The airport announcements echoed, muffled in the distance. Katsuki Yuuri stood at the baggage claim in Barcelona-El Prat Airport, staring blankly at the conveyor belt. The Grand Prix Final was over. He'd won the silver medal. It had been a time like a dream. But right now, he was just overwhelmingly sleepy. Lack of sleep and post-competition fatigue kept his mind from working properly. He could barely keep his eyes open. With a clatter, the conveyor belt started moving. A crowd of people waited for their suitcases. Yuuri was among them. Beside him stood a tall man with long silver hair swaying gently—Victor Nikiforov. "[gentle]Yuuri, are you okay? You look terrible." Those clear blue eyes peered into Yuuri's face. Being looked down at from that 180-centimeter height made his heart beat a little faster, somehow. Victor was usually so carefree, but at times like this, he was incredibly gentle. "[serious]I'm fine. Just a little tired." Yuuri scratched at his short black hair and gave a small laugh. His deep brown eyes were slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep. His slender, 170-centimeter body had a tendency to gain weight easily, though, and he was always terrified of the scale. Just then, something silver came gliding along the conveyor belt. A smartphone. And it was in a case he recognized. It had stickers of Victor and Makkachin on it. "Ah, Victor. There's a phone on the belt." Yuuri reached out without thinking. It looked exactly like his own. He was so tired, he picked it up without a second thought and slipped it right into his pocket. That was the beginning of the mistake. --- He was on the limited express from Fukuoka Airport heading toward Hasetsu. Outside the window, the familiar rural landscape of Saga stretched on. The soft winter sunlight streamed into the train car. Yuuri let out a sigh of relief. Hasetsu was a small port town with a population of about 28,000. Facing the Genkai Sea, its main industries were fishing and hot spring tourism. The nearest station was JR Hasetsu Station, about an hour and forty minutes from Fukuoka City by limited express. It was the precious place where Yuuri had been born and raised. He casually took out the phone he'd picked up. His own phone should be in his bag, so this was clearly an extra one. But he couldn't quite remember when he'd picked it up. "...Huh?" He tapped the screen. The lock screen appeared. It was filled with messages in Russian. Yuuri couldn't read Russian. But a vague sense of foreboding washed over him, and he launched a translation app. He held the camera over it. A few seconds later, the text converted into Japanese floated up on the screen. *'Victor is mine. I won't forgive Yuri for stealing him.'* His heart gave a violent thump. "What is this..." Yuri. That could be his own name. Katsuki Yuuri—Yuri. Was someone who worshipped Victor seeing him as an enemy? A cold sweat trickled down his back. Anxiety seeped slowly into his exhausted heart. His hands trembled. They always did this when he was nervous. He could concentrate perfectly on the ice, but in everyday life, he started shaking immediately. In the seat next to him, Victor was sleeping comfortably. His silver hair sparkled and shone in the light from the window. He looks just like a painting, Yuuri thought. "Victor, this..." But he stopped himself from calling out. Somehow, he was scared. --- When they arrived at Hasetsu Station, a banner caught his eye just outside the ticket gates. "Congratulations! Katsuki Yuuri - Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist!" The whole town was celebrating, and Yuuri felt a little embarrassed. It was a fifteen-minute walk from the station to Yu-topia Katsuki. The two-story wooden hot spring inn sat on a hill overlooking the coast. Founded in 1952, it was opened by Yuuri's grandfather, Katsuki Toshiya. It had twelve guest rooms, and its famous natural hot spring, "Tsuru no Yu," was fed directly from the source, with rates starting at 9,800 yen per night including two meals. Lately, with Victor staying long-term, fans from both Japan and abroad had started visiting. "I'm home." When he opened the front door, there was a patter of footsteps, and the inn's mascot dog, Makkachin, jumped up on him. The toy poodle was as adorable as a stuffed animal. "Welcome back, Yuuri!" His mother, Hiroko, appeared with a beaming smile. Her plump, warm smile hadn't changed since he was a child. Tanaka-san, a regular fisherman guest, waved at him too. "That silver medal was amazing!" "We saw you on TV!" Amidst the flurry of congratulations, Yuuri put on a smile. But his heart wasn't in it. He couldn't get the phone out of his head. --- Night. From the open-air bath, "Tsuru no Yu," you could see the town of Hasetsu and the Genkai Sea stretching out beyond it. Under the winter starry sky, steam rose in gentle wisps. As Yuuri soaked in the bath, he gathered his courage and spoke up. "[scared]Um, Victor... there's something I need to talk to you about." "[curious]Hm? What is it, so formal?" Victor tied up his long silver hair in the water and tilted his head with a curious look. His skin, damp with steam, glowed white. Yuuri explained about the phone. How he'd picked it up by mistake at the Barcelona airport. How the lock screen had a message from someone who worshipped Victor to an abnormal degree. How he, "Yuri," might be specifically targeted as an enemy. "So, what should I do..." When Yuuri spoke anxiously, Victor showed an unexpected reaction. "[excited]That sounds interesting! I wonder what kind of person they are. I'd like to meet them." His eyes were sparkling. He didn't understand the gravity of the situation at all. If anything, he seemed thrilled by the new stimulation. "But, they said they 'won't forgive' me..." "[playful]Hehe, isn't it fascinating that Yuuri is being seen as a rival?" Victor laughed with amusement. Seeing that smile, a sharp pang shot through Yuuri's chest. (*Why does he look so happy about this?*) He was the only one feeling anxious and scared. And yet Victor was interested in someone else, his eyes shining. It was jealousy. Biting his lip at this emotion he was recognizing for the first time, Yuuri clenched his fist tightly under the water. "[cold]...I see." A cold voice came out, surprising even himself. Victor looked at him, puzzled. --- The next morning. Yuuri stepped onto the scale in his room and nearly screamed. "No way... I've gained two kilos..." With the sense of release after the Grand Prix Final, he'd ended up eating too much. His slender figure was now just a little plump. This was bad. He immediately changed into a jersey and headed for the Hasetsu Coastal Promenade. It was a roughly two-kilometer seaside path leading from Yu-topia Katsuki toward the fishing port. The cold morning air felt pleasant on his skin. Along the way, he sat down on a bench to catch his breath. The winter Sea of Japan rippled quietly under the leaden sky. Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated. Alexei's phone. The incoming call screen displayed a string of Russian characters. Yuuri swallowed hard and pressed the call button. "Hello...?" A moment of silence. Then. "[angry]That phone is mine! I'm coming there right now! Hasetsu, right! Wait for me!" A boy's voice, almost like a shriek. He rattled off his words one-sidedly and hung up. "Wha...?" The blood drained from his face. Don't tell me he's actually coming. To Hasetsu? Here? With trembling hands, Yuuri called Victor. "Victor! This is bad! The owner of the phone says he's coming here!" "[excited]Really!? This just got even more fun!" On the other end of the line, Victor was in an increasingly good mood. Yuuri's shoulders slumped in despair. His bad feeling reached its peak. An unknown intruder. His peace was about to be shattered. (*What am I going to do...*) Yuuri remained seated on the bench, unable to stand for a while. When he looked up at the sky, the winter clouds hung low and heavy. This was the beginning of something. Something absolutely outrageous. With trembling hands, Yuuri started looking up the bus schedule from Hasetsu Station to Fukuoka Airport.