Hearts in Ice: a Yuzuru Hanyu Fanfiction

22: Quarterfinals

Third Person POV

Sakura woke up to see Yuzuru's sleeping face next to her. She carefully examined his handsome and delicate features as he slept.

Last night, Yuzuru offered to stay with her. She didn't remember what happened exactly. All she could recall was that he tucked her under the sheets and patted her gently until she fell asleep. She let out a gentle smile as she thought of his kindness.

"Mhmmm..." Yuzuru mumbled. He slowly opened his eyes, only to meet Sakura's.

"Ohayou," he greeted groggily. His eyes still adjusting to the brightness of the room.

"Ohayou," Sakura greeted back. Her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Did you sleep well?" Yuzuru asked her. She nodded in response.

"I should probably get ready now," Sakura hurriedly got out of the sheets. The thought of sleeping with Yuzuru on the same bed flustered her.

After the pair finished preparing and having their breakfast, it was finally time for them to leave the room and head to the venue for the competition.

"You're meeting them downstairs, right?" Sakura asked Yuzuru as she adjusted her dress.

"Yeah, they're already waiting for me in the lobby," he answered.

"I placed the ticket inside your wallet," she informed him. "Makita-san will guide you to your seats, okay?"

"Hai."

Just as Sakura was about to reach the doorknob, Yuzuru took her hand and hugged her from behind. Startled, Sakura froze on the spot and felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"I forgot something," he whispered in her ear.

"W-what is it?" she stuttered as she asked.

Yuzuru made her face him and looked at her in the eye with a smile. "This," he kissed her forehead.

"Good luck, kkura-chan," Sakura blushed at his words. "I'll only have my eyes on you."

"Thank you, Yuzu," she shyly replied, trying to avoid his gaze.

"You can do it," Yuzuru encouraged and held her hands. "I believe in you!"

"I-" Yuzuru was about to say something, but a loud knock interrupted their moment.

"Miss Chiyo, it's time to go," Makita-san opened the door. Startled, Yuzuru immediately let go of Sakura's hands.

"I-I'll go now, Yuzu," Sakura waved goodbye. "I'll see you from the crowd."

"Good luck, kkura-chan!" He gave his wife a proud smile.

"I love you," Yuzuru said, but only he heard it.

Today marked the beginning of the competition. Yuzuru and the others were finally seated in their respective seats. Meanwhile, the participants were gathered in the waiting room. There were a total of 10 participants who qualified for the preliminary round, and Sakura was the last one to play.

While in the waiting room, everyone silently observed each other's performance live through the TV screens. Sakura began to feel nervous as she heard each one play. She thought that all of them were good, especially Rachel.

Sakura mentally prepared herself and breathed as soon as Rachel finished her performance. Not only did the audience in the hall burst into applause, but everyone in the waiting room stood up and clapped.

"Chiyo, you're next!" the floor director announced.

Sakura closed her eyes and said a little prayer before finally going onstage. Adrenaline surged in her body as soon as she felt the familiar feeling of being onstage again, seeing the bright lights and hearing the loud applause of the crowd. She went to the center and bowed. The crowd, including the judges, were surprised to see her after three years. Sakura spotted Yuzuru from the crowd and gave him a smile before proceeding to sit on the chair and play.

"You can do this, Sakura," she said to herself.

Everyone watched Sakura carefully as she prepared her hands on the piano. Her competitors, especially Rachel, felt anxious about the thought that they were finally going to hear her play after three long years. They didn't know if she was going to do well or poorly. No one knew what to expect of the Sakura that was onstage at that moment. Rachel could only pray that she wouldn't do well, or else she would lose to her again, just like before.

The audience was stunned the moment her fingers glided across the piano keys. Each note was hit with such precision and grace. Rachel's eyes widened in shock as soon as she recognized the piece.

"Hammerklavier," she realized and clenched her fists. It was one of the hardest sonatas written for the piano by Beethoven. A piece that required not only technicality and musicality, but stamina as well. "Is she really trying to show off right now?" Rachel thought to herself angrily.

The participants in the waiting room gasped in shock at what they heard. They praised Sakura's controlled yet expressive playing. Hearing the other musicians' comments only enraged Rachel further. She couldn't bear to lose to Sakura again. There was no way she would allow that to happen.

Meanwhile, the TCC gang was surprised by her playing. Yuzuru smiled proudly at his wife as he listened to her performance. He knew that she would do really well. He was confident in her ability and in the amount of hard work she put into the competition.

The judges smiled proudly as soon as Sakura finished her performance flawlessly. Sakura wanted to cry in joy when she saw the crowd stand up and give her a loud round of applause. She thought she couldn't do it, but here she was, standing onstage and making everyone proud of her.

Yet, it was still too early to rejoice, as the competition wasn't over. Sakura knew that she had to pass two more rounds before she could even reach the finals and prove the critics wrong. Out of the ten participants, only five would make the cut, and she prayed hard that she would be one of them.

Rachel's name was called, just as she predicted. With only one spot left, Sakura's hands went cold as she waited for her name to be called to the semifinals. Rachel, on the other hand, hoped that her rival's name wouldn't be announced.

"Sakura Chiyo!" the host announced, and everyone in the hall, except for Rachel, applauded. Yuzuru and the rest of the cricket club members stood up and cheered happily for her.

"I have to do something about this" - Rachel gritted her teeth and glared at Sakura.

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Author's Note:

Here's an early upload since I'll be away tomorrow. Hope you guys liked this chapter. (I wonder what Rachel is planning to do next ... what do you think will happen?🤔🤨)

Any votes and comments are very much appreciated. Thank you for reading this fanfic💗