Phichit, in his mischievous glory, plants a printed out flyer for Eastside's karaoke league on Yuuri's desk the next day. He uses his roommate's absence to his full advantage, and hopes that it will be enough to strike up a conversation. He looks up the rules and regulations while he waits for Yuuri's return, only to be bummed by the leagues 6-8 man rule. He'd have to find at least four other people to join their team, and they had to have a name.
This is going to be harder than I thought…
He reads deeper into the rules; team shirts are required, a team manager, at least two males and two females...Crap. He thinks to the list of people that he knows, and if they would even want to sing. Quickly pulling out his phone, he texts the two females that he is closest to-Mila and Sara.
'Hey, how would you feel about joining a competitive karaoke league with me and possibly Yuuri?'
Mila's reply is almost instant, 'YES! Count. Me. In.'
One down, he thinks to himself as he scrolls through the rules, reading deeper into what would actually have to go into this. He assumes that he would be the team manager, and he would be in charge of assigning solos and making their setlist. He can definitely do this!
As he waits (impatiently) for Sara's reply, he thinks of team names. If their team consisted of the people in their skating club, he could theme it around that. He really didn't want it to be too cheesy, but he's always been a fan of bad puns. The Figure 8s, he thinks. No, no. Too cheesy…
A dig erupts from his phone, and he quickly grabs it in hopes of Sara's reply. To his displeasure, it wasn't. However, it was Guang Hong, 'What is this I hear about a karaoke league?! Cause I want in.'
He smiles, 'Great! You're in. Want to help me pick a name?'
'Yeah. I'll let you know when I think of something good.'
As he scrolls, he hears Yuuri walk through the door and a rush of anxiety rushes through him. Please say yes, Yuuri.
He nods at his roommate in anticipation as Yuuri walks to his desk, slowly picking up the flyer. It feels like eternity before Yuuri acknowledges it, "Phichit, what is this?"
"What's is what?" He asks, not looking up from his computer in a desperate attempt to hide his smile.
"A competitive karaoke league?"
"Karaoke league? Never heard of such a thing, but let's try it Yuuri! It could be fun," he looks up at Yuuri with a grin.
Yuuri sets the flyer down with a look that Phichit can't decipher, and he can almost feel the crushing reply that he knows will come. Social situations have never been Yuuri's thing, and he knows that Yuuri is thinking about the people that will be there. The rules clearly stated that every member of their team had to sing at least two solos during their regular eight week season, and Yuuri would struggle with that. He didn't do the whole "all eyes on him" thing if he didn't have to.
With a sigh, Yuuri looks at him, "Phichit, I really don't think-"
"Yuuri, I hear you. I do, but it'll be fun! I can promise you that. Guang Hong and Mila already agreed to join. I've asked Sara, too. You'd be with your friends, and we all want you to have a good time."
He can feel Yuuri's internal struggle, and his pulse accelerates only slightly. With a pleading look, he closes his laptop, "Yuuri, please. It'll be fun."
Another sigh, but Phichit smiles. He got him, "Fine. But I don't want to sing solos."
Crap.
Sara agrees later that night, and Phichit scrambles to find a sixth member. Everyone else in their skating club declined his offer, saying that karaoke was dumb. He feigned an offended gasp, but his efforts turned up empty handed. They were so close! Guang Hong texts him the next day, though, claiming that he had found them a sixth member. Phichit was relieved when Leo was added, and he quickly submitted their team through the bar. They were going to call themselves "The Ice-Holes," which Phichit laughed at. He designs a quick, easy shirt with their team name and their names on the back.
"Yuuri, what do you think of our shirts? Punny enough?" He asks, turning his screen to his roommate.
He looks up from his textbook, slightly annoyed, but chuckles when he reads the name, "I like it."
"Awesome! We have to wear our shirts every week, but it says that we can incorporate a costume around them."
Yuuri, clearly not wanting to talk anymore about it, turns back to his textbook. Phichit knows that Yuuri is still apprehensive about singing in front of people. He had told him so last night after agreeing to join. Phichit had promised him, though, that he wouldn't have to sing a solo until he was comfortable with it.
The manager of the league, Christophe, emails him confirming their submission. Through his email, he seems friendly enough.
'Hey Phichit! I've got your team confirmed. I like your name, by the way. Our first round starts this Saturday, so please arrive to the bar around 8. I'll have wristbands for your underage members.
To be clear on my end, you have six members:
You, 20. Manager (wb)
Yuuri K, 22
Sara C, 22
Mila B, 20 (wb)
Leo I, 19 (wb)
Guang Hong, 19 (wb)
This week's theme is "It's Britney, Bitch" so have your team prepare songs by Queen Spears.
Looking forward to watching you guys perform!
-Christophe'
With an excited squeal, Phichit texts the members of his group. He plans a meeting in the dance studio the next day to come up with their setlist and to choreograph. He almost forgets to sleep that night due to excitement.
Their meeting starts off simple enough; Mila demanding that she sing their first solo.
"I have to sing Gimme More, guys. It's perfect!" She exclaims as they sit in their circle.
"If no one has any objections, then I'm fine with it. We just have to submit our setlist by Friday. The earlier, the better, though. We're guaranteed our songs if we submit them first."
"We have to have two solos and a group number, right?" Leo asks.
"Yeah, but as long as we have two people singing for the group, then it counts," Phichit says, writing down Mila's solo in his notebook, "So, we just need two more songs. Anyone have any ideas?"
"Work Bitch would be a good group number," Guang Hong says, "We could make some fun, sexy choreography."
"Yes! I'm down for that," Sara says, nudging Yuuri with her shoulder, "Yuuri could come up with the choreography."
Yuuri blushes a bright red and Phichit chuckles at his friend, "Only if he's up for it. Yuuri?"
"Uh, sure. I don't know how sexy it would be, though."
Mila snorts, "Oh, Yuuri. We all know how sexy you can be if you try! You're the one taking pole dancing classes."
"For athletic training!" He yells
The group laughs, much to Yuuri's embarrassment. They settle down though, and decide on the final solo. Guang Hong would be singing Womanizer.
The group stands in front of the mirrored wall, Yuuri and Sara combining seductive hip sways with actual choreography for those not singing. Sara had suggested that they use the choreography from the music video, They, as a group, decided that Phichit, Leo, and Sara would be singing their group number while everyone else danced in the background. Yuuri, still flustered from earlier, declared that he did not want to sing at all this upcoming week. The group, save Phichit, gushed at how nervous Yuuri was to sing.
After a few hours of choreography, The Ice-Holes had their set list, and Phichit made sure to set an alarm for Friday at eight in the morning to guarantee their setlist. He and Yuuri walk to their dorm after practice, and Phichit rambles about how excited he is to perform. He notices how quiet Yuuri is, and he tells himself not to press him-it would only make things worse for his anxious friend.
They walk through campus, the streetlamps illuminating their way, and the light wind giving the September Wednesday evening a cooler feel. Phichit looks over at his roommate, and notices the small frown on his face, "Hey, you okay? It's not the choreography, is it? Because I'm sure we can change it."
"No, it's not that," Yuuri says walking forward, "What if I mess up and I cause the group to lose?"
Phichit stops walking, grabbing Yuuri's arm as he does, "Yuuri, even if you mess up, it's just a fun competition. Either way, we'll have seven more weeks before the semi-finals. It's supposed to be a fun thing, Yuuri."
"I know that, Phichit. I do, but I can't help it. I just don't want anyone to be disappointed in me."
He's seen this before with Yuuri, and he knows an anxiety attack is on its way. Still gripping his arm, Phichit pulls Yuuri into a tight hug, "It's going to be okay. Just remember to have fun! Plus, you'll be able to get some liquid courage in you!"
He wants to tell Yuuri that he's done it before, that people love when he's on stage, that he is good. He can't, though, knowing full well that it would only cause Yuuri to freak out even more. Pulling out of the hug, he smiles at Yuuri, who has tears in his eyes.
He chuckles, and rubs them away, "Sorry, Phichit."
"No, don't be Yuuri. It's okay," he says walking forward, "Plus, you have those moves down! Britney would be jealous!"
After submitting their setlist on Friday morning, the day goes by all too fast and Saturday is upon The Ice-Holes. Phichit has the group meet at the dance studio at 6 to do last minute rehearsals and prepare their costumes. They girls decide to style their costumes after Britney's schoolgirl outfit, while Leo thinks it would hilarious if the guys wore denim jackets with denim jeans.
"We look ridiculous," Yuuri states, staring at himself in the mirror.
"That's the point, Yuuri! Now, let's go," Leo says, pulling him to the door, "We gotta work!"
Phichit and Guang Hong laugh, and they head to the bar.
It's packed with people participating in open-mic before the competition, and Phichit can feel Yuuri stiffen as people look at them as they walk through the door. A few people clap at their dedication, complementing the denim to Leo's delight. Yuuri and Phichit walk to the bar to talk to Christophe, who is leaning over the bar talking to someone.
Wait.
Phichit recognizes the silver hair, and he stops walking. Yuuri looks back at him, confused, "You okay?"
Dazed, Phichit looks on at the bar. It has to be him, he thinks. The silver hair is a dead giveaway, and maybe he'll get the chance to introduce him and Yuuri…
"Phichit!"
"Yeah! Sorry," he says, snapping out of his match-making daze, "Let's go talk to Chris."
Phichit lead Yuuri up the the bar where Chris talks to his silver haired friend. Phichit uses the time to get a better look at the man; his pointed features compliment him nicely, and his blue eyes-
"Ah, you must be Phichit! I'm digging the outfits." Christophe says, pulling to Phichit to reality again.
"Yeah! And this is Yuuri." He makes sure to say his friend's name loud enough for the Silver Fox to hear.
"Nice to meet you, Yuuri! This is my good friend Viktor. He's competing in the league, too! His team is-Oh," he turns to Viktor again, who Phichit notices is staring at Yuuri, "What is your team name again, Viktor?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's Victorious Secret," he turns to Phichit and Yuuri, "My cousin and his friend came up with the name."
"Nice," Phichit says as Chris hands him the underage bracelets, "Have you done this before?"
"No, but Yuri and Otabek love karaoke just as much as they love winning, so we formed a team."
Phichit pulls Yuuri to sit next to Viktor, "It's our first time, too! We're called The Ice-Holes. Yuuri, tell him how Guang Hong came up with the name."
"Huh? Oh, we're all in an ice skating club together. Ice because ice skating, you know?"
Viktor leans in and chuckles at his friend, "You ice skate, huh? Interesting. Tell me more."
With a sly grin, Phichit grabs the wristbands to distribute to his underage teammates, leaving Yuuri with Viktor for the time being.
The Ice-Holes are matched up to compete against a team called Pitches Be Crazy, but between Mila's seductive performance and Guang Hong's hilarious dance moves Phichit's team is ahead by a full eight points. Leo, Sara, and himself prepare to sing with PBC sing their group rendition of My Perogative. Yuuri, under Phichit's watchful eye, is standing next to Viktor talking about how they had all met, and that he and Phichit were roommates. The two had taken shots together, and Yuuri's cheeks were starting to redden from the alcohol.
PBC ends their song to an excited crowd, and Christophe's voice came over the speaker's, "Give it up for Pitches Be Crazy. Making Mama Spears proud up in here," the crowd cheers again, "Now, we hand it over to The Ice-Holes again for Work Bitch!"
The crowd whoops and hollers, and Phichit swears he watches Viktor's eyes follow Yuuri to the stage. Just like last time.
Once they are settled, Phichit nods to Christophe, who starts their music. All six of them start in a single line, Yuuri and Mila standing next to Sara. As she starts to sing, she sways her hips to each upbeat. Whistles come from the crowd sound and the beat takes off as Phichit and Leo walk to the center of the stage and the dancers walk to the back of the stage.
The way they planned was for each group to have a moment in the limelight; during a point when the trio weren't singing, they would pop to the ground and bob to the music while the dancing trio wowed the audience with their moves. Sara had come up with the idea, and Phichit loves her for it.
They pop down as planned, and the audience explodes with cheers as Yuuri, front and center, bursts with a new light. Phichit knows that he practiced these moves in private, because there is no way that he didn't. His movements are sharp, and he grins at Yuuri's confidence.
Sara, Leo, and Phichit stand to sing, but the dancers still dominate the center of the stage. They alternate through the bridge, and the crowd still screams and jumps to the thick beat. They were going to win this! As they reach the second verse, Yuuri and crew head to the back of the stage and pose while he, Sara, and Leo sing again, only to come to the front again to repeat their performance.
As they reach the breakdown, Sara takes the center of the stage and the dancers stand next to her, all four of them doing the same movements. It's sharp, and Phichit watches the crowd cheer for them, but he watches where Viktor is watching-Yuuri.
"Hold your head high, fingers to the sky!" Sarah sang, pulling Phichit back to the task at hand.
The group walks to their straight line that they had started in, doing the same arm movements to their repeated "work." They changed arm movements as they sang "work it out," building the intensity with each hit. The bow as the music quickly fades, only to have Leo pop up in time to sing, "You better work bitch!"
The crowd goes wild again and the sextet finishes their sharp dance movements, and when they (finally) finish, Phichit can barely hear himself think. They group smile and hug each other, celebrating in one of the best performances of the night. Exiting the stage, they walk to the bar to grab water, but Phichit notices that Viktor pulls Yuuri to the side.
They high five, and Viktor hands Yuuri a drink, which is gladly accepted.
"Phichit, quit being a voyeur and come get some water! You deserve it," Mila yells
He smiles with one last glance at his best friend, and goes to celebrate with his team.
They win their matchup by a landslide, being the only team out of ten to clinch all fourteen points up for grabs. Phichit is elated when they finally leave the bar at 1:30 am. Yuuri and Sara, being the only members over the age of 21, are happily drunk. Yuuri, as he and Phichit take an Uber back to their dorm, gleefully tells Phichit how Viktor gave him his number.
Shoving his hand in Phichit's face, all Phichit could see were smears from where a number once was. He chuckled, knowing how upset and hungover Yuuri would be in the morning.
Hello, and thanks again for reading! I plan to update this every Tuesday, so be on the lookout! For the sake of age laws, I tweaked their ages.
As always, please let me know your thoughts, or if you see any errors.