It was during the middle of studying Statistics when Ayumi saw the date. October 20th. She has been in New York for close to three months. However, something about that day made her phone ping, and it was made clear when the event reminder popped up on the screen: ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating- Rostelecom Cup, Day 1.
She sighed. The Grand Prix Series has officially begun.
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[Rostelecom Cup (1st Event), Moscow—3rd week of October]
"Do your best today, Yuratchka."
Yuri sat in the waiting room at the Megasport Arena eating a pork cutlet bowl pirozhki. Just like last year, his grandfather made him a batch just before the Free Skate event. He felt lucky to be assigned to Moscow again. His grandfather's support was something he always looked forward to.
"Thanks grandpa. I'll make you proud."
His grandfather smiled. "You don't have to. I'm already proud of you."
Those words struck a cord in him. It was the exact thing Ayumi—
No. Now's not the time to think about her, Yuri.
After five skaters, it was finally his turn. He entered the rink ignoring the orders of Yakov and Lilia once again. His grandfather was sitting at one of the booths, and that was more than enough to put a small smile on his face.
The first few notes of Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons-Summer in G Minor: Presto started to play. Lilia chose the piece to build on his ability to perform heart-pounding routines, and he had to admit that it was more difficult to work with than 'Allegro Appassionato'. But he was always up for a challenge. After all, he was the current champion—he needed to defend that title.
He landed his jumps and spins with relative ease, and he finally managed to land a quad loop in competition. Take that, stupid JJ. He applied every constructive advice given to him throughout the performance, ending it with his signature combination spin.
Lilia and Yakov met him at the Kiss and Cry with smiles of satisfaction. The score was finally up: 183.41. He won gold, just as expected.
Now he just needed to beat Viktor in his next event.
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[Cup of China (3rd Event), Beijing—1st week of November]
Having a competition right after midterms, Ayumi realized, was not exactly a good thing.
It was already the day of the Ladies' Free Skate, and she needed to make up for her lackluster performance in the Short Program. It couldn't be helped. Exams piled up and she did not have enough practice in the two weeks leading up to the Cup of China. She was just grateful it was not scheduled before her midterms instead, or it could have been much worse.
"Don't use your quad today," Yakov instructed. "You're under too much stress. It's not worth the risk."
I'm sorry, coach. I will use it. I need to.
"On the ice, representing Chinese Taipei: Ayumi Matsumoto!"
A mixture of applause and boos welcomed her as she stepped on the ice, just like in the short program. Some of Yuri's diehard fans attended the event just to spite her, and she knew she had to pull off an exceptional performance.
I can't let them bring me down, not now.
For her free skate, she chose The Arena by Lindsey Stirling. It fit her "empowerment" theme, but it was extremely fast-paced and dynamic. The tempo did not allow her much time to catch a breath between elements. When it came to the chorus, she did her quad despite Yakov's warning. It was off but otherwise successful. Her other jumps and spins turned out alright, too. By the time the song ended, she fell on the ice in sheer exhaustion. Yakov only stared at her with narrowed eyes as they awaited her score.
133.80. She finished third that day.
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[NHK Trophy (4th Event), Osaka—2nd week of November]
Ayumi was in her penthouse at the Four Seasons sitting at her desk when Kamoshita suddenly suggested to turn on the TV. It was unusual for her butler to do so when he was never a fan of American shows, but she decided to just let him be while she worked on her laptop.
The sound of cheering made her look up. Of all the channels Kamoshita could watch, he decided to go with NBC. The bright white surface of Osaka's Makomanai Ice Arena was blinding, and all seemed fine until a familiar head of blonde hair showed up on screen.
Yura...
Her eyes found themselves fixated on the screen as he skated his free program. He moved with so much ferocity and grace, and his costume truly made him stand out. Even the quad loop that he struggled with all summer was a success (albeit a bit shaky on the takeoff). He was beautiful, just as she always thought he was.
Kamoshita must have done this on purpose...
Yuri's score was indeed high, but once Viktor started to skate it suddenly was not high enough. The grey-haired Russian who was like a brother to her was back with a vengeance, not showing an ounce of deterioration even after a season in hiatus. Seeing how passionate he was to tell a story instantly reminded her of why she looked up to him in the first place.
The event was finally over. Viktor came out first while Yuri trailed close behind. She unconsciously fiddled with her necklace and smiled.
He was guaranteed a spot in the final. They both were.
"Kamoshita, can you please turn the TV off? I need to concentrate on reading this financial report."
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[Skate America (6th Event), Lake Placid—4th week of November]
Yakov's students were gathered at the cafeteria in their home rink. The huge TV was tuned into the live stream of the last GP Series event. Everyone's eyes were on their former rink mate—the only one whose fate has yet to be decided.
They have been watching Ayumi closely since the Cup of China. An ordinary spectator may not notice the changes in her condition, but it was evident to all of them who knew her. She was pale, weak, and out of focus. Even when she was next in line to skate, she was not paying attention and did not stop jotting down notes from what appeared to be a textbook.
"I don't know how she's doing it," Yuuri commented. "From my experience, college courses are really demanding. Couple that with work and training? She shouldn't even be standing."
Yuri was clenching his fists in worry. She was tired, and he could see it even as Yakov snatched the book away. As much as he wanted to see her reach the final, seeing her in such bad shape was a bitter pill to swallow.
They all flinched when Ayumi was met with disapproving cheers—Yuri's Angels were relentless. Her routine was artistic, and its level of difficulty never ceased to amaze them. Their heart stopped, however, when she fell hard on her quad Salchow.
Oh god, get up! Yuri was screaming in his mind. She managed to pull through and complete the program, her other jumps clearly unstable.
The results were in. Ayumi finished third and squeezed through to the Grand Prix Final. Yuri felt a flurry of emotions—pride for her accomplishment, excitement at the thought of seeing her again, anger at her declining health, and fear at what would happen when they meet in Nagoya. Despite this, there was one thing he knew for certain:
I'll get you back somehow, Ayu! I swear!
ESTÁS LEYENDO
An Unwavering Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)
Fanfic*Sequel to An Unexpected Love* Half a year after dominating the Grand Prix Final, Yuri Plisetsky and Ayumi Matsumoto are on cloud nine. Their relationship is still going strong, and the feelings they have for each other only grew despite being apart...
