An Unexpected Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)

Chapter 18: Surrender

The Ayumi that came to practice every day that week was almost nothing like the Ayumi they knew.

Not a single word has escaped her lips since the day she got back. She would simply enter the facility with Kamoshita, put on her skates, practice her routine until exhaustion, and leave. The Russian skaters tried their hardest to coax the girl to have any reaction at all. They would talk to her about random things, pull her in for a friendly hug, make jokes and laugh around her, but they were met with nothing but heartbreaking silence.

And that silence was killing Yuri. The girl did not avoid him like he did with her in the past, but whenever he tried to talk to her it always seemed to fall on deaf ears. She moved like he was merely a ghost hovering around her.

He didn't know which was worse.

Viktor, Mila, Georgi and Yuri tried visiting her one morning. They came to her apartment bringing Russian comfort food and was planning to take her to the park after having breakfast together. When Kamoshita let them in, however, they were crushed when ear-splitting screams suddenly rang from the girl's bedroom.

They all rushed to the room in alarm and found her thrashing around in her bed. Another nightmare. Kamoshita woke her up and she jolted, her eyes lost and full of pain and fear. She moved to the nightstand in panic and once again took a pill.

Ayumi seemed to come back to earth after a couple of breaths, but when she saw the Russian skaters looking at her with immense worry, she stepped away and pressed her back on the farthest wall.

"Please, don't come near me! Please!" she pleaded, shaking her head.

Yuri stepped closer and put his hand out in a desperate attempt to reach her, but she flinched. He felt helpless. He didn't think there was anything that felt worse than seeing the person he loved so afraid of him.

All the Russians could do was stare as she slid down to the floor and hid her face between her knees.

------

Yakov, Ayumi and Yuri have finally arrived in Belarus for the Junior Worlds. Viktor, Mila and Georgi wanted to come with them, and no one dared to question why.

Ayumi's gaze was fixated on the floor as they walked into the hotel. Yuri kept his eyes on his best friend with concern. She has been like that since they boarded the airplane. The other Russians walked in silence, sneaking a glance at the teenage girl occasionally.

She was suddenly hounded by reporters, their microphones pushing closer to her face.

"What can you say about the death of Miwako Ogawa?" "Has she shown signs that she was about to take her own life?" "Do you know anything that might have triggered her suicide?" "Do you think that someone may have had a hand to play in her death?"

There were too many questions. Ayumi's face contorted, but she quickly reined it in. She took a deep breath and looked at the cameras emotionlessly.

"We are all deeply saddened by the loss of Miwako Ogawa. She has been a blessing to all of us. However, I would like to ask that the press refrain from asking me or my friends any questions regarding her death. We hope you can allow us the time to mourn for our friend's passing. Thank you very much for your consideration."

Her rink mates and coach merely watched her. She appeared perfectly calm and collected. She knew how to handle the press. Ayumi excused herself and walked away with Kamoshita. The others followed, not knowing what else to say after that.

------

It was time for the Junior Ladies' free skate event.

The short programs for both genders in the Junior division ended the day before, with Yuri finishing first. Ayumi, however, was noticeably out of her element but managed to finish the short program in fifth.

She stepped into the arena with Yakov by her side. The coach has been wary of the girl since the competition began, but surprisingly she has been able to hold up so far without having a panic attack in the middle of the ice.

Yuri sat with Mila, Viktor and Georgi at the spectators' booth, his hands clasped together in worry. At this point, it did not matter if she won or not. He only prayed that she can pull through the free skate without complication or injury.

The girl had a look of pure determination. There was no smile on her face, but it seemed like she was dead-set on making up for her mistakes on yesterday's short program. Ayumi entered the ice and posed.

When the music played, her expression shifted completely. She glided across the ice with emotion laced in her movements. It was as if the events of the past few weeks have been forgotten, and the Ayumi performing in front of them was the girl who always greeted them with a smile, the girl who found happiness in the little things in life.

The Russians couldn't take their eyes off their rink mate. In them, especially Yuri, was a glimmer of hope that Ayumi was slowly starting to bounce back.

She stopped in the middle of the ice for her final pose, and the crowd roared in excitement. Every skater who watched her joined in applause, knowing how much the girl had to endure to make it that far.

------

Everyone was elated—the Junior World Figure Skating Championships has officially ended.

Ayumi Matsumoto, despite her comeback in the free skate, was not able to close the gap and finished third. She accepted the bronze medal with grace, and her fellow female skaters pulled her in for a reassuring hug. She was extremely reluctant, but she was already surrounded before she can walk away.

Yuri Plisetsky completed his end of the bargain with Viktor. He won gold on his own event, a remarkable feat for a skater with no quads in both programs. The Ice Tiger of Russia has justified his arrogance, and the world was eager to see more as he announced his intention to compete in the senior division next season. He did not feel like gloating, however. At that moment, there was only one person on his mind—the person he wanted a hug from more than anyone else.

He scanned the crowd as they made their way out of the arena. He has not seen Ayumi since the day before. She did not join the Russians when they came to watch the Men's free skate, and Yuri thought she was planning on joining them later. The fact that she didn't come to watch him like she usually did saddened him, but also made him worry.

The Russians met up with Yakov and made their way back to the hotel. They decided to visit Ayumi's hotel room to see if she was not feeling well, but once they arrived they saw a housekeeper cleaning inside.

The room was empty.

According to the hotel's reception, Ayumi Matsumoto checked out that morning. They checked their phones and found that there was not a single message from her or Kamoshita. They left without a word.

Yuri stomped his feet: hurt, frustrated and angry. Ayumi left, and it did not seem like she was coming back this time.