Foreign Ground (Yuzuru Hanyu)

2. Don't Go There

The bathroom was full. It was so crowded that there was a line in front of it. Like a line at the gas station bathroom on a highway in the middle of nowhere when a tourist bus stops for a break. Lilis sighed, tired of waiting. 'Why does the audience have to be all female over the age of 40?' She wondered.

"Clara, let's just go to the men's bathroom!" Lilis whispered to her friend next in line.

"No! What's wrong with you?" Clara frowned in disgust, "What if there's someone in there?"

"Literally no one entered in these 15 minutes we've been standing here."

"I'm not doing it. You do whatever you want."

"Oh come on Clara, be my partner in crime!" She pleaded.

"Nope, but I dare you to go on your own."

"You don't need to dare me, I'm on my way."

Indeed, Lillis intended to go anyways, but the word dare pushed her off the edge of doubt and in big strides she headed for the men's wash room.

Inside, even though it truly was empty, she felt awkward to say the least. Almost like she wasn't supposed to be in there. And the thought of getting caught seemed as embarrassing as getting rejected in public. With that anxious feeling in her chest she did her business rather quickly. Still, Lillis' mind was clear and it vividly remembered what she saw that day and the feeling she had while watching that guy skate. Even now, while she hurried to the sink, she could not forget the way his knees would bend and the way his back would not fail to stay straight no matter what. Lilis could still see the blank expression on that face, no emotion as he fell, and no emotion as he succeeded, just absolute focus.

Slowly getting lost in her reminiscing, Lilis washed her hands. When suddenly, one thing caught her eye.

On the sink, on her left, lay a bracelet, carefully places as to not get wet.

Curiosity, which was about to kill Lilis, like it killed the cat, took the best out of her and she approached the bracelet, taking it immediately and placing it on her palm.

It was a bean bracelet, shining white and pink like crystals. Examining it, Lilis conclude it was hand made, but what was it doing in the men's bathroom, she couldn't understand. It seemed feminine to her.

Not in an attempt to steal, but rather out of instinct and hurry, she put the bracelet in her front pocket and quickly left the bathroom, hoping her adventure would come unnoticed.

.................... ............... ..........

"Isn't Nathan amazing? He's gonna defend his title, I'm sure of it!" Clara let out enthusiastically all while trying to grab a cucumber with chopsticks.

"Clara, you lived in Korea town, how are you still useless with those?" Lilis sighed and took it upon herself to deliver the cucumber to her friends plate.

"Well excuse me, I didn't live in Japan."

"Whatever... I liked Nathan... He's very... jumpy."

Clara looked up, locking her blue look into Lilis' eyes.

"What?" Lilis spoke in terror.

"You don't like him." Clara convicted.

"Nooooo, It's not that! I like him, I do, it's just..."

"It's just what?"

"I think I like the Japanese guy just a tad bit more." Lilis squinted like she just committed an act of animal cruelty.

"Oh..." Clara looked down, "So it seems, you're lost forever." she theatrically looked away.

"You're so dramatic, Clara. You should be thankful I liked anything today, seeing as I've literally never seen figure skating."

"I'm joking, of course." She smiled, "But seriously, Nathan's so hot and talented, he'll beat Hanyu in a few days, you'll see it.

"I don't really care who wins. I don't understand the sport anyways, I just, I like his, presence I guess... Just the ways he carries himself, I don't know."

"Yeah, it be like that sometimes."

The two of them carried on eating in silence and eventually changing the subject, but never mentioning Yuzuru or Nathan again.

Lilis, of course, didn't forget the object hidden in the right, front pocket of her jeans, but she didn't mention its existence to her friend either.

Something told her that should remain hidden, the secret is too precious to be shared, or so Lilis felt.

That same night, their first night in the hotel, after a long flight, and after the first day of practice, Lilis, laying in the same bed with Clara, brought the bracelet to her nose. She wondered, she thought and she wished for the secret to be revealed by the smell of the shiny pearls. 'Maybe it carries the scent of the owner' Lilis hopped.

Yet, there was no smell whatsoever. Lilis couldn't understand just yet, they didn't speak the same language, and the bracelet wasn't willing to reveal it's mysteries. Still, Lilis felt a strange sense off attachment, not just a simple feeling of luck. This was meant for her, she could feel it.

But as she squeezed her fingers through and felt the cold beans on her wrist she knew something wasn't right. Someone was looking for this, someone missed this. And Lilis knew she had to give it back... But how? 'Who is this, grabbing my wrist right now?'

"Who are you?" She whispered to the darkness.