3

Chapter 3

"Oh yeah! You never told me that your friend lives nearby!" Yuuko exclaimed as she grabbed her coat and shoes.

Victor laughed and shook his head slightly. "No, I don't really hang out with him as much. He usually goes home whenever I visit so I've only seen him once since I arrived here."

"Oh yeah! Do you know what school he goes to? Maybe I'll meet him sometime."

"Maybe, I don't really hang out with him. He's always busy practicing and sometimes doesn't even come down during lunch breaks. So yeah maybe when he comes home sometime you can meet him." He grabbed his keys and wallet out of his drawer and locked his door. Yuuko followed him to the entrance of the apartment complex and waited as he put his stuff in the trunk.

When he got inside and shut the trunk, he gave her a pat on the shoulder and a grin. "Bye Yuuko! See you on Friday!" And with that he hopped into his car and drove off towards home.

* * * * * *

It was Monday morning and Victor was excited for today. It was a Thursday so he wasn't too sure how his mother was feeling about him spending the rest of the weekend away from home. His father was working today so he had plenty of time to study and practice his English, so he hoped that she'd be happy with his decision.

Once he arrived home he took a quick shower and brushed his teeth before heading straight to his room to study. Once again, he couldn't wait for school to be over. Finally the clock struck four and it was finally the end of classes, meaning he wouldn't have to worry about having to deal with social interaction anymore!

He changed his clothes to clean up a little bit and grabbed his bag before exiting his room. Once he was in the hallway he was greeted by the smell of delicious pancakes. His mother had cooked breakfast for the both of them and set everything down on the dining room table for them.

"Eat your breakfast sweetheart," she said smiling at Victor as they both walked over to the table.

He slowly reached for his fork and knife and slowly started cutting his pancakes, savoring every small piece. After finishing breakfast he washed up and walked over to the couch to relax and watch TV for a while. It was already six o'clock and his mother wanted him to pick her up at eight o'clock sharp so he could walk her to school in the morning. Once he finished changing and getting ready he grabbed his phone and headed out of the apartment.

As he got outside his parents' car was waiting at the curb. Yuuri slid into the backseat while his father stepped forward. They both buckled up and were off, driving to school.

Once they reached the school gate Victor turned to Yuuri and asked "Do you want to stay in our classroom for awhile or go to class together?"

Yuuri shrugged his shoulders. "Um… maybe go to class?"

Viktor nodded and started walking toward the front doors. "Alright I'll see you later then." He yelled back over his shoulder, waving as he continued to walk away.

Yuuri smiled and waved back at him. Once he finally made it to class he slipped his headphones over his ears and began scrolling through Tumblr. When the bell rang signaling the beginning of the school day he quickly snapped a picture of the board and sent it to Phichit with the caption "Hey I'm at school!". Then he turned his attention back to his computer and focused on whatever video game he was playing.

About ten minutes later the teacher walked into the room, signaling the end of the period. After packing up his things Yuuri grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Walking over to the doors he looked over at his best friend and waved goodbye. The two boys parted ways and Yuuri started walking down the halls toward his locker. Once he got to it he placed his books inside and slammed the lock shut.

He quickly exited the building and walked down the sidewalk, keeping his pace slow to make sure he didn't get too far ahead of himself.

Soon enough he noticed a familiar figure in the distance walking along the sidewalk near his usual bench. He was wearing the same outfit as usual with the exception of his hair which was tied into a messy ponytail with a pink ribbon. The top half of his face was hidden by his scarf but Yuuri could tell that he was trying to hide his smile.

He approached Yuuri and greeted him. "Good afternoon Yuuri~ I haven't seen you all week."

Yuuri grinned at him. "Hello Minako."

Minako tilted her head at Yuuri curiously before replying. "How was school today? Wasn't it interesting?"

Yuuri nodded in agreement. "Yeah. There are definitely some fascinating lessons."

Minako hummed in response. "Hmm... Well if you ever feel like going to a lesson you can always ask me okay? If I hear anything about something new though just give me a call and let me know~ I'll arrange it if it happens."

Yuuri blushed as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "O-okay.. Um... Thanks for the offer." He turned his gaze back up to Minako and asked, "So where do you live?"

They made their way towards the subway station after saying goodbye to each other. Once they got on Minako explained the train schedule. While there was no rush Yuuri liked riding public transportation since it made him feel like he was part of society.

While they rode the train Yuuri looked around at the people around them. He found it odd that everyone seemed so relaxed and cheerful compared to the people he was used to seeing all the time. In fact, most of the people he saw didn't look like they belonged in a place like this.

The first thing Yuuri did upon getting to their stop was check to make sure his mom wasn't sitting next to him. She hadn't noticed yet. He turned his gaze back to Minako and asked, "I thought you said it was on the right side of town?"

"Ah yes, I was wrong. It's not quite on the right side, but it isn't quite on the left either. Anyway I guess you will be living close by. It's pretty good neighborhood for an elementary school."

Yuuri nodded in understanding.

"We're almost at your stop. Let's head there so you can get your luggage."

Yuuri followed behind Minako as she navigated the crowd until they reached the entrance to a building. Once they passed through the automatic doors Minako pointed across the street. "