Unraveling Fate

Disclaimer: Nope, totally don't own the YOI masterpiece, unfortunately.

chapter three: success only comes from countless failures

The banquet afterwards was nice, if not a little bit . . . dull, for the lack of better words. I, for one, certainly did not get drunk on God knows how many champagne glasses like Yuuri once did in the canon anime.

Well, it was more like I didn't really get the chance to. Not that I was fond of underage drinking, but the Overprotective Mama Bear Celestino had been keeping a very, very close eye on me.

Extremely close. As in, arms-length close.

To be honest, I really didn't understand how the events of canon even happened in the first place. You would have thought that Celestino would have been all over canon!Yuuri before he started stripping and challenging genius skaters to dance-offs, that was for sure.

Sighing in slight boredom, I nursed my half-full glass of mango smoothie and smiled pleasantly at the kind (and not-so-kind) remarks of the people around me. Ahh, the intricacies of making nice with your sponsors. Thankfully, my coach had taken pity on me (AKA, I flashed him my best puppy-eyes) and thus did most of the talking. I only had to stand there and look like a pretty wallflower, or deal with the people who could only speak Japanese . . .

We were in Tokyo, so most of the local sponsors there had cheered me on. However, there were a few who were a bit, uh, miffed that I had placed last, as if I had actually stood a chance against the senior skaters with no Quads in the first place.

Well. The way some people transformed relatively sweet words into something poisonous was quite interesting, in the very least. I had been almost impressed, and it was my main source of entertainment for most of the banquet.

My other source of entertainment, well, was the other skaters. And by the other skaters, I mean, mainly, you guessed it. I stole a few glances of Viktor and Chris during the party, as they chatted with each other while their coaches exchanged some words. There were a few moments where I felt tempted to go over and join them, but then Celestino was moving away from our corner and I abandoned that thought to follow him. Anyway, Viktor and Chris probably didn't even know who I was.

When Celestino had finally made his rounds and I finally failed to resist my boredom, I begged my coach to let us leave. And like I said, Celestino was a wonderful, wonderful coach, because though I was sure he had wanted to mingle a bit longer, the man obliged my selfish request.

Ugh, I wondered how Viktor lived through all of those unexciting banquets in canon. They were even more uninteresting compared to my musical ones, and that was saying something. Though then again, my musical ones had a bunch of my friends present, but at the Grand Prix Final banquet, I could only exchange words to the sponsors.

And they weren't all nice words, too.

Despite the cacophony of sounds surrounding me, it felt a bit . . . lonely. And not for the first time, I felt incredibly jealous of Viktor as he stood with Chris, his laughter echoing into the room like the tinkling sound of graceful wind bells.

"You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It wont happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, 'I don't care how hard this is, I don't care how disappointed I am, I'm not going to let this get the best of me. I'm moving on with my life.'"
― Joel Osteen

I was sixteen, and I . . .

". . . am dying," I groaned as I dropped my chemistry textbook, letting it fall onto my face with a thump. Struggling to see past the blurred images of organic chemistry, kill me now, I took a glance at my trusty clock.

And oh, wow. The glowing numbers that blinked back at me made me freeze in alarm. It was currently three in the afternoon.

Um.

I may or may have forgotten to eat lunch in my five hour cram session.

. . . Time sure passed fast when your soul was being slowly sucked out of your body via the joys of chemistry. In any case, Celestino was going to kill me.

Quickly, I rolled out of bed before searching my closet for some comfortable clothes. Practice started at four for me that week, but if I didn't eat lunch beforehand my Mama Coach was going to make me eat during my skating time. And that was a big no-no. So, I had to change, get ready, and stuff a decent lunch down my throat before rushing to the rink. Because somehow, Celestino would always tell if I didn't eat properly that day.

As for why I was a miserable bundle on my bed, it was, well, because I was studying for my exam. Fun, right?

Well, let me inform you, it wasn't. If I was in a lower grade level, I probably wouldn't even care about my marks that much, but it was my senior year. I was applying to universities and colleges and I had pride in my grades, unfortunately.

But yeah. I was already taking senior courses. I didn't necessarily skip grades, I just. Used all of my electives to fast-track classes, and with the addition of summer-schooling, night school, and online schooling, voilà, I had enough credits to graduate by my sophomore year.

Which was pretty awesome, because I really wanted to get a degree in Medicine (shush, I may be an amazing violinist and I may become a top figure skater, but that had once been my dream Before, okay?) and now I could get it early. Which was great, seeing how many years I had to wait in order to get my hands on it. And yes, dying and coming back to life and the years after that counted, alright?

To be honest, making everything work was hard, and it was an understatement to say my schedule was jam-packed. I was adamant about learning everything I wanted to try Before, and if I didn't have enough time, I made time. I woke up extra early to play violin, to somehow manage at least four hours of practice everyday. I did some light ballet practice after, before I gobbled down meals quickly so I could use the extra time to skate. Afternoons were when I would spend hours in the rink with my coach. After that, at nighttime, I studied slightly to keep up with my grades. Sure, doing the courses once helped a lot, but the curriculum in the States was a bit different from what I was once used to in Canada.

Whenever I had more time, squeezed out of my hands like reluctant water from a sponge, I used it to do other hobbies. I tried out fencing, archery. I took Aikido for a few years when I was still living in Japan . . . to be honest, that might be the only reason my parents let me leave home.

My life right now wasn't something I had imagined when I first found out I was living in the Yuri on Ice! universe. But that was okay.

I was happy.

.

.

.

(Was I?)

Perhaps it was just as well, but I didn't make it to the Grand Prix Final that year. The top contender from before, the one who had taken the last season off due to an injury, got that honor.

Ha. It wasn't really unexpected, to be honest. Why? Well, though there was one Quad in my program now, my toe-loop (added after Celestino and my doctor gave me the okay), but, well. Let us just say that I landed it with a percentage less than Chris' chances from the year before. It was really quite unfortunate, and if I had switched it out with my triple, I might have gotten a higher score.

Then again, I was still young, and if I couldn't get down my Quads now, I would never be able to stand a chance when I was older. When it mattered. So there really wasn't much I could do about it. Other than practice, practice, and more practice, that is.

Ha ha, the words 'sweat, blood, and tears' have never made more sense. 'No pain no gain' also took on a whole new meaning since I started to skate competitively.

"Popcorn?"

So now, here I was, huddled on my coach's couch as we both watched the Grand Prix Final. Taking a generous handful of the snack, I happily waved goodbye to my diet as I stuffed half of it into my mouth. Hey, if my coach was indulging me for once, who was I to refuse?

Especially when on the screen, beautiful, beautiful Viktor glided across the ice. On the screen. When I could have been watching this, live. My eyes tracked the movement of his long, shining hair even as one of my hands tugged on my own braid.

Huh, braid? Did I not explain that yet? Well, okay, remember awkward, forever-young looking canon!Yuuri? The one with the fluffy short hair, the sparkly brown eyes and the chubby cheeks? Yeah. We may have the same body (though I was starting to doubt that as well), but we looked quite different.

For one, I didn't really have his ability to get as chubby. Perhaps it was because, well, I didn't like rice. The big bowls of Katsudon you see in the anime? I would probably only manage to eat half of that, and it wouldn't be the rice part. On the other hand, I really adore eating fruits, so yeah. Add in my vigorous workouts, and I had a pretty slim figure.

(I still loved Katsudon with a passion, though. It was just so awesome, especially my mother's recipe.)

As for my braid, well. When you have a packed schedule like mine, it was hard to find time to go to the barber every month. And my hair grew really fast. Before long, I just, well, let it grew. Now it was probably longer than the shimmering waterfall that cascaded down Viktor's back, though I made sure to always keep it in a thin, tight braid. Even in my life Before, I never got used to not tying my hair up.

"Don't worry Yuuri," my coach said suddenly, out of the blue. Blinking in surprise, I looked up to see Celestino watching the television screen somberly, before he swiftly turned his head to give me a firm stare. "I'll get you there again next year."

". . . Thank you," my chest felt warm even as I ducked my face to hide my smile. My coach was really the best.

Dear Yuuri,

Congratulations! It is my pleasure to offer you admission to the Wayne State University in Science for Fall 20XX as a Freshman of 20XX! Since admission to our university is a very selective process, you should take pride in this accomplishment.

Your response to the offer of admission must be submitted online by May 1, 20XX or mailed and postmarked by May 1, 20XX. Please note that it is your responsibility to read and follow the enclosed Final Requirements sheet. Keep in mind that all offers of admission are conditional upon your continued academic success and completion of the final requirements for admission.

I look forward to receiving your response to our offer of admission. You can find out more in the enclosed materials, including information on the housing and dining, instructions for accepting your offer, and the list of Final Requirements. If we may provide any additional information, please let us know. I wish to extend to you a warm welcome and best wishes for your success at Wayne State University.

Sincerely,

Director of Undergraduate Admissions

I breathed in. Softly, slowly.

My hands felt ice cold, almost numb despite the hot water bottle Celestino brought for me once again. There were also minute trembles in my limbs, ones that thankfully disappeared as soon as the music began.

With that, my performance started. And like how I had practiced so many times at home, I moved.

A spin there, a few connecting steps here. The sway of my hips against the crescendos from the music. Really, when you blocked out the screams from the crowds, it was like any practice session at home.

At least, I had to think that way because if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to nail that Triple Flip . . .

. . . there!

Anyway, even though I didn't make it to the Grand Prix Finale, it didn't mean my season was over already. There were more big and important competitions than just that. So here I was, months later and standing in the ice rink for the Japan Figure Skating Championships.

Was I nervous? Heck yeah.

Was I going to let it stop me from doing my best? Heck no.

Because for the past few months, after my horrible assignments which I would never speak of again, I had practiced my Quad like I was crazy. Well, as crazy as I could be without hurting myself or being reckless. I just didn't want to taste that humiliation again, of falling even though I was supposed to fly. I didn't want to watch Viktor on a screen again, when I could have been cheering for him in person.

I didn't want to fail again.

Thankfully, as a result of pure hard work and determination, my chances of doing a Quad perfectly had gone up exponentially since my assignments for the Grand Prix series. Thus, I somehow managed to ace them during my program at Nationals.

I don't know who was more surprised: me, Celestino, or my fans. In any case, the amount of people I saw crying after my free skate performance was almost astounding.

(I've always wondered who coined my my nickname. Japan's Ace. Kind of hard to live up to, wasn't it? Even I felt the crushing pressure when I was feeling down. Knowing what I did about canon!Yuuri, I almost felt sorry for him.

Thankfully, I wasn't him.)

One of my fans waved at me dramatically before throwing a huge pig plushie at the ice. Skating over to pick it up, and also grabbing an absolutely adorable llama plushie (ahh, Japan and their adorable stuffed animals! How lucky I was!), I made my way to the Kiss and Cry. Celestino beamed at me.

"Yuuri!" The man gave me a crushing hug, which, wow, greatly spoke of his happiness. Because ew, with how much I was sweating at that point I wouldn't even want to hug myself. "You did amazing!"

"Thanks," I said softly, still breathless and a bit wide-eyed. I sat down with my coach and gave the camera a pretty smile, my upset stomach rolling crazily like a Ferris wheel.

"!"

And then my results came out. The roar of the crowd felt exhilarating.

"Yuuri," Celestino cheered loudly, even as I blinked in a daze. Was this really happening . . . ? "It's a personal best!"

It was happening. I curled into myself and let out a relieved sob.

I didn't fail again I didn't fail again I didn't fail again―!

That day, I brought home another shiny gold medal. And for once, it wasn't one from a violin competition.

It was on one of my better days, where I had finally landed my Quad without becoming a splatter on the ice, did I hear a gasp of wonder and a smattering of applause. Blinking in surprise, because it was rare for my rink-mates to show any awe over my moves now, I turned my head to see one of the cutest kids ever.

Like seriously. Black fluffy hair, tanned skin, and the biggest and cutest eyes. And I thought I was cute.

Celestino was also there. That meant that whoever the kid was, he was probably important. Obediently skating over at the look in my coach's eyes, I came to a stop before the boy.

"Yuuri," Celestino started. "This is Phichit Chulanont. He will be graduating middle school this year, and I have offered to coach him here when he enters high school."

I blinked. And then I blinked again.

W-Whoa. This cutie platootie was Phichit, one of canon!Yuuri's best friends? Then again, that did make sense . . .

"Y-You . . . Yuuri Katsuki . . . ?" Phichit blabbered a bit in what I assumed to be in Thai, before stuttering out a string of English that really didn't make sense. Hearing my name, however, and the question after it made me nod. I didn't know Thai, but I did understand that the boy was asking for my name.

The boy beamed. I wondered why.

"Instagram?" Phichit handed over his phone, showing me his page. Blinking in surprise, I shook my head. I didn't have time for any social media websites.

Phichit pouted, before tapping on his contacts icon. This time, when he gave me his phone, I felt my eyebrow go up. Wow. The guy was forward. Deciding to indulge him, I entered my cell phone number before watching a smile blossom on the boy's face again.

"Thank you!" He said excitedly, even as Celestino proposed to go get dinner together. I agreed easily as I curiously watched my future rink-mate. Phichit was a few years younger than me, but it wasn't long before I was relaxing in his presence. He had this sort of aura, one that made him seem so approachable.

"He looks up to you," Celestino said with amusement colouring his tone as we watched Phichit get swallowed up by the airplane, a few days later. "He was ecstatic when I offered to bring him to your practice."

"What? M-Me?" I felt my face heat up even as my coach ruffled my hair teasingly. Me? Be a role model, someone who people looked up to? How ridiculous.

Though . . . that did explain why Phichit looked so happy when I gave him my phone number. If Viktor gave me his cell phone number, I might just faint from disbelief. Not that would happen, at least not at my current level.

Hmm. As I watched the airplane take off, I closed my eyes and smiled. If anything, next year was going to be interesting.

AN: I've been spitting out YOI stuff so much lately, mostly because I'm on my winter break and because all of these chapters are so short. As it is though, I should start writing some chapters and saving them. Or else the following months are going to be like droughts, LOL. Thanks for all the support, guys! Every review, favourite, and follow makes me that much more motivated.

And LOL, shameless self-advertisement but. If you haven't already, please check out my other YOI fic! It's a gamer fic I'm having loads of fun with, /winks/

Guest Review Replies:

Naomi: Ahh, I'm glad it's been received so kindly! Thanks!

Daisy Field: I just finished it recently myself! Like, two days ago? Hadn't found the time to see the last two episodes, but I'm glad I finally did! And yeah, I really hope for that season two!

KitKat: I feel! ;o; I was reluctant to watch the last two episodes myself, LOL. Fingers crossed for a season two!

Guest: Oh wow, you caught that, eh? But yeah, the song choice was from there! I didn't base Yuuri's choreography completely on his, though, but I'm glad hearing the music helped you imagine it more clearly!