The Art Space Bar Buena, Tokyo. 10:35pm.

It was snowing.

"Yuuri!" called Phichit, catching his attention. His meltdown earlier had put Phichit on high alert, and he'd suggested they not play. Yuuri, on the other hand, knew they had to finish what they started.

"Hey! Where'd you run off to?" Phichit coughed; he'd just run through the crowd at full steam.

"I didn't think it would be this crowded!" Yuuri yelled over the loud live music, either ignoring Phichit's question or just not hearing it. Phichit nodded.

"Neither did I! It really is crowded!" He remarked loudly. The announcer said the competition would start at eleven, but Yuuri and the band were required to be there earlier. The competition had an opening band, which was playing at this time, and Yuuri was doing his best to pay attention. Phichit was making this difficult. Yuuri scanned the crowd, searching for Guang-Hong and Leo. They were on the far side of the room, chatting a group of guys from the nearby college. They seemed to fit in so well, it was making Yuuri a little jealous. He turned away, looking back to Phichit.

"When do you think they'll open the room in the back so I can practice a bit?" asked Phichit, his fingers twitching in anticipation. The first competition was to be held today, and it was graded on content more-so than on performance. The performance scheduled for the next day was mostly about tone, voice, and their dancing abilities. Yuuri had a hunch that even if they won in the first competition, Stay Close to Me would ace the second one, which was worth more points. Yuuri knew that they were screwed, but he also knew that this was a great way to put themselves even more out there. The band might fail, but Stay Close to Me was known all over the world. Even if they lost, they would do their best, and it could add to their popularity. Yuuri grinned despite his anxiety.

They could do this.

"Alright, folks, it's eleven! Thanks for being here, and now it's time! We have our competitors." He motioned for Yuuri and Viktor to climb the stairs and onto the stage. Yuuri attempted to avoid looking at Viktor. When he did look, he saw the look he expected. Viktor glared at him murderously, whispering,

"I'll turn you Borscht, you pig." he said, glowering at Yuuri. Yuuri just ignored him, focusing on the crowd. The announcer continued his introduction.

"Here we have Katsuki Yuuri, the singer for the up-and-coming band History Makers. What do you say about the competition?" Yuuri straightened his blue coat, sweating slightly.

"Well, I feel that we can do this. My band and I have been practicing for a while, and I am excited to go against Stay Close to Me. They are the ones who inspired me to sing, after all." Yuuri looked at Viktor, smiling sheepishly. Viktor looked positively taken aback, oblivious to the cheering crowd.

"WOW! And here's our other lead competitor tonight; Viktor Nikiforov, the singer for Stay Close to Me, a popular band not just in Japan, but all over the world. What do you say?" Viktor leaned forward, shaking off the discomfort he acquired after Yuuri's comment. He resumed his glaring at Yuuri before putting up a happy façade.

Yuuri momentarily wondered if he was actually putting one up…

or pulling one down.

"We'll turn these guys into Borscht." He smiled, gesturing out into the crowd. They cheered loudly and Viktor turned back around, smirking at Yuuri. He had the crowd, but Yuuri wasn't surprised. Viktor thought they had an advantage, but History Makers actually held a greater one.

The people would be far more expectant of Viktor's band; they would hold them to higher standards, and even though they weren't the ones voting, it could have a severe impact on the team's scores. Yuuri smiled at Viktor, surprising him. Viktor growled, angry. He knew Yuuri was up to something, but he didn't know half of it.

"Now, if that's okay with you guys, I think we're ready for tonight's performance!"

Yuuri grinned, looking to Phichit. He smiled back at Yuuri, finally making the same connection Yuuri had made earlier. He gave Yuuri a thumbs-up.

Oh, yes. Tonight's performance was going to be interesting.