IN
IN
IN
For the third time since sitting down, Sora sighed in frustration.
I'm just not getting it.
The Angel's Maneuver that Yuri described sounded pretty cool, but her lack of proper balance was really holding their progress back. Her fingers fiddled with the pages of the menu even though she couldn't read French.
Yuri helped her order the other times after she ordered the wrong thing the first time.
Her fingers paused along a page. She couldn't help but think, yet again, about the last time she had been at a restaurant and perusing a menu. She bit her bottom lip in concern. It's been almost a week and I haven't run into him.
She was more than nervous about the impending encounter; she'd be deluding herself if she didn't think that it would eventually happen.
After all, Leon was in the competition first before she thought about Yuri's Phoenix Tickets.
Truthfully, she had meant to come later with the rest of the group cheering and she was contenting herself with having made the right decision in not being a competitor when Layla came by her dorm. The look on her ex-partner's face as she talked to her and actually voiced out that she had wanted Sora to be the one to go…
After hearing that, Sora was restless staying at the stage.
She blankly stared at the empty chair across from her. When Yuri suddenly came and sat in it, she blinked herself out of her stupor and greeted him a "good morning."
He was dressed casually and his eyes looked a lot calmer than when she had seen him for the Legendary Great Maneuver. She had been so surprised by the change, but glad that he was finding some inner piece at his art school.
"Good morning, Sora. Did you sleep well?"
She forced a smile on; the last time she had uninterrupted sleep felt like ages ago.
"I got enough."
Yuri had seen the bit of tightness to the smile, but did not comment on it. "Well, that's to be expected. The festival is quite nerve-wracking."
"Yeah," she gave a small laugh. There's an understatement.
A server came and took their orders. Sora told Yuri want she wanted, as they have been doing for a while now. When the server left, Yuri leaned forward in his seat.
"So when will the others be arriving?"
"In a few days," Sora said as she grabbed her cup to take a sip, "Anna wants to find Mr. Charlie and Mia wants to tour a little before the festival occurs."
Something, some noise or maybe just the sensation of being stared at, made Sora look to the right of Yuri. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in dread.
Leon, with his chin in his hand and a frown on his face, was intensely staring at her.
She swallowed the panic that was forming in the pit of her stomach as she recalled his words. 'Yuri Killian' he spat…. 'Don't mention him unless you want to make an enemy of me…' He had been referring about talking about Yuri; she was afraid to know what he'd do seeing that she was with Yuri for the festival.
"Sora?" came Yuri's concerned voice.
He reached a hand out and touched her on the arm, startling her. Her eyes looked back at Yuri and then quickly went over to Leon.
He was no longer there.
IN
As soon as he re-entered his room, May called his hotel phone.
Leon let it ring; he was not in the mood to be training with her right now, especially after seeing Yuri with Sora at the same table. He wasn't certain why the redhead was here, but when he saw Yuri putting a hand on her arm, he had seen red.
He left the dining area before he caused a scene.
The phone rang again. With building annoyance, he answered it with a snappish tone.
"What?"
On the other end of the line, May stammered a little at the brisk question but then easily regained her composure. "Have you seen the official list of competitors?"
That is what she wants to talk to me about? He barely refrained from slamming the phone in its holder.
"Not yet."
"Well you should!"
A bit of curiosity ebbed some of his irritation. He put the phone down to go look at the list carelessly thrown on top the coffee table. He saw some familiar names, some new ones, their own, and then he stood ramrod still.
Alice's statement from earlier finally made sense.
Vaguely, he heard May ranting on the phone about the deception and the special treatment of Sora and other things that he didn't hear, seeing as he hung up the phone.
For a while he simply stood there by the phone.
The paper crumpled in his hand.
IN
In the evening after Yuri and Sora practiced, she walked through the hotel looking over her shoulder not for the first time that day.
I must look so paranoid.
She was unsettled by the look on Leon's face in the dining area during breakfast and the way he suddenly disappeared had her nerves on edge.
Would he approach me with Yuri nearby? Or would he wait for me to be alone?
She honestly didn't know.
She reached out and pushed the button for the elevator. She rocked back and forth on her feet all the while looking around the place. When she stayed standing for a few seconds more, she went over to the door with staircase but then she heard the "ding!" of the elevator and came back.
Has he seen the list yet?
It was very likely.
IN
The metal doors of the elevator closed just as he saw her enter it.
With shrewd eyes, he noted the floor number lit above the elevator and then took the staircase.
IN
The elevator doors opened and she stepped out.
She attempted to walk down the hall without seeming like she was running. She couldn't explain her apprehension right now; she could understand being nervous out on the first floor where more people tended to be, but on her own room floor she didn't see why she felt so alert.
I've not run into him for days now. Why be nervous now?
Her mind easily answered that, Because he finally saw you with Yuri. Her door was close by; she pulled out her room card with shaky hands.
Get it together!
With a breath in, she continued walking.
Four doors away,
Three,
Two…
She stopped in front of her door. Up ahead, the door to the staircase opened and she started a little at the suddenness.
Then, her mouth dried as she spotted Leon in the doorway.
IN
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AN: I was trying a new sort of set-up that I think works for this.
Run, Sora, run!