It was another brisk morning. The chill did nothing to cool the throb in my chest. Or my head. Or my body.

     I shouldn't have fallen asleep in the entryway of my house, but after a long day that includes celebrating Yuri's return and having a whole mental turnover right when I closed my front door, I was out before I knew it. The only thing that woke me up was the faint incessant beeping of my alarm clock from my bedroom.

      If I was actually being trained with a coach, I would have my ass handed to me, I thought when I checked the time on my slowly dying phone. Thankfully there were no coaches in Hasetsu anymore.

      When I went in to greet Loop and Yuki, I noticed neither of them were at the front desk and furrowed my brows together with a frown. Two disruptive things to my routine. Sensing something off, I made my way to the rink without bothering to grab my skates or put any of my gear away. The door closed behind me with a quiet click, and I wasn't noticed as people were enraptured with the figure currently on the ice.

      Silver hair, perfect posture, completing quads without breaking a sweat.

      My hands covered my mouth and I couldnt decipher what I was feeling. Fear? Excitement? Dread? It was a storm of emotions brewing and I felt overwhelmed as I watched. Why here? Not that I didn't want to meet the Viktor Nikiforov, but my fantasy was to meet him at the banquet after my way to the Grand Prix Final for ladies skating and be an equal to him. But I failed.

      Stop, I internally scolded myself. No reason to be duch a downer.

        "He's more beautiful in person!" Yuko claimed, and I couldn't help but to agree. Mind you, he was ethereal with his long hair, but the short hair just added this spice to him that made it hard for me to look away. Along with his enchanting movements on the ice that I followed with my eyes.

        He stopped with a passionate pose and opened his sea blue eyes, grinning when he noticed he had another member in his audience. My cheeks flushed and I quickly rubbed at them when he turned towards Yuri and... Yuri.

       Wait.

        Now there's two Russian figure skaters?

       "I think I'm just going to go," I murmured to Yuki, pointing to the exit with my thumb. She absently nodded and waved me off, too smitten with the handsome skater in front of us.

        "Hey! Who let you into here?" The blonde kid, famous Russian skater Yuri Plisetsky, shouted at me, looking like he's about to blow a gasket, "first this crazy woman, this man, and now her? This should be a private practice."

         My head.

         I put my fingers to my temples, "why are you shouting? There are only  six of us with no music playing."

        "Ah... hungover?" A light Russian accent flowed to me and when I swiped my eyes to him, he winked and put a finger up to his lips. I bark out a quiet laugh, wincing at the pressure it put on my head, "sadly, my night wasn't that fun."

     Yuri frowned, and, with Yuki in tow, started to fuss over me.

      "Your face is super puffy!"

       "You have bags under your eyes!"

       "You're too thin!"

      I waved them off, "I am going home to rest." And to be alone, was what sat on the tip of my tongue, but it would've been rude to say. Especially in front of guests, "it was nice meeting you Mr. Plisetsky and Mr. Nikiforov," I saw while bowing to each of them and briskly turning away to leave out the door.

       "Ah miss, please, before you leave, introduce yourself," Viktor happily called out, giving a cheerful smile towards me.

       "..." I hesitated, then cleared my throat and responded, "(Full name)."

        His smile got calmer and the gleam in his eyes caused my cheeks to heat up once more as he said, "Then, (Name), please accept my invitation to eat with us tonight at the Hot Springs. You must be a friend of Japanese Yuri, so I would like to get to know you better as well."

        Something about the way he spoke was hypnotic and I found myself nodding without even thinking it through. Yet, there was nothing to think through. It was either have dinner with five-time hold medalist Viktor Nikiforov or sit at home alone.

      "Great!" He cheered widely at my nod, "we will see you tonight!"

       As if in a trance, I made my way outside the skating rink wordlessly and it's when I got to the middle of the bridge that my brain decided to turn on again and I stop right where I was abruptly in shock, just staring at the sidewalk in front of me.

        I should check my socials more.