Chapter 4 Determination
Yuzuru Hanyu looked at the playlist on his phone and alarm bells went off in his head.
Le is ready to get married?
That's not right. He hasn't heard her mention anyone else since she broke up last December. Or is she planning to marry that Kevin?
Thinking of this, Yuzuru Hanyu suddenly felt a little angry. Sitting at the wedding venue today, Yuzuru Hanyu felt a certain aversion to gold for the first time. The Kevin nameplate in front of him with gold lettering on a white background was disgusting.
Although he had never met the man who had agreed to attend Hele's wedding but broke the promise, he had met one of her ex-boyfriends, and he was so scumbag that he clenched his fists just thinking about it.
That was the 2016 World Championships. Various interferences before the game made him hold his breath and want to win a championship to prove himself.
However, things don't always go as planned.
After a perfect short program, his leg condition deteriorated drastically, and he made numerous mistakes in the free skate, ultimately taking silver. He didn't like the silver medal; it was filled with resentment.
After the game, Yumi Hanyu noticed that her son's mental and physical condition were not very good, and she wanted him to rest well. However, there were reporters everywhere, both in Japan and Canada, and there were always media reports coming in, and all kinds of news were constantly being broadcast on TV.
Considering that it would be bad for Yuzuru to stay at home all the time, after discussing his concerns with Suginohara Kaede, she suggested that Hanyu travel to Finland to recuperate for a while.
Yuzuru Hanyu likes Helsinki very much because every time he comes here, the sky is clear and seems to welcome him.
Every time I leave customs, I'll always see Le behind that door. Sometimes she's standing at the supermarket entrance on the left, holding a glass of orange sparkling water and a tuna sandwich, and sometimes she's sitting on a high stool at the Starbucks on the right, clutching an iced Americano. Seeing her makes me feel at ease.
It was the same that time, except that there was a tall blond and blue-eyed man standing next to Le.
When Le saw Yuzuru Hanyu, he waved to him happily and handed him the tuna sandwich in his hand.
This flight comes from Japan and usually lands around 4 pm. He will probably be hungry after a long 9-hour flight, so she always prepares a sandwich for him in advance.
"Thank you." Yuzuru Hanyu took the sandwich and looked up at the man next to Le.
"I hope you have a safe trip. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. This is my boyfriend Roy."
The man obviously didn't understand Japanese, but he probably heard his own name and knew he was being introduced, so he extended his hand to shake hands with Hanyu.
Driving to Suginohara's house, Yuzuru Hanyu sat in the back seat while the two people in the front spoke a language he couldn't understand. He didn't feel like forcing himself into this conversation, so he simply put on his headphones and watched the scenery repeat itself outside the window.
Perhaps sensing his silence, when Le invited Hanyu to join their trip to Rovaniemi, Le specially adjusted his position, driving himself and leaving the passenger seat to Hanyu.
At the time, she probably didn't think there was anything wrong with letting her boyfriend sit side by side with other female friends in the back seat. She chatted with Yuzuru Hanyu all the way.
"Do you believe in Santa Claus?" Le asked the people around him while driving.
"Do you believe it?"
"Of course, Finland is the hometown of Santa Claus! When you go to Santa Claus Village, you can see him, as well as the elves wearing red hats and green clothes." She raised her eyebrows proudly.
Seeing her serious face, Yuzuru Hanyu became interested, "Oh~ That's amazing~"
"Huh, it seems you don't believe it. Santa Claus Village is next to the Arctic Circle. Beyond that line, it's the mythical world. Do you know Norse mythology?" He continued to talk nonsense seriously, but he clearly caught a glimpse of the light in Hanyu's eyes.
The further north we go, the longer the daylight stays. The car drives northward as if chasing the sun. Unfortunately, it was just the beginning of daylight saving time, and it was already dark in Rovaniemi at 9 o'clock.
The four of them packed up their belongings. Ever since Hanyu had heard about the Arctic Circle on the way, he'd been brimming with curiosity and couldn't wait to visit Santa Claus Village. Hanyu had been quieter than usual from the start of his trip to Helsinki, and Le, not wanting to spoil his excitement, drove north with him alone.
"You don't even ask me why I have to go see the Arctic Circle?"
"Is that even a question?" Le shrugged nonchalantly. "The first time I went to the Arctic Circle, I felt it was magical. It's just a man-made line, but the moment I crossed it, it felt like everything I was struggling with was no longer a problem. So I want to take you there to experience it, too."
It was already 10 o'clock in the evening when the car was parked.
Santa Claus Village had closed long ago, as had the Santa Claus Post Office, so there were very few tourists.
But fortunately the lights are on.
They didn't see the elves they'd been talking about on the road, nor did they see Santa Claus. It wasn't even May yet, and there were still traces of melted snow on the ground. A few gray-white pillars stood upright on the wet ground, with a row of letters in the middle of the pillars that read "Arctic Circle."
"Is this it? Is this it?" Hanyu ran over excitedly, patted the pillar and turned to ask Le.
After seeing Le nod, he took two steps back and then leaped forward as if he was jumping onto the championship podium.
It was as if he was leaping over every obstacle: the inner demons, the public opinion, the pain, the technical hurdles—all of them were overcome by him. He leaped high, landed firmly, and after landing, he spread his arms and roared to the sky, "Just wait and see!!!!!"
Looking back now, if I hadn't insisted that I wanted to go see it today, if Le hadn't followed my willfulness, then the following events probably wouldn't have happened. But it was precisely because Le accompanied him alone that he was able to release his emotions and stress so freely.
It was almost 11 a.m. when they returned to the B&B. Four people's luggage was still unpacked in the living room, and faint, ambiguous sounds could be heard from the room. Any adult would understand what that sound was. Since only Le's boyfriend and a female friend were in the room, the situation was clear at a glance.
The two stood in the living room, unsure whether to move forward. Hanyu observed Le's expression, frantically searching for a way to break the awkward situation. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He strode forward and kicked over the suitcases standing nearby. Four suitcases toppled to the ground with a loud thud, and the noise in the room stopped. Two minutes later, Roy, shirtless and wearing only his pants, appeared in the living room.
As soon as Roy came over, he quickly pulled Le and said something nervously. Yuzuru Hanyu couldn't understand. But he saw the irritation and disgust on Le's face. She tried hard to shake off Roy's hand, but she couldn't break free. The man held her too tightly.
Yuzuru Hanyu rushed forward to separate the two, punched Roy in the face, and protected Roy behind him, "GET AWAY FROM HER!"
Le knew that even though Roy was in the wrong, he definitely wasn't going to get beaten for nothing. Fearing he might hit Hanyu back, he quickly grabbed Hanyu's waist and dragged him back, putting some distance between them.
Roy spoke excitedly, but when Le didn't respond, he switched to English, which Hanyu could understand. "Don't treat me like I'm blind. Don't you still care about this kid? How dare you say you have nothing to do with him?" Hanyu understood. Hearing this, he clenched his fists, the veins bulging in his arms revealing his rage. He wanted to rush over and punch him, but Le grabbed his waist tightly and held him back.
She looked over Hanyu's shoulder and said something to Roy. Hanyu didn't understand what she was saying, but was just dragged away with the luggage.
He guessed that she must have said something about breaking up, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.
The two of them checked into a nearby hotel.
At night, he heard the sound of the door opening and closing in the next room. He must have gone out. Worried, he quietly closed the door and followed her downstairs.
Le ordered five Tequila shots at a small bar outside the hotel. The bartender looked at her oddly, gesturing with his palms in the shape of a five, emphasizing something. Le shook her head, insisting on the order. The bartender curled his lips, expertly set out a row of shot glasses, poured them, and then pushed a box of lemon slices toward her, motioning for her to help herself.
She tore open a bag of salt from a box on the bar, sprinkled it on her palm, and licked it. Then, she tilted her head back and downed five shots in a row. The liquor exploded in her throat. Frowning, she picked a lemon slice from the box and popped it into her mouth. She asked the bartender for a Martini and a glass of sparkling water. She turned and waved to Yuzuru, who was standing a meter away. They sat down at an empty table.
It was nearly midnight, which should have been the busiest time of the day, but it was the off-season, and the bar was empty except for two elderly drunks. There was a small stage, but no band was playing as expected, just a square curtain with some random music playing. Next to it was a small machine with two microphones plugged into it.
"This should be your first time in a bar, right?" Le pushed the sparkling water in front of Yuzuru Hanyu. "I'm sorry that your first bar experience is in a small country bar like this. It's very different from what you imagined."
He watched her take another sip of her wine, feeling a little worried and wanting to stop her from taking the next sip, "Are you okay?"
Le smiled and pointed to a uniformed security guard at the door. "Don't worry, if I get drunk, this guy will be the first to throw me out."
"Throw……"
"Yes, in Finnish bars, there can only be drunkards. Drunkards are only fit to sleep on the streets or in police stations." She pinched the cherry in the glass and stirred it in the wine. As if she suddenly remembered something, she raised her head and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Yuzuru looks so handsome today!"
In the past, Hanyu Yuzuru was always happy when he was praised for his handsomeness, but today, he was not happy at all. He even felt a slight pain in his right finger joints.
"To reward our handsome Yuzuru! Let me sing a song for you!" Le slammed the table, stood up, and walked straight to the small stage behind Hanyu. She walked steadily, not looking drunk at all. The security guard glanced at her and then looked away. Hanyu Yuzuru turned around and leaned back in his chair, watching Le poke at the small device on the stage and then pick up the microphone.
The music started playing, it was soothing Blue Jazz.
They're writing songs of love, but not for me
A lucky star's above, but not for me
With love to lead the way
I've found more clouds of gray
…
She sang with her eyes closed, her voice gradually choking, and Yuzuru Hanyu understood the lyrics on the screen.
I was a fool to fall and get that way
I guess he's not for me
…
Thinking back to her then, Yuzuru Hanyu felt a pang of sadness. No matter how carefree she acted, relationship setbacks would inevitably make her sad for a few days, right? Hopefully, that guy named Kevin hadn't done anything to wrong her.
Having said that, your judgment of men is really bad, this guy Le.
What's so good about those people? If they can do it, why can't I?
It's obvious that after all these years, I am the one who knows her best!
The song that was not cut off just now is still being sung:
maybe we found love right where we are
oh maybe we found love right where we are,
And we found love right where we are.
I already knew my feelings...
I can’t hesitate any longer. This is not like Yuzuru Hanyu at all!
He made a firm decision, closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.
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