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When you’re having the absolute worst day of your life, you don’t really feel like talking to some random reporter. Really, all you feel like doing is burying yourself in the snow outside until they find your popsicle and million years later and say, “Wow! Look at this sorry excuse for a human being! I don’t even think we can put this in the museum!”
So, when Morooka came by to ask some questions as I was leaving the rink, the best I could do was give him was a short mumble about not being able to comment on my plans for Worlds or the next season. The truth is, the Yuri from the Junior division was right. I probably should retire. I mean, I was 23 years old and still hadn’t done anything substantial in my life. How pathetic was that?
Celestino was trying to cheer me up with his hopes for the possibilities of next season, but I knew myself better. There just wasn’t much left in me. Staying away from home for so long had only resulted in me missing the last years of my dog’s life, something that I could never make up for.
You know, it’s funny—the moments that change your life, the ones that really matter—you don’t see them coming. More often than not, the moments that you wait in anticipation for end up being not all that important. Instead, the really big moments in life run up from behind you, grab you by the shoulders and spin you around.
Literally.
Because that’s what happened as I was talking to Morooka, and the life-changing moment was—
Victor Nikiforov?!?
Still gripping me by my shoulders, he looked me fiercely in the eye.
“Katsuki Yuuri!” he’d said before he’d turned me around, but I was only registering his words now. Victor Nikiforov knew my name??? Was speaking to me??? Had sought me out in the middle of the crowd? Was looking at me like I was going to explode if he glanced away for a second?????
Suddenly he pulled me into the tightest bear hug I had ever fallen victim to. Wow, he was warm, and strong, and probably gave the best and most painful hugs in the whole world.
“Don’t give up, okay?” he whispered harshly in my ear, “Don’t you ever give up. You deserve so much more, and you can achieve so much more if you stay strong.”
Pulling back, he smiled warmly at me.
“Yuuri, you inspire me.”
My jaw dropped.
Then he winked at me. He winked at me. Victor Nikiforov. Winked at me.
“I’ll see you at the banquet, okay?”
Then he was gone.
And my soul had left my body.
But then a warmth started flowing through my chest that I didn’t know existed.