Change of Heart - Yuri Plisetsky x Reader

Chapter Thirteen

On the Saturday of the same week, I found myself standing in front of my mirror at the ungodly, incredibly early hour of 9:00 am. Yuri had said he'd be there around ten, so I'd woken up around 8:30 to panic for a bit before getting ready. Seeing Yuri was not particularly alarming, but the fact that he'd asked to see me outside of our mandatory meetings was a bit startling, so I spent much of the morning pausing to really question the situation I was in.

The outfit I wore was, embarrassingly, strikingly similar to the one I'd worn when Yuri had first asked me about this, and I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious about it. I debated briefly if I should at least try to change things up, but I didn't want Yuri to think I was dressing up for him or something, so I remained in my casual, relatively unflattering attire.

My mother and father knew nothing of this little shopping trip, thankfully. I'd told them that Alina was going to be gone for an event on Saturday, and that she needed me to be there earlier than usual. Either too gullible or too trusting in me, my parents didn't question the false alibi, so I was free to go.

Taking one last hesitant look into the mirror, I made a phony confident face and then hastened out of the room. My mother opened the front door for me as I crossed the living room, a gesture which would thankfully only be repeated a few more times, and I made my way off of the front steps and into the world, apprehension and mild excitement pulsing through me as I left.

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It had been a while since I'd ventured out into a new area in St. Petersburg, and doing it again for the first time in months was not a pleasant experience. The sights were still beautiful, and the water took my breath away as always, but I remained hyper-aware of the fact that I stuck out like a sore thumb for the entirety of the walk. Not only was I a foreigner; I was an injured foreigner, meaning I stuck out in two ways. However, to my relief, most people paid me little to no attention along the way, and I was able to get by without incident.

Another issue on my plate was my illiteracy. There were a few English signs for tourists here and there, but other than that, the world spoke to me in nothing but foreign and confusing letters. I found my way mostly by Google Maps, and even then, it was a confusing journey. By the time I finally arrived at the mall, I felt as if I would collapse from relief.

The stress of navigating the foreign city was almost immediately replaced, however, by a sudden spike of anxiety. Now, instead of trying to decipher signs whose meaning was almost entirely lost on me, I would have to play another mind game with the one person who was even more confusing: Yuri Plisetsky.

"(Y/n)!"

And... speak of the devil.

I casually spun on my heel and was momentarily taken aback. For some reason, when I'd pictured this meeting, I'd expected to see Yuri in his skating attire. After all, I'd only seen him outside of that context once, so it was just what I was used to.

This, obviously, was not the case. For the first time since he'd shown up to my Taekwondo class, I saw Yuri in something relatively normal. He was wearing jeans, which was a strange sight in itself, and on top, there was the same black and orange cheetah print jacket he'd been wearing before.

I never expected his taste to be so extravagant... I thought, trying not to laugh. But the contrast is kind of adorable, isn't it?

"Oh... hey!"

Seeing Yuri reminded me of the whole reason I was here, and I couldn't help being excited. I was about to buy a real outfit for skating, which made me feel like a serious figure skater, despite not having the skills to match. Even more exhilarating was the fact that I would also be buying my first pair of skates.