The next morning, Katsuki Yuuri stood in his room at Yu-topia Katsuki, staring at the numbers on the scale as he let out a small sigh. "[sad]It went up... again." Ever since winning the silver medal at the Grand Prix Final, his weight just wouldn't go down—maybe he'd let himself relax a little too much. No, it was actually going up. Yuuri ruffled his short black hair and tugged at the hem of his sweats. The waistband felt just a little tighter than before. He'd always had a body type that gained weight easily. Before competitions, he'd slim down with strict dieting and training, but now, in the off-season, he couldn't resist Katsuki Hiroko's delicious home cooking. Last night, he'd polished off her special tonkotsu ramen without a second thought. In the corner of the room sat the massive stack of skating magazines Victor Nikiforov had brought with him, along with a dog bed for his beloved Makkachin. The legendary figure skater who'd come all the way from Russia was now this hot spring inn's most famous resident. The stairs creaked. Tap, tap, tap—light, springy footsteps. "[gentle]Yuuri, breakfast's ready. Hiroko-san made dashimaki tamago today." From the other side of the door came a voice that was fluent but still carried a slightly katakana-inflected accent. Victor peeked in, his long silver hair swaying, his blue eyes crinkled in a smile. His 180-centimeter frame looked effortlessly elegant in a loose yukata. Every little gesture—like the way he swept his hair back with his fingertips—was picture-perfect. "Ah, yes. I'll be right there." Yuuri quietly slid the scale against the wall and forced a wry smile. —That was when it happened. BANG! A violent crashing sound echoed from the direction of the entrance. "GYAAAH!" Then came a shriek from Tanaka-san, one of the regular guests. "Wh-what was that?!" Yuuri and Victor exchanged a glance and rushed down the stairs. The lobby of Yu-topia Katsuki. In front of the shoe lockers, a massive suitcase lay on its side. But it hadn't just fallen over. Deep gouges scarred the tatami mats, as if it had come barreling in at full speed. And standing beside it was a boy. Bright blond hair, tousled and unruly. Large blue eyes that seemed to burn with intensity. Freckles scattered across his face. And a set of prominent canine teeth that made every emotion instantly readable. The boy—all 162 centimeters of him—threw his small frame back and shouted. "[angry]Where is Victor-sama?! Bring me my Victor-sama!" Broken Japanese. But his voice was absurdly loud. In the lobby, Tanaka-san spat out his tea. Hiroko-san nearly knocked over a pot. The boy—Alexei Bradov—glanced wildly around the room until his eyes locked onto Yuuri. Deep brown eyes. A slender, 170-centimeter frame. "[angry]It's you! You're the bad Yuri who's been seducing Victor-sama, aren't you?!" He jabbed an accusing finger straight at him. "Uh, um... yes, I'm Katsuki Yuuri..." He'd reflexively answered in polite Japanese. "[angry]I'm Alexei Bradov! I came from Ledovaya Zvezda in Russia! I'm Victor-sama's true successor! I'm not handing Victor-sama over to someone like you!" Ledovaya Zvezda. In Russian, it meant "Ice Star"—Moscow's elite figure skating training club. Founded in 1987, it had produced seven Junior Grand Prix Final medalists in the past decade alone. So this kid was one of their skaters. That explained a lot. Alexei yanked his suitcase closer and pulled out a smartphone. The silver case was covered in stickers of Victor and Makkachin. Yuuri's heart skipped a beat. It was the phone he'd accidentally picked up at the Barcelona airport. The lock screen had been filled with messages in Russian—"Victor is mine. I won't forgive the Yuri who steals him away." That phone... had been his? "[angry]Do you have any idea how long I searched because of you?! I went all the way back to Moscow from Barcelona, and then came here to Hasetsu in Japan! That's fourteen hours on a plane!" That did sound like a nightmare. But chasing someone this far was its own kind of crazy. As Yuuri stood there in confusion, footsteps slowly descended the stairs from the second floor. "[excited]Oh my, this is getting interesting." Victor appeared, silver hair swaying, blue eyes sparkling. The moment he saw Alexei, his gaze narrowed. A calculating glint flickered deep in his eyes. "So you're the one who took my phone by mistake." Alexei froze. All the bluster from moments ago vanished. His face turned bright red, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Tears welled up in his eyes as he squeezed out a trembling voice. "[crying]Victor-sama... the real one... this is like a dream..." "[gentle]So you're Alexei. I heard you're a huge fan of mine." "[excited]'Fan' doesn't even begin to cover it! I was born to be Victor-sama's successor! When I was eight years old, at the Ledovaya Zvezda rink, Victor-sama told me, 'I'll be waiting.' Ever since then—ever since!" Overcome with emotion, Alexei looked like he might collapse on the spot. Then, with explosive energy, he lunged forward to throw his arms around Victor. But. Victor sidestepped him effortlessly. As if executing a step sequence on the ice, he flowed smoothly into position right beside Yuuri. "[playful]Heh heh, you're certainly energetic. But you're going to startle Yuuri, so let's calm down a little, shall we?" Victor's hand casually came to rest on Yuuri's shoulder. In that instant, Alexei's expression changed. "[angry]Yuuri... so it really is you! Don't touch Victor-sama! Get away from him!" Just then, someone peeked in from outside the chaotic lobby. "[gentle]Oh my, what a commotion. Is there a festival going on?" A woman with shoulder-length black hair tied back in a simple ponytail, her gentle, drooping eyes crinkled even further in a warm smile. She was Nishigoori Yuuko—manager of Ice Castle Hasetsu and Yuuri's childhood friend. Pregnant now, she cradled her slightly rounded belly with tender care. "Yuuko-san... sorry for all the noise." "[gentle]It's fine. More importantly, who's this? Such an adorable blond boy." The moment Yuuko saw Alexei, her eyes lit up. Like an older sister who'd just gained a cute new kouhai. "[excited]I'm Alexei Bradov! Victor-sama's successor!" "[gentle]Oh my, so you're a fan of Victor-san. But if you get that worked up, you'll get thirsty. Here, take this." Yuuko offered him a handkerchief, her smile gentle. Even through his tearful glare, Alexei seemed to have the fight drained out of him by her kindness, calming down just a little. "[gentle]Since you've come all the way to Hasetsu, would you like to see our rink? It's called Ice Castle Hasetsu. It's a full international-standard rink—the very place where Yuuri-kun practices." Alexei's eyes sparkled even brighter. "[excited]A rink! I'll go! I'm definitely going!" Then Victor spoke up. "[gentle]That sounds nice. Since we have the chance, I'd love to see your skating too." At those words, a sharp pang shot through Yuuri's chest. Until now, he'd always thought Victor's eyes were on him alone. No—that wasn't quite right. He'd been given expectations, attention, and he'd skated relying on that gaze. But. Now, Victor was telling someone else, "I'd love to see." Without thinking, Yuuri reached out to grab Victor's sleeve. His fingers grasped at empty air. He hurriedly pulled his hand back. (What is this feeling...) The center of his chest grew hot, spreading slowly—and yet his breath felt cold. A sharp, piercing ache, almost like jealousy, that he was only now becoming aware of for the first time. —Ice Castle Hasetsu. Hasetsu's only skating rink, boasting a full international-standard 60m by 30m sheet of ice. About 800 seats in the spectator stands. General admission: 1,200 yen. On weekday mornings, it was usually bustling with local kids and figure skating class students. But today, they'd been granted a special early-morning private session. "[excited]Amazing... the ice is so beautiful...!" The moment Alexei laid eyes on the rink, his entire demeanor shifted. A serious light entered his eyes—like a hunter who'd spotted his prey. All the noisy energy from before vanished in an instant. When Yuuko brought out rental skates, Alexei got ready with astonishing speed. The way his hands moved as he tied his laces, the sharp focus in his eyes as he checked his blades—it was the mark of a seasoned competitor. Alexei burst onto the ice and first took a deep breath. He filled his lungs with the rink's cold air. And then— Swoosh. A crisp, light sound rang out. It wasn't a full program practice yet. But his speed was on another level. The sharpness of his edges was different. Alexei built up speed with back crossovers and launched straight into a triple Axel. Three and a half rotations in the air. Landing. A flowing, effortless exit. "Amazing...!" Yuuko gasped. Next, Alexei nailed a quadruple—a quad toe loop. His axis was tight, his rotation speed fast. The landing was a little rough, but even so, the level of completion was hard to believe for a junior skater. Victor was watching Alexei with an intense, almost devouring gaze. Seeing his profile, Yuuri felt his chest clench tight. (Victor's looking at him with those eyes...) Those were the eyes of a coach who'd just discovered talent. The same gaze that had once been directed at him. Now, that passion was aimed at someone else. On the ice, Alexei continued to skate with fiery passion, as if expressing his adoration for Victor with his entire body. Every so often, he'd glance at Victor mid-step sequence and break into a delighted grin. Victor was slipping away from him. That anxiety raced through every corner of Yuuri's body. —Dinner that evening. In the dining hall of Yu-topia Katsuki, Katsuki Hiroko's special katsudon was laid out. Crispy pork cutlet coated in a sweet-savory sauce, wrapped in a soft, fluffy layer of egg. It was Yuuri's absolute favorite—the standard victory-day meal. "[excited]Delicious! What is this?! It's so good!" Alexei's eyes sparkled as he shoveled down the katsudon. It must have been a flavor he'd never tasted in Russia—he was so moved that his freckled face broke into a beaming smile. Beside him, Makkachin fidgeted restlessly, hoping for scraps. "[gentle]Oh my, it makes me happy to see you enjoy it so much." Hiroko poured tea with a warm, gentle smile. Then, suddenly, Alexei set down his chopsticks. "[serious]I've decided. I'm staying here. I'm going to be with Victor-sama." The dining hall fell dead silent. "Huh...?" "[excited]This is Yu-topia Katsuki, right? It's an inn, right? So I can stay here! I have money! I worked part-time jobs in Russia and saved up!" Alexei pulled a crumpled wad of ruble notes out of his suitcase. "[excited]Why not? This is getting interesting." Victor clapped his hands in high spirits. "[gentle]Oh my, we'd be delighted to have such a cute guest. Shall we put you in the open Pine Room?" Hiroko accepted without hesitation. As a business owner, more guests was simply good news. "W-wait a minute! Mom! Victor!" Yuuri panicked. But the words wouldn't come. The sense of loss—that the early-morning rink time with Victor, which had been his and his alone, might be taken away—clogged his throat. "[playful]Yuuri, are you jealous?" Victor whispered right into his ear. He'd hit the nail on the head. "[angry]N-no, I'm not!" Yuuri's voice cracked. Seeing that reaction, Victor laughed with even greater amusement. "[excited]Tomorrow, let's have Alexei join us for morning practice. We'll jog along the Hasetsu coastal promenade, then hit the rink for free skating practice." Yuuri's chopsticks stopped dead. An illusion—the sound of his privileges crumbling apart. After the meal, Hiroko showed Alexei to the Pine Room—a six-tatami-mat Japanese-style room on the second floor of the main building. Alexei was ecstatic about the size of the room, deepl