An Unexpected Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)

Chapter 6: Invitation

The two weeks that followed were marred by intense hours of practice. The Matsumoto girl only had a week left to master her short program before Yakov would eventually let her practice her free program.

She has been in constant contact with Yakov's close friend and the choreographer of her free skate. Ayumi wanted to ensure that her routine will emphasize the simplistic beauty of the world expressed by the song. She also wanted to understand how certain emotions are conveyed through movement and how choreographers take that into advantage when coming up with routines. Soon, she wanted to do it herself.

Despite the pressure on her to learn her routines as quickly as possible, she entered the rink on those days with a lighter feeling than she has in a long time. It seemed that the heavy atmosphere that once settled in as she shared the ice with her rink mates has completely disappeared.

That day was no different.

The doors of the rink opened as Ayumi was performing her usual stretches to warm up before practice. She leaned back, her eyes closed, a waterproof Sony Walkman attached firmly on her ears.

"Hi Ayumi."

Ayumi paused the music, took the Walkman off, and turned towards the voice. Yuri Plisetsky was walking towards her while carrying a large leopard-print backpack over his shoulders.

She chuckled. "You know, it's been more than a week since we've started being friends. I think it's safe to call me Yumi at this point. Doesn't the extra syllable bother you?"

She received a slight knock on the head as a result. "Aish. If I called you Yumi, then our names will sound way too similar. I prefer to avoid that kind of confusion, thank you."

"Why don't I come up with a nickname for you, then? So that calling me Yumi wouldn't cause you brain to short-circuit?"

Yuri sat down on the chair near her and raised an eyebrow. "Really? How do you even come up with a nickname for 'Yuri'?"

The girl stood up on the exercise mat, teasingly rubbing her chin as if deep in thought. "Hmm..." she was silent for a few seconds. "I've heard Coach Yakov and your grandfather call you 'Yuratchka' before, so..." A few more seconds of silence.

"I've got it! What about 'Yura'?"

Yuri looked at her as if she grew a second head. "Yura? What kind of a nickname is that?"

She grinned teasingly. "Your nickname, what else? It sounds nice, and it kinda has a personal touch. Great idea, eh?"

He smiled at the girl's antics but tried to mask it by slapping a palm on his face. "What the heck..." He stared at her. "It doesn't matter anyway. Our nicknames will still feel the same."

"Then why don't we come up with another nickname for me? That way we're both satisfied here?"

Yuri was becoming secretly amused by the shallow conversation. "Hmm.... Ayumi... I could always call you by the first two syllables of your name instead of the last two." He smirked. "What do you say, Ayu?"

The girl looked up as if considering the idea. "Ayu... it doesn't sound that bad. I'll go with it, Yura."

"Good."

"Ayu and Yura, then. Doesn't sound similar anymore now, does it?"

Yuri blushed slightly at this. So, they had personal nicknames for each other now?

"Yeah, sure."

Ayumi grinned at him once again, patted his shoulders, and entered the rink to begin practicing.