Hearts in Ice: a Yuzuru Hanyu Fanfiction

24: Rehearsal

Third Person POV

Sakura felt a surge of adrenaline as she walked into the rehearsal hall of the Korean Symphony Orchestra. As one of the three finalists of the prestigious competition, she only had one day left to practice with the orchestra before the final round. She had chosen to play Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23, a piece truly fitting for a finale. She hoped that her performance would impress the judges and the audience, and earn her the coveted first prize.

"Good morning everybody." Sakura greeted the conductor and the orchestra members with a smile and a bow before taking her seat at the grand piano. She adjusted the bench and placed her hands on the keys, feeling the familiar warmth and weight of the instrument. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then nodded to the conductor to signal that she was ready.

The orchestra began with the famous opening chords of the piece, and Sakura joined them with the powerful and lyrical piano solo. She played with confidence and passion, expressing the emotions and nuances of the music. She felt a connection with the orchestra, as if they were breathing and moving as one. She enjoyed every moment of the rehearsal, feeling the music flow through her veins.

Sakura, however, failed to notice that someone was watching her from the balcony—a pair of cold and calculating eyes that followed her every move. It was Rachel, her rival and the second finalist of the competition. Rachel had sneaked into the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sakura's performance and find a way to sabotage her. She had always hated Sakura, ever since they met at her first competition. Sakura was everything that Rachel was not: talented, humble, kind, and loved by everyone. Rachel was jealous of Sakura's success and popularity, and she wanted to destroy her. She wanted her gone from her life.

Rachel listened to every bit of Sakura's performance, and felt a pang of envy and fear. Sakura was playing flawlessly, and Rachel knew that she would be a tough opponent to beat. Rachel had chosen to play Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11, a piece that she had practiced for months and perfected to the smallest detail. She was confident that she could win the competition, but she also knew that Sakura was a formidable threat. She needed to find a way to make her lose her confidence and composure, and she had an idea.

Rehearsals finished smoothly and Sakura thanked the orchestra before leaving. Rachel, on the other hand, remembered that Sakura had a dark past, a traumatic event that had almost ended her career as a pianist. It was three years ago, when Sakura was competing in the International Piano Festival in Warsaw. She had reached the final round, and had chosen to play Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26, a challenging and modern piece that required a lot of skill, technique, and endurance. Sakura had prepared well for the competition, but something went wrong during her performance. She had a panic attack, and she froze on stage. She could not play a single note, and ran away from the piano, crying and shaking. She was disqualified from the competition, and she became the laughingstock of the music world. She disappeared from the public eye, and did not dare to touch the piano for years.

Rachel knew that Sakura had never played Prokofiev's concerto again, and that she was still haunted by that memory. She decided to use that to her advantage. She had a friend who worked at the orchestra, and she asked him to do her a favor. She told him to switch the music sheets of the orchestra, and replace Tchaikovsky's concerto with Prokofiev's. She badly wanted to see Sakura's reaction when she heard the orchestra play a different piece, a piece that she feared and hated. She wanted to see her panic and fail, just like she did four years ago. She wanted to see her lose the competition, and her dignity all over again.

Rachel smiled wickedly as she left the hall, satisfied with her plan. She did not care about the consequences, or the ethics. She only cared about winning, and she would do anything to achieve that. She thought that she had sealed Sakura's fate, but she did not know that fate had other plans.

"How did rehearsal go?" Yuzuru asked his wife as he hugged her. Sakura smiled and looked up at him.

"It went well," she said. "What did you do today?"

"We just explored some of the stores they wanted to see," he replied and showed her a paper bag with goodies inside. "Look, I got you something."

"Ooohhhh... What is it?" Sakura asked curiously and peeked into the bag.

"Tadaa..." Yuzuru revealed a crocheted cat plushie. "It came as a pair."

"Aaaa... Kawaii..." Sakura gazed at the plushie in awe. Yuzuru grinned as he gave her the plushie.

"Do you like it?" He asked nervously.

"I love it!" She exclaimed and hugged him. "Thank you, Yuzu!"

"I have another present for you." He pulled away and Sakura looked at him with curiosity and confusion.

"Eh?"

Yuzuru took out the crocheted cat beanie that he had also bought from the same shop. Sakura's cheeks turned pink as Yuzuru put it on her head.

"Kawaii desu yo," he complimented and admired his wife. He then fixed the hair that was on her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Will you go to dinner with me?" Yuzuru asked her and she nodded shyly, accepting his invitation.

They decided to have a dinner date at a cozy restaurant, and they enjoyed a delicious meal and a pleasant conversation. They talked about their dreams, their hopes, their fears. Sakura told Yuzuru about her disappointment during the semifinals, where she had made a few mistakes and received a lower score than she expected. She told him that she was nervous about the finals, and was under a lot of pressure. She told him that she wanted to win the competition, not only for herself, but also for him and for her family. Yuzuru listened to her with a gentle smile, and squeezed her hand.

"Kkura-chan, listen to me." he said, rubbing his thumb on her hand. Sakura turned to look at him.

"Don't be too stressed about the whole competition." He said. "I believe in you and I am very proud of you."

"To me, you are the best pianist in the world." He continued to place his other hand on her cheek and gently caressed it. "You have nothing to worry about, you've won my heart already."

"Yuzu..." she breathed out. "I-I-"

"And you are the most important prize of all." Yuzuru smiled as he watched her lips and looked back at her eyes.

He leaned over the table and kissed her softly, making her blush. He kissed her again, and again, and again, until they forgot about everything else. They did not notice that someone was taking pictures of them from a nearby window, a spy who had been hired by Rachel. The spy zoomed in on Yuzuru's face, and snapped a few shots.

While looking at the photos he took, he gave out a triumphant smile before returning to Rachel to show his discovery. Pleased with the results, she grinned mischievously as she thought of a plan.

"Looks like we really got something here huh?"