummed softly and smacked its lips.
The movie was still playing and Le continued to watch it attentively.
The hero and heroine confess their love to each other and kiss at a traffic light. They live together, raise cats, and lead a happy and sweet life. The story is ordinary and trivial.
How sweet! Le thought, tilting his head to look at the person sleeping soundly next to him. He reached out and touched the tip of his nose. The sleeping person wrinkled his nose and hummed softly a few times, but showed no sign of waking up.
But no matter how beautiful a love is, it will eventually come to an end, just like the loves Le had seen.
The breakup between the male and female protagonists in the movie is peaceful and beautiful, preserving the utmost dignity of two adults. The protagonist in the movie is smiling, while Le is already in tears sitting on the sofa.
So real.
When Yuzuru Hanyu woke up, the TV was off. He was alone in the living room, slowly coming to his senses under the floor-standing reading lamp. He looked around and saw the person he was looking for on the living room balcony.
The balcony door was pushed open with a whoosh, and the air convection brought a small breeze. Le tucked her hair, which was blown by the wind, behind her ears and turned slightly to look at the person standing next to her.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Well... you're not scared anymore?" After all, it's a balcony.
"This height is fine," she said, turning back and patting the balcony railing at chest height. "Besides, it feels very safe."
"I'm sorry..." Before he could finish his words, Le pinched his cheek and interrupted him.
"No need to apologize. You've never climbed anything high with me. How would you know if I didn't tell you?" Last time at the Sagrada Familia, I was so frightened my legs gave out, and I could only cry as I scrambled down the wall, one step at a time. By comparison, having him by my side this time was already a relief.
Yuzuru Hanyu covered his face, which was hurt by the pinching, and changed the subject, "Isn't the movie good?"
“It looks good.”
"Then why are you crying?" The corners of her eyes were still red. "Didn't the movie have a good ending?"
Le shook his head and clasped his hands together. "After the hero and heroine fell passionately in love," he spread his hands and pointed them in different directions, "they gradually drifted apart and eventually broke up. If separation is destined from the beginning, it's better not to be together."
"One day time will separate us, but even so, let's stay together until that day." Hanyu turned his back, leaned his elbows on the balcony, and spoke word by word with his head tilted back.
"A line from the Firefly Forest?"
Yuzuru Hanyu shook his head, smiled, and turned to look at the girl beside him, "It's a confession, Le."
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