An Unexpected Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)

Chapter 24: Breakdown

Ayumi was not asking them.

She skated to the entrance of the rink and walked towards the table where the speakers were. She held her phone in her hands, talking to the screen. Apparently, her friend Ryoji has been watching the whole performance as well through a video call.

"It's quite good, Yumi. I can tell you've been practicing a lot. But can you please explain to me why the hell you're dancing to a seductive song when you've never even gotten close to kissing anyone in your life?"

The girl was suddenly sullen. "Fifty Shades of Grey." The line was silent, so she continued. "It was the last thing Miwako and I talked about when I went to Japan before the final. She told me to read the book, and I never got around to doing it until recently."

"Ayumi..."

"I know I shouldn't have. But Miwako was so ecstatic about it. She told me it was more than just the sex. She asked me how it must feel like for a woman to give up her inhibitions and allow herself to just... let go. To be succumb to her desires. I didn't understand, and she just told me to live my life because there was no cancer holding me back from getting and feeling what I want."

Ryoji was silent for a while. "Yumi, it's been four months. Stop beating yourself up for what happened to Miwako. Remember what auntie said? It wasn't our fault."

Ayumi looked at the phone in shock. "But it IS, Ryoji. I was the last person she talked to before she..." She shuddered. "Oh god. I was THERE. She was practically screaming for help in front of me. Now look me in the eye and tell me... that I couldn't have stopped her."

The girl slid down on the side of the fence in defeat. The boys inside the control booth were unmoving. They wanted to help, but it was like watching a train wreck. They were frozen.

"Minako-sensei called to tell me Viktor and Yuri found you there. Have you talked to them about this?"

The girl turned away. "No. You didn't see how they reacted when they first saw me here. They were upset. Yura is still so mad at me. I couldn't tell them anything."

Ryoji scoffed. "You can't blame them, Yumi. You going incognito like that? It made us all panic. We tried desperately to reach you. Your parents weren't talking. Even Kamoshita was not answering our calls anymore. Yuri was insanely worried. It was like you died for 2 months, and then we suddenly find out you were practically on rehab in the Philippines?! Heck, even I was pissed at you."

He paused. "Why did you even do it? Was it because of the video? You could have just—"

"No. It was more than that..." Ayumi looked down on her knees. "I've been reliving that video every night since we were forced to watch it. It was horrifying. But the nightmares changed. Suddenly it wasn't just Miwako anymore."

"It was my parents. It was you guys. It was Mila or Georgi. It was Viktor... It was Yura. And on some nights, I was holding the gun." She breathed deeply. "And then I realized: I was useless. I didn't save Miwako, and I only end up hurting the people I care about. I couldn't do that to you guys, Ryoji. I just couldn't..."

Ayumi ran a hand through her hair in agony. "So yes, I was a coward, and I ran... Is that what you wanted to hear from me?"

Ryoji did not say a word. Viktor and Yuuri looked at the teenage girl, feeling miserable and helpless. Yurio was standing with mouth agape, not moving a muscle.

"How... how did you do it?"

Ryoji answered with a soft voice. "How did I what?"

"How did you forget?" Ayumi slowly turned her head to look at the phone again. "I just... I want to forget. About Miwako. About that video. About Yura, about everything... Please. Even just for one day, I want to forget how much of a disappointment I've been."

The 18-year-old boy on the phone was suddenly somber. "I never forgot, Yumi. I see that video everyday when my mind is empty. But at night... I don't. Why do you think I've been drinking alcohol and going through women like toilet paper?"

Ayumi let out a stinging scoff. "You know what I feel about having sex with random people. And I'm fifteen."

"Then don't," Ryoji said, emotionless. "Just drink. I mean, it's not like you haven't tried alcohol before. It works like bleach. It completely messes up your mind so that you forget about the pain."

Viktor and Yuuri looked at each other in utter shock. How is this conversation even happening? You were only teenagers, for crying out loud.

Their shock turned to horror when Ayumi smiled bitterly and muttered, "I'll consider it."

The call ended, and Ayumi was beginning to remove her skates. Just when she was about to take off the last one, her phone rang again.

"Jessica? What's wrong? Why are you calling?" Jessica, the 17-year-old on the phone, explained her situation, and Ayumi gasped in frustration.

"What are you doing at a nightclub in Fukuoka?! We've already told you not to go to one without any of us. None of us are there to keep an eye on you!"

"But you're here!" Jessica said, and the girl rolled her eyes. "Hasetsu is an hour and a half drive away, Jess."

"Come on Yumi, don't be such a prude! I'll be fun! It'll be a great night to meet people, party hard and forget about our problems! So, what do you say hon? You in?"

Forget. She needed to forget.

"Wait for me. I'm heading over there."

Yuuri Katsuki turned to Viktor in panic. "We can't allow Ayumi to go to a club! She's only fifteen! She could be..."

Viktor snapped out of his horrified trance and pulled Yuri, who was still staring at the glass with wide eyes. They ran out of the booth and exited the rink.

But it was too late. The black Mercedes that was parked outside earlier sped away, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.