A/N: Hello, guys. First of all, I'm terribly sorry for the extremely late update for Chapter 3. A lot of things are keeping me busy and when I did have time to write, I got writer's block so many times that I kept re-editing everything I've written before.

Nevertheless, I want to confirm something that has been asked by a couple of readers before: I will not drop this story. I know I can't guarantee that the next update will come fast, but one thing for sure is that I'm going to continue this fic until the last chapter.

That said, I apologize once again to have keep you waiting. I'll try to find more time to write, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this update.

Thank you very much for reading my fic. :)

With a sword
I wish I could cut those throats singing about love
I wish I could enclose in ice
The hands that write those verses of burning passion

This story that has no meaning
Will vanish tonight together with the stars

A scrap of crumpled paper fell to the floor.

There was another one falling afterwards. And another…and another…until the small room that was supposed to be a private studio looked as if it had been changed into a garbage bin to dump discarded papers.

Sitting on the desk was supposed to be the world's phenomenal composer, Viktor Nikiforov. At this moment, however, he looked nothing like the grandiose, magnificent figure that people were accustomed to see on stage. His silver hair was unkempt; his shirt was messy and looked as if it had been worn all day long. His hand kept writing notes after notes on the manuscript pad, but at the same time he kept tearing the pages off and tossed them away to the floor, crumpled and completely ruined.

He had been engrossed in it for hours, and yet after discarding the last sheet of paper, the young Russian let out a frustrated groan as he threw himself on top of the desk.

"I can't do this."

Viktor took a brief glance from his arm. His faithful violin was there, cold and useless, leaning against the wall for its owner had left it there since hours ago. It was the only thing Viktor could do to prevent himself from slamming the instrument to the floor out of frustration. Of course, before attempting to write down notes on the manuscript pad, he had tried playing random melodies on the violin in hope they might turn into good music. It was what he had always done most of the times after all, allowing his inspiration and instinct to take over his body, giving birth to masterpiece after masterpiece over the years.

And yet this time, not only did he fail to find the right melodies, but forcing himself to create one only served to make him sick of hearing the sound of violin – or any other musical instruments in that matter.

"I should not have accepted Chris' offer. Now I'll just end up disappointing everyone."

A doorbell ring brought him back from his self-deprecating. Makkachin's cheerful barks could be heard from outside, and Viktor had no choice but to lazily drag himself out of his studio. While crossing the living room, he caught the sight of his poodle already sprinting to the front door, scratching at the wooden texture.

"Now, now, Makkachin, calm down. You're going to scare our guests, whoever they are," he cast a gentle smile at his four-legged companion. To his words, the poodle made a small whimper before sitting down on the floor, wagging his tail when the Russian playfully patted his head.

Just like that, Viktor turned the knob and pulled the door open.

"Hi, Viktor! Long time no see—Ugh, you look terrible!"

"Oh, hello, Mila and Georgi. It's been awhile."

Having no excuse to explain his unusually pathetic appearance, Viktor could only smile as he made way for his two guests to come in. The first was a young girl with vivid red hair and blue eyes, while the other a black-haired older man who was about the same age as him. He had known them for several years, even before he left Yakov's orchestra and became independent. Obviously, since the two of them were also part of the entourage. Although Mila and Georgi could both play a couple of musical instruments, however, they were in a different group than that of the violinist.

"Good grief, Viktor. We haven't seen each other for months and when we finally do, you look like you just woke up from a bad sleep," Georgi commented with a sigh, "Were you pulling an all-nighter?"

"I apologize for this messy getup, but yes, you're right," the silver-haired chuckled, "Come on in, you two. Let's not talk on the doorway."

He led his former colleagues to the living room and offered them coffee. Before long, the three of them already settled on the comfortable sofa, each sipping on their warm drink until Mila finally decided to strike a conversation.

"So this is where you'll be staying in Moscow," she said while sweeping her gaze around, "It looks somewhat similar to your place in St. Petersburg, doesn't it?"

"Let's just say it makes me feel closer to home, although I couldn't really hear the sound of seagulls around here," replied the violinist, then he shrugged his shoulders with an apologetic smile, "I'm really sorry for showing you guys this unsightly side of me. I'd planned to visit everyone in Bolshoi one of these days, but you beat me to it."

"It's quite alright. We just returned from practice ourselves when Georgi remembered that you're staying around this area," Mila said, "That, and since we will be working together again for the next months, I think it's not too bad to surprise the maestro who would compose new songs for us. Don't you think so, Georgi?"

"Well, it's always a pleasure working together with an old friend, but I heard the current project's a bit different from usual?" asked the older man, "Yakov said it's a musical theatre written by Director Giacometti."

"That's right. Chris and his team already decided on the main casts, but I proposed that both Yakov's orchestra and choir should be involved. The overall theme is a classic, so I figured having the choir's support will add to that feeling," Viktor leaned forward, smiling while resting his elbows on his knees, "I'll be counting on you guys to become the voice of my lyrics."

"If you said it like that, it would be an honor for us," the red-haired giggled happily, "Oh, by the way, have you heard about Yuri?"

"Yuri?"

"Yuri Plisetsky. Who else?" replied Mila as she frowned, "Do you remember he won first place in last year's International Music Competition? Recently, he's become an official member of Yakov's orchestra."

"Ah, about that… He's been terrorizing me ever since to fulfill my promise."

"What promise?" Georgi cast him a questioning look.

"To compose a music piece exclusively for him. I promise I'd do it if he won first place in that competition," Viktor laughed, "But that's great. If he's already in the orchestra, I could probably compose one for a specific scene in Chris' musical and let Yuri plays solo on that part."

"It would be wonderful, as long as you don't make him play solo during JJ's part," said Mila with a mischievous smile, "Or maybe you could try it. I'm sure it's going to be interesting."

"Don't listen to her, Viktor. The kid will murder you if he knows about this."

Georgi's words were welcomed by a hearty laugh from the other two. It was happy news for Viktor, nonetheless, to hear that one of his juniors had started to show such promising development. After all, he, too, used to compete in the same events for many years during his younger days. There had never been an occasion where he didn't become a finalist, and of course, in most of those occasions the first place always went to him. Although it wasn't his intention to brag, the violinist wouldn't deny that he was quite proud of it.

"Have they decided when and where this year's competition will be held?" he asked.

"I forgot the date, but I recall Yakov saying it will be six months from now, in December," replied Georgi, "And as for the venue, apparently it's been decided that Moscow is going to be the host this year."

"That's interesting. If it's in December, then the selection must've started already."

It has," Mila said, "The professors have recently screened the students to choose who are to be sent to the Russian preliminary next month. Yuri will also be there, of course, but he will be representing his own school."

"Oh? And who will be the representative of our conservatory?"

"You will be surprised to hear it's not a Russian this time."

At the red-haired's remark, Viktor raised his brows. While their conservatory had indeed been housing many foreign students, it was extremely rare for the said foreign students to be appointed for an event of this level. Obviously, since talent wasn't the only category used for the screening. But still that did not mean not a single foreign student had ever been chosen. There were some, and they were really outstanding musicians. To think that another had been selected this year, this student must've had extraordinary talent.

"You look surprised, Viktor," Georgi chuckled in amusement, "But I was showing the same reaction when Yakov told us about it earlier."

"Well, it was something unexpected, even to me," the violinist seemed a little embarrassed as he scratched the side of his face awkwardly, "Out of curiosity, do you guys happen to know who this amazing student is?"

"I'm not sure if you know him, but it's a Japanese," replied Mila, "I've shared a few classes with him. His name is Yuuri Katsuki."

A string of melodies; the sound of piano were streaming from a certain chamber in the conservatory. It wasn't necessarily happy or sad, but the tunes were calming enough for whoever listening to them to enjoy.

Viktor was walking through the corridor on the first floor. There weren't a lot of students roaming around at this time of the day; most likely they were all attending classes with their respective professors. The atmosphere felt pleasantly serene, and the further he stepped forward, the clearer those melodies sounded. He didn't need any guide to find the source of the music and before long, the Russian had arrived in front of the music room.

"Now this feels like a déjà vu, isn't it?"

The Russian smiled to himself. Again, inside was a young Japanese man, playing the black grand piano. He did not seem to realize that another person had entered the room. Even when Viktor was standing only a few meters away from him, the pianist continued to recite notes after notes as his fingers skillfully treaded on the keys. Viktor had thought of this since the first time they met; this man was so ordinary that he could not point even one distinct feature of him.

And yet ironically, the sight of the black-haired playing the piano in this room dominated in white had burnt itself into his mind that Viktor could never get it out of his head.

"…Was that an original piece, too?"

The violinist asked casually after the younger man removed his hands from the monochrome keys. It was a normal question, but apparently the Japanese was indeed way too engrossed in his play that he jumped from his seat; his brown eyes went wide upon seeing the maestro standing beside him. Viktor chuckled as he tried to calm him down.

"There's nothing to be surprised about. It's just me, Viktor Nikiforov," he said with a smile, "This is the second time we meet, Yuuri. Are you doing well?"

The Japanese nodded shyly. He seemed to be fiddling with his fingers, looking up at the older man before him only to cast his eyes down again in nervousness. Viktor thought he looked cute. Even though Yuuri didn't say anything, for some reason he could sort of tell what he was thinking and the violinist felt strangely amused.

"I heard from a friend that you have been chosen to represent us in the preliminary competition. Congratulations, Yuuri," Viktor offered him a handshake, to which the younger man timidly responded to; his face turning even redder, "The piece you played just now… It was different from the one I heard back then. Were you the one who composed them?"

Again, Yuuri nodded, only this time it seemed that he was anxious about something. Perhaps it was because he found him playing those songs in secret, Viktor guessed. But having no other way to prove his assumption, the Russian decided to put it to test.

"I only heard you playing those songs when I was passing by coincidence, but I must say I enjoyed listening to them. They sound really nice, you know?" the Russian smiled, "Do you come here often? Would you mind if I drop by again to listen to your music?"

To his words, the pianist's face brightened in both surprise and excitement. So it was true… This guy was probably worried he might say the songs were bad or something along that line. He didn't ask for his opinion, however, and jumped straight to that conclusion. In a sense, somehow it felt rather sad. Someone with this much talent shouldn't be having so little confidence in himself.

"I wonder what I could do to motivate him?"

Viktor had no idea why such a thought emerged in his mind. This person was a stranger to him after all. Nevertheless, at the same time he saw the younger man taking out a cell phone from his chest pocket, typing something before hesitantly showing it to him.

["I only come here whenever I don't have classes or assignment, so I can't give you an exact time."] was what written on the display ["But if it's not too much trouble, I will be very happy if you come again."]

"Of course. I will be staying in Moscow for awhile, so I'll make sure to visit whenever I'm free," Viktor replied almost immediately, "Also, Yakov allows me to borrow the instruments in this room if the students are not using it, so I guess I really would be coming here pretty often."

The black-haired tilted his head; a look of confusion was clear in his eyes. At first, Viktor wasn't sure if he should tell him what he was working on since this guy was technically an outsider in their project. However, something inside him said that it would be alright to let Yuuri knew.

"Are you familiar with the name 'Christophe Giacometti'?" he asked, and the Japanese nodded in affirmation, "Recently, he invited me to join a new project of his. It's a musical theater, and he wanted me to compose songs for the performance. Yakov— I mean, Professor Feltsman is also part of our team."

Yuuri seemed to be brimming with curiosity. He started typing another response into his cell phone, visibly correcting typos here and there as his fingers were moving too fast.

["When is the musical going to premiere? Would it be in Moscow?"]

"I can't give you a precise date yet because we're still just starting, but I'll let you know if something comes up. And yes, it's going to premiere at Bolshoi," Viktor laughed, "Are you interested to watch the show, Yuuri?"

The younger man nodded vigorously. It was funny; for awhile now Viktor had been having this impression that Yuuri might be the quiet, gloomy kind of person. He didn't expect the black-haired would get excited over something like this, but it wasn't a bad thing either. Just earlier today, he was losing more and more motivation about working on the music for Chris' project, and yet knowing that there was someone out there so looking forward to it, the composer thought he could at least try a little harder for this guy's sake.

"And here I was, thinking what I could do to motivate him. He ends up to be the one giving me motivation instead."

Unconsciously, a smile was drawn on the violinist's face. He only came to realize it when Yuuri stared at him with a questioning look, but even then his smile didn't vanish. On the contrary, a sudden idea rose to his mind and he decided to bring it up.

"Yuuri, while we're here, let's play a song together," he said, "What do you have in mind? Waltz? Jazz? Anything is fine, actually. I'm not that picky of a person."

Being asked something like that out of the blue, the younger man became so baffled he ended up standing frozen in place. He looked like he had a lot of things he wanted to ask, but his hands holding the cell phone remained stiff that only his brown eyes expressed the countless questions he had for the older man. Viktor only grinned wide in response, however, and approached the startled pianist nonchalantly, holding his shoulders and made him sat down on the piano chair. Like that, he circled his arms around the Japanese from the back, resting his chin on top of those strands of black hair.

"Wow, I can feel your heart beating so loud through your clothes," he laughed, obviously making the younger man even more flustered, "Try naming a song, Yuuri. You can pick anything you like and I'll try to adjust to your tempo."

He could feel the black-haired quivering in his arms, nervous and confused. Viktor didn't plan on letting him go, however, but at the same time it wasn't his intention to tease him either. Hugging him closer, the Russian whispered into the other's ear, this time with a more reassuring voice.

"Do you have anything in mind?" he asked, "Don't worry. Take your time and pick a song that you like best."

To his question, Yuuri looked back at him; his hesitant eyes seemed as if they were saying "Are you sure about this?". The Russian laughed softly. Nodding in confirmation, he made a small distance between them, and yet his hands were still placed on the younger man's shoulders. Yuuri took a long, deep breath, turning to face the piano and after a brief pause, put his fingers on the piano keys again.

A string of melodies began to stream throughout the room.

"…?!"

"…Is it not good?" – that question appeared to be written all over the Japanese's face as he halted his performance at once, turning back with an anxious face. Realizing that Yuuri had misunderstood his reaction, the violinist immediately responded.

"Oh, no, no. That's not it," Viktor shook his head, "I was just surprised you pick that song."

["Do you prefer a different piece?"] Yuuri wrote on his cell phone.

"No, this is fine," the Russian smiled to him, resting his chin on the other's head like before, "Actually, I'm quite curious to hear your version of this score. Could you please play it again?"

Despite the brief pause, eventually Yuuri nodded and placed his hands on the black and white keys once more. Just like that, for the second time, a flow of melodies resounded throughout the room.

— The Lilac Fairy

The strongest of the six fairies invited by King Florestan XXIV and his Queen on the Christening day of their baby daughter, Princess Aurora. Beauty, courage, sweetness, musical talent and mischief – all these virtues were bestowed on the child as gifts from the good fairies. However, just as the Lilac Fairy was about to give her blessing, there was a clap of thunder and the entire palace grew dark.

Carabosse, the evil fairy, arrived in fury for not being invited to the Christening. She placed a curse on the infant, that on her sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a swindle and die. Nevertheless, the Lilac Fairy intervened. Albeit not having a power strong enough to undo the curse, she was able to alter it. Instead of dying, the princess would fall into a peaceful slumber. And after a hundred years, she would then be woken up by a kiss from a handsome prince.

The score, created by a renowned Russian composer, was part of one of the world's most famous ballets – The Sleeping Beauty, which consisted of a Prologue and Three Acts. "The Lilac Fairy" was in the Prologue, and far before the ballet was first performed in 1890, the story of "The Sleeping Beauty" itself had become a tale known to all.

Of course, Viktor was also more than just familiar with this fairytale, but it wasn't the reason why he was so taken aback upon knowing that the younger man chose "The Lilac Fairy" as their first incidental duet.

Why, this was the score he performed on that day eleven years ago, the day he claimed a golden trophy that marked the beginning of his musical career.

"…Keep playing," he gently whispered to the black-haired while slowly distancing himself, letting go of those thin shoulders he'd been holding. There were many other instruments in that room aside of the grand piano, but it was obvious to which instrument his decision would fall. Without wasting another second, Viktor took up one of the violins, returning to the younger man's side and placed his bow on the strings.

A mellow, tender melody then blended in with the lone piano tunes.

"It feels so long since I last played this score…"

He could not help but feel nostalgic. That day, in Vienna's Musikverein, on the stage of the Golden Hall, his younger self was performing this piece in front of hundreds audience and the juries. They were expecting a flawless performance from him, and a flawless performance was what he delivered to them. He was certain of his victory, that his music would surely surprise those watching him on the stage. The "Viktor Nikiforov" from that day was still so full of inspiration, so full of dreams that whenever he took up his bow and violin, he could never wait to bring out more and more new songs for all to hear.

Compared to that time, seeing himself right now almost felt like a joke.

He kept creating songs after songs, attempting to please the countless admirers he had gathered for himself over the years. But in the end, none of those really matter. Because what good would it do, if by the end of the day, there was just him and his drying well of inspiration?

"When I approach a music like a new beginning, I know I will surely be able to surprise everyone. But does that mean…I can only find new strength on my own?"

Viktor cast his eyes down. He thought his heart had become lighter when he started to engage in this duet, but that was proven to be wrong. Although he kept playing his violin until the last note, the sound of the instrument felt somewhat empty that he had no idea why he started all this in the first place. It was just like last night; if the song were to last even a bit longer, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to keep playing until the end.

And yet those thoughts shattered immediately when he lifted his face, looking at the sight waiting right in front of him.

"…Yuuri?"

What he saw before him was none other than the young pianist who had been his duet partner in the past few minutes due to his whimsical request. The Japanese appeared startled at first, fiddling with his fingers as his cheeks flushed in red and his eyes looking down in embarrassment. He still looked the same; an ordinary black hair, an ordinary pair of glasses, a rather old-fashioned set of clothes that left no distinct impression on others. But when he lifted his face then, his expression was painted with a smile.

So genuine was that smile, that Viktor could barely realize how it had moved his heart if not for a little bit.

"Amazing! I've never heard a duet like this."

A sudden applause broke the silence between them. A male student was standing by the door, clapping his hands with a look of amazement beaming all over his face. His appearance was rather unique; natural tanned skin, black hair and dark eyes – just like those coming from tropical countries in Southeast Asia. He appeared friendly, nonetheless, as he approached the two of them with a smile.

"I'm really sorry to bother. I was looking for Yuuri when I heard a lovely song coming from this direction," he said, "I thought it was a recording. To think that the two of you were the ones performing it… That was so beautiful!"

"Why, thank you for the compliment. Glad to hear that you enjoyed listening to our little performance," replied Viktor as he then turned to the pianist beside him, "Is this a friend of yours, Yuuri?"

["Yes. He is my roommate."] to his question, the Japanese nodded and typed those words as an answer. He smiled to the other student, waving his hand as he arrived in front of them.

"Hello, my name is Phichit Chulanont. Yuuri and I share the same room in the dormitory. Pleased to meet you, Viktor," he said cheerfully.

"The pleasure is mine. I'm terribly sorry for monopolizing your friend," replied the Russian with a kind smile, "I hope I wasn't bothering any of your activities?"

"Don't worry about it. As his friend, I'm happy that Yuuri finally gets to meet his idol. He has been admiring you for a very long time."

"Is that so…?"

"Yes! You see, a couple of weeks ago when he met you for the first time, Yuuri was so happy that he started to—Mmpffhh?!"

["PHICHIT, STOP!"]

Before they knew it, the Japanese had sprung from his seat, face beet red all the way to his ears. He muffled the other student's mouth with one hand, while the other hand was holding his cell phone with those words written in bold capital letters. Nevertheless, even though he nearly choked on his own breath, the student named Phichit appeared to be grinning wide from ear to ear. He barely seemed to have any regret, which was understandable, Viktor thought.

After all, Yuuri's reaction was quite priceless.

"I see. So you're a fan of mine, Yuuri. That's really an honor," the violinist said, winking purposely towards the panicking younger man, "Would you like to take a commemorative photo?"

"Go for it, Yuuri! It's not every day you get a chance to take a picture with Viktor Nikiforov."

Being attacked from both sides, the pianist furiously shook his head. By this time, his face had turned so red that Viktor was afraid he might start blowing smokes from his head. As funny as it seemed, perhaps it was time to show some mercy.

"Well, it's alright. Just let me know if you feel like taking a picture, okay?" he chuckled happily before turning at the other student, "So… Phichit, was it? You were looking for Yuuri, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Phichit clasped his hands, looking at his still flustered roommate, "Yuuri, I have a message from Celestino. He said he wants to talk to you and he'll be waiting in his office."

["About what?"] replied the Japanese, showing his friend the display of his phone with a confused face.

"It's about next week's charity concert. He's talked to Leo and Guang Hong earlier and just needs to confirm a few things with you."

Yuuri nodded in response. In the meantime, Viktor threw a curious look at the two students.

"Pardon my interruption, but… This 'Celestino' you're talking about, could he be Celestino Cialdini?" he asked.

"Right, that's his name. Do you know him, Viktor?" Phichit turned at him, seemingly surprised.

"I've never been in his classes before, but yes I know him. He started teaching in this conservatory around the time I was on my second year," the Russian smiled. However, he then peered at Yuuri's face with a secretive smile, to which the younger man became quickly overwhelmed by confusion again. "And? What is this talk about charity concert, Yuuri? You never mention anything like that to me before."

["I thought…you wouldn't be interested."] replied the black-haired timidly.

"If you're going to perform in it, of course I will be very much interested to attend," Viktor playfully smacked him on the back before turning at the other student, "May I know when and where this concert will take place? If you don't mind, that is."

"No, no, we don't mind at all! It's would be amazing to have Viktor Nikiforov visiting our small event," Phichit said with a delighted smile, "Do you know that public park nearby? We will be there next Saturday starting from nine in the morning."

"I see. I'll make sure to keep my schedule open on that day."

He noticed the Japanese staring at him with an indescribable look. Either Yuuri did not expect him to be interested to come, or the pianist might be thinking about something he could not yet understand. Viktor returned his look with a smile, and in a kind voice, he asked the younger man.

"What is it, Yuuri? Is something the matter?"

["You will come?"] hesitantly, Yuuri showed him those words. Only those three words, but it was impossible to mistake how his brown eyes glistening behind those glasses. Not in excitement or happiness, but in anticipation and worry, as if he was preparing himself to hear the worst.

"...Of course I will. It's a promise."

Viktor told him those words, only those words, and yet it was all it took to bring the smile back to the younger man's face. He had lost count how many times the color of red had painted Yuuri's pale cheeks, but this time Viktor knew it wasn't embarrassment that turned him so.

"How could he become so happy just with this?"

"Yuuri, Celestino is waiting for you, you know?" Phichit's laugh broke the momentary silence between them, "I know you're happy that Viktor's going to watch your performance, but you shouldn't keep your instructor's waiting."

"Ahh… Now this one's a face of embarrassment" – was what Viktor thought upon seeing the Japanese flinched at his friend's teasing, abruptly collecting his belongings and putting them all into his bag. He stood up at once and seemed to be ready to sprint towards the door. However, Yuuri stopped after only one step, looking back at him with those brown eyes of his flickering again.

There were no words said, but Viktor understood what he meant to convey.

"See you next Saturday, Yuuri," he smiled, and the next thing he saw was the pianist's expression of relief before he jogged away and left the music room. Viktor watched him until that shy figure disappeared from his sight.

"…Will you really come?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean anything bad by that," Phichit quickly corrected his remark. The student looked like he was trying to tell him something, but unable to find the right words to say so. Scratching the back of his head, he looked at the Russian again. "I mean, it's just that… I haven't seen Yuuri this happy in awhile, so…"

"Are you worried that I may break my promise?"

"No, well… Yes… I guess, a little bit…" with the cheerful smile now gone from his face, Phichit averted his eyes, seemingly conflicted, "A lot of students here are your fans, Viktor. I'm also one of them, so I'm sure everyone's going to be happy to see you visiting a small event we organized. But Yuuri… Yuuri is different."

"What do you mean?" the Russian tilted his head.

"Sorry if I'm confusing you. What I mean to say is… This is Yuuri's last year in this conservatory, so I want him to have as much fun as possible. You coming to our concert would mean so much for him."

"Of course, I will come. I won't go back on my own words," the violinist said. He saw Phichit's expression gradually becoming one of relief as the student brightened once again. However, still Viktor did not miss the slight bitterness in his smile when the black-haired said his next words.

"Thank you so much, Viktor. I'm really happy to hear that," he replied, and then the younger man let out a soft laugh, casting his dark eyes to the floor and mumbling as if there was something running in his mind that he would not reveal. "With this, I hope… I hope I won't get to see Yuuri's sad face again."

"Phichit?"

"Ah, no, never mind," the student shook his head once again and showed him his usual friendly smile, "Thank you again, Viktor. Looking forward to see you at the concert."

With that said, Phichit bid him farewell and trotted away after his friend. Viktor could only stare at his back until the black-haired, too, could no longer be seen after he stepped out of the door. But even though he was now left by himself, the words murmured by that student earlier remained ringing in his ears.

"I don't think Yuuri has any more room left for another disappointment."

Note: "The Lilac Fairy" was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In "Yuri! on Ice", young Viktor Nikiforov skated to this program during the Junior World Championship, wearing the "Eros" costume. Young Yuuri Katsuki was first introduced to Viktor by Yuuko Nishigori when they saw this program on TV at Hasetsu's Ice Castle.