Yohei: Under Winter Lights

“So, please remember that this is my first time,” Yohei states as he tightens the long shoelaces. “Try not to laugh too much when I crash into a tree or something.”

“No promises,” Aoi laughs, finishing the laces on her skates and standing up, “I can’t believe you’ve never gone ice skating before. It’s so much fun.” She carefully steps onto the ice, steadying herself, then holds out her hand to him. The fluffy white earmuffs framing her face bob slightly as she moves, reminding him of the cute cat ears she wears at work.

“It does look like a lot of fun. As long as I don’t break anything in the process.” He chuckles; he would not want to explain even just a sprained ankle to Tanaka-san.

“Is that why you wanted to come here, instead of going to the Midtown rink? Less audience if you fall?”

“You see right through me, Aoi-san.” Yohei finishes his laces, joining her on the ice with a slight wobble in his steps. He pulls his beanie lower over his head and makes sure his scarf is snugly wrapped, hiding most of his face. “But I also chose this place because it’s beautiful here with all the lights.”

And because the chance of bumping into anyone he knows from the industry would be much greater in central Tokyo than out here in Showa Kinen Park.

“You made a good choice. It’s perfect. The walk through the park to get here was magical,” Aoi says, and Yohei melts just a little.

The rink is a little magic-looking too, the ice glows softly under strings of white lights. The air is sharp enough to sting the uncovered parts of his face, and he can’t help but notice that Aoi’s cheeks have turned an adorable pink shade. She takes off with confidence, a confidence that lasts exactly three seconds before one of her skates skids and her arms flail for balance.

“I thought you said you’ve done this before?” Yohei teases as he carefully follows her out onto the ice.

“I’ve got this,” she claims, immediately wobbling. “And yes, I’ve skated a lot. Every winter when I was a kid.” She laughs. “I guess it’s not like riding a bike after all…”

“It’s okay. It’ll come back to you. Or we’ll make fools of ourselves together,” he says as they slowly start skating side by side.

To his surprise, skating comes naturally to him. All those years of intense dance practice are paying off, he thinks as he effortlessly finds his balance and stride. He glides forward, steady and calm, while Aoi has regained some of her confidence and is skating on ahead, practicing turns.

“I’m really glad you thought of this. It really is fun.” He imitates one of the fancy turns she made, and she laughs.

“It is! And you’re so good at it.” She eyes him skeptically as he effortlessly skates backwards before coming to a stop next to her. “Are you sure you’ve never done this before, Yohei-kun?”

“I’d never lie to you, Aoi-san.” He wouldn’t. Omitting things, on the other hand… The familiar lump in his chest returns full force when he thinks of all the things he’s not told her. “I’ve taken quite a few dance classes, though. I’m sure that helps.”

“You dance? No way, I’d never have guessed.” She stares at him as he just nods sheepishly, then her eyes sparkle. “Challenge accepted. Let’s see who wins. Childhood experience versus dance classes…”

“What do you have in mind? A race?”

“No, let’s try out some tricks.”

“Tricks?”

“Yeah, can you do this?”

She sets off, leaning forward and raising one leg behind her, arms out as if she were a child pretending to be an airplane. Skating on one leg? Well, it’s not as if he’s about to forfeit the challenge.

He takes a few long strides to pick up speed, then leans forward in the same pose, lifts one leg carefully, but it’s not as difficult as he feared. He glides all the way to her, giving her a high five before he stops.

“Piece of cake,” he says, rearranging his scarf so he has time to flash her a cocky grin before he hides his face again.

“Okay, your turn to think of a challenge then.”

“Hm…” Searching for inspiration, he looks around to see what the other people on the ice are doing. Most are just skating slowly, couples with their arms hooked together… He glances at Aoi-chan, but she’ll probably not see that as part of the ongoing contest. Later though…

A bit further away, some small boys have set up a low ramp, skating over it so they make cute little jumps. Now, that’s an idea.

“Let’s jump,” he says, smiling at her surprised expression. “I’ll go first.”

Yohei quickly skates away from her, turns, and on the way back, bends his knees, swings his arms forward, and jumps. Higher than he’d planned, but he still lands steadily and comes back to her with a sharp turn.

“That looked fun! My turn.”

She sets off, the same way he did, and despite looking like she’s about to fall as she lands, she pulls off an acceptable jump.

“Well done,” Yohei says. “It seems we’re a good match.”

She stops moving, eyes wide and bright as she looks up at him, placing a hand on his sleeve. He swears he can feel the warmth of her fingers through the layers of thick fabric, and his heartbeats suddenly echo loudly in his ears.

“We are. Aren’t we, Yohei-kun?” she says, giving him a slightly insecure little smile. Mind racing to think of something to say, he can only nod like an idiot, and the feeling of loss the moment she removes her hand is so deep it startles him.

“Okay, time to settle this,” Aoi switches back to contest mode and skates a few strides away. “I loved doing this when I was little.”

She starts spinning, feet angled to allow the skates to turn in a tight pirouette, her excited laughter filling the air between them. She’s beautiful, breathtaking…

Suddenly, she gasps, arms flailing as she leans too far, then overcompensates, losing her balance. Without thinking, he moves forward, reaching for her, and she bumps into him with a startled laugh. It seems so natural for her to grasp at his arms for support, and just as natural for his hand to fit perfectly at the small of her back, steadying her.

For a second, they don’t move. Their breath fogs between them, her cheeks now rosy from more than the cold.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“You’re fine. Don’t worry about it. Here…” Reluctantly, he removes his hand from her back so he can straighten her earmuffs. “There…” he murmurs. “It seems all that spinning was too exciting for them.”

“Thank you,” she says softly. Then, as if she suddenly notices that her hands are still tightly gripping his coat, she snatches them away from him.

“You’re welcome. Happy to help.” Suddenly not knowing what to do with his hands, he fiddles with his scarf until she looks back up at him, now with an impish smile.

“The contest is still on, remember. Do you think you can top that?”

“I’ll do my best.”

She moves away, just a little, and he raises his arms to the side to help with the momentum. Then he starts spinning.

Finding his center of balance is second nature, as is finding a focal point to keep from getting dizzy. Like this, he spins much faster than he ever has in shoes on a dance floor, and it’s exhilarating. He’s laughing as he slows down and finally stops.

“Wow, that was amazing!” Aoi exclaims, clapping her mittened hands enthusiastically. Then she makes a face before laughing merrily again. “Okay. You win, I humbly admit my defeat.”

“Then you’ll allow me to buy you some hot cocoa later?”

“That sounds like a fair prize,” she smiles as he offers his arm. She takes it without hesitation, fingers curling into the sleeve of his coat.

There are not so many people here now, and Yohei is overly aware of the faint pressure from her arm and shoulder as they match their strides. Slowly, they circle the edges of the rink, enjoying the lights dancing among the trees, reflecting in the ice. She was right before. It truly is magical.

By the time they step off the ice, his fingers and toes are freezing, and he struggles to get the skates off and his own sneakers on. When they have returned the skates and stand in the short line to the kiosk offering snacks and hot drinks, something soft lands on his scarf, startling him.

Tiny snowflakes drift down, catching on his scarf and coat, melting against her hair in a myriad of sparkling drops.

“It snows!” Aoi almost squeals. “Can this evening get any more perfect?”

“I don’t think so.” He looks around at the lights catching in the tiny flakes, filling the air with ever-moving patterns of light and shadows. “It’s so pretty.”

He orders two large cups of hot chocolate while she playfully tries to catch as much snow as she can on her mittens.

“Here you go.” He politely holds out one cup for her.

“Thank you, that smells delicious.” She quickly peels off her mittens and shoves them in her pocket before reaching for her cup. Their fingers brush against each other for a moment and their eyes meet.

“It does.” He cradles the hot cocoa between his palms, feeling the warmth seep into his cold fingers. She does the same, before carefully taking a small sip.

“This was a good idea,” she says with a happy little sigh.

He lowers the shawl so he can take a sip too, rich, sweet chocolate filling his mouth. He almost feels guilty, but one cup isn’t going to ruin his diet. And even if it does, it’s worth it. He takes another sip before he answers.

“Yes, I’m glad you thought of it.”

They begin walking, nursing their cups as they move along the paths still lit by myrads of lights. Snow continues to fall, light enough that it melts as soon as it touches the ground, but it still brings a touch of otherworldliness.

“The light in winter is very special, isn’t it?” Yohei says as he points to an installation where pale light filters through the dense branches of a huge tree.

“It is. And you know what? Some of these remind me of the lighting in your photos.”

“Really? That’s very flattering.”

“Actually,” she bites her lip, “I’ve been working on a painting inspired by winter lights. And one of your pictures. The one with the puddle, you know.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“I hope it will be, it’s not done yet.“ She hesitates, shifting her cup between her hands. “Would you like to come and see it?”

The words hang between them, as clear as the white mist of their breaths, and her eyes widen.

“I mean… not in a weird way,” she adds quickly. “I just… I just thought that perhaps you’d…”

“You’re right. I’d like to see it. Very much,” he says reassuringly while his heart speeds up. She invited him home. 

She blinks as if she had expected another answer.

“Really?”

“Definitely.” It’s the easiest decision he’s ever made. “And, no, it’s not weird at all.”

“Now?”

“Sure, it’s not late. Shall we call a taxi?”

“Let’s take the metro. It’s not far.”

She smiles, a little shy now, and nods toward the path leading away from the park. The lights flicker softly above them as he falls into step beside her, close enough that her shoulder nearly touches his arm.

Somehow, the cold is no longer quite as sharp as it was before.