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“He performs badly at an important competition and considers retiring.”
“That’s it?”
It clearly wasn’t it. I swallowed. “A video of him performing one of Victor Nikiforov’s routines is uploaded online.”
“Who’s Victor?”
“A Russian skater. Multiple world champion. Widely considered one of the best in the sport. He sees the video and decides to fly to Japan to be Yuri’s coach.”
“So, he what, just turns up and moves in?”
“Yes, essentially.”
“Totally normal,” Cam snickered.
“It’s fiction.”
“We should definitely watch it.” He settled back against my side, leaning in and getting comfortable, fitting so naturally. I’d have been lying if I’d said it didn’t feel good to have him close again, even though the circumstances were grim.
“I uh . . . There are others that are better.” I reached for the remote.
He pulled the remote away and narrowed his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me, Hasegawa?”
“Nothing.” My heart did a curious little flip-flop, because his tone and obliviousness almost had me laughing.
Cam looked at the TV, at the early scene of Yuri and Victor together, Victor leaning a little too close to Yuri’s shoulder. That typical up-close, long-lashed view of men’s eyes that anime did so well.
“Oh.” Cam realized what he was looking at.
“It’s not—”
“Is it gay?” he asked.
“The correct term is Yaoi. And Yuri and Victor have a complicated relationship.”
“Complicated?” Cam fought a grin and failed. “Sounds familiar.”
I had to smile too, feeling heat warm my face. “Their relationship is deliberately ambiguous.”
Cam sat upright, twisted, and leaned into me. “Do they kiss?”
Oh god.
“There is a scene,” I hedged, looking away.
“A scene?” He arched an eyebrow.
“The angle obscures the precise nature of the contact, but it’s assumed.”
His grin widened. “This is making you uncomfortable.”
“No, I . . .” I gave up fighting the obvious and laughed. “Yes.”
Cam eased off, and shifted back again. He watched Yuri and Victor talking on screen. “Are they in love?”
Clearly, he wasn’t all that concerned about me being uncomfortable.
I clenched my jaw and breathed out. “The series does not label their relationship.”
