Yuria's Pov
"What part of this don't you understand, Yuria Alisa Shirai! We won't let you skate again in a thousand year! Your mother would say the exact thing!" I gritted my teeth. The doctor informed the person that I would never inform about, never in a million years.
"You can't control my life, Uncle Alexander. I want to skate, even with this condition. My mother wouldn't have said for me to quit. She would have wanted me to keep on living my dream--"
"Don't speak ill of the dead, Yuria!" Feeling pain on my cheeks, I only stared up to my uncle in distaste. My mother died early in her early life, where father tried to take care of me himself. But due to my career, I was taken to my mother's brother, Alexander.
My uncle was against to mother's marriage to a Japanese Critiquer of Arts. Right when I stepped into his house, the first thing was for me to adjust my life to the Russian world. Not even an accent of Japanese remained in my blood. Alexander hated my very being, tainted by "the shinigami that destroyed many performers."
Shirai Kaito was a famous critiquer who was heartless but truthful in his critique. He has gained bad reputation for saying the truth and dismaying them in magazines, but he has pinpointed on the weaknesses and commended them in a later article if they were able to fix it. Even my mother was a victim of his critique, but fell in love with him after he made a promising review that made her renowned throughout.
I smiled at the tale. My father always told the tale every time he came back from Japan. Unfortunately, father is permanently placed in Japan after rebuking his green pass by angry performers he visited throughout the world. Due to my figure skating passion, I stayed in Russia.
"I'm not speaking ill... Aren't you the very person who made her stay in that bedroom forever?!" I harshly said, before stomping up the stairs of the house. The house was old, rickety with all the loose wood.
"YURIA!" The sounds of my stomping was intensified as I closed the door with the loudest slam. I laid on the old bed, looking up at the old ceiling that was painted with stars. If I go back to Japan, would anyone accept me as their student?
I always hated this house. I would stay at Marduk's but it was impossible now.
It has been weeks since they last met at the medical office when I refused Marduk's service. No calls has been made since.
"Will father answer this time around~?" Starting the computer on the desk, I sat down in front of it. The wallpaper was a regular ol' photograph that was consists of my mother and my dad, who were sitting in the seats at a recital for her ballerina performance. I was sitting in my father's lap, smiling innocently as a child.
"Incoming......"
"You won your Junior Figure Skating Tournament two weeks ago and it took you this long to contact me?!" My father was a pure Japanese born unlike my mother, with his black hair. His hair was a mess, as if he spent another week stressing over what to write for his next article. His red eyes, the only thing I inherited from him, was glistening with stars.
My heart sank.
Would my father try and stop me from figure skating?
Should I really tell him about my condition?
I bit my lips in frustration.
The prescriptions were sent after I was released from the hospital. It was tasteless like how white the pills were. I hid it away from my uncle's view, knowing he would be against it. Unfortunately, while stored in the back of the medicine cabinet, he threw a fit as he called the hospital and demanded what was going on.
Can I live my dreams?
"Oh, I wrote a brilliant article about you, Yuria! I made sure to pinpoint more of your good sides~ Oh how your mother would have been glad to see this!"
"Father..."
"I kept it recorded like I recorded every other performance you did! I wish you would come to Japan... But that bastard is keeping you coop up--"
"Father-"
"Your figure skating was as elegant as you can be. Your mother would be proud of you accomplishing your dream."
That was the last straw.
"Father, I'm sick."
His delighted face did not change. But I can see in his eyes, he was worried. Ever since my mother died, he was always depressed and was into drinking at one point. Whenever I got sick, he dropped everything he was doing and made sure I was alright. If I coughed a little in the winter season, he would drive me to the nearest hospital and harshly begged the doctors to check up on me.
"With a cold? Yuria, make sure to drink some medicine--"
"I'm going to be paralyzed."
My father's face turned stone cold.
"P-Paralyzed?" After a long silence, my father finally spoke with the softest voice he could say. The shock was devastating to him. Mother and now me, he tried not to look at me. I tried not to look at him. He had gone through so much to take care of me carefully, only to have it break in the end.
"If I quit figure skating now, I won't be paralyzed until my late 20s. .. It was a variation of mother's condition and has a low chance of recovery. But..." I looked at him, and saw his red eyes boring into my own.
"If I continue, I'll be paralyzed in one year."
"Yuria.."
"Father, please allow me to continue." I said determinedly. I made up my mind when I heard about the decision. I won't let this disease take my only chance away from participating in the Grand Prix."
"Yuria, as your parent, I don't want you to go."
My heart sank. Again and again, my uncle, and now my father. Everyone opposed me from going into figure skating in the first place.
"Yuria, why don't you want to follow your mother's path?! You have the perfect body structure for it, why waste it on an ice sport that only comes for a few months anyway!"
"Your mother would have been disappointed to see her daughter pursuing this sport. Did you know how much time it would take! You'll going to retire in a few years because only the youngster can do this sport!"
Only my father and mother wasn't opposed to this.
Possibly because of the rash decision my uncle had made. He forced her to stay in bed and recover, instead of letting her ballet. My father unfortunately couldn't be there, due to his green card. My mother wanted me to live out a dream that I find myself, not by others influences.
"I'm not accepting 'no' as an answer. I will go through this no matter what. I won't let you stop me. You have supported me this much after mother died. But I can't let you stop what I have achieved these years." My father rustled his head, just like how he did when he's making an important decision. He has always regretted it. The day my mother died.
"Yuria, please promise me."
My eyes widened. In my 15 years of living, I never seen my father like this.
"You will WIN the COMPETITION," My father's voice bellowed, with tears falling from his cheeks. "Won't overexert yourself, believe in everything, and NEVER GIVE UP."
Water was swelling in my eyes, as we both wept together. To gain my father's permission. I can feel light in my soul, some sort of relief in my first challenge. This feeling, I won't get sick of this feeling at all.
"I will, father!"
"That's my sweetheart... But there are some other condition to talk about..."
"Yes.." I sniffled, wiping my tears in gratitude.
"You have to go to a doctor no matter what scenario you are in. I don't even care if you're on the final part of the tournament. If you fall on the rink and ruin my reputation to be a 'bad father', I will physically disown you."
Shivering up, I nodded my head quickly.
"Your uncle may be against this, your coaches may be against this, all your friends may also be against this! You will have to go through this challenge alone. Take any chances."
"Yes!"
"If you're ever in Japan, visit me in Tokyo! I'm a lonely guy without my sweetheat!"
"Yes, father."
"I'm proud of you, Yuria. Please don't forget that." The call suddenly cuts off, as I noticed the battery of my computer go dead. I sweatdropped.
"Not this again..." Smiling, I closed the computer. It was time to make history. Opening the drawer, I looked through all the business cards that were given to me throughout my careers, as well as my mother's time. Finding one white card that was so familiar, clutching it in my head, I walked out in pride.
Seeing my uncle watching tv in the living room, I crept out in the hallway as slowly and quietly.
"If you're injured, I will make you quit."
My mouth only gaped at my uncle's words.
"I'll make sure I won't!" I rushed out of there in a heartbeat, running in the snowdin country, twirling and whirling. With these almost dead legs, I am sure I can make my history in just one year. I will make sure I'll win.
The first step?
Why of course, the most prestigious coach in the whole country of Russia...
Yakov Feltsman, the figure skating coach that coached the most famous male figure skater, who won 3 World Titles, Viktor Nikiforov!
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"Am I finally here....?"
After walking for hours and hours, getting lost a couple of times as a result, I finally arrived at the destination.
Yakov's Figure Skating Rink.
Glazing my eyes with the magnificent views of the place, my legs felt like jelly. The cold shivered through my spine. For the first time in my figure skating career, I finally felt fear. After all, this coach was known to be the "Skating Satan", as coined from my father.
Feltsman Yakov has trained many prestigious skaters in the past and present. He was a spartan coach, where many skaters has left him within a few days. Right now, he's coaching four people, in which one of the male has won the Junior Male Figure Skating for the 3rd time in a row.
And he has also coached Viktor Nikiforov, the most wanted man on the court. If he left figure skating, I can truly bet my life that there won't be anyone in the audience when he leaves. His sense of surprise, always surprising everyone, where does he get the courage to do that?
My heart was dancing on flames.
"Stop loitering around." Looking behind, I see a familiar blonde hair male in a white, blue, and red hoodie. Typing in a few words on my phone quickly, I finally realized the name of that male.
"Ah, you're.."
I hate you father for messing up my settings!!! It took a little more longer to find his name using katakana characters.
"Plisetsky Yuri, right?" He stopped in his tracks and looked directly at me. His eyes were like a cat, waiting to catch his prey and destroy any sense of confidence.
"I'm not signing autographs... And you shouldn't be here... Go to the Junior Figure Skating court, junior highschooler."
My face was turning red.
"Are you mad that you can't get an autograph? You should learn your place, go do your toe loops and loops elsewhere."
Yuria, don't blow up don't blow up. Remember what Alexander taught you, when people irritate you, pretend that they're a miniscule ant that you can tread on when you have the upper hand--
"Bet you can't do an axel."
Forget it.
"For your information, I'm not a junior highschooler, I'm a highschooler in my 2nd year who is already studying college courses-- I can do toe loops and loops just fine! I can do lutz, flips, and loops just fine!" Once my words came out, I couldn't stop in my outburst.
"I can do an axel just fine compared to most people! I can do sequences like it's the back of my hands! My body is flexible enough to twist me unlike you males who are just 'hardy' bone who can't flex for your life!"
His face contorted into pure anger.
"Don't judge me when I'm the same exact age as you!" I screamed as loud as I can.
"HaH?? High Schooler! You're smaller than me, a petite little mouse! You must be a geek! No wonder you can do all of that!" He was yelling at me, where I swear everyone can hear us across the land of Europe!
"Please, axel are easy! Even your stupid spirals are sooo easy enough if I tried! But look here, geek, jumps are everything. If you can't do a quadruple axel, get out of my face!" My face was blowing up to redness just like a strawberry.
"For someone who won the Junior World Figure Skating, you're cocky!"
He started chuckling. I was breathing heavily, after getting every words I can get out of my body. This guy, the Russian Fairy, should rip off his wings and just become a leprechaun already! This insolent brat!
"For someone who's a nobody, you're cocky."
"BOTH OF YOU, BE QUIET NOW." I almost stopped breathing.
Right in front of me was Feltsman Yakov.
The Feltsman Yakov.
His eyes were narrowed at me, Yuri, and then me. He was gripping his fist, as if he's trying to figure out who to whack first. I want to sink myself into the floor. The skaters heard the commotion and came out as well. Like an angry mob, they were crossing their arms, waiting for what we had to say.
"It's not my fault... It was this girl's fault." Everyone's eyes were on me, as I flustered.
You have to go on this path alone.
"I am truly sorry for this commotion. After this male has insulted many important parts to my life, I couldn't help but feel insulted and had to fight back." I smiled at my father's words. I bowed politely.
"You look familiar..." The female behind said, before slapping her hand on her fist.
"You're Yuri!"
"WHAT?" Yuri said angrily. He walked up the stairs near the other people, joining them in looking at me. Great, another person. Did I really have to face this embarrassment!
"No, not you, idiot! I'm talking about Yuri!"
"Like I said, what?!"
"I told everyone to shut up!" The coach bellowed, before walking down the stairs. To come near me. I gulped under his gaze. He walked around him, as if he's a police officer interrogating a suspect without any words.
I yelped when he touched my waist, shoulder, and hips.
"What are you doing, Feltsmen Yakov?" I said innocently as possible, my grin was very close to becoming murderous. He stopped, before looking back at the crowds.
"Yuri, apologize."
"Why do I need to apologize to a geek or stalker like her?" Wearing glasses, it seems he perceived me as a geek. Quickly, Yakov took off my glasses and my hood, revealing my blonde hair and red eyes to everyone.
"See! She's Yuri!"
"You mean Shirai Yuria..." The boy next to her replied gravely.
"Who the hell is she?"
"The winner of the Female Junior World Figure Skating. With the top holder for the highest score in that department." Another female mused.
"Hah, she can't be."
"APOLOGIZE."
"I'm sorry..."
"I'm sorry for his attitude." Yakov said to me, as I blushed from the apology. Was he a Russian Punk? Or a Russian Fairy? It seems I have a lot more to know from the world.
He started walking away, as if I was thrown away just now.
If I were my old self, I would let this go...
Pretending that I was okay not sad...
Then crying back home why I couldn't get the courage...
But I need to ask him!
"U-Um.. Feltman Yakov.." He perked his ears. All eyes were on me.
"W-Would you," I was stuttering, but I needed to ask. I won't let anyone get in my way!
"Would you mind becoming my coach for this years Grand Prix?!"
The silence.
Everyone was shocked by my request. Of course. I was dismissed from Marduk Duke's coaching, who was a famous individual himself. And now I'm asking another person 2 weeks after I won the Junior World Figure Skating.
They must think I'm switching for the fun of it...
Or I'm actually one of the worse figure skaters...
I can't let that go against me!
"Ahaha, I guess that's impossible for me... I came here unannounced after all.." I laughed while scratching my head. Covering my head with a hood, I turned around. "Forget everything I said..."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Oh, so you want me to refuse you?" I turned around abruptly with my eyes widened.
"Eh?!"
"I'm willing to have you in my coaching.." Yakov, the most strictest person who only accepts the very best, is willing to have me?!
"Eh!? What?!" My heart was filled with indescribable feelings. Just how does that even happen!?
"You have achieved far more feats than Marduk in your years as a skater. It just so happens that Marduk was going to pass you off to me after the Junior World Series. Not for a bad purpose, but he truly thought that you can achieve an even higher feat. And if I must say, he trained you perfectly. Even your bone structure is perfect." I was almost about to cry.
Marduk, thank you for giving me this chance...
Where are you so I can give my thanks...
I will make sure not to fail you!
"Hold up!"
Like the main character obstructing a wedding ceremony of his lover and the antagonist, Yuri stands upon it all. It seems apologizing to me has increased his rage against me.
"I won't accept her, no matter what. This idiotic girl needs to learn how we skate here. We are here to win, not to play with frogs every day."
"Yuri--"
How about this proposition?"
"We'll have a match in a week. We have to compose our own choreography. If I win, Yuria will quit. If she wins, well, she can do whatever she wants."
"Yuri! Don't be so selfish!" The girl yelled out, slapping Yuri in the back of the head.
"I'll take this proposal!" I yelled out determinedly. I will make Yuri accept me no matter what!
I will be coached here, no matter what!
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Third Pov
"Yakov, you have a new person here?" The girl raised her right leg from the back, resulting in her landing in her same leg backward. A beautiful triple axel at a young age. She followed with a serpentine sequence across the rink quickly, dodging everyone else who was practicing their skate. She was just like a bird, flying for new heights, dropping every luggage she could have on her.
"That is Shirai Yuria, the pupil of Marduk... Marduk was correct, she had potential to be a skater like you." Yakov mused, as he almost sees the similarity. They both wanted to be free.
"So I heard there was a mini competition?! I want to participate as well!" The male said childishly with pure anime eyes.
"Yuri has gotten quite angry and decided to make a competition where they need to choreograph their routine within a week... This is a problem...."
"Why?"
"Yuri has more experience in competitions, especially when winning 3 Junior World Figure Skating... Yuria has only won 1 at the same age..."
"Well I think they can be on the same footing."
"What?"
"Yuri may have more skills up his sleeves, but has he ever connected with the audiences beside giving them surprises? Yuria has average skills as a junior skater, but I believe she can undergo training to reach her full peak. Yuria can easily connect with the audience.."
"You sound like you were there at the Junior for a bit...."
"Maybe the Sugar Plum Fairy can spread her magic to the Russian Punk?"
"VIKTOR, HOW DARE YOU LEAVE DURING YOUR WORLD SERIES COMPETITION?!"
CC: Men are not required to do spirals at Olympics, but some men are credited for doing them. One example is Shawn Sawyer (Canadian). By performing high leveled jumps, Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) has gotten 1st place in both segments (Free Skating & Short Program) despite failing jumps during the World Team Trophy in Tokyo- So that's why Yuri P said that "Jumps are everything". However, it is not and others can discredit this.
Contacts: PM for Messenger, Line, or Kik! : ) I like talking to people.