The cold air of the rink wrapped around Yuzuru Hanyu as he landed a perfect triple axel, the sound of his blades slicing through the ice echoing softly in the arena. His sleek black hair, slightly damp from exertion, framed his round face, where an ever-present endearing smile played at his lips. Dressed in his signature black practice outfit—a fitted turtleneck and flexible skating pants that accentuated his lean frame and small waist—he paused mid-rink, adjusting the gloves on his hands as his sharp eyes scanned the ice for any flaw in his performance.

A ripple of excitement stirred among the small crowd gathered to watch him. A reporter, clutching a microphone, hesitantly approached the boards. “Yuzuru-san, I’m just curious—”

Before the question could be finished, Yuzuru hurriedly skated over and snatched the mic with wide eyes. “You can speak Japanese!” he blurted out, his words tumbling in a rush. Almost immediately, his face flushed a brilliant shade of red as laughter erupted from the audience. Flustered, he looked down, mumbling softly, “Ah… gomennasai…”