Happy belated birthday Guang-Hong. I really wanted to update on his birthday but my cousin was like, let's have a sleepover and it'd be rude to say no. Especially if food was provided. Any way, happy birthday little cinnamon roll.
~*~
'I'm Katsuki Yūri, a figure skater representing Japan who's in the middle of the Grand Prix Series' Cup of China! I ended the short program in first place after scoring a personal high score! I'm now withing reach of my first victory in a Grand Prix Final Series event!'
At the hotel, Yūri sat on the bed talking to Takeshi on the phone. "We got really fired up!"
"That was the hottest performance ever!" Yuko exclaimed.
"Keep it up in your free program!"
"Yūri, that was awesome!" The triplets yelled in the background. No one could see the terrified expression on Yūri's face. "Good luck!"
"Awesome, awesome!"
~*~
Neither Viktor nor Y/n knew what to say about Yūri's sleep deprived look. The male had heavy bags under his eyes and looked like he could collapse any minute.
"I don't think this is a problem coffee could solve," Y/n said.
"Yūri, you haven't slept, have you?" Viktor asked.
"I-I-I did! A little bit, anyway."
The trio went back to the hotel. Viktor made Yūri lay down in the bed. Y/n let him use her eyemask before helping Viktor throw the blankets over Yūri's body.
"Nap until this evening's event starts," Viktor ordered. "It'll be fine. I always sleep in until the last minute before competitions too." Y/n had alrady fallen asleep, snoring softly. She curled up against Yūri. Viktor did the same, holding them both as he fell asleep.
"Viktor! Y/n! Did one of you set an alarm?!" Yūri asked panicked. He got no response from either of them.
~*~
"We're at the third evenf of the Grand Prix Final Series, the Cup of China. The men's singles free skate is about to start!"
Yūri's hand shook as he tried to open a water bottle. There was still a tired look in his eyes. "Huh? It won't open." Viktor stood a few feet back smiling. Y/n walked over with a large cup of coffee.
Viktor placed his hands on Yūri's shoulders. "Yūri were you unable to take a nap?" He asked.
"Huh?" Yūri shook his head frantically. "I did nap! I did!"
"Then why does it look like you stayed up all night binge watching anime?" Y/n asked.
"Uh..um.."
"I forbid you from doing jumps in th six-minute warm up," Viktor said.
"Huh?!"
"That's an order from your coach, Yūri."
Y/n took a sip of the hot drink, the caffine slowly waking her up. "You should've just took a nap."
"Now, in the second half of the event, Group 2 is taking the ice.
"If he flubs a jump during the warm-up, he may loose even more confidence, and it'd negatively impact his free skate," Viktor thought. "Yūri gets nervous easily." Beside him, Y/n was pestering Celestino.
"Please?"
"No."
"Just one. My birthday's coming up. It could be a gift."
"That's a lie. Yūri told me when it is."
"How about I pay you and you go get it for me?"
"Still not going to happen." Y/n pursed her lips.
"How about, if Yūri wins the Cup of China, you buy me three boxes?" Celestino looked down at the h/c haired girl.
"Fine," he agreed. "Only because it's not going to be Yūri who wins. It'll be Phichit."
Y/n smirked. "As amazing as Phichi-kun is, don't underestimate Yūri." It was then, Yūri ignored what Viktor told him to do and went for a jump. He completely failed, falling hard on the ice. Y/n stared in horror. Celestino smirked. "Yūri, you dumbass! What the hell is wrong with you! Why do you never do what you're supposed to do? Don't ignore me!"
Celestino sweatdropped. "I'm sure he can't understand Korean." Y/n exhaled annoyed and looked over at Viktor who just stood there smiling.
"Let's hope skater Katsuki is all right. He looks rather glum after the warm-up."
"Oh my," Hiroko sighed.
"That face..." Takeshi trailed.
"We've seen that face often," Yuko stated.
~*~
"Well, it's common for skaters to nail something they flubbed during practice!" Viktor tried to reassure. He glanced over at Y/n for help.
"Y-yeah. Many don't want to make the same mistake twice so they get it right a second time."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apoligize. We've talked about this."
"Just continue warming up," Viktor said. "Nice and easy."
The first skater to perfrom would be Guang-Hong.
"Guang-Hong, keep it together," his caoch said. "You have the perfect program that we prepared just for today! Become China's hero!" Guang-Hong heard his name get announed. He noded and skated off to the center taking his starting position.
"First up is Guang-Hong Ji, China's young ace, age 17. He's in sixth place after the short program. His music is "The Inferno" from the movie Shanghai Blade. His theme this year is "bonds and violence." Compared to his short program's music, the one for Guang-Hong's free skate sounded completely different.
'I went with this music because my coach pushed it so hard, but how does skating as an underworld assassin help me become a hero?'
Guang-Hong's first jump faltered a bit. "Oh! It looks like he over-rotated, but that's another quadruple toe loop following the one in his short program!"
'I've been living in Shanghai's seamy underbelly, but this is my last job. With my trusty sword, I can handle it just fine on my own!'
"A triple axel, single lop, and a triple salchow." Guang-Hong landed them all flawlessly. The audience screamed loudly.
'All right. It's going even better than it did during the warm-up.'
"He's nailed all his jumps in the first half!" Yūri turned off the TV. All of them.
"I was watching my cinnamon roll!" Y/n thought angrily. The people around were also shocked by Yūri's actions. The skater sat down holding his head, a look of pure terror on his face. Y/n frowned. "Yuuri..."
"Will he be able to grab a ticket to the Grand Prix Final in his very first Grand Prix Series?" Viktor stood lost in thought thinking about what should he do about his student. "There will be more jumps in the second half." Guang-Hong landed the first jump. "A triple flip, followed by a triple toe loop...he fell!"
A lot of people, especially those native to China, sighed. Guang-Hong quickly got up. 'Guess I won't be catching up with a flawless perfomance to place first.'
"A triple loop, followed by a double loop. He's back on track!" Guang-Hong's coach smiled.
'How did the story go from here? The protagonist infiltrates the enemy lair and fights his way to the top, where the boss awaits. He's reunited with long time allies. Now that the pressure's off, there's opportunity!'
"Here comes the step sequence. What speed! It's like watcing a car chase! He's taking us right to the climax."
'The protagonist has a duel with the enemy organizations's boss. His allies are hunted by the organization.'
"The last jump is a double axel." Guang-Hong landed it sending the audience into loud cheers. "Sucess!"
'My Grand Prix Series will end here, but the four continents and the Worlds are still waiting for me. I'll raise the technical difficulty of my programs and claw my way to the podium! I'm not the kind of man who'd die in a ditch here!'
The audience's applause and screams became even louder when Guang-Hong finished his program. "Guang-Hong Ji, enveloped in loud applause!" Chris swallowed a gulp of water, prepared for his performance next. "Guang-Hong Ji's combined score is 248.96. He's currently in first place."
Guang-Hong stuffed his face in the stuffed bear he held pouting. "I'm going to quit all social media to practice!"
~*~
"Chris, like I keep saying, just go at your own pace."
"Right." Chris hugged his coach.
"Chris!" Minako squealed.
"Next, in fifth after the short program, Christophe Giacometti, representing Switzerland, age 25. His music is "Rapsodie Espagnole." An error in the short program caused his technical score to fall below that of China's Guang-Hong Ji, but his presentation score went above to place him in fifth.
In his free skate, he has prepared three quads in the first half." Y/n sat on the ground watcing Yūri as he stretched. She wanted to help, but she didn't know what to say. Viktor looked like he was planning something, but she didn't want to pry.
"The first jump is his signature move, the high-quality quadruple lutz!" Chris landed the jump and the audience cheered. "Success!"
"He's far from where he was at the European Championships," Chris's coach thought. "But he's still in competitive mode after the short program. That's unusual."
"Next up is a quadruple Salchow."
Viktor and Y/n still kept their distance from the beyond nervous Yūri.
'Next is his triple axel, single loop, triple salchow combination. Take off in front of that ad. And...there!' Chris jumped, getting the timing exactly right, and landed the jump flowing right into the next ones.
"He nailed the jump combination!"
Y/n noticed the camera crew behind them. Panicked, she tapped Viktor's shoulder. Viktor freaked out too and he grabbed Yūri dragging him off Y/n following.
"Yūri, let's warm up in a different spot," Viktor suggested.
"Let's go to the parking garage," Y/n whispered even though Yūri probably wouldn't have heard in the current state that he was in.
'I'm the only one who can skate exactly the way I want. I thought Viktor was the same as me, living for life on the ice.'
"Quadruple salchow, double toe loop."
"That was a perfect landing!"
Y/n and Viktor lead Yūri down the stairs. The boy's sullen look didn't change.
'It's not like you to leave the ice and find someone you want to protect, Viktor. You neither Y/n. For you to leave the titles "Eccentric Flower" or "Queen of the Ice" is odd. We met ten years ago,
Flashback
'when you'd won the European Championships and I'd just debuted in the senior division.'
"Viktor, congrats!" A young Chris said.
"What's your name?"
"Christophe Giacometti!"
Viktor closed his eyes and smiled. "Okay." He threw Chris one of his flowers which was caught. "Chris, see you at the Worlds."
Chris nodded. "Yeah."
"Next up, the women's division First up, Y/n Kim," the announcer stated. Chris and Viktor's attention turned to where the young girl was with her coach and older brother.
Y/n and her brother stood across from each other holding their hands up. They moved their thumbs and pinkies back and forth. "Da duh. Da duh. Duh da da da da duh. Da duh. Da duh. Duh da da da da duh." Both were laughing as they did so.
Y/n's coach shook her head at the two. Chris smiled. Y/n looked over feeling someone's gaze on her. She saw Viktor and Chris looking at her. Y/n smiled and held up her hands.
"Da duh. Da duh. Duh da da da da duh. Da duh. Da duh. Duh da da da da duh." Chris laughed. He didn't get what was the point but he found it funny and cute. Y/n then mouthed something. He rose his eyebrow in confusion.
'Wish me luck.'
Flashback end
'Yūri can't surpass you. I'll win this season! And I'll bring Viktor back to the ice!'
"A triple axel. He landed his last jump!"
'The next time you come to stand by me, I believe I'll be the one standing in the middle. I think I'm going to come again...'
The audience cheered loudly. Chris panted. Minako had tears streaming down her face. "Th-that was perfect!"
Next up was Phichit.
A/n
I'm really sorry I haven't updated. I didn't expect school work to come barreling at me as soon as break ended. But I promise to update agin because this is freaking episode 7 we're talking about. And I found out it's faster to use my computer.
I feel so loved. I watched my 2 year old cousin today. And when my uncle came to get her, she cried because she didn't want to leave. She gave me a kiss and hug goodbye instead of calling me mean. I freaking love her.