nevertheless || yuzuru hanyu

thirty-two - first day of the last days

As another day marched with its fate, the sun was grinning widely on the empty streets.

Gabriella and Yuzuru were making their way to the bus stops as they told their assistants that it would be better if they were picked up from there.

It wasn't too far of a walk from Gabriella's house so after a while, they were just waiting patiently for their rides to arrive.

Taking in the fresh air where they lounged, Gabriella's lips curved in the sweetness of nostalgia.

"You know, there aren't too many people that come here, so when I was younger I would just lie down here until my parents would come looking for me." She explained as she lightly tapped the metal where she was sitting on.

"I loved listening to music here. I was quite the angsty teenager who loved to imagine different scenarios in my head." She continued, her eyes traveling from the seat towards Yuzuru's gaze.

As she caught glimpse of Yuzuru's coffee-like smile, a refreshed feeling arrived in her chest. It was fluttery and quite chilling in the best way possible.

She looked away quickly, her cheeks slightly flushing a light shade of red. "Don't do that." She laughed as she kept her eyes away from him.

Yuzuru's eyebrows furrowed as he wondered what Gabriella was talking about. "Do what?" He questioned, smiling in confusion as Gabriella was also smiling.

"That smile. It's dangerous." She uttered, immensely blinking and avoiding any eye contact with Yuzuru but even so her teeth were fully showing through how bright her smile was. She felt as though she was a teenager again with how excited and flustered she felt over just seeing his smile.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll just frown..." He said in a confused tone, raising his shoulders as he waited for Gabriella's proper explanation.

"NO!" She exclaimed loudly. As she realized her volume, she covered her mouth and calm herself down. "Uh, I mean. No. Haha. Don't frown... you're smile is cute... but deadly. Very deadly for my heart." Gabriella had her hand on her chest as she explained herself in panic. She was fighting for her life in this whole conversation and Yuzuru was just enjoying the whole thing.

As she watched Yuzuru's continuous laughter, she couldn't even begin to comprehend the happiness that it made her feel. She felt like a child being gifted the best cake for her birthday. She felt as though someone just surprised her with a bouquet. His laughter made it feel like spring in the middle of winter, and the way his eyes curved mimicked the joy of the rainbow with colors so much brighter and more striking than ever.

It's his little expressions, his little laughs, his teeth as he passionately looked blissful for this passing moment that was pulling on Gabriella's thoughts. She questioned her perspective for a short while.

That maybe her happiness does not need to lie in one place. Maybe, what she needed was a shift of thought.

With her eyes still placed on Yuzuru's face, a lighter smile came across her face

"Hey, Yuzuru. Don't lose that smile, okay?" She uttered, her neutral tone sending silence through Yuzuru's words.

"Your smile and your laughter tell me the greatest stories and pieces of advice. It's room for motivation. Come what may don't lose that." She spoke, her gaze turning away from him. In Yuzuru's mind, she was speaking in riddles. Perhaps he didn't understand it now, but sometime in the future, he might learn what are the things that weigh a greater value than the others—what to give up and what to keep...