How do you think Yuri's gold affects their friendship? Because like...Otabek won bronze last year, he got SO ROBBED this year honestly. That would've been a blow to his confidence. He'd be happy for Yuri, but still, he didn't win :c
honestly? not that much. because most of these kids manage to be close friends while also being rivals (yuuri & phichit, chris & victor), and the two salient points here are that:
a) available evidence suggests that otabek is probably the most emotionally mature person in this entire series
b) his & yuri’s friendship, as fledgling as it is, is not connected to their professional relationship UNLIKE YUURI AND VICTOR WHO ARE IDIOTS AND KEEP CONFLATING THEIRS IN VERY UNFORTUNATE WAYS
so I think otabek is likely to be very happy for yuri, who skated phenomenally and well deserves his gold! HIS FRIEND WON A THING!
as for how he feels about losing the podium spot: look, they sit together at the banquet, and because yuri’s too young to drink legally (EVEN IN SPAIN) and statistically otabek’s likely to be muslim, they end up plotting jj’s death and mocking everyone’s drunken exhibitionism in the quiet and satisfied tones of the stone cold sober.