CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED THIRTY

Following the supply van back to the resort took less than a minute from where they were at the beach, but it still felt like ages given how their anxiety had shot through the roof over Hiroko's words.

"What could possibly be so important that my mom would drive all over town looking for us like this?" Yuri wondered nervously, "Or that any of them have been trying to get hold of us for an hour already."

"She must've just missed us leaving the house to come here." Viktor pointed out, "What a day for us to decide not to carry our phones around with us."

"Right? Yeesh..."

Viktor turned the car to park, but found it impossible to find a space. The entire, albeit small, parking lot for the resort was completely full.

"I wonder where all these people came from?" Yuri asked aloud, "Is there some holiday I don't know about?"

"Maybe abroad." The Russian offered, then suddenly feeling a pit in his stomach, "I hope Hiroko isn't asking us to come because of a bunch of fans. You'd think she'd know we want to be on our own for a little while."

"I think she knows that... I really doubt she'd let herself get convinced by anyone to actually leave YuTopia to go hunting us down. Maybe a phone call, but she'd give up if we didn't pick up."

"...Maybe the people you told off decided to quit messing around and just decided to show up, and your mom doesn't know they shouldn't be here?" Viktor worried, "We should just leave. She can call us at home and tell us what this is about, and then we can decide if we want to show up or not."

"Mnnnnhhhh..." Yuri grumbled anxiously, "We've already come here...it'd be really rude to just bail. Mom sent Minako-sensei and Mari-nee-chan out to help look for us. She'd never do that for something trivial like fans showing up. This has to be a really big deal, cuz otherwise she'd just schmooze the guests into staying overnight and get their hopes up to meet us when we stumble in on our own."

"I hope you're right."

"Do you want me to go in myself and scope the place out?" He offered, "I wouldn't be lying if I told them you couldn't find parking and that's why you're not with me. Then, if it's stupid, I can just come back outside and we'll leave."

Viktor nodded, and turned the car to pull onto the main street again, "I like that plan. I'll let you out in front of the resort."

Hiroko was standing outside waiting for them when the Audi pulled up, "What are you two waiting for!? Just park and get inside!"

"There's nowhere to park." Yuri protested, getting out and waving the car off to avoid blocking the road, "Viktor's sending me in to see what's up while he keeps looking."

"Oh just go in, there's a lot of suits wanting to talk to you boys." She followed, pushing her son through the main doorway, "Mostly to him! I'll wave him down the next time I see him stick his head out and just have him park here in the courtyard again."

"...Suits?" Yuri echoed, looking around. He stopped where he landed on the cow-hide throw rug, "Mom, who is here?"

Viktor made the same loop through the off-streets as before, pulling in to the parking lot of a pottery store just up the way from YuTopia. He clamped his fingers down over the steering wheel and glowered over his knuckles, looking as far down the road as he could. His eyes squinted against the morning light, "C'mon Yuri, come outside..."

"VIKTOR!"

"Čert!" He yelped in horrified surprise, banging his head on the roof of the car from the fright of it. As he reached up to rub his head, he spotted Minako and Mari there gaping at him, "...What in the world...? YOU SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME."

"Gomen gomen!" Minako mused, waving her hand, "Why does it look like you're hiding down here?"

"Might be because I am."

Makkachin and Jiro seemed happy to see the ladies, at any rate, trying to wiggle over the seats to get in front.

"Yuri went in ahead of me to see what was going on since mom decided not to really say anything." He explained, "If it's nothing, he was going to come back out and we were going to leave. He said he's been telling off the media for me, since I don't really want to talk to anyone about what happened. I just want to be left alone for a little while."

"Not right now, you don't." Minako said, looking rather devious, "I think you'll like who's here to see you."

"...Is that the singular 'you' or the plural?"

Minako blinked at him, but then smiled innocently, "Yes."

"Uugghh..." He banged his forehead against the back of his hands, still on the wheel.

"Viktoooorrrrr!" Yuri was suddenly yelling from down the road, running right out into the middle of it, heedless of traffic while he sought for the volcano-red car, "Viktoooorrrrr!"

"Oh, looks like Yuri just saw who it is." Mari pointed at her brother, "Better save him before he gets himself run over."

The Russian gaped, confused as all get-out. He turned the car off then and opened the driver's side door to exit. Makkachin hobbled out as gracelessly as an excited dog could, but Jiro waited patiently for Viktor to lean back inside and hoist him out. The door closed right after, and Viktor gave the two women something of a stern look, "This better be good. I'm really not in the mood for games."

"Just go see!" The ballerina shooed him off.

Viktor trotted across the main road with Jiro in his arms, Makkachin hopping along alongside him. Yuri spotted him and moved off to the side-walk as well, and the two hurried for each other. When they were finally close enough to talk again, Viktor was almost fit to be tied from the previous upset, but was trying to look calm, "What did you see?"

Yuri immediately put a hand onto each of his husband's shoulders and stared at him squarely, "Remember when I came out onto the onsen in a big hurry and screamed when I realized it was you there?"

"Of course."

"Well it happened again, just not in the onsen, and...uh, well, not you, but someone similarly important."

"Please start making sense." Viktor pleaded, "Who is here?"

"The same people who let you do the opening ceremonies at NHK."

That caught Viktor by surprise, and his brow furrowed, more from anxious concern than anything else, "Show me."

.

Shoes and coats were put away, and socks slid silently along the hardwood floors of the resort. There was a strange sort of hush that had descended on YuTopia Katsuki, and it made Viktor a little nervous. He held Jiro close to his chest as they all moved towards the common room, but for once, the doors were closed, and they paused just outside.

"Here, let me have Jiro," Yuri offered, moving to take the pup, "You'll squish him otherwise."

"Why do I feel like I'm in trouble again?" Viktor sighed.

"I don't really know what they want, but I can guess." Yuri added, "Let's just go in. It's not a media trap."

"Promise?"

Yuri stood straighter, "I swear on my life, there isn't a single camera in the room...that I know of."

The anxious silver legend made a face at him, but there wasn't much else that could be done. He drew a breath, and reached for the handle to the door, sliding the panel across. What he saw within made his heart leap into his throat; a group of nearly fifteen different people, all wearing business attire and looking rather professional. Many he recognized, some he thought he did but wasn't sure...a handful he could've sworn he'd seen rather recently.

"Viktor Nikiforov-san." The group leader said, bowing, with the rest doing the same thing immediately after.

The Russian wasn't sure if he was even breathing, so he half-choked as he forced himself to draw air. He pat his chest in embarrassment, but finally stepped into the room, Yuri following just beside him. Yuri bowed despite the puppy in his grasp, and Viktor felt obligated to do the same, though he felt a bit awkward doing it.

"Please, come sit." The leader said, gesturing her hand to a pair of kneeling cushions on the other side of one of the common room's tables.

The entire room had been rearranged, Viktor realized. Where there used to be several tables lines up in front of the television, there was now only one, and all the sitting spots had been moved around to accommodate the fifteen people who were sitting at the head of the room, with the one table in the middle before them, and the two cushions to face them. Swallowing nervously, Viktor took the few steps forward, and went down to his knees on the place set for him, with Yuri joining him on his left.

"We apologize for coming so abruptly." The woman continued, "And I am sorry to not have met you personally before. I am Keiko Hashimoto. I serve as part of the House of Councilors for the Liberal Democratic Party and am the presiding President of the Japanese Skating Federation." She bowed her head as she said so, and Viktor felt obliged to return it, "I did the Japanese pronouncement at the NHK opening ceremonies. You may remember me from there."

Viktor chanced a glance to his side, but Yuri had his attention focused forward, so he looked back again as well.

"It came to our attention rather suddenly, that you have recently been released from your obligations to our counterparts in Moscow."

It hurt to hear the words, but Viktor nodded, "It's true, Madame President."

"We understand that this was an unexpected situation for you." She continued, "We apologize for taking so long to reach out to you. We had to confirm that what happened was correct before we could pursue this avenue. It would be insincere if we were to approach you while you were still skating for the RSF."

Hurt changed to confusion, but Viktor didn't dare interrupt.

"But we are all very well aware of your athletic history and your decorated status. It's been quite the treat for you to come all the way here to Hasetsu, to offer your experience and significant talents to one of our own." The President gestured across the table to Yuri, and Jiro yipped like he thought the attention was for him, which made her smile, "Katsuki Yuri..." She started, "And now, Yuri Nikiforov. It's been quite the pleasure to watch you rise so high."

"Arigatou gozaimasu." He bowed his head deeply, nearly whacking his forehead against the table in the process.

"Tell me, Nikiforov-san." The President continued, turning her eyes back to the Russian, "If not for this turn of events, how long had you planned to continue skating?"

"...I...thought about going again next year." He answered simply.

"So the Olympics were on your radar then."

"Sort of." Viktor explained, "I was conflicted. I wanted to compete, but I knew that if I did, I would be apart from Yuri and I wouldn't be able to support him as his coach, since I would be competing for Russia, a rival nation. Because of that, I had considered declining any invitation I might've gotten to represent Russia at the Winter Games, so I could be by Yuri's side."

"That's quite the thing to have to think about," The President supposed, "Turning down the chance to defend your titles as an Olympic Champion so you could help someone else become an Olympian for the first time."

"Someone from another country, too." Viktor added, "I imagine the RSF wasn't happy about the idea. I'm sure they would've preferred that I be coach to Yuri Plisetsky instead."

"Indeed. Well..." The President turned to the side, and reached her hands for a bundle that was offered by one of her large entourage. It was white, and wrapped in plastic, but Viktor couldn't tell what it was. Keiko held it in both of her hands, and looked straight at the Russian, "What if you could compete at your husband's side instead of against him?"

"...Eh?" Yuri couldn't help but utter, bringing his hands up to his mouth rather quickly. Jiro slipped from his grasp for only a second before Yuri wrangled him up again.

Viktor lifted his head in surprise, "I don't...understand. I'm sorry."

The package was raised across the table, and presented to the stunned coach, "Nikiforov-san, I would like to formally invite you to represent the Japan at the Winter Olympics, and to participate as a member of the Japanese Skating Federation to any and all future figure skating competitions, both domestic and abroad, that you see fit to attend."

He was completely stunned, eyes going from the immaculately professional woman sitting across from him to the plastic-wrapped package she was offering. He lifted his shaking hands, and took the item into his grasp, bowing his head as he saw her doing the same, and then pulled the item closer to his side of the table. Slate eyes looked aside to Yuri again, seeking some kind of explanation, like he couldn't believe the words at face value. He moved his hands then to undo the packaging, and pulled out the garment within, peeling away the protective paper that was wrapped around it. What appeared beneath it was a white mottled runner jacket, with a black zipper down the middle, a small crest for the Mizuno logo on the left, and on the right...vertically-aligned letters spelling out JAPAN in black text, next to a line gradient of red to white, with a small Japanese flag emblem to the right of that.

Viktor stared at it like it was something entirely unseen before, and he was entirely unsure what to say. Mercifully, a distraction was offered to help him take a moment to organize his chaotic thoughts.

"Yuri Nikiforov-san," The President's voice started again, "It's my privilege to offer you this invitation as well." She held a second package in her hand, and offered it across the top of the table.

Yuri was taken aback, and he looked around frantically for a pair of hands to put the puppy into. Minako was quick to notice and crouched down behind him, nabbing the pup before he had to ask. Relieved, he went back to the package, and gratefully took it with a bow of his head, "It would be my honor to represent Japan at the Winter Olympics, Madame President." He turned his eyes to where his partner was still staring at his own jacket, "Viktor?"

"...Our honor." He said, finally lifting his gaze. The reality of what was happening had finally dawned on him, "It...would be our honor to represent Japan."

Clapping immediately answered him, and the entire common room was filled with excitement.

Viktor turned his face to look at his spouse, and let go of the jacket only long enough to reach for Yuri's hand instead. To his shock, and delight, Yuri bowled him over in an excited hug, and kissed him right there in front of everyone. That just got the dogs and family going, and they cheered even louder from where they'd all been watching from the background. When Yuri finally relented and let his husband back up again, Viktor was still shocked, needing help just to sit up straight again. His face was flushed in rare shade of pink, but he managed to unfurl the jacket and slipped his arms inside it to see how it felt. He looked to Yuri again then, just to ground himself, but his eyes started to fill with tears anyway, especially since Yuri was now wearing his own jacket as well. For the first time in days though, they were happy tears, and he pulled his partner close again before they got away from him, "We're going to the Olympics...!"

Yuri put his arms over the Russian's shoulders again eagerly, holding him near, "And we're competing for the same team!"

"This is like some kind of dream..." Viktor added, lifting his head from where he'd pressed his brow to his husband's neck and shoulder, looking into those thrilled cherry-hazel eyes, "I don't know what to say..."

"Welcome to Team Japan." The President said in his place, getting the room to start quieting down again. She bowed forward again, and the entourage behind her did the same.

The two skaters pulled apart to sit properly next to each other, and they bowed in response, "Arigatou."