Chapter 96 The True Self
On the Shinkansen, Koki diligently completed his homework assignment with headphones on. The music played was a foreign song, the lyrics of which he couldn't understand, so he wouldn't be distracted and could focus on his paper. As a young shamisen performer, traveling extensively for performances and competitions is a common occurrence, and completing some of his schoolwork on the move is also commonplace.
To be honest, I learned this skill from watching a TV program and following Yuzuru Hanyu on TV.
Now, he is actually going to perform with the role model he learned from when he was a child!
His attention wasn't drawn away by the music in his headphones, it was drawn away by himself...
Koki looked up from his computer screen and out the window, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. The camera attached to the front seat, used for vlogging, had captured every moment of his daydreaming. If the camera had a mind of its own, it would probably remind him: He's been in the same pose for too long, the footage is too repetitive, and he needs to change his pose to enrich the content.
Unfortunately, it was just an ordinary camera, and no one reminded him to draw back the attention that had already scattered.
I heard that Yuzuru Hanyu has very high requirements for music, and he has seen this to some extent during these online communications.
Yuzuru Hanyu in the video is never as cheerful as he usually is on TV. He almost always stares at the screen with a serious expression, lowering his eyes as he listens attentively to the conversation, then politely offers his highest demands.
As for smiles, Koki has also seen them.
At the end of one video conference, Yuzuru Hanyu suddenly turned to someone off-camera and, smiling, said, "You're back." His voice remained the same, but Koki could hear a hint of coquettishness. The person off-camera must be Yuzuru Hanyu's girlfriend, who's been appearing in various tabloids and on social media lately.
Unfortunately, Koki has never seen the real person.
Only with his musical ears could he catch a subtle "I'm back" in his headphones. The voice seemed ordinary, not even gentle and graceful. It didn't quite match the online description of her as "rich in emotional experience, adept at exploiting men."
So I became even more curious...
You can see it today!
The thought of this made Koki excited. As an 8G surfer, he'd been trying hard not to share his feelings online since receiving Hanyu's collaboration invitation. But soon, the deluge of gossip fueled his curiosity. Although he'd surprisingly received no confidentiality requests from Hanyu's team, he still proactively avoided any interaction with the media, especially tabloid reporters.
But he'd forgotten that the collaboration hadn't even been announced yet... He, a shamisen performer, wasn't considered an insider by the tabloid reporters. It was a lucky thing, but he also felt a little disappointed...
This childish idea quickly dissipated as I had to detour to avoid paparazzi after leaving the station and was surrounded by the suppressed cameras at the entrance of the venue.
"Nakamura-san, good afternoon!" Hasegawa was the first person to arrive backstage to greet Koki. He approached and inspected this important guest. "Did you have a hard time traveling? I'm sorry that your journey has been a bit longer because of us."
Hasegawa's apologetic smile made Koki feel too embarrassed to complain. Even though the detour had worsened his motion sickness, he was still feeling dizzy.
"It's okay, it's okay." He bowed politely to Hasegawa shyly.
"Is this Mr. Nakamura Koji?"
A clear female voice interrupted the exchange of bows between two people. Koki looked up, regaining focus through a slight vertigo. It was the real Suginohara Raku, the one he'd been seeing so often on social media lately and had always been curious about. She had her hair tied in a neat high ponytail to accommodate her earphones. She was wearing a hoodie emblazoned with the Prologue logo. The zipper was open, revealing a fluffy thermal layer. Zipped all the way up, the raised collar covered most of her neck, making her look cozy and warm.
For the second time, Nakamura Koki felt self-doubt because the online tag did not match his actual feelings.
But it must be said that although Suginohara Raku clearly has the casual demeanor of a working woman, her unpainted features are still delicate and attractive, especially her excellent head-to-body ratio, set off by her high ponytail, which makes her look even more energetic and taller. Such a girl seems to be a perfect match for the label of "manly".
Not all the stuff on the internet is nonsense...
"Mr. Nakamura, I've heard a lot about you. I finally meet you today." Le Dafang stepped forward and extended his hand. Seeing the other party stunned, he blinked and looked a little puzzled. "Mr. Nakamura?"
"Ah! Hello, Suginohara-san, right?" Koki quickly came back to her senses, took Le's hand with both hands, and shook it vigorously to show her sincerity. "Sorry, I got a little carsick when I was riding in the car, and now my head is a little dizzy..."
"Ah...it's really hard for you to travel all the way."
"It's okay, it's okay." Facing the concerned look in the eyes of the person in front of him, Koki felt a little embarrassed. He retracted his hand and scratched his head nervously, tidying his hair, trying to cover his ears which were a little hot.
"Yuzuru is rehearsing on the ice, and your part hasn't arrived yet," she said, glancing down at the time on her phone. "It'll probably be about 15 minutes, so go get some rest. Dizziness is very uncomfortable, so make sure you get some rest."
Hmm? Koki felt his brain was a bit overwhelmed. 15 minutes, a good rest? ? Did he hear it wrong?
Before he could even utter the question, Suginohara Raku had already turned around and spoke to Hasegawa beside him.
"Hasegawa-san, please take Nakamura-san to the dressing room for 15 minutes, then take him to the ice rink for the first rehearsal." She said seriously. Seeing the other party nod, she nodded in satisfaction. Then she turned to Koki and bowed slightly. "Then Nakamura-san, I'll go to the stage first. I look forward to your performance later."
After saying that, she turned and hurried away, still responding to something into the headset as she jogged.
15 minutes...
For a young shamisen player who was tired from traveling and a bit carsick, resting well was out of the question. Just walking to the restroom, putting away her belongings, unpacking her shamisen, and getting ready took up most of her time. She also had to reserve a few minutes to walk to the stage and adjust to her playing position.
Rest? Are you kidding?
Koki, holding his shamisen, stood by the cool ice rink, waiting. The little incident about the break had long been forgotten. The figure skating freely on the ice had completely absorbed his full attention.
Unlike the impression we have of Yuzuru Hanyu, he wasn't wearing a dazzling coat. While he'd been seen wearing tight training clothes during his opening performances at competitions, he'd never been seen with his trouser legs rolled up to his thighs. His toned and powerful thigh muscles, against the light and shadow, created a striking visual impact alongside his graceful, extended upper body. But all of this seemed irrelevant once he immersed himself in the music.
Koki once again realized that some media hype can't be trusted. Hanyu's performance was perhaps superior due to his flamboyant costumes, but not much. The entire appeal came from the way his entire body portrayed the music.
When the song ended, he couldn't help but hug his shamisen with his arms, freeing his hands to applaud.
Hearing the applause from the sidelines, Yuzuru Hanyu turned and bowed deeply in the direction of the applause. He wiped the sweat from his face as he stood up, and then lifted his sweat-stained hair from his forehead, finally getting a clear look at the people on the sidelines. He was about to skate over with a smile, but just as he raised his foot, two voices over the speakers stopped him.
"Hanyu-kun, don't move!"
"Recording the location! Don't move!"
Teacher Mikiko and Le's voices rang out almost at the same time, scaring Yuzuru Hanyu so much that he staggered and almost fell on the ice.
He regained his balance delicately, scratched his head awkwardly, and made a trumpet shape with his hand to shout hello to Nakamura Koji on the sidelines.
"Mr. Nakamura, you're here. You must have had a hard time along the way. It's quite cold here on the ice. Would you like to wear more clothes, Mr. Nakamura?" He asked seriously and concernedly.
The person being cared for was stunned for a moment, and when he wanted to respond, he realized his hands were also occupied. He simply tucked the shamisen between his chest and forearm again, and put his hands to his mouth as a trumpet.
"Thank you for your concern, Hanyu-san. I'm fine." Just as he finished speaking, his nose started to itch, and he sneezed without warning, the echo echoing throughout the venue. He nearly dropped the zither in his arms with this sneeze, but luckily he was quick enough to catch it.
Hahahahaha——
Yuzuru Hanyu's hearty laughter completely swept away Koki's nervousness. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and laughed.
"Okay, please ask athlete Hanyu and Mr. Nakamura to prepare for the joint rehearsal of the change." Le sat in the audience, leaning on the back of the front seat, holding the microphone and began to cue the process mercilessly.
"How cold-blooded, Le-chan!" Teacher Mikiko's teasing voice emanated from the speakers. From the monitoring room overhead, she joined the group chat directly into the microphone. "Even if we don't consider giving Hanyu-kun a break, should we at least ask Nakamura-san to put on some more clothes?"
"Ah, I'm fine!" Koki waved his hands and responded loudly, "I'm not cold!"
"Sorry, I didn't tell anyone because I saw Hasegawa was already coming over with his clothes. Nakamura-san, you should put on your coat. It's still quite cold out here on the ice~" Le responded with a smile, "As for Hanyu-kun, continue while your body is still warm~"
"As expected of Le-chan, hahaha!" Teacher Mikiko said with a smile. The conversation between the two made the entire venue smaller, as if they were two familiar colleagues chatting and joking in a relaxed manner.
"Okay, two artistic directors—" Yuzuru Hanyu on the ice interrupted with a long drawl, as if deliberately acting coquettishly, with his hands hanging in front of him, pushing the ice surface step by step to slide in circles, performing a tired but strong look.
When he approached where Le was, a towel was thrown to him from a distance and he caught it with his quick eyes and hands.
【Wipe the sweat off.】
She mouthed the words to him from a distance under the light.
【OK. 】
He smiled and nodded vigorously in response.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
