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❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 12:33 - 2 Feb 20XX
Phichit Chulanont, reporting live on location. I have arrived in Hasetsu.
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 12:51 - 2 Feb 20XX
Still no sign of the Targets. I did find this cool-looking statue though!
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 13:15 - 2 Feb 20XX
THIS IS IT!!!! I've found the Targets' home base!
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 13:17 - 2 Feb 20XX
I'll definitely be busted if I try to enter. For now it's the waiting game. Shall keep you posted.
Phichit out （○｀ω´）ゞ
Phichit Chulanont lived for the scoops. The one scoop he had been especially obsessed with since the autumn of the previous year was the curious case of his former roommate, Yuuri Katsuki, and the man called "Russia's living legend", Viktor Nikiforov. He had gotten his first real glimpse of their relationship during the competition in Beijing, and it had been evident that there was something more than just coaching and learning going on between the two. He had pestered Yuuri about it until the other man had, shyly at first, recounted the events of the past year starting from how he had found Viktor naked in his family's hot springs (and made Phichit swear upon pain of death not to publish any of the knowledge on social media. Which Phichit had promised. He may have had a slight mania, but he wasn't an ass for crying out loud.)
Anyway, it had all escalated way beyond anyone's imagination on the day right before the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona the previous year. Yuuri had gathered all the contestants (JJ excluded) for dinner, when Chris had pointed out the rings. It had taken Phichit's confused brain a few seconds to decode the situation, but once he'd realized that his best friend had gotten married of all things (or engaged, according to them), he hadn't been able to contain his excitement. He'd known of Yuuri's crush towards Viktor for literal years, and to think that the two had come to the point of wedding rings...
The reason he had gone all the way to Hasetsu very much unannounced was because he was a good friend. He hadn't heard from Yuuri for over a month now, and he felt like something might be up. Yuuri was prone to depression, like the time right after the dinner gathering - something a drunken Viktor had complained to Phichit about at length at the banquet after the GPF. Yuuri had been apologizing for most of the conversation before also getting drunk and... Well, Phichit's phone's memory card had been full after that particular event.
But so, as a good friend, he was determined to make sure everything was ok. Well, that and he was super curious, as were many other people. The media had kept a respectful distance thus far, but with so little to go on, they too were getting restless. Phichit's plan for the "everything ok" -scenario was fairly simple: give the public just enough obscure information and maybe a few candid shots of Yuuri and Viktor being cute together around town (from a respectful distance, obviously), and they'll be satisfied and the two can keep on living in peace. His plan for the "everything not ok" -scenario was fairly simple as well: figure out the source of the root of the issue and interfere. The only problem was...
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 13:33 - 2 Feb 20XX
They'll probably come out aaaaaaany minute now
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 13:45 - 2 Feb 20XX
Literally aaaaaaaaaaaaaaany minute now...
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 13:59 - 2 Feb 20XX
No sign of the targets yet... My buttocks are sore...
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 14:08 - 2 Feb 20XX
sajdaljdashdkasdjlahd my leg fell asleep!!! it's pins and needles (TTATT)
Until finally...
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 14:22 - 2 Feb 20XX
I HAVE VISUALO N THE TARGETS
RPEAT
I HAVE VISUAL ON T HE TRAGETS
Phichit sent a silent thank you to the heavens and stiffly rose from the stone wall he'd been sitting on. His legs were tingling like mad, he'd been too still for too long. His first few wobbly steps must've been a comical sight. He bit his cheek and started trailing Yuuri and Viktor, who by the looks of the atmosphere, had set out on a date. Jackpot, he thought. The tears in his eyes were 50 percent leg pain and 50 percent relief.
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 14:23 - 2 Feb 20XX
Here we go! Wish me luck!
The most difficult part was keeping out of sight, Phichit came to notice. His choice of disguise wasn't exactly bad (he'd opted for a beanie, huge sunglasses, and a scarf to cover the lower half of his face), but he noticed that even though he was in the southern parts of Japan, his skin was still a tad darker than the locals', which attracted a few curious looks. Also since the town was now the home base of not only one but three world-renowned skaters, it seemed like the people were almost expecting another one to show up anytime, and he'd had a couple of close calls of almost being recognised.
The second most difficult part was not getting sidetracked. Phichit had loved photography ever since he'd been a kid, and he'd developed a habit of not being able to pass interesting things by. Yuuri and Viktor's route went through a park and by the Hasetsu castle, and Phichit was flying all over the place snapping shots of things ranging from funny-looking landscaping elements and beautiful plant-life and scenery. Twice he lost sight of Yuuri and Viktor, and on the second time he quite literally almost ran into Yuuri's back after hastily turning a corner to see where the two had gone. He thought his heart was going to stop when his little yelp caused Yuuri to look back curiously. Luckily enough the street corner was right there and he managed to hide just in time.
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 14:39 - 2 Feb 20XX
Aww, look at them entertaining these random kids who showed up! How cute is that?
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 14:45 - 2 Feb 20XX
IS THAT A KISS??? ....no, I think it's just a forehead touch. Still cute though!
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 14:59 - 2 Feb 20XX
Pros of a skater boyfriend: spontaneous lift-hugs! (or maybe Yuuri just likes to feel tall, lol!) DON'T TELL HIM I SAID THAT OK HE'LL KILL ME
When they got out of the park, Phichit got careless. The sun had come out from behind the clouds, and the weather was getting considerably warmer as a result. His disguise suddenly wasn't so clever anymore, and he had to untie the scarf from around his face. That had been a mistake. A passer-by, a kid no older than eight or nine, had recognised him. He had only been able to understand a few words of the excited Japanese babble, but he'd found it adorable that such a tiny person from another country actually liked him enough to recognise him on the street. He'd bought the kid an ice cream and taken a picture with him, which seemed to have made his day.
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 15:09 - 2 Feb 20XX
Look at this adorable little fan I happened to meet!
Luckily he wasn't caught, nor did he lose sight of Yuuri and Viktor. The two had stopped at a small handicraft shop to look at what seemed to be woodcarving phone straps. Phichit came to the window just in time to see Yuuri distract Viktor by pointing out an impressive detailed feudal castle, and then sneaking to the register to by something. Phichit didn't see him hand it to Viktor though. Instead the two continued their walk towards the town centre.
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 15:27 - 2 Feb 20XX
Oo, looks like it's a café date today! I'll see if I can manage to sneak in without being noticed!
Phichit waited until Yuuri and Viktor got seated, and then made his way into the small coffee shop trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. He surveyed his surroundings, trying to find a hidey-hole as close to the couple as possible. Luckily there was a table of four with a coat rack right next to it, and the coats seemed to offer just enough cover for him.
He inched closer, careful to keep out of sight. It was just so majorly adorable how the two were holding hands across the table, whispering to each other. Just as Phichit reached the ideal spot, he realised that the coats in fact blocked his view very inconveniently. To top it off, it seemed like he would have finally been able to get his kiss shot. Viktor had pressed his forehead onto Yuuri's, he was whispering something and Yuuri was probably blushing like crazy, but Phichit didn't have a clear view. If only those darn coats weren't in the way.
"Ugh, just a bit closer..."
Before he even quite realised it, he was out of his hiding spot and right in front of the couple. The two jumped apart in surprise when Phichit stumbled in front of them. Yuuri's surprised expression soon turned into a defeated groan, though. Viktor smiled at his partner smugly.
"I called it. Your treat."
"You did that on purpose to lure him out, that's cheating!" Yuuri protested. Phichit looked at the two in confusion.
"Wait, what?" Had he heard right? Lure him out? Him as in Phichit?
"Why don't you sit down? It's Yuuri's treat today", Viktor smiled and pulled up a chair.
Phichit's confusion made him obedient, and he slumped onto the chair Viktor offered.
"We didn't exactly set any rules, so it's my win", Viktor said turning back to his fiancé.
"Um..."
"Fine, you won. Next time we're setting rules."
"Wait, you knew I was following you?"
"We were onto you since before we even entered the park", Viktor replied matter-of-factly. "We made a bet on how long it'd take for you to accidentally reveal yourself."
"And here I trusted you to stay hidden", Yuuri grumbled as he handed Phichit the menu. "Order anything you want. Like my dear fiancé just informed you, I'm paying."
"Soon-to-be husband", Viktor smiled. He winked at Phichit from behind his menu.
"That's what fiancé means you dumbass", Yuuri retorted. Phichit, however, had caught on.
"YOU SET THE DATE?" he exclaimed and jump right back up from his seat. "OH MY GOD, WHEN? I'M INVITED, RIGHT?" It suddenly hit him that he'd showed up unannounced and interrupted their date. "Right?"
Yuuri and Viktor both looked at him with serious expressions on their faces. Phichit could feel panic-sweat running down his forhead. It must have shown, because the two suddenly broke in laughter.
"Of course you're invited, you're my best friend!"
Phichit's heart was ready to burst. All the worry had been blown away and replaced with sheer joy for the two.
"MY BEST FRIEND IS GETTING MARRIED!" he screamed, for the second time in his life, off the top of his lungs and shot his hands up in the air almost knocking Viktor on the head in the process.
"You've said that already", Yuuri laughed.
"That was in Spain! And I didn't even get a commemorative picture!" The regret still stung like a fresh wound. Then he got an idea. "Ohohohohoh!" He pulled out his phone and turned the camera application on. Yuuri and Viktor eyed him amusedly.
"Do you think I could take one now? For the social media?" He arranged his face into the most puppy-dog like expression he could muster.
"We kind of figured this was coming", Viktor said. "Hold on a second." He unfolded a paper napkin and pulled out a marker.
The picture Phichit took that day became his all-time favourite. He was fairly sure he'd never seen Yuuri smile so widely before, and Viktor's smile was the genuine one, the one reserved for only the things that involved Yuuri. Their matching golden rings glittered brightly, contrasted by the pastel green table napkin that read "Getting married February 14th" in haphazard letters written with black marker.
❄Thaice prince❄ @phichit_chu Thu, 15:42 - 2 Feb 20XX
AAHAJDLADALDKSHAKJDHAKDIWUULADSAJ You heard it here first, folks!
Ohmygosh I'm so happy CONGRATULATIONS ლ(́♡∀♡ლ)