Title: Stop, Pause & Rewind: Butterfly Effects
Featuring confident Yuuri, and a love-sick Viktor… Original Characters involved.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to YOI characters. However, I do own the rights to the Original Characters featured
Chapter 38
The three full days Yuuri spend at Hasetsu was a good change from his usual hectic schedule. Aside from the first day upon his arrival to his childhood home, he was literally swamped by greetings from family friends and local patrons who knows him from his childhood days. That was in the early evening part of the day, and then the later part of the evening after his well-deserved bowl of Katsudon for dinner… he spend his time chatting with several people on the phone.
First there is Phichit who catches him up on the latest happenings with the musical crew, and how the production is coming along. Next, he had several Whatsapp chats conversation going on at the same time. There is Kanade whom he had contacted for permission to include a dance rehearsal video which involves Kanade to send to Viktor along with his other personal dance practice videos that was film by a classmate during lesson time.
Aside from Kanade, he is also speaking with Tsukishiro Asami and Serizawa Chieko on Whatsapp at the same time. The former is a message send to confirm his rink time schedule at Ice Castle Hasetsu, and the latter with his confirmation response of attending the New Year Countdown Party organized by the Hasetsu Local Community Organization. Last but not least, there is that phone conversation with Viktor that took up the rest of his night until he could barely finds it in him to keep his eyes from drooping.
Yuuri's first official day in Hasetsu started off with a good morning jog with his pet poodle Vic-chan running after him. The one good thing about Hasetsu being a sleepy town is that there is not a lot of vehicles moving about during the peak hours of the morning, unlike the main cities in the country. After the morning jog, Yuuri headed back to Yu-topia for his breakfast – a full traditional morning meal complete with rice.
After breakfast, Yuuri left Vic-chan with his elder sister Mari Katsuki while he changed into his training gear; collected his skates from his room and set off for the Ice Castle Hasetsu for his scheduled rink practice. Due to his requests for privacy, Yuuko and Takeshi had closed the rink for the morning part of the day and only re-opens it for public use from noon onwards. At least, Yuuri can get a good two hours of private practice in before he had to share the rink with members of the public.
Tsukishiro Asami's role is easy, there wasn't much instructing she needs to do with Yuuri's case. So, despite Yuuri's suggestion to pay her for her time spend in Hasetsu – Tsukishiro Asami had rejected the offer.
"It's fine, I am in need of a quick getaway trip from my job as well. I'll just take this as an informal holiday trip. There's no need for you to pay me, I am not even coaching you here… I am just here to play supervisor to your practice session. If it makes you feel better, I could always conduct a skating workshop here for the Hasetsu branch." Tsukishiro Asami responded in a firm-like tone of voice.
"In that case, at least let me speak with my parents' about waiving your accommodation fee at Yu-topia, it wouldn't make me feel at ease otherwise." Yuuri eventually relented and told Tsukishiro Asami this in response.
"Alright." Asami nodded, albeit reluctantly because she knew tourism business in Hasetsu is not doing as well as before… by refusing her payment, Yu-topia could jolly well be suffering from a financial loss. Still, when Yuuri put it in this way it doesn't seems right for her to keep rejecting Yuuri's offer either. In the end, she accepted the accommodation fee waiver but inwardly vowed that she would referred some of her international friends to drop by Hasetsu and patron Yu-topia the next time around they mentioned about visiting Japan.
Yuuri's rink time includes a two hours session of private time in the morning, and then a two hour public rink time where he shares the rink with local patrons. After which, Yuuri left the rink for a few hours only returning after dinner to continue his training session in private. During the few hours whereby he wasn't at the rink, he first went to get his lunch at a nearby sushi restaurant.
Not that he cannot choose to go home for lunch, but simply because he knew if he went back home he would not be able to resist the temptations of accepting his mother's offer of the Katsudon. He knew he had two bowls of Katsudon to claim, and he had already claimed one bowl the previous evening for his first dinner back home. He was planning to save the other bowl until the day he was due to leave for Sochi, and not cash it in on his second day back in Hasetsu.
Either way, after his quick-lunch at the sushi restaurant nearby – Yuuri went for a walk around the area before heading his way to his late grandmother's former residence and piano studio. The building looks like it is still in good condition despite the lack of occupants, most likely due to his mother's regular housekeeping efforts. As Yuuri did not have the keys to the house, all he did was to take a walk about the courtyard of the property before making a turn and headed for the local temple instead.
Hasetsu, small as it is does have its own shrine and temple within its vicinity area that serves the locals. While foreigners tends to mix them up, they are in essence completely different from one another. Shrine are typically used to host weddings, while temple is where funerals are held and where locals visited for prayers to their ancestors. Although, there is a local cemetery around but that is all the way over at the other side of the town where the crematorium is. So, Yuuri decided the next best thing he could do for a prayer to his late grandmother would be at the temple.
Yuuri timed his return to Yu-topia carefully to avoid the lunch crowd because he wanted to avoid being dragged into another strange debate of which baseball team is better between two of the local patrons again. Just because he would occasionally watch baseball league on TV with his father, it doesn't mean he follows them at all. In fact, he was completely clueless about how many teams does Japan have active in the current baseball league nor does he have any idea what the organization in charge of professional baseball players is.
The only thing Yuuri knows about the sports baseball is that it would be played on a diamond shape field, with a pitcher pitching the ball to the catcher and a batter from the other opposing team trying to bat the ball. The team playing batters is usually the attacking party, while the pitcher and catcher together with the rest of the fielders belongs to the defending team. That, and usually the two teams will interchangeably switch between attacking and defending until the winner emerged.
Other than these basic information, Yuuri was at a complete loss when it comes down to the game of baseball. So, one could imagine how he had felt when he was trap in the middle of two old men supporting different baseball team playing in the professional league and wanting him to judge of which team is better.
The first thing he did after arriving home is to check the time, and then promptly checked his email for Celestino's incoming mail. The Italian coach had sent a message to Yuuri earlier on, asking for the Asian to check his email for information with regards to the Sochi GPF Trip. Celestino had asks in the email for Yuuri's intended set-off date for Sochi so he could liaised with the events planner on ISU side to book their accommodation and flight for them. Due to their traveling to Sochi from different parts of the world, they most likely had to arrange to meet up with one another at the airport of Sochi itself. While it is a hassle for the event planner to book their flights separately, but at least with Yuuri's intended set off date mention - the event planner involved with assisting them with their flight and accommodation details will have an easier time finding suitable flights for each of them that will land on the same day and time.
To: yuurikatsuki1992 .jp
From: celestino_ciaociao
Subject: Re: Sochi GPF Trip
Yuuri,
Please send me your intended date of departure so I can get the event planner on ISU side that's assigned to help us with our flight and accommodation booking to find one that will allow us to reach Sochi on the same day. Unlike the other events, it seems with the Sochi GPF there wasn't a list of accommodation to choose from - the event planner had said that they will be housing all competitors, coaches and judges alike in the Tulip Inn Sochi Omega hotel this time around. I have been by to look at the hotel's website link and from what little English information up on the website, it seems nice enough. What do you think?
[insert hotel website link]
Check out the website and let me know if you are okay with the hotel choice. If you are not, I will discuss with the event planner and see if there's another alternative option available.
Regards,
Celestino.
The email from Celestino was found pretty soon enough, and Yuuri merely took one quick skim of the email content before hitting on the reply button to respond to the email. Having already experience the Sochi GPF once back in his last lifetime, Yuuri already knew he has no problem with this particular hotel during the period of his stay in Sochi.
To: celestino_ciaociao
From: yuurikatsuki1992 .jp
Subject: Re: Sochi GPF Trip
Celestino,
I'm okay with the hotel, so you can let the ISU event planner knows to go ahead on with the booking. I plan to leave on the 8th of December, speaking of, have the event planner mention anything about arranging transportation for us from airport to hotel? If not, can I get Viktor to help with the arrangement perhaps? According to him, it's very hard to get a cab in Russia as many cab drivers don't speak English and only knows Russian.
Regards,
Yuuri Katsuki.
After reading through his email content several times and certain that he had not left out anything from it, Yuuri hit the send button and return his attention to his pet poodle Vic-chan which had somehow wriggled its way on-to his lap again.
"Vic-chan, why are you cuddling up to me again? Isn't it good enough that you makes me cuddle you in bed last night? You really misses me that bad, huh?" Yuuri smiled down at his beloved pet poodle as he asks his questions, despite knowing that Vic-chan probably would not be able to answer him anything.
In fact, all Vic-chan did was to look up at Yuuri with his adorable puppy eyes and bark a low barking sound in response. Yuuri laughed, he couldn't help it and then he gave in and said. "Alright, you win… I'll take you out for a walk."
Seeing as he still had sometime left before he is due to go back to the rink for more practice, Yuuri approached his mother with the requests that he wanted to visit his late grandmother's home.
"There you go, this is the keys for her property. You know, she left you the piano in her will. It's probably still sitting where it was, since you're heading over you might as well check out its' state. I did the dusting and polishing on regular basis, but I'm not sure how the piano internal condition is like. You might want to check and give some professionals a call if you thinks it need a complete overhaul before it can function properly again." Hiroko Katsuki said as she handed over the keys to her late mother's property to her son, Yuuri.
"I know, thanks Mom." Yuuri smiled a small smile at Hiroko before beckoning for Vic-chan as he stepped out of his home and headed for his late grand-mother's residence.
Vic-chan trotted happily behind Yuuri as they made their way to the late Onoda Mikako's residence. While Yuuri was checking on the upright piano's condition that is sitting in his grandmother's piano studio, Vic-chan was happily entertaining itself in the courtyard of the property.
"Looks like the piano is in the same condition I found it in the last time around, an overhaul it shall be but not so soon. I'll have someone overhaul it after my retiring from competitive skating. No point scheduling an overhaul now when I have no plans of converting it into a franchise branch of Klassik School of Music yet." Yuuri murmurs to himself, before continuing his exploration of his late grand-mother's residence.
It does seems like his mother do comes by regularly for general housekeeping duties because there is not a speck of dust found in the house. The furnitures have been either cloaked in white large canopy cloth to prevent dust from settling on them or had been clear off and sold or donated off to charity organizations. Yuuri made a mental point to ask his mother for the property blueprint a few years down the road so he could put his revamping plan of his grandmother's residence into mind.
"Come on, Vic-chan – it's time to go!" Yuuri called out for his poodle once he had locked the door to the inside of the property once more. Soon enough, he spotted his poodle coming around from the back of the house looking like a mess.
"You need a bath, Vic-chan!" Yuuri declared upon the sight of his poodle, looks like the poodle had taken a dip into a mud puddle nearby when he wasn't looking. Vic-chan whines but still followed behind Yuuri dutifully back to the hot spring inn Yu-topia, where Yuuri promptly led the poodle over to where the outdoor watering hose was and gave Vic-chan a quick shower before the poodle could run off and hides.
Yuuri received another email from Celestino later that day, since he is nowhere near his laptop - he accessed his email from his phone's Yahoo mail application instead. Wanting to know his flight details so he could better plan his travel trip from Hasetsu to whatever airport his flight would be taking off from, Yuuri took a ten minute break from his training and read through the mail instead.
To: yuurikatsuki1992 .jp
cc:
From: celestino_ciaociao
Subject: Flight Details & Accommodation Information
Yuuri,
This is the finalized flight details that Corraine (our events planner for Sochi GPF) forwarded to me just now. Below are the details for your flight:
Departure Date: 8th December 2015
Departing Venue: Fukuoka International Airport, Japan
Total Flight Time: 16 hours 20 mins.
Flight 1: A 1 hour 40 minute flight from Fukuoka to Shanghai, Pudong via China Eastern Airlines MU532.
Boarding Time: 9.50 a.m.(Japan Time)
Layover in Shanghai, Pudong for 1 hour 10 minute
Flight 2: Connecting flight to Moscow, Russia via Aeroflot SU209 for 9 hours 25 minute.
Boarding Time: 11.40 a.m
Layover in Moscow, Russia for 1 hour 40 minute
Flight 3: Connecting flight to Sochi, Russia via Aeroflot for 2 hours 25 minute.
Boarding Time:5.45 p.m. (Russia Time)
Arrival at Sochi Airport: 8th December 2015, 8.10 p.m.
Accommodation: Tulip Inn Omega Sochi
FYI, I'm setting off a day earlier on the 7th December 2015 from Detroit, USA (DTW) as my flight is at 8.10 p.m. Detroit Time. Will be laying over in Helsinki, before flying to Moscow another layover for 1 hour 40 minutes before landing in Sochi. Our landing time are about the same so perhaps we could meet up at the arrival gate? Let me know if you want to meet else where.
Your hotel room is a single room, as per the usual arrangement for past events. I have the e-booking confirmation on me, but I'll attached your flight e-ticket and details to you with this email.
Regards,
Celestino.
Yuuri read through the details swiftly, certain that he had all the information required on hand before hitting the replying to all button on his email application.
To: celestino_ciaociao
Cc:
Subject: Re: Sochi GPF Trip
Celestino,
Duly noted. I will let you know if I want to meet else-where later.
Ms. Corraine,
Will the ISU be providing transport from airport to accommodation?
Regards,
Yuuri Katsuki
To: yuurikatsuki1992 .jp
Cc: celestino_ciaociao
Subject: Sochi GPF Transportation Issue
Dear Yuuri Katsuki,
The ISU has arranged for a chartered bus service that will be transporting participants of the event to and fro from airport to accommodation only on 9th Dec 2015 where majority of the competitors, coaches and judges would be arriving as well as the 14th December 2015 morning after the event draw to a close. I'm afraid the ISU do not have the extra budget to arrange private transportation for your party as you would be arriving one day in advance as compared to the other participants. So as per the usual agreement between the events planning side and your coach, you would have to make your own arrangement for transport if you choose to arrive earlier than the other participants of the event.
Regards,
Corraine
ISU International Events Team
Upon receiving the response from the event planner about no transportation would be arrange for Celestino and him on the day of their arrival to Sochi, Yuuri proceeds to drop Viktor a message about taking up his offer of arranging cab services for them on the 8th of December 2015.
To Yuuri: Got it, so can I have the details of both your travel plans? So, I can tell the cab driver what time to go over and pick the two of you up.
To Viktor: Both of us should land in Sochi Airport around 8.10 p.m. However, we can't tell for sure if there will be any delay at the customs or flights schedule... so might be best if you arrange for the cab to comes by around 9 p.m. or so? I can't talk much now, my break time is up. Will talk to you after the training.
To Yuuri: Okay, wait for your cue for me to call then. *smile & wink*
~to be continued~
Date completed: 3/4/17.