Even once she returned to Detroit, Yuuri was a wreck. She couldn't stop replaying the moments she remembered between her and Victor, stuck between analyzing her awkward behavior on a loop and rehashing Victor in all his half-naked glory. And things still weren't great between her and Phichit. Her roommate had begun to talk to her again, but he seemed closed off. This was a shame, because now more than ever, Yuuri needed someone to confide in.

Celestino seemed to notice that something was off and began to switch things up in practice, focusing more on basic technique instead of the jumps that Yuuri knew he was itching to correct after her mistakes at the final. He'd done this in the past when she seemed emotionally frazzled and he thought that he needed to build up her confidence. It bothered her how true this was, but she appreciated the thought. Honestly, it was times like these that she wondered how Celestino didn't seem to realize that she was a girl. How could he be so perceptive and yet so ignorant at the same time?

She retreated further into herself the more her coach kept trying to bring up the idea of next year. Yuuri didn't want to discuss possible themes for next year, but that didn't stop him from suggesting a few every day, some joking, and some actually worth consideration.

It was the end of practice, and as Yuuri turned to head out the door, her coach shouted out a few more suggestions.

"Selflessness? Togetherness? Strength?"

Yuuri latched onto the second one. She had been feeling so lonely lately. When was the last time that she really felt like she belonged somewhere?

Her mind traveled back to her last family dinner, just enjoying katsudon with her parents and sister. Was it really four years ago now? She hadn't really kept in touch as well as she should have, and she admitted that part of the reason was her need to hide her true gender in order to keep competing. She couldn't tell her parents to watch her on television, and she had tried her best since high school not to let on that she was still skating at all. They thought that she was simply in Detroit for college. Admittedly, this whole deception was made far easier by the fact that her family was so technologically illiterate, but Yuuri felt a surge of guilt followed by a surge of purpose. She knew what she was going to do next!

She ran and hugged Celestino, excitedly thanking him in a flurry of words that she was pretty sure weren't actually intelligible, before she ran out the door, eager to get packing. She was going to head home to Hasetsu and then see where that took her. It would be the perfect way to get out of her slump and come back refreshed and ready to try again!

Back at her room, Yuuri went online and booked a ticket to Japan for the next day before hurrying to pack up all the things she would need. Skates, skating clothes, check. Normal clothing? Yuuri realized that she had very little female clothing, but she chucked it all into her bag before throwing some of her day-to-day stuff on top. Her parents probably wouldn't ask questions anyways, and she still had some of her old, girly stuff back at home, unless her parents had cleared out her room. She threw in some toiletries and zipped up her suitcase. Looking at the time on her phone, she realized that it was the middle of the night back home. She'd call later, then.

Phichit looked surprised to see her so happy when she emerged from her room, and he raised a questioning eyebrow. She grinned.

"I'm going home!"

The next day, Yuuri was a bundle of nerves. She called the inn, only for Mari to pick up.

"Hello, this is Yu-topia Katsuki, Hasetsu. How can I help you?"

"Mari? It's me, Yuuri."

There was silence on the other end, and Yuuri wasn't quite sure what to say. Mari quickly began to scream at her and though Yuuri only caught parts of it, she got the general message: Why the hell haven't you called home sooner? Yuuri spent a minute on a rambling apology before she remembered to tell her sister than not only was she calling home, but she was coming home. Her sister couldn't pretend to be angry with her anymore, and quickly put her mother on the line. Her parents were so excited that Yuuri was finally calling them again, and even coming home! Though she was so happy in the moment, it made her feel immensely guilty. She hadn't even really given much thought to any of them while she had been caught up in her skating career, which was unfair because they had been the ones who got her started. Her mom, dad, Mari, and even Vicchan (how could she have forgotten about Vicchan?).

Yuuri went to sleep uneasily that night, kept awake by the heady cocktail of guilty and excitement that pooled in the pit of her stomach.

Her alarm clock came all too soon the next morning, and Yuuri consoled herself with the idea that she could sleep on the airplane. She got dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, putting on her girly glasses and a headband and hoping that nobody would ask any questions as she went back to Japan, where people might be more likely to put a face to her name. And that would be doubly true in Hasetsu; what if people had figured it all out? There was a reason that she had avoided returning for a while, after all.

She had a lot of time to think over the results of her choice while she waited in line for luggage check and then security, but not a lot of time at all before boarding when she finally made it to the other side. She arrived at the gate as boarding was starting, but that wasn't a huge issue because it wasn't as if she was flying business class. She sat down in her middle seat in the middle of the plane and buckled her seatbelt when she was told. Japan (and Hasetsu!), watch out; Katsuki Yuuri was back, for better or for worse.