A butterfly.

It seemed like if he just reached out ever so slightly, he would be able to grasp the delicate figure dancing across the ice, the equivalent of a butterfly flitting daintily from one blossom to the next.  The familiar strains of Romeo and Juliet poured across the rink along with the golden morning rays of light, illuminating the young woman spreading her arms back in an Ina Bauer. 

Who is that?

He had never seen her here before, and there was usually no one here who arrived earlier than him. Her every movement, the soft turns of her feet as she swept along the outer edge of the ice into a triple axel, everything kept him stuck in his place. A question from an older interview surfaced into his mind as he watched her.

He was staring at her. The one who had captivated the world’s viewers, on the largest stage that anyone could ever hope to stand on.  

The one she had come here for.

Dark eyes followed her as “What is Youth” filled the rink, seeing her every move as she continued her early morning practice. A flip and triple axel later, he was still watching, and she slid slowly to a stop as she turned to face him, the music still playing.

Sweeter than honey and bitter as Gall, Cupid rules us all.

A soft smile turned up the corner of her lips.

“Good morning, Hanyu-san.”