AGAPE | Yuri Plisetsky

2 | idolization

I'm Valerie, nice to meet you...

"I'm Yuri Plisetsky," I reply. "N-nice to meet you too."

"Well, she knows your name already, as obvious as it is." Louise told me, and she laughed with Yakov.

"Va-va... Yuri..." I heard Viktor murmuring something.

"Nandayo, Viktor?!" I yell at him.

"Shh," he replies. "I'm trying to make a ship name."

My eyes widen. "A ship name? Are you nuts? Do you want me to ship you with Christophe Giacometti? Huh? Yaoi, yaoi now? HUH?"

"Now, now," he laughs. "Shake hands?"

I glared at him for a moment. It's nice to shake hands, but that will lead to Viktor shipping us even more.

"S-shake hands," I awkwardly offer my hand to Valerie.

"Right," she says and we shake hands.

In the most awkward way you'd expect.

I was astonished because the coldness of my hand brought by the freezing temperature of the usual ice that I skate on was neutralized by the unexpected warmth in hers.

There's really something with her.

But I can't tell what it is...

"Well, it's time you go practice, Valerie." Louise tells her. "Show Yuri what you've got."

I sit on the bleachers with the three and Valerie proceeded to skate. She inhaled and exhaled at the middle of the rink before executing her performance.

And damn, she was good. Shit, she's... seriously good.

There's something. Something in her that I can't see. Something she sends out that I can't feel. Something in her performance that I can't do.

It's the same thing as the time when I looked into her eyes.

There's something in her.

That can never be mine.

That I can never accomplish.

That I can never claim.

It's the stunning feeling of her performance that strikes you. It's like when I was struck that time, until I realized what I was doing. I don't know how she does that,

but she was cool.

It's like every single detail of her compliments the other, and every single jump she executes synchronizes with every beat she counts.

And her facial expre—

OH SHIT, YURI PLISETSKY.

WHAT WAS I DOING, LOOKING— NO— STARING, AT HER AGAIN?

"I think the ship's starting to..." Viktor elbows Yakov. "Sail."

She comes back into the bleachers, slightly panting. "T'was great," Louise told her. "What do you think?"

"Hey, Valerie?" I told her.

"Y-yes?" She replied, still panting.

"You're amazing."